Vienna.
I returned very lately from Prince Lichtenstein’s house at Felberg in
Austria, where I passed a few days very agreeably. The Lichtenstein
family is one of the first in this country, whether considered in point
of antiquity, wealth or dignity. This Prince, besides his lands in
Austria, has considerable estates in Bohemia, Moravia, and that part of
Silesia which belongs to the Empress. Like Prince Estherhasie, he has
body-guards in his own pay.—I believe no other subjects in Europe retain
this distinction.
Felberg is a fine old mansion, about forty miles from Vienna. The
apartments are large, convenient, and furnished in the magnificent style
which prevails in the noblemen’s houses of this country. The company
consisted of the Prince and Princess, the Count Degenfeldt and his Lady,
a very accomplished woman; the D—— of H——, Mr. M——, an English officer,
another English gentleman, and myself. Our entertainment was in every
respect splendid, particularly in the article of attendants. Some of the
Austrian nobility carry this point of magnificence to a height, which
could scarcely be supported by the best estates in England, where one
footman is more expensive than four in this country.
The day after our arrival, breakfast was served to the company separately
in their own apartments, as is the custom here. We afterwards set out
for another villa belonging to this Prince, at six miles distance, where
he intended to give the D—— the amusement of hunting. The Princess,
the Countess Degenfeldt, the D——, and Captain M——, were in one coach;
the Prince, the Count, and I, in another; the two young Princes, with
their governor and the young English gentleman, in a third, with a great
retinue on horseback.
As the day was well advanced when we arrived, I imagined the hunting
would begin immediately:—But every thing is done with method and good
order in this country, and it was judged proper to dine in the first
place. This in due time being concluded, I thought the men would have
proceeded directly to the scene of action, leaving the ladies till their
return.—But here I found myself again mistaken:—The ladies were to assist
in the whole of this expedition. But as there was a necessity to traverse
a large wood, into which coaches could not enter, vehicles of a more
commodious construction were prepared. I forget what name is given to
these carriages. They are of the form of benches, with stuffed seats,
upon which six or eight people may place themselves one behind the other.
They are drawn by four horses, and slide over the ground like a sledge,
passing along paths and trackless ways, over which no wheel-carriage
could be drawn.
After being conveyed in this manner across the wood, and a considerable
way beyond it, we came to a very large open field, in which there were
several little circular inclosures of trees and underwood at wide
intervals from each other.—This hunting had hitherto been attended with
very little fatigue; for we had been carried the whole way in coaches, or
on the sledges, which are still easier than any coach. In short, we had
been perfectly passive since breakfast, except during the time of dinner.
But when we arrived at this large plain, I was informed, that the hunting
would commence within a very short time. I then expected we should have
some violent exercise after so much inactivity, and began to fear that
the ladies might be over-fatigued, when, lo! the Prince’s servants began
to arrange some portable chairs at a small distance from one of the
thickets above mentioned. The Princess, Countess, and the rest of the
company took their places; and when every body was seated, they assured
me that the hunting was just going to begin.
I own, my curiosity was now excited in a very uncommon degree; and I was
filled with impatience to see the issue of a hunting, which had been
conducted in a style so different from any idea I had of that diversion.
While I sat lost in conjecture, I perceived, at a great distance, a long
line of people moving towards the little wood, near which the company
was seated. As they walked along, they gradually formed the segment
of a circle, whose centre was this wood. I understood that these were
peasants, with their wives and children, who, walking forward in this
manner, rouse the game, which naturally take shelter in the thicket of
trees and bushes. As soon as this happened, the peasants rushed in at
the side opposite to that where our company had taken post, beat out the
game, and then the massacre began.
Each person was provided with a fusil, and many more were at hand loaded
for immediate use. The servants were employed in charging as fast as the
pieces were fired off: So that an uninterrupted shooting was kept up, as
long as the game continued flying or running out of the wood—The Prince
hardly ever missed.—He himself killed above thirty partridges, a few
pheasants, and three hares.
At the beginning of this scene, I was a good deal surprised to see a
servant hand a fusil to the Princess, who with great coolness, and
without rising from her seat, took aim at a partridge, which immediately
fell to the ground. With the same ease, she killed ten or twelve
partridges and pheasants, at about double the number of shots.—The
execution done by the rest of the company was by no means considerable.
Though I had not heard of it before, I now understood, that shooting is
not an uncommon amusement with the German ladies: And it is probable,
their attention to the delicacy of the fair sex, has induced the hardy
Germans to render this diversion so little fatiguing.
The company afterwards walked to other little inclosures of planting,
where some game was driven out and killed as before.—The following day,
the Prince conducted us to another of his seats, where there is a very
fine open wood, full of deer of every kind, some of them the largest I
ever saw. There is also a great number of wild boars, one of which, by
the Prince’s permission, the D—— of H—— killed.
Nothing could surpass the politeness and magnificence with which the
company were entertained during the whole of their stay. The Princess is
a woman of an amiable character, and a good understanding; educates her
children, and manages her affairs with the utmost prudence and propriety.
This family, and many of the nobility, who have hitherto been at their
country-seats, are now about to return to Vienna. The family of Monsieur
and Madame de Pergen have been here for some time. This lady is an
intimate friend of the Countess Thune; and nearly the same company, who
form her society, now assemble twice a week at the house of Madame de
Pergen, who rivals the Countess in good sense and many accomplishments,
and, without raising jealousy or ill-will, divides with her the esteem of
the best company of this place. The agreeable footing on which society is
established here, and the number of respectable people with whom we are
acquainted, fills me with regret at the thoughts of leaving Vienna; but
the D—— of H—— inclines to pass the winter in Italy. Indeed, if he did
not, he would be obliged to delay the journey a whole year, or submit to
the inconveniencies of travelling in the summer months, which, in so hot
a climate, is rather to be avoided.