WIMIELMINE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 FROM AN ORIGINAL PORTRAIT AT BERUN.
 
 MEMOIRS OF WILHELMINE 
 
 MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH 
 
 TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY 
 
 HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS CHRISTIAN 
 
 OF SCHLESWIG HOI.STEIN 
 PRINCESS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND 
 
 WITH PORTRAIT 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE 
 1 888 
 
 85653
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 IN publishing this translation of these curious me- 
 moirs, it will perhaps not be out of place to give some 
 slight account of the personages who play so prominent 
 a part in them. The Margravine Frederica Sophie Wil- 
 
 ^ helmine of Brandenburg-Baireuth was the eldest daugh- 
 ter of Frederick William I. of Prussia, and his wife 
 Sophie Dorothea of Hanover, daughter of George I. of 
 England. She was born at Berlin on the 3d of July, 
 . 1709, and was three years older than Frederick the 
 Great, the brother to whom she was so ardently devot- 
 
 <5> ed, and over whom she had so great an influence. The 
 ^ love for her brother was the one bright spot in a life 
 whose difficulties and troubles have probably seldom be'en 
 equalled. Although idolizing Frederick, and foresee- 
 ing the greatness he would one day attain, she was nev- 
 ertheless not blind to his failings. How she suffered 
 with him and through him is most touchingly told in 
 the following pages. Even her marriage hardly lessened 
 the closeness of her intercourse with her brother. She 
 was the only person to whom he ever showed his real 
 nature, and whom he really loved. In order properly 
 to understand this singular narrative, it is necessary to
 
 6 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 realize what the Berlin Court was at that time. Fred- 
 erick L, grandfather of Wilhelmine, had been extrav- 
 agant and splendor-loving in the extreme, but on the 
 succession of her father to the throne all was changed. 
 This king was possessed of considerable administrative 
 ability, but at the same time the wish to make his coun- 
 try one of the first military powers of Europe took hold 
 of him to such a degree that he considered no sacrifice 
 too great if it promoted this object. "With a wise in- 
 stinct Frederick William had discerned that all things 
 in Prussia must point towards his army ; that his army 
 was the heart and pith ; the State being the tree, every 
 branch and leaf bound, after its sort, to be nutritious 
 and productive for the army's behoof. That probably 
 for any nation, in the long-run, and certainly for the 
 Prussian nation straightway, life or death depends on 
 the army. Frederick William's head, in an inarticulate 
 manner, was full of this just notion, and all his life was 
 spent in organizing it to a practical fact." * To defray 
 the expenses of this army, he exercised in the other de- 
 partments of his Government, as well as in his Court, 
 a strict economy, that seemed in the eyes of his contem- 
 poraries to be nothing but the most sordid avarice. 
 Within two months he had so regulated the expenses 
 of the administration and his household as to reduce 
 them to one-fifth of what they had been, and by de- 
 grees he carried similar reforms into every department. 
 Economy was the order of the day, and his country 
 
 * Carlylc, " History of Fre<l<>rirk th.> firoat," vol. i., pngo 43!), Am. Ed.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 soon bore the stamp of absolute military despotism. It 
 was only within the last hundred years that Branden- 
 burg had had any standing army of its own, bnt by 
 1726 Frederick William's forces consisted of 60,000 
 thoroughly disciplined soldiers. 
 
 The king ruled his family with the same harsh des- 
 potism with which he ruled his country, taking pleasure 
 in making his power felt by all in the most galling man- 
 ner. The Margravine and her brother had much to 
 suffer, not only from his ungovernable temper, but also 
 from the real privations to which they were subjected. 
 Despite the almost cruel treatment Wilhelmine received 
 from her father, it is noticeable that throughout her 
 memoirs she speaks of him with the greatest affection. 
 She makes constant reference to his " good heart," and 
 that his faults "were more those of temper than of nat- 
 ure." The food at the king's table was poor and scanty, 
 his children's clothes were more than simple, and we 
 are told that the queen and her daughters were obliged 
 to take part in the domestic work. 
 
 The home was darkened by perpetual quarrels, and 
 from her earliest childhood Princess Wilhelmine had 
 been surrounded by a net-work of intrigues set on foot 
 by the House of Hapsburg to prevent a possibility of a 
 closer alliance between Prussia and England. 
 
 The queen, Wilhelmine's mother, had set her heart 
 on a double marriage with England, between Wilhel- 
 mine and the Prince of Wales, and Frederick and Prin- 
 cess Amelia. It was her one cherished idea to see her 
 daughter Queen of England, and for this end she was
 
 8 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ready to sacrifice everything, even her children's happi- 
 ness. The queen's remarkable determination of char- 
 acter asserted itself wherever the future of her children 
 was concerned. After ten years' efforts it seemed as if 
 she might hope for success ; the king was not averse, 
 and the English Court had consented. Indeed the 
 treaty was signed, but owing to the policy of the House 
 of Hapsburg was destined never to be carried out. 
 The Catholic Emperor and his advisers considered the 
 project would endanger the supremacy of Austria. A 
 close alliance with England would make Protestant 
 Prussia so strong that her predominance in Germany 
 might become doubtful. His emissary, Seckendorf, was 
 despatched to the Prussian Court, where he sowed sus- 
 picion and jealousy in the mind of the king, who, now 
 ever distrustful, angry, and suspicious, stood on the one 
 side, the queen on the other with her two elder chil- 
 dren. Prince Frederick was driven to desperation and 
 unsuccessful flight. 
 
 In the Margravine's Memoirs there is a most graphic 
 account of this period of misery. She did not know 
 Grumkow and Seckendorf were at the bottom of it all ; 
 she only suspected them, and her account is, in conse- 
 quence, sometimes rather warped. " But after this has 
 been pulled straight," to quote Carlyle, " and some ex- 
 aggeration deducted from it" exaggeration we cannot 
 wonder at when we consider the vital interest of the 
 question to her, and the personal persecutions to which 
 she and her loved brother were subjected "you will 
 find her always true, lucid, and charmingly human, and
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 by far the best authority on this part of her brother's 
 history." * 
 
 The Hapsburg policy, which was secretly moving the 
 Prussian Councils, did not consider the breaking off of 
 the English alliance sufficient safeguard against the un- 
 due aggrandizement of Prussia, and a marriage with the 
 Margrave of Bairetith was urged on Princess Wilhel- 
 mine as a political necessity. The princess proved will- 
 ing to accept this unknown suitor for the good of her 
 family, for the sake of peace, and, more than all, to save 
 her brother from further persecution. 
 
 By consenting to this marriage, however, she fell into 
 dire disgrace with the queen, who never forgave her. 
 This sacrifice only tended to unite her more closely 
 with her brother. His noble nature repaid her with in- 
 creased love and gratitude. 
 
 After her marriage Wilhelmine remained not only 
 bound by affection to him, but by mutual intellectual 
 interests. 
 
 We learn from Katt, Frederick the Great's reader, that 
 the king considered he owed all his taste for study, all 
 liis love of work, and the habit of never being idle, to 
 this sister. 
 
 She and her brother were among the first of those 
 questioning minds that strove after spiritual freedom. 
 They had studied the English philosophers, Newton, 
 Locke, and Shaftesbury, and were roused to enthusiasm 
 
 * Carlyle, " History of Frederick tlie Great," vol. i., page 462, American 
 Edition.
 
 10 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 by the writings of Voltaire* and Rousseau. Their 
 whole lives bore the impress of the influence of French 
 thought on the burning questions of the day. In the 
 eighteenth century began that great struggle of philos- 
 ophy against tyranny and worn-out abuses which culmi- 
 nated in the French Revolution. The noblest minds 
 were engaged in the struggle, and, like most reformers, 
 they pushed their conclusions to extremes, and too oft- 
 en lost sight of the need of a due proportion in tilings. 
 The Margravine's influence on the intellectual develop- 
 ment of her country is untold. She formed at Baireuth 
 a centre of culture and learning which had before been 
 undreamed of in Germany. 
 
 At Sansouci Frederick the Great surrounded himself 
 with thinkers, and formed a similar centre of cultiva- 
 tion. He allowed the utmost freedom of thought and 
 writing throughout Prussia, and it is not one of the 
 least of his merits that, in spite of his predilection for 
 everything French, he encouraged the most gifted of 
 German writers to gather at his Court, where his rare 
 mental gifts, his sound good sense, and his grand patri- 
 otism exercised the most beneficial influence on letters 
 and civilization. Modern critics have accused Wilhel- 
 mine of historical inaccuracies in her memoirs, but af- 
 ter making allowance for some exaggeration in her ac- 
 counts and views of people and of circumstances, they 
 
 * A volume of the Margravine's correspondence with Voltaire has been 
 published in German by Dr. George Horn in 1865. These letters form an 
 interesting sequel to the memoirs. An English translation will, it is hoped, 
 be published in a few mouths. Note by Translator.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 1 1 
 
 have never dared to donbt the general veracity of the 
 whole narrative. It should be borne in mind that these 
 memoirs were written at a moment when her heart was 
 bleeding afresh under the knowledge of her husband's 
 intimacy witli Mademoiselle von Marwitz. 
 
 Although married, almost against her will, to a man 
 she knew nothing of, the Margravine soon became ar- 
 dently devoted to him. Her affections were as warmly 
 returned, and it is touching to note how, in the midst of 
 overwhelming sorrows and humiliations, her love for her 
 husband seemed to make her forget them for a while. 
 
 The greater part of her married life was, without 
 doubt, happy, as far as the relations to her husband 
 were concerned. 
 
 It is impossible to read unmoved her account of all 
 she endured at the hands of her mother and of her fa- 
 ther-in-law. Her health was shattered in consequence 
 of incessant mental sorrows and anxieties. She died at 
 a comparatively early age, and before her brother had 
 achieved the greatness she had ever foretold for him. 
 Her end came on the 15th of October, 1758, in the same 
 night and at the same hour that her brother was sur- 
 prised and defeated by the Austrians at Hochkirch. Her 
 last words, her last thoughts were for him. She had 
 expressed the wish that his letters to her might be laid 
 on her heart and buried with her. 
 
 As to Frederick, the news of her death, coming, as it 
 did, at a critical moment, fell upon him with overwhelm- 
 ing force. It was a grief that darkened all his life. 
 The sister he had so adored gone ! The one heart
 
 12 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 whom he had loved, the friend on whose judgment 
 he had ever relied, taken from him when he seemed to 
 have needed her most ! He made a touching appeal to 
 Voltaire to immortalize her memory in verse; and it 
 may not be out of place to quote his own words, writ- 
 ten to him on the 2d of March, 1759 : " Pour ce que je 
 vous ai demande, je vous avoue que je 1'ai toujour tres 
 fort dans 1'esprit ; soit prose, soit vers tout m'est dgal. 
 II faut u n monument pour e*terniser cette vertu si pure, 
 si rare qui n'a pas e*te assez gentM-alement connue. Si 
 j'etais persuade de bien ecrire, je n'en chargerais per- 
 sonne, mais comme vous etes certainement le premier 
 de notre sciecle je ne puis m'addresser qu'a vous." 
 
 Frederick himself erected in his garden of Sansouci 
 a temple dedicated to "Friendship," in memory of Wil- 
 helmine; and writes in the following terms to Voltaire 
 about it: "Ce temple est placd dans un des bosquets 
 de mon jardin. J'y vais sonvent me rappeler mes 
 pertes et le bonheur dont je jouissais autrefois." 
 
 The Margravine often appears in the course of her 
 narrative almost heartless and inconsiderate; yet, taken 
 as a whole, she stands out in marked prominence among 
 the most gifted women of the eighteenth century, not 
 only by her mental powers, but by her goodness of 
 heart, her self -sacrificing devotion, and true friendship. 
 
 She lies buried in the chapel of the Castle at Baireuth. 
 
 HELENA. 
 CUMBERLAND LODOK, May, 1887. 
 
 It may strike the reader as singular that this volume is not divided into 
 chapters. The Translator has in this matter strictly adhered to the ar- 
 rangement of the original. II.
 
 ODE BY VOLTAIRE ON THE MARGRAVINE. 
 
 Ombre illustre, ombre chere, ame heroi'que et pure, 
 Toi que nies tristes yeux ne cessent de pleurer, 
 Quand la fatale loi de toute la nature 
 
 Te conduit dans la sepulture, 
 
 Faut-il te plaindre ou t'admirer ? 
 
 Les vertus, les talents ont ete ton partage, 
 
 Tu v6cus, tu mourns en sage ; 
 
 Et, voyant a pas lents avancer le trepas, 
 
 Tu montras le m6me courage, 
 
 Qui fait voler ton frere au milieu des combats. 
 
 Femnie sans prejuges, sans vice et sans mollcsse 
 Tu bannis loin de toi la superstition, 
 Fille de 1'imposture et de 1'ambition, 
 Qui tyrannise la faiblesse. 
 
 Les langueurs, les tourments, ministres de la mort, 
 T'avaient declare la guerre ; 
 Tu les bravas sans effort, 
 Tu plaignis ceux de la terre. 
 
 Helas ! si tes conseils avaient pu 1'emporter 
 
 Sur le faux interet d'une aveugle vengeance, 
 
 Que de torrents de sang on cut vus s'arrfiter ! 
 
 Quel bonheur, t'aurait du la France. 
 
 Ton cher frere aujourd'hui, dans un noble repos, 
 Recueillerait son ame, a soi-mome rendue ; 
 
 Le philosophe, le h6ros, 
 Ne serait afflige que de t'avoir perdue.
 
 14 ODE BY VOLTAIRE ON THE MA11GRAVINE. 
 
 Sur ta ccndre adoree, il jcttcrait dcs flcurs 
 Du haut de son char de victoire ; 
 Et les mains de la paix, et les mains de la gloire 
 Se joindraicnt pour secher ses pleurs. 
 
 Sa voix cclebrerait ton ainitie fidele, 
 
 Les Echos de Berlin repondraient a ses cliants ; 
 
 Ah ! j'iinpose silence a mes tristes accents, 
 
 II n'appartient qu'a lui de te rendre immortelle. 
 
 December, 1758.
 
 MEMOIRS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 AFTER the death of my grandmother, Sophie Charlotte of 
 Hanover, Queen of Prussia, King Frederick I., my grandfather, 
 became extremely desirous that his only son, the crown prince, 
 should marry. To further this object he sent Count Finken- 
 stein (afterwards Field -marshal) to Stockholm to negotiate a 
 marriage between the crown prince and Princess Ulrica of 
 Sweden, sister of Charles XII. The crown prince, however, 
 who had seen and fallen in love with his first cousin, the 
 Princess of Hanover, was able to induce Count Finkenstein to 
 give a very unfavorable description and report of the Princess 
 of Sweden, and to add, too, that her health was so indifferent 
 that it was very unlikely she would ever have any children. 
 Now, as the king's greatest wish was to live to see grandchil- 
 dren born to him, he gave up the idea of the marriage with 
 the Princess of Sweden, and gave his consent to the union of 
 his son with the Princess of Hanover, daughter of the Elector 
 George, afterwards King of England. The marriage, which 
 took place at the end of the year 1706, gave my grandfather 
 an opportunity of showing his love of pomp and splendor. I 
 have been told that more brilliant fetes had never been wit- 
 nessed than those given on that occasion. It was very gratify-
 
 16 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 ing to the crown princess that the king soon became extreme- 
 ly fond of her, and lost no opportunity of showing her his 
 affection and respect. But this same friendly feeling was also 
 a source of sorrow and trouble to her, as the crown prince 
 became violently jealous of his father, and treated his wife 
 with great harshness. It was only after the birth of the eldest 
 son that peace was again established between husband and 
 wife. My grandfather gave the new-born infant the title of 
 Prince of Orange, not because he thought that title finer than 
 that of Prussia or Brandenburg, but because he hoped by that 
 means to secure to him the succession to the House of Orange, 
 to which he had claims through his mother, the Electress So- 
 phie Louise.* 
 
 The joy at the birth of this child was not of long duration, 
 for the young prince died when he was nine months old. My 
 grandfather felt his death all the more painfully, as at that 
 time the crown princess had no hopes of another child ; and 
 wishing, as he did, so passionately that the crown should pass 
 in a direct line to his immediate heirs, he determined to re- 
 marry. His ministers proposed and suggested to him various 
 princesses, and he chose from among them Sophie Louise of 
 Mecklenburg-Schwerin. 
 
 This third marriage did not turn out to his satisfaction ; and 
 I have been told that the husband and wife began to quarrel 
 the very next day after their marriage. As this, however, all 
 happened before my birth, I will not waste more words about 
 .it. I shall have enough to do in remembering all that con- 
 cerns my life, and shall therefore now commence with my own 
 recollections. 
 
 On the same day that the new queen made her entry into 
 Berlin, the crown princess announced that she had certain 
 hopes of another child. The joy at this announcement was 
 
 * The first wife of my greaUgraudfathcr, Frederick William, named tlie 
 Great Elector.
 
 MEMOIE8 OP THE MAKGKAVINE OF BAIREUTU. 17 
 
 universal. Every one resolved in tbeir minds it would be a 
 prince, and whoever had been beard to predict the birth of a 
 daughter would have met with a sorry welcome. The pre- 
 diction would, however, have come true, and I was destined to 
 throw cold water on their joy. I was born at Berlin on the 
 3d of July, 1709. The Kings of Denmark and Poland, who were 
 on a visit to my grandfather at the time, were my godfathers, 
 so that three kings and one queen were present at my christen- 
 ing, which was celebrated with the greatest pomp and cere- 
 mony. The strangest part of it all was, that the three sover- 
 eigns were each called Frederick, and belonged to three different 
 religions. Their presence was the cause of endless predictions 
 as to my future. I was to be the possessor of as many crowns 
 as there had been kings present at my christening ; and a 
 Hessian nobleman even went so far in his folly as to compare 
 me to the Child Jesus, whom the three wise kings from the 
 East came to adore. This comparison, absurd as it was, found 
 so much favor with my grandfather that he made the noble- 
 man a present of a thousand ducats. 
 
 None of the beautiful good things foretold me ever came to 
 pass. If people had been satisfied with saying that I should 
 be content with my lot, then they would have spoken the truth, 
 for I really am so, and would not change iny present position 
 for the crowns of all the world. 
 
 I forgot to say that I received the names of Frederica Sophie 
 Wilhelmine. If I had been asked my advice I would have 
 chosen the name Charlotte. The queen, rny grandmother, was 
 called so ; and I have heard so much good of her, and she is 
 still so beloved by all, that I should have wished to be like her, 
 even in the very smallest particular. 
 
 Though the birth of a prince had been so much desired, my 
 grandfather soon became very fond of me, and occupied him- 
 self much with my education. When I was eighteen months 
 old, I already talked a great deal, and was much more forward 
 than children of my age generally were. At two years old I 
 2
 
 18 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGBAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 
 
 ran about everywhere alone, and was full of mischief, to the 
 great delight of my parents ; in fact, I was their idol, and that 
 of their whole Court. 
 
 In the year 1710 the crown princess gave birth to a prince, 
 who, however, died a few months afterwards. Another son 
 was born in 17 12, who received the name of Frederick. He 
 was the brother who was educated with me, who, for a thou- 
 sand reasons, became so inexpressibly dear to me, and who 1 
 have the comfort of knowing was the admiration of all Europe. 
 Madame von Konnke, wife of the Grand Maitre de la Garde- 
 robe, had the chief supervision over onr education. Madame 
 von Rocoulc, who had brought up my father, was my brother's 
 governess ; and the crown princess gave me into the charge 
 of a certain Loti. Madame von Kielmannsegge, afterwards 
 known as Lady Arlington, in whom my mother at that time 
 had great confidence, had recommended this person to her. It 
 is necessary to describe Luti. She was the daughter of Gregori 
 Leti, a monk. He had escaped to Holland, where he is known 
 through several works which he wrote there by way of sup- 
 porting himself, as he was in the greatest poverty. He had 
 not been able to give his daughter any education, so that she 
 had not more civility in her composition than is generally met 
 with in the Dutch. Her character was composed of all the 
 faults which are attributed to Italians. She was very clever, 
 had acquired a good deal of knowledge, and could express her- 
 self with great ease; she was very violent, revengeful, and of 
 no high morality. All these faults she hid, however, under 
 the cloak of apparent piety, with which she deceived those who 
 did not know her intimately. Happily my good disposition was 
 stronger than her bad example. 
 
 In January, 1713, Frederick I. (my grandfather) was taken 
 seriously ill. His much weakened constitution made the doctors 
 soon despair of his life ; but he survived till the 28th of February, 
 on which day he died, full of resignation and courage. I re- 
 jncmber hjs sending for my brother and myself the day before
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIUEUTH. 19 
 
 he died, and his blessing us. He was mourned by his people, 
 and with reason : lie was really so good and so liberal-minded, 
 and deserves no blame beyond that of letting his ministers gain 
 too much influence over him. The splendor of his funeral I 
 pass over in silence. For six months the Court remained on 
 the same footing, then all was completely altered. Whoever 
 wished to gain the king's favor had to don the helmet and 
 cuirass ; everybody was to be officer and soldier, and not a 
 vestige of the old Court remained. Major-general Grumkow 
 was at the head of affairs, and shared with the Prince of An- 
 halt the entire confidence of the young king. But that all 
 this may be clearly understood, I must describe the king's 
 character, as well as that of his two favorites. 
 
 The crown prince's education had been intrusted to Count 
 Alexander Dona, who had very much neglected it, and being 
 himself of a very avaricious nature, had imbued him with a 
 great love of money. 
 
 Ever since he was a child the prince had loved soldiers and 
 soldiering. He was a great genius, and capable of great things. 
 He bad a keen perception : in fact he possessed all the attri- 
 butes of a great man. Nevertheless, all these fine sides of his 
 character were overshadowed by his violent temper, which at 
 times burst into perfect paroxysms of fury. He was just to 
 the extreme, and his love of fairness and justice often prevented 
 his giving way to the gentler and kindlier instincts of his nat- 
 ure. When, however, he once cared for any one he was never 
 known to desert him, and in spite of his avarice he was most 
 charitable to the poor. This is proved by the several charita- 
 ble institutions founded by him. He disliked outward show 
 and luxury. His governor had found it possible to give him a 
 very bad opinion of the fair sex, and he was, in consequence, 
 not only very jealous of the queen, but extremely harsh and 
 severe in his treatment of his daughters. 
 
 The Prince of Anhalt ranked very high as a military com- 
 mander, and combined with a perfect knowledge of all military
 
 20 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 matters a wonderful bead for all business. Ills rough and un- 
 couth nature made him an object of fear, a feeling which bis 
 personal appearance fully justified. His overweening ambition 
 rendered him capable of any crime in order to attain the end 
 he had in view. An implacable enemy, he was, at the same 
 time, a most faithful friend, and his enmity was never shown 
 excepting to those who had offended him indeed, he is known 
 on several occasions to have shown both kindness and generosi- 
 ty to the relations of the very people with whom he had the 
 bitterest feuds. 
 
 Grumkow, who afterwards became Field-marshal, may well 
 pass for one of the cleverest ministers that had been seen for 
 some time. With great pliancy of mind he combined a great 
 charm in conversation, a readiness and cleverness in repartee, 
 which made him delightful in society. This pleasing exterior, 
 however, hid a false, selfish, and perfidious heart. His behav- 
 ior proved all this, and he was, besides, extravagant, irritable, 
 and peevish. 
 
 Two characters such as these I have just described were in- 
 deed capable of ruining a young sovereign, as well as his coun- 
 try. Both were fast friends; their long -cherished plan had 
 been to rule the king entirely, and to have a queen that should 
 be quite subservient to them. As the crown prince's marriage 
 with the Hanoverian princess, however, entirely upset their 
 plans, nothing remained for them but to try and sow disunion 
 between the husband and wife, in order to prevent the crown 
 prince from reposing any trust in his consort. To attain this 
 end they encouraged all his worst passions, entangled him in 
 all their evil ways, and roused his jealousy against the crown 
 princess. They continued this shameful behavior even after 
 the crown prince came to the throne, and caused the queen 
 endless worry and annoyance. It required, as will be seen from 
 these memoirs, all the strength of her character to withstand 
 the attacks made upon her. But I will now turn to pleasanter 
 subjects.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 21 
 
 Queen Anne of England died a year after Frederick I., and 
 my grandfather on my mother's side, the Elector George, as- 
 cended the throne of England. He hastened to his new king- 
 dom, where he was crowned; his eldest son took the title of 
 Prince of Wales, and his son again, Prince Frederick, that of 
 Duke of Gloucester. In this same year, too, the queen gave 
 me a sister, who was named Frederica Louise ; but I will quick- 
 ly pass over this event, as I have determined to write only the 
 story of my own life, and therefore to mention those facts 
 alone which have to do with myself. 
 
 My brother, who in consequence of my father's ascending 
 the throne had become crown prince, was in very delicate 
 health ; and this, combined with the sullen and melancholy 
 state of his mind, made people fear for his life. The Prince of 
 Anhalt and Grumkow were perhaps the only persons that de- 
 sired his death, as through it they hoped that the Margrave of 
 Schwedt, one of the first Princes of the Blood, and through his 
 mother nephew to the Prince of Anhalt, might succeed to the 
 throne.* 
 
 They wished me to marry this prince, that the Allodial Es- 
 tates, which had *x>me through the female line, should not pass 
 out of the family. They urged the desirability of this mar- 
 riage on the king, representing to him the advantages it would 
 have, not only in retaining the Allodial Estates, but in securing 
 the Margrave's alliance to Prussia for all time. 
 
 * The Elector Frederick William (my great-grandfather) had two wives ; 
 his first wife, Princess of Orange, bore him two sous, Frederick I. and 
 Prince Louis, who married a Princess Radziwil, and had no children. The 
 second wife of Frederick William was Sophie Dorothea, Princess of Hol- 
 stein-Gliicksburg, widow of Duke Christian Louis of Liimburg. She bore 
 him four princes and two princesses ; one of the sons, Charles, died in Ita- 
 ly, and of the three others Philip, Albert, and Louis the eldest married 
 a princess of Anhalt. He left at his death two daughters and a son; the 
 Margrave Frederick, the eldest of these two sons, was therefore the first 
 Prince of the Blood, and in consequence, if the king died without male 
 heirs, the probable heir to the Crown of Prussia and to the Electorate.
 
 22 MEMOIUS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 At first M. von Grumkow mentioned the idea only casually, 
 but after a while the plan took a more decided shape, and at 
 last was presented in so favorable a light to the king that lie 
 promised the Prince of Anhalt to do all in his power to further 
 his nephew's suit, and actually authorized the Margrave to pay 
 me regular court. 
 
 This prince was born in 1700, and was therefore nine years 
 older than I was. I was not of an age at that time either to 
 love or to hate, and whether it was an innate dislike, or merely 
 a piece of childish obstinacy on my part, I could not bear him. 
 Leti,* whom the Prince of Anhalt and Grumkow had won over 
 to their side, was never weary of singing my suitor's praises to 
 me, and when it happened that I treated him roughly, or played 
 some practical joke on him, there was no end to the scolding 
 afterwards. It was some time before the queen, my mother, 
 had the faintest idea of this plan, for she had never for one 
 moment imagined that the visits the Margrave paid me were 
 anything else than those of the merest civility. At last the 
 king told her, and spoke of my marriage with the Margrave as 
 a settled thing. The news fell like a thunder-bolt on the queen, 
 and she at once determined that I should marry her own neph- 
 ew, the Duke of Gloucester, for she perceived but too clearly 
 that the little influence she still had over the king was to be 
 undermined. The king's health was very indifferent, and se- 
 vere nervous attacks often endangered his life. The queen had, 
 up to this time, lived in hopes that, should he die, she would 
 have the sole guardianship of my brother, and be Regent. Now, 
 liowevcr, through this marriage with the Margrave, she saw all 
 her fondest hopes destroyed, and the power of her enemies in- 
 creased. 
 
 Knowing, as she did, that the Prince of Anhalt and Grum- 
 kow would not hesitate at committing any crime to further 
 their ambitious ends, she had every reason to tremble for my 
 
 * My governess.
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 23 
 
 brother. Even had the queen not been so opposed to this 
 marriage, she had little reason to anticipate any happiness for 
 me in it, for the Margrave of Schwedt was a worthy nephew 
 of the Prince of Anhalt. His low propensities, his love for all 
 that was evil, and his cruelty and brutality, already singled him 
 out for a second Nero. 
 
 The marriage with the Duke of Gloucester was quite another 
 thing. The alliance with England would be a great support 
 to my mother, and promised me a much happier future. The 
 queen, therefore, violently opposed my marriage with the Mar- 
 grave of Schwedt ; but neither her tears nor her entreaties, nor 
 all the reasons she put forward against it, had the slightest ef- 
 fect in shaking the king's determination, and the only hope 
 left her was that, on account of my extreme youth, the mar- 
 riage might be indefinitely postponed. 
 
 For some time to come, affairs of a far graver nature now 
 took up the king's attention. In 1715 he made war against 
 King Charles XII. of Sweden ; and though the queen was ex- 
 pecting her confinement, she followed her husband to Pomera- 
 nia, where he was with his army. After the Saxon troops and 
 the King of Denmark had joined my father, the two sovereigns 
 laid siege to Stralsund, where King Charles had shut himself 
 up. The result of this campaign, which lies beyond the prov- 
 ince of my memory, is well known to all the world, and reflected 
 ihonor both on my father and his allies. 
 
 During the queen's absence I was intrusted to the care of 
 Leti, and my brother to that of Madame von Rocoule. Leti 
 gave herself a great deal of trouble in teaching me. She taught 
 me the first rudiments of History and Geography. I read flu- 
 ently, and also wrote tolerably for my age. As I saw many 
 people while the queen was absent, I learned to behave myself 
 with discretion and good manners, so that on her return the 
 queen was quite delighted with my little person. My joy at 
 seeing her again, and the fondling and tenderness I received 
 from her, gave me such emotions that I broke a blood-vessel in
 
 24 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 consequence, and the hemorrhage not only was stopped with 
 difficulty, but returned next day with such violence that the 
 doctor despaired of my life. My life was, however, saved, but 
 the great weakness this attack left obliged me to keep my bed 
 for many weeks. As soon as I was well again, the queen took 
 advantage of the great ease with which I learned to give me 
 different masters, among them the famous La Crape, celebrated 
 for his knowledge of the Oriental and dead languages. These 
 masters took it in turn to teach me, so that my whole day was 
 occupied, and I had but little time for relaxation. 
 
 At the Court of Berlin only officers were seen, but it was 
 nevertheless very numerously attended by persons from all 
 quarters. During the king's absence the queen held recep- 
 tions every evening. My father was mostly at Potsdam, which 
 was close by, where he lived like a simple nobleman. His 
 chief occupation was the formation of a regiment, which he 
 had already begun during the lifetime of Frederick I. Of an 
 afternoon he went out shooting, and in the evening smoked 
 with his officers and favorites. This assembly was called the 
 " Tabagie ;" * and even when he was at Berlin there was not 
 much alteration in the arrangements of his day. 
 
 There were at this time in Berlin many Swedish officers who 
 had been taken prisoners at the siege of Stralsund. Among 
 these was one named Croom, well known throughout the town 
 as an astrologer. Most people are superstitious, and like to be- 
 lieve in such follies; and though I do not belong to the num- 
 ber, I cannot resist mentioning a curious fact, which I, how- 
 ever, consider as mere coincidence. The queen was curious to 
 know Croom, and sent for him. She gave him her hand, that 
 he might tell her her fortune, and he foretold the birth of a 
 princess, which event also really took place in March, 171G, two 
 months after the interview. To the prince, my brother, he 
 predicted a very troublous youth, but added that in later years 
 
 * A sinoking-club.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 25 
 
 he would become emperor, and be one of the greatest of Eu- 
 rope's princes. The lines in my hand did not promise so 
 much happiness and prosperity as did those in my brother's. 
 At first the astrologer exclaimed that he had never seen such 
 an " unlucky hand," and that my whole life would be a net- 
 work of troubles, and that any prosperity would always be cut 
 short by fresh storms ; that I should have three great offers of 
 marriage, but that he doubted if any of these would be found 
 acceptable. He meant by these France, England, and Poland. 
 The contents of these pages will show that this man was not 
 altogether wrong in his predictions. 
 
 One of the queen's ladies named Wagniss was also very anx- 
 ious to know her fortune. Croom told her that she would be 
 sent away from Court before the year was out; and on Ma- 
 dame von Blaspiel asking him what would happen to her, he 
 answered her that her fate would be very like that of Made- 
 moiselle von Wagniss, and that her departure from the Court 
 would be as unpleasant as that of the first named lady. All 
 this soon afterwards came true. 
 
 The mother, Madame von Wagniss, was Mistress of the Robes 
 to the king's aunt, the Margravine Albert. Sbe was one of 
 the greatest intrigantes at Court; and although she was al- 
 ready advanced in years, she had still many lovers. She had 
 three daughters, who were all beautiful as angels. She fa- 
 vored those who had most to offer, and who could be most use- 
 ful in obtaining for her knowledge of Cabinet secrets, which 
 knowledge she afterwards sold to the foreign ministers at the 
 Court. This scandalous behavior she sought to hide under a 
 cloak of extreme piety, so that she was considered to be virtue 
 itself. Her gracious manner fascinated all, and gained her 
 many friends among those who could not know her real char- 
 acter. Her main object was to obtain for one of her daugh- 
 ters an appointment at Court in the hopes of her becoming 
 the king's mistress, and for this purpose she chose the most 
 beautiful of her three girls. The queen appointed her lady-
 
 26 MEMOIRS OP THE MAR'GRAVlNE OP 1UIREUTH. 
 
 in-waiting. Having succeeded in this first step, mother and 
 daughter now sought by every means in their power to attain 
 the object they had in view. In the first place, they sought to 
 obtain the queen's favor, and then the friendship of all those 
 who more immediately surrounded the king. 
 
 [The Margravine of Baireuth here gives a most detailed ac- 
 count of a very scandalous intrigue got up by Madame von 
 Wagniss between her daughter and a worthless young Court 
 functionary, in the hopes of finally entangling the king in it- 
 Happily, Grumkow and the Prince of Anhalt became aware of 
 it, and told the king, lie thereupon desired the queen instant- 
 ly to dismiss Mademoiselle von Wagniss. The queen, who did 
 not know how far matters had gone, and really liked the lady, 
 felt grieved at parting with her. After her dismissal she and 
 her mother published anonymously the most scandalous satire 
 on the king and queen. We will now return to the Margra- 
 vine's own recollections.] 
 
 Three months after this unpleasant business the queen was; 
 confined with a prince, whose birth caused great joy through- 
 out the whole country. He was named William, but died ini 
 the year 1719. 
 
 Towards the end of this year (1715) Count Poniatowsky 
 came incognito to Berlin. He was sent there by King Charles 
 XII. of Sweden. As he knew the chamberlain, von Printz, 
 having been Envoy at the Russian Court with him, Count Po- 
 niatowsky begged his kind offices in obtaining him a private 
 interview with the king. My father went one evening, when 
 it was getting dark, to the apartments of M. de Printz, who 
 lived in the Castle, and saw Count Poniatowsky there. Very 
 advantageous propositions were made to the king by Sweden, 
 of which, however, I remember only two. Sweden offered to 
 surrender Swedish Pomerania in perpetuity to the king my 
 father, and in return he was to promise me in marriage to the 
 Swedish king, for which ultimate purpose I was to be taken 
 over to Sweden when I reached the age of twelve. The death
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIUETTTRT. 27 
 
 of King Charles at Friedrichshall in 1719 prevented this mar- 
 riage. 
 
 All that I have here been telling does not directly concern 
 me. My extreme youth I was only eight years old pre- 
 vented my taking part in these events. The whole day I was 
 occupied with my masters, and in my play-time I was allowed 
 to see my brother. There never was such love as ours for one 
 another! My brother had great intelligence, but was not at all 
 lively ; he was very quick of perception, but he had the great- 
 est difficulty in remembering what he had learned. I, on the 
 contrary, was extremely quick, and had a wonderful memory. 
 The king could not bear my brother: he never saw him with- 
 out ill-treating him, and this caused my brother a fear of his 
 father and a shyness in his presence which he never got over.. 
 I was my father's favorite. He showed more love and tender- 
 ness to me than to any of his other children. I often used my 
 advantage in begging and obtaining favors, and I have saved 
 the life of many a poor creature, for the king never refused 
 me any request. 
 
 Meanwhile the Prince of Anhalt and Grumkow continued 
 their intrigues. The birth of my second brother had not 
 changed their plans ; it had only altered the mode of carrying 
 them out. A second journey of the king and queen to Han- 
 over in 1717 gave rise to talk about a double marriage between 
 my brother, the crown prince, and Princess Amelia of Eng- 
 land, and of the Duke of Gloucester and myself. At the same 
 time I received several letters and presents from the latter, and 
 our correspondence lasted for more than a year. The Prince 
 of Anhalt and Grumkow did not dare to press forward their 
 plan again for my marriage with the Margrave of Schwcdt. 
 They knew the king too well to openly oppose his wishes. 
 To attain their object they must continue to endeavor to put 
 an end to the friendly relations which subsisted between him 
 and England, and of this they did not despair. It was in this 
 year that the wicked plots of a certain Clement were discov-
 
 28 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 ered. He was accused of high-treason, of having forged the 
 handwriting and seals of several great potentates, and of having 
 caused disunion between several of the great powers. Clement 
 was of high birth ; some said he was the son of the Duke of 
 Orleans, Regent of France ; others, of the King of Denmark. 
 His great resemblance to the Duke of Orleans always made 
 people maintain that he was descended from him.* 
 
 I am not acquainted with the more intimate details relating 
 to this adventurer, as everything was kept so secret that no one 
 has ever known the real truth ; but what I do know, positively, 
 is that Clement disclosed all Grumkow's secret speculations to 
 the king, and would have caused his downfall, but that the 
 proofs were wanting. He had not one of the letters he prom- 
 ised to send the king; and, though he insisted on having had 
 private interviews with him, it turned out when he was con- 
 fronted with Grumkow, that he did not even know him. Noth- 
 ing more was wanted to prove that his accusations were false. 
 His trial lasted nearly six months. So much to heart did the 
 king take the whole of this affair that he was, in consequence, 
 seized" at Brandenburg with serious illness. Messengers were 
 forthwith despatched for the queen, who at once started for 
 Brandenburg, and on her arrival that same night, found the 
 king so ill that the doctors gave up all hope. My father made 
 his last will, and those to whom he dictated his lat wishes 
 were well known for their honesty and devotion. In this last 
 will the king named the queen Regent of Prussia, etc. ; and the 
 King of England, as well as the emperor, guardians of the young 
 prince. A few hours before the messenger left, whom my fa- 
 ther sont for my mother, two others had started to fetch the 
 Prince of Anhalt and Grumkow. I do not know what reason 
 can have delayed them, but they did not start till late at night. 
 
 * He came from Transylvania, and was called Rosenau. He was secre- 
 tary to Prince Ragot/.ky, whom he betrayed and deserted, lie then took 
 the name of Clement, in order to continue his forgeries undiscovered.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 29 
 
 The king's illness made such rapid progress that the doctors 
 gave my father only a few hours more to live. The fear that 
 if the Prince of Anhalt and Grumkow's arrival were long de- 
 layed he would no longer be able to seal his will, induced him 
 to sign it. Knowing, however, beforehand what reproaches and 
 what opposition the will would meet with from those two, as 
 they wero not even mentioned in it, he extracted a promise 
 from the queen, while giving her a copy of it, to keep the con- 
 tents a complete secret. Those, too, who had been witnesses, 
 and those who had written out the will, were made to take an 
 oath to the same effect. The business was scarcely over, and 
 all signed and sealed, when the prince and Grumkow arrived. 
 
 As they had their creatures everywhere about the king, they 
 soon learned what had taken place respecting the will, but they 
 never could succeed in finding out what the contents of it were. 
 Nevertheless, the very secrecy that was observed soon led them 
 to perceive that they were not to be the guardians of the young 
 prince ; and, furthermore, that as the queen had received a copy 
 of the document, she must have been named .Regent. Their 
 despair knew no bounds. The time was too short : the king 
 was at the point of death, and the queen never left his side for 
 one moment, so that it was quite impossible to get the will al- 
 tered. Happily for them the great danger in which the king 
 was passed over after several hours, and they breathed again. 
 The fever and the pain decreased. The ipecacuanha, which 
 had been given to the king by the surgeon major-general of 
 the king's regiment, had saved his life. This surgeon was 
 named Holzendorf, and he will again appear in these memoirs. 
 He was so successful in his use of this remedy that for many 
 years afterwards he enjoyed the king's especial favor. 
 
 After my father had completely recovered, he returned to 
 Berlin with my mother. The trial of that wretched Clement 
 was still going on. He accused innumerable persons in order 
 to entangle them in his trial, and by that means prolonged it. 
 This caused the king to open all letters that were sent by post.
 
 :30 MEMOIRS OF THE MAUGKAVINE OF UA1REUTH. 
 
 He became daily more suspicious, and never went to bed with- 
 out having at his side two loaded pistols and his sword. He 
 remained only a few days in Berlin, and went with my mother 
 ito Wusterhausen. 
 
 The Prince of Anhalt and Grumkow meanwhile were not 
 idle. They could not get this business of the will out of their 
 minds ; and Grumkow, who was slyer than the devil himself, 
 undertook to get the copy of the will out of the queen's pos- 
 session. To carry out this plan he used the following means. 
 I have already mentioned Madame von Blaspiel. This lady 
 was most beautiful in person ; her disposition was very bright. 
 She had a highly educated mind and a noble, honest heart, but 
 unfortunately two great faults, which are common to mankind 
 in general, overshadowed her nobler qualities. She was intri- 
 gante and a coquette. A gouty old husband of sixty years 
 was not calculated to make a young and beautiful wife very 
 happy. Indeed, some people pretended that she led the same 
 life with him as Placidia did with the Emperor Constantine. 
 At this time the Saxon envoy, Count Manteuffel, was her ami 
 intime, but this friendship was conducted in such a manner that 
 no one had ever thought of throwing the slightest doubt on 
 their relationship to one another. As I said before, every let- 
 ter that came by post was taken to the king, and all his days 
 at Wusterhausen were spent in reading them through. Man- 
 teuffel was making a short tour in Saxony, and the king thus 
 came across his letters to Madame von Blaspiel, and also her an- 
 swers. Their contents left no doubt that more than friendship 
 existed between them. The king made cruel jokes on the sub- 
 ject, which soon reached Grumkow's ears, and he determined 
 to use this occurrence as a means towards attaining his object. 
 
 I am but little acquainted with the political affairs at this 
 time, so that I can say nothing positive about them. I remem- 
 ber only that the King of Poland required my father's help, 
 (inunkow, who had known this sovereign for a long time, wrote 
 to him and promised that his hopes and wishes should be real-
 
 MEMOIRS OF TIIE MABGKAV1NE OF BAIKEUTH. 31 
 
 i/ed, if bo would ID return combine witb him. The King of 
 Poland consented, and Manteuffel returned to Berlin commis- 
 sioned to obtain from Madame von Blaspiel, through his influ- 
 ence with her, a promise that she would manage to get the 
 will out of the queen's hands. It was a ticklish business. 
 Madame von Blaspiel adored her mistress, hut love is a tyrant. 
 Woe to those who allow their passions to gain control over 
 their principles ! Terrible hours of bitter remorse are in store 
 for them. What can a woman refuse to a man to whom she 
 has sacrificed the most precious of all things her honor ? Had 
 Madame von Blaspiel made such reflections, she would have es- 
 caped from the quicksands that ingulf so many. Manteuffel's 
 protestations of faithfulness and devotion to the queen at last 
 conquered his mistress's constancy. Still, however great her 
 influence over my mother, it required many endeavors and 
 many requests from Madame von Blaspiel to succeed in getting 
 this unfortunate will into her own hands. 
 
 While all this was going on, Clement's trial had come to an 
 end. He was found guilty and condemned to be torn in pieces, 
 and then hanged. 
 
 The wretched man heard his sentence pronounced without 
 moving a muscle. He answered his accusers by saying, " I 
 have only done that which the king's ministers are daily doing. 
 They try to deceive the ministers of other powers, and are 
 honored spies at foreign courts. If I had been a public char- 
 acter, such as they are, I might now have reached the height of 
 prosperity, instead of ending on the gallows." He died with 
 the greatest courage. On his way to the place of execution he 
 addressed the people. As his speech is printed, I will not here 
 make further mention of it. His accomplice, Leman, was quar- 
 tered ; and Heidekamm, whose family had recently been enno- 
 bled, was flogged, his sword and his shield, with his arms on it, 
 broken in pieces by the hangman, and he himself declared dis- 
 honored. Heidekamm was punished so severely only because 
 he had said and written that the king was not Frederick I.'s
 
 32 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 legitimate son, but the bastard of a nobleman who had lived at 
 Court. 
 
 With these sad events the year 171 7 closed. The following 
 year was, however, not less fertile in tragic occurrences. I have 
 already mentioned that the Prince of Anhalt and Grumkow's 
 great object was to disturb the happy relations between the 
 king and queen. Their old project, rny marriage with the Mar- 
 grave of Schwedt, was not given up, and they again endeavored 
 to win the king's consent to it. As my father, however, was 
 on very good terms with England, he was not now favorably 
 inclined to this plan. 
 
 In my sketch of the king's character I mentioned his great 
 love of money as one of his chief faults. He disapproved of 
 every expense incurred by the queen, even when absolutely nec- 
 essary for her high position and rank. lie, nevertheless, gave 
 her most costly presents. Thus, for instance, my mother had 
 long wished to possess a pair of very beautiful diamond ear- 
 rings, which had belonged to the queen dowager, and which 
 had been left, with the rest of the jewels, to my father. The 
 king gave these ear-rings to my mother at the time of the birth 
 of my second brother. Their value was very great, the dia- 
 monds being worth 26,000 thalers (3900). In the hope of 
 creating a bad feeling between my parents Grumkow resolved 
 to persuade the king that the queen had begged him for these 
 ear-rings only to sell them, that she might pay her debts with 
 the money. M. von Kamke, who had stood in great favor with 
 Frederick I., himself heard Grumkow make this vile suggestion; 
 and having but little doubt as to Grumkow's object, at once 
 informed the queen, begging her, however, not to mention his 
 having told her. The king was absent from home at the time, 
 but as soon as he returned the queen told him what a trick 
 Grumkow intended playing her. In order to prevent even a 
 semblance of suspicion, she showed the king the ear-rings, and 
 demanded an apology from Grumkow. The king, however, in- 
 sisted on knowing how she had heard of this plot, and said he
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 33 
 
 should believe the whole story if he knew that her informant 
 was to be trusted. 
 
 The queen finding herself, so to speak, pushed into a corner, 
 was imprudent enough to mention Kamke. The king instant- 
 ly sent for him. He repeated what he had told the queen, and 
 furthermore accused Grumkow of various other grave misdeeds. 
 The kind manner in which the king received Kamke had en- 
 couraged him to speak out; but not having expected to be 
 summoned before the king in the capacity of an accuser he had 
 not sufficient proofs at hand to justify himself, and further- 
 more, as he knew most of the facts out of Grumkow's own 
 mouth, had no witnesses to support him. The result was that 
 Grumkow's denials were believed, and that Kamke was sent to 
 the fortress of Spandau. 
 
 This fortress, which was four miles* from Berlin, was soon 
 filled with people of good family. 
 
 Grumkow and the Prince of Anhalt were not satisfied with 
 having learned the contents of the king's will from Count Man- 
 teuffel, they insisted on its being given into their own hands. 
 All Count Manteuffel's endeavors to wrest it from Madame von 
 Blaspiel remained fruitless, and finding that neither threats nor 
 coaxing were of any avail, they not only determined to ruin 
 her, but conceived the most monstrous plot ever heard of for 
 centuries. 
 
 The king used often to amuse himself in the evening by at- 
 tending the performances of a tight-rope dancer, which were 
 held at the Town Hall, and I remember quite well how some 
 of Grumkow's creatures, and this minister himself, begged the 
 king to take the young prince with him to one of these. They 
 insisted so much on this point that the king at last consented. 
 The tight-rope dancer being, however, taken ill, the representa- 
 tion was put off till the following Friday. 
 
 On the Tuesday morning, Madame von Blaspiel came to the 
 
 * About sixteen English miles.
 
 34 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREOTH. 
 
 queen, and implored her to prevent the king and my brother 
 from going to this performance. Why, she would not say, be- 
 yond mentioning that it was as much as their lives were worth. 
 She begged the queen to find any pretext on the Friday for 
 diverting the king's attention, that he might forget the hour 
 fixed for going to the Town Hall, and if that did not succeed, 
 openly to oppose his going. I was told to amuse the king. 
 On the Friday my mother instructed my brother and myself in 
 the part we were to play. I had managed so well to divert 
 my father that it was past half-past six before he was aware of 
 it, and got up to leave for the performance. My mother in 
 vain told him that it was too late. The king had hold of my 
 brother's hand ; and the boy, having been told all manner of 
 stories, which had frightened him out of his wits, screamed, 
 and made frantic efforts to get away from his father; and as 
 the king persisted in opening the door, my mother and I threw 
 ourselves at his feet, and prevented his leaving the room. He 
 could not in the least understand what was the matter, and 
 was at first inclined to be very angry. Our tears and screams, 
 and the pains we took to prevent his leaving us, occupied so 
 much time that the hour fixed for his visit to the Town Hall 
 was long past, and he gave up going. The queen would never 
 afterwards explain to him the reason of her strange conduct ; 
 but just at this time an inquiry was being carried on which 
 led him to guess part of the truth. A certain Trosqui, a man 
 of good birth, and a native of Silesia, had just been arrested. 
 He had been used as a spy during the siege of Stralsnnd ; and 
 though he had on that occasion made himself most useful to 
 the king, was never liked or trusted. The suspicion of a secret 
 correspondence had caused his present arrest. His papers, 
 which had been seized, proved the surmise to be true. The 
 whole town took a great interest in his fate. His private 
 papers contained love-stories of all Berlin, and several letters 
 concerning the king. The king fancied that the queen's anx- 
 iety had been caused by the fear that the numbers of the per-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 35 
 
 sons mixed up in this affair might combine together to attempt 
 some daring step against him. This impression was justified 
 in so far that he had been able to read through but very few 
 of the papers. But after two days the situation changed. 
 Madame von Blaspicl begged for a secret audience with the 
 king; but before she had spoken to him she confessed all to 
 the queen, and told her what she had discovered of Grumkow's 
 abominable plot. The following was what had been decided 
 on : Having given up all hope of getting the king's will out 
 of Madame von Blaspiel's possession, and being convinced that 
 on the king's death they would lose all their fortune, they de- 
 termined at all hazards to secure the throne for the Margrave 
 of Schwedt, and to assume the regency themselves. They 
 had determined, therefore, to get rid of the king and my broth- 
 er, and have them murdered at the Town Hall ; to set fire to 
 the Castle ; to have my second brother strangled ; to exile the 
 queen to some distant town, where she should be kept a pris- 
 oner; to send at once for the Margrave of Schwedt, and im- 
 mediately on his arrival to marry me to him. 
 
 This plot was to be carried out in such a manner that no 
 suspicion could fall on its instigators. An apparently acci- 
 dental riot in the Town Hall at the moment the Castle was set 
 fire to was to prevent their detection. 
 
 I heard all these particulars from my mother herself. She 
 was not present at the interview between the king and Madame 
 von Blaspiel, and did not know what passed at it, as she was 
 never again able to speak to the lady alone. The whole thing 
 was kept a profound secret, and even to this day no particulars 
 have transpired ; but I know that after a second interview the 
 king had with Madame von Blaspiel he led her to the queen, 
 saying, "I bring you here a brave and noble woman, the best 
 friend I have in the world." 
 
 Two days afterwards the parties concerned were confronted 
 with one another. Grumkow had found means to intrust the 
 inquiry to the fiscal-general, Kateck, a man of low birth, and
 
 36 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 one of his own creatures. This man had a particular gift of 
 entangling and confusing those who fell into his hands. Ma- 
 dame von Blaspiel was the victim of his cleverness. Various 
 cunning questions, and the skilful manner in which he twisted 
 her answers, reduced her to hopeless confusion, and she had 
 been imprudent enough to get no witnesses to support her ac- 
 cusations. The opposite side were certainly in a precarious 
 plight; but their confidence and security became as great as 
 ever, and Madame von Blaspiel became the victim of her devo- 
 tion and constancy. 
 
 Kateck proposed she should be put on the rack, in order to 
 force her to confess the absolute falsity of her accusations. I 
 do not know what prevented the king from having this pro- 
 posal carried out, but after the trial was over Madame von 
 Blaspiel was taken to Spandau. Without the slightest con- 
 sideration for the queen, who was then expecting her confine- 
 ment, the king, in a perfect fury, communicated to her the 
 unfortunate lady's fate. I was present on that painful occa- 
 sion. The king was so violent in his attack on the queen that 
 there was every reason to fear a premature confinement. Be- 
 sides the great friendship which the queen had for Madame 
 von Blaspiel she was in terrors about the will, which was still 
 among that lady's possessions, and which would naturally be 
 found among them. The queen soon learned that Field-mar- 
 shal von Nassmer had received orders to seal up all Madame 
 von Blaspiel's papers, etc. On hearing this the queen at once 
 sent her private chaplain, Boshardt, to the field-marshal to tell 
 him of the sore strait she was in, and to beg him to restore her 
 the will. This general, who was a man of the strictest hon- 
 esty, as well as a most devoted servant of the royal family, 
 deemed ifc no act of unfaithfulness to his master and king to 
 grant the queen's prayer. He therefore had the luckless docu- 
 ment, the cause of so much trouble and sorrow, restored to 
 her. Madame von Blaspiol remained at Spandau only a year, 
 and was then exiled to Cleves, where she still lives.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF 1UITJKUTIT. 37 
 
 The king at last determined to put an end to all these in- 
 trigues and plots. It may be that the many accusations made 
 against Grumkow and the Prince of Anhalt had made an im- 
 pression on him, or it may be that political reasons induced 
 him to take the step. At any rate he determined to recall the 
 Margrave of Schwedt, who was then travelling, and to marry 
 him to the Duchess of Corn-land, afterwards Empress of Russia. 
 The Margrave arrived at Berlin before the end of this year, but 
 in spite of the great advantages which this marriage offered 
 him, he refused most peremptorily to acquiesce in the king's 
 wishes. He evidently still had hopes of my marrying him, 
 which he considered far more advantageous; and as he was 
 eighteen years old and of age, the king could not force him to 
 marry against his will. 
 
 I have, in the preceding year, forgotten to mention the ar- 
 rival in Berlin of Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia. This 
 episode is curious enough to be worthy of a place in ray me- 
 moirs. This sovereign, who was very fond of travelling, was on 
 his way from Holland, and was obliged, owing to the empress's 
 premature confinement, to make a stay in the province of 
 Cleves. As he disliked both society and formalities, he begged 
 the king to let him occupy a villa on the outskirts of Berlin 
 which belonged to the queen. This villa was a pretty little 
 building, and had been beautifully arranged by the queen. It 
 contained a gallery decorated with china; all the rooms had 
 most beautiful looking-glasses. The house was really a little 
 gem, and fully deserved its name, " Monbijou." The garden 
 was lovely, and its beauty was enhanced by its being close to 
 the river. 
 
 To prevent any damage as these Russian gentlemen are 
 noted for not being particular or over-careful the queen had 
 the whole house cleared out, and removed everything that 
 might get broken. A few days afterwards the emperor and 
 empress and their suite arrived by water at Monbijon. 
 
 The king and queen received them on the banks of the river. 
 
