Brunswick.
The town of Brunswick is situated in a plain, on the banks of the Ocker.
The houses in general are old, but many new buildings have been erected
of late, and the city acquires fresh beauty every day.
Fortifications have been the cause of much calamity to many towns in
Germany, having served not to defend them, but rather to attract the
vengeance of enemies. For this reason, Cassel, and some other towns,
which were formerly fortified, are now dismantled. But the fortifications
at Brunswick were of great utility last war, and on one occasion they
saved the town from being pillaged, and afforded Prince Frederick,
who is now in the Prussian service, an opportunity of performing an
action, which, I imagine, gave him more joy than twenty victories. This
happened in the year 1761, soon after the battle of Kirch Denkern, when
Duke Ferdinand protected Hanover, not by conducting his army into that
country, and defending it directly, as the enemy seemed to expert, and
probably wished; but by diversion, attacking with strong detachments,
commanded by the Hereditary Prince, their magazines in Hesse, and thus
drawing their attention from Hanover to that quarter.
While the Duke lay encamped at Willhemsthall, watching the motions of
Broglio’s army, the Marechal being greatly superior in numbers, sent a
body of 20,000 men under Prince Xavier of Saxony, who took possession of
Wolfenbuttle, and soon after invested Brunswick.
Prince Ferdinand, anxious to save his native city, ventured to detach
5000 of his army, small as it was, under his nephew, Frederick, assisted
by General Luckener, with orders to harass the enemy, and endeavour to
raise the siege. The young Prince, while on his march, sent a soldier
with a letter to the Governor, which was wrapped round a bullet, and
which the soldier was to swallow in case of his being taken by the
enemy.—He had the good fortune to get safe into the town.—The letter
apprised the commander of the garrison of the Prince’s approach, and
particularised the night and hour when he expected to be at a certain
place near the town, requiring him to favour his entrance.
In the middle of the night appointed, the Prince fell suddenly on the
enemy’s cavalry, who, unsuspicious of his approach, were encamped
carelessly within a mile of the town. They were immediately dispersed,
and spread such an alarm among the infantry, that they also retreated
with considerable loss.
Early in the morning, the young Prince entered Brunswick, amidst the
acclamations of his fellow-citizens, whom he had relieved from the
horrors of a siege.—The Hereditary Prince having destroyed the French
magazines in Hesse, had been recalled by his uncle, and ordered to
attempt the relief of Brunswick. While he was advancing with all possible
speed, and had got within a few leagues of the town, he received the news
of the siege being raised. On his arrival at his father’s palace, he
found his brother Frederick at table, entertaining the French officers,
who had been taken prisoners the preceding night.
The academy of Brunswick has been new-modelled, and the plan of education
improved, by the attention, and under the patronage, of the Hereditary
Prince. Students now resort to this academy from many parts of Germany;
and there are generally some young gentlemen from Britain, who are sent
to be educated here.
Such of them as are intended for a military life, will not find so many
advantages united at any other place on the continent, as at the academy
of Brunswick. They will here be under the protection of a family partial
to the British nation;—every branch of science is taught by matters of
known abilities;—the young students will see garrison-duty regularly
performed, and may, by the interest of the Prince, obtain liberty to
attend the reviews of the Prussian troops at Magdeburg and Berlin:—They
will have few temptations to expence, in a town where they can see no
examples of extravagance,—have few opportunities of dissipation, and none
of gross debauchery.
I passed a day lately at Wolfenbuttle, which is also a fortified city,
the ancient residence of this family.—The public library here is
reckoned one of the most complete in Germany, and contains many curious
manuscripts. They showed us some letters of Luther, and other original
pieces in that reformer’s own handwriting.
Having dined with Colonel Riedesel, who commands a regiment of cavalry
in this town, I returned by Saltzdahlen. This is the only palace I ever
saw built almost entirely of wood. There are, nevertheless, some very
magnificent apartments in it, and a great gallery of pictures, some of
which are allowed by the connoisseurs to be excellent. I will not invade
the province of these gentlemen, by presuming to give my opinion of
the merits or defects of the pictures, though I have often heard those
who are as ignorant as myself, decide upon the interesting subject of
painting, in the most dogmatic manner. The terms Contour, Attitude,
Casting of Draperies, Charging, Costumé, Passion, Manner, Groupe,
Out-line, Chiaro Scuro, Harmony, and Repose, flowed from their tongues,
with a volubility that commanded the admiration of all those who could
not discover, that in the liberal use of these terms consisted all those
gentlemen’s taste and knowledge of the fine arts.
Conscious of my ignorance in the mysteries of connoisseurship, I say
nothing of the pictures, and presume only to give my opinion, that the
gallery which contains them is a very noble room, being two hundred feet
long, fifty broad, and forty high.
In this palace there is also a cabinet of china porcelain, containing,
as we were told, seven or eight thousand pieces;—and in another smaller
cabinet, we were shewn a collection of coarse plates, valuable only on
account of their having been painted after designs of Raphaël.
The country about Brunswick is agreeable. I was particularly pleased to
see some gentlemen’s seats near this town; a sight very rare in Germany,
where, if you avoid towns and courts, you may travel over a great extent
of country, without perceiving houses for any order of men between the
Prince and the Peasant.
I spent yesterday very agreeably fourteen miles from Brunswick, at the
house of Mr. de Westphalen. This gentleman attended Duke Ferdinand during
the late war in the character of his private secretary; an office which
he executed entirely to the satisfaction of that Prince, whose friendship
and confidence he still retains.
Mr. de Westphalen has written the history of those memorable campaigns,
in which his patron had the command of the allied army, and baffled all
the efforts of France in Westphalia. Though this work has been finished
long since, the publication has hitherto been delayed for political
reasons. It is to appear however at some future period, and is said to be
a masterly performance. Indeed, one would naturally suppose this from the
remarkable acuteness and sagacity of the author, who was present at the
scenes he describes, and knew the secret intentions of the General, whose
assistance he has probably had in finishing the work.