though, by the date, I ought to have had it much sooner; but nothing
was ever worse regulated than the post in most parts of Germany.
I can assure you, the pacquet at Prague was behind my chaise, and in
that manner conveyed to Dresden, so that the secrets of half the
country were at my mercy, if I had had any curiosity for them. I
would not longer delay my thanks for yours, though the number of my
acquaintances here, and my duty of attending at court, leave me
hardly any time to dispose of. I am extremely pleased that I can
tell you, without flattery or partiality, that our young prince
[Footnote: The father of his present Majesty.] has all the
accomplishments that 'tis possible to have at his age, with an air of
sprightliness and understanding, and something so very engaging and
easy in his behaviour, that he needs not the advantage of his rank to
appear charming. I had the honour of a long conversation with him
last night, before the king came in. His governor retired on purpose
(as he told me afterwards) that I might make some judgment of his
genius, by hearing him speak without constraint; and I was surprised
at the quickness and politeness that appeared in every thing he said;
joined to a person perfectly agreeable, and the fine fair hair of the
princess.
THIS town is neither large nor handsome; but the palace is capable of
holding a much greater court than that of St James's. The king has
had the goodness to appoint us a lodging in one part of it, without
which we should have been very ill accommodated; for the vast number
of English, crowds the town so much, 'tis very good luck to get one
sorry room in a miserable tavern. I dined to-day with the Portuguese
ambassador, who thinks himself very happy to have two wretched
parlours in an inn. I have now made the tour of Germany, and cannot
help observing a considerable difference between travelling here and
in England. One sees none of those fine seats of noblemen, so common
amongst us, nor any thing like a country gentleman's house, though
they have many situations perfectly fine. But the whole people are
divided into absolute sovereignties, where all the riches and
magnificence are at Court, or into communities of merchants, such as
Nurenburg (sic) and Frankfort, where they live always in town for the
convenience of trade. The king's company of French comedians play
here every night. They are very well dressed, and some of them not
ill actors. His majesty dines and sups constantly in public. The
court is very numerous, and his affability and goodness make it one
of the most agreeable places in the world.
Dear madam, your, &c. &c.
LET. XVIII.
TO THE LADY R----.
_Hanover, Oct_. 1. O. S. 1716.
I AM very glad, my dear lady R----, that you have been so well
pleased, as you tell me, at the report of my returning to England;
though, like other pleasures, I can assure you it has no real
foundation. I hope you know me enough to take my word against any
report concerning me. 'Tis true, as to distance of place, I am much
nearer to London than I was some weeks ago; but, as to the thoughts
of a return, I never was farther off in my life. I own, I could with
great joy indulge the pleasing hopes of seeing you, and the very few
others that share my esteem; but while Mr W---- is determined to
proceed in his design, I am determined to follow him. I am running
on upon my own affairs, that is to say, I am going to write very
dully, as most people do when they write of themselves. I will make
haste to change the disagreeable subject, by telling you, that I am
now got into the region of beauty. All the women have (literally)
rosy cheeks, snowy foreheads and bosoms, jet eye-brows, and scarlet
lips, to which they generally add coal-black hair. Those perfections
never leave them, till the hour of their deaths, and have a very fine
effect by candle light; but I could wish they were handsome with a
little more variety. They resemble one another as much as Mrs
Salmon's court of Great Britain, and are in as much danger of melting
away, by too near approaching the fire, which they for that reason
carefully avoid, though 'tis now such excessive cold weather, that I
believe they suffer extremely by that piece of self-denial. The snow
is already very deep, and the people begin to slide about in their
traineaus. This is a favourite diversion all over Germany. They are
little machines fixed upon a sledge, that hold a lady and gentleman,
and are drawn by one horse. The gentleman has the honour of driving,
and they move with a prodigious swiftness. The lady, the horse, and
the traineau, are all as fine as they can be made; and when there are
many of them together, 'tis a very agreeable show. At Vienna, where
all pieces of magnificence are carried to excess, there are sometimes
machines of this kind, that cost five or six hundred pounds English.