 85853
 
 38 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 The king gave the czarina his hand to help her to land. As 
 soon as the emperor had landed, he shook hands with the king 
 and said, " Brother Frederick, I am very pleased to see you." 
 He then approached the queen, wishing to embrace her, which 
 however, declined. The czarina then kissed my mother's 
 hand repeatedly, afterwards presenting to her the Duke and 
 Duchess of Mecklenburg 1 , who accompanied them, and four 
 hundred so-called ladies. These were, for the most part, Ger- 
 man maids, ladies' maids and cooks, who fulfilled the duties of 
 ladies in waiting. The queen did not feel inclined to bow to 
 these, and, indeed, she treated the czarina and the Princesses 
 of the Blood with great coldness and haughtiness, and the 
 king had a great deal of trouble in persuading her to be civil 
 to them. I saw this curious Court the next day, when the 
 czar and czarina came to visit the queen. She received them 
 in the state-rooms of the Castle, met them at the entrance of 
 these rooms, and led the empress to her audience-chamber. 
 
 The king and the emperor followed behind. As soon as 
 the emperor saw me, he recognized me having seen me five 
 years ago took me up in his arms and kissed me all over my 
 face. I boxed his ears, and made frantic efforts to get away 
 from him, saying he had insulted me. This delighted him, 
 and made him laugh heartily. They had told me beforehand 
 what I was to say to him, so I spoke to him of his fleet and 
 his victories. lie was so pleased that he said he would willingly 
 sacrifice one of his provinces to have such a child as I was. 
 The czarina too made much of me. The queen and the cza- 
 rina sat on arm-chairs under a canopy, and I stood near my 
 mother, the Princesses of the Blood standing opposite. 
 
 The czarina was small, broad, and brown-looking, without 
 the slightest dignity or appearance. You had only to look at 
 her to detect her low origin. She might have passed for a 
 German actress, she had decked herself out in such a manner. 
 Her dress had been bought second-hand, and was trimmed with 
 some dirty looking silver embroidery ; the bodice was covered
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 39 
 
 with precious stones, arranged in such a manner as to represent 
 the double eagle. She wore a dozen orders ; and round the 
 bottom of her dress hung quantities of relics and pictures of 
 saints, which rattled when she walked, and reminded one of a 
 smartly harnessed mule. The orders too made a great noise, 
 knocking against each other. 
 
 The czar, on the other hand, was tall and well grown, with a 
 handsome face, but his expression was coarse, and impressed 
 one with fear. He wore a simple sailor's dress. His wife, who 
 spoke German very badly, called her court jester to her aid, 
 and spoke Russian with her. This poor creature was a Prin- 
 cess Gallizin, who had been obliged to undertake this sorry 
 office to save her life, as she had been mixed up in a conspiracy 
 against the czar, and had twice been flogged with the knout! 
 
 At last we sat down to dinner, the czar sitting near the 
 queen. It is well known that this sovereign had, when a young 
 man, been poisoned, and that his nerves had never recovered 
 from it, so that he was constantly seized with convulsions, over 
 which he had no control. He was suddenly seized with one 
 of these attacks while he was dining, and frightened the queen 
 so much that she several times tried to get up and leave the 
 table. After a while, the czar grew calmer, and begged the 
 queen to have no fear, as he would not hurt her. Then, taking 
 her hand in his, he pressed it so tightly that she screamed for 
 mercy, at which he laughed, saying that she had much more 
 delicate bones than his Catherine. A ball had been arranged 
 after dinner, but he stole quietly away, and returned on foot to 
 Monbijou. 
 
 The following day he visited all the sights of Berlin, among 
 others the very curious collection of coins and antiques. 
 Among these last named was a statue, representing a heathen 
 god. It was anything but attractive, but was the most valua- 
 ble in the collection. The czar admired it very much, and in- 
 sisted on the czarina kissing it. On her refusing, he said to 
 her in bad German that she should lose her head if she did not
 
 40 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 at once obey him. Being terrified at the czar's anger she im- 
 mediately complied with his orders without the least hesitation. 
 The czar asked the king to give him this and other statues, a 
 request which he could not refuse. The same thing happened 
 about a cupboard, inlaid with amber. It was the only one of 
 its kind, and had cost King Frederick I. an enormous sum, and 
 the consternation was general on its having to be sent to IV- 
 tersburg. 
 
 This barbarous Court happily left after two days. The queen 
 rushed at once to Monbijou, which she found in a state re- 
 sembling that of the fall of Jerusalem. I never saw such a 
 sight. Everything was destroyed, so that the queen was 
 obliged to rebuild the whole house. 
 
 About this time my brother was intrusted to the care of two 
 governors. My mother appointed one of them, Field-marshal 
 Count von Finkenstein ; the Prince of Anhalt the other, Kal- 
 stein, major of an infantry regiment. Count Finkenstein was a 
 most excellent man, but not clever enough to have control over 
 such a genius as my brother. He was married to Madame von 
 Blaspiel's sister, and since that lady's exile the queen had shown 
 the count and his wife the greatest confidence. Kalstein was 
 a good officer, but coarse and violent. He was more fitted for 
 intrigues than to be the governor of a young prince. He was 
 well educated, but made little use of what he knew, yet on the 
 whole he was trustworthy. The year 1718, fruitful as it was 
 in tragic events, at last came to an end, and I will now pass on 
 to 1719. 
 
 The greater part of the winter was spent by the king at 
 Berlin, and he went out a good deal into society of an evening. 
 The queen spent her whole day with my brother, and had no 
 other companions than him and myself. Nobody else dined 
 with her of an evening beyond Madame von Konnkcn, her 
 mistress of the robes, and Madame von Rocoule. Though the 
 former was a most upright and amiable ladv, the queen did not 
 trust her, and seemed to be quite oppressed by sadness.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 41 
 
 One day when I was with her, she said to me, " Listen to 
 me, dear Wilhelmine: I have determined to keep you quite 
 under my own eye, and to take entire charge of your educa- 
 tion ; but at the same time, I shall require many things of you. 
 First of all, you must care for no one but me, and then you 
 must be silent as the grave and obey me blindly. It depends 
 on yourself alone if you wish to be treated as a grown-up girl, 
 and gain my whole affection by obeying me in all things." I 
 promised her everything she wished, and she then asked me 
 whether I were not obliged every evening to tell Leti all that 
 had taken place in my mother's and the king's apartments 
 during the day, and also whether she ever spoke to me of the 
 Margrave of Schwedt. I answered that this happened very 
 often, and that she praised him exceedingly. " Are you sure 
 that you are discreet, and can be silent," the queen again said, 
 " and that I can rely on your not repeating whatever I may 
 confide to you?" 
 
 On my again assuring her of my entire discretion, she then 
 told me the whole story about Madame von Blaspiel, just as I 
 have written it down ; all about the intrigues of the Prince of 
 Anhalt and Grurnkow, and also of her constant anxiety at the 
 king's having again begun to speak of my marriage with the 
 Margrave. Finally, she spoke of her great wish to see me 
 married to her nephew, the Duke of Gloucester, and of all the 
 advantages this event would have for me as well as for herself. 
 She then impressed on me not on any account to trust Leti, 
 and added, " I know she is in the Prince of Anhalt's pay ; that 
 she is constantly intriguing with Major Fourcade and M. 
 Fournert, a French minister; and I know too that she does not 
 treat you properly, and often beats you. Confess the truth to 
 me; is it not so?" Although all this was perfectly true, I 
 denied it, as I did not wish to get Leti into trouble. 
 
 "You are too young," the queen began again, " to notice 
 her intrigues, but you cannot deny that she ill-treats you, and 
 that she only lately gave you such blows in the face that you
 
 42 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 bled, and in consequence had a fever which obliged you to keep 
 your bed for several weeks." 
 
 I was very much taken aback when I found that the queen 
 knew the whole story, and yet I denied it. When the queen 
 observed that I would say nothing, she merely remarked that 
 for the future she wished me to tell Leti when she asked me 
 about what had occurred in my parents' rooms that I declined 
 to say anything, and that it was not my place, nor was it 
 proper for me to repeat what had taken place between my 
 father and mother. 
 
 I had no sooner reached my own room that evening than 
 Leti came and sat down beside me, and began at once to ask 
 me about the events of the day. I did not wish at once to 
 irritate her, so I said I had been working hard all day, and did 
 not know of anything that had happened. She then began to 
 honor me with pleasing epithets. 
 
 "You are a great fool," she said, "and just such a donkey 
 as your mother is. I know everything that has passed : you 
 have not had so much to do as you pretend, so out with it all, 
 or I will soon make you speak." She only said this to threat- 
 en me. I was trembling like an aspen, and did not know 
 what to do, yet I determined to obey my mother, and answered 
 Leti as she had bidden me. This person was too clever not to 
 observe that I had been put up to this. She therefore tried 
 by coaxing and threatening me to force me to repeat what I 
 knew. But when she saw it was all of no use she gave full 
 vent to her fury. Cuffs and blows were rained on me ; she 
 did not know how to contain herself. Finally she threw me 
 off my chair and left me. 1 fell with some violence, but 
 happily escaped with only a few bruises ; but my arms and 
 face were black and blue, and I was so frightened that I could 
 not get up. 
 
 My screams brought my maids to my help. One of them 
 had been my nurse, and waited on me ever since my birth. 
 After she hud helped me, she went to Leti and told her that
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MAHGUAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 43 
 
 if she continued this ill-treatment, she would go straight to 
 the queen and tell her of it. When Leti saw what a plight I 
 was in, and the state of my face, she got frightened and sat 
 up all night bathing it. The next day the queen was told I 
 had had a bad fall, and I was good-natured enough to say the 
 same. Whether my mother believed this I do not know, for 
 she said nothing. For the future, Leti spared my face ; but 
 my arms and legs suffered doubly from her blows. These 
 scenes took place every evening, and I was in utter despair. 
 Nevertheless, whether it was for fear or from pride I refused 
 ever to repeat anything to her. 
 
 In this manner the winter went by. 
 
 In June the king and queen thought fit to take my brother 
 and myself to Charlottenburg, a beautiful castle near Berlin. 
 Leti was left behind, and I was intrusted to the care .of 
 Madame von Konnken. My birthday was celebrated there, 
 and in honor of it the king gave a ball ; and I received some 
 beautiful presents both from him and from my mother. They 
 grew daily fonder of me and more devoted. I was now ten 
 years old, and my mental capacities were far in advance of ray 
 years. From Charlottenburg we went to Wusterhausen, and 
 had scarcely arrived there when the king was taken most 
 dangerously ill. We were in the height of summer, and the 
 heat this year was something quite out of the common ; yet, 
 in spite of this, the king was shivering all day long. A large 
 fire was kept burning in his room, which was kept entirely 
 shut up, so that not even a ray of light could penetrate into it. 
 In this room I had to sit near the fire from 7 A.M. till 10 P.M., 
 leaving it only for my meals. It was torture, and my blood 
 got into such a state of heat that it made me half dazed. The 
 queen suffered quite as much as I did, and had the additional 
 anxiety of knowing that my brother Wilhelm and my second 
 sister were seriously ill with dysentery. This complaint was 
 raging all over the country, and many people died from it. 
 It had assumed the form of a most dangerous epidemic. I
 
 44 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BATREUTII. 
 
 too was soon attacked by it. The queen, who took no notice 
 of people's ailments, and treated all illnesses very lightly, 
 would not believe I was ill till I was at death's door. I was 
 taken back to Berlin dying, and on my arrival there heard of 
 my second brother's death, which had taken place that morning. 
 
 On the ninth day of my illness, my end was hourly expected. 
 My good constitution, however, and the care and attention of 
 the doctors, saved my life ; but it was six weeks before I was 
 able to leave my bed, and the first time I went out was a fort- 
 night after my mother's return to Berlin, at the end of Oc- 
 tober. 
 
 Leti continued to ill-treat me. She snored so loud that she 
 prevented my sleeping, and consequently regaining my strength. 
 Blows and bad language were not spared me, so that at last I 
 sank into a state of melancholy. I was never very strong, and 
 had a most sensitive nervous system, and it was but natural 
 that my health should suffer from the constant state of nervous 
 excitement in which I was kept. I got the jaundice, which 
 never left me for two months, and then only to make room for 
 a far more dangerous condition violent fever ensued, which 
 developed into typhus. 
 
 At first I was very delirious, but I soon became quite un- 
 conscious. In spite of the great danger to which they exposed 
 themselves, the king and queen came to my bedside at ten 
 at night. Their despair was terrible, and amid tears of the 
 bitterest grief they bid me a last farewell. I knew nothing. 
 The faintest beating of my heart was the only sign of life 
 remaining. It was the crisis. Next morning I was more 
 conscious and less feverish, and by slow degrees I recovered. 
 
 As soon as I was able to speak again, the king came to see 
 me. His joy and thankfulness at my recovery were so great 
 that he said I might ask him for any favor I chose. I resolved 
 at once to ask him to let me henceforth be treated as a grown-up 
 person, and to be no longer dressed like a child. Fie at once 
 granted ray wish; but when he came to talk it over with the
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 45 
 
 queen, she was strongly opposed to it. In the end, however, 
 she had to give way. 
 
 I was not able to leave my room till the beginning of the 
 year 1820. I was overjoyed at no longer being treated as a 
 child, and no longer wearing short frocks. I was exceedingly 
 proud when dressed in my long gown, and I went to show my- 
 self to my mother. But, alas, I was doomed to disappoint- 
 ment, for no sooner had I entered her room, than she gave me 
 ;i severe look, saying, " Dear me ! What a funny little figure ! 
 You look exactly like a little dwarf." Imagine what a blow 
 this was to my vanity. The queen was in fact not wrong, but 
 it would have been better to have been satisfied with this one 
 remark. She continued, however, to scold me roundly for 
 having preferred this request to the king, as she had told me 
 to turn to her for everything ; and she added that if I did such 
 a thing again, she should be seriously angry with me. I made 
 the best excuses I could, and assured her of my entire devotion. 
 
 I have often enough described Leti's violent temper, but I 
 cannot help mentioning the following occurrence, which brought 
 many others in its train. My rooms were joined to a wing of 
 the Castle by a wooden gallery, which was kept anything but 
 clean or tidy. It was the fault of Eversmann, who was page 
 to the king, and was in charge of the Castle. Of this man the 
 king made a great favorite. He was not happy in his choice 
 of those who surrounded him, as he was no discerner of 
 character. Eversmann had great power over the king. He 
 was the greatest good-for-nothing in the whole land, and tried 
 to do every one as much harm as possible, and mixed himself 
 up in all kinds of low intrigues. Leti had several times told 
 him to have the gallery properly cleaned, but with no result. 
 She sent for him, therefore, one morning, and scolded him 
 soundly. He answered her most insolently, and had they not 
 been separated they would certainly have come to blows. 
 Eversmann vowed vengeance on Lsti, and tried, a few days 
 later, to malign her to the king.
 
 46 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 One evening the king began to question me in my Cate- 
 chism, probably with the intention of finding fault with Leti. 
 I answered him quite properly, but on his asking me to say the 
 Ten Commandments and the Creed I got into a hopeless mess. 
 And though he had been trying only to find some fault for 
 which he could make Leti answerable, the king now grew furi- 
 ous with me. The whole weight of his displeasure fell on Leti 
 and my master: he desired the queen to pay more attention 
 to my education, and be present for the future at all my les- 
 sons with them. My illness, which had lasted six months, had 
 caused me to be very behindhand. I had been absent three 
 months from the school-room, and then, too, the great number 
 of subjects I had to learn by heart made me confuse one with 
 the other. The queen sent for Leti the following day, and 
 scolded her severely ; at the same time forbidding her, in the 
 king's name, to receive any more visits from gentlemen, or even 
 from clergymen. This was a terrible blow to Leti, and I was 
 made to suffer in consequence, for the blows were more fre- 
 quent than ever, and she tried in every way in her power to 
 get me into trouble. 
 
 I received another lecture from the queen. She told me 
 that she would find means to bring me to a sense of ray duty, 
 and that she should for the future treat me with great severity. 
 Young as I was, I thought a good deal about this strange con- 
 duct on the part of my mother. " Do I deserve to be treated 
 thus," I said to myself, " merely for my memory being at fault? 
 What can the queen desire further of me than what I have al- 
 ready done? She is the cause of all the blows and all the mis- 
 ery I daily endure. By her desire I have mistrusted Leti, and 
 this is my reward. She is angry with me, and therefore she 
 takes Leti's part, and tells me to do just the reverse of what 
 she desired before." 
 
 The whole of my life was changed from this moment. My 
 lessons began at 8 A.M., and continued without intermission, save 
 during meal-times, till ten at night. In the afternoon I did my
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRA.VINE OF BAIREUTH. 47 
 
 lessons in the queen's room, and she never failed to find fault 
 with and scold me if I forgot a single word of what I had to 
 repeat by heart. 
 
 I cried all night, and became shy, frightened, and melancholy. 
 I lost all my spirits and liveliness, and was scarcely to be rec- 
 ognized. Providence had ordained that I should be trained 
 from my earliest youth to bear the sorrows and troubles of life 
 with patience, and to reflect on them reflections which, owing 
 to the great vivacity of my nature, I otherwise might not have 
 made. 
 
 This state of things lasted three months. The king was all 
 the time at Berlin, and as I was in disgrace with the queen she 
 had never spoken to me. 
 
 After the king's departure, when my mother again held re- 
 ceptions in her own rooms, she took me aside one day, and said 
 I was to call to remembrance what she had confided to me on 
 a previous occasion, when she had, however, forgotten to name 
 all those who were her enemies. She then named them sever- 
 ally to me, and they comprised nearly three-fourths of Berlin 
 society. With those I was not to have any intercourse, and 
 even when they came to pay their respects to my mother I 
 was not to speak with them. " It will be quite sufficient," she 
 said, " if you bow to them, but I forbid your mentioning to 
 anybody what I have told you." I obeyed her to the letter, 
 and was consequently detested by the whole town. They said 
 I was proud and haughty, and that I had no idea how to be- 
 have myself. My mother's suspicious nature was her great 
 failing, and through it she did many people great injustice. 
 
 Leti at once observed that it was the queen who kept me at 
 such a distance from her. As she was no longer allowed to 
 receive any visits in her own apartments, she had not either the 
 means of continuing her many flirtations and state intrigues, 
 and she became intensely bored with her mode of life. That 
 my marriage with the Margrave of Schwedt had been broken 
 off was a great grief to her. The Prince of Anhalt's influence
 
 48 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 and power had much decreased since that unfortunate business 
 with Madame von Blaspiel. Leti no longer received beautiful 
 presents from him. All the fair promises which had been 
 made her had vanished into thin air, and she had lost all the 
 means of satisfying her personal ambition. 
 
 She therefore wrote to " My Lady " Arlington, and begged 
 her to obtain for her the formal title of my governess, and of 
 lady of rank about my person, and if this could not be done, 
 then to obtain the same post for her with the English princesses. 
 
 In answer, Lady Arlington wrote her a letter which was pur- 
 posely written to be shown to the queen. It contained many 
 fine promises as to her appointment at the English Court, and 
 expressed great surprise that a person of such distinguished 
 merits and abilities should have been treated with so little con- 
 sideration. She should make propositions to the queen, and if 
 these were not accepted she would then find such happiness in 
 England that she would soon forget any advantages that might 
 have been hers in her position at the Court of Berlin. All 
 this was only a prearranged plan intended to frighten the 
 queen, and was devoid of all truth. 
 
 Leti sent Lady Arlington's letter to the queen, accompany- 
 ing it with a most insolent note of her own, in which she in- 
 sisted on her demands being granted or her immediate resig- 
 nation being accepted. My mother was extremely offended by 
 this behavior, and took it very ill ; yet as she favored Lady Ar- 
 lington, and as this lady had great influence with the King of 
 England, she was fearful of what tricks Leti would play her 
 there. She urged several persons, therefore, to dissuade her 
 from carrying out her intention ; but as this was of no avail, the 
 queen decided to show the king the letter as soon as ever lie 
 returned that day. Before she did so, she spoke to me on the 
 subject, and asked me if I should not be delighted to get rid 
 of her. This idea threw me into despair, and I begged and 
 entreated my mother not to speak to the king till the next 
 day. This she promised on condition that I should obtain from
 
 MEMOIRS OK THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 49 
 
 Leti a promise to desist from her demands. As soon as I 
 reached my rooms I spoke to Leti, and endeavored by soft 
 words to induce her to reconsider her determination of resign- 
 ing. I do not know whether my tears and protestations had 
 any effect, or whether she herself was glad of an excuse for re- 
 maining ; anyhow, I succeeded in making her write another let- 
 ter to the queen, in which she implored her not to show the 
 king her former note. Our friendship was not, however, of 
 long duration. A fortnight had scarcely passed before the 
 blows and ill-treatment began afresh, and it was clear that it 
 was not caused by an outburst of temper, but by a real personal 
 hatred of myself. 
 
 Three months passed in this manner; and it was only in 
 March, 1721, that Leti finally determined to resign. This time 
 she was in real earnest. Lady Arlington advised her to send 
 in her resignation, and promised her her protection. Leti 
 thereupon wrote a third time to the queen, demanding to re- 
 ceive the title of my governess, with all the rights which be- 
 longed to it. Among other things, she insisted on dining at 
 the royal table. " This was really no great honor," she wrote, 
 " as numbers of ' trumpery ' officers, whom I consider far be- 
 neath me, are received at that table." Madame von Roncoule 
 was present when the queen received the letter. To her my 
 mother showed it. " How can your Majesty hesitate for one 
 moment in accepting her resignation ?" this lady replied, after 
 reading the letter. " Is your Majesty unaware of the manner 
 in which she has treated the princess? I shall be surprised 
 if the princess is not soon brought to you with broken arms 
 and legs. The poor child suffers martyrdom, and I would beg 
 your Majesty only to ask the princess's maids, if you require 
 proofs of what I have said; you will then hear what scenes 
 take place daily." The queen at once sent for my maids, who 
 excused themselves for not having sooner mentioned these facts 
 to her ; but they had been so threatened by Leti that they had 
 not dared to do so. 
 4
 
 50 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 This was quite sufficient for the queen, and she determined 
 to speak to the king as soon as ever he returned to Berlin^ 
 Fearing that I should try to deter her, she said nothing to me 
 about her intention. 
 
 My father came home to Berlin at the beginning of April, 
 and the queen lost no time in communicating Leti's letter to 
 him. He was so incensed at its insolent tone and contents 
 that he would, had not the queen begged of him not to do GO, 
 sent her then and there to Spandau. She, however, received 
 orders to quit the Court without again seeing the king. 
 
 My parents now took most anxiously into consideration to 
 whom they were to intrust my education. The king chose a 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, the queen's second lady-in-wait- 
 ing. She had been with the late queen, and served her de- 
 votedly till she died, and was a highly trustworthy person. 
 With this enough has been said about her, as these memoirs 
 will show how attached and faithful she was through good and 
 evil times. She is still with me, and her devotion remains 
 unchanged. The queen did not approve of the king's choice, 
 as she suspected Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld of having been 
 mixed up in Gramkow's conspiracy against Madame von Blas- 
 piel. Whom she wished to appoint instead I have never been 
 able to learn, but in the end she gave way to the king's wishes. 
 
 I knew nothing of all this, as I was not present during the 
 conversation ; but my brother was in the room at the time, and 
 presently told ine all about it. I was much distressed at the 
 news so much so that the queen, on returning to my room, 
 found me in tears. "Well," she said, "is it such a misfortune 
 to part from Leti? I should have thought you had received 
 blows enough from her !" 
 
 I threw myself at her feet, and entreated her to reverse her 
 decision. It was, however, all in vain, and she told me I must 
 make up my mind to be satisfied with things as they were. 
 
 My parents had a great deal of trouble in persuading Madem- 
 oiselle von Sonnsfeld to accept the office of governess; but on
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGKAVINE OF BA1REUTH. 51 
 
 the king's insisting she should do so, it was finally arranged, and 
 she entered on her new duties on the Wednesday in Easter-week. 
 
 L6ti's fate grieved me much. I did all I could to prove my 
 friendship for her. I most generously gave her all my dresses ; 
 and these, as well as the many costly presents she had at differ- 
 ent times received from the queen, amounted in value to five 
 thousand thalers. The queen was obliged to give me quite a 
 new wardrobe after Leti's departure. 
 
 I soon grew accustomed to my new governess. Mademoiselle 
 von Sonnsfeld had represented to the queen that I must be 
 treated with gentleness, and encouraged by every means; I had 
 suffered so much that I needed this. As the king backed her 
 up in all she said, the queen left her to do what she thought 
 right, and I began by degrees to improve. She taught me 
 what real feeling was. I now did my lessons with delight, and 
 began to take an interest in literature and reading, which soon 
 became my favorite occupation. I had an English and an Ital- 
 ian master added to the others. I was well versed in ancient 
 and modern history, geography, and the first principles of phi- 
 losophy ; I understood music thoroughly, and I made great 
 progress with my studies. 
 
 During the course of this year nothing of importance oc- 
 curred, nor during the first half of the next year, 1722, beyond 
 that my mother gave birth to another son, who was named 
 Augustus William. 
 
 Among the household of the late queen, my grandmother, 
 was a lady named Polnitz. She had been lady-in-waiting, and 
 was a great favorite with the queen. This she had not de- 
 served ; she was clever and well read, but untrustworthy, and 
 had as sharp and ill-natured a tongue as it is possible to have. 
 Since the queen's death she had lived on a pension, which the 
 King of England paid in remembrance of his sister. Polnitz 
 came about this time to Berlin to visit her family, who lived 
 there. But before I say more on this subject, I must give a 
 brief description of the English Court,
 
 52 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 King George I. was very proud of being imbued with the 
 ideas of the Roman emperors, and of possessing great powers^ 
 of resolution ; but these, unfortunately, were not based on 
 sound principles, and became, therefore, instead of virtues, great 
 faults. He was very cold-blooded, and never put himself out. 
 He was very fair and just, but niggardly to a degree. He was 
 moderately clever, with a chilling manner. He spoke very lit- 
 tle, and gave very abrupt answers. He was entirely in the 
 power of his favorite and his mistress. This latter belonged to 
 the family of the Schulenburgs. 
 
 After the king ascended the throne of England she received 
 the title of Duchess of Kendal, and in Germany that of Prin- 
 cess of Eberstein. The Princess of Wales* was most cul- 
 tivated and well fitted for the management of affairs. Her 
 pleasant, courteous manner at first gained her all hearts ; but 
 on nearer acquaintance she proved to be false, proud, and ambi- 
 tious. Her character resembled that of Agrippina,f and she 
 might well have exclaimed with that princess, " Let everything 
 perish, but let me remain sovereign." The Prince of Wales 
 was, like his father, no great genius. He had a violent temper, 
 was vivacious, and revengeful as well as avaricious and proud. 
 The Duchess of Kendal was a good woman. She had no great 
 faults or great virtues. Most people believed she was married 
 to the king. Her one great anxiety was to retain her influence 
 over him, and keep at a distance all those who were opposed to 
 her or could interfere with her. 
 
 My Lady Arlington was the illegitimate daughter of the late 
 Elector of Hanover and the Countess Platen, and, therefore, a 
 step-sister of King George. She was very clever, but used her 
 cleverness to no good purpose, and was a slave to evil ways. 
 These three women, however much they hated one another, 
 were agreed on one point, viz., to prevent the Duke of Glouces- 
 
 * Caroline of Anspach. 
 
 | lUii^litcr of Gormauicus Caesar, and mother of the Emperor Nero.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 53 
 
 ter's marriage with any princess of a great family or possess- 
 ing great intelligence. As they had heard about me, and knew 
 me to be very clever, they took a dislike to me ; the more so 
 as they were avowed enemies of my mother, who had on sev- 
 eral occasions not treated them over wisely. 
 
 But to return to Polnitz. She was a creature of my Lady 
 Arlington's. As King George was to come to Germany the 
 following year, Lady Arlington sent Polnitz to Berlin to play 
 her game there for her. And she could not have chosen a 
 better tool ! The queen received her very graciously and pre- 
 sented her to me. She had scarcely looked at me before she 
 began to examine me from head to foot; then, turning to the 
 queen, she exclaimed, " Good gracious me, your Majesty, what 
 a sorry appearance the princess presents ! She holds herself so 
 badly, and is so stout for a young lady of her age !" 
 
 I was extremely put out at this pleasant beginning so much 
 so that I was unable to say a word. The queen herself was 
 much taken aback, but answered, quietly, " I do not pretend to 
 dispute your remarks as to her presenting a sorry appearance ; 
 but as to her figure it is faultless, and she will fine down as 
 she grows taller. If you talk to her, you will find that she is 
 not what you think." Upon this Polnitz took me aside and 
 began to ask me a hundred questions, fit for a child of four 
 years old, but certainly not for one of my age. This aggra- 
 vated me, so I determined not to answer her any more. My 
 mother now heaped reproaches on me for my behavior, and 
 this she continued to do as long as Polnitz was in Berlin. 
 This lady sought in every way in her power to do me injury. 
 On one occasion, when the conversation turned on people's 
 powers of memory, my mother remarked that I had a wonder- 
 ful power of remembering things, whereupon Polnitz smiled in 
 a most disdainful manner, as much as to say that she did not 
 believe a word of it. My mother most unwillingly proposed 
 to test my memory by making me learn one hundred and fifty 
 verses by heart in two hours. Polnitz said that might be done,
 
 54 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF EAIREUTH. 
 
 but that she was ready to bet that I would not remember any- 
 thing of what she would write down for me to learn. She 
 then wrote down fifty ridiculous names of her own invention, 
 putting a number to each ; these she read twice over to me, 
 mentioning each number, and I had then to repeat them by 
 heart to her. The first time it succeeded quite well. She then 
 insisted on trying it over again ; but this time she asked me 
 to say the names out of their proper order, only mentioning 
 the numbers to me. This too succeeded admirably, to her 
 great disgust. I had never before strained my memory to such 
 a degree, but nevertheless Polnitz did not deign to say one 
 word in approval. 
 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, who had been lady-in-waiting 
 with her in former years, and who knew how spiteful she was, 
 comforted me as much as she could. She even spoke to the 
 queen about it, and assured her Polnitz had tried on every oc- 
 casion to find fault with all I did, and that she was sure she 
 had some private motive in doing so. 
 
 Soon after Polnitz had taken her departure, another Hano- 
 verian lady, a sister of Madame von Konnken, came to Berlin. 
 Her name was Brunow, and she had formerly been governess to 
 the queen. She was a good-natured but most foolish creature. 
 
 She asked her sister many questions about me ; and this lady, 
 who was very fond of me, praised me more than I really de- 
 served. Madame von Brunow seemed very much surprised, 
 and remarked that surely between sisters one might speak the 
 truth. On Madame von Konnken asking what she meant by 
 this, she replied, " I mean that your princess is a perfect devil ; 
 that she beats her servants daily ; that she is proud and haugh- 
 ty, and is, besides, so deformed that she is humped before and 
 behind !" Madame von Konnken demanded to know on whose 
 authority she said such things, adding that it was quite imma- 
 terial, as it could be contradicted at any moment. A few days 
 after this conversation Madame von Brunow came to see me, 
 and was much surprised to find me so totally different from
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 55 
 
 what she had expected. Still, she would not be satisfied till 
 she had seen me without my clothes, and had seen with her 
 own eyes that I was not hump-backed. I had to undergo this 
 same treatment at the hands of several other ladies who came 
 from Hanover, and was perfectly furious at it. 
 
 The year 1723 was much more interesting. The King of 
 England came to Hanover, accompanied by the Duchess of 
 Kendal and Lady Arlington. Leti was in my lady's suite, as 
 she was quite dependent on her. My father, who was at that 
 time most anxious for my marriage with the Duke of Glouces- 
 ter, went to Hanover soon after the king's arrival there. They 
 got on extremely well together during the whole of the visit. 
 After my father's return, my mother also went to Hanover, 
 intrusted by him with secret powers empowering her to con- 
 clude the marriage treaties of my brother and myself. The 
 queen found the king, her father, much inclined to consent to 
 my brother's marriage, but not favorable to a double marriage. 
 He spoke in such a manner of me as to show clearly that he 
 was not sure that my character and temper would suit the duke, 
 his grandson. The queen, in despair at this answer, turned to 
 the Duchess of Kendal, enlisting her kind interest and help. 
 She succeeded so well in this that the duchess confided to her 
 that the unfavorable reports about me which had reached the 
 king were the cause of his acting in this manner. After much 
 pressing on my mother's part, the duchess told her that Leti 
 had represented me in such a light that it was enough to deter 
 any man from marrying me. She had said that I was laide a 
 faire peur and deformed ; that I was as bad as I was ugly, and 
 that I was so violent that my violence often caused me to have 
 epileptic fits. 
 
 " Your Majesty can well understand," the duchess added, 
 " that the king would not give his consent to the marriage 
 the more so as Polnitz had fully confirmed all the reports." 
 
 The queen was unable to conceal her anger at all this. She 
 told the whole truth about Leti and her behavior, and was so
 
 56 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 well supported by her suite that she succeeded in doing away 
 with the bad impression that had been created of me. The 
 duchess now determined she would herself put an end to these 
 calumnies. She suggested to the queen that the King of Eng- 
 land should be invited to Berlin, that he might convince him- 
 self of the utter untruth of these stories. This plan succeeded, 
 and the king's visit to Berlin was fixed for the month of Oc- 
 tober. 
 
 The queen returned triumphant, and was very well received 
 by my father, who was overjoyed at the near prospect of see- 
 ing his wishes realized. Happiness reigned everywhere. I 
 alone was sad and depressed, for my mother scolded me inces- 
 santly, and insisted that I had given cause for these cruel in- 
 ventions of Leti's. I was very stout, and ray figure was not 
 yet formed, but to make me slighter my mother had me laced 
 so tight that I could neither eat nor drink. Whatever I did 
 she was sure to tell me that my manners would not please the 
 Duke of Gloucester. " Your behavior will not win him !" I 
 would rather a thousand times have endured Leti's blows than 
 have listened to these speeches, which gave me a perfect horror 
 of the marriage. I spoke about it one day to my governess. 
 "I am in despair," I said, "for I cannot please the queen. 
 She finds fault with everything I do, and I cannot satisfy her. 
 I bow to her wishes at all times, and it is very hard to have 
 to hear constantly that this and that will not please the Duke 
 of Gloucester. I was not aware that ladies had to study the 
 tempers and likings of gentlemen before they ever were mar- 
 ried to them, and I cannot understand all the fuss the queen 
 makes about this marriage. I consider myself every bit as 
 good as the Duke of Gloucester ; and if the queen really wishes 
 my happiness, she had best consult the wishes of my heart as 
 well as those of the duke. I do not even know him, and have 
 never seen him, and who can say that when I do I shall care 
 for him ? Tell all this to the queen, and say that I shall al- 
 ways show myself obedient in every respect, but that I shall
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 57 
 
 never do anything merely to please her nephew." Mademoi- 
 selle von Sonnsfeld was much surprised at my speech. She did 
 not approve of the way in which my mother treated me, but 
 could not prevent it. She promised me, nevertheless, to speak 
 to her, and her representations resulted in my being for some 
 time left in peace. 
 
 Shortly afterwards a personage belonging to the duke's 
 court came to Berlin. The queen was at this time holding 
 receptions in her own apartments ; and this gentleman, who 
 was present at one of them, brought me very civil messages 
 from his master. I merely acknowledged them by bowing to 
 him, and then I put some questions to him respecting the 
 Hanoverian Court. The queen had been watching this in- 
 terview with the greatest attention ; and that same evening 
 I had a tremendous scene with her, for she reproached me 
 bitterly for having received the duke's messages so coldly. 
 I went in despair to my own room, mentally abusing the duke 
 and the marriage, and determined that my consent should not 
 be so easily gained. 
 
 The arrival of the King of England was now close at hand. 
 
 We went to Charlottenburg on the 6th of October; and on 
 the 7th, in the evening, King George arrived there. The whole 
 Court was assembled, and the king and queen and all the 
 princes received him as he alighted from his carriage. After 
 they had welcomed him, I was presented to him. He embraced 
 me, and said nothing further than " She is very tall ; how old 
 is she?" Then he gave his hand to the queen, who led him to 
 her room, all the princes following. No sooner had he reached 
 her room than he took a candle, which he held under my nose, 
 and looked at me from top to toe. I can never describe the 
 state of agitation I was in. I turned red and pale by turns ; 
 and all the time he never uttered one word. My brother, on the 
 other hand, he treated with the greatest kindness, and talked a 
 long time with him, and this gave me time to recover myself. 
 
 My mother and I then shortly left this room, and all the
 
 58 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGKAVINE OF BAIREtfTH. 
 
 English gentlemen in the king's suite were presented to her. 
 After having spoken to them for some time she left me quite 
 alone among them, and though I felt terribly shy at being by 
 myself with so many gentlemen I got on quite well. I had an 
 English conversation with my Lords Carteret and Townsend, 
 the two Secretaries of State. I spoke their language as fluent- 
 ly as my own mother - tongue. The queen let me converse 
 with them for more than an hour, and then came and fetched 
 me away. She was extremely pleased at the praises bestowed 
 on me by these gentlemen. The English gentlemen said I had 
 the manners and bearing of an Englishwoman ; and, as this 
 nation considers itself far above any other, this was great 
 praise. 
 
 The King of England never unbent in the least, but remained 
 cold and stern. He never spoke to any lady, but merely bowed. 
 After I left the room he asked my governess if I were always 
 so serious and melancholy. This question and his reception of 
 me frightened me so much that I could never muster up courage 
 to speak to him all the time he was at Berlin. 
 
 At last we went to dinner. The queen kept the conversa- 
 tion going. We had already sat for two hours at table when 
 Lord Townsend asked me to beg my mother to get up from 
 the dinner-table, as the King of England was not feeling well. 
 She thereupon made some excuse, saying he must be tired, and 
 suggested to him that dinner was over. He, however, several 
 times declared he was not the least tired, and, to prevent further 
 argument on the subject, she laid down her napkin.and got up 
 from her chair. She had no sooner done so than the kino- 
 began to stagger. My father rushed forward to help him, and 
 several persons came to his aid and held him up for a while, 
 when he suddenly gave way altogether, and had he not been 
 supported he would have had a dreadful fall. Jlis wig lay ou 
 one side and his hat on the other, and they had to lay him 
 down on the floor, where he remained a whole hour before re- 
 gaining consciousness. Every one thought he had had a paralytic
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTEI. 59 
 
 stroke. The remedies used had the desired effect, and by de- 
 grees he recovered. He was entreated to go to bed, but would 
 not hear of it till he had accompanied my mother back to her 
 apartments. 
 
 The rest of his visit was celebrated by fetes, balls, etc. Daily 
 conferences took place about the treaty for the double marriage, 
 and on the 12th of the same month it was signed. The King 
 of England left on the 13th. My father and mother were to 
 follow him to Ghor, a shooting-castle near Hanover; but my 
 mother had, for the last seven months, been in very bad health. 
 Her condition was a strange one, and none of the doctors knew 
 what was really the matter. However, the evening before the 
 king's departure for Ghor, which had been fixed for the morn- 
 ing of the 8th of November, the queen was suddenly taken ill, 
 and before proper help could be obtained gave birth to a 
 princess, there being no one with her besides the king and her 
 maid. There was no cradle ready, no baby -clothes. There 
 never reigned such confusion or consternation as during that 
 night. Soon after the birth of the child I was sent for by the 
 king, and found him in high spirits, delighted at having offi- 
 ciated as both doctor and nurse. 
 
 My brother, the Duke of Gloucester, the Princess Amelia of 
 England, and I stood sponsors to the child, who received the 
 names Anna Maria. 
 
 The king left Berlin on the following day. Grumkow, who 
 had made his peace with the King of England, accompanied 
 him. My father was absent for a fortnight at Ghor, and we 
 hoped to see him return in excellent humor; but such was not 
 the case. He sent for us as soon as he arrived, without ever going 
 near the queen's room, and received us most kindly, but never 
 asked after our mother. He dined with us in the evening, pass- 
 ing through her room without saying a word to her. At dinner 
 he was very silent and thoughtful, and his whole manner was 
 so strange that it filled us all with apprehension. The queen 
 was greatly upset, as after dinner he again passed through her
 
 60 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 room without taking any notice of her. She called him back 
 to her bedside in the ter.dcrest manner ; but the only answer she 
 received was a perfect flood of abuse, accusations, and insults 
 with respect to the birth of this child, ending with a charge of 
 having been unfaithful to him. She had not expected such 
 treatment; for her conduct was at all times most exemplary, so 
 that even the worst slander could not touch her. The answers 
 she gave the king only enraged him more, and had he not been 
 compelled by the mistress of the robes to leave the room there 
 is no knowing what he might have done. The next morning 
 he instituted an inquiry as to the queen's conduct, but one and 
 all took her part so vehemently that his suspicions (which we 
 afterwards found had been aroused through Grumkow) were set 
 entirely at rest. He thereupon asked the queen's forgiveness, 
 and peace was re-established. 
 
 Nothing of interest took place at the beginning of the year 
 1724 till the month of June, when the relations between the 
 English and Prussian Courts began to be less friendly. My 
 father's greatest passion and amusement consisted first in hoard- 
 ing, up money, and then in perfecting his regiment at Potsdam, 
 of which he was colonel. This regiment was composed of 
 nothing but giants, the smallest of the men being six feet. 
 They were sought for all over the world, and the recruiting 
 sergeants took them by force wherever they found them. Up 
 to this time the King of England had constantly sent my fa- 
 ther such recruits; but the Hanoverian Government, which had 
 never been friendly to the House of Brandenburg, refused to 
 obey their king's orders any longer, hoping by this means to 
 create a bad feeling between the two Courts. Some Prussian 
 officers were bold enough to take several men by force from 
 Hanoverian soil. This caused a great disturbance. The Hano- 
 verians demanded satisfaction ; but as the king could not make 
 up his mind to send the men back again, the relations between 
 the two sovereigns became very strained, and ended, as I shrill 
 ahow later on, in open hatred.
 
 MEMOIKS OF THE MARGKAVINE OF BAIKEUTH. 61 
 
 About this time, too, the devil's kingdom began to be less 
 peaceful. The story was ridiculous enough in itself, and would 
 have made us laugh, had it not caused us so much sorrow. Till 
 now Grumkow and the Prince of Anhalt had been firm friends. 
 The latter had entirely lost all his influence with the king, and 
 was tolerated by him only on account of his great knowledge 
 and experience in military matters. The former retained the 
 king's favor. As he had not been able to prevent the marriage 
 treaty and the project of a double marriage with England, he 
 tried to bring them to a favorable termination, thereby hoping 
 to be overwhelmed with gratitude and presents. He had actu- 
 ally succeeded in gaining the queen's favor to a certain extent. 
 But this was all a mere farce. The Prince of Anhalt had been 
 godfather to one of Grumkow's daughters, and this last said 
 that the prince had promised his godchild three thousand tha- 
 lers whenever she married. A suitable offer had just been made 
 the young lady, and Grumkow wrote to the prince to remind 
 him of his promise, which he, however, denied ever having 
 made. A very warm correspondence now ensued, which ended 
 in each accusing the other of his past conduct. 
 
 This all soon reached the king's ears. He tried by every 
 means in his power to bring about a reconciliation. The Prince 
 of Anhalt would, however, hear of no compromise. Nothing 
 remained now but that a duel should put an end to this un- 
 pleasant affair. 
 
 In spite of all the descriptions I have given in these memoirs 
 of Grumkow's character, I have always forgotten to mention 
 his being as great a coward as ever lived. He gave proof of 
 his great valor at the battle of Malplaquet, where he threw him- 
 self into a ditch, saying he had sprained his leg, and remained 
 lying there during the whole time the battle lasted. During 
 the Stralsund campaign the poor man was so ill that, to every- 
 body's regret, he was not able to take to another ditch ! He 
 therefore had no great desire to draw his sword ; and, as a duel 
 is forbidden by God's laws as well as by man's, he hoped to reap
 
 62 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGRAV1NE OF BA1REUTII. 
 
 the reward of a heavenly crown, and allowed every insult to be 
 heaped upon him. He also took all possible steps to effect a 
 reconciliation with the Prince of Anhalt. This latter, who knew 
 with what a coward he was dealing, turned a deaf ear to every 
 entreaty. Grumkow had, therefore, no other resource left him 
 but to accept the prince's challenge. He chose his great friend, 
 General von Seckendorf, as his second. Nothing was more ri- 
 diculous than the letters this person wrote him to give him 
 fresh courage. The king now interposed, and summoned a 
 council of war at Berlin, composed of all the generals and colo- 
 nels in the army, and these were to decide the dispute. The 
 greater part of the generals were devoted to the queen, who 
 managed so cleverly that the affair was settled in Grumkow's 
 favor. The Prince of Anhalt returned to Dessau, and Grum- 
 kow was, for form's sake, put under arrest for several days in 
 his own house. As soon as he was set at liberty, the king, who 
 had managed the whole affair, advised him to fight the duel. 
 They therefore drew their swords, and Grumkow threw himself 
 on his knees before the Prince of Anhalt, imploring him to re- 
 instate him in his favor, and to forget all that had passed. The 
 only answer he received was that the prince turned his back 
 upon him. From that time forward they were sworn enemies, 
 and their hatred of each other ceased only at Grumkow's death. 
 The queen made a grave mistake in protecting Grurnkow. The 
 Prince of Anhalt would have been far more useful to her, for 
 he was of a generous disposition and a very faithful friend. He 
 had by far the better nature of the two, and had wonderfully 
 improved. Many people lay the blame of his evil conduct at 
 Grumkow's door, as he had urged him on by his abominable 
 advice. 
 
 I shall now return to the account of my own life, which t 
 have abandoned for a few moments to mention the foregoing 
 occurrence. The King of England came again to Germany in 
 the course of this year. My father, who flattered himself that 
 lie should get my marriage settled and celebrated, went to I Ian-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 63 
 
 over, where lie was well received. When he returned he sent 
 my mother there to try her hand at settling the last details of 
 tliis much-longed-for alliance. I was only fifteen, and the Duke 
 of Gloucester seventeen. Our great youth was put forward, in 
 the first instance, as a reason for postponing the marriage ; then, 
 too, Parliament had not been consulted about it. To soften 
 the blow of his refusal to the marriage, the King of England 
 assured my mother of his willingness to have the marriage cele- 
 brated during his next visit to Germany. The queen had had 
 only six weeks' leave of absence from Berlin, but as her father 
 treated her with much affection and kindness she still hoped to 
 see the object of her visit realized. She therefore begged my 
 father to let her remain on longer, assuring him that she should 
 in time be able to settle matters. This prospect induced the 
 king to give her permission to continue her stay in Hanover. 
 
 During my mother's absence I remained at Berlin, and in 
 great favor with the king. Every afternoon I talked with him, 
 of an evening we dined together. He showed me much confi- 
 dence, and even talked to me about affairs. In order to distin- 
 guish me still more, he ordered receptions to be held, at which 
 he wished me to be treated like the queen. My sisters' gov- 
 ernesses were desired to bring me a daily report, and not to do 
 anything without my knowledge. I in no way abused all the 
 honors that were shown me. Young as I was, I could quite 
 well have directed my sisters' education. I was as reasonable 
 as anybody of forty might have been. 
 
 I had been for several years troubled with very bad head- 
 aches, and, though the pain often caused me to faint, I was 
 never allowed to keep my room. The queen was terribly hard 
 about such things. Indeed, though I was suffering tortures, I 
 had to be as cheerful and bright as if nothing were the matter 
 with me. She had given me such very strict injunctions on 
 this subject before she left home that I was obliged to control 
 myself to the utmost degree during the whole time she was ab- 
 sent. However, the day before her return I was suddenly
 
 64 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 taken ill in the night with violent fever, headache, and deliri- 
 um, so that the doctors were at a loss what to do. I screamed 
 dreadfully, and it took six people to hold me down in bed. 
 Messengers were at once sent off to inform the king and queen 
 of my condition. 
 
 The queen arrived at Berlin in the evening. She had not 
 expected to find me so ill, for my life was despaired of. At 
 length an abscess broke in my head, which discharged through 
 the ear; in consequence of which the fever and pain decreased, 
 and in a few days I was pronounced out of danger. My father 
 arrived at Berlin three days after the queen, and came at once 
 to see me. He was terribly upset, and cried when he saw the 
 deplorable condition I was in. On the other hand, he would 
 not see the queen, and had all the doors locked that communi- 
 cated with her rooms, lie was extremely angry with her on 
 account of her long and useless visit to Hanover, and also be- 
 cause she had flattered him that she would bring about the 
 speedy realization of his plans. 
 
 My mother had a very jealous nature. The manner in which 
 my father noticed me made her furious with me. One of her 
 ladies, the daughter of Countess Finkenstein whom I shall al- 
 ways designate as the Countess Amelie, to distinguish her from 
 her mother stirred my mother's anger up against me. This 
 lady was in love with one of the king's ministers, who was am- 
 bassador in England. He was named Wallenrodt, and was a 
 complete buffoon. She had got her plan all cut and dried. 
 Looking on my marriage as a certainty, she intended to ingra- 
 tiate herself with the Duke of Gloucester, so as to obtain the 
 post of mistress of the robes in my household. To attain this 
 object it was necessary to get rid of my present lady-in-waiting, 
 and accordingly to calumniate her to my mother, so as to bring 
 about a rupture. As Countess Amelie was in such high favor 
 with the queen, and ruled her completely, this was easily done. 
 I had liked this girl very much, and it was to some extent my 
 fault that she was such a favorite. But she rewarded me very
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 65 
 
 ill ; for she was the cause of my mother's anger against me, and 
 of the constant reproaches that were heaped on me. I dared 
 no longer speak in the king's presence, or show him the least 
 mark of affection ; for if I did so the queen was sure to scold 
 and say I loved him better than her, and that if I did not care 
 for her she could get on quite well without me. 
 
 It was the same with my brother: if the king told him to 
 do anything, the queen was sure at once to forbid his doing it. 
 The poor child often did not know what to do ; but as Count 
 Finkenstein, his governor, was a great favorite with my mother, 
 and taught him to care much more for her than for his father, 
 he always obeyed my mother's orders rather than the king's. 
 This was naturally most irritating to a man of my father's ob- 
 stinate nature. 
 
 At the beginning of the year 1726 the queen gave birth to 
 a son, who received the name of Henry. As soon as she had 
 recovered from her confinement we all went to Potsdam. I 
 cannot resist giving an account of a most ridiculous incident 
 which happened to me. We led a most sad life. We were 
 awakened at seven every morning by the king's regiment, 
 which exercised in front of the windows of our rooms, which 
 were on the ground-floor. The firing went on incessantly 
 piff, puff ! and lasted the whole morning. At ten we went to 
 see my mother, and accompanied her into the room next the 
 king's, where we sat and sighed all the rest of the morning. 
 Then came dinner-time ; the dinner consisted of six small, bad- 
 ly cooked dishes, which had to suffice for twenty-four persons, 
 so that some had to be satisfied with the mere smell. At ta- 
 ble nothing else was talked of but economy and soldiers. The 
 queen and ourselves, too unworthy to open our mouths, lis- 
 tened in humble silence to the oracles which were pronounced. 
 
 When dinner was over, the king sat himself down in a 
 
 wooden arm-chair and slept for two hours; but before doing 
 
 so, he generally managed to make some unpleasant speech for 
 
 the queen or for us. As long as the king slept I worked, and 
 
 5
 
 66 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 as soon as he woke up he went away. The queen then went 
 back into her room, where I read aloud to her till the king re- 
 turned. He came back only for a few minutes, and then went 
 to the " Tabagie." This was the time I had free. I loved 
 music dearly, and practised, and made great progress in it. 
 Slipper, from which we generally got up hungry, was at eight 
 in the evening. The queen played at cards with her lady-in- 
 waiting and mine, who were our only attendants, and I re- 
 mained alone with my sister. As her age did not in any way 
 make her a companion for me, my only resource was in my 
 books. I had a small library, which I hid under all the beds 
 and tables ; for the king despised all learning, and wished me 
 to occupy myself with nothing but needlework and household 
 duties or details. Had he ever found me writing or reading 
 he would probably have whipped me. On the other hand, I 
 should have grieved my mother greatly had I neglected my 
 education, as she encouraged me more and more to improve 
 arid cultivate my mind. 
 
 My brother, who was in great disgrace with the king, re- 
 mained at Berlin during the year 1726. The king was very 
 angry with him, and one day expressed himself in such a man- 
 ner about him that we trembled for the poor child. He said 
 he would put him in prison, disinherit him, get rid of his gov- 
 ernor, Count Finkenstein, and treat him in such a manner as 
 to teach him what a disobedient son deserved. We should 
 have paid no heed to such remarks had any one else but the 
 king made them ; but we were, alas ! but too well acquainted 
 with his violence not to fear for its consequences. The chief 
 cause of his anger was the determined manner in which my 
 brother refused to be subject to him ; and it was not the poor 
 young prince's fault : the queen had forbidden him to be so. 
 The king continued abusing the prince till the evening, when 
 he said he would not have any supper, and went to his smok- 
 ing party. As soon as we reached the queen's room she told 
 me to sit down and write and tell my brother all that had
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTIJ. 67 
 
 taken place, enclosing him a rough draft of a letter to the king, 
 in which he begged him for forgiveness. 
 
 I was writing quietly, and had nearly finished my letter, 
 when I heard the king coming for he had such a heavy step 
 that it always sounded as if he wore thick boots. The fright 
 I was in could not be described, but I never lost my head, and 
 hid my letter behind a Chinese cabinet. My governess put 
 my pens, etc., in safety. As the king was already in the room, 
 I slipped the ink-bottle into my pocket, and there I held it in 
 my hand. This was all done in a second. The king spoke a 
 few words to the queen, and then moved towards the Chinese 
 cabinet. "It is a pretty thing," he said; "I will give it to 
 you," at the same time trying the lock. I saw the moment 
 coming when my letter would fall to the ground and be dis- 
 covered. The queen, half dead with terror, directed the king's 
 attention to her little dog and mine, which were at the other 
 end of the room. " Look," she said, " my daughter will have 
 it that her dog is much prettier than mine ; now you must be 
 the judge, and decide between us." He laughed, and asked 
 me if I was very fond of my dog ? " Yes, I am," I answered, 
 " because be has so much sense, and deserves so much at my 
 hands." My answer so pleased the king that he took me in 
 his arms and kissed me. And I oh, miserable fate ! I was 
 obliged to let go the ink-bottle, which was spilt all over me 
 and the floor. I never stirred or moved. Happily the king 
 soon left the room, and put an end to the painful position we 
 were in. The ink had wetted me to the skin, so that I had to 
 be dried. When once the danger was over, we were able to 
 laugh heartily at the whole occurrence. 
 
 The king soon afterwards made it all up with my brother, 
 who then came to Potsdam. He was the most amiable prince 
 you could see handsome, well-grown, with great mental gifts, 
 and endued with all the virtues which could make a perfect 
 sovereign. 
 
 I now come to most serious events, which were the cause
 
 68 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 of all the cruel fatalities which afterwards befell my beloved 
 brother and myself. In the year 1717, the emperor* had 
 founded an East Indian Company in Ostend, a small town in 
 Holland. This company began to trade with two ships, and 
 in spite of all the difficulties which the Dutch tried to lay in 
 their way, they reaped many advantages. The emperor had 
 given this company, to the exclusion of all his other subjects, 
 the right and privilege for thirty years of extending their trade 
 to Africa and India, As trade and commerce are the best 
 means of increasing the prosperity of a State, the emperor had 
 made a secret treaty with Spain, in 1725, in which he bound 
 himself to obtain Gibraltar and Port Mahon for the Spaniards. 
 In addition to this, a treaty of commerce was made with this 
 country, to which the Russian empress also became a party. 
 These secret negotiations of the Court of Vienna did not long 
 remain unknown to England, France, and Holland. The East 
 Indian trade had already attacked that of the two Maritime 
 Powers, and as the greatness of these Powers lay in their com- 
 merce, they soon became aware that the Vienna Treaty meant 
 their ruin. In order to resist the ambitious designs of Austria 
 and Spain, they made a new alliance with France, Prussia, Den- 
 mark, and Sweden, and it was this treaty which was signed at 
 Charlottenburg. 
 
