Frankfort.
I returned a few days since from Darmstadt, having accompanied the D—— of
H—— on a visit which he made to that court.
The reigning Prince of Hesse Darmstadt not being there, we were directed
to pay our first visit to the Princess Maximilian, his aunt.—She invited
us the same evening to play at cards and sup with her.—There were about
ten people at table.—The Princess was gay, affable, and talkative.—The
D—— confessed he never had passed an evening so agreeably with an old
woman in his life.
Next morning we went to the parade, which is an object of great attention
at this place. The Prince has a most enthusiastic passion for military
manœuvres and evolutions.—Drilling and exercising his soldiers are his
chief amusements, and almost his sole employment. That he may enjoy this
in all kinds of weather, and at every season of the year, he has built a
room sufficiently capacious to admit 1500 men, to perform their exercise
in it all together.
This room is accommodated with sixteen stoves, by which it may be
kept at the exact degrees of temperature which suits his Highness’s
constitution.—On the morning that we were present, there was only the
ordinary guard, consisting of three hundred men, who having performed
their exercises, and marched for an hour up and down this spacious
Gymnasium, were divided into parties and detached to their respective
posts.
The Darmstadt soldiers are tall, tolerably clothed, and above all things
remarkably well powdered. They go through their manœuvres with that
dexterity which may be expected of men who are continually employed in
the same action, under the eye of their prince, who is an admirable
judge, and severe critic in this part of the military art.
There is no regular fortification round this town; but a very high
stone-wall, which is not intended to prevent an enemy from entering,
being by no means adequate to such a purpose; but merely designed to
hinder the garrison from deserting, to which they are exceedingly
inclined; these poor men taking no delight in the warlike amusements
which constitute the supreme joy of their sovereign.
Centinels are placed at small distances all round the wall, who are
obliged to be exceedingly alert. One soldier gives the words _all is
well_ in German, to his neighbour on the right, who immediately calls
the same to the centinel beyond him, and so it goes round till the first
soldier receives the words from the left, which he transmits to the right
as formerly, and so the call circulates without any intermission through
the whole night.
Every other part of garrison duty is performed with equal exactness, and
all neglects as severely punished as if an enemy were at the gates.
The men are seldom more than two nights out of three in bed. This, with
the attention requisite to keep their clothes and accoutrements clean, is
very hard duty, especially at present, when the frost is uncommonly keen,
and the ground covered with snow.
There is a small body of cavalry at Darmstadt just now. They are dressed
in buff coats, and magnificently accoutred.—These are the horse-guards of
the prince.—Few as they are, I never saw so many men together of such a
height in my life, none of them being under six English feet three inches
high, and several of them considerably above that enormous stature.
The Prince of Hesse Darmstadt formerly kept a greater number of troops:
At present his whole army does not exceed five thousand men. But as
the conduct of princes, however judicious it may be, seldom passes
uncensured, there are people who blame him for entertaining even this
number. They declare, that this prince’s finances, being in very great
disorder, cannot support this establishment; which, though small, may
be counted high, considering the extent of his dominions. They insist
also upon the loss, which agriculture and manufactures must sustain,
by having the stoutest men taken away from these necessary employments,
and their strength exhausted in useless parade. For these rigid censors
have the assurance to assert, that an army of five thousand men, though
burdensome to the country, is not sufficient to defend it; that the
number is by far too great for amusement, and infinitely too small for
any manner of use.
The same day, we dined with the Princess Maximilian, and in the afternoon
were presented to Prince George’s family. He is brother to the reigning
Prince. He happened to be indisposed; but his princess received the D——
with the utmost politeness.
Their two youngest sons and three daughters were at supper. The
former are still very young; the latter are well-looking, remarkably
accomplished, and do much credit to the great pains their mother has
bestowed on their education.
Next morning we were invited to breakfast, by the Baron Riedesal, at a
pleasant country-house he has near Darmstadt.—His G—— went with him, in
a carriage of a very particular construction. The Baron sat on a low
seat next the horses, and drove; the D—— in a higher place behind him.
Each of these is made for one person only; but behind all, there was a
wooden seat, in the shape of a little horse, on which two servants were
mounted. The usual posting-chaises in this country hold six persons with
ease; and people even of the first rank generally have two or three
servants in the chaise with them. In point of œconomy, these carriages
are well imagined; and, in the time of frost, not inconvenient; for here
travellers take special care to fortify themselves against cold by cloaks
lined with fur. But when it rains hard, two of the company at least must
be drenched; for the German chaises are never intirely covered above.
I went with Count Cullemberg in his coach. We passed the forenoon very
agreeably at this house, which seems to be advantageously situated;
but in its present snowy dress, one can no more judge of the natural
complexion of the country, than of that of an actress new-painted for the
stage.
We dined with Prince George, who was sufficiently recovered to be at
table. He is a handsome man, of a soldier-like appearance, and has all
the ease and openness of the military character.
His second son, who had been absent for some weeks, arrived while we were
at table. He is a fine young man, about eighteen years of age. It was
pleasing to observe the satisfaction which this small incident diffused
over the faces of father, mother, and the whole family, which formed a
groupe worthy the pencil of Greuse.
Do not suspect that I am prejudiced in favour of this family, merely
because they belong to a prince.—An appearance of domestic happiness is
always agreeable, whether we find it in a palace or a cottage; and the
same symptoms of good humour, though they would not have surprised me so
much, would have delighted me equally in the family of a peasant.