The duke of Wolfenbuttle is now at this court; you know he is nearly
related to our king, and uncle to the reigning empress, who is, I
believe, the most beautiful princess upon earth. She is now with
child, which is all the consolation of the imperial court, for the
loss of the archduke. I took my leave of her the day before I left
Vienna, and she began to speak to me with so much grief and
tenderness, of the death of that young prince, I had much ado to
withhold my tears. You know that I am not at all partial to people
for their titles; but I own, that I love that charming princess, (if
I may use so familiar an expression) and if I had not, I should have
been very much moved at the tragical end of an only son, born, after
being so long desired, and at length killed by want of good
management, weaning him in the beginning of the winter. Adieu, dear
lady R----; continue to write to me, and believe none of your
goodness is lost upon Your, &c.
LET. XIX.
TO THE COUNTESS OF ----.
_Blankenburg, OCT_. 17. O. S. 1716.
I RECEIVED your's, dear sister, the very day I left Hanover. You may
easily imagine I was then in too great a hurry to answer it; but you
see I take the first opportunity of doing myself that pleasure. I
came here the 15th, very late at night, after a terrible journey, in
the worst roads and weather that ever poor traveller suffered. I
have taken this little fatigue merely to oblige the reigning empress,
and carry a message from her imperial majesty to the duchess of
Blankenburg, her mother, who is a princess of great address and
good-breeding, and may be still called a fine woman. It was so late
when I came to this town, I did not think it proper to disturb the
duke and duchess with the news of my arrival; so I took up my
quarters in a miserable inn: but as soon as I had sent my compliments
to their highnesses, they immediately sent me their own coach and six
horses, which had however enough to do to draw us up the very high
hill on which the castle is situated. The duchess is extremely
obliging to me, and this little court is not without its diversions.
The duke taillys (sic) at basset every night; and the duchess tells
me, she is so well pleased with my company, that it makes her play
less than she used to do. I should find it very difficult to steal
time to write, if she was not now at church, where I cannot wait on
her, not understanding the language enough to pay my devotions in it.
You will not forgive me, if I do not say something of Hanover; I
cannot tell you that the town is either large or magnificent. The
opera house, which was built by the late elector, is much finer than
that of Vienna. I was very sorry that the ill weather did not permit
me to see Hernhausen in all its beauty; but in spite of the snow, I
thought the gardens very fine. I was particularly surprised at the
vast number of orange trees, much larger than any I have ever seen in
England, though this climate is certainly colder. But I had more
reason to wonder that night at the king's table, to see a present
from a gentleman of this country, of two large baskets full of ripe
oranges and lemons of different sorts, many of which were quite new
to me; and what I thought worth all the rest, two ripe ananasses
(sic), which, to my taste, are a fruit perfectly delicious. You know
they are naturally the growth of Brazil, and I could not imagine how
they came here, but by enchantment. Upon inquiry, I learnt that they
have brought their stoves to such perfection, they lengthen their
summer as long as they please, giving to every plant the degree of
heat it would receive from the sun in its native soil. The effect is
very near the same; I am surprised we do not practise (sic) in
England so useful an invention. This reflection leads me to consider
our obstinacy in shaking with cold, five months in the year rather
than make use of stoves, which are certainly one of the greatest
conveniencies (sic) of life. Besides, they are so far from spoiling
the form of a room, that they add very much to the magnificence of
it, when they are painted and gilt, as they are at Vienna, or at
Dresden, where they are often in the shapes of china jars, statues,
or fine cabinets, so naturally represented, that they are not to be
distinguished. If ever I return, in defiance to the fashion, you
shall certainly see one in the chamber of, Dear sister, your, &c.
I WILL write often, since you desire it: but I must beg you to be a
little more particular in your's; you fancy me at forty miles
distance, and forget, that, after so long an absence, I can't
understand hints.
LET. XX.
TO THE LADY ----.