 The emperor was well aware that he could not withstand so 
 powerful a combination, and therefore sought to destroy it. 
 He found this, however, no easy matter, as he met everywhere 
 with resistance. He would have been obliged to seek for other 
 means had not the Count Seckendorf, whom I have already 
 mentioned, helped him out of the difficulty. Seckendorf was 
 (irumkow's most intimate friend. He knew him thoroughly, 
 and was aware that his ambition and selfishness would make 
 him shrink from nothing. Already in the preceding year he 
 had written to Grumkow, telling him of the emperor's precari- 
 
 * Charles VI. of Austria, Emperor of Germany.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 69 
 
 ous position, and of the need in which he stood of the king's 
 support. These letters were accompanied by presents, and by 
 promises that offered no small temptation to so venal a nature. 
 
 As I have before said, the friendly relations between the 
 courts of England and Prussia had cooled down since the year 
 1725. My father was much annoyed, too, at the postponement 
 of my marriage. Grumkow kept constantly telling him that 
 the King of England was only trying to put him off, and 
 had negotiated only to attain the end he had in view, viz., to 
 gain him over to his side; when he no longer wanted him, 
 he would let the mask drop, and pay no more attention to any 
 promises he had made. In this way Grumkow had prepared 
 the king to consent to break through the treaty. The king 
 was most anxious for my marriage for more than one reason. 
 England and the other signatories of the Hanoverian Treaty 
 had guaranteed him the enfeoffment (investitur) of the princi- 
 palities of Julich and Berg.* But the king had the misfort- 
 une to be always deceived by those who least deserved his 
 confidence, and these, knowing his violent temper, used his 
 weakness to assist them in attaining whatever end they had in 
 view. 
 
 When Seckendorf, who had been sent as special envoy, 
 reached Berlin, he found everything ripe for his plans. He be- 
 
 * The death of the idiotic Duke of Cleve, Julich, and Berg in 1609 with- 
 out issue was the cause of prolonged hostilities between the Protestant 
 Union and the Catholic League. As the succession was the cause of the 
 dispute, the Emperor of Germany claimed the lands for himself till mat- 
 ters were settled, but the two pretenders, the Elector of Brandenburg and 
 the Palatine of Neuburg, hastily took possession of them. There soon, 
 however, arose fresh quarrels between them, and the Elector called the 
 Dutch to his aid, while the Palatine was supported by Spain. In 1614 the 
 dispute was settled. Brandenburg got Cleve and Neuburg, Jiilich and Berg ; 
 and they divided the lands between them. The hatred and differences of 
 religion, however, continued to grow more marked. In a word, the parti- 
 tion may be looked on as the prelude to the Thirty Years' War. Note by 
 the Translator.
 
 70 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 gan by ingratiating himself with the king, who had known him 
 from the time when he had been in the Saxon service, and had 
 always respected him. He brought a whole suite of Hungarian 
 soldiers (Heyducken) with him, the smallest of whom stood 
 six feet. These were presented to the king, together with gra- 
 cious messages from the emperor, and also permission to raise 
 recruits from Hungary and any other part of his dominions 
 where tall men were to be found. The king was overjoyed at 
 this ; nor did the brilliant fetes which Seckendorf gave in his 
 honor fail to make their impression, for the king was very fond 
 of amusements and good living as long as he had not to pay 
 for them. Only Seckendorf and Grumkow's friends were in- 
 vited to these festivities, so that it became an easy matter to 
 win the king over to the emperor's cause ; yet the treaty with 
 England was still to be preserved intact. The king was also 
 strongly of that opinion, as he still flattered himself that my 
 marriage might come to pass. 
 
 The queen was much distressed and troubled by all these 
 machinations, for she foresaw their results, which could only be 
 the reverse of pleasant. My father continued to be very bitter 
 against the King of England, and never mentioned him without 
 using some abusive epithet. My mother could not listen to 
 this in silence, and always had an answer ready. There were, 
 consequently, daily quarrels between them, which always ended 
 in serious differences. But this was only the beginning of all 
 the trouble and sorrow which were in store for us ; and, had we 
 then known what was to follow, we should have thought our 
 present condition very agreeable. 
 
 I must mention one other event which took place in the year 
 1725. While the queen was at Berlin she often conversed 
 with the French envoy, Count von Rotenburg, about the sad 
 position she was in with reference to the English Court. He 
 gave her all the information he received on the subject. One 
 day, when she was talking to him about it, he mentioned to her 
 that, in spite of all the trouble France had given herself at the
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 71 
 
 English Court to bring about the speedy settlement of my 
 marriage, it had availed nothing ; that he was well aware that 
 the continued obstinacy of the King of England must cause a 
 breach, but that he did not understand why the queen was so 
 grieved about it, as the Prince of Wales was, after all, not the 
 only alliance I could make, and that other crowns could be of- 
 fered me that were worth quite as much as that of England. 
 The queen was much taken aback by this speech, not knowing 
 to what it might lead. Count Rotenburg, observing this, con- 
 tinued as follows : " Our king is not yet married, and he would 
 be overjoyed to win for himself a princess such as the daughter 
 of your Majesty." The queen, answering him, said, " I have 
 nothing to find fault with in your offer; but the religion is a 
 bar to it, and for this reason I could never give my consent." 
 She thereupon turned the conversation. The count afterwards 
 sounded the king on the subject, and received much the same 
 answer. The question, consequently, was never raised again. 
 
 The year 1727 was not any happier than 1726. Seckendorf 
 became daily a greater favorite. He gained such an ascend- 
 ancy over the king that he was appointed to all the vacant 
 posts, and nothing was decided without his advice. All the 
 king's servants were at his orders ; yet, in spite of the power 
 he had over him, he did not dare endeavor to induce the king 
 to consent to break through the treaty with England. He 
 therefore contented himself with embroiling matters. To in- 
 gratiate himself still more, he proposed to the king to arrange 
 a marriage for my second sister, and promised to persuade the 
 Margrave of Anspach to corne to Berlin and see her. The king 
 was enchanted with this idea. The parties concerned were still 
 both too young, so it was decided that the whole matter should 
 be kept a profound secret till the marriageable age had been 
 attained. My sister was very beautiful, but she was not partic- 
 ularly clever, and my mother loved her least of all her children. 
 She was very violent and hot-tempered. All the sorrow which 
 she has since gone through has cured her of these faults, for
 
 72 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 
 
 she has now become so gentle that one would scarcely know 
 her again. 
 
 Soon after the arrival of this prince,* the sad news reached 
 Berlin of the death of the King of England. He had left Eng- 
 land for Germany in perfect health, was seized at Osnabriick 
 with another stroke, where he died in the arms of his brother, 
 the Duke of York. All the remedies applied proved of no 
 avail. The queen was in utter despair at his loss, and even the 
 king was affected by it. He had always looked on him in the 
 light of a father, having been intrusted to his care during the 
 time when King Frederick I. fled to Hanover to escape from 
 the persecutions of his stop-mother, the Queen Dorothea. My 
 father felt his death all the more, as he had learned that he had 
 determined to have my marriage celebrated at Hanover during 
 this year. My uncle, the Prince of Wales, was now proclaimed 
 King of Great Britain, and the Duke of Gloucester assumed 
 the title of Prince of Wales. 
 
 I have already mentioned in these memoirs that my father 
 had been very subject to severe nervous attacks, which the use 
 of ipecacuanha had cured. It now became apparent that these 
 nervous symptoms had in a great measure caused him to be- 
 come hypochondriacal. He suffered from attacks of profound 
 melancholy, during which he did nothing else but speak of his 
 intention to shut himself up from the world and to abdicate in 
 favor of his son.f 
 
 In the hope that the King of England would carry out the 
 treaty made with his late father, my father was most polite and 
 obliging to the king; but the queen, my aunt, whose charac- 
 ter I have already described, was not favorable to him be- 
 sides which the Court of Vienna, which was well acquainted 
 
 * Margrave of Anspach. 
 
 f The- following note is added in another handwriting: "The king never 
 had the intention of giving up the crown to his son, or else he would cer- 
 tainly have done so. The king was making fun of (irumkow and Scckcn- 
 dorf, and wanted merely to put them to a test."
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 73 
 
 with the king, was playing the same game in England as at 
 Berlin. 
 
 The year 1728 was far more interesting than the former, and 
 seemed to bring events to a climax. 
 
 Grumkow and Seckendorf were in great perplexity as to 
 what to do about their plan. The king spoke incessantly of 
 his abdication, and all the measures he took seemed to point 
 towards his being in earnest about it. These two ministers 
 constantly laid difficulties in his way to prevent his carrying 
 out his intentions, telling him how deeply he would repent of 
 doing so. These representations had no effect on him what- 
 ever, and he became more and more bigoted in his views. No 
 one dared laugh or be cheerful in his presence. Herr Franke, 
 the great devotee and founder of the Academy and Orphan 
 Asylum at Halle, was constantly attacking him. We lived like 
 Trappists, to the great grief of my brother and myself. Every 
 afternoon the king preached a sermon, to which we had to lis- 
 ten as attentively as if it had proceeded from the lips of an 
 apostle. My brother and I were often ser/ed with such an in- 
 tense sense of the ridiculous that we burst out laughing, upon 
 which an apostolic curse was poured out on our heads, which 
 we had to accept with a show of humility and penitence. 
 
 As all Grumkow and Seckendorfs efforts to rouse the king 
 from his sad condition hitherto had proved useless, they deter- 
 mined to try some other means. King Augustus, of Poland, 
 had lately become a party to the Austrian treaty. The Court 
 at Dresden, where this king lived, was generally acknowledged 
 to be one of the most brilliant in all Germany. The king was 
 courteous, generous, and civil. Grumkow and Seckendorf, there- 
 fore, settled to try and induce the king for more reasons than 
 one to make a journey to Dresden, first of all to distract his 
 mind by amusements of various kinds, in order to prevent his 
 carrying out his wish of abdicating ; then to bring him into 
 more intimate relations with the Saxon Court a step which was 
 necessary for the success of their plan ; and, thirdly, to attain
 
 V4 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 more quickly the advantages the eraperor wished to reap by 
 means of that court. They succeeded in winning the king over 
 to their views on political grounds. He agreed to their propo- 
 sition, and in the middle of January started for Dresden from 
 Wusterhausen. 
 
 My brother was much put out at not being allowed to ac- 
 company him, and still more so at being obliged to stay at 
 Potsdam during the whole of the king's absence. The manner 
 in which he spoke to me about it proved how much he took it 
 to heart. I comforted him to the utmost of my power, and 
 told him I hoped he would in a few days be more contented, 
 as I had not given up all hope that he might yet see his wishes 
 realized. 
 
 The queen, who had returned to Berlin, held a reception next 
 day, at which the Saxon envoy, M. de Suhm, was present. He 
 was a very clever and distinguished man, and much attached to 
 my brother and myself. As soon as I saw him I exclaimed, 
 " Your king is not very civil to have forgotten my brother, and 
 to have left him to languish at Potsdam while happiness reigns 
 at Dresden." Suhm was much surprised at my speech, as he 
 thought my brother had left with the king. He assured me 
 his master would be only too delighted to see the crown prince, 
 and that he would at once send off a messenger to inform him 
 that the prince was not accompanying the king. " That will be 
 an excellent plan," I replied, " but you must not mention me or 
 the prince ; it must be quite your own idea." How often and 
 often have I since repented of this step ! But how could I know 
 beforehand that it would lead to such tragic results? I loved 
 my brother so passionately that I always tried to give him 
 pleasure. Suhm managed so well that my brother received 
 orders to come to Dresden. 
 
 I have already mentioned that the King of Poland loved the 
 pleasures of this world. He had a complete harem, and his ex- 
 cesses surpass all description. As soon as my father reached 
 Dresden he was drawn into a perfect whirl of amusements, in
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREDTH. 75 
 
 which he soon lost his melancholy and piety. Nor was good 
 living disregarded, and the intimacy between the two sovereigns 
 ripened into friendship. Grnmkow, who was enchanted to see 
 the effect produced on his master by the visit, encouraged the 
 King of Poland to lead the king still further astray, by offering 
 him temptations of the lowest description.* . . . 
 
 [The Margravine here mentions that, not content with hav- 
 ing got hold of the king, the King of Poland also tried to cor- 
 rupt the crown prince, through the agency of a certain Count- 
 ess Orselska.] 
 
 My father left Dresden highly delighted with his visit, and 
 invited the King of Poland to be present at the inspection of 
 the Prussian troops at Berlin. 
 
 I spent all this time most sorrowfully at Berlin. The Count- 
 ess Amelie continued to persecute me. My mother's scoldings 
 I bore with patience, but it was all I could do to tolerate in 
 silence this girl's insolence ; and though I controlled myself so 
 far as not to answer it, I did not feel it the less keenly. I was 
 nineteen years old, and therefore no longer a child, and was 
 capable of deciding for myself. My patience was well-nigh ex- 
 hausted in defending myself against the Countess Amelie, as 
 well as against a new favorite of my mother, whom I can com- 
 pare only to a monster. This last was a maid of the queen's, 
 named Ramen. She was a widow, or rather she had, like the 
 woman of Samaria, more than one husband. Her hypocritical 
 piety, her assumed charity towards the poor, and the long 
 speeches on morality which she hurled at everybody, had in- 
 duced Madame von Blaspiel to recommend her to the queen. 
 At the time of my sister Amelie's birth she had known how to 
 make herself most useful and pleasant to the queen, and since 
 that time had become a still greater favorite. The Countess 
 
 * The translator has here omitted several details in reference to the 
 King of Poland. They were both coarse and unedifying, and at the same 
 time without influence on the narrative.
 
 76 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 Amelie and this woman both ruled my mother, but they did 
 not hit it off so well with each other as they did with the 
 queen. They were rivals for her favor ; but each being aware 
 of her influence, they took good care not to show their mutual 
 hatred in the queen's presence. I was, of course, the victim 
 tormented by both. I thought I should go mad in conse- 
 quence. I never failed in civility towards my two persecutors; 
 it was my principle never to forget what was due to all, even to 
 my enemies. Unaffected civility is no deceit, and enemies are 
 more easily won over by gentleness than by violence. Besides, 
 gentleness is a virtue which most becomes our sex. I have 
 always acted up to this precept, and I can say with truth 
 that through it I have conciliated many that were not friendly 
 to me. 
 
 Shortly after the king's return from Dresden, Marshal Count 
 Flemming was appointed Saxon envoy at Berlin.* 
 
 He was a man of great worth. I had known him since my 
 childhood, and was much attached to him. The Princess Rad- 
 ziwil, his wife, was a most amiable lady. Although I was not 
 allowed to receive visits from gentlemen, Count Flemming's 
 age and his high personal character induced my mother to 
 brave all gossip, and make an exception in his favor. He often 
 made use of this privilege, and he and his wife, who was of a 
 very cheerful temperament, spent many an hour with me. The 
 day before his departure, when he came to take leave of me, 
 he assured me once more of his entire devotion and respect, 
 adding, " I hope before long to give your Royal Highness 
 striking proofs of my attachment, and to make you as happy 
 as you deserve." At that time I thought he referred to my 
 English marriage, and made no reply beyond assuring him of 
 my esteem. 
 
 * The following note in another handwriting mentions that Count Flem- 
 ming was at Berlin before the king left for Dresden, and that it was he 
 who induced him to undertake this journey.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BA1REUTH. 77 
 
 A few days after this we went to Potsdam. The journey 
 there had always been disagreeable to me on account of the 
 depressing existence we led there. This time, however, I was 
 glad to leave Berlin, knowing I should escape from Conntess 
 Amelie's persecutions. It was, however, of little use ; the 
 queen was so irate with me and my governess that I was ill- 
 used nearly the whole time. The queen even went so far as to 
 threaten to speak to the king, but, knowing the great esteem in 
 which he held Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, she never dared to 
 do so. In consequence of my entire submissiveness and the 
 interference of Count Finkenstein, who did not share his daugh- 
 ter's* ambitious views he did not even know of them I 
 and Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld made our peace with the 
 queen. 
 
 The king continued his abuse of the King of England. He 
 did so openly at the dinner-table, where in general the most 
 confidential matters were discussed. Seckendorf never left his 
 side. The queen could not bear these speeches about England, 
 and one day plainly told Seckendorf what she thought of him. 
 She reminded him of an occurrence which was anything but to 
 his credit, and that he was no man of honor. Seckendorf, who 
 would always have the last word, gave some biting answer, and 
 this led to others. Nobody took any pleasure in such scenes 
 except the king, who tried to provoke a daily repetition of 
 them. Up to now Seckendorf had done all he could to bring 
 about a rupture between the courts of England and Prussia; 
 but since the queen had treated him so ill he determined on 
 another plan, which was much more advantageous to the em- 
 peror, and which, as I shall afterwards show, nearly caused our 
 complete ruin. 
 
 My brother had been in a most dejected state ever since his 
 return from Dresden. All my endeavors to rouse him were in 
 vain, and when I asked him what was the matter he said it was 
 
 * The Countess Amelie.
 
 78 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 the result of his father's unkind treatment of him. The queen 
 too did her best to cheer him, but without avail. He grew 
 thinner and thinner by degrees, would not eat, while the con- 
 stant fainting fits he had made all fear he was going into a 
 consumption. The king, who was informed of the prince's 
 condition, sent him his surgeon -general, Holzendorf, who re- 
 ported the prince to be so seriously ill that, unless energetic 
 measures were adopted, he would certainly become consump- 
 tive. This account made the king very anxious, for he had 
 naturally a good heart, and in spite of the dislike which Grum- 
 kow had fostered in his mind against his son, the voice of nat- 
 ure made itself heard, and he regretted having treated him so 
 unkindly. 
 
 No one knew what was really the matter with the prince. 
 He was merely love-sick, as will be seen later on. Many well- 
 intentioned persons advised the king to marry his son, but this 
 advice produced not the slightest effect. The near arrival of 
 the King of Poland seemed to restore the prince to health. 
 He hoped to renew his acquaintance with Countess Orselska, 
 whom he had seen at Dresden, and with whom he was much in 
 love, for she was to accompany the king. Although my broth- 
 er and I had few secrets from one another, he had not confid- 
 ed anything of this to me ; for he knew my views about most 
 things, and took care not to mention anything to me of which 
 I should disapprove. 
 
 We returned to Berlin at the end of May, and on our arri- 
 val the queen found letters awaiting her, informing her of the 
 Prince of Wales's intention of coming incognito to Berlin. He 
 thought he should, thanks to the commotion and confusion 
 caused by the King of Poland's presence, be able to see me. 
 The queen was delighted at the visit, and immediately told me 
 of it. The news caused me less satisfaction, as I did not care 
 at all about this marriage. Ambition was not one of my quali- 
 ties, and I was quite certain that the English Court would not 
 suit me,
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 79 
 
 The King of Poland arrived on the 29th of May, and im- 
 mediately waited on the queen. He was fifty years old at that 
 time, had a majestic presence, and manners that betokened 
 kindness and civility. His very irregular life had injured his 
 health, and he was suffering from lameness, and could not stand 
 long. The queen sat herself down with him on " tabourets," 
 and the king and the rest of us stood around them, in spite of 
 the King of Poland's repeatedly asking us to be seated. He 
 looked at me very attentively, praised our family, and made 
 some amiable speech about each one of us. After an hour he 
 took his leave, the queen accompanying him beyond her audi- 
 ence-chamber. The crown prince of Poland then came to pay 
 his respects to my mother. He was tall and strong, with a 
 handsome face. His manner was not so courteous as his fa- 
 ther's. He looked proud and spoke little, and was not much 
 to be praised for his civility. Since he has ascended the 
 throne people speak very well of him, much good is said of 
 him, and his work has made one forget what is unpleasant in 
 his manner. His visit to my mother was a short one. We 
 spent our evening in our accustomed solitude, the King of Po- 
 land and his son each dining in his own room. 
 
 On the following morning we all assembled in the state- 
 rooms of the Castle. The two kings soon afterwards joined 
 us there, the King of Poland accompanied by three hundred 
 nobles of his court. They were presented to the queen and 
 afterwards to me. Among them was Prince -Johann Adoif, of 
 Weissenfels, Lieutenant-general of Saxony. Although I did 
 not converse for long with these gentlemen, I have remembered 
 their names, however barbaric some of them sounded. There 
 was a state dinner. The King of Poland and my mother sat 
 in the middle, my father next to his royal guest, then the crown 
 prince and all the Saxon and Prussian princes, as many as there 
 were present. I sat on the other side of my mother. Then 
 came my eldest sister, and next her all the other princesses. 
 After dinner all returned to their rooms, and in the evening
 
 80 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 my mother held a reception, at which also were present the 
 Countesses Orselska and Bilinska. 
 
 The Poles that were received by my mother were much sur- 
 prised at my knowing and addressing them by their names. 
 It flattered them so much that they said out loud that I must 
 "become their queen." Count Flemming, whom I have men- 
 tioned before, was not present; he died soon after leaving Ber- 
 lin, on his way to Vienna. 
 
 Balls and festivities succeeded each other without intermis- 
 sion during the King of Poland's visit, but on account of my 
 father's jealousy at our taking part in them I had but little 
 enjoyment from them. The Prince of Weissenfels seemed to 
 take much notice of me ; but I took all his assiduity merely as 
 a mark of civility, and never for one moment thought that his 
 attentions meant anything more. 
 
 The day before the King of Poland's departure the two 
 kings dined at Charlottenburg, where we had been staying the 
 last few days. After dinner they went to the queen's rooms, 
 and the King of Poland proposed playing a game at ombre, 
 in which I had the third hand. During the whole of the game 
 the king paid me endless compliments, all of which I set 
 down to the good wine he had had at dinner. He tried hard 
 to make me win a hundred ducats, which would have been very 
 useful to me, as I did not possess a penny, and was in conse- 
 quence never able to give any little pleasure to my friends. 
 The game did not last long; the King of Poland soon after- 
 wards took his leave, and he left that same night with his suite 
 for Dresden. 
 
 The king soon afterwards went to Prussia,* the crown prince 
 
 * Prussia was at that time still a distinct province under Polish jurisdic- 
 tion, though it had been united to Brandenburg in 1618. In 1773 Fred- 
 erick the Great assumed the title of King of Prussia in Germany, and unit- 
 ed the Electorate of Brandenburg and his other provinces into one kingdom 
 called Prussia. Before that time the kings of Prussia held only the rank 
 of Electors of Braudeuburg in the German Empire. Note by Translator.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 81 
 
 remaining at Potsdam, with permission to visit the queen twice 
 a week. Countess Orselska, to whom he had paid secret visits, 
 had quite cured him of his melancholy. During the king's ab- 
 sence the time passed most pleasantly ; the presence of many 
 foreigners made our court very brilliant, and the King of Po- 
 land sent the best performers in his private band to be heard 
 by the queen. During this period, we became aware that my 
 father had been on the point of engaging me to the King of 
 Poland. Count Flemming had opened the negotiations dur- 
 ing his stay in Berlin, and on the king's return to Dresden 
 these were nearly concluded, when the crown prince opposed 
 the marriage. It would have been an advantageous alliance 
 for both sovereigns. My father was to lend the King of Po- 
 land three million thalers,* a handsome sum was to be settled 
 on me on the occasion of my marriage, in return for which 
 Poland guaranteed the possession of the Lausitz for twenty 
 years on a mortgage, with the administration of its revenues, 
 and my dowry was also to be charged to this province. To 
 prevent any difficulties in respect to my religion I was always 
 to remain at Dresden. This brilliant project fell through, as 
 the crown prince refused to sign the articles. 
 
 The queen was very glad of this. She continued to intrigue 
 with the envoys of England and France. The king was aware 
 of all that was going on. That wretched maid, Ramen, from 
 whom my mother could keep nothing secret, kept him well in- 
 formed, and employed his valet Eversmann and his court-sur- 
 geon Holzendorf for that purpose. My brother, the queen's 
 ladies and I, all knew this maid's intrigues, but she stood so 
 high in my mother's favor that none of us dared expose her. 
 I even remember that the French envoy several times expressed 
 his surprise to me that most secret matters confided to him by 
 the queen were at once known in Grumkow's house. I an- 
 swered him that I knew of nothing, and was very glad when I 
 
 * Four hundred and fifty thousand pounds.
 
 82 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 did not hear of things which did not concern me. " I shall 
 never say anything to the queen for the future," the envoy 
 continued, " but shall intrust all to your Royal Highness, which 
 will be far better." I entreated him to spare me, adding that 
 it was already unpleasant enough for me when the queen did 
 confide anything to me. " I have already told you," I con- 
 tinued, " that I wish to remain in ignorance of all these affairs." 
 " And yet," he answered, " they concern your happiness and 
 that of a whole nation." " I am quite ready to believe this," 
 was my reply, " but at present I have not troubled myself 
 about the future. My ambition is not great, and I have my 
 own views on this subject, which no doubt differ much from 
 those which others have formed." 
 
 The king was extremely annoyed at these cabals. Grumkow 
 and Seckcndorf's plan was not yet ripe, and they delayed its 
 execution and altered its whole character. Shortly after the 
 king's return we left Berlin for Wusterhausen, and had been 
 there only a few days when he shut himself up with my moth- 
 er. We were left meanwhile in the adjoining room. We 
 soon heard a violent altercation. The king was speaking in 
 very loud tones, and we heard my mother crying. This agitated 
 me terribly, as I did not understand what it all meant. After 
 an hour and three-quarters had elapsed, the king suddenly 
 passed through the room in which we were with such a furious 
 expression on his face that I quite trembled. The queen at 
 once sent for me. I found her crying bitterly. She embraced 
 me tenderly, saying, "All is lost! You are to be married 1 
 am sure you have no idea to whom." I was struck dumb, 
 and when I was at last able to answer her, said I f oared it 
 would be no happy provision for me, seeing it caused her so 
 much sorrow. " No, indeed it is not," she answered ; " the king 
 intends giving you in marriage to the Prince of Weissenfels." 
 My surprise was intense. 
 
 This prince's position was dependent, on an annuity paid him 
 by his family, and lie was so badly off that he could scarcely
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 83 
 
 live as his rank required. I at first said to the queen that I 
 thought my father had wished only to frighten her by saying 
 this; that he could not really mean it. "But what will you 
 say when I tell you he is coming here," my mother answered, 
 "and that your betrothal is to be solemnized ? Be firm ; I will 
 support you. Come what may, my consent shall never be 
 given to this marriage." I promised her I would resist it as 
 long as it was possible. 
 
 The very same day we received letters from Berlin confirm- 
 ing this unpleasant news. I was terribly upset and agitated, 
 because I foresaw what a disturbance it would cause in the 
 family, and that the whole violence of my father's anger would 
 fall on me. My brother and I talked all day long about this 
 miserable business. He encouraged me, and tried in every 
 possible manner to calm me. 
 
 The king ill-used my brother more and more ; nobody dared 
 speak to him, for fear of exciting my father's suspicion. 
 Though he still had his governors, they were no longer allowed 
 to accompany him, in consequence of which my brother led a 
 very dissolute life. Not having any one to turn to, he was 
 helped in many of his adventures by Keith, one of the king's 
 pages, who soon became inseparable from him. Keith was 
 intelligent, but without education. He served my brother 
 from feelings of real devotion, and kept him informed of all 
 the king's actions, with whom he was in great favor. We 
 were unaware of my brother's artifices; and though I had no- 
 ticed that he was on more familiar terms with this page than 
 was proper in his position, I did not know how intimate the 
 friendship was. In answer to my remarks on the subject, he 
 said that this young man had been the means of saving him 
 much ill-usage at his father's hands, as he told him everything 
 the king said of him. I mentioned nothing of all this to the 
 queen ; for I was anxious that my brother should be saved all 
 annoyance, and was afraid of her displeasure, which was often 
 carried too far.
 
 84 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 I must now return to the Prince of Weissenfels. He arrived 
 at Wusterhausen on September 27th. During the first day I 
 did not see him, but the king came to my mother and desired 
 her to send to Berlin for her own jewels as well as mine. He 
 wished me to be decked out with them in honor of my be- 
 trothal, which he intended to be solemnized. The queen re- 
 fused to do as he bade her, and told me that she would rather 
 die than give her consent to this marriage. The next day being 
 Michaelmas-day we went to church, and during the whole of 
 the service the duke never took his eyes off me. I was in a 
 state of great agitation. Ever since this subject had been 
 mooted I had had no peace night nor day, and was prepared for 
 the very worst. After church the duke was presented to the 
 queen, who turned her back on him without a single word. I 
 had managed to slip away unseen, in order to avoid his speak- 
 ing to me. The queen, who had several confidential friends 
 with her at Wusterhausen, determined to let the Prince of 
 Weissenfels know that if he continued to press his suit, she 
 would have him publicly insulted, and that she would be the 
 first to set the example. She added that neither she nor I 
 would ever consent to the marriage, and that she therefore 
 advised him to avoid all scandal by making an honorable re- 
 treat. In spite of the dislike I always had for this prince, I 
 must do him justice ; for, though narrow-minded, he was most 
 upright, and would never have taken this whim into his head 
 had it not been put there by others. He made up his mind 
 at once, and wrote to the king, that, while knowing how to 
 appreciate the great honor he had done him in choosing him 
 for his son-in-law, he confessed himself unworthy of it ; that, 
 however great his happiness would have been to have possessed 
 me for his wife, he would rather sacrifice it than marry me 
 against my will. He therefore entreated the king to leave me 
 perfect liberty, and not to force my inclinations. 
 
 The king had no sooner received this letter than lie took it 
 to the queen, and the quarrel began afresh. The queen's tears
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OK BAIKEUTFf. S. r . 
 
 and entreaties resulted in her obtaining a delay ; " but only on 
 condition," the king said, " that you write to the Queen of 
 England, and insist on her declaring positively what her in- 
 tentions are with respect to the marriage of my daughter with 
 the Prince of Wales. If the answer meets my approbation, I 
 give up all thoughts of any other marriage for her. But if 
 England continues to allure me with fine words and nothing 
 more, I will break off all negotiations, and shall give her in 
 marriage to whomsoever it pleases me." 
 
 The queen assured him that she was ready to write at once 
 to England, and did not doubt for a moment but that she would 
 receive a satisfactory answer. " We shall see," the king re- 
 plied; "but be sure of this, that if I do not receive the answer 
 I require, you can hope for no more mercy for your daughter, 
 and as regards your worthless son," he continued, meaning my 
 brother, "you need not expect me to think of marrying him. 
 I will not have a daughter-iu-law who carries her nose in the 
 air, and fills my court with intrigues, as others' are already do- 
 ing. Your Master Fritz shall sooner get a flogging at my 
 hands than I will look out for a marriage for him." Happily 
 my brother was not present, for the king now poured forth' a 
 perfect flood of abuse. 
 
 The conversation at last came to an end. My mother, hav- 
 ing well considered the step she was about to take, began to be 
 less confident as to its ultimate success. She would not, how- 
 ever, own it to herself, and said to me, " I shall not give up 
 hope, and trust all will be well." I told her I doubted it, be- 
 cause I was sure the King of England would not consent 
 to my marriage without my brother's being settled too ; and 
 my father would not be satisfied unless he received exactly the 
 answer he wished. The result of this would be fresh storms 
 and scenes, which she would be unable to prevent. My mother 
 was inclined to be angry at this remark, for she replied, " You 
 already give up hope? Well, then, marry your fat Johann 
 Adolf, and be sure that my curse will rest on you." I assured
 
 86 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 her that I was too well aware what was best for my own ad- 
 vantage not to know all the evils of this marriage, and that I 
 should do everything in my power to prevent its taking place. 
 This seemed to calm her; but I did not dare say anything 
 more on the subject or explain my views to her, as I saw that 
 my doing so annoyed her. The queen, however, thought much 
 over the whole question, and afterwards said to me, " I have 
 thought of a means which cannot fail to help us in attaining 
 the end we have in view. My son must assist us. He too 
 must write to the Queen of England, and promise her solemnly, 
 on condition that she consents to your marriage, to marry no 
 one but her daughter, the Princess Amelia." I was allowed to 
 make no remark to this ; and my brother, who came into the 
 room just at that moment, at once consented. He ardently 
 wished to marry an English princess, in order to have support 
 and protection from further ill-treatment, lie at once wrote 
 this luckless letter, which the queen sent off secretly. 
 
 My position was a very sad one. The Prince of Wales was 
 indifferent to me indeed, I disliked him, and it was my moth- 
 er's fault that I did so, for she had given me most unfavorable 
 descriptions of him. " lie is a good-natured prince," she some- 
 times said to me, " kind-hearted, but very foolish. If you have 
 sense enough to tolerate his mistresses, you will be able to do 
 what you like with him." 
 
 Such a man would have suited my mother, for she loved to 
 rule ; but, as I did not care about this, I was in a very different 
 position. My ideas of marriage were very different. I wished 
 to marry a prince for whom I could entertain a real respect, 
 and to whom I could look up as to a true friend. I wished 
 that our mutual love and esteem should guide all our actions. 
 My desire to please him in everything would result from these 
 feelings. The notion of duty excludes a wife's feelings of 
 friendship for her husband. Where real love exists, nothing 
 becomes difficult or hard when it is done to please the object 
 we care for. I can now say this from personal experience, for
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 87 
 
 Providence granted what I desired. But I must return again 
 to the subject I was writing about. I had a horror of this 
 Duke of Weissenfels ; my father and mother did not agree on 
 this point. The one had the power on his side and the other 
 common-sense. What was I to do in such a difficult position ? 
 When I thought over it all, I was ready to despair; for which- 
 ever way I turned I felt I should be the victim of one or the 
 other. The duke, however, took his departure, and we were 
 left somewhat in peace. 
 
 I must mention a little occurrence which greatly irritated 
 our persecutors. Grurnkow had a beautiful house at Berlin, 
 bought for him by the king. He begged the queen to give 
 him her portrait, which was to be one of the chief ornaments 
 of his house. The queen promised to do so. She had lately 
 had herself painted for the King of Denmark, and as the pict- 
 ure was not quite finished, she ordered a copy of it to be made 
 for Grumkow, while the original was to be given to the sover- 
 eign. Grurnkow came one day to thank the queen for her 
 present, and talked much of the beauty of the painting, and of 
 its being one of the best portraits that the artist had ever exe- 
 cuted. The queen said in a whisper to me, " I do hope that 
 there has been no mistake, and that he has not got the original 
 instead of the copy," and she asked him straight out about it. 
 He answered her that as he had an original portrait of the 
 king, he had thought it but fair to have the same of her, and 
 that consequently he had asked the artist to give him the orig- 
 inal. " And who gave you this permission ?" the queen in- 
 quired, " I have never honored any private person with such a 
 present, and I do not intend to make an exception in your fa- 
 vor." The king prevented Grnmkow from replying by leaving 
 the table, but Grumkow followed the queen, entreating her to 
 let him keep the picture. Her very curt refusal resulted in 
 some sharp answers, upon which, to put an end to the conver- 
 sation, the queen withdrew. 
 
 As soon as the king had gone out shooting, which he did
 
 88 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 daily, my mother sent for Count Finkenstein, to whom she told 
 the whole story. 
 
 Count Finkenstein was Grumkow's sworn enemy, and was 
 delighted at having an opportunity of playing him a trick. 
 He therefore advised the queen to make a still greater fuss 
 about the whole business to send several of her servants and 
 demand to have the picture back, at the same time saying that 
 Grumkow should not even have a copy till he had learned to 
 behave himself towards her with more respect. I was present 
 at this conversation, of which I greatly disapproved, and which 
 I thought very wrong. Next day the queen carried out the 
 advice given her by Count Finkenstein. Grumkow sent her 
 word that he possessed so many interesting portraits of far 
 greater princes and princesses that these would comfort him 
 for the loss of hers. 
 
 Soon after this we returned to Berlin. My mother had con- 
 stant interviews with the English envoy, M. de Bourguait. 
 Four weeks had already elapsed since she had written to the 
 Queen of England, and in spite of her assumed confidence as 
 to the expected answer she was terribly anxious. Grumkow 
 was greatly imbittered against her. Neither he nor his family 
 went near her, and he spoke of her in the most insolent terms. 
 He went so far as to write to the king and insist on personal 
 satisfaction being given him for the insult, as he called it, which 
 the queen had offered him. I do not know what good spirit 
 ruled my father at this moment, but Grumkow received no an- 
 swer to his many complaints. Several people tried to put in a 
 good word for him with the queen. He himself even offered 
 her apologies a step which he made the king believe was great- 
 ly to his credit. 
 
 At last the long-expected answer from England arrived. 
 The Queen of England wrote that both she and her husband 
 were much inclined to strengthen the bands which united the 
 families by a double marriage, but that this could not be defi- 
 nitely settled till Parliament had been consulted. The queen
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 89 
 
 at the same time received a private letter, encouraging her to 
 remain firm, and containing many other suggestions, which 
 were of little use to us in our present position. A letter to 
 my brother was written in much the same strain. No Medusa's 
 head ever had such an effect on any one as these letters had on 
 my mother. She trembled to show them to the king, and had 
 nearly determined to suppress them and to write a second time 
 to England. M. de Bourguait, when he came to see her, in- 
 formed her that he had received much the same messages for 
 the king. My mother then spoke quite openly to him about 
 the matter, and said that if England behaved in this manner 
 she could no longer answer for what might happen. She was 
 prepared for endless troubles and persecutions on the king's 
 return, and that unless she were speedily helped everything 
 would be lost. M. de Bourguait endeavored to pacify and 
 calm her as much as he was able. 
 
 A few days afterwards the king arrived. His first question 
 was, What was the reply from England ? " Here it is," the 
 queen replied, with the greatest composure; "I hope you will 
 be satisfied with it." " Satisfied !" he cried, after having read 
 it, " how can I be satisfied when they are again trying to de- 
 ceive me?" and with this he left the room without another 
 word. Immediately afterwards he had a long conversation 
 with Grumkow, and when he returned to us we could observe 
 nothing, and he treated us most kindly. The queen was great- 
 ly relieved. Not I, however; for I knew the king too well, 
 and that if ^e yas driven to dissemble he was far worse even 
 than during his violent fits of passion. He did not remain 
 long at Berlin, but soon returned to Potsdam. 
 
 A new epoch began with the year 1729. M. de Lamotte, 
 an officer in the Hanoverian service, and a near relation of Von 
 Sastot, one of my mother's chamberlains, came to Berlin. He 
 suddenly arrived at Sastot's, quite secretly, one day. "I am 
 the bearer of a most important confidential message," he said. 
 " You must hide me somewhere in your house, that my arrival
 
 90 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 may remain unknown, and you must manage that one of my 
 letters reaches the king." Sastot promised him all he asked, 
 and then inquired if his business were good or evil. " It will 
 be good if people can hold their tongues, but if they gossip it 
 will be evil. However, as I know you are discreet, and as I re- 
 quire your help in obtaining an interview with the queen, I 
 must confide all to you. The Prince of Wales intends being 
 here in three weeks at the latest. He means to escape secretly 
 from Hanover, brave his father's anger, and marry the princess. 
 He has intrusted me with the whole affair, and has sent me 
 here to find out if his arrival would be agreeable to the king 
 and queen, and if they are still anxious for this marriage. If 
 she is capable of keeping a secret, and has no suspicious people 
 about her, will you undertake to speak to the queen on the 
 subject? Yet before doing so, and in order to run no risk, 
 you had better first consult with Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, 
 of whose discretion I am sure. She will be your guide." 
 
 That very same evening Sastot appeared as usual in the 
 queen's apartments, who was not holding receptions. He 
 called Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld on one side and told her all 
 that had passed between him and Lamotte, and added that he 
 bad not been able to speak unreservedly with him about the 
 affair, as he was afraid of telling this good news to the queen, 
 because he knew quite well that she would at once confide it 
 all to that wretched Ramen, who would immediately communi- 
 cate it to Seckendorf and his creatures. 
 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld was much perturbed, but after 
 having well considered the question decided that Sastot should 
 speak with the queen. The joy this news caused her is easily 
 to be imagined. She at once communicated them to Countess 
 Kinkenstein and my lady-in-waiting,* who both implored her 
 to keep them secret. I was just then very ill. I had had a 
 bad fainting- fit, followed by violent fever, which confined me 
 
 * Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld.
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 91 
 
 to my bed. The queen desired Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld to 
 prepare me by degrees for this happy event, of which she then 
 wished to speak to me herself. 
 
 The next morning Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld came to 
 drink her tea by my bedside. "I cannot think what has come 
 to Sastot," she said ; " he dances about, sings, and is full of 
 nonsense, and says it is all because he is so delighted at some 
 good news he has heard, which he will, however, tell nobody." 
 
 "Perhaps he has taken too much," I said, "and this makes 
 him so merry." 
 
 " Oh no," she replied, " he declares the good news concerns 
 you !" 
 
 " Good God !" I cried, " what good news can I expect in the 
 position in which I am placed, and how can Sastot have any- 
 thing to do with it ?" 
 
 "But," continued Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, " supposing 
 he had received the news direct from the Prince of Wales 
 himself?" 
 
 " Well, would that be such great happiness?" 
 
 "Your Royal Highness is very sinful," she replied, "and 
 you will be punished for it, if you so despise a prince who 
 risks everything for your sake. What do you want? Do 
 you wish to fade and pine away, or do you wish to marry that 
 delightful Prince of Weissenfels ?" 
 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld would have endured anything 
 that this marriage might be accomplished. It was the only 
 point on which we differed, and we had often had arguments 
 on the subject. I now laughed at her speech, without taking 
 much heed of it. I thought that the Prince of Wales had 
 most probably given an assurance similar to that which my 
 brother had given the Queen of England, and that this had 
 caused Sastot's high spirits. When, however, the queen her- 
 self came to me with this pleasant piece of news, I felt in a 
 very different mood. I remained dumb, and could not utter a 
 word. My mother thought it the result of my satisfaction at
 
 92 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 the news. " I shall at length see you happy, and my wishes 
 realized at the same time how much joy at once !" I kissed 
 her hands, which I covered with tears. " You are crying," she 
 exclaimed; "what is the matter?" I would not disturb her 
 happiness, so I answered, " The thought of leaving you dis- 
 tresses me more than all the crowns of the world could delight 
 me." The queen was only the more tender towards me in 
 consequence, and then left me. I loved this dear mother truly, 
 and had only spoken the truth to her. She left me in a terri- 
 ble state of mind. I was cruelly torn between my affection for 
 her and my repugnance to the Prince of Wales; but I deter- 
 mined to leave all to Providence, who would direct my ways. 
 
 That same evening the queen held a reception. As bad 
 luck would have it, the English envoy came to it, and began at 
 once to tell her all the news he had received from his court. 
 The conversation grew livelier and livelier, and, without reflect- 
 ing on the consequences, the queen confided to him the whole 
 of the Prince of Wales's project. M. de Bourguait, with in- 
 tense surprise, asked her if it were all true. " Certainly," she 
 replied, " and to show you how true it is, he has sent Lamotte 
 here, who has already informed the king of everything." 
 
 "Oh, why does your Majesty tell me this? I am wretched, 
 for I must prevent it." Greatly frightened, my mother asked 
 him why he must do so. " Because I am my sovereign's en- 
 voy ; because my office requires of me that I should inform 
 him of so important a matter. I shall send off a messenger 
 to England this very evening. Would to God I had known 
 nothing of all this!" The queen's prayers and entreaties were 
 all of no avail, for he left her to despatch the messenger.' My 
 mother's consternation was indescribable. She was in utter 
 despair. Countess Finkenstein came the next morning and 
 told me all that had happened. The only means we had in 
 our power of preventing greater misfortune was to endeavor to 
 keep it all from the king. At the end of a week, the king 
 came to Berlin to receive the Prince of Wales. He had had a
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OB" BAIREUTH. 93 
 
 secret interview with Lamotte, after which the long and ardently 
 desired arrival of the prince was daily expected. But this joy 
 was doomed to be turned to sorrow. A courier brought the 
 news that, at the express command of his father, the Prince of 
 Wales had suddenly left Hanover for England. This news fell 
 on the king and queen like a thunder-bolt. 
 
 But it is time that I should now unravel this mystery. The 
 English nation were most anxious for the Prince of Wales's 
 presence in England, and had incessantly begged the king to 
 grant it. The king, on the other hand, did not feel at all in- 
 clined to do so, as he feared he might suffer in personal con- 
 sideration, and that the prince's arrival in England would raise 
 an opposition against him which might lead to disturbances. 
 In order to have some plausible reason against his presence in 
 England, the king had himself written to the prince, suggest- 
 ing his going to Berlin and marrying me. This step he in- 
 tended to use afterwards to bring about a rupture with the 
 prince, by which means he could keep him several years longer 
 at Hanover. The prince, who ardently desired the alliance 
 with me, was only too delighted to obey his father's wishes. 
 The sudden arrival of Bourguait's messenger spoiled every- 
 thing. This messenger was sent to the Secretary of State. 
 Nothing remained to the king, who was anxious that no sus- 
 picion should be aroused in England, but to desire the prince 
 to return. Poor Lamotte became the innocent victim of all 
 this. He had to spend two years in the fortress of Hameln, 
 and was obliged to leave the Hanoverian service. He after- 
 wards entered the Prussian army, where he still commands a 
 regiment. 
 
 My father was greatly incensed at again finding himself 
 duped by England. He returned to Potsdam soon after this 
 affair was settled, and we shortly followed him. 
 
 Immediately after our arrival my father had a violent attack 
 of gout, which troubled him for some time. This illness, added 
 to his displeasure at his disappointed hopes, made his temper
 
 94 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 unbearable. I was called nothing else by him but the " Eng- 
 lish canaille" and he ill-treated me and my brother in a shock- 
 ing manner. We were not allowed to leave him for one single 
 moment during the whole day. We took all our meals near 
 his bedside, and to torment us still more he let us have only 
 those things to eat for which we had an absolute dislike. But, 
 good or bad, we were obliged to swallow them down, and run 
 the risk of being ill for the rest of the day. Not a single day 
 passed without some unfortunate occurrence, and we could not 
 lift up our eyes without beholding some unhappy being who 
 was being tormented. The king was of too impatient a nature 
 to remain long in bed, so he sat in an arm-chair, in which he 
 had himself wheeled about the Castle. He held a crutch in 
 each hand to. support himself, and we followed this triumphal 
 car like wretched prisoners expecting their sentence. 
 
 On one occasion, when his temper was more than usually 
 bad, he told the queen that he had received letters from Ans- 
 pach, in which the Margrave announced his arrival at Berlin 
 for the beginning of May. He was coming there for the pur- 
 pose of marrying my sister, and one of his ministers would ar- 
 rive previously with the betrothal ring. My father asked my 
 sister whether she were pleased at this prospect, and how she 
 would arrange her household. Now, rny sister had always 
 made a point of telling him whatever came into her head, even 
 the greatest home-truths, and he had never taken her outspo- 
 kenness amiss. On this occasion, therefore, relying on former 
 experience, she answered him as follows : " When I have a 
 house of my own I shall take care to have a well-appointed 
 dinner-table, better than yours is, and if I have children of my 
 own I shall not plague them as you do yours, and force them 
 to eat things they thoroughly dislike !" 
 
 "What is amiss with my dinner-table? 1 ' the king inquired, 
 getting very red in the face. " You ask what is the matter 
 with it," my sister replied ; "there is not enough on it for us 
 to cat, and what there is is cabbage and carrots, which we dc-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 95 
 
 test." Her first answer had already angered my father, but 
 now he gave vent to his fury. But instead of punishing my 
 sister he poured it all on my mother, my brother, and myself. 
 To begin with he threw his plate at my brother's head, who 
 would have been struck had he not got out of the way ; a sec- 
 ond one he threw at me, which I also happily escaped ; then 
 torrents of abuse followed these first signs of hostility. He 
 reproached the queen with having brought up her children so 
 badly. " You will curse your mother," he said to my brother, 
 " for having made you such a good-for-nothing creature ! A 
 man was once condemned to death in Carthage for various 
 crimes," he continued, "and as he was being led to the place 
 of execution, he asked to be allowed to speak to his mother. 
 While pretending to whisper to her, he bit a piece out of her 
 ear, saying, at the same time, ' I treat you like this, that you 
 may serve as an example to all mothers that do not bring up 
 their children virtuously.' You can do the same," my father 
 continued, still addressing himself to my brother, and with this 
 remark he let himself be wheeled away in his chair. As my 
 brother and I passed near him to leave the room, he hit out at 
 us with his crutch. Happily we escaped the blow, for it would 
 certainly have struck us down, and we at last escaped without 
 harm from the room. I had been so upset by this scene that 
 I trembled all over, and was obliged to sit down to avoid faint- 
 ing. My mother, who came after us, comforted us as best she 
 could, and endeavored to persuade us to return to the king. 
 We were, however, not the least inclined to do this. The 
 scene with the plates and the crutch had frightened us too 
 much. At length we were obliged to do so, and we found the 
 king conversing quietly with his officers. 
 
 I felt quite ill, nevertheless, and fainted away in the queen's 
 room. My mother's maid exclaimed, on seeing me, " Good 
 gracious, your Royal Highness, what is the matter ? You look 
 dreadful !" I looked in the glass, and saw that my face and 
 neck were covered with red spots. I told her I had been very
 
 96 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 much agitated, and that this was the result. I fainted again 
 several times. The red spots disappeared as soon as I was in 
 the cold air, appearing again in the heat of the room. I was 
 obliged to keep about as best I could, as I was unable to get to 
 bed. That night I was attacked by violent fever, which left 
 me so weak next morning that I was obliged to ask my moth- 
 er to excuse me from coming to her. She sent me word that 
 dead or alive I must go to her. I then sent word that I had 
 a rash, which made it impossible. She, however, repeated her 
 command, and I was carried into her room, where I went from 
 one fainting fit into another. In this condition I was dragged 
 to the king. My sister, seeing that 1 was ready to give up the 
 ghost, said to the king, " I beseech you, dear father, let my sis- 
 ter return to her room ; she has fever, and cannot even stand." 
 The king asked me if this were true. " You look very ill," he 
 said, "but I will cure you," and he forced me to drink a whole 
 gobletful of very strong old Rhine wine. My rash had gone 
 in, and I was fighting with death. I had no sooner drunk the 
 wine than I began to be delirious, and begged my mother to 
 have me taken to my room. This she granted on condition 
 that I would leave it again in the evening. 
 
 I laid myself down without taking off my head-dress, but no 
 sooner was I in bed than the violence of the fever deprived me 
 of my reason. The doctor who was called in pronounced me 
 to be suffering from an inflammatory fever, and gave me three 
 remedies not at all suitable to my present illness. From time 
 to time I recovered consciousness, and then I prayed that God 
 would take me to Himself. Amid bitter tears I said to Mad- 
 emoiselle von Sonnsfeld, " The many sufferings I have been 
 through have made me indifferent to this world, and now Provi- 
 dence will grant me the highest bliss. I am the cause of all 
 my mother's and brother's sorrows ; my death will put an end 
 to these. If I die, promise me to say two things in my name 
 to the king first, that I beg ho will restore me his affections; 
 and, secondly, implore him to be kinder towards my mother
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 97 
 
 and my brother." I lay for thirty-six hours between life and 
 death, and at last small-pox declared itself. 
 
 The king had never once inquired after me since the com- 
 mencement of my illness. As soon, however, as he heard the 
 nature of my complaint he sent his court-surgeon to find out 
 if I really had small-pox. This rude personage said many un- 
 kind things to me in the king's name, besides being most re- 
 pulsive in his own behavior. At any other time this would 
 have provoked my anger, but I was now far too ill to notice his 
 insolence. Upon the doctor's confirming the statement that I 
 had the small-pox I was put into quarantine. All communica- 
 tion with my rooms was cut off, and nobody about the king 
 and queen was allowed to come near me. I felt that I was be- 
 ing treated like a plague-stricken creature. My governess and 
 my maid were the only attendants I had. Though I lay in an 
 icy cold room, deserted by the whole world, I had the comfort 
 of my brother's visits. He had had the small-pox, and came 
 daily to spend with me what spare time he had. The queen 
 sent incessantly to inquire after me, but was not allowed to see 
 me. For nine days I was as ill as I could be. All the symp- 
 toms seemed to point towards a fatal termination, and those 
 who saw me thought I should be marked for life. I escaped 
 death, however, and not a trace remained of this fearful mal- 
 ady. 
 
 Meanwhile M. von Bremer, who had been sent by the Mar- 
 grave of Anspach, arrived at Berlin. My sister's betrothal by 
 proxy then took place, the ceremony being of the simplest de- 
 scription. The king had got rid of his gout and of his bad 
 temper, preserving the latter towards me alone. That charm- 
 ing Holzendorf * never entered my room without bringing me 
 some disagreeable message from him. This bad man was in 
 the very highest favor, and everybody bowed before him. He 
 used his advantages, however, to do as much harm as he could, 
 
 * The king's court-surgeon.
 
 98 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 particularly to the queen, ray brother, and myself. He was 
 Seckendorf's creature, and that says volumes. 
 
 My father was now kinder towards my brother, but merely 
 because he thought it politic to be so, and because Grumkow, 
 into whose hands he had completely fallen, advised him to be 
 so. Count Finkenstein and Colonel Kalkstein were in Grum- 
 kow's way, and prevented his carrying out his plans. They 
 were, therefore, to be got rid of under the pretext that my 
 brother no longer required governors. He persuaded the king 
 to agree to their discharge, and succeeded. The two govern- 
 ors were dismissed in an honorable manner, both of them re- 
 ceiving a good pension for their services. They were replaced 
 by two officers, who had not the slightest power over my broth- 
 er. The one was Colonel Rochow, the other M. von Kaiser- 
 ling. The former, as will be seen in the course of these me- 
 moirs, was no genius, and the other, while exceedingly clever, 
 had no religion of any kind. He had read a great deal, and 
 boasted of being somewhat of a poet. It will be easily under- 
 stood that my brother infinitely preferred Kaiserling to Roch- 
 ow. The former's love of science and learning made him a 
 very agreeable companion. They had not long been together 
 before the conversation turned on religious subjects. Kaiser- 
 ling raised doubts in my brother's mind. These doubts were, 
 as I shall hereafter show, indelibly strengthened by another 
 person. 
 
 My brother came to me every day, and we occupied our- 
 selves in reading and writing. I remember well how we read 
 Scarron's comic novel, and made satires from it applicable to 
 the king's entourage. We called Grumkow La Rancune ; the 
 Margrave of Schwedt, who had reappeared with his pretensions, 
 Saldague ; Seckendorf, La Rapiniere. We did not even spare 
 the king, but I must not say which part we assigned to him. 
 We showed our performance to the queen, who was greatly 
 amused at it. I fear we deserved a severe reprimand. Chil- 
 dren ought never to lose sight of the respect and honor they
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 99 
 
 owe their parents. 1 have reproached myself a thousand times 
 since for acting so much against this precept. Our youth, 
 and the approval our efforts at authorship met with, must to 
 some extent be our excuse. 
 
 Madame de Bouvillon was not forgotten in our satirical nov- 
 el ; we gave her name to the queen's mistress of the robes, 
 whom we thought she resembled. We often joked in her 
 presence about it, so that she became curious to know who this 
 Madame de Bouvillon was. I told her that the Queen of 
 Spain's " Camerera Majors " were called so, and they all had 
 to be of this family. Six weeks after this, at one of the 
 queen's receptions, the conversation turned on the Spanish 
 Court, and my mother's mistress of robes thought she could 
 not do better than show the world how much she knew about 
 it than by saying that all " Camerera Majors " were of the fam- 
 ily of Bouvillon. Everybody laughed, and she found out that 
 she had been taken in. After inquiring further, and being 
 made acquainted with the story of the heroine to whom I had 
 given the rank of "Camerera Major," she perceived at once 
 that I had made fun of her, and was so extremely angry that 
 I had the greatest trouble in appeasing her. I was very fond 
 of her, and knew her worth, and what I had done was done to 
 amuse the queen. Since then I have left off turning people 
 into ridicule : it is wiser to find fault with one's self. How 
 easily the faults of others are perceived by us, while to our 
 own we are blind ! But I must return to my story. 
 
