WORMS.

The condition of Worms is an aggravated repetition of the wretchedness

of Oppenheim. It suffered something in the war, which the unfortunate

Elector, son-in-law of our James the First, provoked by accepting the

kingdom of Bohemia. Louis the Fourteenth came upon it next, and, in

1669, burned every thing that could be consumed. Nothing was restored,

but on that part, which was the centre of the antient city; and the

walls include, as at Oppenheim, corn and vineyards upon the ground,

which was once covered with houses, and which plainly appears to have

been so, from the lanes that pass between, and doors that open into the

inclosures. A much larger space is so covered, than at Oppenheim, for

you are some time in driving from the northern gate of the old city to

the first street of the present one.

On the right of the road stands the skeleton of the Electoral palace,

which the French burned in one of the late campaigns; and it is as

curious as melancholy to observe how the signs of antient and modern

desolation mingle with each other. On one hand is a palace, burned by

the present French; on the other, the walls of a church, laid open by

Louis the Fourteenth.

The first and principal street of the place leads through these mingled

ruins, and through rows of dirty houses, miserably tenanted, to the

other end of the city. A few others branch from it, chiefly towards the

Rhine, including sometimes the ruins, and sometimes the repaired parts

of churches; of which streets, narrow, ill-paved and gloomy, consists

the city of Worms. The French General, that lately wrote to Paris, "We

entered the fair episcopal city of Worms," may be supposed to have

derived his terms from a geographical dictionary, rather than from a

view of his conquest.

We were now in a place, occupied by part of the acting army of the

allies, which, if not immediately liable to be attacked, was to be

defended by the maintenance of posts, at a very short distance. Troops

passed through it daily, for the service of these posts. The noise

of every cannonade was audible, and the result of every engagement

was immediately known, for it might make an advance, or a retreat

necessary from Worms. The wounded men arrived, soon after the

intelligence, to the military hospitals of the Prussians. A city, so

circumstanced, seemed to differ but little from a camp; and we were

aware, for a few hours, of a departure from the security and order of

civil life.

The inn, which was not otherwise a mean building, was nearly destitute

of furniture; so that the owner was prepared to receive any sort of

guests, or masters. The only provision which we could obtain was bread,

the commonest sort of wine, and one piece of cold veal; for the city

was under military jurisdiction, and no guests were allowed to have

more than one dish at their table.

In the afternoon, we saw, for the first time, a crowd in a German city.

A narrow waggon, of which nearly all but the wheels was basket-work,

had arrived from the army, with a wounded officer, who lay upon the

floor, supported by his servant, but occasionally rose to return the

salutes of passengers. This was the Prince of Anhalt Plessis, who

had been wounded, in the morning, when the French attacked all the

neighbouring lines of the allies, and an indecisive engagement ensued,

the noise of which had been distinctly heard, at Worms. He was hurt in

the leg, and descended, with much difficulty, from the waggon; but did

not, for an instant, lose the elegance of his address, and continued

bowing through the passage to his apartment. No doubt was entertained

of his recovery, but there seemed to be a considerable degree of

sympathy, attending this young man.

We had not time to look into the churches, or numerous monasteries,

that yet remain, at Worms; the war appeared to have depopulated the

latter, for not a monk was to be seen. The cathedral, or church of

St. Mary and St. Peter, is one of the most antient sacred buildings

in Germany, having been founded at least as early as the commencement

of the seventh century. One of the prebends was established in 1033,

another in 1058. The Dominicans, Carmelites, Capuchins and Augustines

have each a monastery, at Worms; as have the Cistercians and the

Augustines a nunnery. A Protestant church was also consecrated, on the

9th of June 1744; something more than two hundred years, after the

ineffectual conference held here of Protestant and Catholic divines,

which Charles the Fifth interrupted, when Melancthon, on one side, and

Echius, on the other, had engaged in it, ordering them to resume their

arguments, in his presence, at Ratisbon. This meeting was five years

previous to the celebrated diet of Worms, at which Charles, having then

estimated the temporal strength of the two parties, openly shewed his

animosity to the Protestants, as Maurice of Saxony did his intriguing

ambition, by referring the question to the Council of Trent.

The Jews, at Worms, inhabit a separate street, and have a synagogue, of

great antiquity, their numbers having been once such as to endanger the

peace of the city; but, in 1689, when the French turned their synagogue

into a stable, they fled with the rest of the opulent inhabitants

to Holland. Those of the present day can have very few articles of

traffic, except money, the changing of which may have been frequent, on

account of the neighbourhood of France.

Worms is somewhat connected with English history, having been occupied

by the troops, which James the First uselessly sent to the assistance

of the proscribed Elector Palatine, when his just abhorrence of

continental wars was once, though tardily, overcome by the entreaties

of his daughter. Here too George the Second held his head-quarters,

from the 7th to the 20th of September 1743; on the 14th of which month,

Lord Carteret concluded, in his name, an offensive and defensive treaty

with the Ministers of Hungary and Sardinia.

This city, like Cologne, retains some affectation of the Roman form

of government, to which it was rendered subject by Cæsar, with the

title of _Augusta Vangionum_. The STADTMEISTER is sometimes called the

CONSUL, and the SCHULTHEIS, or Mayor, the PRÆTOR. But, in 1703, some

trivial tumult afforded a pretence for abolishing its little remains

of liberty, and the Elector Palatine was declared its protector. This

blow completed the desolation, which the disasters of the preceding

century had commenced; and a city, that was once called the market of

the Palatinate, as the Palatinate was reputed the market of Germany,

continues to exhibit nothing more than the ruins of its antient

prosperity.

Few of the present inhabitants can be the descendants of those, who

witnessed its destruction in 1689; for we could not find, that the

particulars of that event were much known, or commemorated by them,

dreadful and impressive as they must have been. A column of Louis

the Fourteenth's army had entered the city, in September of the

preceding year, under the command of the Marquis de Bonfleur, who soon

distressed the inhabitants by preparations for blowing up the walls

with gunpowder. The mines were so numerous and large, as to threaten

nothing less than the entire overwhelming of the city; but, being fired

at different times, the walls of the houses were left standing, though

they shook with almost every explosion. The artillery and balls had

been previously carried away to Landau, or Mentz, then possessed by

Louis. At length, on the 12th of May 1689, the Intendant sent the

melancholy news to the magistracy, that he had received orders from

his monarch to burn the whole city. Six days were allowed for the

departure of the inhabitants and the removal of their property; which

period was prolonged by their entreaties to nineteen. At the expiration

of these, on Ascension Day, the 31st of May, the French grenadiers

were employed from twelve o'clock, till four, in placing combustibles

about the houses and public buildings, against several of which large

heaps of hay and straw were raised. The word being then given, fire

was set to almost every house at once, and, in a few hours, the city

was reduced to ashes; the conflagration being so general and strong as

to be visible in day-light at the distance of more than thirty English

miles. Such was one of the calamities of a city, so unfortunately

situated, that the chapter of the cathedral alone proved a loss by

wars, previous to the year 1743, amounting to 1,262,749 florins.

The attention, due to so memorable a place, detained us at Worms, till

the voiturier talked of being unable to reach Manheim, before the gates

would be shut, and we let him drive vehemently towards