_Vienna, Jan_. 1. O. S. 1717
I HAVE just received here at Vienna, your ladyship's compliments on
my return to England, sent me from Hanover. You see, madam, all
things that are asserted with confidence are not absolutely true; and
that you have no sort of reason to complain of me for making my
designed return a mystery to you, when you say, all the world are
informed of it. You may tell all the world in my name, that they are
never so well informed of my affairs as I am myself; that I am very
positive I am at this time at Vienna, where the carnival is begun,
and all sorts of diversions are carried to the greatest height,
except that of masquing (sic), which is never permitted during a war
with the Turks. The balls are in public places, where the men pay a
gold ducat at entrance, but the ladies nothing. I am told, that
these houses get sometimes a thousand ducats in a night. They are
very magnificently furnished, and the music good, if they had not
that detestible (sic) custom of mixing hunting horns with it, that
almost deafen the company. But that noise is so agreeable here, they
never make a concert without them. The ball always concludes with
English country dances, to the number of thirty or forty couple, and
so ill danced, that there is very little pleasure in them. They know
but half a dozen, and they have danced them over and over these fifty
years: I would fain have taught them some new ones, but I found it
would be some months labour to make them comprehend them. Last night
there was an Italian comedy acted at court. The scenes were pretty,
but the comedy itself such intolerable low farce, without either wit
or humour, that I was surprised how all the court could sit there
attentively for four hours together. No women are suffered to act on
the stage, and the men dressed like them, were such awkward figures,
they very much added to the ridicule of the spectacle. What
completed the diversion, was the excessive cold, which was so great,
I thought I should have died there. It is now the very extremity of
the winter here; the Danube is entirely frozen, and the weather not
to be supported without stoves and furs; but, however, the air so
clear, almost every body is well, and colds not half so common as in
England. I am persuaded there cannot be a purer air, nor more
wholesome, than that of Vienna. The plenty and excellence of all
sorts of provisions are greater here than in any place I ever was
before, and 'tis not very expensive to keep a splendid table. 'Tis
really a pleasure to pass through the markets, and see the abundance
of what we should think rarities, of fowls and venison, that are
daily brought in from Hungary and Bohemia. They want nothing but
shell-fish, and are so fond of oysters, that they have them sent from
Venice, and eat them very greedily, stink or not stink. Thus I obey
your commands, madam, in giving you an account of Vienna, though I
know you will not be satisfied with it. You chide me for my
laziness, in not telling you a thousand agreeable and surprising
things, that you say you are sure I have seen and heard. Upon my
Word, madam, 'tis my regard to truth, and not laziness, that I do not
entertain you with as many prodigies as other travellers use to
divert their readers with. I might easily pick up wonders in every
town I pass through, or tell you a long series of popish miracles;
but I cannot fancy, that there is any thing new in letting you know
that priests will lie, and the mob believe, all the world over. Then
as for news, that you are so inquisitive about, how can it be
entertaining to you (that don't know the people) that the prince
of ---- has forsaken the countess of ----? or that the prince such a
one, has an intrigue with the countess such a one? Would you have me
write novels like the countess of D'----? and is it not better to
tell you a plain truth, That I am, &c.
LET. XXI.
To THE COUNTESS OF ----.
_Vienna, Jan_. 16. O. S. 1717.
I AM now, dear sister, to take leave of you for a long time, and of
Vienna for ever; designing to-morrow, to begin my journey through
Hungary, in spite of the excessive cold, and deep snows, which are
enough to damp a greater courage than I am mistress of. But my
principles of _passive obedience_, carries me through every thing. I
have had my audience of leave of the empress. His imperial majesty
was pleased to be present, when I waited on the reigning empress;
and, after a very obliging conversation, both their imperial
majesties invited me to take Vienna in my road back; but I have no
thoughts of enduring, over again, so great a fatigue. I delivered a
letter from the duchess of Blankenburg. I stayed but a few days at
that court, though her highness pressed me very much to stay; and
when I left her, engaged me to write to her. I wrote you a long
letter from thence, which I hope you have received, though you don't
mention it; but I believe I forgot to tell you one curiosity in all
the German courts, which I cannot forbear taking notice of: All the
princes keep favourite dwarfs. The emperor and empress have two of
these little monsters, as ugly as devils, especially the female; but
they are all bedaubed with diamonds, and stand at her majesty's
elbow, in all public places. The duke of Wolfenbuttle has one, and