 As the Margrave of Anspach was expected in a week, and 
 as neither he nor my sister had had the small-pox, I was sent 
 away from Potsdam. Before my departure I went to see the 
 king, but my mother would not allow me to remain long with 
 him. He was generally so unkind to me that, as I had not 
 yet quite recovered my strength, the queen was afraid the agi- 
 tation would be bad for me. When I arrived in Berlin I 
 found the Countess Amelie was engaged to be married to Vie- 
 reck, the minister of state. Her old lover had died a year ago
 
 100 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 in England. She had received the news while attending the 
 Court circle, and it affected her so much that she fell down in 
 a swoon. This occurrence did not increase her favor with the 
 queen. Countess Amelie, however, was not long in getting 
 over her loss. The king and queen soon joined me at Berlin, 
 with the rest of the family. 
 
 My sister's wedding took place amid great pomp and re- 
 joicing. She took her departure with her husband a fortnight 
 afterwards, and I was then set at liberty. 
 
 We did not remain long in Berlin, but joined the king at 
 Wusterhausen, where the quarrels began afresh. Not a day 
 passed without some scene or other. The king's anger against 
 my brother and myself reached such a pitch that, with the 
 exception of the hours for our meals, we were banished both 
 from his presence and the queen's. He scarcely allowed us 
 the necessaries of life, and we were tormented with hunger 
 from morning till night. Our only food was coffee and milk, 
 and during dinner and supper-time we were honored with epi- 
 thets anything but pleasing. Of an afternoon we went secretly 
 to see the queen, and while we were with her she always had 
 her spies watching to inform her in good time of the king's 
 approach. One day, while we were with her, she had not, 
 through some carelessness or other, had early enough notice of 
 my father's return. There was only one door to the room in 
 which we were, so that we had to make up our minds at once 
 what to do. My brother hid himself in a cupboard, and I 
 slipped under my mother's bed. We had scarcely had time to 
 do so before the king entered the room. He was unfortu- 
 nately very tired, sat down, and went to sleep for two hours. 
 I was in a most uncomfortable position, and nearly smothered 
 hiding under that low bed. I peeped out from time to time 
 to discover if the king was still asleep. Anybody who had 
 witnessed this occurrence must have laughed. 
 
 At last the king woke up and left the room ; we crept from 
 our hiding-places, and implored the queen never to expose us
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 101 
 
 to a similar " comedy " again. I often begged the queen to 
 allow me to write to the king, asking him the reason of his 
 anger against me, and begging his forgiveness. She would not 
 let me do so, however. She said it would be of no use : 
 "Your father would only grant you his favor on condition 
 that you married either the Margrave of Schwedt or the Duke 
 of Weissenfels." I quite saw the force of these arguments, 
 and had to submit. 
 
 A few peaceful days followed these storms, but, alas, only 
 to make way for still worse. The king went to Libnow, where 
 he met the King of Poland and his son. In spite of all the 
 difficulties that had been placed in his way, my father still 
 hoped to arrange a marriage between me and the King of Po- 
 land. The Crown Prince of Poland persistently turned a deaf 
 ear to the entreaties of both sovereigns, and was not to be in- 
 duced to sign the marriage contract. My father, finding him- 
 self forced to give up this plan, deemed it right at once to sol- 
 emnly betroth me, during the King of Poland's visit, to the 
 Duke of Weissenfels. On his return to Wusterhansen my fa- 
 ther passed through the small town of Dam, which belonged 
 to this prince, and stopped there a few days. During his ab- 
 sence we had remained at Wusterhausen, and consequently en- 
 joyed some peace and quiet ; but this all came to an end as 
 soon as the king returned. He never saw my brother without 
 threatening him with his stick, and this latter often said to 
 me that he would respectfully bear all ill-treatment save blows, 
 and that if it came to these he would run away. 
 
 The page Keith had meanwhile become an officer in a regi- 
 ment quartered in Cleves. We were delighted at his pro- 
 motion, as we hoped his removal would have a good effect on 
 my brother, and that he would in consequence give up many 
 of his wild ways. Alas ! he unfortunately found a far worse 
 favorite in the son of Field - marshal von Katt, grandson of 
 Field-marshal von Wartensleben. 
 
 His father had had him very well educated, and had intended
 
 102 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 him, on account of his cleverness, for the civil service. This 
 plan did not please the king, so young Katt entered the army, 
 in which he held the rank of captain of gendarmes. His con- 
 stant intercourse with the French envoy, Count von Rotenburg, 
 his travels, industry, and study had given refinement both to his 
 mind and his manners. He was extremely cultivated, and a 
 most agreeable social companion. His appearance was not 
 attractive. He was very plain, with a dark complexion, much 
 marked by small-pox. His thick, black eyebrows were drawn 
 down low over his eyes, and met above his nose. This gave 
 him a most unfortunate expression. Katt was very wild, and 
 boasted of being very strong-minded. It was Katt's influence 
 which destroyed all religious belief in my brother. I had ob- 
 served this in his conversations, and had also often argued with 
 him about his fatalist views. He maintained that, being once 
 predestined to sin, it was impossible to escape from it. I never, 
 however, for a moment thought that he intended with this one 
 theory to overthrow all religious belief. 
 
 We at last left Wusterhausen to return to Berlin. As the 
 king had not again mentioned my marriage with the Duke of 
 Weissenfels, the queen thought all was safe. One evening she 
 received a letter from my brother, which he sent her secretly, 
 in which he told her of his utter despair. The king had so 
 cruelly ill-used him and beaten him so terribly, that he thought 
 he would have killed him. He said his patience was at an end, 
 that he was too proud to submit to such treatment, and that if 
 his sufferings were not soon put an end to by England, he 
 should be obliged reluctantly to take other means to find relief. 
 It is easy to imagine the effect this communication had on my 
 mother and myself. Our grief was indescribable. I foresaw 
 the saddest results; for I understood my brother better than the 
 queen did, and knew that the means he hinted at meant flight. 
 I ventured to implore my mother to let the king have his own 
 way, and not oppose him. She saw what divisions there were 
 in the family, I continued, how my brother was ill-treated, and
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGBAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 103 
 
 how imbittered the king had become during the last year. I 
 was quite ready to become the victim of it all, I said, and there 
 was no sacrifice, however great, which I would not gladly make 
 were it to put an end to the misery which my brother had to 
 endure. My mother was extremely angry with this speech of 
 mine. "Do you wish to break my heart, and commit actions 
 which are unworthy both of myself and of you ? If so, do what 
 you like; but my curse will be upon you, and I disown you from 
 henceforth." She quite frightened me by her violence in say- 
 ing this, and I had the greatest trouble in calming her and 
 making my peace with her. 
 
 Since the Countess Arnelie's marriage Mademoiselle von 
 Billow, first lady-in-waiting, had taken her place, and become a 
 great favorite with the queen. This lady's character differed 
 greatly from that of her predecessor. She was kind-hearted 
 and obliging, and did no one any harm. Her only fault was 
 love of intrigue. She was on very good terms with M. de 
 Bourguait, the English envoy, and his wife, and still more so 
 with M. von Kniephausen, first Secretary of State at the Court 
 of Berlin, in consequence of which it was easy for the queen 
 also to obtain information about affairs of the most confidential 
 nature. Ramen meanwhile continued her mischievous work. 
 She brought the queen false news about the king, while at the 
 same time she betrayed her to him. Since my brother's letter, 
 the queen did not know to which saint she was to pray for 
 help. Eversmann, whom I have already mentioned several times, 
 was the king's especial favorite. The queen was well aware 
 that this creature was in Seckendorf and Grumkow's pay, and 
 that he did his utmost to create a bad feeling between the 
 king and his family. She determined, therefore, at all hazards 
 to win him over to her side, and spoke to M. de Bourguait on 
 the subject, to obtain his co - operation. He could, however, 
 give her only five hundred thalers (75). She herself added the 
 same amount. After speaking with Eversmann in a most friend- 
 ly manner, and promising him endless favors, she gave him the
 
 104 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 money, remarking at the same time that it was small in com- 
 parison to the advantages he would reap if he would join her 
 party and do his duty. Having promised her all she asked for, 
 Eversmann at once went and betrayed the whole transaction 
 to the king. He boasted greatly of this fresh proof of his 
 devotion to him. My father's anger against my mother was 
 only increased by this incident, and we sank into depths out 
 of which we could only with difficulty extricate ourselves. 
 
 I now arrive at a most critical period in these memoirs the 
 year 1730, which certainly was the cruelest in my life. The 
 king came to Berlin for the fetes of the New Year. He was 
 in an excellent temper during the whole time he was there, and 
 the subject of my marriage was never touched on. We had 
 found means of pacifying my brother, and flattered ourselves 
 that after having gone through so many troubles we should 
 at last have some peace. But who knows the recesses of 
 man's heart, and who can rely on constant happiness? The 
 king left Berlin and returned to Potsdam. A few days after 
 Count Finkenstein received a letter from him, with an order 
 which he was not to open except in the presence of Grumkow 
 and Field-marshal von Bork, both of whom were ministers of 
 state. These two gentlemen received a royal command to go 
 to Count Finkenstein. As soon as they had assembled they 
 together read the order, which enclosed a letter from the king 
 to the queen. The order ran as follows : 
 
 "As soon as you three viz., Grumkow, Bork, and Finken- 
 stein have assembled together, you are to go to the queen, 
 and tell her in my name that I am tired of her intrigues, that 
 I no longer intend to remain England's plaything (a part which 
 dishonors me and my family), that I am determined to spite 
 every one, and settle my daughter Wilhelmine's marriage ; but 
 that, as an act of great clemency towards my wife, I give 
 her permission once more to write to England, and ask if 
 they will consent to the marriage with the Prince of Wales.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 105 
 
 If, however, the answer does not meet my wishes, then the 
 queen must give me her word of honor no longer to oppose 
 my daughter's marriage. She can have her choice between 
 the Margrave of Schwedt and the Duke of Weissenfels. If, 
 on the other hand, she does not agree to these conditions, tell 
 the queen that I shall break with her forever, and that she can 
 retire with her worthless daughter, whom I shall no longer 
 acknowledge, to her dower- house of Oranienburg. Do your 
 duty as devoted subjects, and use all your influence to bring 
 about the queen's submission to my commands. I shall know 
 how to reward you ; but if, on the other hand, you fail, you 
 and your families shall suffer for it. 
 
 " I remain, your affectionate king, 
 
 " FREDERICK WILLIAM." 
 
 As soon as they had read the letter, Grnmkow, Bork, and 
 Finkenstein went to the queen. She was quite unprepared for 
 this visit; Count Finkenstein had, however, found means to 
 let her know of it. They handed her the king's letter, which 
 was couched in such harsh terms that I will pass over it in 
 silence. They then showed her the king's order addressed to 
 them, and spoke with her about it as they were desired. 
 Grumkow distinguished himself much on this occasion. He 
 followed the devil's example. Having tried in vain' to con- 
 vince her on political grounds why it was for the king's ad- 
 vantage that she should make this sacrifice, he tried to quote 
 the Bible to her. He said that it was written there that wives 
 should be in "submission to their husbands," and that as re- 
 garded the obedience due from children to their parents, they 
 owed it to their father above all things ; that a father had the 
 right, too, of forcing his daughter to marry against her inclina- 
 tions. The queen answered him by quoting the example of 
 Bethuel, who replied as follows to Abraham's servants when 
 they came to ask for Rebekah as wife for Isaac: '"Call the 
 damsel,' and they called Rebekah and said unto her, ' Wilt thou
 
 106 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 go with this man ?' " She knew, the queen added, what obe- 
 dience a wife owed her husband, but she confined herself to 
 submitting to all reasonable demands, and to those the justice 
 and fairness of which could not be disputed. But that neither 
 justice nor fairness existed in wishing to marry me to a coarse, 
 dissolute creature, stamped with the traces of all his vices. He 
 was the youngest prince of the House of Brandenburg, a Polish 
 general, dependent on an annuity, on which lie was scarcely 
 able to subsist, still less to keep me as befitted rny rank. His 
 age was out of all proportion to mine, his appearance most un- 
 pleasant, and, finally, he did not possess a single advantage 
 which could make him attractive. As regarded the king's 
 threats to separate himself from her, the queen continued, these 
 went for nothing, because that matter did not lie in the king's 
 power. She had never given him the least cause for complaint, 
 either by her behavior or her actions, and therefore she con- 
 sidered it beneath her to notice this portion of his letter. The 
 queen would, she said, write to England, as the king desired, 
 but she would never give consent to either of the other two 
 marriages. She would rather see me dead than plunged into 
 such misery. In conclusion, my mother said she felt indis- 
 posed, and had expected that greater consideration would have 
 been shown her in her present condition ; and, after addressing 
 some sharp words to Grumkow, she left the room in a terrible 
 state of agitation. 
 
 She sent at once for me, told me all that had taken place, 
 and showed me the king's letter, to which I could answer only 
 with my tears. This dreadful letter had to be answered, and 
 my mother's reply was most touching. Having repeated in it 
 most of what she said to the three gentlemen, she afterwards 
 held a consultation with Countess Finkenstein, Mademoiselle 
 von Sonnsfeld, and myself as to the decision to be taken. NYe 
 agreed that the queen should pretend to be very ill, and in such 
 a manner, too, that even her maids should be deceived. Count- 
 -- - Kinkcnstein took this opportunity of telling my mother
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 107 
 
 that she did not know who the persons were that repeated 
 everything that happened in her rooms, even to the confidential 
 conversations she had with her. " I assure your Majesty," she 
 continued, " that you cannot be too careful at this critical mo- 
 ment. People listen at your doors, and those you think de- 
 voted to you betray you !" " No one," said the queen, " can 
 betray my secrets, as they do not know them, and I am quite 
 sure of Ramen's discretion." As the queen said this, we all 
 three looked at each other in such a way that she must have 
 read our thoughts ; but if she did so, she took care we should 
 not be aware of her discovery. 
 
 That same evening, while we were at dinner, the queen acted 
 as if she were taken suddenly ill. We all played our parts so 
 well that every one was taken in, excepting the maid Ramen, 
 who had been told of the plan. The next day my mother 
 kept her bed, and made all believe she was very ill. This, 
 however, did not prevent her from secretly informing my 
 brother of all that had happened, and of sending him the rough 
 copy of a letter which he was to write to the Queen of Eng- 
 land. He was to say that, though he had met with no favor- 
 able response to a former letter he had written on the subject 
 of my marriage, he had not lost courage. He was too well 
 aware of the kind-heartedness of the King and Queen of Eng- 
 land, knowing besides how tenderly attached they were to the 
 queen, his mother, not to feel sure that, taking our painful 
 position into account, they would no longer refuse to consent 
 to my marriage with the Prince of Wales. They would risk 
 nothing in doing so, for he gave his solemn promise never to 
 marry any one but the Princess Amelia. If, however, the 
 question of my marriage were further postponed, he would 
 consider himself no longer bound by his promise, and would 
 agree to the first marriage his father proposed to him. My 
 brother made no difficulty about writing this letter, which was 
 sent off, together with a very strong one from the queen. 
 Much as I had disliked the idea of this marriage, I own that I
 
 108 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 now much desired that it should take place. It was the least 
 of the three evils which threatened me, and I saw but too 
 clearly what would be the result if the negotiation failed. 
 
 Things continued in this state for several days. The queen 
 left her bed of an afternoon, and dined with us in the evening. 
 On the 25th the crisis began. The queen received a fresh em- 
 bassy from the king, consisting of the same persons as had 
 composed the former; but this time their messages were far 
 more peremptory than those she had received before. The 
 king persisted in his threat of sending my mother away to her 
 dower-house, at the same time threatening to imprison me and 
 ruin my brother. He alluded to the proposed marriage with 
 England, only to say he would hear nothing more about it. 
 Even if the King and Queen of England agreed, he would now 
 refuse his consent. My mother was therefore quietly to sub- 
 mit to his propositions, or she might be certain that the whole 
 force of the king's resentment would fall on me. These mes- 
 sages, accompanied by a still more violent letter from my fa- 
 ther, had no effect in shaking my mother's determination. She 
 persisted in her refusal to consent to either of the marriages 
 proposed. The king might kill her, she said, before she would 
 give her consent. We were prepared at any moment for the 
 king's taking extreme measures. The perpetual agitation and 
 sorrow in which we lived affected my health, which was al- 
 ways delicate. I could neither sleep nor eat, and grew visibly 
 thinner. 
 
 A week passed in this painful state, when at last the reply 
 from England arrived. It was couched in the usual terms. 
 The King and Queen of England were favorably inclined to 
 my marriage taking place, on condition that my brother's was 
 solemnized at the same time. The Queen of England's letter 
 to my brother contained only civil speeches. My mother at 
 once communicated this news to me. She was so affected by 
 it that we were afraid of the result on her health. She ac- 
 companied the letter from England, which she was obliged to
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 109 
 
 lay before the king, with a most touching note of her own, 
 hoping to soften his heart. He, however, returned both un- 
 read, because Ramen, to whom the queen had confided, had 
 betrayed everything to him. Eversmann arrived that evening 
 from Potsdam, and told the queen that the king was greatly 
 incensed against her and me, and had sworn to use violence to 
 force us to submit to his will. Everybody was suffering from 
 his bad temper, he said, and he had most cruelly ill-treated my 
 brother, having seized him by his hair, dragged him through 
 the room, and then beaten him till he bled. When Eversmann 
 left the queen's presence, he said to me, in a most insolent tone : 
 " How long will you continue to be the cause of these dissen- 
 sions in the family, and to draw down the king's anger upon 
 you ? I speak to you as a friend. Obey the king's orders 
 with a good grace, or prepare yourself for the grossest insult. 
 I know what is in store for you. You have not a moment to 
 lose. Give me a letter for the king, and don't pay any atten- 
 tion to what the queen says. I don't tell you this from myself, 
 but by the king's orders." 
 
 Put yourself in my place, and judge what I suffered at being 
 treated thus by a wretched valet and spy ! Yet I was obliged 
 to remain cool, and therefore merely answered, " The king's dis- 
 pleasure is most painful to me, and I shall do everything in my 
 power to win back his favor. I know his kind heart and fa- 
 therly tenderness too well not to believe that he would not will- 
 ingly plunge me into misery. I shall obey all his commands, 
 however hard they may be, as soon as he and my mother are of 
 one mind about them. I know that he has full power over me 
 as my father, but my mother's rights are equally good. I am 
 quite ready to take an oath never to marry the Prince of Wales, 
 if the king will only exempt me from marrying either of the 
 two people to whom I have an unconquerable repugnance." 
 Eversmann then turned to Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld and said, 
 " The king commands you to induce the princess to accept the 
 marriage with the Duke of Weissenfels, and if she will not have
 
 110 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 him, then to take the Margrave of Schwedt. If you do not 
 obey the king's orders, he will have you imprisoned on bread 
 and water in Spandau, and ruin the whole of your family." 
 
 " The king has the power to do this," Mademoiselle von 
 Sonnsfeld answered, in the quietest manner possible. " He 
 appointed me to educate the princess, but not to force her to 
 this marriage. I shall not meddle in this business, nor shall 
 I tell her to accept one or the other suitor ; but I shall pray 
 to God to guide her aright, that she may decide on what is 
 best." 
 
 "But are you not aware," Eversmann began afresh, "on 
 what the king has decided if she continues to remain so obsti- 
 nate ?" " No, I am not, neither do I wish to know," was her 
 reply. "I will, however, tell you," he continued: "the king 
 gives the princess three days to think it over ; if she then per- 
 sists in her refusal, the king will send to Wusterhausen for the 
 two princes, and force her to marry the one or the other. If 
 she does not then cheerfully consent, the religious service will 
 be dispensed with, and she will be shut up with the duke, and 
 we will then see if he cares to marry her after that!" Mad- 
 emoiselle von Sonnsfeld and Madame von Konnken as well as 
 myself, who had heard this speech from a distance, were petri- 
 fied with astonishment at it. Madame von Konnken could, how- 
 ever, stand it no longer, and spoke to him most severely. He, 
 however, insisted on every word being the truth, and moreover 
 said that there were no means to escape from this evil fate. 
 " Are there no other suitable marriages in the whole world for 
 the princess but just these two?" Madame von Konnken asked, 
 "and must she be forced to accept either of them?" "If the 
 queen knows of any better, excluding, of course, the marriage 
 with the Prince of Wales, I think the king would not so much 
 mind," Eversmann answered, " though he has the marriage with 
 the Duke of Weissenfels much at heart." 
 
 At this moment the queen sent for us, and thus put an end 
 to the conversation. She saw, by the expression on my face,
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. Ill 
 
 that something out of the common had taken place ; and I then 
 told her, with as much caution as I could, Eversmann's conver- 
 sation. After a long deliberation she determined to speak next 
 da} 7 with Field-marshal von Bork. He was a very honest man, 
 and might be able to help her to see her way in her present 
 difficult position. She accordingly sent for him, and gave him 
 an account of all that had taken place the day before. Her 
 Mistress of the Robes was present with her during the inter- 
 view. " You have delivered the messages with which the king 
 intrusted you," she said, " and I answered you as his envoy. 
 Now you have nothing more to do with those messages. To- 
 day I have sent for you in the capacity of friend to ask your 
 advice, and pray you to give it me unreservedly." The field- 
 marshal shrugged his shoulders. " I am in utter despair," he 
 replied, " to see such dissensions in the Royal Family, and to 
 learn what worry and annoyance your Majesty has to endure. 
 Till now, I had always hoped that England would come to a 
 favorable decision ; but as this is not the case, I do not see how 
 your Majesty is to escape from the predicament in which you 
 are placed. What Eversmann said yesterday leaves little doubt 
 as to the truth of the violent measures which the king has in 
 contemplation against the princess. The Margrave of Schwedt 
 is here incognito : one of my people saw him, and from the in- 
 formation I have gathered, he has been here already several 
 days, living in the ' Neustadt.' * He goes out only of an even- 
 ing. These two letters from Dresden inform me that the Duke 
 of Weissenfels is staying at a little village near Wusterhausen. 
 We, therefore, have everything to fear from the king's violence. 
 Your Majesty knows him but too well, and how difficult it is, 
 when once his anger is roused, to pacify him. He has already 
 come to blows with the crown prince, and has given vent to his 
 fury against your Majesty, so that little more is required to 
 make him carry out his other threats. Your Majesty has asked 
 
 * The new part of Berlin.
 
 112 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BA1REUTH. 
 
 me to give you ray advice quite candidly : it is this, to gain 
 time. It is the only means remaining to you." 
 
 "But my daughter must come to a decision the day after 
 to-morrow," the queen exclaimed; "how are we to gain 
 time?" 
 
 "The only thing then to be done," the field-marshal replied, 
 " is to propose a third marriage. I am sure that neither Grum- 
 kow nor Seckendorf will agree to that, and you will thereby 
 gain time and pacify the king." 
 
 The queen agreed to this, and thought over for some time 
 which prince she could propose. She finally determined on 
 the hereditary prince of Baireuth. The field -marshal under- 
 took to let the king know of the change in the queen's views. 
 " If all the ropes break," he added, " at least this marriage is 
 worth a thousand times more than either of the others. This 
 prince is very highly spoken of, and will also be a reigning 
 sovereign. His country is beautiful, and his age is in every 
 way suitable to that of the princess." " Well, then, I am satis- 
 fied," my mother said ; " and if my last endeavor to get a satis- 
 factory answer from England fails, then in God's name let her 
 marry this prince. My enemies will at least not have the sat- 
 isfaction of triumphing over me." 
 
 The king returned two days later to Berlin. He entered my 
 mother's room frantic with rage. She was still in bed, pretend- 
 ing to be ill. Neither my sister nor I was in the room at the 
 time. My mother let him say what he would, without utter- 
 ing one word, and when he had finished endeavored to soften 
 his anger by the most gentle and touching words. It was all 
 of no use. " You can choose," he finally said, " and this is the 
 last time you have the chance, either the Margrave of Schwedt 
 or Duke Johann Adolf, and if you wish to please me, then let 
 your choice fall on the latter." " May God defend me from 
 that !" my mother cried. " Very well, then," the king answered, 
 " I shall go this very moment to the Margravine Philip (mother 
 of the Margrave of Schwedt) and accept her son for my daugh-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 113 
 
 ter, and shall ask her to undertake the marriage preparations." 
 And without leaving my mother time to say a word in answer, 
 he left the room. 
 
 My father wasted not a moment, but went forthwith to the 
 Margravine. " Your Highness will be doubtless surprised at my 
 visit, but I bring you news which I am sure will greatly please 
 you," and, without giving her time to reply, the king contin- 
 ued : " I come to announce the decision I have come to, viz., 
 to marry my eldest daughter to your son. I do not for a mo- 
 ment doubt that this alliance will meet with your entire satis- 
 faction, and that you will gladly give your consent to it. Write 
 to your son at once he left for Schwedt to-day and tell him 
 of my intentions, also that he need fear nothing, as I intend to 
 show that I am master in my own house." 
 
 The venerable Margravine, who had listened with the great- 
 est pleasure to the beginning of the king's speech, entirely 
 changed her opinion before he got to the end of it. "I am 
 fully sensible, as I ought to be, of the great honor your Majesty 
 has done me in choosing my son," she replied, " and fully rec- 
 ognize the good -fortune and the great advantages accruing 
 therefrom, both to my son and to myself. But though this 
 son is dearer to me than my life, and though nothing would 
 seem too hard to me to procure his happiness, yet I should be 
 in despair if this happiness were obtained at the princess's ex- 
 pense. I should not only refuse my consent to such a mar- 
 riage, but should declare myself my son's greatest enemy if he 
 were base enough to marry the princess against her will." 
 
 "Would you, then, rather that she married the Duke of Weis- 
 senfels ?" the king asked. " It is immaterial to me whom she 
 marries," the Margravine answered, " as long as neither I nor my 
 son are the cause of her misery." When the king found that 
 nothing would move her, he took his leave. That same even- 
 ing the Margravine sent me a note by a confidential servant, 
 informing me of all that had taken place, and begging me to 
 tell my mother. Such generosity deserved its full measure of
 
 114 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 gratitude, and my reply expressed this feeling in the strongest 
 manner possible, both in my own name and the queen's. 
 
 I had not yet seen the king. My mother was afraid to let 
 me, as she dreaded his violence. Her room was full of screens, 
 which almost made a labyrinth, and I was able to escape through 
 these when the king entered while I was with her. Ramen, 
 who was as watchful as Satan himself, and rejoiced whenever 
 she could do harm to any one, had altered the position of the 
 screens without my having noticed it. One day the king en- 
 tered the room. I wanted to escape in the usual way, but 
 found no outlet among the screens. The noise I made soon 
 betrayed my presence. No sooner did the king see me than he 
 poured forth a flood of abuse upon me, which he threatened to 
 accompany with blows of his stick. There was nothing left 
 me but to hide behind my governess. The king advanced tow- 
 ards her : she stepped back, pushing me behind her, farther 
 and farther, till we were close against the fireplace, the king 
 meanwhile approaching nearer and nearer. As we had no in- 
 tention of jumping into the fire, we were obliged to come to a 
 stand-still. The king now put his head over Mademoiselle von 
 Sonnsfeld's shoulder, screaming abusive epithets at me. Each 
 time he put out his head I dived down on the other side. 
 Finding that he could not catch me he left the room, laughing, 
 in spite of his anger, at the absurd spectacle we presented. 
 
 On the following day he renewed his entreaties and his 
 threats. The queen, after vainly trying to divert his attention, 
 and make him think of other things, at last said to him, " Let 
 us both be reasonable. I agree to the rupture with England ; 
 pray do, on your part, give up the idea of the marriage with Weis- 
 senfels or Schwedt. I promise you to give my consent to any 
 other marriage which holds out a fair prospect to my daugh- 
 ter." " Very well, then," my father answered ; " name such a one 
 to me, and I agree." The queen thereupon named the heredi- 
 tary prince of Baireuth, saying, " He belongs to your house, has 
 a beautiful principality, his age is suitable to that of my daiigh-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 115 
 
 ter, and he is said to be an estimable prince. " Well, then, I am 
 satisfied," the king exclaimed ; " but if she marries according to 
 her own inclinations, I will give her no trousseau or dowry or 
 marriage-feast. If, on the other hand, she obeys me, I will pro- 
 vide for her in every way." 
 
 " But what in the world can I do more to please you ?" my 
 mother replied ; " do you wish to torment me to death ? Let 
 her then marry that fat Johann Adolf; but if she has any 
 love for me, she will never, never do so." 
 
 Upon this my father said, " You shall have your way ; I will 
 write to-morrow to the Margrave of Baireuth, and you shall see 
 my letter." 
 
 As soon as the conversation was at an end my mother sent 
 for me. I found her in the greatest state of delight. " All 
 goes well," she cried, embracing me tenderly ; " the king and I 
 have together chosen the hereditary prince of Baireuth to be 
 your husband, and the king writes to-morrow to the Margrave 
 on the subject. There is only one point that makes me rather 
 anxious, but I trust still to see it satisfactorily settled. It is 
 this : that the king will not give you a dowry, neither will he 
 give the marriage festivities. I hope, however, that you will 
 get over this." 
 
 This news and decision disconcerted me terribly. I promised 
 my mother to obey her in everything, but I expressed a hope 
 she would consider to what she was exposing me. " What will 
 the world say if I marry against the king's will, and what can 
 be more painful to me than to be turned out of the house like 
 a worthless girl ? What will the prince think whose wife I am 
 destined to be ? I have persistently refused my consent to the 
 other two marriages proposed to me by the king ; your Majesty 
 cannot blame me if I now refuse this which you propose to 
 me ? As soon as ever you and the king are entirely of one 
 mind as to any particular choice I will submit blindly, but I 
 cannot do so as things are now." " Well, then, marry the sul- 
 tan or the Great Mogul, and have your own way !" the queen
 
 116 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 4 
 
 exclaimed. " If I had known you better I should not have 
 brought so much sorrow and trouble on myself. Marry the 
 king's head if you like ; I will have nothing more to do with 
 the whole business," and she sent me out of the room without 
 letting me answer a word. My mother then sent for Madem- 
 oiselle von Sonnsfeld. " Induce my daughter to give way to 
 my wishes," she said to her. " I insist on her marrying the 
 Prince of Baireuth, and will not hear of a refusal. This mar- 
 riage gives me as much pleasure as if I settled my daughter in 
 England." She spoke in the same tone to my brother, and as 
 he was getting very weary of England's procrastination he spoke 
 seriously to me on the subject. I answered him that I was 
 ready at all times to sacrifice myself for him, but in this par- 
 ticular case my honor was concerned. " If my father recon- 
 siders his determination, and gives me a dowry, at the same 
 time letting me leave my home in a manner befitting my posi- 
 tion, I shall not for one moment hesitate in accepting the Prince 
 of Baireuth. If, however, he persists in his intention, then 
 nothing in the world will move me." 
 
 My brother was very angry with me for this, and said so 
 many hard things to me that I was in despair. Mademoi- 
 selle von Biilow, who had been present at this interview, im- 
 plored me to be calm. " I beseech your Royal Highness to re- 
 flect that all is not yet lost. I am sure I know of means to 
 pacify the queen. We must let her anger pass over, and then 
 when I have spoken to her, I feel sure that she will again turn 
 to you in love." I implored her in vain to tell me to what 
 means she intended to resort to extricate me from my painful 
 position. 
 
 The following morning the king brought his letter to the 
 Margrave of Baireuth to the queen. It was written in most 
 courteous terms, inviting the prince to strengthen the ties that 
 united the two families, by consenting to a marriage between 
 his son and myself. The king then said to my mother, "I 
 shall send off the letter under the conditions named. Your
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 117 
 
 daughter's dower, trousseau, and the marriage festivities you 
 can give her, but from me she shall never have a penny !" 
 The queen was quite satisfied with everything, but still more 
 so when Marshal Bork secretly informed her that evening that 
 the king had changed his mind, and had been induced by 
 Grumkow and Seckendorf not to send off the letter. Mad- 
 emoiselle von Billow told her at the same time that M. von 
 Kniephausen and the English envoy had decided on sending 
 the English chaplain, who was my English master, to London.- 
 They wished to make one last endeavor, and the letters they 
 intended sending were so strong and urgent that they must 
 wake the English Court out of its apathy. 
 
 As the chaplain had been a witness of everything that had 
 taken place, and knew, besides, every detail of our painful po- 
 sition, he would be able to describe it all in such a manner that 
 it could not fail to produce an effect, and induce the English 
 sovereigns to give their consent to this much-desired marriage. 
 The queen entirely approved of this decision, and intrusted the 
 chaplain with letters to the Queen of England, in which she 
 reproached her with her want of friendship, and described to 
 her her sad position. 
 
 My father seemed pacified. He no longer spoke of these 
 other hateful marriages, and treated the queen more kindly. 
 My brother and I were, however, in constant disgrace, but with 
 this difference : that I was never allowed to appear before him, 
 while he had to be constantly about him a position which ex- 
 posed him to constant blows and ill-treatment. I had made 
 up my quarrel with my brother, and suffered terribly at 
 witnessing his despair at the treatment he received from his 
 father. 
 
 On the 18th of February the king went to Dresden, where 
 he had several interviews with the King of Poland. These he 
 kept quite secret. 
 
 During his absence my mother was taken dangerously ill, 
 and nearly died. Her sufferings were terrible. I suffered as
 
 118 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 much as she did, and never left her bedside for one moment. 
 As soon as the king had returned to Potsdam, the doctors and 
 her Mistress of the Robes informed him of her great danger. 
 He was much alarmed, and would have hastened to her bed- 
 side, had not Ramen and Eversmann assured him that the sick- 
 ness was a mere pretext, and that the queen was not really ill 
 at all. As, however, the illness increased, and the doctors con- 
 sidered her in imminent danger, a messenger was sent at night 
 to tell the king. He started off at once on receipt of the news, 
 and arrived in the afternoon. He found the queen in a most 
 grievous condition. His own surgeon entirely indorsed the 
 doctor's opinion as to the gravity of the case, and the king was 
 beside himself. My mother took this opportunity of speaking 
 with him about his past conduct, and of all the sorrow he had 
 caused her, which had, she told him, brought her to her present 
 condition. She implored him to forgive me, and to restore 
 me his fatherly affection. My father at once sent for rne. It 
 was a most touching moment. I knelt before him, kissing his 
 hands and covering them with tears, while speaking in the ten- 
 derest manner to him. To please the queen he embraced me, 
 but as soon as she had turned her head away he pushed me 
 from him with such a furious look on his face that I quite 
 trembled. This apparent reconciliation between my father 
 and myself made my mother so happy that three days after- 
 wards she was out of danger. 
 
 We had scarcely escaped from one crisis when we entered 
 upon another. My brother was so irritated at the ill-usage 
 he received from the king that he was considering seriously 
 what decision he should come to. He never let the queen sus- 
 pect anything, but daily came secretly to sec me. 
 
 " I am perpetually being told to have patience," he said, 
 " but no one knows what I have to endure. I am treated like 
 a slave, am beaten every day, and have no relaxation of any 
 kind. I am forbidden to read, to study the sciences or music, 
 and am scarcely allowed to speak to anybody. My life is in
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 119 
 
 perpetual danger, I am surrounded by spies, I have not even 
 enough clothes, and am wanting in most other necessaries of 
 life; but the last terrible scene with the king at Potsdam has 
 quite overcome me. He sent for me one morning. As soon 
 as I entered the room he seized me by my hair and threw me 
 on the ground. After having beaten me with his fists, he 
 dragged me to the window and tied the cord which fastened 
 back the curtain round my throat. I had, fortunately, time 
 to get up and seize hold of his hands; but as he pulled with all 
 his might at the cord round my throat, I felt I was being 
 strangled, and screamed for help. A page rushed in to my 
 assistance, and had to use force in freeing me from my father's 
 hands. 
 
 "Tell me now what remains to me but flight. Katt and 
 Keith are both ready to follow me to the end of the world. I 
 have passports and letters of credit, and have arranged every- 
 thing in such a manner that I cannot possibly run any danger. 
 I shall fly to England, where I shall be received with open 
 arms, and shall have nothing more to fear from my father's 
 anger. I shall confide none of these intentions to the queen 
 first of all, because she gossips with Ramen ; and secondly, be- 
 cause, should such an occasion arise, she could then swear that 
 she knew nothing about the whole business. As soon as my 
 father undertakes another journey for that makes everything 
 safer for me I shall carry out my plan, for everything is in 
 readiness." 
 
 I cried incessantly during this speech, and afterwards asked 
 him if he had reflected as to the results of this step, and how 
 terrible they would be. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, who was 
 present, spoke in the same strain to him ; but we both saw that 
 our representations were quite useless. 
 
 Soon after this the king went to Potsdam. During his ab- 
 sence I took the Holy Sacrament, and on my return from the 
 Dom (Cathedral) on Sunday I found Katt waiting for me. 
 Ramen's rooms were just opposite, and she was standing at her
 
 120 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 door, and Katt was unfortunately imprudent enough to give 
 me a letter from my brother in her presence. 
 
 " I have just come from Potsdam," Katt said, " where I have 
 been staying secretly for three days to see the crown prince, 
 and he intrusted this letter to my care." 
 
 I took it from him without saying a word, and went my 
 way, much annoyed, as any one may suppose, at his want of 
 tact. As soon as I reached my room I opened the letter, and 
 read as follows : 
 
 "DEAR SISTER, I am beside myself. The king ill-treats 
 me worse than ever. I can stand this existence no longer. 
 The queen puts the final touch to this misery by her infatua- 
 tion for this maid Ramen. The king knows everything that 
 takes place every day in her apartments, because Ramen keeps 
 him informed of it all through his valets. These villains ought 
 to be hung on the highest gallows. The king returns to Ber- 
 lin on Tuesday ; but, as it is still a secret, do not tell the queen, 
 or else she will at once inform that wicked creature. 
 " Good-by, dear sister, 
 
 " Yours always entirely." 
 
 I was now in a terrible difficulty. I could not show this let- 
 ter to the queen, and yet I feared that Ramen would have told 
 her I had received it. After thinking it well over, I tfirew the 
 missive into the fire, and determined to say nothing. Happily, 
 that ill-natured woman had never mentioned anything about 
 the letter. It was, perhaps, the only good deed in her life. 
 This circumstance is, probably, scarcely worth mentioning; still, 
 the course of these memoirs will show that I was right in not- 
 ing it down. 
 
 The English chaplain had meanwhile arrived in London. He 
 had described our position in such touching terms, and given 
 so favorable an account of my brother, that the whole nation 
 was won over to us. The Prince of Wales, with whom ho had
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 121 
 
 a long conversation, declared to the king, his father, that he 
 would never marry any one but myself, and begged him at last 
 to allow the marriage to be solemnized. For this purpose the 
 king named the "knight" Hotham as his envoy extraordinary 
 to the Court of Berlin, where he arrived in the month of May. 
 The queen was still ill, and her great weakness prevented her 
 leaving her bed. She was much pleased at Hotham's mission. 
 As soon as he arrived at Berlin he demanded an audience of 
 the king, for which purpose he was at once summoned to Char- 
 lottenburg. The queen sent some trusty friends there to keep 
 her informed of all that took place. Hotham made a formal 
 proposal for my hand. He told my father that his king and 
 master and the whole nation were convinced that, after giving 
 him this proof of their confidence, the king would not refuse 
 his consent to the marriage of the crown prince. At any rate 
 people in England would be quite satisfied if my wedding took 
 place first, and they left it free to the king to decide as to the 
 time when the crown prince's should be celebrated. My father 
 was enchanted, embraced the envoy over and over again, and 
 gave him endless assurances of his friendship. Then dinner 
 was announced, to which Seckendorf and Grumkow were in- 
 vited. The king was in the best of tempers. At the close of 
 the dinner he sent for a large glass, and proposed the health of 
 his " dear son-in-law, the Prince of Wales." He had scarcely 
 finished speaking, when all present rose from their seats and 
 congratulated him. This expression of sympathy touched him 
 so much that he had tears in his eyes. After dinner he took 
 leave of the envoy, who begged him not to make too much ado 
 about the marriage, and to grant him another audience. Grum- 
 kow and Seckendorf meanwhile were thunderstruck, and had 
 the greatest trouble to hide their dismay. 
 
 As soon as the king had left Charlottenburg, the queen's 
 faithful people came rushing to her with this joyful news. I 
 was in my own room working and being read aloud to, when 
 my door was thrown open, and more than thirty ladies, gentle-
 
 122 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 men, and servants entered, and, bending one knee before me, 
 according to English fashion, wished me joy. In utter surprise 
 I asked what it all meant, and if they had all gone mad. The 
 only answer I received was that they called out, " Long live the 
 Princess of Wales !" and then told me what had taken place. 
 " Is that all ?" I answered, and quietly resumed my work. A 
 few moments later my sisters and several ladies from the town 
 came to me to express their interest and sympathy. I was 
 much beloved; every one wept with joy and satisfaction. I 
 refused to accept all these compliments, and told them that I 
 knew of nothing, and could not accept their good wishes on 
 mere hearsay. In the evening I went to my mother. Her 
 heart was overflowing with joy. She received me on entering 
 the room as her dear Princess of Wales. Mademoiselle von 
 Sonnsfeld took the liberty of entreating her to be more careful. 
 "The king might be offended," she said, " if your Majesty makes 
 so much ado about a subject of which he has not yet informed 
 you. Pray be more prudent than ever ! The slightest trifle 
 may yet destroy all our hopes." As Countess Finkenstein en- 
 tirely supported Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld's opinion, the 
 queen promised to be careful. 
 
 Three days later the king came to Berlin. He never uttered 
 a word to the queen about all that had happened, so that we 
 had but little faith in these negotiations. On the other hand, 
 he announced to her that he had just settled my second sister's 
 marriage to the eldest son of the Duke of Brunswick-Bevern, 
 and. that he and his father would arrive here next day. Seck- 
 endorf had negotiated this marriage, and intended it to serve 
 his further purposes. It was to be the corner-stone of the po- 
 litical edifice he had in view. 
 
 The Duke of Brunswick was the empress's brother, and at 
 that time dependent on an annuity. His father-in-law, the 
 Duke of Blankenburg, however, was the probable heir to the 
 Duchy of Brunswick. I shall waste no time in painting his 
 portrait ; suffice it to say that he was in every way a most es-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 123 
 
 timable and excellent prince. His son followed in his foot- 
 steps. My sister's formal betrothal took place two days after 
 his arrival. As my mother was expecting her confinement, the 
 ceremony took place privately, no other minister being present 
 but Seckendorf. In consequence of my mother being unable 
 to leave her room to dine with the king, we missed all oppor- 
 tunity of seeing Hotham. 
 
 Though Hotham did not dine with the king, he had frequent 
 interviews with him on the following subjects : The King of 
 England demanded Grumkow's dismissal as a return for the 
 
 c3 
 
 step taken in the king's favor. He let ray father know that 
 he considered Grumkow the cause and instigator of the un- 
 friendly relations between the two courts, and of all the misun- 
 derstandings that had taken place ; that he basely betrayed his 
 master, as could be proved through letters that had been inter- 
 cepted. These letters Grumkow had written to Reichenbach, 
 a Prussian residing in London. They had been deciphered, 
 and later on I shall give their contents. The King of England 
 then further acquainted my father with all the intrigues of the 
 Court of Vienna, and finally insisted on my brother's marriage. 
 He wanted only the betrothal. He was quite ready to accept 
 me without a dowry, and promised that the Princess Amelia's 
 dowry should be 100,000. All this staggered my father 
 much. As to Grumkow, he answered that if he could see the 
 letters proving his guilt, he would dismiss him at once. My 
 brother's marriage he would take into consideration, but as re- 
 gards my own he gladly accepted every condition. A few 
 days later the king said to Hotham, " I will agree to my son's 
 marriage if he is made Regent of Hanover, and allowed to di- 
 rect the management of the kingdom till my death, and if pro- 
 vision is made for his maintenance." Hotham answered that 
 he would at once write to England about it, and that he did 
 not think he should meet with any great difficulties. 
 
 As long as Hotham was at Berlin he received letters from 
 the Prince of Wales by every post. Some of these he commu-
 
 124 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 nicated to my mother. I also saw some of them, and they al- 
 ways ended up in this way : " Please, dear Hotham, get my 
 marriage settled ; my impatience increases daily, for I am quite 
 foolishly in love." It cannot be disputed that these were most 
 romantic feelings he had never even seen me ! I really be- 
 lieve it was more obstinacy than love, and was not, therefore, 
 much flattered by his protestations. 
 
 The suspicions Hotham had raised in the king's mind against 
 Grumkow began to take effect. My father scarcely ever spoke 
 to him now, and abused him before others who he knew would 
 be sure to repeat to him what they heard. Seckendorf also 
 stood very low in favor, and to all appearance my marriage was 
 a certainty. On the 25th the queen gave birth to a prince. 
 He was named Augustus Ferdinand, and the whole Brunswick 
 family stood sponsors. On the 30th the king left for the camp 
 at Miihlberg. The King of Poland's love of pomp and splen- 
 dor were very apparent on this occasion. Nearly the whole of 
 the Saxon army was assembled in the camp, and performed all 
 the evolutions and manoeuvres laid down by Polybius. The 
 uniforms, liveries, and carriages were wonderfully rich, and peo- 
 ple say that this camp quite exceeded in splendor the Field of 
 the Cloth of Gold which took place in France.* 
 
 The evening before his departure, my brother came to see 
 me. He wore a French uniform, which frightened me dread- 
 fully. No prince or officer is allowed to wear any other uni- 
 form than his own, and to do so is a punishable offence. It is 
 true that it could matter but little to my brother whether he 
 was turned out of the army or not ; but, considering my fa- 
 ther's temper, such an act of disobedience might have led to 
 terrible consequences. " I come to take leave of you," my 
 brother said, " and do so with the greatest grief. God knows 
 when we shall see each other again !" These words fell on me 
 
 * The meeting of Francis I. of France and Henry VIII. of England in 
 1520.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 125 
 
 like a thunder-bolt, and I stood there petrified. My governess, 
 who had more presence of mind, tried to induce him to feel 
 how very wrongly he was acting in taking this step, and what 
 cruel consequences it might have for us just now, too, when 
 the king was becoming reconciled to England, when Secken- 
 dorf and Grumkow were losing their influence, and when every- 
 thing seemed turning out for his happiness. He would destroy 
 all these hopes if he carried out his purpose. Besides, the king 
 was too well aware of the intimate relations subsisting between 
 my brother and myself not to suspect me of participation in 
 this plot, and would therefore make me the first victim. Al- 
 ready it was but too apparent how much our great devotion to 
 each other annoyed him, and she was sure that he was on the 
 point of bringing wretchedness on our whole family. I added 
 my entreaties to those of my governess, and these and our tears 
 prevailed so far as to induce him to give us his word of honor 
 to return home again. 
 
 The king had no sooner reached Muhlberg than endeavors 
 were made to impress on him that the measures taken by Eng- 
 land to bring about the marriages were only moves in some 
 deep-laid game ; that it was intended to get rid of the king's 
 most trusty and devoted servants. He was further told that the 
 English Court was ready, in order to gain my father's consent 
 to the crown prince's marriage, to acquiesce in the most strin- 
 gent conditions, but that its real object was to depose him, so 
 that my brother might assume the government. I have often 
 mentioned that suspicion and distrust were marked traits in ray 
 father's character. His great dislike to my brother, therefore, 
 prevented him from examining into the truth of these rumors, 
 and he returned to Berlin in a state of anger that boded ill for 
 the success of Hotham's mission. 
 
 The king at last spoke to the queen on the subject. He told 
 her that he was most anxious to see me provided for and my 
 future settled, but that he would never agree to my brother's 
 marriage. My mother tried her utmost to calm him and allay
 
 126 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 his suspicions, and she seemed to have succeeded in doing so. 
 The Danish envoy, a very clever man, came gallantly to her aid, 
 and helped finally to pacify the king. He spoke to him about 
 Gruinkow, and exposed all his intrigues. The king answered 
 that he was quite willing to dismiss him, and to treat him se- 
 verely, but would not do so till my marriage was formally de- 
 clared. England, however, insisted on his dismissal before this 
 event. The king left Berlin very favorably inclined. 
 
 Grumkow, who had his spies everywhere, soon learned what 
 had passed between M. von Lovner, the Danish envoy, and the 
 king. His conscience told him what treatment he had to ex- 
 pect if all his plots, double-dealings, and intrigues were discov- 
 ered. The queen was holding receptions during this time, and 
 Grumkow was imprudent enough to appear at one of them. 
 His appearance betrayed his state of mind most clearly, for he 
 looked like a culprit, and did not dare raise his eyes from the 
 ground. The queen never spoke to him, nor did she invite 
 him to sit at her table : he stood the whole time in a corner, 
 and nobody went near him. The fall of a man, who had up to 
 this time been honored and feared by all as much as the king 
 himself, made me very thoughtful. His fate called forth my 
 pity, and I determined to speak to him. I accordingly had a 
 long conversation with him on trivial subjects, and treated him 
 as civilly as I was wont. M. von Lovner afterwards expressed 
 his surprise to me that I should have spoken with such a vil- 
 lain, and said that the English envoy would not be over-satis- 
 fied when he heard of my doing so. " I am not in England," 
 I answered, " and at present it is not necessary that I should 
 frame my behavior according to the ideas of that nation. I 
 am quite well aware that Grumkow is a bad man and my bit- 
 terest enemy, but his misfortune calls forth my pity. Believe 
 me, a fallen enemy can still remain dangerous. For my part I 
 wish him no other punishment than that of being unable to 
 do any further harm." M. von Lovner has often since remind- 
 ed me of this conversation, and of the truth of my prophecy.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 127 
 
 The king returned to Berlin soon after this. I found my 
 brother in a terrible state of mind. His whole being had so 
 suffered from the constant ill-treatment he had received, and 
 he was so imbittered against his father, that it was no longer 
 possible to pacify him. 
 
 I have already had occasion to mention Colonel Rochow, 
 who was about my brother's person. My brother had, during 
 moments of his bitterest despair, let fall some hints of his plan 
 of flight before him. This imprudence had made Rochow pay 
 greater attention to the prince and his utterances, and he found 
 that they were not merely wild words uttered at random, but 
 that he had some fixed plan ready to carry into execution. 
 Rochow went to Mademoiselle von Biilow, and begged her to 
 speak with the queen about it. Had he been a discreet man 
 he would have let the matter rest there, but as it was he went 
 from house to house confiding it to every one. My mother 
 was greatly alarmed when Mademoiselle von Biilow spoke to 
 her on the subject, and at once asked me if I knew anything 
 about it. I answered that I was but too well aware of my 
 brother's utter state of despair, and that he only hid it from 
 her to spare her sorrow. But I said I did not believe him ca- 
 pable of the plan attributed to him. I was unable to say more 
 to her about it on account of the maid Ramen. I begged the 
 queen to speak with my brother, but in all love and gentleness, 
 as I had great confidence in her influence with him. She fol- 
 lowed my advice, and the assurances she received from him al- 
 layed all her fears. My own were, however, none the less, and 
 I was in an agony of mind. I could not confide in the queen 
 on account of Ramen, and yet I was powerless to avert the 
 threatened blow. 
 
 Meanwhile the replies from England arrived. Every condi- 
 tion the king had made as regards my brother was agreed to, 
 but the English Court insisted anew on Grumkow's immediate 
 dismissal. Till he was gone the consent to the marriage would 
 be withheld. Intercepted letters from Grumkow were at the
 
 128 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BA1REUTH. 
 
 same time sent to my father. Seckendorf, who had his spies 
 everywhere, heard of these, and to be beforehand he sought an 
 interview with the king. In this audience Seckendorf repre- 
 sented to his master, in the most glowing terms, the trouble 
 and pain the emperor had taken to gain the king's friendship. 
 He had not only allowed him the right of getting recruits for 
 his army in his dominions, but had also promised him to be 
 security for the principalities of Jiilich and Berg. Further- 
 more, in what despair the emperor would be when he found 
 that despite all his efforts the king had thrown himself entirely 
 into the arms of England. If the king, however, were so de- 
 sirous of my marriage, then the emperor would not object to 
 its being carried out. Seckendorf then continued to say, with 
 abject hypocrisy, " I am an honest man, and have been devoted 
 to you for years past : your position causes me the greatest 
 alarm. See these letters which I received from England; they 
 prove that the crown prince is in complete understanding with 
 that Court, that the queen has expressed herself most impru- 
 dently as to the steps he has taken, and that he has engaged 
 himself to the Princess Amelia without your knowledge, and 
 has twice written to the Queen of England on the subject. 
 Grumkow has even more positive information about all this 
 than I have, and is ready to lay it before your Majesty. Your 
 Majesty may now judge for yourself as to the dangers to which 
 you expose yourself if you consent to the crown prince's mar- 
 riage, and dismiss your faithful servants. You will have a 
 daughter-in-law for whose maintenance the State is not able to 
 pay, your Court will be filled with intriguers, and the crown 
 prince will soon assume the government, leaving your Majesty 
 merely the bare title of king, while lie will be the actual sovereign. 
 You will soon feel the truth of all I have said, as you already have 
 the beginning of it before your eyes. England already treats you 
 like a child. It dictates its commands to you, and, so to speak, 
 coaxes you with a piece of sugar, saying, ' If you dismiss Grum- 
 kow you shall have the sugar, otherwise you get nothing. ' '
 
 MEMOIKS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 129 
 
 Seckendorf's long speech, which he accompanied with all the 
 necessary action and exclamations, fulfilled its object. The 
 king became very silent and thoughtful, and though he made 
 no answer Seckendorf observed that he had succeeded in shak- 
 ing him. 
 
 On the 14th of July, the day after this conversation, Hotham 
 had an audience with the king. lie began by saying that Eng- 
 land was quite ready to agree to all the king's conditions, and 
 to further all his objects, but that his king did not doubt that 
 my father would be ready on his part to sacrifice Grumkow ; 
 and Hotham thereupon showed the king Grurnkow's intercept- 
 ed letters. My father took the letters, white with rage, and 
 threw them in Hotham's face, asking whether he expected him 
 to kick him if he only lifted up one foot, with which remark 
 he left the room, furiously banging the door behind him. 
 Hotham left the Castle no less angry a circumstance which, to 
 people acquainted with English temper, speaks for itself. lie 
 at once sent for the Danish and Dutch envoys, told them of all 
 that had happened, and declared that he considered all negotia- 
 tions broken off, and that he would leave Berlin next morning. 
 It was only with the greatest trouble that these gentlemen in- 
 duced Hotham to postpone his departure for a few days. 
 
 The king had no sooner reached his own room than he be- 
 gan bitterly to regret what he had done, foreseeing the results. 
 He was in perfect despair. The queen was informed of what 
 had occurred by a note which Hotham wrote to Mademoiselle 
 von Biilow. It is needless to say how greatly distressed she 
 was at it. At last we went to dinner. The king spoke little, 
 and seemed very much put out. As soon as dinner was over, 
 he sent for the Danish and Dutch envoys, and asked their aid 
 as mediators between him and Hotham. During the rest of 
 this day, which was spent in perpetual "goings and comings," 
 the king did nothing but torment my mother by saying that 
 all negotiations with England were broken off. That as he did 
 not any longer know " with what sauce to serve me," I had
 
 130 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGKAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 better become Abbess of Herfort. My mother answered that 
 she should be quite satisfied with this. The king, therefore, 
 wrote to the Margravine Philip, who was at this time the Ab- 
 bess of Herfort, begging her to give me the post which my 
 youngest sister there had. That she readily met the king's 
 wishes is almost unnecessary to state. 
 
