Berlin.
Berlin is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The
streets are built in a very regular manner, and of a commodious breadth.
In the new town they are perfectly straight. Frederick-street is reckoned
two English miles and a half, or a French league, in length. Others which
go off at right angles from that, are a mile, or a mile and a half long.
Some people assert, that Berlin covers as much ground as Paris. These are
not Frenchmen, as you will readily believe; neither am I of that opinion,
but it certainly approaches much nearer to Paris in size than in number
of inhabitants; Berlin is undoubtedly more than half the size of Paris,
yet I am convinced it does not contain above a fifth of the inhabitants.
There are a few very magnificent buildings in this town. The rest are
neat houses, built of a fine white free-stone, generally one, or at
most two stories high. Here, as at Potsdam, the finishing within does
not correspond with the elegance of the outside, and the soldiers are
quartered on the ground-floor in rooms looking to the street. The
principal edifices are the King’s palace, and that of Prince Henry. Both
of these are very magnificent. The arsenal, which is a noble structure,
is built in the form of a square. We were informed, that at present it
contains arms for 200,000 men. I am convinced this is no exaggeration.
The new Roman Catholic church is by far the most elegant place of worship
in the city. The King allows the free exercise of every religion over
all his dominions. He thinks the smallest controul over men’s consciences
highly unjust. He even has the delicacy not to influence them by his
example, and offends no religion, by giving a preference to any one in
particular.
On the front of the opera-house, which is a very beautiful structure, is
this inscription: