Manheim.
This is generally reckoned one of the most beautiful cities in Germany.
The streets are all as straight as arrows, being what they call tirées au
cordeau, and intersect each other at right angles. This never fails to
please at first, but becomes sooner tiresome than a town built with less
regularity. When a man has walked through the town for half a forenoon,
his eyes search in vain for variety: the same objects seem to move along
with him, as if he had been all the while a ship-board.
They calculate the number of inhabitants at 24,000, including the
garrison, which consists of 5000 men. This town has three noble gates,
adorned with basso relievos very beautifully executed. The Duke and
I walked round the ramparts with ease in the space of an hour. The
fortifications are well contrived and in good order, and the town
acquires great additional strength from being almost entirely surrounded
by the Neckar and the Rhine, and situated in a flat, not commanded by
any rising ground. Yet perhaps it would be better that this city were
quite open, and without any fortification. An attempt to defend it might
prove the destruction of the citizens’ houses, and the electoral palace.
A palace is injudiciously situated when built within a fortified town,
because a threat from the enemy to bombard it, might induce the garrison
to surrender.
The Electoral palace is a most magnificent structure, situated at the
junction of the Rhine and the Neckar.—The cabinet of natural curiosities,
and the collection of pictures, are much vaunted. To examine them was
amusing enough:—To describe them would, I fear, be a little tedious.
The Elector himself is a man of taste and magnificence, circumstances in
his character, which probably afford more pleasure to himself, and the
strangers who pass this way, than to his own subjects.
I accompanied the D—— to one of the officers of the court, whose business
it is to present strangers. This gentleman is remarkable for his amazing
knowledge in all the mysteries of etiquette. He entertained his Grace
with much erudition on this subject.—I never observed the D—— yawn so
very much.—When our visit was over, he asserted that it had lasted two
hours.—Upon examining his watch, he discovered that he had made a mistake
of one hour and forty minutes only.
We were presented the following day to the Elector and the Electress. He
was dressed in the uniform of his guards, seems to be on the borders of
fifty, and has a sensible manly countenance, which I am told is the true
index of his character.
The Hereditary Prince is a young man of knowledge and good sense. He
surprised me by talking of the party-disputes and adventures which
have happened of late years in England, of which I found him minutely
informed.—Many people in Germany have the English news-papers and
political pamphlets regularly transmitted to them. The acrimony and
freedom with which the highest characters are treated, astonish and
amuse them, and from these they often form very false and extraordinary
conclusions with regard to the state of the nation.
As the Elector intends soon to visit Italy, great numbers of officers
have come hither to pay their duty to their sovereign before he depart
for that country. He is much esteemed by his officers, with whom he lives
in a very affable manner. There are generally thirty covers every day at
his table for them, and the strangers who happen to be at the court of
Manheim.
One day at dinner, a kind of buffoon came into the room. He walked round
the table, and conversed in a familiar manner with every body present,
the princes not excepted. His observations were followed by loud bursts
of applause from all whom he addressed. As he spoke in German, I could
not judge of his wit, but stared around with the anxiety of countenance
natural to a man who sees a whole company ready to die with laughter at
a jest which he cannot comprehend. An old officer, who sat near me, was
touched with compassion for my situation, and explained in French some
of the most brilliant repartees for my private use.
As this good-natured officer did not seem to have a great command of the
French language, the whole spirit of the jest was allowed to evaporate
during the translation:—At least I could not smell a particle when the
process was over. However, as these translations evidently cost him a
good deal of trouble, I thought myself obliged to seem delighted with his
performance; so I joined in the mirth of the company, and endeavoured to
laugh as much as any person at the table.
My interpreter afterwards informed me that this genius was from the
Tyrol, that he spoke the German with so peculiar an accent, that whatever
he said never failed to set the whole table in a roar; c’est pourquoi,
added he, il est en possession d’entrer toujours avec le dessert.
This is the only example that I know remaining of a court fool or
licensed jester; an office formerly in all the courts of Europe.