 As the king became aware that all his endeavors to pacify 
 Hotham had been unavailing, he now desired the two envoys 
 to offer him an ample apology in his name. My brother, who 
 heard of this from M. von Lovner, at once wrote word to my 
 mother, mentioning at the same time that Lovner had begged 
 him to write to the English envoy, entreating him to accept the 
 king's excuse. The queen entirely approved of this suggestion, 
 and my brother wrote as follows : 
 
 " SIR, I have heard from M. von Lovner of the king's lat- 
 est proposals, and feel sure that you will agree to them. You 
 will no doubt remember that the whole of my sister's future 
 happiness and my own, as well as that of the two houses, de- 
 pend on your answer. I feel convinced that your reply will 
 fulfil our expectations, and that you will yield to our entreaties. 
 I shall never forget the gratitude I shall owe you for this serv- 
 ice rendered by you: it will be life-long, 
 
 " I remain always, sir, . 
 
 " Your well-wisher and sincere friend." 
 
 Katt was sent with this letter to Hotham. The queen had 
 grown very fond of Katt in consequence of my brother's con- 
 stant, earnest recommendations. Half an hour later my broth- 
 er received the following answer from Hotham : 
 
 "SiR, M. de Katt has just given me your Royal High- 
 ness's letter. I am most grateful for the confidence expressed 
 in me. If this whole business concerned me only, I should 
 leave no stone unturned to prove the devotion and respect I 
 bear your Royal Highness and your wishes. But the insult
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 131 
 
 which has been offered me touches the king, ray master, and for 
 this reason I cannot give way to your Royal Highness' s request. 
 I shall endeavor to place the whole subject in the best possible 
 light, and although the negotiations have been for the present 
 broken off, I trust that they are not so finally. 
 
 " I remain, sir, 
 
 " Etc., etc., etc." 
 
 How greatly this answer grieved the queen will easily be un- 
 derstood. My brother threw his head up in the air, saying, 
 " After all, the misfortune is not so great ;" then turning to me, 
 he continued, " You had better become abbess, for then you 
 will have nothing more to fear from the Duke of Weissenfels 
 or the Margrave of Schwedt. It is really not worth while for 
 the queen to make such an ado about the business. I am sick 
 and tired of the whole concern. Do you do what you like. I 
 have nothing more to reproach myself with on your account. 
 I have done all I can to see you settled in England, and now 
 the time has come to think of myself. Tears and entreaties 
 are no longer of any use. I have suffered enough. You must 
 see how you can get on alone." These words, which he uttered 
 in a very disdainful manner, hurt me extremely. I endeavored 
 at first to pacify him with gentle words ; but his answers were 
 so curt and rude tkat I at last grew angry, and said some sharp 
 things before we parted. 
 
 My brother was to accompany the king early next morning 
 to Anspach. In spite of my anger with him, I determined to 
 make one last effort to dissuade him from carrying out his 
 well -considered plan. I loved him also far too dearly to be 
 long angry with him. I consequently began a fresh conver- 
 sation with him after dinner. His answers, however, remained 
 cold and curt. At last he said, " I don't know why you tor- 
 ment me so to give you my word of honor to return. Who has 
 told you that I meditate flight? I have been thinking about 
 it, and have given up the plan." The king entered the room
 
 132 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 at this moment, so I was unable to say anything, and merely 
 embraced my brother, who whispered to me that he would 
 probably come and see me. I waited for him in my room a 
 whole hour. At last a note was brought me from him by his 
 valet, full of excuses and assurances of his affection. 
 
 This valet was a young man who had always served him, 
 and had studied with him. He was clever, and had till now 
 been most constant in his fidelity and devotion to him. He 
 unfortunately fell in love with one of the queen's maids, a 
 sworn enemy of Ramon's. As my brother was so fond of 
 this young man, he allowed him to marry. No sooner had 
 he done so than Ramen tried to induce his wife, by means of 
 every kind of flattery at her disposal, to persuade her husband 
 to betray his master to the king. She allowed herself to be 
 entrapped by this Megsera's soft words, and succeeded in mak- 
 ing her husband one of the king's spies. My brother had as 
 yet observed nothing of this, but at last he learned the truth 
 in the crudest manner. 
 
 The king left for Anspach the following day. The con- 
 versation with my brother, his manner and his answers, made 
 me so nervous that I could not sleep all night. I spent it in 
 talking with Mademoiselle von Sonhsfeld and in crying bit- 
 terly, for we were both prepared for some great sorrow and 
 trouble. 
 
 On the following day Hotham sent my mother Grumkow's 
 letters, which she communicated to me after having read them. 
 There were six or seven of them. Three of them were written 
 in the month of February, when my mother was so dangerous- 
 ly ill. In each of these he says : " Everybody is speaking of 
 the queen's serious illness. It is mere pretence, assumed for 
 the purpose of softening the King of England's heart. She is 
 as well as a fish in water" (this is his own expression). "If 
 possible, let the king know this. I have again got posts for 
 two of my creatures, so as to be able to play upon the crown 
 prince. Please continue to inform me of all the sly games
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 133 
 
 going on at your Court." In another letter Grumkow writes : 
 " I have settled with the friend " (this was Seclcendorf) " that 
 he is to tell the king that the crown prince corresponds with 
 the English Court. Write me a letter about this which I can 
 show to the fat one" (this was the king). "Don't be afraid, I 
 will support you, and will take care we are not found out, for I 
 can do what I like with him " (the king). And then he always 
 ended with the same refrain, "The queen is as well in health as 
 a fish in water." In the month of March Grumkow wrote : 
 " The measures taken by the Prince of Wales surprise me 
 greatly. What in the world, dear Reichenbach, does Hotham's 
 mission mean ? Why do they give themselves so much trouble 
 about marrying a princess who is as ugly as the devil, besides 
 being copper-colored, disgusting, and silly ? I cannot under- 
 stand how this prince, who has free choice, can be satisfied 
 with such a moon-calf. I pity him with all my heart; he ought 
 to be spoken to about it. I leave this to you." All the rest 
 of the letters were written in the same strain. 
 
 The queen received company three times a week at Monbijou. 
 This was a little garden just outside the town, which she had 
 herself laid out and beautified. Grumkow constantly appeared 
 here, and showed by his demeanor that he was in greater favor 
 than ever. 
 
 One day Katt came to me and asked me if I had any mes- 
 sage for rny brother. He was sending him a messenger, and 
 the opportunity was quite a safe one. I replied that I was sur- 
 prised at his venturing to do this; for if the king found it out 
 it would cost him his whole happiness, and only cause my 
 brother worry and annoyance. I at any rate would not in- 
 trust anything to this messenger. A few days later Mademoi- 
 selle von Billow and a few other well-intentioned people came 
 to me and told me that Katt was saying everywhere that the 
 crown prince was thinking of flight. That he had at the same 
 time boasted of his influence and of the great favor in which 
 he was held by his master, and that he had said all this in the
 
 134 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 presence of persons there was reason to suspect. He had also 
 shown about a beautiful snuffbox he had with the crown 
 prince's portrait and my own on the lid, and had given him- 
 self airs which did not at all become him. I was of opinion 
 that the queen should be told of Katt's behavior, first of all in 
 order to cause him to be silent, and secondly to get the snuff- 
 box out of his hands. My mother was very angry when she 
 heard of it, and desired Mademoiselle von Billow to get the 
 snuffbox with the miniature from Katt, and to tell him of her 
 extreme displeasure. He obstinately refused to give up the 
 box, but promised not to show it about any more. He con- 
 fessed to Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld that he had copied my 
 portrait from one my brother had of me, and which he had 
 given him to take care of for him. After this occurrence 
 neither my mother nor I could any longer endure Katt. One 
 morning when I woke I saw Ramen enter my room. She said 
 she came purposely to speak with me, and to confide some- 
 thing to me which she had on her mind. Mademoiselle von 
 Sonnsfeld wished to retire, but she begged her to remain in 
 the room, as what she had to say concerned her. " You are 
 distressed," she began, " that the queen shows you so little 
 affection. Thank God that it is so, for to be in her favor is 
 enough to insure your dismissal. I happily have nothing to 
 fear, for I am quite safe. I know quite well that you are 
 aware of all my double-dealings, and therefore I will not pre- 
 tend to deny them ; but beware if you speak to the queen 
 about them : I shall certainly take rny revenge. You need 
 be under no illusion ; the king shall hear of it at once, and 
 his anger will know no bounds. The queen, on the other 
 hand, is no great genius, and I should soon make her believe 
 that all you had told her was slander, and I should manage it 
 in such a way that all the harm you wished to do me would 
 fall back on yourself. Dreadful things will take place here, 
 and you will have much sorrow. I advise you to make up 
 your mind to accept the Duke of Weissenfcls. After all, it
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 135 
 
 is not such a very important matter to get married. I know 
 the queen : she will take comfort at last, and the king will 
 look kindly on you, and then everything else will come right." 
 
 If I had dared I would have thrown this insolent woman out 
 of the window ; as it was, I had to control my anger and deal 
 gently with her. I understood her words at once, and, alas ! all 
 came but too true. 
 
 But to return to Grumkow. His fate was that of those who 
 have to reproach themselves. At times his conscience pricked 
 him, and he became morose. The following Sunday he was, as 
 well as myself, to take the Holy Communion, and had had the 
 Court chaplain, Jablousky, all day with him. I had so much to 
 think of all day that I sat down quietly in the garden near 
 Mademoiselle von Bulow to let my melancholy thoughts have 
 free course. To our great surprise Grumkow joined us there, 
 and began holding forth to us. His moral reflections sounded 
 to me like words from the Bible in the mouth of the devil. I 
 did not wish to get up at once and leave my seat, but as I knew 
 the queen's mistrust, I broke off the conversation and returned 
 to the house. He followed me all the way, and at last said 
 that it had grieved him extremely to see us treated so unkind- 
 ly by the king; yet, he said, he thought the prince should give 
 way more to his father's wishes, and then he began a long speech 
 in my brother's praise. I walked on faster and faster, but he 
 would not let himself be disturbed, and continued, saying that, 
 as I had so much influence with my brother, I could surely re- 
 call him to a sense of his duty. He was an amiable prince, but 
 was unfortunately in bad hands. I answered Grumkow that I 
 knew perfectly what were the duties of children towards their 
 parents: if my brother followed my advice, he would never 
 fail in any of them, and would always obey the king's orders as 
 soon as he knew what they were. He wanted to answer me ; 
 but at this moment, to my great joy, some ladies met us, and 
 put an end to the conversation. M. Jablousky has since told 
 me that Grumkow had been in a strange state of excitement all
 
 136 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 that day, and everything he said to him on that occasion was 
 in connection with later events. 
 
 That same evening it was the 12th of August as my 
 mother was sitting near Mademoiselle von Billow, and taking 
 off her head-dress, they heard a terrible noise in my mother's 
 boudoir. .This room was beautifully decorated with china, 
 some pieces being most rare, and embossed with crystal and 
 precious stones. All the crown plate, too, and my mother's 
 jewel - case, were kept in this room. The queen at once ex- 
 claimed that all her china had been broken, and that it must be 
 looked after. Mademoiselle von Biilow and three maids imme- 
 diately entered the boudoir, but they found everything in order 
 and nothing broken. The noise was repeated three times, and 
 they also heard a great disturbance in the corridor connecting 
 the king and queen's rooms, at the end of which sentinels were 
 always posted. The queen said, " I cannot stand this ; I must 
 go and see myself what is the matter." Upon this the queen, 
 Mademoiselle von Billow, and the maids each took a candle 
 and stepped out into the corridor. As they did so they heard 
 sighing and groaning close to them, but could discover nobody. 
 They asked the sentinels if they had seen anything, and they 
 answered No, but that they had heard the same noise. My 
 mother, who was very courageous, caused every nook and cor- 
 ner to be searched, even the king's rooms, but nothing whatever 
 was discovered. My mother and those that were present with 
 her on this occasion gave me an account of everything next 
 day. 
 
 A few days afterwards the queen gave a concert. I general- 
 ly accompanied on the piano and guitar, and every amateur in 
 Berlin was present. When I had played long enough, I rose 
 to go into another room, where some ladies were playing at 
 cards. I was suddenly stopped by Katt, who said to me, " For 
 God's sake, and for the love you bear your brother, listen to 
 me for a moment. I am distracted. 1 have been calumniated 
 to tlie queen and to yourself, and you have been made to be-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTIT. 137 
 
 lieve that I have put the idea of flight into the crown prince's 
 head. I swear to your Royal Highness, by all that is most 
 holy, the whole plan was settled long before I knew anything 
 of it. You can assure the queen most emphatically from me 
 that I have written to him, and told him that if he carried out 
 his intention I shall not follow him. But there is nothing to 
 fear this time : I will answer for it with my head." 
 
 " I already see your head shaking," I replied, " and fear it 
 will soon be lying at your feet. What pleasure can it have 
 afforded you to have proclaimed everywhere that my brother 
 had the intention of taking flight ? And who allowed you to 
 have a snuffbox with my portrait on it ?' 
 
 Katt then answered me, " As regards your first question, I 
 merely mentioned your brother's idea to M. von Lovner, and a 
 few others whom I knew I could trust ; then as to your second 
 remark, I did not think it such a serious matter to have shown 
 a portrait of you which I had myself painted." 
 
 " You are playing a dangerous game," I replied, " and I fear 
 that I shall prove but too true a prophet." 
 
 He grew very pale, and answered, " Well, if misfortune is to 
 be my fate, then it will be in a good cause, and I know that 
 the crown prince will never desert me." 
 
 This was my last conversation with Katt, and I never saw 
 him again. I had not thought that I could so truly have fore- 
 told what was in store for him, and I said it then only to make 
 him more modest and discreet. 
 
 The next day was the 15th of August, the king's birthday, 
 and every one came to congratulate my mother. On such occa- 
 sions the Court was very numerously attended. I had another 
 long conversation with Grurnkow. He had got rid of his fit of 
 moroseness, and held forth at length on my father's many great 
 qualities. He finished up the conversation by saying, " I shall 
 soon have an opportunity of proving to your Royal Highness 
 how truly I am devoted to you." He said this in such a 
 marked manner that I could not make out what he meant by
 
 138 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREtJTH. 
 
 it. Mademoiselle von Billow was on such a good footing with 
 him that she teased him on every possible occasion. Some- 
 times the jokes went too far, so that I cautioned her to be 
 careful, but her great vivacity carried her beyond herself. On 
 the present occasion she and Grumkow were, as usual, having a 
 friendly altercation ; but he wound up the dispute by using al- 
 most the same words as he had addressed to me, " You will 
 shortly find out how true a friend of yours I am." 
 
 The queen had prepared a fete at Mon bijou for the next day, 
 which was to be a surprise for us all. It was also to celebrate 
 a second time the king's birthday. I shall never forget this 
 day. My mother had arranged the supper-table most beauti- 
 fully, and each guest found a charming little present under his 
 napkin. We were all in the highest spirits, except Countess 
 Finkenstein and Mademoiselle von Bulow, who never uttered a 
 word. After supper there was a ball, and as I loved dancing 
 I enjoyed myself to my heart's content. Mademoiselle von 
 Biilow said, several times, " It is late, I wish the dancing would 
 stop !" to which I replied, " Oh, do let me have the pleasure 
 of dancing as long as possible. I shall not soon have the op- 
 portunity again." "That is very likely," she answered. At 
 the end of half an hour she touched my arm and said, " Do 
 put an end to the ball ; you have danced quite enough. You 
 are so engrossed by it that you neither see nor hear." " But 
 what is the matter ?" I answered, in great astonishment. " Look 
 at your mother," Mademoiselle von Billow said, pointing to 
 the queen, who was standing in a corner of the room, talking 
 in whispers to Countess Finkenstein, Madame von Konnken, 
 and Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld. All four were pale as death, 
 and showed symptoms of the greatest alarm. I asked at once 
 what was the matter, and if it concerned my brother. Madem- 
 oiselle von Billow shrugged her shoulders and said she knew 
 nothing. The queen at last took leave of the company and 
 got into her carnage with me, but she never spoke one word 
 the whole way home. My heart began beating furiously ; I
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 139 
 
 was in a terrible state of agitation, and yet I dared not ask 
 her a single question. 
 
 No sooner had I reached my room than I tormented Madem- 
 oiselle von Sonnsfeld to tell me what had happened. " You 
 will learn it but too soon," she replied. Yet as she saw the 
 state of mind in which I was, she continued, " The queen was 
 anxious not to disturb your rest, and has therefore forbidden 
 me to mention anything of what has occurred." As, however, 
 she now saw in what great distress I was, she thought it bet- 
 ter to tell me the truth than to let me suppose even worse 
 news. She then proceeded to say that the king had sent a 
 messenger to the mistress of the robes, Madame von Konnken, 
 to tell her he had been obliged to arrest the crown prince, as 
 he had discovered his intention of taking flight. Madame von 
 Konnken was to tell this to the queen, as he wished to spare 
 her health, and she was to give her the enclosed letter. " The 
 crown prince was arrested on the llth," Mademoiselle von 
 Sonnsfeld continued " the very same day on which the queen 
 heard all that noise in the corridor." I thought I must have 
 fainted on hearing all this. My grief about my brother knew 
 no bounds, and I spent a terrible night 
 
 Early next morning my mother at once sent for me, and 
 showed me the king's letter, which had evidently been written 
 in the first heat of passion: "I have arrested and imprisoned 
 the scoundrel (Schurke), and shall treat him as his crime and 
 cowardice deserve. I no longer acknowledge him as my son. 
 He has cast dishonor on me as well as on my family. Such a 
 wretch as he is does not deserve to live." My mother and I 
 were beside ourselves with misery. 
 
 The queen then told me that Katt had been secretly arrested 
 next day, and all his papers and possessions seized. Marshal 
 Natzmer had been intrusted with this task. 
 
 As this whole occurrence sounds very strange, I must try 
 and explain it all. Grumkow had been in possession of the 
 fact of the crown prince's arrest since the 15th, and could not
 
 140 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 resist telling several people of Ins great satisfaction at it. M. 
 von Lovner, the Danish envoy, had been informed by his spies 
 of the probable arrest of Katt, and had written him a note 
 advising him to fly before it was too late. Katt accordingly 
 went next morning to Marshal Natzmer and asked leave to go 
 to Friedrichsfelde, where the Margrave Albert had invited him 
 to dinner. As Natzmer had not then received any orders from 
 the king, he gave him permission to go. Katt had ordered a 
 saddle to be made on purpose for him, in which he could put 
 money and papers and even clothes. This saddle was unfortu- 
 nately not quite finished, and this delayed his departure, and 
 he employed the time he was kept waiting in burning letters 
 and papers. Just as he was about to mount his horse Marshal 
 Natzmer appeared and desired him to give up his sword. Natz- 
 mer had waited three hours after receiving the king's orders 
 to arrest Katt, in order to give the unfortunate young man a 
 chance of escape, and was therefore not a little surprised when 
 he still found him in Berlin. 
 
 When my mother had somewhat recovered from her first 
 burst of grief, she asked me if I had known of my brother's 
 intentions. I answered in the affirmative, and then proceeded 
 to tell her everything that had passed on the subject, saying 
 that I had not told her anything of it that she might not be 
 involved if he did carry out his plan, but that after what Katt 
 had lately told me I had not been in the least prepared for 
 this catastrophe. "But what has he done with our letters?'' 
 the queen said. " We are lost if they are discovered." " I 
 have often spoken to him about this," I answered, " and he 
 has always assured me that he had destroyed them." " But I 
 know him better," my mother replied, " and I am sure they an- 
 among Katt's papers." "That is possible," T said, " and if so, 
 then my head is in danger." "And mine too," the quccu 
 answered. " I have sent for Countess Finkcnstein and Mad- 
 emoiselle von Sonnsfeld, to consult with them as to what can 
 be done." And we really heard next day that all my brother's
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 141 
 
 papers were among Katt's things. The officers who had been 
 present when these were seized described to me all the differ- 
 ent boxes, and I recognized from the description the casket 
 which contained our letters. After much consideration, the 
 queen determined to seek the aid of her chaplain, Reinbeck, 
 in this matter. He was to ask Natzmer to find some means of 
 getting the casket out of Katt's house. Reinbeck was unfort- 
 unately ill, and could not come. These letters were of the ut- 
 most importance to us. In several of them I had expressed 
 myself in very strong terms about the king. I repeat it here 
 again, that I have reproached myself over and over again for 
 having been wanting in respect towards him. In spite of my 
 sharp words I loved my father dearly, and it was more from a 
 desire to show off my cleverness than from any evil motive 
 that I wrote about him as I did. But to return to my sub- 
 ject. 
 
 Next morning Countess Finkenstein came to my room in a 
 great state of alarm, exclaiming, " I am lost ! Yesterday on rny 
 return from the queen I found a casket sealed with Katt's arms, 
 addressed to the queen at my house, accompanied by this note." 
 She gave it to me to read, and its contents were as follows : 
 " Pray have the goodness to deliver this casket into the queen's 
 hands; it contains her correspondence and the princess's with 
 the crown prince." " Four trusty friends brought the box and 
 letter to my servants," Countess Finkenstein continued ; " I do 
 not know what I am to decide on doing. Am I to say any- 
 thing to the queen about it, or shall I send it to the king? If 
 I do this last, then I may be certain of sharing Katt's fate." 
 We teased and begged her so long that she consented, although 
 in fear and trembling, to speak with the queen about it. My 
 mother was greatly relieved at this good news, till she reflected 
 where she was to hide the casket. If we made a mystery 
 about it, and Katt were to mention it during the inquiry held 
 on his conduct, then Countess Finkenstein would be ruined, 
 and my mother would lay herself open to every kind of sus-
 
 142 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 picion, and consequently would be exposed to the king's fury. 
 If, on the other hand, the casket were brought openly to the 
 queen, then my father would hear of it, and he would force the 
 queen to give up these luckless letters -to him, by doing which 
 she would herself work her own destruction. 
 
 After due consideration, and weighing carefully all the ad- 
 vantages and disadvantages, it was decided to make no mystery 
 of the matter, and the casket was brought to the queen, who 
 locked it up in her boudoir in the presence of all her house- 
 hold. 
 
 No sooner had one difficulty been surmounted than another 
 presented itself. The question now was how to destroy the let- 
 ters. The queen was of opinion that they had best be burned, 
 and the king told quite simply that they were of no importance 
 of any kind, and that she had not thought it necessary to show 
 them to him. This proposition, however, met with general dis- 
 approval, and the whole day was spent in useless discussion. 
 The next day I and Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld again care- 
 fully considered what could be done. At last I said, " I have 
 thought of a last resource, but we must be careful that we risk 
 nothing. The seal on the casket is only of leather ; we must 
 break it, break the lock, take out our letters and write others, 
 which we must put in the casket in their stead. I think we 
 shall hardly need even to break the seal, and if the queen will 
 only promise solemnly not to say anything to Ramen about it, 
 I will at once set to work." Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld en- 
 tirely approved of my idea, and we proposed its execution to 
 the queen, who agreed. We explained to her how all-impor- 
 tant it was to keep it a profound secret from Ramcn, who saw 
 so many people, and might let drop a word which would at 
 once rouse suspicion. The queen promised to say nothing to 
 her about it, and kept her word. That afternoon she sent all 
 her ladies away, and kept me alone with her. As the casket 
 was too heavy for the queen and me to lift, we had to take her 
 page into our confidence; but we ran no risk in doing so, for
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 143 
 
 he was an old, tried, and faithful servant. It was not possible 
 to undo the cords which were tied round the casket without 
 breaking the seal, and this necessity made us tremble. How- 
 ever, when we came to examine the seal we found it a very 
 simple one. The arms on it were composed of a dog surround- 
 ed by implements of war, and we thought we might easily find 
 one like it, and, as good-luck would have it, the queen's page's 
 own seal was very similar to it. We broke open the lock, and 
 began our examination of the letters. 
 
 The sight of them caused me a deadly fear. I had often 
 secretly written to my brother, and, to escape discovery in case 
 the letters fell into the king's hands, we had used lemon-juice 
 instead of ink. If you held the letter close to the fire you 
 could decipher the writing. My letters contained chiefly abuse 
 of Ramen, and complaints of her influence over the queen. 
 The effect these letters would produce on my mother, if she 
 read them, would be anything but pleasant for me. And this 
 would have happened had not the chaplain, Reinbeck, been an- 
 nounced to her at this moment, and extricated me from the 
 difficulty. As the queen had sent for Reinbeck some days 
 previously, she could not do otherwise than receive him. My 
 mother was so nervous at all that was taking place that she 
 said to me, as she left the room, "For goodness' sake burn 
 every single one of these horrid letters." I did not require to 
 be told this twice, and all my letters, five hundred in number, 
 fell a prey to the flames. I then next destroyed my mother's 
 letters, and had just finished my task when she returned. We 
 then proceeded to look through the other papers. We found 
 two French passports made out in the name of Ferrand, a letter 
 from my brother to Katt, and some quite unimportant papers. 
 Then we lighted on a bag with a thousand pistoles,* some 
 notes and meditations in my brother's handwriting, and some 
 jewels in gold, as also in precious stones. 
 
 * A gold coin of the value of about fifteen shillings.
 
 144 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 His letter to Katt was written as follows: "I am leaving, 
 dear Katt, and have taken such precautions that I risk nothing. 
 I go first to Leipsic, where I shall give myself out a Marquis 
 d'Ambreville. Keith is already informed of all, and goes 
 straight to England. Don't lose any time, for I hope to find 
 you at Leipsic. Good-by ! Be of good courage." We thought 
 it best to burn all these things. For several days we were busi- 
 ly occupied in writing letters with different dates. But how 
 could we possibly manage to write twelve or fifteen hundred 
 of these missives ? We therefore took sheets of paper with 
 the dates of different years, and folded them so tightly together 
 that the devil even would have noticed nothing. Yet, in spite 
 of all our trouble, the casket was still so empty that that would 
 have betrayed us, so my mother filled it up with a quantity of 
 snuffboxes and other knick-knacks. I did not like this, and 
 offered to write a hundred more letters, but the queen would 
 not hear of it. We therefore replaced the lock and fastened 
 up the casket, and no one could ever have discovered that it 
 had been tampered with. 
 
 The king arrived on the evening of the 27th, his household 
 having preceded him. We asked in vain after my brother; 
 nobody could give us any news of him, or knew where he was. 
 They could only tell us of the circumstances and manner of his 
 arrest. As this account tallies with all my brother has since 
 told us about it, I think it will be well if I repeat it here. 
 
 When ray brother arrived at Anspach he complained bitterly 
 to the Margrave of the ill-usage he received at the king's hands. 
 He added that, not satisfied with abusing him before his family, 
 he had publicly insulted him, and had on several occasions even 
 said to him, " If my father treated me as I do you, I should 
 have run away a thousand times over. But you, you are such 
 an arrant coward, you have courage for nothing." This reiter- 
 ated remark at last determined my brother on carrying out his 
 intention. He asked the Margrave to lend him his fastest 
 horse, saying he wished to go for a ride; but as the former
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRA.VIXE OF BAIREUTH. 145 
 
 knew nothing of my brother's plan, he put off the ride till after 
 the king's departure. As ray brother saw his first attempt 
 thwarted, he thought of another. Katt's messenger met my 
 brother a few miles beyond Anspach. I knew of this messen- 
 ger, but I have never learned what the contents of the letters 
 he brought were. He answered at once that he intended to 
 take flight two days later, and that he advised him to do the 
 same : they would rueet at the Hague. My brother again as- 
 sured Katt that his plan would certainly succeed. If he were 
 pursued, he could then take refuge in the monasteries which 
 were on his road. He sent this answer back by the same mes- 
 senger. The crown prince had unfortunately forgotten to ad- 
 dress the letter to Berlin. A cousin of Katt's was stationed ten 
 or twelve miles* from Anspach, and the .messenger, instead of 
 going on to Berlin, delivered the letter to this officer. 
 
 The king meanwhile had continued his journey to the neigh- 
 borhood of Frankfort, and found himself compelled with his 
 suite to spend the night in some barns in a small village. The 
 crown prince had a barn appropriated to him, in which he, Colo- 
 nel Rochow, and his valet were to sleep. The king had made 
 Keith's brother his page. This young man was very stupid, so 
 that my brother had said nothing to him of his intentions. He 
 determined, however, to take advantage of this lad's stupidity, 
 and told him to wake him at four in the morning, as he wished 
 to go to the neighboring village in quest of adventures; also 
 to get him horses, which was an easy thing, as a horse-fair was 
 being held close by. The page did as he was told, but mistook 
 the bed, and woke the valet instead of the crown prince. This 
 man had presence of mind enough to pretend that he had not 
 observed anything, so he lay quiet, watching the course of 
 events. My brother rose hastily, dressed himself in a French 
 uniform instead of his own, and left the barn. The valet in- 
 stantly told Rochow what he had seen, and he rushed to the 
 
 * Twenty or twenty-four English miles,
 
 146 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 king's generals and suite and told them of it. These were Gen- 
 erals Bedenbruck, Waldow, and Derchow. The last named was 
 a thorough scoundrel, and as true a son of Satan as ever walked 
 this earth ; he was, besides, a sworn enemy to my brother. 
 These four gentlemen at once went out to look for the prince, 
 and after having searched the village thoroughly found him in 
 the market-place, leaning against a carriage. His French uniform 
 startled them at once, and they asked him, at first respectfully, 
 what he was doing there. My brother has often told me since 
 that his despair and fury at having been discovered were so 
 great that, but that he had no arms, he would have attempt- 
 ed violence. He answered them very brusquely. " Sir," they 
 said, "the king is awake, and intends starting in half an hour; 
 for goodness' sake change your clothes before he sees you !" 
 The prince refused to do so, and said he was going for a walk, 
 and would be back before the king left. They were still dis- 
 puting when Keith appeared with the horses. My brother en- 
 deavored to jump on one of them, but the gentlemen surround- 
 ed him and took him back to the barn, where they forced him 
 to change his uniform. His state of mind resembled that of 
 a madman. They reached Frankfort that "evening, and next 
 morning the king received a messenger sent by Katt's cousin, 
 sending him my brother's letter. The king at once summoned 
 Rochow and Waldow, and communicated this beautiful news 
 to them. It is said that the valet had already told my father 
 of the scene enacted that morning. 
 
 The king desired the two gentlemen to watch my brother, 
 and to answer for him with their lives. He then commanded 
 the crown prince to be immediately brought on board the yacht 
 on which they were going from Frankfort to Wesel, and his 
 orders were at once obeyed. This was the llth of August. 
 
 My father came on board the yacht next morning. As soon 
 as he caught sight of my brother he sprang upon him, and 
 would have throttled him had not General Waldow liberated 
 him. The king tore my brother's hair out in handfuls, and in
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 147 
 
 one moment beat him till he bled. At length the entreaties of 
 the gentlemen prevailed on the king to allow the crown prince 
 to be removed to another vessel. They took his sword from 
 him and all his clothes, but discovered no papers of any kind, 
 for the valet had taken possession of these before the search 
 commenced, and burned them in my brother's presence. In 
 doing this he had rendered my mother and myself a signal 
 service. Nothing farther of importance took place during the 
 journey. The king never saw my brother, but swore he should 
 die an oath which he repeated constantly. 
 
 My brother meanwhile tried his utmost to discover some 
 means of eluding the watchfulness of the two gentlemen. 
 
 In this manner Wesel was at last reached. The king 
 strengthened the watch put on the prince by adding a com- 
 pany of soldiers, and treated him like a State prisoner. The 
 next day he sent for my brother. There was nobody present 
 with the king but General Mosel, a brave officer and a most 
 upright man. 
 
 At first my father asked my brother in a furious tone why 
 he wished " to desert ;" this was his own expression. " Why 
 did I wish to do so ?" the prince replied, in a firm, calm voice, 
 " Because you do not treat me like your son, but like a slave." 
 " You are a mean deserter ; you have neither courage -nor 
 honor !" the king screamed at him. 
 
 " I have as much as you have," the prince answered, " and I 
 have only done that which, as you yourself told me, a hundred 
 times over, you would have done had you been in my place." 
 This answer, and the voice in which it was made, drove the 
 king into a perfect frenzy. He drew his sword, and would 
 have pierced my brother through with it, had not General 
 Mosel thrown himself between them. This honest man called 
 out, " My sovereign, kill me, but spare your son !" He defend- 
 ed my brother so well with his own -person that the king could 
 not strike at him. From that day my father and my brother 
 were never allowed to meet, It was represented to the king
 
 148 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGKAVINE OF BAIKEUTH. 
 
 that my brother's life was at all times in his power, but that 
 such behavior was opposed to all the principles of Christianity. 
 Upon this the king never asked again to see his son. 
 
 A few days only were spent at Wesel, and the journey was 
 then continued to Berlin. My brother this was the king's 
 order was to follow in four days. My father, who did not 
 sufficiently trust his two Arguses, appointed a third, General 
 Dostow, who was as great a scoundrel as Derchow. In spite 
 of the king's orders, Waldow and Rochow allowed the crown 
 prince to receive visits. In that part of the country my brother 
 was adored ; his generosity, courtesy, and goodness had won him 
 all hearts. The cruel treatment he had received from the king 
 was an excuse for everything, but at the same time made all 
 tremble for his life. He had found numbers of people who would 
 gladly have risked their lives to set him at liberty. Ropes had 
 already been brought him, by which to let himself down from 
 the windows, and a disguise in the shape of a peasant's dress, 
 in which to escape, when General Dostow's appearance spoiled 
 all his plans. As Dostow was a great favorite with the king, 
 and was anxious to pay him as much court as possible, he of- 
 fered to take the sole watch over the prince, pretending that 
 lie wished to lighten Waldow and Rochow's work. From this 
 time forward my brother was so incessantly watched that it 
 was quite impossible to try to think of escaping. He started 
 four days after the king, and was by his orders taken to some 
 place six or seven miles beyond Berlin. 
 
 After the king's arrival, the queen went alone to see him in 
 his room. As soon as he saw her he said, in a furious tone, 
 " Your son is dead !" and then at once, " Where is the casket 
 with the letters ?" 
 
 My poor mother cried out in great distress, saying how was 
 it possible to believe that he could have made his son a victim 
 of his " barbarous " fury. 
 
 "He is dead," the king repeated, " and I will have the cas- 
 ket. The queen fetched it, and as she brought it called out,
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OT? BAIREUTH. 149 
 
 " Oh, ray God, my God !" I heard these lamentations, which 
 pierced me through and through. The king had scarcely got 
 hold of the casket when he broke it open and tore the papers 
 out of it, and therewith left the room. The queen lost not a 
 moment in taking possession of the seals and whatever else 
 there was which could rouse suspicion, and gave them to me to 
 burn. My mother afterwards came and told us all that had 
 passed between her and the king. God alone knows what I 
 endured during this terrible tale, and I burst out crying vio- 
 lently. 
 
 At this moment my father entered the room. In the terri- 
 ble state of uncertainty in which we were as to my brother's 
 fate, I did not know what I had best do. My sisters and I 
 approached the king to kiss his hand, but he had so sooner 
 caught sight of me than he became black with rage, and hit 
 me so violently in the face, one blow striking my temple, that 
 I fell insensible to the ground. The king wanted to kick me 
 and repeat his blows; but the queen and my sisters surround- 
 ed me like a wall, and prevented his touching me. One of my 
 sisters, seeing me lying, as it were, lifeless, fetched a glass of 
 water with a little spirits, to try and restore me to conscious- 
 ness. The king was struggling meanwhile with my defenders, 
 and prevented my being lifted up from the ground. After 
 much rubbing, and smelling strong salts, I recovered sufficient- 
 ly to be placed on a stool which stood in the window. How 
 gladly I would have remained in my unconscious condition ! 
 It is impossible for me to describe our despairing condition. 
 The king was almost choked with rage, and had a wild look in 
 his eyes, while his face was red and swollen, and his mouth 
 foaming. The queen was crying and wringing her hands. 
 My sisters were kneeling at my father's feet even our little 
 tiny sister of three years old all sobbing bitterly. Madame 
 von Konnken and Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld stood there pale 
 as death, unable to speak, and I I was in the very depths of 
 despair. I was shivering from head to foot, and a cold pcrspi-
 
 150 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH, 
 
 ration poured off my face. My father now said that ray broth- 
 er was not dead, but that "by all holy angels" he would kill 
 him ! These reiterated assertions roused me from my lethargy, 
 and I cried out, " Spare my brother, and I will marry the Duke 
 of Weissenfels !" The king was too angry to understand what 
 I was saying, and Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, fearing that I 
 should repeat these imprudent words, stuffed her pocket-hand' 
 kerchief into my mouth just as I was going to do so. My fa- 
 ther now began to abuse me. He said I was the cause of all 
 the trouble that had fallen on us, and that I should pay for it 
 with my head. He could not then have granted me a greater 
 favor than to have carried out his threat. My grief was so in- 
 tense that I would gladly have left this world. 
 
 During this scene I saw poor Katt being led between two 
 gendarmes to the king. He looked pale and disordered ; and 
 as he caught sight of me, he took off his hat, and I observed 
 his distressed and frightened expression. My brother's boxes 
 and his own were carried behind him. Immediately afterwards 
 the king was informed of Katt's presence, and he rushed off 
 saying, " Now at last I shall have proofs enough against the 
 scoundrel Fritz to cost him his head." The mistress of the robes 
 followed him, saying, " For God's sake, if you wish to put the 
 crown prince to death, at least do not kill the queen ! I can 
 assure you that she has known absolutely nothing of the whole 
 business, and if you are kind to her you may succeed in obtain- 
 ing much help from her." Madame von Konnken then con- 
 tinued in another tone. " Hitherto you have laid great stress 
 on being a just and pious king, and God blessed you for it ; 
 but now you wish to become a tyrant. Take heed that God's 
 wrath does not fall on you. Sacrifice your son to your fury, 
 and be sure that God's vengeance will light upon you. Re- 
 member Peter the Great and Philip the Second : they died 
 without heirs, and their memory is held in abhorrence." The 
 king looked at her, and said, " You are very bold to say such 
 things, but you are a good woman, and mean well. Go and
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BA1REUTII. 151 
 
 calm my wife." I really admired this lady's courage in speak- 
 ing at such a moment in the manner she did, because she ran 
 the risk of being sent to Spandau. We were, on the other 
 hand, much astonished when Ramen in the queen's presence 
 insisted on having been ignorant of what had occurred. I was 
 at last dragged out of the queen's room, for I shook all over, 
 and was incapable of walking a step. I was brought into an 
 apartment into which the king never came. 
 
 My father had meanwhile sent for Grumkow, Mylius, and 
 Gerber to come to his room. Mylius was fiscal-general, and a 
 very bad man, and Gerber auditor-general. As soon as the 
 king entered the room Katt threw himself on his knees before 
 him. My father fell upon him, hit him with his stick, and 
 treated him shamefully. The inquiry then commenced. Katt 
 confessed at once that he had agreed with the crown prince 
 about his flight, but that there had never been any designs 
 against the king, and that their only intention had been to es- 
 cape into England to be safe from his anger, and to put them- 
 selves under English protection. On being asked what had be- 
 come of my letters and those of my mother, he answered that 
 he had given them back to the queen. Katt was then asked 
 if I had known of the plot: his answer was "No." He was 
 then questioned as to whether he had been intrusted with let- 
 ters from the crown prince to me, and if I had ever given him 
 any for my brother. He replied that he remembered giving 
 me a letter from the prince one Sunday morning as I came out 
 of the Dom (Cathedral), but that he had no idea what were 
 its contents. He had never any letters intrusted to him by 
 me. Katt then confessed to having been several times secret- 
 ly to Potsdam, where Lieutenant Span had let him into the 
 town ; that Keith knew of the plan, and was to have accom- 
 panied them in their flight. After the inquiry was over, my 
 brother's boxes and Katt's were searched, but not a single let- 
 ter was discovered. Grumkow, who had hoped to have caught 
 us this time safely in his net, was in despair at this, and said
 
 152 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 to the king, " These devils of women are cleverer than we are, 
 and have cheated us." 
 
 The king returned again to the queen and said to her, " I 
 have not made a mistake ; I knew it must be so. Your worth- 
 less daughter has been mixed up in this plot. Katt has just 
 confessed that he gave her letters from the prince ; I shall have 
 her conduct rigorously inquired into ! Command her in my 
 name not to leave her room. In three days I will have her re- 
 moved to a place where she may repent of her misdeeds. Tell 
 her this, and that she is to be ready to start as soon as her ex- 
 amination is closed." The king was in a great rage as he said 
 this. The queen swore that I had never received any letter 
 through Katt, and offered to go and ask me about it. 
 
 I must call to remembrance what I said about that letter, 
 which I suppressed on account of Ramen. I now gave myself 
 up for lost, and I was rather glad than otherwise. In order 
 not to involve the queen I determined to brave it out alone, 
 and I at once answered Madame von Konnken that I was sur- 
 prised that my mother remembered nothing about the letter, 
 as it had been given me in public, and had contained only the 
 most ordinary expressions of friendship. I had burned it, but I 
 remembered every word, and if the king wished would write it 
 all down. The queen, to whom I had shown the letter, must 
 have forgotten all about it. 
 
 Madame von Konnken brought my answer to my father, who 
 then left the room to be present at the close of Katt's examina- 
 tion. I was able to persuade my mother that she had read the 
 letter, till at last she really believed she had done so. The 
 queen now gave me the king's orders, crying bitterly as she 
 did so. She impressed on me the importance of never men- 
 tioning the casket. " But if I have to take an oath about it, 
 
 O ' 
 
 what shall I do then ?" I asked her, and she answered that the 
 sore straits in which we were must condone what, in another 
 case, would be a grave fault. I promised her absolute obedi- 
 ence, but added, " I cannot do anything my conscience disap-
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 153 
 
 proves of. The good God will not desert me. I will rather 
 sacrifice all than expose yon to danger, but I cannot take a 
 false oath." We then took leave of each other, my mother 
 holding me for some time in her arms, and at last we parted in 
 deep sorrow. 
 
 The whole town was horror-struck at the misery and sorrow 
 which had fallen on our family. People spoke of me and my 
 fate openly in the streets, for my mother's rooms were on the 
 ground-floor, and the windows stood open, so that passers-by 
 must have witnessed that terrible scene. As I was carried to 
 my room that day I had to pass through quite a crowd, who 
 all were sobbing and crying. Things were very much exagger- 
 ated, and in several parts of the town the rumor of my death 
 was circulated, and also that of my brother, and this only tended 
 to increase the general feeling of hopelessness. 
 
 I spent a very sad night, disturbed by dark and sinister fore- 
 bodings. Fear of death did not trouble me, and I was not dis- 
 turbed about the journey ; but what I dreaded beyond descrip- 
 tion was being separated from Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, and 
 being given over into strange hands. These sad reflections kept 
 me awake till the news was brought me in the morning that 
 the sentinels before my room had been doubled. I had scarce- 
 ly risen when Ramen appeared and brought me a message from 
 my mother to the effect that the king would send the same peo- 
 ple to examine me as had conducted Katt's inquiry, and that 
 she begged me to be careful and not to forget my promise. I 
 was much put out at receiving such a message through so sus- 
 picious a person, who could at any moment, by betraying the 
 queen and myself to the king, ruin us. 
 
 She then continued in a hypocritical tone to say that my 
 mother " was in great anxiety " about my examination, and 
 feared I " should not retain my firmness." " I cannot under- 
 stand," I replied, " how the queen can trouble herself about 
 such a trivial matter. I need not be afraid, as I have had 
 nothing whatever to do with the whole business, and if the
 
 154 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 king has me examined I shall simply say what I know about 
 it." " Yes," she answered, " and other terrible things are hap- 
 pening. Your departure is decided on, and you are to be taken 
 to a convent called ' The Holy Grave.' There you will be kept 
 as a State prisoner. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld and all your 
 own people are to be taken away from you, and you will be 
 much to be pitied." I replied that the king was my father and 
 my master, and that he would decide my fate as he pleased. 
 " I trust in God and in ray innocence, and know that Providence 
 will watch over me." Ramen then proceeded to say, " You are 
 only so full of courage because you believe these are mere 
 threats; but I have seen the written order for your imprison- 
 ment, signed by the king himself. Besides which you must 
 see by all that has taken place that the king is in earnest. 
 Poor Mademoiselle von Billow has received commands to leave 
 the Court in two days, and to retire with her family to Lithu- 
 ania. Lieutenant Span, who let Katt secretly into Potsdam, is 
 cashiered, and has been sent to Spandau. A mistress of the 
 crown prince who lives at Potsdam is to be flogged by the 
 public hangman, and turned out of the town. Diihau (he was 
 my brother's master, and devoted to him) is exiled to Memel. 
 Jaques (his librarian) is also sent there, and your governess 
 would have shared the same fate had she not been, as good- 
 luck would have it, not on good terms with the queen during 
 this last winter." Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld had had a quar- 
 rel with the queen because she had said that she thought it had 
 been a mistake to insist on Grumkow's dismissal. It would have 
 been best, in her opinion, had my marriage first been settled, 
 and then the dismissal insisted on. This had annoyed my moth- 
 er, and she had in consequence treated my governess rather 
 unkindly. I do not understand how I could listen to all this 
 quietly. God does indeed give strength in the time of our 
 sorest need. My great composure saved me, and made this old 
 Mega3ra believe that I was either innocent or that nothing 
 would shake my courage. When she had left me, I felt I need
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 155 
 
 no longer control myself. The ruin of so many excellent peo- 
 ple cut me to the heart. My brother's fate inspired me with 
 deadly fear, and the separation from Mademoiselle von Sonns- 
 feld filled me with the bitterest sorrow. 
 
 The day went by. I hourly expected my examination to 
 commence, and every little sound made my heart beat faster. 
 But I waited in vain ; no one appeared, and I began to feel 
 calmer. My face as well as tny body were so bruised by my 
 fall, and I was so exhausted, that when the evening drew on I 
 lay down. 
 
 The next morning Ramen made her appearance. She again 
 repeated tny mother's injunctions as to courage and determina- 
 tion, and then added that my inquiry had not yet taken place 
 because it had been determined to confront me with my broth- 
 er and Katt, and that to prevent the possibility of any dis- 
 turbance, the crown prince would be brought to Berlin only in 
 the dusk of the evening. I answered Ramen in the same way 
 at which, the previous day, the queen had been so vexed. She 
 thought I must be so overcome with fear that I should lose my 
 head and mention the casket, because otherwise she could not 
 understand my determination to say all I knew about this sad 
 business. In the afternoon she sent me her faithful old page 
 to implore me not to betray anything. I confided to him in 
 what a difficult position I was placed by having Ramen sent to 
 me with such messages, and begged him to assure the queen 
 that she need fear nothing, and that I should never say any- 
 thing which could compromise her. All I ventured to beg of 
 her was not to send so often to me, as it might awaken the 
 king's suspicions, but if she had any message to send it 
 through her page and not through Ramen, who knew nothing 
 about the business of the letters. I was obliged to treat the 
 matter from this point of view to avoid vexing my mother. I 
 knew she would have been annoyed if she had found out that 
 I distrusted Ramen. 
 
 Another day passed in the same manner, and I remained
 
 156 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 standing at the window till one in the morning, only to have 
 the comfort of seeing my brother pass by. The thought of 
 seeing him made me wish ardently to be confronted with him 
 at my examination. This wish was not fulfilled. My brother 
 was taken to Kiistrin on the 5th of September, and shut up in 
 the fortress of that place. All his household and all his pos- 
 sessions were taken from him, so that he had nothing but the 
 shirt and clothes he wore. Nobody waited on him, and his 
 only means of occupation were a Bible and Prayer-book. 
 
 His expenditure was limited to fourpence a day. The 
 room in which he was imprisoned received all its light from 
 one tiny aperture. He had a candle only when his supper was 
 brought him at seven o'clock ; all the rest of the time he had 
 to sit in the dark. What an awful fate for a prince that was 
 already held in such high esteem ! So much sorrow could only 
 make him bitter and harsh. 
 
 A short while after my brother's arrival in this melancholy 
 residence, the king sent Grumkow, Mylius, and Gerber to open 
 an inquiry on him. His answers agreed with those of Katt, 
 and instead of treating Grumkow, who was guiding his fate, 
 gently, the crown prince spoke in a most slighting manner to 
 him, saying many sharp things. They then showed him Katt's 
 boxes, and asked him if all the things they had contained were 
 still in existence, or if any letters were missing. My brother, 
 thinking Katt would have burned the papers, answered " Yes," 
 but that the box contained many snuffboxes and other such arti- 
 cles which he knew nothing of, and which Katt probably had 
 put there. This answer opened their eyes, and they discovered 
 how they had been cheated. 
 
 The evil was done, and they knew that neither threats nor 
 violence would ever make us divulge the contents of those 
 letters. 
 
 During the whole examination, and also in the protocol, he 
 never received his title of Royal Highness. Seckendorf ;md 
 Grumkow knew perfectly well that the prince's attempt at
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MAKGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 15*7 
 
 flight was but a youthful prank, and that in his position as 
 crown prince he had deserved only a reprimand ; they there- 
 fore induced the king to treat him merely as an officer. Dur- 
 ing the whole trial he was always called "Colonel Fritz," and 
 in this capacity he really could be tried as a deserter. 
 
 As soon as the inquiry was at an end these gentlemen re- 
 turned to Berlin, and Katt was again examined. Several 
 times the king wished him to be put on the rack; but this 
 inhumanity was prevented by General Wartensleben, a great 
 friend of Seckendorf. 
 
 My fate continued unchanged. Every evening I took the 
 tenderest leave of Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld and my people, 
 because I could not know if I should ever see them again. 
 My jewels and all my other valuables I had sent secretly to 
 the queen. I had not yet been able to make up my mind to 
 burn my brother's letters. They were locked up in a little 
 box, which I gave my governess every evening to take to my 
 youngest sister, as I knew they would not be looked for there. 
 In fact, I took every possible precaution against being suddenly 
 surprised. 
 
 At last the king left Berlin, and that same evening the 
 queen came to see me. Seeing her made me beside myself 
 with joy. She told me she did not now think I was to be 
 taken to the convent, because the king had for several days 
 mentioned nothing more about it. She also said that she 
 had made him less furious with my brother, as she had thrown 
 all the blame on Keith. Perhaps my readers will be curious 
 to know his fate. 
 
 When my brother was arrested at Frankfort the Prince of 
 Anhalt happened to be there. Since his quarrel and rupture 
 with Grumkow he had greatly changed for the. better. He 
 never mixed himself up in intrigues, but tried to help and be 
 of service to others. I had succeeded in effecting a reconcilia- 
 tion between him, my mother, and my brother. The Prince 
 of Anhalt was to accompany the king to Wesel, and I do not
 
 158 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 know what reason made him send his page on before him. 
 The first person this man saw on reaching the town was Keith, 
 whom he knew well. He also knew how much he was in the 
 crown prince's good graces. " Oh, how glad I am to see you 
 here !" he exclaimed ; " I thought you were already under lock 
 and key." " What do you mean ?" said Keith, who could not 
 understand being addressed like this. " All right," replied the 
 other; "don't you know that the crown prince has been ar- 
 rested ?" 
 
 Keith remained apparently unmoved during this speech. 
 He however broke off the conversation as soon as he could, 
 mounted a horse, and left the town with all possible speed. 
 He reached the Hague safely, but only three hours before 
 Colonel Dumoulin, who was sent by the king to pursue him. 
 As soon as Keith arrived he sought the protection of the 
 English envoy, Lord Chesterfield, who saw him safely on 
 board the packet, despite Diimoulin's presence, and in this 
 manner Keith reached England in safety. As the king now 
 found it impossible to punish him, he gratified his desire for 
 revenge by having Keith's effigy hung in Wesel, and puu- 
 ished his brother for having procured horses for the crown 
 prince without his leave by degrading him to the rank of 
 sergeant. 
 
 In order not to interrupt my account of these terrible events, 
 I left one circumstance unmentioned, which had a great in- 
 fluence on my future. Before the king left Berlin he told the 
 queen of his intention of marrying my fourth sister to the 
 hereditary Prince of Baireuth, and the betrothal was publicly 
 announced. The queen was much pleased at this, because she 
 had feared that having once proposed this prince to the king 
 for me, the question of this marriage would be brought forward 
 again. Now that my sister was thought of, her fears were laid 
 to rest. 
 
 During the short time my mother spent in Berlin she. came 
 daily to see me. The day before her departure, she whispered
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MAEGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 159 
 
 to me that she had been told of Prince Henry's* death. He 
 was said to have died at Paris of fever. I said I was very 
 sorry, as he had been a most deserving prince. " And I, on 
 the other hand, am glad," she said, " as I always feared he 
 wished to marry you !" " Now, however, that he has been 
 engaged to my sister," I replied, "there can be no idea of 
 that." The queen then took leave of me. She cried much 
 as she did so, and told my sisters and her ladies to come and 
 see me from time to time. She also told me to send my let- 
 ters to her through her page's wife. My mother left Berlin 
 on the 15th of September. 
 
 One day, as I was engaged in my usual occupations, my maid 
 came into my room in a very agitated state. This maid is the 
 same I have mentioned before a most devoted, honest soul. 
 " What is the matter ?" I said, on seeing her disturbed counte- 
 nance. " Am I to leave ?" " No, your Royal Highness," she 
 answered, " but I am in a great difficulty. A sergeant of the 
 gendarmerie has- this morning brought my husband a packet 
 for you. I know that my husband is already looked on with 
 suspicion, because he is devoted to the crown prince. I do not, 
 therefore, know if he ought to have received the packet the 
 more so as I am not sure whether we can trust this sergeant. 
 But I am ready to do whatever you desire, even at the risk of 
 my life." "But do you not know what the packet contains?" 
 I inquired,-" and whether it is of importance?" 
 
 " The sergeant told my husband that it contained a portrait," 
 my maid replied. Then I at once perceived that it was the 
 likeness my brother had given Katt to take charge of for him. 
 I felt how serious the consequences would be if the picture fell 
 into my father's hands, as he would at once say that Katt had 
 been my lover and had ill-used me. I therefore entreated my 
 maid to bring me the packet without delay, which she accord- 
 ingly did next day, and the whole circumstance was kept secret. 
 
 * Hereditary Prince of Baireuth.
 
 160 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGKAVINE OF BAIKEUTH. 
 
 Two days after this my maid bad another fright. An un- 
 known person brought her a letter which enclosed one from my 
 brother to me. She brought it to me at once. I could not re- 
 ceive it without feelings of the deepest emotion. The letter 
 was written in pencil, and its contents read as follows : (I have 
 copied every word from the original, which I keep as a most 
 precious relic.) 
 
 " DEAR BELOVED SISTER, '' I am to be declared an arch- 
 heretic by the court-martial before which I am shortly to ap- 
 pear. It will not require any great difficulty to do this. You 
 can, therefore, imagine what a creature they are going to make 
 me out. I do not in the least care about the ban which they 
 will pronounce over me, if only my dear sister will not bear me 
 false witness. How thankful I am that neither bolts nor bars 
 can prevent my assuring you of my sincere friendship ! Yes, 
 dearest sister, there are still people in this almost depraved cen- 
 tury who are devoted enough to procure me the means of ex- 
 pressing my devotion to yon. If I only know that you are 
 happy, dear sister, then my prison will become an abode of con- 
 tentment and satisfaction. ' Chi ha tempo, ha vita, 1 let this 
 comfort us. I wish, with all my heart, that we needed no in- 
 terpreter to go to and fro between us. May those happy hours 
 return once more, during which your Principe and my Princi- 
 pcssa (we called my guitar and his flute by these names) brought 
 forth such sweet harmonies. To speak plainly, may I soon 
 again be able to tell you, by word of mouth, that nothing in 
 this world can ever lessen my affection for you. Good-by. 
 
