determined to retire from Court; and in order to it begged the Emperor that he would be pleased to dismiss him, pretending a kind of Discontent at his not having been rewarded for his long Services.  The Emperor would not give a direct Answer to his Petition, but told him he would think of it, and [appointed [6]] a certain Day when he would let him know his Pleasure.  He then called together the most faithful of his Counsellors, and acquainting them with his Secretary’s Crime, asked them their Advice in so delicate an Affair.  They most of them gave their Opinion, that the Person could not be too severely punished who had thus dishonoured his Master.  Upon the whole Debate, the Emperor declared it was his Opinion, that Eginhart’s Punishment would rather encrease than diminish the Shame of his Family, and that therefore he thought it the most adviseable to wear out the Memory of the Fact, by marrying him to his Daughter.  Accordingly Eginhart was called in, and acquainted by the Emperor, that he should no longer have any Pretence of complaining his Services were not rewarded, for that the Princess Imma should be given [him [7]] in Marriage, with a Dower suitable to her Quality; which was soon after performed accordingly.

L.

[Footnote 1:  those]

[Footnote 2:  that]

[Footnote 3:  that]

[Footnote 4:  Marquard Freher, who died at Heidelberg in 1614, aged 49, was Counsellor to the Elector Palatine, and Professor of Jurisprudence at Heidelberg, until employed by the Elector (Frederick IV) as his Minister in Poland, and at other courts.  The chief of many works of his were, on the Monetary System of the Ancient Romans and of the German Empire in his day, a History of France, a collection of Writers on Bohemian History, and another of Writers on German History, Rerum Germanicarum Scriptores, in three volumes.  It is from a Chronicle of the monastery of Lorsch (or Laurisheim), in Hesse Darmstadt, under the year 805, in the first volume of the last-named collection, that the story about Eginhart was taken by Bayle, out of whose Dictionary Addison got it.  Bayle, indeed, specially recommends it as good matter for a story.  Imma, the chronicle says, had been betrothed to the Grecian Emperor.]

[Footnote 5:  that]

[Footnote 6:  fixed on]

[Footnote 7:  to him]

* * * * *

No. 182.  Friday, September 28, 1711.  Steele.

      ‘Plus aloes quam mellis habet ...’

      Juv.

As all Parts of humane Life come under my Observation, my Reader must not make uncharitable Inferences from my speaking knowingly of that Sort of Crime which is at present treated of.  He will, I hope, suppose I know it only from the Letters of Correspondents, two of which you shall have as follow.

  Mr. SPECTATOR,