Hanover.
The D—— of H—— having determined to pay his respects to the Queen of
Denmark, before he left this country, chose to make his visit while the
Hereditary Princess was with her sister.
I accompanied him to Zell, and next day waited on the Count and Countess
Dean, to let them know of the D——’s arrival, and to be informed when we
could have the honour of being presented to the Queen. They both belong
to the Princess of Brunswick’s family, and while I was at breakfast with
them, her Royal Highness entered the room, and gave me the information I
wanted.
Before dinner, I returned with the Duke to the castle, where we remained
till late in the evening. There was a concert of music between dinner
and supper, and the Queen seemed in better spirits than could have been
expected.
Zell is a small town, without trade or manufactures; the houses are old,
and of a mean appearance, yet the high courts of appeal for all the
territories of the Electoral House of Brunswick Lunenburg are held here;
the inhabitants derive their principal means of subsistence from this
circumstance.
This town was severely harassed by the French army at the beginning of
the late war, and was afterwards pillaged, in revenge for the supposed
infraction of the treaty of Closter-Seven. The Duke de Richlieu had his
head-quarters here, when Duke Ferdinand re-assembled the troops who had
been disarmed, and dispersed, immediately after that convention.
The castle is a stately building, surrounded by a moat, and strongly
fortified. It was formerly the residence of the Dukes of Zell, and was
repaired lately by order of the King of Great Britain for the reception
of his unfortunate sister. The apartments are spacious and convenient,
and now handsomely furnished.
The officers of the Court, the Queen’s maids of honour, and other
attendants, have a very genteel appearance, and retain the most
respectful attachment to their ill-fated mistress. The few days we
remained at Zell, were spent entirely at Court, where every thing seemed
to be arranged in the style of the other small German courts, and nothing
wanting to render the Queen’s situation as comfortable as circumstances
would admit. But by far her greatest consolation is the company and
conversation of her sister. Some degree of satisfaction appears in her
countenance while the Princess remains at Zell; but the moment she goes
away, the Queen, as we were informed, becomes a prey to dejection and
despondency. The Princess exerts herself to prevent this, and devotes to
her sister all the time she can spare from the duties she owes to her own
family. Unlike those who take the first pretext of breaking connections
which can no longer be of advantage, this humane Princess has displayed
even more attachment to her sister since her misfortunes, than she ever
did while the Queen was in the meridian of her prosperity.
The youth, the agreeable countenance, and obliging manners of the Queen,
have conciliated the minds of every one in this country. Though she was
in perfect health, and appeared cheerful, yet, convinced that her gaiety
was assumed, and the effect of a strong effort, I felt an impression of
melancholy, which it was not in my power to overcome all the time we
remained at Zell.
From Zell we went to Hanover, and on the evening of our arrival, had
the pleasure of hearing Handel’s Messiah performed. Some of the best
company of this place were assembled on the occasion, and we were here
made acquainted with old Field-Marshal Sporken, and other people of
distinction. Hanover is a neat, thriving and agreeable city. It has more
the air of an English town than any other I have seen in Germany, and the
English manners and customs gain ground every day among the inhabitants.
The genial influence of freedom has extended from England to this place.
Tyranny is not felt, and ease and satisfaction appear in the countenances
of the citizens.
This town is regularly fortified, and all the works are in exceeding good
order. The troops are sober and regular, and perform every essential
part of duty well, though the discipline is not so rigid as in some
other parts of Germany. Marshal Sporken, who is the head of the army,
is a man of humanity; and though the soldiers are severely punished for
real crimes, by the sentence of a court martial, he does not permit his
officers to order them to be caned for trifles. Caprice is too apt to
blend itself with this method of punishing, and men of cruel dispositions
are prone to indulge this diabolical propensity, under the pretence of
zeal for discipline.
The Hanoverian infantry are not so tall as some of the other German
troops, owing to this, that nobody is forced into the service, the
soldiers are all volunteers; whereas, in other parts of Germany, the
Prince picks the stoutest and tallest of the peasants, and obliges them
to become soldiers. It is allowed, that in action no troops can behave
better than the Hanoverians; and it is certain, that desertion is not
so frequent among them as among other German troops, which can only be
accounted for by their not being pressed into the service, and their
being more gently used when in it.
It is not the mode here at present, to lay so much stress on the tricks
of the exercise as formerly. The officers in general seem to despise
many minutiæ, which are thought of the highest importance in some other
services. It is incredible to what a ridiculous length this matter is
pushed by some.
At a certain parade, where the Sovereign himself was present, and many
officers assembled, I once saw a corpulent general-officer start
suddenly, as if he had seen something preternatural. He immediately
waddled towards the ranks with all the expedition of a terrified gander.
I could not conceive what had put his Excellency into a commotion so
little suitable to his years and habit of body. While all the spectators
were a-tiptoe to observe the issue of this phenomenon, he arrived at
the ranks, and in great wrath, which probably had been augmented by the
heat acquired in his course, he pulled off one of the soldier’s hats,
which it seems had not been properly cocked, and adjusted it to his mind.
Having regulated the military discipline in this important particular,
he returned to the Prince’s right-hand, with a strut expressive of the
highest self-approbation.
Two days after our arrival here, I walked to Hernhausen, along a
magnificent avenue, as broad, and about double the length of the
mall at St. James’s. The house itself has nothing extraordinary in
its appearance; but the gardens are as fine as gardens planned in the
Dutch taste, and formed on ground perfectly level, can be. The orangery
is reckoned equal to any in Europe. Here is a kind of rural theatre,
where plays may be acted during the fine weather. There is a spacious
amphitheatre cut out in green seats for the spectators; a stage in the
same taste, with rows of trees for side-scenes, and a great number of
arbours and summer-rooms, surrounded by lofty hedges, for the actors to
retire and dress in.
When the theatre is illuminated, which is always done when masquerades
are given, it must have a very fine effect. The groves, arbours, and
labyrinths, seem admirably calculated for all the purpose of this
amusement.
In these gardens are several large reservoirs and fountains, and on one
side, a canal above a quarter of a mile in length. I have not seen the
famous jet d’eau, as the water-works have not been played off since I
came to Hanover. On the whole, we pass our time very agreeably here. We
have dined twice with Baron de Lenth, who has the chief direction of the
affairs of this electorate, and at his house have met with the principal
inhabitants. I make one of Marshal Sporken’s party every night at Whist,
and pass most of my time in the society at his house.
The D—— of H—— having promised to meet some company at Brunswick by a
certain day, we shall set out for that place to-morrow—but have engaged
to pay another visit to Hanover before we go to Berlin.—My next therefore
will be from Brunswick, or possibly from this place after our return.