 "THE PRISONER." 
 
 This letter touched me deeply, and I cried over it. 
 
 " How deeply I pity my poor brother !" I said to Mademoiselle 
 von Sonnsfeld ; " he is still able to joke in the midst of his 
 sore trouble. Goodness only knows what misery is in store for 
 him, I must answer him. You will not forbid my having
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGKAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 161 
 
 this comfort? The same person who brought me his letter 
 so safely will find means of letting my answer reach him." 
 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld did not wish at once to damp 
 my joy, but by degrees she made me understand the great dan- 
 ger I exposed myself to if I carried out my intention of writing. 
 
 The court-martial assembled on the 1st of November. As 
 my governess was aware of the agitated state I was in, she hid 
 this news from me, the more so as she knew that my brother's 
 fate was to be decided by it. 
 
 Although I did not at that time know of what took place, I 
 will here continue my account of these tragic events, so as not 
 to break the thread of my narrative. 
 
 The court-martial was held at Potsdam. It was composed 
 of two major-generals, two colonels, two lieutenant-colonels, two 
 majors, two captains, and two lieutenants. The whole army 
 were obliged to draw lots as to who was to constitute it, as 
 every one declined to have anything to do with it. 
 
 The lots fell on Major-generals Donhoff and Linger, and Colo- 
 nels Derchovv and Panewitz. I do not remember the names 
 of the colonels and captains, but the lieutenants were Einsiedel 
 and one other from the king's regiment. They had all to take 
 their oath on the Bible. Donhoff and Linger voted for par- 
 don being granted ; but Einsiedel, Derchow, and the others, all 
 Grumkow's creatures, and favorites of the king, condemned my 
 brother and Katt to the scaffold. A monstrous and unheard- 
 of sentence in a civilized land! Seckendorf now stepped in as 
 mediator, and begged for mercy for both criminals, particularly 
 my brother. It was granted him only with much trouble, for 
 :ny father's rage had increased. For Katt he could obtain 
 nothing not even a reprieve. His sentence was therefore pro- 
 nounced, lie heard it without moving a muscle, and with the 
 most heroic firmness. lie merely answered, "I submit to the 
 king's will, and to that of Providence. I can die without fear, 
 for I have nothing to reproach myself with, and I suffer for a 
 good cause." He then prepared himself for the awful trial 
 11
 
 162 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BA1REUTH. 
 
 before him. Next day he was told that the king wished his 
 execution to take place away from Berlin. This rather startled 
 him, but he soon regained his composure. 
 
 As soon as he was left alone he called the officer of the 
 guard, and gave him the snuffbox containing the portraits of 
 my brother and me, saying, "Keep this, and think sometimes 
 of me. Do not, however, show the box to any one, as it might 
 do harm to the high personages who are represented on it." 
 Katt then wrote three letters one to his grandfather, one to his 
 father, and one to his brother-in-law. When the clergyman 
 came to him, he said, " I have greatly sinned before God. My 
 great ambition was the cause of many faults, of which I repent 
 sincerely. The crown prince's favor made me blind to all else. 
 I now know how vain are all earthly things. I repent truly of 
 all my sins, and pray death to lead me to everlasting peace." 
 The day was spent in conversing in this manner. Towards 
 evening Major Schenk came with tears in his eyes and told 
 Katt that everything was ready for his departure, adding, " The 
 king has commanded me to be present at your execution, and 
 to accompany you to the place where it is to be carried out. I 
 have twice over begged to be excused from this mission, but 
 the king insisted, so I could but obey. Would to God that his 
 heart had been softened, and that I might have been the bearer 
 of your pardon !" 
 
 "You are very kind," Katt replied, " but I do not wish to 
 escape from my fate. I give my life for a master whom I love 
 most dearly, and by doing so give him the greatest proof of 
 my devotion. Ilappiness without end awaits me." With these 
 words he stepped cheerfully and smilingly into the carriage. 
 
 Before starting he took leave of many officers and soldiers 
 of the gendarmerie who had assembled to witness his departure. 
 It was nine o'clock in the morning when he reached Kiistrin. 
 The scaffold had been erected in front of my brother's win- 
 dows, from which the bars had been removed. It was on a 
 level with the window, and only a few paces from it.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 1G3 
 
 As soon as they had reached the interior of the fortress 
 Schenk said to Katt, " Keep up your courage, for a fearful trial 
 is before you." 
 
 " Say rather that it is the greatest comfort that could have 
 been given me," he replied. 
 
 My unfortunate brother had, the day before, witnessed all 
 these preparations without knowing their purpose. He ex- 
 pected his own death-warrant. Early in the morning the 
 governor of the fortress, General Lepel, and the president, Mu- 
 nichow, entered my brother's prison and endeavored to pre- 
 pare him as best they could for the terrible news they had to 
 communicate to him. They brought him a plain brown suit of 
 clothes, the counterpart to that which Katt wore (rny brother 
 would not take it off afterwards, till it had to be literally torn 
 off him). As soon as the crown prince heard what was in 
 store for him he was seized with frantic despair, which grew 
 only greater and greater as he was forced to approach the win- 
 dow. He tried to throw himself out of it. Then he ex- 
 claimed, " For God's sake postpone the execution ! I will write 
 to the king that I will solemnly renounce the crown if only I 
 can save Katt's life." 
 
 As my brother saw him mount the scaffold he called out to 
 him, "I am miserable, dear Katt. I am the cause of your mis- 
 fortune ; oh, that I were in your place !" Katt, then kneeling 
 down, replied, " Had I a thousand lives, my beloved prince, I 
 would lay them all down for you." One of the attendants 
 then stepped forward to blindfold him, but he waved him 
 back. He then said, in a firm voice, " My God, into Thy hands 
 I commend ray spirit." He had scarcely uttered these words 
 when his head fell. In falling he had still stretched out his 
 hand towards the window at which my brother was standing. 
 The poor prince had fainted away. He was laid on his bed, 
 where he remained insensible for several hours. Fever then 
 attacked him, and his condition was not to be described. Katt's 
 body had been left lying in such a position that my brother
 
 164 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 could not escape seeing it. As no one knew what to do with 
 the crown prince, and the doctors feared for his life, they sent 
 for a clergyman. But the cruel emotions my brother had been 
 through were not so easily got over, and he became calmer 
 only when quite exhausted. Great bodily weakness, accom- 
 panied by floods of tears, at last succeeded the violent fits of 
 despair, and he sank into melancholy, which lasted some time. 
 Even now we never dare mention this terrible scene to him. 
 Katt's body remained lying on the scaffold till sundown. It 
 was then buried in a corner of the fortress near the bastions. 
 I am here going to insert a letter Katt wrote to his grandfa- 
 ther, and also a verse which was found written on the win- 
 dow of his prison. 
 
 " SlR, AND HONORED GRANDFATHER, 1 Cannot CXprCSS to 
 
 you with what pain and anxiety I write these lines. I, who 
 have been the sole object of your constant solicitude ; I, to 
 whom you looked for the advancement of your family ; I, 
 whom you educated in principles that should have made me fit 
 to serve God and my neighbors ; I, who never parted from you 
 without having been honored by some of your kind advice ; I, 
 who was the joy, pride, and support of your old age ; I, miser- 
 able creature, am the cause of all your grief and pain. Instead 
 of sending you good news, I must tell you of my being sen- 
 tenced to death a sentence which has just been communicated 
 to me. Do not take my sad fate too much to heart. We 
 must bow to the will of Providence. If we are tried by re- 
 verses, the strength will be given us to endure them. Nothing 
 is impossible to God : He can help when He sees fit. I put all 
 my trust in the Almighty, that He may yet soften the king's 
 heart, and incline him to show me mercy. The king was at all 
 times gracious towards me. If God wills it otherwise, then I 
 shall not cease to praise Him, for He orders all for our best. I 
 shall patiently submit to any alternative your influence and 
 other people's may obtain from the king. Meanwhile I entreat
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGKAVINB OF BAIREUTH. 165 
 
 your forgiveness for all my misdeeds, and hope that God, who 
 forgives the greatest of sinners, will also have mercy on me. 
 Will you not also follow His example, and grant your pardon 
 to him who signs himself, sir, and much esteemed grandfather, 
 " Your devoted and respectful grandson, 
 
 KATT." 
 " 2d November, 1730." 
 
 The following are the lines he wrote on his -window. There 
 is more cleverness in them than poetry : 
 
 " Wouldst thou the fruit of a clear conscience reap ? 
 Take time, and patience keep. 
 Wouldst of the writer ask ? Then Katt replies, 
 ' Cheerful and hopeful in his cell he lies. '" 
 
 Underneath them was written : " To those who wish to read 
 these lines be it known that he who wrote them was imprisoned 
 on the 16th of August, 1730, by order of the king. He still 
 hopes to be liberated, though the manner in which he is 
 watched makes him fear something terrible." 
 
 But now I must return to my own personal narrative. On 
 the 5th of November, a Sunday morning, the day before Katt's 
 execution, just as I was going to say my prayers, Eversmann 
 was announced. He was sent by the king to speak with me. 
 I was much alarmed, and though I was still in bed I ordered 
 him to be shown into my room. He began at once: "The 
 king desires you to accept the offer of marriage made by the 
 Duke of Weissenfels or that of the Margrave of Schwedt. I 
 am to say that the king has dealt most leniently with you, for 
 he is quite well aware that you were mixed up in the intrigues 
 of the crown prince and Katt: they have both confessed as 
 much." [This was not true.] " He is greatly incensed against 
 the prince, and swore yesterday that he would have your broth- 
 er's head laid at your feet. Your Royal Highness had better 
 reflect well on the answer you give me. The king will take 
 violent measures if you do not give way to him, and I may not
 
 166 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 say all that I know on this subject." I answered him, "The 
 king is my lord and master, and can do with me what he 
 pleases ; but he cannot convict me of having been a party to 
 my brother's plan. If he had asked me about it, I would have 
 proved my innocence to him. As regards the subject of my 
 marriage, I beg my father to settle that point with the queen. 
 As soon as they are of one mind on that subject, I shall at once 
 submit, however great my disinclination may be." 
 
 "The queen has nothing whatever. to do with it," Eversmann 
 began again. "The king will on no account allow her to mix 
 herself up in it." "But the king cannot prevent her being 
 my mother," I replied. " Why is he so determined to marry 
 me and make me miserable? Death seems far sweeter to me 
 than the daily terror I have to endure, and the fear of my fa- 
 ther or mother's curse which threatens me." 
 
 " Well, then, please yourself," was Eversmann's answer. 
 " You can prepare to die if you do not give in. The prince's 
 trial and Katt's will be postponed, so that you may be included 
 in it. A victim must be sacrificed to the king's fury, and it 
 may as well be you." " I am quite prepared for my fate," I 
 answered him ; " the world is quite indifferent to me. I have 
 had so many troubles that it is easy to me to forego this 
 world's vanities. I shall look forward to my death with more 
 satisfaction than fear." He then said, "But what is to be- 
 come of the crown prince?" "I do not know," was my reply; 
 " and if I am to die, then I shall trouble about nothing more." 
 With this remark the sad conversation came to an end. As 
 Eversmann left the room he said the king would send other 
 people to speak with me, but that he forbade me to speak with 
 the queen about what was going on. 
 
 I was so upset by this interview that my bed shook under 
 me. They hid from me the fact of the court-martial having 
 been summoned, and this increased my alarm. I feared my 
 refusal had done harm to my brother, but resolved to wait and 
 see what these other people would say whom my fatlicr was
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP IUIREUTH. 167 
 
 going to send to me before coming to a final decision. I con- 
 sidered Eversmann so very ranch beneath my contempt that I 
 would not condescend to give him my answer. I told Madem- 
 oiselle von Sonnsfeld at once of my conversation, and we both 
 agreed that it was necessary to let the queen know of it and 
 to obtain her instructions. It was not safe to send our letters 
 in the usual way, and I was not allowed to send any one to 
 her. We had, therefore, to try and discover some other means. 
 At last we thought of the following stratagem : The queen 
 had appointed a Mademoiselle von Konnken, a daughter of her 
 mistress of the robes, to be Mademoiselle von Billow's suc- 
 cessor. She was a charming girl, full of character. I asked 
 her to come secretly to me. As they had forgotten to put a 
 sentinel before one of my doors, which led to my sisters' rooms, 
 the queen's ladies were able to get at me by this way. As 
 soon as Mademoiselle von Konnken reached my room I told 
 her all the circumstances of the case, and made her understand 
 how important it was that the queen should be informed of 
 them. " I have thought of a means of doing so," I said to 
 her. " You send your mother a cheese : we will cut it in half, 
 put the letter between the pieces, and then stick them together 
 again, so that nobody will observe anything. Then, when the 
 box is opened containing the cheese, nothing can be discovered, 
 and we run no risk." It cost me no end of trouble and per- 
 suasion to get Mademoiselle von Konnken to agree to this, for 
 the daily arrests and executions were spreading universal ter- 
 ror. At last I succeeded, and sent my letter in the manner 
 suggested. 
 
 The next day, the 6th of November, the day of Katt's exe- 
 cution, Eversmann called upon Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, by 
 the king's desire, and brought her the following message : My 
 father desired her to persuade me to accept the Duke of Weis- 
 senfels. If she did not obey this command she was to be sent 
 to Spandau, or even something worse might happen to her. 
 My governess at once replied, " I am ready to leave the Court
 
 168 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 whenever the king wishes it, but I shall not mix myself up in 
 this marriage. The queen intrusted me with the education of 
 her daughter, but not with putting ideas of marriage into her 
 head. Tell the king that he gave me this post against my will, 
 as I had in vain repeatedly told him that I did not feel equal 
 to the task of bringing up a young princess. Dearly as I love 
 my princess, I should not hesitate for a moment to resign my 
 position rather than meddle with things which are beyond my 
 province." "Have you forgotten what has taken place to- 
 day ?" Eversmann answered ; " I am told that the king is in a 
 greater state of anger than ever : take care that he does not 
 carry out the threats he has been using against you and the 
 princess." " Beware of mentioning anything of all this to the 
 princess," interrupted Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld. " I have 
 kept it all from her, because her health has suffered so much 
 that the least additional emotion will quite prostrate her. As 
 regards myself, I shall calmly await what Providence may de- 
 cide for me." My governess repeated to me the whole con- 
 versation, only suppressing all mention of Katt's execution. I 
 was so ill that I had to keep my bed. " You have done quite 
 right," I said to her, " and I now know what I must do." 
 
 Madame von Rocoule visited me next day. Although more 
 than seventy years of age, she still had the superintendence of 
 my younger sisters. She was such a kind, upright old lady ! 
 Her daughter was with my elder sister, and I do not know 
 why, but this girl hated me. I had never done her any harm 
 that I knew of. She ruled her old mother, and therefore 
 much as I liked Madame von Rocoule I could not trust her. 
 She came to bring me a box of cheese from my mother. 
 " Here, my child, the queen sends you some cheeses," she be- 
 gan ; " and in one of them there is a letter." My blood began 
 to boil at the thought of my mother's imprudence, but I saw 
 that this was not the time to show mistrust. I therefore took 
 out the letter and read as follows: "You are as frightened as 
 a hare. Remember that my curse will fall on you if you sub-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIKEUTH. 1G9 
 
 mit to what is demanded of you. To gain time you must 
 pretend that you are very ill." I could not do otherwise than 
 show the note to Madame von Rocoule, but begged her not to 
 mention it to any one. 
 
 As soon as she left me I consulted with Mademoiselle von 
 Sonnsfeld as to what I was to do. We decided at last to obey 
 the queen. My maid, on whose unalterable devotion I could 
 depend, and I waited till dinner was over to assume the parts 
 we were going to act. Certainly it was prison fare. We 
 could scarcely appease our hunger. The food consisted of 
 bones with no meat, and these cooked in salt and water. As 
 soon as I sat down I complained of being sick, and then slowly 
 fell from my chair. All my servants ran for help ; my sisters' 
 and my mother's ladies surrounded rne. I was put to bed, and 
 remained there motionless for two hours. All thought I was 
 dead, and cried and wrung their hands. Goodness knows how 
 difficult I found it to keep up the imposture, but necessity 
 forced me to go through with it. After a while I pretended 
 to return slowly to consciousness, but all that day I never left 
 my bed. 
 
 Next day Eversmann again appeared. He had heard of my 
 illness at Wusterhausen, and came hurrying to see if it were 
 true or not. They had given me hot tin balls to hold in my 
 hands, so that when he approached me I acted as if -I were 
 unable to speak, saying only that I had violent fever, at the 
 same time giving him one of my hands. He was much taken 
 aback, and said, " She is very hot. How is it that no doctor 
 has been summoned?"- Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld replied 
 that she did not know if we had the king's permission to send 
 for one, and that she had therefore written to the queen about 
 me. Eversmann then left me. He took Mademoiselle von 
 Sonnsfeld on one side, and said, " I had forbidden you in the 
 king's name to say anything to the queen about what con- 
 cerned the princess. Yet you have done so. You treated me 
 yesterday like a child, but that is all the same to me. If I tell
 
 170 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 the king of it, it will simply depend on me alone whether you 
 are sent to Spandau ; and if the qneen speaks with him about 
 the matter, then you and your princess can pack up to be 
 ready to be sent there." Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld did not 
 know what answer to make to this speech, but he left her with- 
 out waiting for one. She came to me in great alarm and told 
 me of it. My terror was not less than hers, and we spent the 
 whole day in fear and trembling. She was fearing for me, and 
 1 for her. Had I known of Katt's fate, my state of distress 
 would have been still greater. 
 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld kept it from me, for she knew 
 my kind heart, and feared that so terrible an example of the 
 king's anger would make me lose courage. She was right, too ; 
 for I should have been wretched for life had my obstinacy been 
 the cause of her ruin. Great heavens, what I suffered during 
 these days ! My brother was ever present in my thoughts, and 
 I saw myself hourly exposed to be treated in the same way as 
 he was. The sorrow I caused to all who were devoted to me 
 made me determine to submit to each and every demand on 
 condition that the king forgave my brother. I could not count 
 on the queen. Her constant imprudence, and the little respect 
 in which she was held by the king, deprived me of all hope of 
 aid from her. My father had probabjy been told that the 
 queen's ladies visited me ; for this comfort was now denied me, 
 and I saw no one beyond my sisters, who were still quite chil- 
 dren. I was also obliged to stay in bed to keep up the farce 
 of my illness, and was not able even to read in peace. That 
 devil Eversmann disturbed me every moment to torment me 
 about the Duke of Weissenfcls. 
 
 One piece of good news reached us at this time, and brought 
 me some measure of comfort. I mentioned that grief at Katt's 
 death had made my brother dangerously ill. His good consti- 
 tution alone saved his life. Grumkow, who had been the cause 
 of all the crown prince's misfortunes, now desired to have an 
 equal share in his being set at liberty. He induced the king
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 171 
 
 to let him go to Kiistrin. Instead of approaching the prince 
 with insolence, as he had on the former occasion, Grumkow 
 this time addressed him with great respect. He commiserated 
 his sad fate, and told him that he and Seckendorf had done 
 all in their power to save Katt. Grumkow finally advised my 
 brother to write to the king in a most submissive tone, promis- 
 ing him if he did so to procure him his father's pardon. It 
 was only after much persuasion that he succeeded in inducing 
 my brother to take this step. He succeeded at last, after having 
 told him how much my mother was suffering for his sake, and 
 the crown prince agreed to write to the king. My brother 
 knew nothing of all that had happened to me, and only learned 
 it afterwards from myself. Grumkow kept his word. On the 
 12th of November the crown prince was allowed to leave the 
 fortress, but not to quit Kiistrin, which he had still to regard as 
 a prison. The king let him have three civilians to keep him 
 company Messieurs Wallen, Rovedel, and Natzmer. His ex- 
 penditure was limited to the smallest possible sum. He was al- 
 lowed no amusements, nor was he permitted to read or write, or 
 to speak French. It was impossible to describe the joy pervading 
 all classes at the news of the prince having been set at liberty. 
 In spite of the king's peremptory orders that my brother should 
 be treated in the most rigorous manner during his imprison- 
 ment, his dinner-table was well cared for. All Berlin sent him 
 provisions, and even the greatest delicacies. Even the poor ex- 
 iled French collected linen to send my brother. I was equally 
 kindly cared for, and had food sent me in the same way as the 
 crown prince. If I bad not had this I think I should have 
 nearly died of hunger and want. My gratitude towards this 
 nation will be unceasing, and I wish it were in my power to 
 requite it as I should like. 
 
 Letters which were at this time received from Anspach con- 
 tradicted the rumor of the death of Prince Henry of Baireuth. 
 An attack of fever, from which he had suffered for six days in 
 1'arisj must have given rise to the report.
 
 172 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRA.VINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 About the 22d the queen returned to Berlin. She found me 
 still in bed, pretending to be ill, and being so in downright re- 
 ality. All niy sorrows and anxieties, combined with the seden- 
 tary life I had been compelled to lead, had so seriously affected 
 my health that it never entirely recovered from it. My second 
 sister, who has since married the Duke of Brunswick, came at 
 once to see me. I loved her dearly. She was very clever and 
 lively in later years. She requited me ill for the love I bore 
 her. As soon as she entered my room she exclaimed, " Have 
 you not pitied our brother and grieved for Katt?" I asked 
 her why, and she then gave me an account of the whole trage- 
 dy. The impression it produced on my mind is easily to be 
 imagined. I put myself in my brother's place, and tried to 
 picture to myself what he must have suffered in that awful mo- 
 ment. As we were speaking my mother came into the room. 
 She told me all she had gone through during her absence. The 
 king had never sought to spare her in the least. On the con- 
 trary, he had taken pleasure in mortifying her whenever he 
 possibly could. The queen now came daily to see me, and 
 caused me perfect panics of terror. " I know that they intend 
 to torment you as soon as I have left Berlin," she said to mo. 
 " They will take Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld from you, and 
 that, too, in a shameful manner, and will surround you with 
 people whom you cannot trust. Don't let them disconcert 
 you ; remain firm, and refuse persistently to marry." In order 
 to put her mind at rest, I always replied that her orders should 
 be obeyed. I had, however, determined to submit to the king's 
 will on the very first occasion. 
 
 The king spent Christmas in Berlin, and remained there till 
 the beginning of the year 1731. During that time my visits 
 from the queen were interrupted. I am now going to com- 
 mence the account of the year 1731. 
 
 On the 10th or 12th of January my father returned to Pots- 
 dam, and the queen followed him there on the 28th. A recon- 
 ciliation was effected by the Chamberlain Sastot between her
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIRKUTH. 173 
 
 and Grumkow. This secret was at once confided to me. My 
 mother said, " I have won over Grumkow : he has assured me 
 that he will do all in his power to settle your English marriage, 
 and to have the crown prince restored to the king's favor. As 
 he has come over to our side there is nothing more to fear." 
 This information took me much by surprise. I could not un- 
 derstand how my mother could possibly trust such a creature. 
 He had so often cheated and betrayed us, and I felt certain he 
 would do so again. However, I was obliged to keep my 
 thoughts to myself, because my mother could not bear the least 
 contradiction. 
 
 The day before her departure from Berlin she came once 
 more to see me. She looked me straight in the face and said, 
 " I come to take leave of you, and hope that Grumkow will 
 keep his promise, and that you will be left in peace during my 
 absence. If it should, however, not be so, I demand a solemn 
 oath from you that you never marry any one else but the Prince 
 of Wales. It is quite easy for you to take that oath, and it will 
 comfort me greatly." I was at first so much taken aback that 
 I did not know how to reply to the queen. I tried to give an 
 evasive answer, saying, " As Grumkow has obtained my broth- 
 er's release, he will now probably try to get my English mar- 
 riage settled, in order to be able to boast of his success. I 
 therefore think that there is nothing to fear." The queen, how- 
 ever, persisted on my taking this oath. I did not in the least 
 know how to avoid doing so, and I was afraid of my mother's 
 anger. At last the following pretext helped me to enlighten 
 her as to the real state of my feelings on this vexed subject. I 
 therefore answered her, " I belong to the Reformed Church, and 
 am consequently a firm believer in the doctrine of predestina- 
 tion. I do not know to what corner of the earth I am destined 
 by Providence to go. If it is England, then neither the king 
 nor any one else will prevent my getting there. If, however, 
 one or the other of these two hateful marriages is my destiny, 
 then all your Majesty's efforts, as well as all my own, to prevent
 
 174 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGKAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 that marriage will b^ unavailing. My conscience forbids my 
 taking such an oath as you propose, for I may be unable to keep 
 it. I will rather suffer from your anger, which will be a great 
 grief to me, than offend God. I will resist as long as I possibly 
 can, but if absolutely necessary I shall give way to my father." 
 The queen was displeased at ray saying this, but felt that she 
 could not argue against my decision. We took a most tender 
 farewell of each other. I could scarcely tear myself away from 
 her. My mother was also greatly overcome. We determined 
 we would correspond only on ordinary subjects, but that should 
 we have anything of serious importance to communicate we 
 would send the letters through the wife of the queen's old page. 
 This woman had ever since her childhood been with my grand- 
 mother, the Duchess of Hanover, who educated and trained her. 
 She afterwards married this page. We could trust her implic- 
 itly, for she was honesty and devotion personified. 
 
 After the queen's departure I led a very sad existence. I 
 was no longer allowed even to leave my bedroom, and I did 
 not see a soul. I spent my days in reading. The month of 
 February was spent in this manner. At last I was allowed to 
 see my mother and my sisters. I was left entirely in peace, and 
 became accustomed to the enforced solitude. Nothing more 
 was said about the projects of marriage. My brother was safe, 
 though his existence was melancholy enough. He was able to 
 write to me from time to time, and I had the happiness of an- 
 swering his letters. Mademoiselle von Sounsfcld's brother 
 managed this correspondence secretly for us. 
 
 The queen kept me daily informed of all that took place. 
 She wrote to me that she was on very good terms with Grum- 
 kow, and had little doubt of my marriage with the Prince of 
 Wales being settled. Grumkow had authorized her to make 
 one last attempt in that direction. I confess that I could not 
 overcome my extreme distrust of this man ; he had already 
 cheated us too often. After-events proved that I was right. 
 
 The month of April had come rouud, and I had happily been
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 175 
 
 
 
 spared any more communications from thtf king on the sub- 
 ject of these hateful marriages. Now, however, a change took 
 place. The king began again to torment my mother on the 
 subject, and Eversmann recommenced his visits to me. On 
 one of these occasions he told me that the state-rooms in the 
 Castle were to be prepared for fetes which were in prospect. 
 " I will tell you in confidence," Eversmann continued, " that 
 the Duke of Wurtemberg, the hereditary Prince of Baireuth, 
 the Duke and Duchess of Bevern and Prince Charles of Bevern 
 are expected, and that the betrothal of your sister Sophie with 
 the hereditary Prince of Baireuth will then take place. How 
 sorry I am for you to be shut up here alone ; but the king has 
 sworn that you shall on no account appear at these festivities." 
 I replied that I did not in the least care for any of these amuse- 
 ments, and that they were quite indifferent to me, but not so 
 my father's affection. I should use every means in my power 
 to regain his love. 
 
 It was now almost three-quarters of a year since I had been 
 able to take the Holy Communion, which had been forbidden 
 me. With my mother's leave I now wrote to the king, in the 
 most touching and submissive terms, imploring him to restore 
 me to his favor, and also asking him for permission to take the 
 Holy Communion. The king told my mother to say that his 
 " canaille " of a daughter might receive the sacrament if she 
 chose. He at the same time himself appointed the clergyman 
 who was to officiate, and desired that the service should be 
 performed in my room, and quite in secret. All looked on 
 this permission as a good omen the more so as my father had 
 acted in just the same way towards my brother a few days 
 before he was liberated from the fortress of Kiistrin. These 
 hopes were not of long duration. Grumkow had induced the 
 king to make one last effort to get my English marriage settled 
 without reference to that of the crown prince. The King of 
 England, who was of a very vivacious temperament, and easi- 
 ly roused to anger, was extremely offended at the treatment
 
 176 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGBAVINE OF BAIBEUTH. 
 
 Hotham had received, as well as at the offensive language used 
 towards him on other occasions. Had my father appointed 
 any other envoy things would probably never have gone as 
 far as they had. Reichenbach, who was Grumkow's right 
 hand, and had on all occasions endeavored to create misunder- 
 standings and bad feeling, was the person chosen. He was to 
 demand a formal declaration from the English king on the 
 subject of my marriage. This was all kept a secret from the 
 Prince of Wales. King George answered that he insisted on 
 the double marriage, but would not consent to either without 
 the other, and that he would marry his son within four months. 
 To this my father retorted that he would see me married be- 
 fore two months were over. The queen immediately told me 
 of this, and implored me to remain firm, whatever might be 
 attempted against me. 
 
 In a week from that time Eversmann presented himself before 
 me. He was not sent by the king, he said, but was desirous 
 to keep me informed as to what was going on. " I really am 
 anxious for your welfare, and I should be grieved if any mis- 
 fortune overtook you." He then continued, " There is noth- 
 ing left you but to marry the Duke of Weissenfels, for all nego- 
 tiations are broken off with England. The king threatens to 
 submit your brother to a fresh trial. He regrets having had 
 Katt executed without having previously put him on the rack. 
 Papers are missing, which have been destroyed, and of which 
 you are cognizant. The king considers these papers most im- 
 portant, and if you will not submit to him he will proceed with 
 the utmost severity against you and the prince." To this 
 speech I answered in a firm, loud voice that I knew of nothing, 
 and if my fate was to be a sorrowful one it was perhaps the 
 lesser of two evils, and that I would never marry. Eversmann 
 returned to Potsdam next morning, and only came to see me 
 again two days later. The queen meanwhile wrote daily to 
 me. She said her distress was inexpressible, and that my 
 father's anger both against rnc and mv brother was greater
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 177 
 
 than ever. He had sworn to marry me, and treated her without 
 the least consideration. 
 
 On the 6th of May, the most eventful day in my life, Evcrs- 
 mann appeared again quite early in the morning. He told me 
 he had received the king's commands to buy all that was nec- 
 essary for my wedding, and had given him this order in my 
 mother's presence, who had cried most bitterly. If I did not 
 at once submit to the king's will he was determined to get rid 
 of Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, and if I persisted in my refusal 
 I was to be shut up within the walls of a prison. Eversmann 
 said that the king had already ordered the post-horses that were 
 to convey me to the place of my imprisonment. My father 
 intended sending some one to me to demand my final answer. 
 I replied but little to all this, and endeavored to shorten the 
 interview. As soon as Eversmann had left I took my mother's 
 ladies on one side and told them what I had heard. They were 
 much alarmed, and asked me what I should decide on doing. 
 " To obey," I replied, " as soon as some other messenger is sent 
 me than Eversmann. I should certainly not honor him with 
 my answer. After the terrible example of Katt's death I have 
 not the least doubt that my father will carry out his threats 
 against Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld. What have Mademoiselle 
 von Billow and Diihau done to be treated as they have been? 
 I will rather be miserable than cause the unhappiness of others. 
 Besides which, my mother's and my brother's sad position is 
 reason enough for any sacrifice on my part." My governess, 
 who had listened quietly to what I had been saying, now came 
 forward and entreated me to remain firm. She was quite will- 
 ing and ready to suffer everything for my sake. At five o'clock 
 that evening the wife of my mother's page brought me the 
 following letter from her: 
 
 " DEAR DAUGHTER, Everything is lost. The king is deter- 
 mined to marry you. I have had some cruel scenes on the 
 subject. Neither my tears nor my entreaties have been of any 
 J2
 
 178 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIEEUTH. 
 
 avail. Eversraann has received orders to prepare everything 
 for the wedding. You will lose Mademoiselle von Sonusfeld 
 (the king is determined on that point) if you do not submit. 
 For God's sake do not give in ! A prison is better than a bad 
 marriage. Good-by, dear daughter. I hope great things from 
 your courage and firmness." 
 
 The queen's ladies and I were still speaking about this letter 
 when a servant came rushing into the room, and announced 
 General von Podewils and another gentleman, who wished to 
 speak with Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld. The ladies left me with- 
 out delay, and immediately afterwards Mademoiselle von Sonns- 
 feld came to me saying that these gentlemen had come by the 
 king's orders to speak with me. " For God's sake," she added, 
 "do not let them frighten you, but obey the orders of the queen. 
 
 The gentlemen now entered my room. They were Marshal 
 Bork, Grumkow, Podewils, and one other, who I afterwards 
 found out was M. Thulemeier. He was also a minister of state, 
 and both coarse and false. He had hitherto pretended to be 
 devoted to the queen's cause. I had never seen him before, 
 as he was of too low rank to be admitted at Court. These gen- 
 tlemen thereupon made my governess understand that her pres- 
 ence was not required, and locked all the doors. Grumkow 
 now addressed me as follows : " We are sent here by the 
 king's orders to tell your Royal Highness that the king insists 
 on your marriage. Till now he has put it off, hoping that Eng- 
 land would consent to your marriage with the Prince of Wales. 
 However, all hopes of this are over. The King of England 
 has refused to consider our sovereign's proposals. Indeed, he 
 has let him know that the prince will be married within a 
 year. Your father very naturally felt this offence keenly, and 
 answered that you would be married in three months' time. 
 He must keep his word, and although he did not feel bound, 
 as your father and master, to enter into any discussion with 
 you on this subject, he wishes you to consider how disgraceful
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 179 
 
 it is, both to yourself and him, to be treated as England's play- 
 thing. The rupture which the King of England has caused 
 in the two families by his obstinacy is quite reason enough for 
 your Royal Highness's making another alliance. Think of 
 the sorrow which your mother daily endures for your sake; 
 think of your brother's position, and of that of so many others 
 on whom the king's anger has fallen ! To prevent your put- 
 ting any difficulties in the way, we are commanded to propose 
 to you in marriage the hereditary Prince of Baireuth, but at 
 the same time leaving you the option of marrying the Duke of 
 Weisscnfels or the Margrave of Schwedt. You cannot have 
 anything to urge against the Prince of Baireuth, because you 
 do not know him. You cannot even reproach him with what 
 you did the others, for he has a beautiful principality of his 
 own, and then the queen herself first proposed him. It is pos- 
 sible that as you have been educated in the idea of obtaining 
 a crown you may be somewhat disappointed. Princesses of 
 great houses are destined from their birth to sacrifice them- 
 selves for the good of their country ; and, after all, a high posi- 
 tion does not always bring earthly happiness with it. I advise 
 your Royal Highness, therefore, to submit to the decrees of 
 Providence. Let us be the bearers of such an answer as will 
 restore peace to your family. If all the reasons I have put 
 forward here are still unavailing in inducing you to submit, I 
 have the king's order (which he showed me) to have you con- 
 veyed to a fortress, where you are to be imprisoned. And 
 here is another order," Grumkow continued, " which concerns 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld and your other companions, whose 
 fate will be far more grievous than Katt's. Several points in the 
 crown prince's trial were purposely not inquired into, in order 
 to leave him a means of escape. The king now intends to 
 have him reimprisoned in the fortress. On the other hand, 
 listen to what the king promises you if you will obey him. 
 First, he will give you a larger dowry than any of your sisters ; 
 secondly, your brother is to be set completely at liberty two
 
 180 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 days after your marriage, and everything that has passed is to 
 be forgotten ; and, thirdly, he promises you to treat the queen 
 more kindly." During this long address I prayed to the Al- 
 mighty to direct me to come to a' right decision. I answered 
 the gentlemen, saying, " You are much mistaken if you imag- 
 ine that it was the wish to become queen which has prevented 
 my obeying my father. I am not in the least aware what has 
 roused his anger against me, because he has never let me know 
 anything about a marriage. I never thought Eversmann's gos- 
 sip about the subject was a message from the king. If the 
 king had been agreed with the queen about it, I should have 
 been ready at any moment to assure him of my submission, 
 and I will do so at once if he will allow me to get my moth- 
 er's consent to doing so. If the queen, however, persists in 
 her refusal, then I shall be unable to accept the proposal." 
 " No, your Royal Highness," Grumkow answered, " that is for- 
 bidden you, and we have the king's commands not to leave 
 you till you give an answer." " Will you still remain obsti- 
 nate?" Marshal Bork now said. "The king has assured me 
 that his whole peace of mind depends on your answer." 
 " Yes," Thulemeier added, "I am a devoted servant of the 
 queen's, and know she would approve of this step." He then 
 looked fixedly at me, saying, " You risk everything if you do 
 not submit." I asked Grumkow who it was that was speaking 
 to me, and when I heard it was Thulemeier I felt I must no 
 longer hesitate. " Well, then," I said, " I am ready to be the 
 victim, and gladly sacrifice myself for my family, hoping peace 
 will thereby be restored to it. As to you, gentlemen, you 
 will have to appear before God's judgment-seat to answer for 
 your sins, if you do not insist on my father keeping the prom- 
 ises he has made me with regard to my brother. You swear 
 to me that they shall be carried out to the letter, if I write to 
 the king and tell him I am ready to obey him, and accept the 
 proposal of marriage with the hereditary Prince of Bairenth." 
 They allowed me to write also to the queen, and having given
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTJI. 181 
 
 them my letters to her and to the king, they took their leave. 
 Thulemeier remained behind for a moment, and said, " Your 
 Royal Highness has acted a^ a gifted princess should. The 
 king will be delighted with your answer, which will pacify 
 him. You will still be happy. Comfort yourself, for all is 
 not yet lost." As soon as I was alone I burst out crying ; my 
 governess was in despair, all around me were in the greatest 
 dismay. The next day I received a letter from my father, in 
 which he wrote, " I am very pleased, indeed, dear Wilhelmine, 
 that you submit to the wishes of your father. God will bless 
 you, and I will never desert you, but shall care for you all the 
 days of my life, and shall always prove to you that I am your 
 devoted father." 
 
 I answered him at once, and also wrote the following letter 
 to my mother : 
 
 " Your Majesty will have learned my fate from the sad let- 
 ter I sent you under cover to the king. It is very difficult to 
 describe to you in what a state I am. My consent to my mar- 
 riage was not forced from me by the threats made me, how- 
 ever dreadful these were. They showed me a paper, signed by 
 the king's own hand, containing my sentence. It was to be 
 carried out if I still persisted in my refusal. I was told of the 
 disagreement subsisting between you and the king, and the 
 account of it made me shudder. Every reason that I could 
 possibly give against the marriage was rendered useless even 
 the plea that I could not accept the Prince of Baireuth without 
 first having your consent. I was reminded that your Majesty 
 yourself had a year ago proposed this very alliance. Besides 
 which, the king had forbidden me to ask you for advice. The 
 gentlemen had received orders not to leave my room till I had 
 given them an answer. It is impossible for me to relate all 
 that was said. I must keep it till I have the honor of seeing 
 your Majesty and telling you myself. I can but too well un- 
 derstand how grieved you will be, and that is what hurts me 
 most. I beseech your Majesty to submit to God's will. He
 
 182 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 directs all for the best. I do so more earnestly, as I am so 
 happy at being able to sacrifice myself for my dear mother and 
 ray brother. I love both of them so tenderly that I wish it 
 were in my power to do more for them. I therefore entreat 
 you again, if your Majesty has the least love for me, to take 
 care of your health, which is more precious to me than life. 
 I had the misfortune to be the sole cause of all your trouble 
 and sorrow, and I could bear it no longer. I am quite content 
 to accept the decrees of Providence, and trust that the prayers 
 which I offer daily for your Majesty's happiness will be heard. 
 One source of comfort you at least have in the promise which 
 has been made me of my brother's freedom and of your being 
 treated in a kind and considerate manner. I write this letter 
 crying bitterly, and with a trembling hand, but at peace in the 
 thought that I have sacrificed myself for you. I am sure these 
 lines must touch you, and that you will understand the tender 
 feelings of a daughter for her mother, whom she will never, 
 till her last hour, cease to love and honor." 
 
 The queen's answer to this letter was so terrible that I did 
 not keep it, but I cannot either forget it. Among other 
 things she wrote, "You pierce my heart through and through 
 by your abominable conduct in submitting to the king's will. 
 I no longer own you as my daughter: you are unworthy of 
 being my child. I shall never forgive you the cruel annoy- 
 ance you have caused me. Had I known sooner what a bad 
 heart yours is, I might have saved myself much trouble and 
 worry on your account." 
 
 For a whole week I received letters written in the same tone. 
 My answers were as touching and affectionate as possible. No- 
 body's grief ever equalled mine. My health began to suffer 
 from it, and I shook from head to foot so that I could scarcely 
 stand. My position caused me most sad reflections. I was on 
 the point of being married to a prince whom I did not even 
 know. The world spoke highly of him, but I did not know 
 whether mutual sympathy, so necessary to happiness in married
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIRETJTH. 183 
 
 life, would accompany ray marriage. The good understanding 
 that had subsisted between my mother and myself was destroy- 
 ed forever, for I knew her revengeful nature. All those who 
 had formerly paid me court turned their backs on me, and the 
 first to do so were the queen's ladies. I do not know how I 
 bore so much sorrow without dying of it. 
 
 Eversmann came one day and told me, with a kind message 
 from the king, that he would come to Berlin next day. He 
 would endeavor to arrive before my mother, who was to reach 
 Berlin only in the evening. The king desired my sisters and 
 myself to be in his rooms on his arrival. Eversmann told me 
 that rny mother was by no means pacified, and that I must ex- 
 pect to be unkindly treated by her. He also told me that the 
 Duchess of Bevern, who had been for several days at Potsdam, 
 had tried all her powers of persuasion with the queen. I spent 
 the whole day in tears. On the following day I went to my 
 father's apartments, where he arrived at two o'clock. I ex- 
 pected an affectionate reception, and was therefore sadly taken 
 aback to see my father enter with as furious an expression as 
 ever on his face. " Will you obey me or not ?" the king said 
 to me. I threw myself sobbing at his feet, and assured him of 
 my entire submission, and begged him to restore his fatherly 
 affection to me. He then lifted me up from the ground and 
 embraced me kindly, saying, " Now I am satisfied with you. I 
 shall always look after you as long as I live." 
 
 The queen arrived only at seven o'clock that evening. I 
 wanted to kiss the hem of her dress, and fainted in doing so. 
 I was told that she was not in the least moved by seeing the 
 condition I was in. It took some time before they could re- 
 store me to consciousness. I then threw myself at her feet; 
 but my heart was so full, and tears so choked my utterance, 
 that I was incapable of saying a word. During the whole of 
 this scene my mother looked at me in a hard, disdainful man- 
 ner. Ramen at last put an end to this painful interview. She 
 represented to the queen how extremely displeased and angry
 
 184 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF UAIREUTH. 
 
 my father would be when he learned how she treated me, and 
 that he would make her suffer for it. She added that my grief 
 was apparently so great that I was unable to control myself. 
 If the queen did not change her manner towards me, Ramen 
 told her, it would only lead to fresh disagreeables. This speech 
 made some impression on my mother, for she was much afraid 
 of the king. She therefore pretended to be touched by my 
 distress, bade me get up, and said in a most dry tone that she 
 would forgive me on condition that I did not make a further 
 exhibition of my sorrow. 
 
 At this moment the Duke of Bevern with his wife and son 
 entered the room. The duchess could not hide her emotion 
 on seeing my state of distress. I had never before seen her, 
 but she assured me in whispers of her sympathy ; and from 
 that moment we took a great affection for each other, and re- 
 mained firm friends forever after. 
 
 The next day M. Thulemeier, whom I have already mentioned, 
 secretly sent my mother word that all was not yet lost. He con- 
 sidered that all the steps my father had taken about my marriage 
 were a sort of bait to force the King of England to make tip 
 his mind. Thulemeier said he had made inquiries everywhere 
 about the hereditary Prince of Baireuth, and had been unable 
 to hear anything of him. It was therefore impossible that he 
 had returned home, and also impossible that he could come to 
 Berlin. 
 
 . This letter of Thulemcier's pacified the queen, and she treated 
 me more kindly. She desired me to tell her everything that 
 had happened during her absence. She reproached me inces- 
 santly, but in a gentler tone. Her hopes grew daily. The king 
 made no mention of my marriage, and it seemed almost as if 
 my act of submission had made him forget all about it. 
 
 Monday, May 27th, was fixed for a great review of all the 
 troops. The review was this year to be particularly brilliant. 
 For this purpose the king had caused all the infantry and 
 cavalry regiments in the country to assemble at Berlin. These
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 185 
 
 regiments, together with the garrison of Berlin, formed an army 
 corps of twenty thousand men. A few days before the review 
 Duke Eberhard Ludwig, of Wiirtemberg, arrived at Berlin. The 
 king had paid him a visit a short time before all my brother's 
 troubles began. He had been so flattered by the kindness and 
 civility shown him at Stuttgart that he had invited the duke 
 to come to Berlin. As my father found his greatest pleasure 
 in life in his troops, he thought he could give others no greater 
 mark of civility than by showing off his soldiers to them. For 
 this reason he always held reviews whenever foreign princes 
 came to Berlin. It must be confessed that the king on this 
 occasion outdid himself. The festivities were really splendid, 
 and during the whole time the foreign guests remained at 
 Berlin fourteen courses were served at dinner. This was a 
 great feat for my father. But to return to my narrative. 
 
 On Sunday, the 26th, the king told my mother that he 
 wished her to be present at the review next morning. "The 
 Duchess of Bevern and my two daughters will accompany you 
 in the carriage," he added, " and you must be ready dressed 
 at 4 A.M. I do not intend dining to-night, so you must enter- 
 tain the princes while I go to bed." The queen left my father 
 and returned to her own room, where she began a game at 
 Pharo.* She had scarcely finished it when we saw a post-chaise 
 drive up to the principal entrance of the Castle. As this right 
 is granted only to princes of high rank, the queen was at once 
 alarmed, and asked who it was that had arrived. Soon after 
 the answer was brought her that it was the hereditary Prince 
 of Baireuth. No thunder-bolt could have caused her a great- 
 er shock ; she became as pale as death, and almost fainted. I 
 was in much the same condition. After some little reflection, 
 I went up to my mother and asked her to excuse ray accom- 
 panying her next day to the review. "My father will make 
 such a to-do with me in public," I said, " that it will be pain- 
 
 * A game at cards.
 
 186 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGE AVIISTE OF BAIREUTKL 
 
 fill for your Majesty to have to witness it." The queen quite 
 agreed with me, but her almost slavish terror of the king for- 
 bade her granting my request. After some dispute on the 
 subject, it was settled that I must go with her. 
 
 I spent a cruel night. Dreadful palpitations of the heart 
 and an indescribable terror deprived me almost of speech. 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld did her best to comfort me. She 
 sat near my bed, crying bitterly. I was obliged to get up early 
 and dress. I covered my face up as much as I could and went 
 to the queen, and we soon afterwards drove off together. The 
 troops were drawn up in order of battle. We drove down the 
 lines, and then took up our position close to a battery, which 
 was at some distance from the troops. Colonel von Wach- 
 holtz, one of the king's favorites, now approached my mother, 
 and told her that by the king's command he was to have the 
 honor of presenting to her the hereditary Prince Henry of 
 Baireuth. He then did so. The queen received the prince 
 very haughtily, and said a few cold words to him, after which 
 she motioned him away. The prince was tall and well grown : 
 he had noble features, and an open, pleasing expression. Al- 
 though his features were not regular, his whole appearance was 
 that of a very handsome man. The hot weather, together with 
 the fear and agitation I was in, caused me to faint away. I 
 was carried to a carriage in which my mother and Mademoi- 
 selle von Sonnsfeld were sitting. After some time the reme- 
 dies they applied restored me to consciousness. They did all 
 they could besides to help me to regain my composure. I re- 
 mained with them during the whole review. The king and the 
 princes all dined in the town, so that we saw nothing more of 
 them that day. 
 
 On the 28th, Prince Henry of Baireuth, with the other 
 princes, came to pay their respects to the queen. She spoke 
 very little to him, and when he turned to me 1 acknowledged 
 Ijis bow without saying anything.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 187 
 
 The 29th and 30th passed without anything being said by 
 the king. On the 31st he sent for my mother and myself to 
 corae to his room. "You know," he said, "that I have prom- 
 ised my daughter in marriage to the Prince of Baireuth. I 
 wish the betrothal to take place to-morrow. You can, if you 
 choose to take the thing in the right spirit, win all my love ; if, 
 on the contrary, you show any ill-will, you may count on my tak- 
 ing my revenge." The king said much the same to me. Both 
 the queen and I then assured him that his wishes were law to us. 
 My father then desired my mother to dress me handsomely, 
 and to lend me her jewels. The queen, who was almost chok- 
 ing with rage, cast furious looks at me all the time, but was 
 forced to submit. Soon after this the queen went to her apart- 
 ments, and in a little while the king brought the prince to her. 
 
 It is time that I should now say something about this 
 prince's character, as well as his position and circumstances. 
 He had been educated at Geneva in the simplest manner. His 
 father, the Margrave, was a prince of the House of Culmbach, 
 from which he received an annuity. As his means were not 
 sufficient for him to live as his rank demanded, he retired to a 
 small town in the king's dominions, called Beverling, and after- 
 wards lived in Rothenburg, a free town in Franconia. He was 
 the next heir to the Margravate of Brandenburg-Culmbach ; but 
 as the reigning Margrave, George Wilhelm, was still quite young 
 and was married, the Margrave of Baireuth resigned his rights to 
 King Frederick I., on condition of receiving four hundred thou- 
 sand thalers,* and a regiment for each of his sons. The two eld- 
 est sons of the prince went to study at Utrecht. On their return 
 from the University they found their father beside himself and 
 the whole family in despair. The conditions under which he 
 had resigned his rights to Brandenburg-Culmbach had not been 
 fulfilled, and the money had been reduced by nearly two-thirds. 
 Meanwhile Prince Henry had died, and the Margrave, George 
 
 * Sixty thousand pounds.
 
 188 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF RAIREUTH. 
 
 Frederick Charles, determined finally, after vainly endeavoring 
 to get things settled by the Government, to take up his abode 
 at Beverling. It was there that he was born who was to be- 
 come my husband. Some other children, of whom I shall 
 speak later, were also born there. King Frederick I. died in 
 course of time, but my father's accession brought no change in 
 the prince's circumstances. All the lawyers that were consult- 
 ed on the subject said the renunciation of his rights could not 
 hold good. The family, therefore, left Beverling secretly, and 
 visited all the German Courts, in order to secure their help and 
 interest. At last they succeeded, with the help of the Emperor 
 of Austria and all the great lawyers in the land, in getting back 
 their rights, and in having the arrangement which had been 
 made with Frederick I. declared null and void. When Mar- 
 grave William of Brandenburg-Culmbach and his son died, the 
 Margravate fell to Prince George Frederick Charles. 
 
 When the Margrave assumed the government he found his 
 affairs in the utmost confusion. His predecessor had left many 
 debts, and the revenues, in consequence of bad management, 
 were much reduced. The Margrave found himself, therefore, 
 unable to devote necessary attention to his son's education. lie 
 intrusted it at first to a middle-class tutor, and only when he 
 was to commence his travels gave his son into the charge of M. 
 von Voit, a gentleman of good birth. What an unfortunate 
 idea! A good education is the greatest blessing we can give 
 our children. 
 
 Prince Henry of Baireuth had just returned from his journey 
 to France and Holland when he arrived at Berlin. He was 
 lively, and not shy or awkward. His conversation was most 
 agreeable. He was very clever, had a good head and clear 
 judgment. His wonderful generosity and goodness of heart 
 won him the affection and respect of all. Generous, charitable, 
 civil, courteous, and even-tempered, he possessed all the virtues 
 of this world without any of the vices. 
 
 I fear I shall be thought partial in my opinion of him; but
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 189 
 
 his country, in which he is adored, and all who knew him will 
 bear witness to the truth of what I have said. But as no one 
 is without faults, I shall, in the course of these memoirs, have 
 occasion to make mention of his. They arc but slight ; but, as 
 I have determined to be perfectly honest about everything, nei- 
 ther shall I hide my own shortcomings. 
 
 The queen gave the prince a pretty good reception, and as long 
 as the king was present treated him civilly. No sooner had 
 my father, however, turned his back than she never ceased say- 
 ing the most unpleasant things to him. In the evening after 
 dinner the prince followed my mother, and begged her to grant 
 him a few moments' conversation. She would gladly have es- 
 caped from this, had she been able to do so with dignity. As 
 soon as they were alone together the prince began, " I have 
 been made acquainted with all the sorrow and annoyance to 
 which your Majesty has been subjected. I know the princess 
 was destined for the Prince of Wales, and that it was your 
 Majesty's ardent wish to see her settled in England. I know, 
 too, that it is only in consequence of the rupture of the nego- 
 tiations for that marriage that I have the honor of being chosen 
 the king's son-in-law. My happiness and my good-fortune are 
 great, indeed, to be allowed to aspire to the hand of a princess 
 for whom I have the warmest and most respectful feelings. 
 But it is just these feelings which make me aware how far too 
 precious she is for me to venture to marry her against her will. 
 I therefore respectfully implore your Majesty to speak quite 
 openly with me as to your views on the subject. Be assured 
 that I will abide by your answer. I would rather break with 
 the king and be a miserable man for the rest of my life than 
 cause the princess unhappiness." 
 
 The queen was quite unprepared for this speech, and reflect- 
 ed for a few moments what she should answer. As she feared 
 the king's anger, and did not think she could trust the prince, 
 she replied that she had no exception whatever to take to the 
 king's wishes, and both she and I were obliged to obey them,
 
 190 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 On the 1st of June, a Sunday morning, I went to the queen's 
 room, where soon afterwards the ting appeared. He present- 
 ed me with a beautiful diamond ring, which I was to give the 
 prince that evening as a betrothal ring, and also gave me a 
 service of gold plate. He repeated his injunctions to the 
 queen to accept the present state of things with a good grace. 
 I dined alone with my mother, who was terribly agitated, and 
 looked the whole time at me with eyes full of anger. 
 
 That evening at seven we went over to the state-rooms of 
 the Castle. The queen and all the princesses sat in one room 
 which had been specially prepared for them, and to. which no 
 one but my mother's court was admitted. Soon afterwards 
 the king entered with Prince Henry of Baireuth. My father 
 was as much agitated as my mother, so that he quite forgot to 
 betroth us formally in the room appointed for the ceremony. 
 The king approached the prince and myself and caused us to 
 exchange rings. I wanted to kiss his hands, but he kissed me 
 and took me in his arms and held me there a long time, while 
 the tears poured down his face. The queen received me with 
 her usual coldness. The king then bade the prince give me 
 his hand to lead me to the ballroom. As soon as we entered 
 our betrothal was announced. I was much beloved in Berlin, 
 and as the English marriage had been greatly desired, all were 
 much dismayed. The ladies wept, and silently kissed the hem 
 of my dress ; indeed, the king himself never ceased crying. 
 
 Grurakow and Seckendorf meanwhile could not contain their 
 satisfaction, for they had successfully accomplished a new trick. 
 Lord Chesterfield, the English envoy in Holland, had sent a 
 messenger from the English Court to Berlin, who had arrived 
 that very morning. Grumkow and Seckendorf had, however, 
 delayed the messenger, so that he was able to present his de- 
 spatches to the king only in the evening after my betrothal had 
 been declared. 
 
 The King of England had at last consented to agree to my 
 father's wishes, and to allow my marriage with the Prince of
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MA.RGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 191 
 
 Wales to take place, without reference to my brother. This 
 news fell on the king like a thunder-bolt. Grumkow and Seck- 
 endorf managed, however, to pacify him, and to induce him to 
 give an answer which entirely carried out their wishes. The 
 king's reply was that he refused to entertain any of the pro- 
 posals made to him by England. My mother heard of this 
 only next day, and in spite of the king's words still flattered 
 herself that she could break off my marriage. She forbade 
 me, under pain of her extreme displeasure, either to speak to 
 Prince Henry or show him the slightest mark of civility. 
 