the duchess of Blankenburg is not without hers, but indeed the most
proportionable I ever saw. I am told the king of Denmark has so far
improved upon this fashion, that his dwarf is his chief minister. I
can assign no reason for their fondness for these pieces of
deformity, but the opinion all the absolute princes have, that it is
below them to converse with the rest of mankind; and not to be quite
alone, they are forced to seek their companions among the refuse of
human nature, these creatures being the only part of their court
privileged to talk freely to them. I am at present confined to my
chamber by a sore throat; and am really glad of the excuse, to avoid
seeing people, that I love well enough, to be very much mortified
when I think I am going to part with them for ever. 'Tis true, the
Austrians are not commonly the most polite people in the world, nor
the most agreeable. But Vienna is inhabited by all nations, and I
had formed to myself a little society of such as were perfectly to my
own taste. And though the number was not very great, I could never
pick up, in any other place, such a number of reasonable, agreeable
people. We were almost always together, and you know I have ever
been of opinion, that a chosen conversation, composed of a few that
one esteems, is the greatest happiness of life. Here are some
Spaniards of both sexes, that have all the vivacity and generosity of
sentiments anciently ascribed to their nation; and could I believe
that the whole kingdom were like them, I would with nothing more
than to end my days there. The ladies of my acquaintance have so
much goodness for me, they cry whenever they see me, since I have
determined to undertake this journey. And, indeed, I am not very
easy when I reflect on what I am going to suffer. Almost every body
I see frights me with some new difficulty. Prince Eugene has been so
good as to say all the things he could, to persuade me to stay till
the Danube is thawed, that I may have the conveniency of going by
water; assuring me, that the houses in Hungary are such, as are no
defence against the weather; and that I shall be obliged to travel
three or four days between Buda and Essek, without finding any house
at all, through desert plains covered with snow; where the cold is so
violent, many have been killed by it. I own these terrors have made
a very deep impression on my mind, because I believe he tells me
things truly as they are, and no body can be better informed of them.
NOW I have named that great man, I am sure you expect I should say
Something particular of him, having the advantage of seeing him very
often; but I am as unwilling to speak of him at Vienna, as I should
be to talk of Hercules in the court of Omphale, if I had seen him
there. I don't know what comfort other people find in considering
the weakness of great men, (because, perhaps, it brings them nearer
to their level) but 'tis always a mortification to me, to observe
that there is no perfection in humanity. The young prince of
Portugal is the admiration of the whole court; he is handsome and
polite, with a great vivacity. All the officers tell wonders of his
gallantry the last campaign. He is lodged at court with all the
honours due to his rank.--Adieu, dear sister: this is the last
account you will have from me of Vienna. If I survive my journey,
you shall hear from me again. I can say, with great truth, in the
words of Moneses (sic), _I have long learnt to hold myself as
nothing_; but when I think of the fatigue my poor infant must suffer,
I have all a mother's fondness in my eyes, and all her tender
passions in my heart.
_P. S._ I have written a letter to my lady ----, that I believe she
won't like; and, upon cooler reflection, I think I had done better to
have let it alone; but I was downright peevish at all her questions,
and her ridiculous imagination, that I have certainly seen abundance
of wonders which I keep to myself out of mere malice. She is very
angry that I won't lie like other travellers. I verily believe she
expects I should tell her of the _Anthropophagi_, men whose heads
grow below their shoulders; however, pray say Something to pacify
her.
LET. XXII.
TO MR POPE.
_Vienna, Jan_. 16. O. S. 1717.
I HAVE not time to answer your letter, being in the hurry of
preparing for my journey; but, I think, I ought to bid adieu to my
friends with the same solemnity as if I was going to mount a breach,
at least, if I am to believe the information of the people here, who
denounce all sorts of terrors to me; and, indeed, the weather is at
present such, as very few ever set out in. I am threatened at the
same time, with being frozen to death, buried in the snow, and taken
by the Tartars, who ravage that part of Hungary I am to pass. 'Tis
true, we shall have a considerable _escorte_ (sic), so that possibly
I may be diverted with a new scene, by finding myself in the midst of
a battle. How my adventures will conclude, I leave entirely to
Providence; if comically, you shall hear of them.--Pray be so good as
to tell Mr ---- I have received his letter. Make him my adieus; if I
live, I will answer it. The same compliment to my lady R----.
LET. XXIII.
TO THE COUNTESS OF ----.
_Peterwaradin, Jan_. 30. O. S. 1717.