 Prince Henry was really indifferent to me. I did not dis- 
 like him, but, on the other hand, I had no feeling of affection 
 for him. I was, however, anxious to be soon married to him, 
 in order to have peace, and to put an end to the perpetual teas- 
 ing I was subjected to by the queen and others. All those 
 who had lived at the Court of the late Margrave never wearied 
 of telling me of all its splendors and amusements. They as- 
 sured me that the riches in plate, both gold and silver, far ex- 
 ceeded anything at Berlin. These descriptions made me desir- 
 ous of soon settling in my new home. I built many castles in 
 the air, picturing to myself the happy, quiet life I should lead 
 there. As long as I was still under my mother's care I deter- 
 mined to obey her in all things, as much from fear of her as to 
 escape from the ill-treatment to which I was exposed. 
 
 But my evil star pursued me, and a new demon raised its 
 head to drive me to despair. I have already mentioned that 
 my elder sister was married to the Margrave of Anspach, and 
 that my sister Charlotte had married Prince Charles of Bevern, 
 a scion of the House of Brunswick and nephew to the Empress 
 of Austria. Of all my sisters I loved Charlotte the most, and 
 had known how to make her beloved by my mother. In those 
 days I did not know her evil nature, from which I had later so 
 much to suffer. Charlotte was very clever and very lively. 
 As nothing ever disturbed her, and scoldings made no impres- 
 sion on her, she had had the nickname given her of " I Don't
 
 192 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 Care." The whole world was indifferent to her, and she trou- 
 bled herself about nothing except what concerned her own lit- 
 tle person. She was always in the best of humors, merry and 
 full of mischief, besides being extremely amusing. She was 
 also, by fits and starts, very kind-hearted, and knew how to 
 make herself agreeable to those who required her help; but she 
 was very capricious, false, and jealous, and liked to amuse her- 
 self at the expense of others. She was at that time fifteen 
 years old. Charlotte was very jealous of the love my mother 
 bore me, and during the time she spent with the queen at 
 Wusterhausen and Potsdam, while I was, so to speak, under 
 arrest, she did all in her power to ingratiate herself with her. 
 She did me all the harm she could, and continually stirred up 
 my mother's anger against me. There was at this moment 
 fresh cause for my sister's being jealous of me. Prince Henry 
 of Baireuth was much handsomer than Prince Charles. He 
 often joked with her, and showed her much civility. This flat- 
 tered her, and his manners pleased her far more than her hus- 
 band's, who was extremely shy and phlegmatic. 
 
 About this time we went to Charlottenburg. A great day's 
 shooting had been arranged on our way there, to which the 
 Prince of Anhalt and his two sons, Leopold and Maurice, had 
 been invited. They were furious at my marriage, for they had 
 always flattered themselves that I should yet marry the Mar- 
 grave of Schwcdt. Prince Henry was a first-rate shot, and had 
 already killed several deer, when an inexperienced loader gave 
 him his rifle at full-cock. The rifle went off as the prince took 
 it into his hand, and the ball grazed the king's temple. The 
 Prince of Anhalt made a great fuss about this unfortunate oc- 
 currence ; and Prince Leopold said quite loud, so that Prince 
 Henry should hear it, that such dangerous shots ought at once 
 to be shot down. Prince Henry answered him very sharply, 
 and there is no knowing how far matters might have gone had 
 not the Prince of Bevcrn and Seckendorf interfered and effect- 
 ed a reconciliation, The king, meanwhile, had taken no notice
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 193 
 
 whatever of the affair, and when the shooting was over we all 
 continued our way to Charlottenburg. 
 
 That afternoon the queen assumed a new character. I do 
 not know whether she wished to give us a private representa- 
 tion : anyhow, if it was so, she gave me very little pleasure by 
 it. She began to examine the hereditary prince in his studies. 
 " Do you know ancient and modern history ?" she asked, " also 
 geography, mathematics, philosophy, painting, and music ?" 
 The prince at first answered my mother with a very laconic 
 " Yes " and " No ;" but when he observed that she questioned 
 him as she would a child, he said, laughingly, " Yes, and I also 
 know my Catechism and my A B C." This answer discon- 
 certed the queen so much that she put no further questions to 
 him. 
 
 After spending a few days at Charlottenburg we returned to 
 Berlin. The great control my mother exercised in the king's 
 presence over her fury at my marriage brought on an attack of 
 fever. During the three weeks which her illness lasted I nev- 
 er left her for a moment. I tried in every way in my power 
 to regain her affection, but in vain. She was no longer my ten- 
 der mother; all her love for me had turned to hate, of which 
 she gave me daily proofs. I often dined with her ladies and 
 Prince Henry in the queen's anteroom. My father had re- 
 turned to Potsdam, and all the other foreign princes had left 
 Berlin. While we were at dinner the queen had me watched 
 to observe whether I spoke to the prince. She was, however, 
 unable to find any cause for reproach. Prince Henry has 
 often told me since in what despair he was, and how on several 
 occasions he had been on the point of breaking off our mar- 
 riage, had not M. de Voit prevented him. Indeed, he was 
 much to be pitied ; everybody treated him ill, whatever he did 
 was found fault with, and he was teased and plagued all day 
 long. 
 
 When my mother had recovered, the king came to Berlin 
 for a few days on his way to Prussia. He announced to the 
 13
 
 194 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 queen that on his return in six weeks, he wished my marriage 
 to be solemnized. He would therefore give her the money she 
 was to spend on my trousseau. The queen said it was impos- 
 sible for my wedding to take place then. The time was too 
 short, the tradespeople would not be able to get their goods, 
 and unless a miracle were worked things could not be settled 
 in such a hurry. Owing to my mother's urgent representa- 
 tions, the king consented to postpone my wedding till Novem- 
 ber. He told the queen to make Prince Henry's stay as pleas- 
 ant as possible to him, and above all things to treat me kindly. 
 The queen upon this suddenly changed her whole behavior. 
 She was more than amiable to the prince, caressed him, and 
 kept assuring him of her friendship, and of the great pleasure 
 it was to her to have him as son-in-law. Me she continued to 
 ill-use, as heretofore. Not a day passed without my shedding 
 bitter tears. Poor Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, too, had to 
 endure much. The queen reproached her constantly with be- 
 ing the cause of my submission to the king's will. One day 
 she even said to me, " Well, and if Mademoiselle von Sonns- 
 feld had been punished, would it have been such a great mis- 
 fortune? You would still have been able to become a queen." 
 I longed to say to my mother, if I had dared, that I would 
 rather lose a thousand crowns than lose one person whom I 
 had reason to love and respect. Such sentiments were, how- 
 ever, not the fashion, and were looked on as weakness. I 
 therefore let my silence be my only answer. My position was 
 really a very sad one. Even the most unsympathetic must 
 have felt pity for me. I might well have exclaimed : 
 
 " Mes maux ont-ils touch6 
 Les coeurs nes pour la haine !"* 
 
 When Grumkow learned through Ramen how my mother 
 was incessantly trying to break off my marriage, and begin 
 
 * " Hearts born to bate 
 
 E'en these my woes have touched 1"
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 195 
 
 fresh negotiations with England, he naturally feared that the 
 constant ill-treatment I received would drive me into submis- 
 sion to the queen. He therefore determined to outwit her. 
 He turned for help to M. de Sastot, who was the queen's 
 chamberlain, whom I have had occasion to mention before. 
 Grumkow bade Sastot tell the queen that the king repented of 
 having betrothed me to the Prince of Baireuth ; that he did 
 not like him, and intended to break off the marriage on his 
 return to Berlin, and to marry me to the Duke of Weissenfels, 
 whom he would make field -marshal in his army; that he 
 (Grumkow) had endeavored to do all in his power to ward off 
 this blow, but feared that there was no hope of doing so. This 
 stroke of Grumkow's succeeded perfectly. The queen found 
 it was, after all, best and wisest to take Prince Henry's part, 
 and to support him. She desired me to be more friendly 
 towards him, because, she said, she would rather die than see me 
 married to the Duke of Weissenfels. 
 
 This period of comparative peace did not last long. Soon 
 after my father's return from Prussia the queen discovered 
 that Grumkow had tricked her. It is true the king did not 
 approve of Prince Henry's refined manners. He would rather 
 have had a son-in-law that cared only for wine and soldiers. 
 He made the poor prince drunk every day, " to test his char- 
 acter," as he said, " and accustom him to drink." Yes, the 
 king even complained to Grumkow and Seckendorf that the 
 prince was too effeminate a man without sense, whose manners 
 irritated him. As Grumkow and Seckendorf had such speeches 
 repeated to them daily, they feared that in the end the king 
 might really take a dislike to the Prince of Baireutb, and they 
 advised him to ask to be appointed colonel of a regiment. It 
 was the only way, they told him, of winning the king's favor 
 and securing his marriage. The English did not cease to mur- 
 mur at the mistaken measures adopted by their king. The 
 Prince of Wales was in despair at having lost me, and was 
 moving heaven and earth to get my marriage broken off.
 
 '196 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 They knew, Grumlcow and Seckendorf said, that there were no 
 other means of frustrating the threatened difficulties. Prince 
 Henry was in a great difficulty. His father, the Margrave, who 
 was a very obstinate man, had never allowed a son to enter 
 the military service. In order to prevent it, he had given up 
 two imperial regiments which had been raised by Margrave 
 George William, on condition that his second son was to Lave 
 
 c7> 
 
 one and General Philippi the other. After due consideration, 
 Prince Henry of Baireuth determined to follow Grumkow and 
 Seckendorf s advice, and to ask the king for a regiment. The 
 king granted his request a few days later, and made him a pres- 
 ent of a beautiful gold-mounted sword, almost too heavy to 
 lift. 
 
 All this gossip annoyed me very much. I knew the king t 
 too well, and was aware that he considered all those who were 
 in his service his slaves. I was sure he would treat the hered- 
 itary prince in the same manner as he did my brothers and 
 the Princes of the Blood, who had no distinction beyond their 
 military rank. My surmises were correct ; for, no sooner had 
 the king returned to Potsdam, than he let the prince know that 
 he had best join his regiment, which was garrisoned in Pase- 
 walk, a small town in Pomerama. The prince was obliged to 
 obey, and left Berlin a few days after the king. He was very 
 miserable, and poured forth many lamentations to me about 
 our separation. He also said how wretched the fear that I 
 disliked him made him, for he could imagine nothing else from 
 the cold manner in which I treated him. He said he felt most 
 deeply how unworthy he was of the honor done him by the 
 king, but he did nevertheless deserve it on account of the life- 
 long devotion he would display for me. He kissed my hands 
 over and over again, and when I did not answer him he im- 
 plored me to be candid with him. It would cause him utter 
 despair, he said, if he made me unhappy. If, however, he was 
 not repugnant to me, then he hoped I would not listen to any 
 gossip against him in his absence. He entreated me to answer
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BATREUTH. 197 
 
 him. He had tears in his eyes as he spoke, and was very deep- 
 ly affected. I was in great perplexity how to reply, but at last 
 told the prince I was well-intentioned to him, and appreciated 
 his worth too much to fail in my duty towards him. I told 
 him he could set his mind quite at rest on that point ; " but," I 
 added, u I am sorry you have entered the army. Had you 
 asked my advice it would never have happened." Prince Hen- 
 ry replied, " I was threatened with the loss of you, and would 
 rather have accepted the hardest conditions in the world, and 
 served in every regiment than have risked such a misfortune." 
 The queen, who was walking in the avenues of Montbijou, 
 where the prince and I were, put an end to the conversation 
 by approaching us with Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld. 
 
 Madame von Konnken, mistress of the robes, being probably 
 bored by an evening at the dinner-table, sent for some sweet- 
 meats from her house. These were in the shape of hearts, and 
 contained little verses. Everybody took one of these sugar- 
 plums, and gave it to a companion. Prince Henry gave me 
 one, which he broke in my hand. The queen said this was 
 unheard of. "I do not recognize you any more," she said. 
 " Since your hateful marriage is settled, you have neither shame 
 nor modesty. I blushed for you yesterday when the prince 
 broke that heart in your hand. Such familiarities are not prop- 
 er. The prince ought to know what respect he owes you." I 
 ventured to reply that I had not thought the matter serious the 
 less so as he had done just the same to my sister Charlotte, and 
 she had not been blamed for allowing it. However, I promised 
 it should not happen again. My answer by no means pacified 
 the queen, who continued scolding Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld 
 about my behavior. 
 
 In a fortnight's time we went to Wusterhausen. A descrip- 
 tion of this celebrated place will not be amiss here. The king 
 had, with the greatest labor, succeeded in raising a mound which 
 so well shut out the view of the Castle that you never caught 
 sight of it till you were close upon it. The Castle consisted of
 
 198 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 the main building, the chief point of interest in which was a 
 curious old tower, which had served as a refuge for the robbers 
 that had built the Castle, and to whom it had belonged. The 
 Castle was surrounded by a moat and ramparts. The water in 
 the moat was as black as the Styx, and certainly could not be 
 compared to lavender-water. A bridge built over the moat led 
 to the Castle. There were two wings to the main building, 
 each guarded by two black and two white eagles. The sentries 
 consisted of ten or twelve large bears, who walked about on 
 their hind-legs, their front paws having been cut off. In the 
 middle of the court-yard was a grass-plot, on which a fountain 
 had been made with great trouble. The fountain was surround- 
 ed by an iron railing, and steps led up to it. It was near this 
 pleasant spot that the king had his " Tabagie." My sisters and 
 I, with our suites, were lodged in two rooms which resembled 
 a hospital far more than rooms in a palace. We always dined 
 in a tent, whatever the weather might be. Sometimes when it 
 rained we sat up to our ankles in water. The dinner always 
 numbered twenty-four persons, half of whom had to starve ; for 
 there were never more than six dishes served, and these were so 
 meagre that one hungry being might easily have eaten them up 
 alone. We had to spend the whole day shut up in the queen's 
 room, and were not allowed to get any fresh air, even when the 
 weather was fine. It was a wonder we did not get bilious from 
 sitting in-doors all day long, and hearing nothing but disagree- 
 able speeches. 
 
 Prince Henry, of Baireuth, joined us a few days later at this 
 delightful residence. My sister paid him every possible atten- 
 tion. She had thrown off the mask, and showed plainly how 
 much she hated me. She constantly irritated the queen against 
 rne, but tried to keep her on good terms with the prince. One 
 day when the queen had been more than usually unkind to me, 
 and I was very sad in consequence, she asked me what was the 
 reason of my melancholy. I told her what it was, and added 
 that I should soon die if this treatment went on much longer.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 199 
 
 " What a fool you are !" my sister answered. " If I had such a 
 charming lover as you have, I would let the queen grumble as 
 much as she chose." " You cannot complain," I said in reply ; 
 " for your lover is just as charming, and then you have no wor- 
 ries. I am teased by everybody, and even the king deserts 
 me." Upon this my sister said, in a most coaxing manner, 
 "Very well, if you think Prince Charles so amiable, let us 
 change rings." I thought it was said in joke, so I answered, 
 " As I am in a happy state of indifference at present, you may 
 have both." " Well, then, give me the ring," she repeated. I 
 then gave her my betrothal ring. Upon this she took off the 
 ring Prince Charles had given her, and hid it in a corner of the 
 room. Dinner-time drew near, and I feared that the king, whose 
 eyes were everywhere, would discover that I had not my ring 
 on. I implored her to give it me back. She would not do so, 
 however, and kept it for two days. As neither Mademoiselle 
 von Sonnsfeld nor I could do anything with my sister, we had 
 to ask Ramen's help. She told the queen what I had done, 
 who scolded my sister, and obliged her to return me my ring 
 and put on her own again. She never forgave me for this. I 
 had only to turn my head towards the side of the room where 
 Prince Henry was standing, and she at once told the queen I 
 was making eyes at him. 
 
 Grumkow and Seckendorf were persuaded that England 
 would make one more attempt to prevent my marriage with 
 Prince Henry, of Baireuth. We were at Makhenau, a pretty 
 country-seat not far from Wusterhausen, when one fine day a 
 Hessian, Colonel Donep, was announced. The King of Eng- 
 land, who did not wish to expose himself to any more refusals, 
 had intrusted these fresh negotiations to Prince William, of 
 Hesse. He had sent Colonel Donep to my father to make some 
 very acceptable proposals to him. Had my father wished to 
 cheat Grumkow and Seckendorf, nothing at this moment could 
 have prevented him from doing so. The whole matter was 
 kept so secret that they would never have heard of it had
 
 200 MEMOIKS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTIT. 
 
 not my father himself told them. The king was in a dreadful 
 temper during the whole week we spent at Makenhau. The 
 queen had to bear the brunt of it. He quarrelled with her 
 from morning till night, and then I became the victim of my 
 mother's anger. In addition to this, she was inhuman enough 
 to make me go out when I was very ill with high fever and an 
 abscess in my throat. When the abscess broke I got better. 
 I had caught cold at a representation given by tight- rope 
 dancers in the court-yard at Makenhau. The king and queen 
 looked on at it from the windows of their rooms, and my sis- 
 ters, Prince Henry, and I from another. The prince looked 
 very sad, and said to me, " To-morrow my fate will be decided." 
 I was much surprised at this remark, but did not venture to ask 
 him what he meant. He then continued, " Colonel Donep is 
 come with new proposals from the King of England. Till now 
 it has been a secret even from Grumkow and Seckendorf, but 
 the king told them this morning. They have made the strong- 
 est representations to him on the subject, but he is still unde- 
 cided what to do." This piece of news so petrified me that 
 I was unable to answer him. That same evening Donep had 
 the queen secretly informed of his mission and his hopes. 
 These, and the sad demeanor of Prince Henry, made her flatter 
 herself that my marriage with the Prince of Wales might still 
 be brought about. She was in the most amiable of moods that 
 evening, and made herself more than agreeable to Prince Hen- 
 ry. I was in quite a different frame of mind. I had taken a 
 great liking to him, and was tired of being Fate's plaything. I 
 therefore determined that nothing should make me break with 
 him. 
 
 Next day we went to Wusterhausen. The queen at once 
 called me into her boudoir to tell me all the news of the day. 
 " Your engagement will be broken off to-day," she told me, 
 " and to-morrow, I trust, Prince Henry will take his departure. 
 I should hope you have not such low taste as to prefer him to 
 the Prince of Wales." As I made no reply, she said, " I insist
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 201 
 
 on you telling me what you think about it. You must decide, 
 for I have asked you with a purpose. Do you understand me?" 
 While the queen was speaking to me I had called on all the 
 saints in Paradise for help. I do not know if they in truth 
 came to my aid, or if my good angel inspired me ; but I took 
 courage and replied, " Your Majesty's wishes have ever met 
 with my ready obedience. When I submitted to the king's 
 orders and accepted Prince Henry, I did so for the purpose of 
 restoring peace in the family, to spare your Majesty more sor- 
 row and trouble, and to have my brother restored to liberty. 
 At that time I did not know the Prince of Baireuth, so that 
 affection for him did not influence my actions. Now, however, 
 that I feel the greatest respect and esteem for him, I should 
 consider it a most unworthy act on my part were I to break off 
 my marriage with him. His character^ besides, gives not the 
 slightest cause for complaint." I had scarcely finished speak- 
 ing when the queen overwhelmed me with reproaches, and 
 treated me without the slightest consideration. I cried most 
 bitterly, for I felt myself once again the victim of circum- 
 stances, and foresaw no end to my sufferings. Yet I knew I 
 must control my emotion in the king's presence. He had 
 scarcely spoken to me since my engagement indeed, barely 
 looked at me. During dinner my father seemed in a very bad 
 temper. In the evening when Prince Henry came as usual to 
 supper he found me alone in the room. He rushed up to me 
 in high spirits, saying, "All goes well! Colonel Donep leaves 
 to-morrow ; the king has refused all his proposals." I pre- 
 tended to be quite unmoved by this news, but it had restored 
 peace to my poor, troubled heart. A few hours later the queen 
 was informed, to her great dismay, of the total failure of the 
 English envoy. I had, as usual, to bear the brunt of her anger. 
 The king had invited to my wedding the Margrave of An- 
 spach and my sister. She was expected to arrive at Wuster- 
 hausen in a week. The king rode to meet her, and on her ar- 
 rival immediately led her to the queen's rooms. We scarcely
 
 202 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF fiAlREUTH. 
 
 knew her again. She had been beautiful, but had now com- 
 pletely lost all traces of her beauty. Her complexion had be- 
 come faded, and her whole manner, too, was altered. The qnecn 
 had always disliked my sister, who had become a great favorite 
 with iny father during my disgrace. My father caressed her 
 in every possible way, and incessantly called her his " dear 
 Royal Highness." The queen, who could not bear more atten- 
 tion to be paid another person than to herself, was very much 
 put out, but did not dare show it. My sister was most affec- 
 tionate towards me, and I did all I could to show her my joy 
 at seeing her again. After dinner my father led ray sister to 
 her room, if you can call a little attic tinder the roof by that 
 name. On her being told that her maid had not yet arrived, 
 my father pointed to me and said, " Your sister can act as your 
 maid ; it is about all she is fit for." I was struck dumb by this 
 remark ; I had not deserved to be treated thus, yet I controlled 
 myself, and left my sister soon after the king did. When I 
 reached my room I burst into tears, for I was bitterly hurt. 
 The king had no right to put my sister before me, for I was 
 the eldest of all my sisters. The queen was extremely angry 
 at it also, but her representations on the subject were of no use. 
 A fortnight after my sister's arrival we all returned to Ber- 
 lin. The king had invited the Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen, 
 the daughter of the Elector Frederick William, the Duke and 
 Duchess and Prince Charles of Bevern, and the Margrave of 
 Baireuth (my father-in-law) to attend my wedding. The Duch- 
 ess of Meiningen was the first to arrive. She had had three 
 husbands the Duke of Courland, the Margrave Christian Ernst 
 of Baireuth, and she was now widow of the Duke of Meini*- 
 gen. She had been most attractive in her youth, and was a 
 first-rate actress. Her talent in the personification of different 
 characters seemed to be inborn. She had a very round face, 
 and was so stout that she could scarcely walk. She showed 
 plainly that she was no enemy to good living. Her behavior 
 was bold and vulgar. Although she was sixty years old she
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREtTTH. 203 
 
 dressed like a young girl, which made her look very absurd. 
 Her dress was covered with precious stones of all descriptions. 
 The queen was obliged to pay her the first visit. As she was 
 starting she desired me to let myself be told as soon as she re- 
 turned, so that I might at once come to her. I did as I was 
 bid. It was late, and my mother was that evening holding a 
 reception. When I joined the queen in her apartments I found 
 her engaged in entertaining her guests. As soon as she saw 
 me she asked me where I had been. I answered, " With the 
 duchess." " What !" the queen exclaimed, " and who allowed 
 you to go there ?" " It was by your Majesty's own orders I 
 went there," I replied. "I never told you anything of the 
 kind," the queen retorted, angrily. " I never ordered you to 
 do things which are beneath you. For some time past you 
 seem to take a delight in such things, so that it does not aston- 
 ish me." She gave me this reprimand in a loud voice before 
 all her guests. Everybody found fault with the queen, and si- 
 lently pitied me. I was almost beside myself, but was obliged 
 to retain my composure. 
 
 The king reached Berlin at the same time as the Duke and 
 Duchess of Bevern and their son. The Margrave of Baireuth 
 arrived shortly afterwards. As I do not wish to interrupt the 
 course of my narrative, I will defer my description of him till 
 some future time. He was presented to me in the queen's 
 presence, and paid me many compliments and gave me endless 
 assurances of his friendship. As I was to be married in three 
 days, the queen allowed the Margrave and Prince Henry to pay 
 me visits whenever they wished ; but they were unable to take 
 much advantage of this permission, as I was nearly all day with 
 my mother. As I was able to speak with them for only a few 
 moments of an evening in my rooms in the presence of num- 
 bers of other people, I cannot say that I grew more closely ac- 
 quainted with them. On the 20th I went in dishabille to the 
 king. He told me that I should have to renounce the Allodial 
 Estates, as all the princesses who married had to do so. I had
 
 204 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGEAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 already been informed on this point, so that it did not surprise 
 me. I followed the king and queen into a room, where I found 
 the Margrave and his son, as well as Gruinkow, Thulemeier, and 
 Podewils. There was also present M. von Voit, the minister 
 from Baireuth. They read me the declaration and the oath I 
 was to take. It was as follows : I renounced all the Allodial 
 Estates as long as any of my brothers or their descendants lived, 
 but in the event of their all dying I re-entered on my rights of 
 succession to all, excepting to Prince Henry's claims on Julich 
 and Berg. I at once took the required oath. Then followed 
 another declaration, which surprised me more than I can say 
 the more so as I was quite unprepared for it. It was this : that 
 I gave up all claims to any of the queen's fortune in case she 
 died without making a will. Instead of answering with the 
 accustomed oath, "So help me God," I remained quite dumb. 
 
 The king, who had never taken his eyes off me the whole 
 time, now approached me, and embracing me, said, with tears 
 in his eyes, " My dear child, you must agree to this hard con- 
 dition. Your sister, the Margravine of Anspach, had to do the 
 same. It is merely a form, and your mother is at perfect lib- 
 erty to make a will whenever she chooses." These words com- 
 forted me somewhat. I kissed the king's hands, and told him 
 that, as he had promised solemnly to provide for me, I could 
 not believe that he would wish to treat me so harshly. My fa- 
 ther changed color, and said that there was no time for argu- 
 ment. I must make up my mind and sign the deed of renun- 
 ciation with good grace, or else he would force me to do so. 
 All this was said in a low voice. The king then led me to a 
 table, where I affixed my signature to this delightful paper. 
 My father now thanked me most lovingly for my acquiescence 
 to his wishes. He made me many fine promises, none of which 
 he ever intended keeping, any more than I did the oath I had 
 been forced to take. After this we went to dinner, at which 
 no one was present except the king and queen, my two eldest 
 sisters, the Duchess of Bcvcrn, :uid Prince Henry of Baireuth.
 
 MEMOIRS OF TUB MAKGKAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 205 
 
 The other princely guests had received invitations to dine in 
 the town. 
 
 After dinner I began my toilet. I had so many maids to 
 help me, with the queen at their head, that one undid what the 
 other had just done. The queen tried to prolong my dressing 
 in every way she could ; I never understood why. At last, at 
 the end of four hours, and after the king had sent repeatedly 
 to hurry me, I was ready dressed, and looked like a mad-woman. 
 I had a diamond crown on my head, from which twenty-four 
 long curls hung down. They dragged my head so that I could 
 not hold it straight. My court-dress was of cloth of silver. 
 The train, which was twelve yards long, was carried by two of 
 my ladies and two of the queen's. Mademoiselle von Sonns- 
 feld had that day been appointed Abbess of Wolmirstatten. 
 
 We all went to the state - rooms of the Castle. I think a 
 short description of them will not be out of place. These 
 state-rooms consisted of a suite of six large apartments, which 
 opened into a large room, remarkable for its structure as well 
 as for the beauty of its decoration. Out of this you went into 
 other apartments, which finally ended in a long gallery, where 
 pictures by celebrated masters were hung. Out of this you 
 passed into more apartments, which again opened into one very 
 large room. As it was the residence of a king there is nothing 
 very remarkable in this, but the rich silver ornaments which 
 decorated all the rooms made them very magnificent. As my 
 father had seen all the splendor of the King of Poland at Dres- 
 den, he was anxious to surpass it at Berlin. In order to effect 
 a new style of decoration, he had ordered a number of looking- 
 glasses to be made. They were from six to seven feet high, 
 and so heavy that twenty men could scarcely move them. Un- 
 der each looking-glass stood a table, at which twelve people 
 could conveniently dine. The sconces on the wall measured 
 four feet, and had lights fastened to them. The chandeliers 
 were worth from 10,000 to 100,000 thalers.* Both these 
 
 * Oue thousand five hundred to fifteen thousand pounds.
 
 206 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 large rooms had buffets, and each piece of plate which decorat- 
 ed them was worth not less than 12,000 thalers.* Altar-can- 
 dles had to be used in all the rooms, and these smoked so much 
 that all the ladies' faces and dresses were covered with black. 
 The value of all these riches was estimated at 6,000,000 tha- 
 lers. f In the last of these large rooms the marriage ceremony 
 was to take place. For this purpose a canopy of crimson vel- 
 vet with a gold border had been erected, and the altar - table 
 stood beneath it. After the service was over, three salvos were 
 fired outside the Castle. All the envoys, ministers, those of 
 England included, and the Margrave of Schwedt, had received 
 the king's commands to attend. It is easily to be imagined that 
 the Margrave of Schwedt looked very crestfallen, and scarcely 
 knew how to behave. After I had received the congratulations 
 of all present, I had to sit down with the queen under a canopy. 
 
 Prince Henry, of Baireuth, then opened the ball with my sis- 
 ter, the Margravine of Anspach. It lasted an hour, and then 
 we all went to supper. I presided at the upper end of the ta- 
 ble. The king sat near the prince, and the Margrave of Bai- 
 reuth near me. My father took great pleasure in trying to 
 make the prince drunk, in which, however, he did not succeed. 
 One of my ladies and one of the queen's stood the whole time 
 behind my chair, as well as two of the king's gentlemen and 
 two who belonged to my household. One of the former was 
 M. von Breiche and the other Major Stacho. The other two 
 were my lord chamberlain, M. von Voit, and my chamberlain, 
 Von Bindemann. 
 
 After the dinner, which lasted two hours, we went back to 
 the first of the largest rooms, and here the polonaise ( Fackel- 
 tanz)J took place. This dance is performed with great state. 
 
 * One thousand eight hundred pounds. 
 
 f Nine hundred thousand pounds. 
 
 J This polonaise is still performed in exactly the same manner at all 
 royal weddings at Berlin, and the whole ceremonial observed now is almost 
 the same as that described by the Margravine. Note by Translator.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 207 
 
 All the Court officials walk in front with long wands. The 
 lieutenant-generals follow them carrying torches, then come the 
 bride and bridegroom, who walk twice round the room. After 
 this the bride dances in turn with each prince present, and then 
 the bridegroom takes her place and dances with each princess. 
 After the polonaise was at an end I was escorted, according to 
 the prescribed ceremonial, to my room, where I was undressed, 
 my mother assisting me. I was then laid on a crimson satin bed, 
 and all the royal guests and the ladies from the town, with the 
 exception of my relations of Brunswick and Anspach, took 
 leave of me. As my mother bade me good-night she could not 
 resist saying some very unkind things to me. She was in a 
 state of utter despair, for a messenger had just arrived from 
 England bringing such advantageous proposals that, had they 
 been received twenty-four hours sooner, my marriage with the 
 Prince of Baireuth would certainly have been broken off. 
 
 I cannot here refrain from making a few remarks on this 
 subject. It will be remembered that on the day of my be- 
 trothal England had made some proposals similar to those re- 
 ceived on my wedding-day. I have always had my suspicion 
 that these steps were a mistaken policy on the part of England. 
 King George bad never cared or wished for this marriage for 
 his son. He wanted a daughter-in-law who was not clever, 
 and who would not mix herself up in politics. I do not know 
 whether they had given him an exaggerated description of my 
 mental gifts. Anyhow, his dislike to my marriage had been 
 fostered by his fear that, having been brought up at a court so 
 full of intrigues as that of Berlin, I might be imbued with the 
 same principles. But whatever may have been the reason, the 
 King of England was always opposed to this alliance. The 
 Prince of Wales and the whole nation, on the other hand, were 
 very anxious for it. In order to relieve the state of tension 
 existing between the two Courts, King George had thought it 
 advisable to make the aforesaid proposals. He had, however, 
 worded them so carefully that they could never lead to any
 
 208 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGEAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 result. I have since learned that my father never wished the 
 marriage with Prince Henry, of Baireuth. Nothing but the 
 often-repeated assurances of Grumkow and Seckendorf that 
 this marriage was the only means of obliging the King of 
 England to declare himself had made him consent to it. The 
 Margrave of Baireuth was furious at his son's marriage, partly 
 from jealousy and partly from other reasons, which I shall men- 
 tion later on. I therefore saw myself married against the wishes 
 of the king, the queen, and my father-in-law, and yet they all 
 three acted as if they were delighted at it. When I reflect on 
 it all, I must admire the decrees of Fate, and my philosophy on 
 the subject must give way to my experience. But I must put 
 an end to my moral reflections ; for were I to note them down, 
 my memoirs would be contained in endless folio volumes. 
 
 I have never spoken of my brother since I was set free. The 
 king had designated Kiistrin as his prison, and to punish him 
 still further my father would not allow him to put on his own 
 uniform. He made him wear a plain French suit of clothes, 
 which the king looked on as a mark of shame. My brother had 
 this suit made after the same cut as that which Katt wore on the 
 day of his execution. The king ordered, furthermore, that my 
 brother was to work every day in the Finance Department as a 
 simple lawyer's clerk. This position is generally given to young- 
 men who wish to improve their minds. When they have served 
 some time in this capacity they are promoted. This post is also 
 given only to the smaller gentry or to young men in the middle 
 classes. My brother and I sometimes wrote to each other, 
 Major Sonnsfeld managing the correspondence for us. I had 
 not forgotten the promise Grumkow had given me, in the king's 
 name, that my brother should be set entirely free soon after 
 my marriage. I asked Sastot to tell Grumkow, and to ask him 
 to remind the king that he must keep his word. Grumkow let 
 me know that I might make myself quite happy on this point, 
 as he would make it his especial business to speak with the 
 king on the subject.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 209 
 
 The first two days after my wedding passed by quietly. Of 
 an evening we went to play at cards in tho queen's rooms. My 
 mother's temper grew worse and worse; she could no longer 
 bear me. The Margrave of Anspach was a very ill-bred young 
 prince, and wished to ingratiate himself with my mother at our 
 cost. He told her every kind of gossip about Prince Henry, of 
 Baireuth, and only added fuel to the fire. The principalities 
 of Anspach and Baireuth are close to each other, and have un- 
 fortunately always been at enmity, which was the more to be 
 regretted, as, failing male heirs in the one, the succession then 
 falls on the other. Anspach was much vexed at the alliance 
 Baireuth had just made not on political grounds, but merely 
 from jealousy. 
 
 On the 23d the king gave a ball in the state-rooms of the 
 Castle. As I was very fond of dancing, I gave myself quite 
 up to the pleasure of the occasion. Grumkow, with whom I 
 was dancing, said several times to me, " Your Royal Highness 
 is so engrossed by the ball that you do not observe what is 
 taking place." At last I asked him what there was to see. 
 " Goodness me," he answered, " what has come to you to-day ? 
 Go and embrace your brother, who is standing there." I was 
 so overcome with joy that, had Grumkow not supported me, I 
 should have fallen to the ground. At last I found this be- 
 loved brother standing near my mother, who was playing at 
 cards. I clasped him in my arms. I was quite beside my- 
 self with happiness. I laughed, I cried, and talked the most 
 utter nonsense. As soon as the first moments were over I 
 threw myself at my father's feet, and in my deep and heartfelt 
 gratitude said so many touching and tender words that he be- 
 gan to cry. Upon this the whole company also began to 
 weep, and there was nothing to be seen but pocket-handker- 
 chiefs, and the scene resembled the most affecting situation in a 
 tragedy. My brother was so much altered that I should scarce- 
 ly have known him again. He had not grown taller, but his 
 grief had made him very stout. His former slimness of figure 
 14
 
 210 MEMOIKS OF THE MARGKAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 had quite disappeared. He was very broad in the shoulders, 
 and his head seemed sunk between them ; he was no longer so 
 handsome as he had been. I could not cease caressing him in 
 my joy at his return. He answered me, however, rather cold- 
 ly, and said but little. I presented the hereditary prince to 
 him, but he did not speak to him. This behavior seemed 
 strange to me, and I was at a loss to understand it. I did not 
 dare ask him why he acted thus, as the king was watching us 
 narrowly. The queen seemed rather pleased to see my broth- 
 er again, but her happiness in no way resembled mine. My 
 mother never loved any of her children. She cared for them 
 only as they served her ambitious purposes. The gratitude my 
 brother owed me for effecting the reconciliation with the king 
 spoiled her pleasure. If she alone had been the cause of it, 
 she would have behaved quite differently. 
 
 At last we went to dinner, to which four hundred couples 
 sat down. They were mostly persons of good birth. My fa- 
 ther was not present; he dined with iny brother. When din- 
 ner was over Grumkow came to me and told me the crown 
 prince was spoiling his own game by treating me so coldly. 
 His behavior displeased the king, he said, because he could 
 but take one of two things for granted either the crown 
 prince was exercising great control over himself, which was 
 very wounding to the king, as it showed he mistrusted his fa- 
 ther; or he was quite indifferent, and that seemed to denote 
 no very good heart. " Your Royal Highness has, on the other 
 hand, conducted yourself admirably. You have shown your 
 warm, affectionate fee-lings without reserve, and this has delight- 
 ed the king. Go on as you are doing. Speak quite candidly 
 with the crown prince, and tell him to be open and straightfor- 
 ward in his behavior. That is the only way to preserve peace 
 in the family." Grumkow's advice was good. The ball now 
 recommenced. I told my brother of Grumkow's remarks, and 
 ventured, too, to reproach him secretly for his altered manner 
 towards myself. My brother would not allow this, and said he
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 211 
 
 was just the same as ever, but that he had his own reasons for 
 behaving as he did. The next day the king sent the crown 
 prince to see me. He remained a whole hour. We had much 
 to say, giving our respective accounts of all that had occurred 
 since we had parted. He was very reserved with me, and all 
 his assurance of affection and friendship seemed forced. He 
 looked several times at Prince Henry, and said a few formal 
 words to him. I could not make him out ; he seemed to me 
 to be no longer that beloved brother who had cost me so many 
 tears, and for whom I had sacrificed so much. I tried to hide 
 what I felt, and to be the same as ever with him. The king- 
 gave him an infantry regiment, and returned him his sword and 
 uniform. He also gave him a yearly income, and settled that 
 he was to live at Ruppin, where his regiment was quartered. 
 
 Several balls were given during the crown prince's stay at 
 Berlin, and on the other evenings cards were played in the 
 queen's apartments. The princes had always to accompany 
 the king to his " Tabagie," which they left only at dinner-time 
 to join the queen. I have already mentioned the bad feeling 
 the Margrave of Anspach evinced towards my husband, Prince 
 Henry. Since our marriage this animosity had only increased. 
 The Margrave had the impertinence to let drop, one evening in 
 the " Tabagie," some remarks on a subject which was most 
 painful to Prince Henry. It concerned his mother, the Mar- 
 gravine of Baireuth. She was a princess of Holstein, and had 
 been separated for many years from the Margrave, Prince Hen- 
 ry's father. She was shut up in a fortress in Anspach, and 
 closely guarded. She was rather mad, and had in her time 
 done a good many foolish things. None of these, however, 
 in the least deserved such punishment. Some very cruel jokes 
 about his mother's adventures were enough to discompose 
 Prince Henry. He answered them by saying merely that he 
 could not treat these jokes as they deserved in the king's pres- 
 ence, for whom he had so great a respect. He would bide his 
 time, The Duke of Bevern and his son, who were present, at
 
 212 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 once endeavored to smooth matters over, and nothing more 
 was said. As soon as my husband entered the room I saw 
 that he was put out. I would, nevertheless, not ask him what 
 had happened till we were alone together. It cost me a good 
 deal of trouble to get him to tell me all about it. I cannot say 
 how much 1 was distressed at the occurrence. I represented 
 to Prince Henry what sad results any dispute on this subject 
 would lead to. It would remind him and his father of a most 
 sad catastrophe, which had long been forgotten. Then the per- 
 son with whom he had the quarrel was his own brother-in-law, 
 a sovereign with no heirs. If anything happened to the Mar- 
 grave of Anspach, his country would fall to him, and he would 
 be exposed to most unpleasant criticism. My husband was at 
 first far too angry to listen to my representations. I was only 
 able to obtain a promise from him that he would do nothing 
 till next day. 
 
 The Duke of Bevern told the Margrave of Baireuth what 
 had taken place at the "Tabagie." My father-in-law accord- 
 ingly came to see me next morning, and had a long conversa- 
 tion with his son and myself. The Margrave used exactly the 
 same arguments as I had employed. Things remained as they 
 were till the evening. Everybody advised me to tell the Mar- 
 grave of Anspach what I thought of his behavior, and then, 
 if possible, to bring about a reconciliation between him and 
 Prince Henry. The Duke of Bevern, his wife, and many oth- 
 ers talked to me on the subject. My sister, who knew of the 
 unfortunate occurrence, and had listened to what was being said 
 to me, now approached me with open arms, exclaiming, " I am 
 in despair at what has happened ; my husband is entirely to 
 blame. I beg you in his name to forgive his unpardonable be- 
 havior; I shall tell him what I think of it." I replied how 
 grieved I was that she had overheard what had been said to me, 
 and that the dispute between our respective husbands would in 
 nowise lessen my love for her. I entreated her not to involve 
 herself in the business, as she would only make matters worse,
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIRETJTH. 213 
 
 and cause herself much annoyance. At that time she was liv- 
 ing on anything but happy terms with the Margrave. She 
 promised me at last to let matters rest. 
 
 After supper I began a conversation with the Margrave of 
 Anspach. I wanted to represent his conduct to him, but my 
 sister left me no time ; she gave him plainly to understand 
 what she thought of his behavior. He answered her in a 
 very loud, gruff voice. Prince Henry imagined this answer 
 was meant for him, so he replied in the same tone. He ap- 
 proached the Margrave to insist on his giving him satisfaction, 
 and threatened to throw him into the fire, " where he might 
 roast at pleasure." The Margrave was in a dreadful state of 
 terror, and was taken into the queen's audience-chamber, where 
 she was walking to and fro, pretending to know nothing of 
 what was going on. The Margrave hid himself behind the 
 curtains, and cried like a child. The Duchess of Bevern, who 
 had followed him, now came forward and comforted him, 
 saying that Prince Henry had no idea of killing him. Mean- 
 while the Margrave of Baireuth, the Prince of Bevern, and my 
 brother had assembled round my husband. They could not 
 help laughing at his suggestions with respect to his opponent's 
 behavior. He said he ought to be birched like a child to 
 make him stop crying. However, as they were afraid of 
 further consequences, they induced my husband to retire to 
 his rooms. The Margrave of Anspach was also conducted 
 back to his apartment. His anger and fury were such that 
 they brought on an attack of illness, which almost proved 
 fatal. During his convalescence he had time to think calmly 
 over the matter, and decided to make it up with Prince Henry. 
 He intrusted the Duke of Bevern to offer my husband his 
 ample apologies, which the prince at once accepted. The two 
 opponents embraced, and no dispute ever arose between them 
 again. 
 
 A few days after this my brother left Berlin. Although 
 his affection for me seemed to have cooled down, we never-
 
 214 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 theless took a very tender leave of each other. I felt the 
 separation keenly. 
 
 My one aim now was to regain my father's affection. It 
 was quite useless to endeavor to do so with the queen, and I 
 shall no longer speak of her ill-humor towards me, which re- 
 mained invariable. In the presence of others she was more 
 careful, but I suffered all the more when alone with her. I 
 knew no one could give my father a greater pleasure than by 
 procuring him colossuses for his regiment at Potsdam. Un- 
 fortunately, enormously tall men do not grow out of the earth 
 like mushrooms, and I was unable to procure such recruits for 
 him. Another means of pleasing the king consisted in giving 
 him and his favorites a good dinner and plenty of old wine. 
 I therefore determined to invite the king to dinner. I never 
 saw him in such a good temper or in such high spirits. He 
 treated rne and Prince Henry in the kindest and most affec- 
 tionate manner, and insisted on remaining the rest of the day 
 with me. My father resolved that there should be a ball in 
 the evening. He invited all the Princesses of the Blood to it, 
 as well as many ladies from the town. He opened the ball 
 with me, and danced with all the ladies a thing he had never 
 been known to do before. 
 
 On the l7th of December my father, with all the princes 
 and other guests, went to Naucn to shoot wild-boars, and re- 
 turned to Berlin only on the 21st. The Margrave of Anspach, 
 who still bore my husband a grudge, had also been to Nauen. 
 He determined to play a new trick on Prince Henry. As 
 soon as the Margrave returned to Berlin he went to see the 
 queen, and as he was her tale-bearer she at once asked him 
 about the visit to Nauen. He took this opportunity of in- 
 venting the most abominable slanders about my husband, 
 whom he accused of the lowest vices. Not content with this, 
 he must needs go with these tales to my father-in-law, who 
 lent his ear to them. The Margrave of Baireuth confided 
 them to my sister, feeling sure she would tell me. My mother
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 215 
 
 Was delighted at this gossip, and determined to amuse herself 
 about it at my expense. When I joined her that evening I 
 very soon noticed that there was something the matter. I 
 observed that she shot angry glances at Prince Henry, and 
 then spoke in whispers to my sister Charlotte. The Margrave 
 of Baireuth was very cross, and I could not in the least under- 
 stand what had happened. My sister of Anspach, who loved 
 me very dearly, observed my disquietude, and calling me on one 
 side told me the facts of the case. I was not in the least dis- 
 turbed, now that I knew the whole story. I had been married 
 more than a month, and had therefore had time to become 
 acquainted with my husband's character. I knew he was in- 
 capable of any low action. I begged my sister, for reasons 
 which I explained to her, to say nothing more about it. 
 
 To the Duke of Bevern, however, I poured forth my com- 
 plaints on the subject. He answered me that he knew the 
 whole story, and that it was pure malicious invention. The 
 Prince of Baireuth had lived in the same house with him at 
 Nauen, and had never left his side. The duke added that he 
 would take good care that the king and my father-in-law, to 
 whom the same lies had been told, should know the exact 
 truth of the matter. " As to the rest," he continued, " you 
 must be above it all. Let the queen have the satisfaction of 
 rejoicing over what she believes to be your unhappiness." 
 That evening the Margrave of Baireuth was very noisy, and 
 made his son suffer from his ill-temper. My husband would 
 have then and there called the Margrave of Anspach to ac- 
 count had I not prevented him. The story was forgotten by 
 next day, but it certainly reflected no credit on the Margrave. 
 
 I had hitherto not troubled myself about my pecuniary 
 position. Relying implicitly on my father's solemn promise, 
 given me at the time of my marriage, that he would amply 
 provide for me, I had not inquired further. One day, how- 
 ever, curiosity got the better of me, and I questioned M. 
 von Voit on the subject. He showed me my marriage treaty,
 
 216 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 and I was greatly surprised to find my position almost preca- 
 rious. 
 
 The marriage treaty contained the following articles : The 
 king lent the Margrave of Bairenth 260,000 thalers,* without 
 interest, to pay his debts. After two years had elapsed he 
 was to commence repaying the sum in instalments of 2500 
 thalers.f This was the great mark of favor promised me. 
 My dowry was 40,000 thalers,J to which the king added 
 60,000 thalers of his own free will, in order to make good 
 what I had lost by giving up iny claims to my mother's fort- 
 une. My jointure amounted to 16,000 thalers, || and our joint 
 income with which to meet our household expenses, etc., was 
 14,000 thalers.1" Of this last sum 2000 thalers ** were for 
 my own use, out of which I had to pay all salaries, so that I 
 could really dispose of only 1200 thalers ff for my private use. 
 My dismay is easily to be understood. M. von Voit shrugged 
 his shoulders, and said that the king had himself settled every- 
 thing. He had thought I was satisfied, otherwise he would 
 have mentioned the subject sooner. It was too late now; the 
 evil was done, and the marriage treaty signed and sealed. 
 After some reflection I determined to speak to Grnmkow, and 
 to beg him to represent to the king how cruelly he had treated 
 me. I sent accordingly for him, and said to him, "You are 
 one of those whom the king sent to me to induce me to con- 
 sent to my marriage. You know with what bitter tears and 
 reluctance I consented. It was you in particular who prom- 
 ised me my father's especial protection, and gave me the as- 
 
 * Thirty-nine thousand pounds. 
 
 f Three hundred and seventy-five pounds. 
 
 j Six thousand pounds. 
 
 Nine thousand pounds. 
 
 | Two thousand four hundred pounds. 
 
 ^f Two thousand one hundred pounds. 
 
 ** Three hundred pounds. 
 
 ft One hundred and eighty pounds.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 217 
 
 surance that he would provide handsomely for me as long as I 
 lived. You even used the expression that he would favor me 
 more than all the rest of his children. On the day I was be- 
 trothed the king himself repeated this to me. But far from 
 keeping his promise, my father has even provided less liberally 
 for me than for my sister of Anspach. I have not even suffi- 
 cient to live as a lady in private circumstances should." 
 
 Grumkow listened attentively to me, and after a moment's 
 reflection replied that I was to be calm, and promised me that 
 he would get a pension allowed me by the king. He, how- 
 ever, asked me to say nothing about it till the Margrave of Bai- 
 reuth had left Berlin, " because," Grumkow added, " I know 
 my old master too well. When it comes to the question of 
 giving, he is as obstinate as the devil himself. He would pick, 
 a quarrel with the Margrave, and tell him he was giving you 
 more than he did. This would only lead to disputes, and would 
 not help your cause. When once the Margrave has left, the 
 king is bound to make up for the wrong he has done you." I 
 thanked Grumkow warmly, and promised to follow his advice. 
 
 As bad luck would have it, the queen had been informed 
 of the occurrence I have mentioned. She would have spoken 
 with me about it had an opportunity offered itself. She paid 
 people to spy on me and listen at my doors. Grumkow's visit 
 naturally remained no secret, and feminine curiosity made ray 
 mother try and discover what our long conversation had been 
 about. She found out about half, but was most desirous of 
 knowing all. She therefore determined to cross-question me. 
 The queen conversed some time most amiably with me, and 
 then mentioned my departure. She said she was in despair at 
 losing us, and hoped to postpone the evil day as long as possi- 
 ble. " What distresses me most," my mother added, " is to 
 know how badly the king has provided for you. If I had a 
 reason against your marriage, it was that I knew how things 
 would be. You have done quite right to speak with Grumkow, 
 because he can help you. What advice did he give you ?" I
 
 218 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH, 
 
 must here confess my own stupidity, for I was well punished 
 for it. I gave the queen an account of my conversation with 
 Grumkow, begging her on no account to repeat it. She prom- 
 ised me to be silent, and added, " I know too well what the 
 consequences would be were I to speak of it." Immediately 
 after dinner I went to my own room, and left the king and 
 queen alone together. As my mother did not know how to 
 entertain him, she told my father my secret, and all that had 
 passed between Grumkow and myself. No sooner had the king 
 left the queen than he sent for my marriage treaty, put his pen 
 through the sum allowed for my servants' wages, and reduced 
 our joint income by 4000 thalers.* The queen, quite trium- 
 phant at the heroic act she had performed, sent for me at once, 
 and said, as she embraced me, " You no longer need Grumkow's 
 help. I have arranged it all with your father. I told him of 
 our conversation ; he pitied you, and has promised to alter ev- 
 erything and provide properly for you." I was like one petri- 
 fied, and then reproached her bitterly for her imprudence. She 
 grew very angry, and spoke most unkindly to me. Grumkow 
 sent me word that same day that he would never again try to 
 help me. I had spoiled everything by my gossip. The king 
 had reduced our income by 4000 thalers,f and he, Grumkow, 
 was very pleased my father had done so, as I had not chosen to 
 follow his advice. I had exposed him to my father's wrath. 
 I must now see, he continued, how I should get on, for he 
 would never again speak for me. I was very miserable about 
 it all. I could riot even complain of what had happened, as it 
 was entirely my mother's fault. My patience was exhausted, 
 and what hurt me most of all was the knowledge that Made- 
 moiselle von Sonnsfeld, and all my faithful and devoted serv- 
 ants, would be so badly paid, and that I could do nothing. 
 
 The Margrave and all the other royal guests left soon after 
 this. The king went to Potsdam, and I was to join him there 
 
 * Six hundred pounds. f Idem.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 219 
 
 on my way to Baireuth. I was counting the Lours till I should 
 reach my new home, for Berlin had become an object of horror 
 to me. I hoped a happy, peaceful life was in store for me. I 
 therefore bore my troubles patiently, hoping they would cease 
 with the year 1731. I must now begin with my account of 
 1732. 
 
 A new epoch in my life began with this year. I had not, 
 for some little time, been feeling well, but thought it was the 
 consequence of all the sorrow I had been through. I had con- 
 stant fainting attacks. The doctor I consulted accounted for 
 my condition by holding out hopes of my having a child. The 
 queen let me know that she wished to spend Twelfth Night 
 with me, and that I was to invite all the princes and princesses, 
 who would then be able to take leave of me. This little recep- 
 tion proved a very dull one. Everybody had tears in his eyes, 
 and seemed much affected at the thoughts of my departure. I 
 took a tender farewell of the Margravine Philip. Our friend- 
 ship had in nowise suffered by my marriage. I could not say 
 "good-by" to so many kind friends without feeling deeply 
 affected. 
 
 Next day we went to Potsdam. The king received me most 
 kindly. He was highly delighted at the prospect of becoming 
 a grandfather, and made me many affectionate speeches on the 
 subject. They, however, produced but little effect on me, as I 
 felt far too ill to notice anything. 
 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld had three nieces, the daughters 
 of General Marwitz, a great favorite of the king. The eldest 
 of these girls was fourteen, and would one day be a rich heir- 
 ess. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld had taken charge of her 
 nieces' education since the death of their mother. My former 
 governess was most anxious to take the eldest with her to Bai- 
 reuth, but did not dare ask the king's permission. He had 
 only lately published an order which forbade all heiresses or 
 rich young girls to leave his country. I induced my father, 
 however, to grant Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld's request. I
 
 220 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 mention this fact, as it stands in close connection with future 
 events. The day of my departure was fixed for the llth of Jan- 
 uary. I determined to make one last effort to soften the king's 
 heart towards me. I chose a moment when the queen was not 
 present. I reminded him of past times, and justified my be- 
 havior during the time of my disgrace, but without doing the 
 queen harm. I represented to him my present position in the 
 most touching manner, and finally implored his protection and 
 help. He burst out crying, and clasped me in his arms, ami 
 was too much overcome to speak. At last my father said, " I 
 am in utter despair. I have never really known you. People 
 have represented you to me in the blackest colors, so that I 
 hated you as much as I now love you. Now I see that had I 
 spoken to you sooner I should have saved myself much sorrow. 
 I often wished to do so, but others always prevented me. I 
 have been deceived on all sides, and no one is more to blame 
 than your mother." I here ventured to interrupt the king, and 
 told him that the queen had always had the best intentions, 
 and that her love for me and my brother had influenced her 
 actions. " Well, then, that may be so," my father replied ; 
 " what has been, has been. But as to yourself, you shall ever 
 be my dearest child, and I will favor you most of any of my 
 children. Continue to put confidence in me, and you can al- 
 ways count on my help and protection." He then gave me 
 some fatherly advice, and ended by saying, " It grieves me to 
 part from you. Now go and take leave of your mother, while 
 I embrace your husband, and then you must start." I went 
 sobbing to my mother, whom I entreated to restore me to her 
 affection. I did all I could to move her, but in vain. She an- 
 swered me civilly, and I could but too well feel that none of 
 her words came from her heart. 
 
 The Duke of Holstein then led me to my carriage, in which 
 Prince Henry and Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld were already 
 sitting. We reached Klosterzina safely that evening, and 
 started again next morning. We h-ad not driven two stations
 
 MEMOIKS OF THE MARGKAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 221 
 
 when one of the horses fell down and the carriage was over- 
 turned. There were two loaded pistols and some heavy boxes 
 in the carriage, and these fell upon me, but happily did not 
 injure me. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld cried out incessantly, 
 " Have mercy on me !" I asked her if she were hurt ; she an- 
 swered " No," but still continued screaming. Prince Henry 
 had jumped out of the carriage, and I saw that he was not 
 hurt. The whole occurrence was so ridiculous that I could not 
 help laughing. I was nearly smothered by all the things that 
 were lying on me. At last I was with some trouble dragged 
 out from the carriage, and the servants carried me into a field 
 covered with snow and ice, where they left me standing. I 
 could not move, as I feared to slip on the ice, and thought I 
 was to be overtaken by the same terrible fate as befell Lot's 
 wife when she left Sodom, and that I should freeze into an ice 
 pillar. Happily the carriage containing my ladies and gentle- 
 men drove up at this moment. My ladies were terribly fright- 
 ened, and ran about the field calling out, " But where is her 
 Royal Highness ?" I answered them in vain ; they were in 
 such a state that they ran past me and asked where I was. I 
 was much amused at their fright, and at last persuaded them 
 that it was really I who was speaking to them. These poor 
 girls were in great distress lest this accident should cause a 
 premature confinement, and offered me smelling-salts and a 
 hundred other remedies, all of which I refused. Prince Henry 
 was no less perturbed. At last we continued our journey. 
 
 I forgot to say that the king had desired M. von Burstell to 
 accompany me to Baireuth in the capacity of Prussian minis- 
 ter. We had no sooner reached Torgan, where we spent the 
 night, than Burstell went to Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, and 
 begged her to entreat me to remain a day or two at Torgau, 
 not only to rest, but to counteract any ill effects of the carriage 
 accident. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld quite agreed with him, 
 and they both made my husband such representations on the 
 subject that he was quite panic-stricken. They now came to
 
 222 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 rae with their entreaties. I had noticed them approaching, 
 and was determined to have some fun from our adventure. 
 
 About this time the great fair at Leipsic was being held, 
 which is one of the largest in all Germany. Everybody that 
 cares for amusement visits it. In this town I was to pass the 
 next night ; and on the pretext that there was no good doctor 
 in Torgau, and that the lodgings there were uncomfortable, I 
 arranged with Prince Henry to make a further stay of two 
 days. 
 
 We arrived next day at Leipsic. This town is in Saxony, 
 and is celebrated for its university as well as for the fair which 
 I have just mentioned. The town is prettily situated, and, being 
 surrounded by gardens, has a cheerful aspect. Though I was 
 neither " sick nor sorry," t went to bed as soon as I arrived, in 
 order not to give cause for complaint, and to be able to go out 
 next day. My first question was, if there were many people at 
 Leipsic at that moment. But oh ! disappointment, cruel dis- 
 appointment, I was told every one had left the week before. I 
 was in despair at this, for it had put an end to all my little 
 hopes. I spent two terribly dull days at Leipsic, and was 
 obliged to endure patiently all the marks of honor with which 
 I was overwhelmed. 
 
 We went on next day as far as Gera. I had never seen 
 mountains, as there are none in my father's country, and I had 
 never travelled. When I saw these heights and precipices I 
 opened my eyes, and the perspiration stood in great drops on 
 my face. As we proceeded on our way, the road grew worse 
 and worse, and I was shaken to pieces. In spite of every 
 entreaty I got out and walked ; the fear of the precipices gave 
 me strength. Surrounded as I was by snow-clad mountains, I 
 fancied myself in Lapland. Seeing nothing but a few woods 
 in the distance, I sighed, and asked when these dreadful mount- 
 ains would end. I received no comfort, for I was told they 
 continued the whole way to Baircuth. 
 
 At last, nine days after I had left Berlin, we reached Jlof,
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIBEUTH. 223 
 
 the first town in the principality of Baireuth. Three salutes 
 were fired as we entered the town, where all the burghers re- 
 ceived us. We drove to the Castle. The lord chamberlain, 
 Von Reitzenstein, with several other gentlemen and the nobility 
 of the country, received me at the foot of the stairs if I can 
 call stairs something which looked more like a ladder. 
 
 As soon as I reached my room, M. von Reitzenstein wel- 
 comed me in the name of the Margrave on my arrival in his 
 country. I then listened to an address from the nobles, whom 
 I had been asked to receive kindly. The higher nobility enjoy 
 a great many rights and privileges in the empire, and claim to 
 be responsible to the emperor alone. They behave as if they 
 were small sovereigns. Their pretensions are most absurd, and 
 are the cause of constant quarrels among them. The gentry 
 of the Baireuth district had had a dispute with their neighbors, 
 and in the course of the endless differences the Margrave of 
 Baireuth had added fuel to the fire by wishing to interfere with 
 the privileges of his nobles. These rose up in arms, and most 
 unpleasant consequences might have ensued. Peace was re- 
 stored only after much trouble, and the Margrave was obliged 
 to give up his intention of intervening. M. von Voit, my lord 
 chamberlain, belonged to the aristocracy of this portion of 
 Baireuth, but his property was in the Margravate itself. He 
 explained to the Margrave that if he desired to win over this 
 section of his subjects to his side he must treat them loyally 
 and kindly. I had been told that these nobles were all of very 
 old wealthy families, and hoped I should get to see and know 
 them. But I made a great mistake in thinking this possible. 
 I must here describe some of those who received me at Ilof. 
 
 There were about thirty who had presented themselves to 
 welcome me. They belonged mostly to the family of Reitzen- 
 stein. Their faces would have frightened little children, and 
 to add to their beauty they had arranged their hair to resemble 
 the wigs that were then in fashion. Their dresses clearly de- 
 noted the antiquity of their families, as they were composed of
 
 224 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 heirlooms, and were cnt accordingly, so that most of them did 
 not fit. In spite of their costumes being the " Court dresses," 
 the gold and silver trimmings were so black that you had a 
 difficulty in making out of what they were made. The man- 
 ners of these nobles suited their faces and their clothes. They 
 might have passed for peasants. I could scarcely restrain my 
 laughter when I first beheld these strange figures. I spoke to 
 each in turn, but none of them understood what I said, and 
 their replies sounded to me like Hebrew, because the dialect of 
 the empire is quite different from that spoken in Brandenburg. 
 
 The clergy also presented themselves. These were totally 
 different creatures. Round their necks they wore great ruffs, 
 which resembled washing baskets. They spoke very slowly, so 
 that I might be able to understand them better. They said 
 the most foolish things, and it was only with much difficulty 
 that I was able to prevent myself from laughing. At last T 
 got rid of all these people, and we sat down to dinner. I 
 tried my best to converse with those at table, but it was use- 
 less. At last I touched on agricultural topics, and then they 
 began to thaw. I was at once informed of all their different 
 farmsteads and herds of cattle. An almost interesting discus- 
 sion took place as to whether the oxen in the upper part of the 
 country were fatter than those in the lowlands. When dinner 
 was half over, I was told that the moment had come to drink 
 the Margrave's health. They brought me an enormous goblet 
 to drink from, which was so large I could have put my head 
 into it, and so heavy that I nearly let it fall. After this the 
 lord chamberlain drank my health. There were forty people 
 at dinner, and I thought I should have strained my back with 
 the many bows I had to make. I was at last so tired that I 
 got up and left the dining-room. 
 
 I was told that as the next day was Sunday I must spend it 
 at Ilof and listen to a sermon. Never before had I heard 
 such a sermon ! The clergyman began by giving us an account 
 of all the marriages that had taken place from Adam's time to
 
 MEMOIHS OF THE MAEGUAV1NE OF BAIEEUTH. 225 
 
 that of Noah. We were spared no detail, so that the gen- 
 tlemen all laughed and the poor ladies blushed. The dinner 
 went off as on the previous day. In the afternoon all the ladies 
 came to pay me their respects. Gracious heavens, what ladies, 
 too ! They were all as ugly as the gentlemen, and their head- 
 dresses were so curious that swallows might have built their 
 nests in them. They really looked most ridiculous. Some of 
 these ladies had been to Court, and it was amusing to notice 
 the airs they gave themselves in consequence. No, I really 
 think I never saw anything funnier than the way in which 
 they looked at us. 
 
 I spent the whole day in this Noah's Ark. Next morning 
 we went on to Gefres, which is about three hours' ride from 
 Hof. The Margrave of Baireuth met me here. He received 
 me in a wretched little inn, but was extremely civil, and over- 
 whelmed his son and myself with assurances of friendship. 
 That evening, after dinner, he took me to my room, and re- 
 mained standing there for two hours, talking to me of Telem- 
 achus and Amelot de la Houssaye's Roman history. As the 
 amiable Margrave was very slow and precise, his conversation 
 resembled that of a sermon read aloud for the purpose of send- 
 ing the listener to sleep. I felt so unwell that had not my 
 father-in-law called my servants I should have fallen down on 
 the floor. As it was I fainted, and remained unconscious for 
 three hours. They wanted to induce me to remain another day 
 in this dreadful little inn, but I insisted on continuing our 
 journey to Baireuth, which was only three miles* off. The 
 Margrave bad already preceded us. We left after dinner, and 
 arrived at Baireuth at six in the evening, on the 22d of Janu- 
 ary. The manner of my entry into Baireuth may, perhaps, ex- 
 cite curiosity. About half a mile from the town I received an 
 address from the chief magistrate, M. von Dabeneck. He was 
 very tall and thin, and had I not known that he was of good 
 
 * Six English miles. 
 15
 
 226 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGItAVINB OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 birth I should have taken him for an actor. He declaimed ex- 
 actly like one. At last we reached the town amid the firing 
 of cannon. My carriage, drawn by six wretched post-horses, 
 headed the procession ; then came the carriage with my ladies, 
 then one in which the lord chamberlain was seated. Two others 
 followed with my servants, and then six or seven large luggage- 
 carts, which closed this imposing triumphal entry. I do not 
 think any royal personage was ever received in such a fashion. 
 Somehow or other curious things are always happening to me, 
 even though they be but trifles. I was very much put out 
 at my reception, but did not show it. The Margrave, his two 
 daughters, and the whole of his Court received me at the foot 
 of the stairs. I was at once led to my apartments. These 
 were so beautiful that I must describe them. 
 
 A large, dirty antechamber led into a large room, of which 
 the ceiling was the greatest ornament. The paper that covered 
 it must once have been very handsome. Now you required a 
 microscope to discover the pattern on it. I at last made out 
 that it represented the story of Moses and Aaron. Out of this 
 room I went into a boudoir, which was hung with a kind of 
 brocade, of which I never could discover the color. The next 
 room was covered with green damask, full of holes. At last I 
 reached my bedroom. This was also hung with damask, and 
 decorated here and there with a little gold. It was all so brand 
 new that after a fortnight there were no longer any curtains to 
 my bed ; they were so rotten that every day a piece fell from 
 them when they were drawn. I was struck dumb by the state 
 and appearance of my rooms. I had never seen anything to 
 equal it. The rooms themselves were fine and large. No sooner 
 had I reached my bedroom than the Margrave placed an arm- 
 chair for me. We sat down and conversed for an hour, which 
 seemed to me like a century. After this all the ladies and gen- 
 tlemen of the Court and the guests staying in the Castle were 
 presented to me. I will break off here in my narrative to give 
 a short account of the Court of Baireuth as it was at that time.
 
 MEMOIRS OF TOE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 227 
 
 The Margrave was fifty- four years of age. He was of middle 
 height, neither handsome nor the reverse. There was nothing 
 remarkable in the expression of his face, beyond that on look- 
 ing closely at him yon discovered his eyes had a false look in 
 them. The Margrave was excessively thin, had crooked legs 
 and a very awkward gait, though he tried to appear graceful. 
 lie was very narrow - minded, and his conversation very dull. 
 He was civil, but had an unpleasant manner. He was extreme- 
 ly vain, and talked incessantly of his powers, his justice, and 
 his great determination and firmness. He really had a weak 
 character, no head for business, and was false, distrustful, suspi- 
 cious, and jealous. Telemachus and Amelot de la Houssaye 
 were his only topics of conversation, and on these he was real- 
 ly rather mad. My father-in-law was always thirsting after 
 glory. On the one hand, he did things which were unbefitting 
 his rank, and on the other stooped to the basest actions. He 
 was neither generous nor stingy, but never gave anything un- 
 less pressed to do so. In spite of not being clever he was a 
 great discerner of character, and knew those intimately who 
 came to his Court. He kept a number of paid spies, and these 
 villains did endless mischief, and I had much to suffer from 
 their slander. 
 
 The elder of the two daughters, Princess Charlotte, who was 
 unmarried, was very beautiful. She had fine large blue eyes, a 
 good nose, and a small mouth ; she also had a very pretty fig- 
 ure. All these attractions were not enhanced by cleverness. 
 She was really quite silly. She had been educated by the Mar- 
 gravine of Anspach, who had given herself endless trouble with 
 her. It had, however, all been in vain. Indeed, as soon as you 
 spoke with the poor princess you discovered that she was not 
 right in her head. 
 
 The second daughter, Wilhelmine, was tall and well grown, 
 but not the least good-looking. She was very pale, and had 
 unpleasant features. She was very clever, intriguing, a co- 
 quette, and jealous. Wilhelmine was her father's favorite, and
 
 228 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 up to the time of ray arrival at Baireuth had ruled him com- 
 pletely. 
 
 Madame von Gravenreuter, the lady-in-waiting to the prin- 
 cesses, was a kind old soul. She was in a great measure their 
 companion. 
 
 Baron von Stein, first minister of state, was of a very good 
 old family. His appearance at once impressed you with his 
 being a man of the world. He was an honest man, but not 
 blessed with much cleverness. He always said" Yes" to every- 
 thing. Baron von Voit, my lord chamberlain, was second min- 
 ister. He was a gentleman by birth and breeding, and had 
 travelled a good deal. He had a very cultivated mind, and his 
 conversation was pleasant and agreeable. He was both up- 
 right and honest. Voit made many enemies by his haughty, 
 determined manner. He loved to rule, but was wanting in 
 firmness. We called him "Father Difficulty," for he always 
 perceived difficulties everywhere and in everything. 
 
 M. von Fischer, another minister of state, had worked his 
 way up, step by step, till he had attained his present position 
 and rank. He was of a very intriguing nature, and gave him- 
 self the airs of a very great gentleman. He was altogether a 
 bad man, and very ambitious. The hatred he had always borne 
 M. von Voit had now fallen on me, because Voit had helped 
 in bringing about my marriage to Prince Henry, and Fischer 
 feared that he would be a support to me. 
 
 M. von Korff belonged to an old Courland family. He was 
 a fool, more stupid than the stupid, but entirely convinced of his 
 own cleverness. He was selfish and intriguing, and a tale-bearer. 
 
 M. von Gleichen, another Court official, was an honest man, 
 but very tiresome. His face plainly showed that Actaeon's fate 
 was his doom. 
 
 Colonel von Reitzenstein had a love of intrigue, and yet I 
 never saw a duller member of society. His heart was black; 
 he was selfish, ill-natured, and ready to sacrifice everything to 
 his ambition, lie drank deeply, and was very coarse.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 229 
 
 M. von Vittingshofen resembled Colonel von Reit/enstein in 
 everything, with the exception of his being more amiable and ac- 
 commodating. He had a most uncharitable tongue, and spared 
 no one. Everybody, both prince and beggar, had to suffer from it. 
 
 The other members of the Court I pass over in silence, and I 
 have mentioned only those who have any connection with these 
 memoirs. One and all, they were, with the exception of Von 
 Voit, insupportable. It was impossible to converse with any of 
 them on other subjects than horses and cattle. They could in 
 no way count as belonging to good society. Their chief amuse- 
 ment was drinking from morning till night. It is easily imag- 
 ined what my feelings were on this point. 
 
 The dinner was badly served, and I could scarcely touch any- 
 thing. Nearly all the dishes were cooked with vinegar and 
 onions. 
 
 We were scarcely half through dinner when I became indis- 
 posed, and had to retire to my room. No one had taken the 
 least trouble to make things comfortable for me. My rooms 
 were not warmed, the windows were broken, and the cold was 
 intolerable. I spent a miserable night, and made many sad re- 
 flections on my present position. I loved the prince passion- 
 ately, but seemed transplanted to a new world, among people 
 who were peasants rather than gentlemen. Poverty was every- 
 where apparent, and I sought in vain for the riches I had been 
 promised. There was nothing left but to hide my aching heart 
 under a smiling face. 
 
 I held a reception next day. I thought the ladies very un- 
 amiable and tiresome. Baroness von Stein insisted on taking 
 precedence of Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, which annoyed me 
 very much. I complained to the Margrave about it, and he 
 said he would try to bring her to reason. He did not, how- 
 ever, succeed, and Baroness von Stein never appeared again at 
 any Court ceremony when Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld was 
 present. There were many Court functions held in my honor, 
 and I will describe one of them.
 
 230 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 The ceremony was ushered in by the blowing of trumpets at 
 three stated times viz., eleven and half -past eleven in the 
 morning, and noon. The second time the trumpets sounded the 
 hereditary prince, accompanied by the Court, proceeded to the 
 Margrave's apartments, while the two princesses came to mine. 
 Soon afterwards the Margrave and Court, all in State dress, 
 joined me. The lord chamberlain, carrying his wand of office, 
 then announced that all was in readiness, upon which the Mar- 
 grave offered me his hand and led me to the dining-room. 
 This room was hung with the same kind of brocade as my 
 boudoir, and the color was equally faded. A table laid for 
 twenty people was placed on a dais under a canopy, and round 
 it stood a company of soldiers. I sat at the upper end. All 
 the nobility and Court officials remained standing behind the 
 table till after the first course had been served. It had been 
 wished that my ladies should do the same, but I would not 
 hear of it. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, the foreign envoys, 
 the ministers and chief officials alone dined at my table. I 
 drank the Margrave's health out of a large goblet, and the 
 health of the whole House of Brandenburg was drunk with 
 all possible honors. This intolerable magnificence lasted three 
 liours, and would have gone on still longer had I not felt ill. 
 I was feeling very unwell, and grew daily weaker. Several fetes 
 were given in my honor, but I was able to be present at them 
 only for a quarter of an hour. 
 
 At last I craved the Margrave's permission to stay in my 
 own rooms, and not to appear any more at any of these func- 
 tions. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld kept me company. I also 
 made an excuse for no longer receiving the Margrave's visits. 
 lie would sit all day long moralizing in my room. He really 
 did it for the purpose of observing how my husband and I got 
 on together. 
 
 Up to this time I had had no reason to complain of my fa- 
 ther-in-law, and flattered myself that with a little patience I 
 should get on quite well with him. But I did not know him.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 231 
 
 Princess Wilhelminc was very jealous of the influence I was 
 gaining over her father, and Fischer was equally vexed at it. 
 These two set to work to counteract the good understanding 
 that existed between the Margrave and myself, and I was stupid 
 enough to give them the opportunity. It will be observed that 
 in these memoirs I do not hesitate to mention my failings and 
 the mistakes I made. 
 
 Through my father's interposition, M. von Voit had been ap- 
 pointed lord chamberlain in my household. Hitherto he had 
 stood high in the Margrave's favor. As soon, however, as he 
 saw how devoted Voit was to Prince Henry and myself, he be- 
 came jealous of him, and began to take a dislike to him. The 
 Margrave, however, managed not to let Voit perceive this. M. 
 Fischer, who hated him, stirred up the Margrave's anger still 
 more against him. He told him that as M. von Voit belonged 
 to the older nobility he would win the hereditary prince over 
 to their side, which might lead to deplorable results. This por- 
 tion of the nobility, which was very powerful, might form a 
 party, Fischer proceeded to say, who might force the Mar- 
 grave to abdicate. They might do so with less risk, as they 
 knew that the king, my father, would be sure to support Prince 
 Henry. From all he had heard, Fischer continued, I was very 
 fond of intrigue, besides being very clever. The Margrave, 
 therefore, ran the risk of sharing the fate of Victor Amadeus, 
 of Sardinia. 
 
 The emperor was a firm ally of my father's, and would cer- 
 tainly help him. It is easy to see that this was all a pure in- 
 vention on M. von Fischer's part, without a semblance of truth. 
 Yet it fulfilled its object. It was to Fischer's influence I owed 
 my beautiful reception on my entry into Baireuth. 
 
 I had scarcely been a fortnight in my new home before 
 M. von Voit told me that he had received no reward or mark of 
 favor from the Margrave, though he had been instrumental in 
 bringing about my marriage. He did not either receive any 
 salary, while his position as lord chamberlain had caused him
 
 232 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 many great expenses. Voit, therefore, begged me to intercede 
 with the Margrave for him, and to obtain for him the post of 
 great lord chamberlain. He would, in that case, waive all fur- 
 ther pecuniary advantages. I thought his demand reasonable, 
 and promised him to speak with the Margrave when a favorable 
 opportunity presented itself. 
 
 Before leaving Berlin my father had given me a service of 
 silver plate. The Margrave was very anxious to see it, and I 
 said jokingly to him he should do so when he came to dine 
 with me. A few days later I gave a dinner on purpose. I 
 heard afterwards that my father-in-law was in a very bad tem- 
 per that day. My service of silver plate was much richer than 
 his, and that irritated him. He however forced himself to be 
 very civil to me, and praised me incessantly. Thinking this a 
 good moment I gave him M. von Volt's letter, supporting his 
 petition as strongly as I dared. The Margrave changed color, 
 and answered me very angrily that he begged that I would 
 never in future ask favors for any one. He was quite able to 
 judge for himself in these matters without being reminded by 
 others. This answer fortunately took me so much by surprise 
 that I was unable to speak. I was, nevertheless, furious with 
 my father-in-law, and though I kept my tongue in bounds 
 my face showed unmistakably what I felt. He, on the other 
 hand, looked like a madman, and we soon left the dinner-table. 
 Many that had observed the occurrence and wished to preserve 
 peace endeavored to restore the Margrave's good temper by 
 encouraging him to drink, for he was of very intemperate hab- 
 its. He accordingly sat down with several people belonging to 
 his Court, and remained there for three hours, drinking wine 
 with them. The hereditary prince was never present on these 
 occasions, but always retired to his rooms as soon as dinner 
 was over. 
 
 After dinner there was a ball. I was almost choking with 
 rage at what had taken place, and longed badly to vent it on 
 some one. At last I found Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld and
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 233 
 
 M. von Burstell, who were conversing together in ray boudoir. 
 I told them what had happened, and how I had been treated. 
 I was excessively annoyed, and so were they. Burstell only 
 made me more so, and Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, who was 
 of a very lively temperament, added to my anger. In her zeal 
 and devotion for me, she went to the Margrave and reproached 
 him very respectfully for his conduct towards me. He an- 
 swered her coldly, and she replied to him again, till a quarrel 
 ensued. It ended in my father-in-law leaving the ball in a 
 great rage, without even bidding me good-night. 
 
 Burstell had informed the hereditary prince of all that had 
 taken place, and as he was young and fiery, a " devil of a row " 
 ensued in my room. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld cried, and 
 the prince, Burstell, and I all spoke at once. I must confess to 
 my own weakness. I had been brought up in Berlin with 
 grand ideas, and had been destined to wear four crowns. How 
 these prospects were destroyed my narrative has already shown. 
 I imagined that my father could make laws for all other 
 princes, and that my marriage had been a great honor for the 
 Margrave ; also, that he never could treat me with enough re- 
 spect. Burstell labored under the same idea. He was very 
 clever, but too hot-tempered. We were unable that evening to 
 arrive at any conclusion. Voit, who was very timid, and was 
 fearful I might be induced to take some hasty step which 
 would ruin him, prevailed on us to separate. 
 
 Next day Von Voit received a written reprimand from the 
 Margrave, on account of his having chosen me as the medium 
 for obtaining favors from him. To humiliate him still more, 
 my father-in-law ordered him to return him the order he had 
 given him. He said that, as he was a Knight of the Order of 
 St. John of Jerusalem, he could not wear two orders at the same 
 time. Chamberlain von Reitzenstein was intrusted with the 
 delivery of this message. After he had fulfilled his task he 
 begged M. von Voit to tell us that the Margrave was extremely 
 angry with me, but still more so with Mademoiselle von Sonns-
 
 234 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 feld, and that he would write to the king and ask him to re- 
 call her from Baireiith. Voit told us all this in Burstell's pres- 
 ence, who wished at once to send a messenger to Berlin with 
 letters informing the king of this annoying occurrence. I 
 quite agreed with his suggestion, mistaken as it was. Madem- 
 oiselle von Sonnsfeld, however, prevented its being carried out. 
 She advised Burstell, in the presence of several of the Mar- 
 grave's spies, to tell my father-in-law that he had meant to 
 write to the king, but at my request had refrained from do- 
 ing so. 
 
 The Margrave now pretended to be very ill. Our plan, how- 
 ever, had fulfilled its purpose. Burstell's anger and my appar- 
 ent generosity pacified the Margrave. My father-in-law wrote 
 me a most amiable letter next day, which I answered in the 
 same tone, and the matter outwardly, at least was set at rest. 
 The Margrave did not love me, nor I him. 
 
 Shortly after all this I received a letter from my brother. 
 It was full of complaints. " My life has hitherto been bear- 
 able," he wrote. " I have lived quietly in garrison. I have had 
 my books and my flute and a few pleasant companions. Now 
 I am torn out of this quiet, and am to be made to marry a per- 
 son whom I have never even seen. My consent has been forced 
 from me : I am very wretched about it all. My destined bride 
 is the Princess of Bevern. Am I always to be tyrannized over, 
 without even having the hope of better days? Oh, if only 
 you, my adored sister, were still here, I would then bear every- 
 thing patiently !" I was deeply touched by this letter. I loved 
 this brother so ardently, and his return to his old affectionate 
 manner towards me made me very happy. 
 
 Not long after I had received this letter I heard from the 
 queen that the Duke and Duchess of Bevern and their daugh- 
 ter had arrived at Berlin, and that my brother's betrothal would 
 be declared immediately. My mother wrote: "The princess is 
 very handsome, but as stupid as a bundle of straw. I cannot 
 understand how your brother will get on with such a goose."
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 235 
 
 This news distressed me greatly. It was not alone grief at my 
 brother's sad fate, but it brought with it many other worries in 
 its train. Princess Willie! mine had flattered herself that she 
 would marry the crown prince. In the hope that I would 
 speak very favorably of her to my mother, she had been most 
 amiable towards me. Such an idea as her marrying my broth- 
 er had never entered my mind. Princess Wilhelmine would 
 not in any way have suited him nor my family. She was too 
 intriguing and too ugly. The news of the crown prince's en- 
 gagement to the Princess of Bevern destroyed all her hopes at 
 one blow. She insisted that I had worked against her inter- 
 ests, and determined to revenge herself. 
 
 A few days later I again received letters from my mother 
 and my brother. They informed me that the marriage had 
 been announced. My brother told me further that he had in- 
 duced Duke Alexander of Wurtemberg to pass by Baireuth, in 
 order to tell me many things which he could not trust to pa- 
 per, lie said the duke had started on the day he wrote. I 
 calculated, therefore, that he must reach Baireuth that very 
 night, and I sent and let the Margrave know of the duke's arri- 
 val. My father-in-law sent me word that he wished me to do 
 the honors for him, as he was ill and should be unable to leave 
 his room for several days. This was not true, but the Mar- 
 grave disliked society, and especially that of strangers. That 
 very afternoon the Duke Alexander sent us one of his gentle- 
 men to announce his arrival that evening. His carriage, how- 
 ever, broke down, and he arrived only at eleven o'clock at night. 
 He came at once to see me, and deliver all my brother's mes- 
 sages. He told me that Grumkow and Seckendorf were more 
 powerful than ever, and that my brother's marriage was entire- 
 ly their doing. The duke said that the Princess of Bevern had 
 been very badly brought up and had no manners whatever; 
 that she could say only " Yes," and " No," and had besides an 
 impediment in her speech, which made it difficult to understand 
 what she said ; that my brother could not bear her, and that
 
 236 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 it was much to be feared that the marriage would turn out very 
 unhappily. I spoke for an hour with Duke Alexander, and 
 afterwards presented the two princesses to him. He merely 
 bowed to them, without saying a word. The evening passed 
 so pleasantly that it was three o'clock in the morning before I 
 got to bed. Princess Wilhelmine was extremely offended that 
 the duke had not spoken to her, and was in a very bad temper 
 all next day. She quarrelled with Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, 
 complained that I treated her like a house-maid, and said I was 
 the cause of the duke's not having conversed with her. Mad- 
 emoiselle von Sonnsfeld, who had a very quick temper, came at 
 once to me, and reproached me with my behavior to the Prin- 
 cess Wilhelmine. I was very angry at this, and answered her 
 sharply, after which I turned round and left her. The duke 
 spent the whole day with us, and left in the evening, delighted 
 with my husband and myself. He was much dissatisfied with 
 the reception the Margrave had accorded him. The duke had 
 paid his respects to my father-in-law before leaving. 
 
 The Margrave continuing indisposed for some days longer, 
 Princess Wilhelmine sent a French lady to see him. She was 
 a bad, insolent creature. Wicked tongues pretended she was 
 the Margrave's mistress, but I believe this was not the case. 
 This person had a long conversation with the Margrave, in con- 
 sequence of which Princess Wilhelmine was invited to dine 
 quite alone with her father. She came to see me after dinner 
 was over. She appeared with red, swollen eyes, so that I in- 
 quired kindly what was the matter, saying I feared she had 
 had some annoyance, as I could see she had been crying. She 
 answered me most ironically that she had no worries of any 
 kind. Her father had been more than kind, and she had noth- 
 ing left to wish for. She then added that she only had a cold. 
 I had been too thoroughly schooled in such speeches to believe 
 what she said, and my suspicions were aroused. My surmises 
 were correct, for I soon discovered that Princess Wilhelmine 
 had been saying the most cruel things of me to everybody.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 237 
 
 She had worked the Margrave up to such a pitch of anger 
 against me that he endeavored to annoy me in every possible 
 way, though before others he always appeared to be most de- 
 voted to me. The princess was not satisfied with trying to 
 make mischief between her father and myself, but must needs 
 try and gain her brother's favor. I have already described 
 Prince Henry's character, and have also mentioned that he had 
 not had the best of education. He did not care for any seri- 
 ous occupations, and in this he shared his sister's taste. They 
 spent most of the day walking together in the woods; some- 
 times they went out shooting, and sometimes even amused 
 themselves in playing at childish games. I was in a sad con- 
 dition so ill that I spent nearly all my day in bed. The bad 
 weather prevented my getting out into the air, so that I saw 
 very little of my husband, and when he was with me he said 
 but little. Everybody complained to me of him. His father 
 even said that if he continued behaving as he did he would 
 never be fit to succeed him. All this caused me great grief. 
 I often pretended to be asleep only to be left alone. I was 
 devoted to Prince Henry, and it was his friendship alone that 
 could make my present existence bearable. I was not even 
 able to buy myself a dress. I had received my two quarters' 
 allowance in advance before leaving Berlin ; but this sum had 
 all been spent in necessary presents, towards which the king 
 and queen had never given me a penny. I was like a lamb 
 among wolves. I was settled in a strange country, at a court 
 which more resembled a peasant's farm, surrounded by coarse, 
 bad, dangerous, and tiresome people. I had no amusements or 
 distractions of any kind. I was daily plagued by bodily suf- 
 fering, and tormented on all sides. I often complained about 
 it all to Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, who tried to comfort me, 
 but she was really as unhappy as I. 
 
 It is but fair that, after writing of so much that is sad, I 
 should for once try and paint some funny pictures, and dry 
 my eyes for a little while. St. George's Day was approaching.
 
 238 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKtiKAVINE OF liAIKBUTU. 
 
 It was on this saint's day that the Margrave George Christian 
 had instituted the order of the Red Eagle, in remembrance of 
 which a great fete was held every year on that day, and my 
 father-in-law appointed new knights of the order. This order 
 was thought very highly of, and given only to persons of the 
 highest rank, and it was considered a great distinction to receive 
 knighthood. Although I was more dead than alive, I had my- 
 self transported to the Brandenburg House, a castle about a 
 quarter of an hour's drive from Baireuth. This castle de- 
 serves a description of its own. A beautiful avenue of limes 
 leads to the castle, which lies between two gardens. The chief 
 building is of stone, and you pass into it through an archway. 
 The staircase is very fine. The outside of the house has many 
 faults. The two wings are not of stone, and Margrave George 
 Wilhelm had made a plan for building two new wings. The 
 inside of the castle contains one fine, large, well-proportioned 
 room, having eight smaller apartments on each side of it, open- 
 ing one into the other. This is a very inconvenient arrange- 
 ment. The rooms were all badly furnished, like those in the 
 Castle at Baireuth. One of the gardens is bordered by a lake, 
 on which charming gondolas were anchored in the little bay 
 formed by an island. The whole position is most lovely. 
 
 Early in the morning of St. George's Day all the cannons 
 were fired in the harbor, and were answered by those on the 
 boats. Then three flourishes of trumpets were blown, and af- 
 ter the third the hereditary prince and all the Knights of the 
 Red Eagle proceeded to church. After church the prince came 
 to see me, and we then went together, accompanied by the 
 whole Court and all the ladies of the town, to congratulate the 
 Margrave, and to be present when the new knights were cre- 
 ated. The Margrave, beautifully dressed, stood leaning against 
 a table which had been placed there on purpose. He really 
 imagined he was emperor, and affected during these days an 
 imperial manner. His serious, majestic demeanor was intended 
 to impress every one very much, but it really made him appear
 
 MEMOIRS OP TUB MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 239 
 
 most ridiculous. To me he appeared more like a clown than 
 an emperor. When the Margrave had received the empty 
 compliments of all present, he caused three or four gentlemen 
 to he called into his presence, to whom he gave orders. He 
 addressed them in turn in very ill-chosen, badly expressed lan- 
 guage. Then there were fresh salvos fired, and the trumpets 
 blew again, and after this there was a great noise. We all went 
 to dinner. Every health that was drunk was accompanied by 
 the firing of cannon. I was present only for a few moments at 
 the dinner. Everybody drank a great deal too much wine, and 
 in the evening there was a ball. I was not present at it, being 
 too unwell. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld had sprained her 
 ankle, so she stayed with me. Though it was the end of April, 
 it was so cold that we had to have fires everywhere. Madem- 
 oiselle von Sonnsfeld's room caught fire, and the flames spread 
 to my anteroom. It was happily soon put out, and so quietly, 
 too, that I knew nothing of it till next day. This accident put 
 an end to the fetes which were to take place, and we returned 
 to Baireuth, to my great joy, for the cold had done me much 
 harm. 
 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld now reminded the Margrave 
 that, as my confinement would take place in a few months, he 
 must command that I should be prayed for in all the churches.* 
 The Margrave ridiculed the bare idea of his soon becoming a 
 grandfather, and laughed at Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld. The 
 prospect of an heir, however, caused great joy throughout the 
 land. This annoyed my father-in-law extremely, and he said 
 lie hoped I should have a daughter, as if I had a son he should 
 be obliged to increase our income. His bad temper was only 
 increased by the news brought by M. von Fischer's emissaries, 
 who constantly told the Margrave that his son was far more 
 popular than he was, and that everybody looked up to the 
 prince as the rising sun. My father-in-law's fury against his 
 
 * This is still done for royal personages in Germany on these occasions.
 
 240 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGKAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 son increased day by day. On one occasion he took him into 
 his own room, and reproached him bitterly with his supposed 
 intrigues, and the plots he had been said to have made with the 
 nobility of the empire. The hereditary prince could not un- 
 derstand what his father meant, and told him that he had never 
 done anything of the sort : it was the invention of ill-intention- 
 ed people, who wished to create a bad feeling between them. 
 Prince Henry asked the Margrave to inquire into his conduct, 
 as he was ready and able at any moment to prove his inno- 
 cence. Instead of being pacified by this answer the Margrave 
 flew into a violent passion, which might have had disastrous re- 
 sults had I not interfered. I found my father-in-law holding 
 my husband by his collar, and had Prince Henry not been the 
 stronger of the two, and caught hold of his father's hands, I am 
 sure the Margrave would have struck him. My horror is easily 
 to be understood. My presence prevented the Margrave from 
 attempting any violence; for in spite of the hatred he bore me 
 he stood in great awe of me, and as soon as he saw me he 
 turned round and left the room. The whole scene had upset 
 me so much that I fell into a deep swoon, which lasted some 
 time. The hereditary prince was in a terrible state of mind, 
 and furious with his father; but he had so kind and good a 
 heart that I persuaded him to make it all up with his father 
 next day. I availed myself of this opportunity, and had a 
 long conversation with the Margrave, in which I represented to 
 him the harm he did himself by treating his son in such a man- 
 ner. I told him that the fright he had caused me by this ter- 
 rible scene might have very grave consequences in my present 
 state of health ; that if anything went wrong I should hold 
 him answerable for the death of my child. My father-in-law 
 made me many civil speeches, which I was obliged to accept as 
 heartfelt, but matters remained unchanged. 
 
 I was bled next day, and had to keep my bed for about a 
 week. During this time Princess Wilhelmine was very assidu- 
 ous in her attentions to me. I saw at once that she had some
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGKAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 241 
 
 end in view, but what it was I could not discover. At last one 
 morning she came to me, and said she wished to speak to me 
 quite alone. After I had sent every one out of the room, she 
 began by saying that, being well aware of my affectionate in- 
 terest in her, she sought my help in a matter of some moment. 
 She begged me to induce her father to think of a marriage for 
 her. She went on to tell me that she knew her cousin, the 
 hereditary Prince of East Fnesland,* and that when children 
 they bad been very devoted to each other. She was still very 
 fond of him, and she knew that her aunt, the Princess of East 
 Fnesland, wished the marriage extremely. Her aunt had often 
 asked the Margrave to let Princess Wilhelmme go and stay with 
 her, and had promised to treat her like her own daughter, and 
 provide for her as such, as she had no daughters of her own. 
 My sister-in-law spoke her mind very plainly about her father, 
 and complained that he took no trouble whatever to think of 
 her future. She should never have the courage to speak to him 
 herself on the subject, she said, so that she implored me to do 
 so, and to arrange that she might be allowed to visit her aunt 
 at Aurich. I strongly suspected that this whole business was 
 some trick or other played in the hope of getting me into some 
 difficulty, and was therefore much perplexed what answer I 
 should make. I replied that, notwithstanding my wish to help 
 her as much as lay in my power, I saw many difficulties in the 
 way of carrying out her plan. I said that I had never mixed 
 myself up in marriage intrigues and never would, and still less 
 in being a party to her leaving Baireuth. I advised her to con- 
 sider seriously the step she wished to take, and not to enter on 
 any negotiations before receiving satisfactory assurances from 
 East Friesland. Should her cousin, the hereditary prince, have 
 changed his mind, or should he no longer please her when she 
 saw him again, she would, having once undertaken the journey 
 for that purpose, feel herself bound in honor to marry "him. I 
 
 * A province of Hanover.
 
 242 MEMOIRS OF TIIE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 entreated her to reflect well over it all. Princess Wilhelmine 
 answered that she had considered it all well, 'and weighed every 
 point, and I must therefore bear her great ill-will to desert her 
 in this manner. Upon this she began to cry, and renewed her 
 entreaties, till I at last gave way and promised her to speak to 
 the Margrave. When I did so my father-in-law was much sur- 
 prised, and sent for his daughter, who agreed with me in all I 
 had said, and pressed him to grant her request. He at last 
 consented, but only on condition that he should first receive the 
 necessary assurances with respect to the marriage. He said he 
 would write that very evening to the Princess of Friesland on 
 the subject. 
 
 About this time the emperor had gone to Carlsbad for the 
 health of the empress. Their only son had died .in 1716, and 
 they had left only three daughters. People hoped Carlsbad 
 would restore the empress's health, and that consequently an- 
 other son might yet be born to them. This was the earnest 
 hope of the whole of Germany. Several evil advisers induced 
 my father-in-law to go to Carlsbad, and pay his respects to the 
 emperor. The hereditary prince was most desirous of accom- 
 panying his father, and received a reluctant permission to do 
 so. They started at last with a small suite, and returned home 
 again after a fortnight. The emperor and empress had taken 
 a great deal of notice of my husband, and had talked almost 
 entirely to him. The prince had, on the other hand, been very 
 much bored, as the Margrave would not allow him to mix with 
 the society at Carlsbad. After my father-in-law's and Prince 
 Henry's return we all went to the Hermitage, a perfectly unique 
 country-seat near Baireuth. After the Margrave's death my hus- 
 band made a present of it to me, and I did a great deal to it. 
 The Hermitage was afterwards considered one of the most beau- 
 tiful castles in Germany. I will give a description of it later on. 
 During our stay at the Hermitage, the Princess of Wcikershcim 
 paid me a visit. She was first cousin to the empress, and had 
 married the Prince Hoheulohe-Weikersheim. His first wife
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 243 
 
 bad been a princess of Culmbach, the Margrave of Baireuth's 
 sister. The Princess of Weikersheim was ugly, but she seemed 
 to me to be very clever. The Margrave was exceedingly fond 
 of her, and she had great influence with him. Poor Princess 
 Charlotte was in a most depressed state, and often complained 
 to me of the ill-treatment she received from her father and sis- 
 ter. She had really much to bear from them ; for the Margrave 
 disliked her, and Princess Wilhelmine, who was of a very jeal 
 ous nature, treated her sister like a common servant. I was un- 
 able to make the poor princess's position any pleasanter. She 
 knew the Princess of Weikersheim, and confided her woes to 
 her. This princess offered to take her with her for three weeks, 
 till such time as Princess Wilhelmine should have left Baireuth. 
 The Princess of East Friesland had answered the Margrave that 
 nothing would please her more than a marriage between their 
 respective children. She expected her niece's arrival with im- 
 patience, and should the young people please each other on 
 nearer acquaintance the betrothal was then to be announced. 
 The Margrave was overjoyed at the prospect of getting rid of 
 his eldest daughter. He came at once and told me that she 
 would leave in a few days, with the Princess of Weikersheim. 
 
 The great friendship existing between rny husband and 
 Princess Wilhelmine gradually cooled down. lie had reason 
 to find fault with her general conduct, added to which her 
 constant intrigues, and the ill - natured things she was always 
 saying of me, made him very angry. The hereditary prince 
 now scarcely left my side, and was full of tenderness and at- 
 tention towards me. I imagined this change of manner had 
 in some measure been caused by Princess Wilhclmine's inten- 
 tion of going to East Friesland. Up to this time she had flat- 
 tered herself that she was all-powerful with her brother, and 
 had succeeded in making me quite subordinate to her. Find- 
 ing out, however, that she had made a great mistake, she pre- 
 ferred marriage with the Prince of East Friesland to remain- 
 ing at Baireuth, She accordingly took her departure, and was
 
 244 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 much missed by her father and the scandal - mongers of the 
 Court. The Margrave accompanied his daughter as far as 
 Himrnelscron, where he took leave of her. The hereditary 
 prince and I remained at the Hermitage, where we spent some 
 quiet days. Our peaceful existence was not of long duration, 
 for the Margrave's return put an end to it. Not a day passed 
 that I was not annoyed in some way or other, and I lived in a 
 state of perpetual constraint. 
 
 M. von Burstell had returned to Berlin much displeased 
 with the Margrave, who had before his departure treated him 
 most unbecomingly. In spite of my entreaties, he informed 
 my father of all that had taken place. The king had a very 
 tender heart, and the description of my position at Baireuth 
 distressed him greatly more especially the accounts of my 
 wretched state of health. He himself wrote me a most touch- 
 ing letter. This was a mark of favor shown only to those for 
 whom he really had an affection. He wrote as follows : " I 
 am much grieved, dearest daughter, to hear how much you are 
 teased and plagued. Though you have yourself never men- 
 tioned it to me, I am well aware that you are quite ill through it 
 all. It is absolutely necessary that you should come here to 
 your loving parents. I will have comfortable apartments pre- 
 pared for you, so that your confinement may take place here. 
 You can count on my friendship and affection as long as I live, 
 and I will provide for you in every way." These are my fa- 
 ther's own words. I received many similar letters from him. 
 
 I was as ill as possible. My patience and Prince Henry's 
 was nearly exhausted. We could not stir without the Mar- 
 grave's permission. If the prince rode out two days running 
 there was no end to the scoldings, and he was told that he 
 ruined the horses, and should have no more to ride. If he 
 went out shooting ho was informed that he disturbed the 
 game. If he stayed at home he was accused of making plots 
 and intrigues. In one word, whatever he did or said was con- 
 sidered a crime. We were held up to scorn and derision. To
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP I5ATREUTH. 245 
 
 escape from all this we determined to go to Berlin. I there- 
 fore begged the king to write to the Margrave on the subject. 
 lie did so most urgently, and my father-in-law at once granted 
 us permission. This alone, however, was not of much use, for 
 we had no money, and no one would lend us any. Berlin was 
 forty-two German miles* from Baireuth. My state of health 
 compelled us to travel by short stages, so that it would certain- 
 ly take us ten days to reach Berlin. I spoke to the Margrave 
 on the subject, and he said he would procure the money neces- 
 sary for the journey, and told me not to trouble about it. 
 Next day he sent me word that he had had one thousand flo- 
 rins put to my account. This sum would have covered only 
 half the expense of the journey. I collected the other half 
 from my ladies' purses and my poor servants." 
 
 Many people blamed my father-in-law for allowing me to 
 undertake this journey in my present condition. It was now 
 the end of June, and I expected my confinement in August. 
 The people of Baireuth were loud in their complaints, for they 
 wished much for an heir to the principality. The Margrave 
 was at Himmelscron, his favorite residence, and as it was on 
 the road to Berlin we were to take leave of him there. He at- 
 tached the greatest importance to what the world said of him, 
 and as he wished to justify himself in the eyes of the public 
 for letting me undertake this journey, he sent M. von Dabeneck 
 to see me, and try and persuade me to remain at Baireuth. 
 He did not, however, succeed in his mission. I thanked him 
 most civilly for the kind messages he brought me from the 
 Margrave, but remained firm in my intentions to go to Berlin. 
 I excused myself for doing so by explaining to him how great 
 my longing was to see my family again, and by mentioning 
 that the king looked on my visit as a settled thing. We started 
 next morning, and arrived at Himmelscron that same evening. 
 The Margrave received us most kindly and with every mark of 
 
 * Eighty-eight English miles.
 
 246 MEMOIKS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 affection. A Hessian gentleman, M. von Babenhausen, hap- 
 pened to be at Himmelscron the day we were there. He was 
 an honest, clever man, who at once knew with what people he 
 had to deal. He had never seen rne before, but thought me 
 looking so ill that he endeavored to induce the Margrave to 
 prevent my continuing my journey. My father-in-law's physi- 
 cian also urged the necessity of my remaining, saying that if I 
 went to Berlin my coffin would have to be prepared for me. 
 Representations were made to the hereditary prince on the sub- 
 ject, and indeed circumstances all combined to put an end to 
 my project. I was, fortunately as it turned out, obliged to 
 give up the journey and return to Baireuth. 
 
 I was indeed in a deplorable condition, and tormented by 
 bodily sufferings. The doctors were very stupid, and refused 
 to bleed me. 
 
 Himmelscron had formerly been a convent. After it had 
 become Protestant the abbess gave her nuns their freedom, and 
 on her death Himmelscron fell to Culmbach. It is very pret- 
 tily situated, and a new wing has been added to the old build- 
 ing. The house itself was very comfortable, but there were 
 no walks round about it. There is only a mall, which is nearly 
 as fine as that at Utrecht. The Margrave had made a heronry, 
 and the birds could be seen from the castle. Life at Himmels- 
 cron was dull in the extreme. There was nobody to converse 
 with, and the whole day long one was disturbed by the per- 
 petual blowing of horns. This dreadful noise disturbed the 
 only relaxation I enjoyed, viz., being read aloud to. Mademoi- 
 selle von Marwitz, Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld's niece, was my 
 reader. 
 
 This young lady's education had been provided for by 
 Countess Finkenstein. She had fallen into bad hands, was 
 wanting in manner as well as in grace, and was besides ex- 
 tremely frivolous. She had become much attached to me, and 
 endeavored to please me in every way she could. I was much 
 touched at this, and determined to try and educate her, or
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 247 
 
 rather to supply these wants in her education. I succeeded 
 far beyond my expectations, and in the course of these me- 
 moirs shall often have occasion to speak of Mademoiselle von 
 Marwitz. We remained for weeks at this tiresome place Him- 
 melscron, till it seemed to me as if we had been there for cen- 
 turies. As last a large shooting-party which assembled at Selb, 
 a small town on the borders of Bohemia, brought us some 
 change. The Margrave and his son went to Selb, and I re- 
 turned to the Hermitage. I arrived there so ill that my 
 premature confinement was hourly expected. My good con- 
 stitution, however, and the loving care and attention I received 
 prevented it, and I felt better next day. 
 
 In the evening a message reached me from the king, my fa- 
 ther, saying that he hoped to arrive at the Hermitage in two 
 days. This joyful intelligence did much towards restoring my 
 failing strength. My father came from Prague. He had had 
 a meeting with the emperor at a small village called Altdorf, 
 not far from that city. A large room had been built for the 
 purpose, with two separate entrances. It had been intended 
 that the emperor and empress and the king should arrive si- 
 multaneously, and that the two sovereigns should enter the 
 room by their respective doors. However, in spite of all that 
 had been arranged, my father arrived two hours before the ap- 
 pointed time, and on the emperor's arrival came forward in the 
 most friendly manner to greet him. This was quite contrary 
 to the prescribed etiquette, and Grumkow has often since told 
 me how annoyed he was that my father should have acted in a 
 manner derogatory to his dignity. As soon as I heard of my 
 father's intention of coming to the Hermitage, I let the Mar- 
 grave know of it. He sent me back word to have everything 
 prepared for the king's reception, and that he himself would 
 meet him at Selb, which was on the king's road, and accom- 
 pany him to the Hermitage. This was quite a small castle. 
 It had one large room with two smaller ones attached to it in 
 the main building, and the two wings each contained four small
 
 248 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREDTH. 
 
 rooms, or rather cells. When the Margrave and ourselves lived 
 there it was already a tight squeeze. About a hundred yards 
 from it was the dairy farm, where a small but comfortable house 
 had been built. I had this arranged for the Margrave, and pre- 
 pared some rooms in the castle for the ting. Margrave Albert, 
 brother of the king, and the Prince of Gotha, who were to ac- 
 company him, I intended to lodge in the same house with my 
 father-in-Jaw. I thought and hoped I had arranged all to ev- 
 erybody's satisfaction, when a circumstance arose which caused 
 me great annoyance. 
 
 The evening before the king's arrival M. von Bindemann, 
 the only gentleman left in attendance on myself, received a 
 messenger announcing the arrival that evening of the Margrave 
 of Anspach and his wife, accompanied by a suite of a hundred 
 persons. Bindemann was an excellent man, but certainly had 
 not invented gunpowder. When he was, therefore, confronted 
 with the difficulty of how to lodge these new and unexpected 
 guests, he completely lost his head. He informed Baron von 
 Seckendorf, chamberlain to the Margrave of Anspach, that al- 
 though his master was delighted at the visit and would receive 
 it with pleasure, it would, at this moment, be most incon- 
 venient. There was already difficulty enough in finding suita- 
 ble accommodation for the king, so that it was impossible to 
 find room for the Margrave and Margravine and their suite. 
 Bindemann told me only next day of my sister's visit. I in- 
 stantly sent my father-in-law word of it, and begged for instruc- 
 tions as to where the party were to be lodged. I represented 
 to him how much offended both my sister and the Margrave 
 would be if they had not apartments at the Hermitage. As 
 there were, however, no more unoccupied rooms in the castle, 
 I proposed they should go to Monplaisir, the house at the farm. 
 I said I would give up my own rooms to my father-in-law, and 
 live with my husband in his apartments. I felt sure he would 
 not agree to this plan, and I could not have carried it out, as I 
 -was too ill to leave my bed. My father-in-law answered me in
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTII. 249 
 
 a few hours, saying he would not hear of my turning out of 
 my rooms, and that I was to have one of the small cells in one 
 of the wings prepared for him. 
 
 When the evening came I left my bed with the utmost ex- 
 ertion, and went, weak as I was, into the avenue to meet my 
 sister. It was already past eight o'clock, and no one arrived. 
 I sent off numerous messengers on horseback to find out what 
 caused the delay, as I feared some accident had happened. I 
 waited in vain till past ten, when M. von Bindemann, observing 
 my anxiety, smilingly said to me that I could be quite easy, 
 as my sister would not come. I was greatly surprised at this 
 remark, and asked him how he knew this, upon which he 
 answered, " Because I let Chamberlain von Seckendorf know so 
 and so. I expect they will have turned back." He said this 
 referring to the message he had sent, which I mentioned be- 
 fore. Although I had not looked forward to the visit of my 
 Anspach relations with any particular pleasure, as I knew my 
 brother-in-law would have disputes with the king, still Binde- 
 mann's stupidity vexed me much. I foresaw the results, and 
 was not mistaken in them. Soon after, Baron von Seckendorf 
 arrived. He was a bad man, and the cause of all my sister's 
 unhappiness. He it was who had sown disunion between her 
 and her husband. He brought me very angry messages, and 
 said that he had never known anybody treat a member of the 
 royal family in such a manner. He told me that my sister 
 was furious with me, and that this occurrence would make a 
 lasting breach between the two families. My sister had de- 
 clared that she would never set her foot in Baireuth. Baron 
 von Seckendorf then added that he was on his way to the king 
 to inform him of the insult the Margrave and Margravine had 
 received. It had been by the king's desire that they were 
 coming to the Hermitage, and that he was sure my father 
 would greatly blame my behavior. 
 
 I explained Bindemann's conduct to him, and sent him to 
 Monplaisir, that he might see for himself with what trouble I
 
 250 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 had arranged everything for my sister's reception. I also sent 
 the postmaster word not to let Seckendorf have any horses un- 
 der any pretext whatever. I did this purposely, in order that, 
 should it be true that he was sent with a message to the king, 
 he might be unable to leave the Hermitage. I at once in- 
 formed my father-in-law of this most annoying occurrence, and 
 sent for M. von Gleichen, who lived only a few miles off. I 
 intrusted him with letters to the Margrave and my sister, and 
 sent him straight off to Anspach. My letters contained many 
 apologies that such a sad misunderstanding should have taken 
 place, and I at the same time sent them a pressing invitation 
 to come to the Hermitage. I further entreated M. von Gleichen 
 to be sure and see that the whole matter was cleared up. I 
 spent a cruel night. My father was the only support I had on 
 earth, and I saw the moment arrive when he might again treat 
 me unkindly, which would be far more painful to me were it 
 to happen at Baircuth than at Berlin. His anger was only too 
 easily roused, and I knew the Margrave of Anspach would do 
 all he could to provoke it. M. von Gleichen returned in two 
 hours, bringing me most kind answers to my letters, but a de- 
 cided refusal to my invitation. He assured me that he had 
 been able entirely to exonerate me in the eyes of my sister and 
 brother-in-law, but that they would not believe that M. von 
 Bindemann had not acted by my father-in-law's orders. 
 
 The king arrived on the 6th of August. He received me 
 most graciously, but seemed much moved by the painful alter- 
 ation in my appearance. He would not let me accompany him 
 to his room, bat insisted on taking me to mine. I kissed his 
 dear hands over and over again, and neve"r wearied of showing 
 him my great joy at seeing him again. As soon as I was alone 
 with him, I told him in the most natural way possible all about 
 the unfortunate misunderstanding with my Anspach relations, 
 and begged him to set matters right with them. I also showed 
 him the letters M. von Gleichen had brought me. My father 
 said, " It is very annoying that Bindemann should have been
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 251 
 
 so stupid, but still more so that you should have to do with 
 people who have no common-sense. The Margrave of Anspach 
 fancies himself a second Louis XV., and he thinks you should 
 have come and made your excuses in person to him. He is a 
 fool. I am very glad you took the initiative. I shall let them 
 know they are to come here, and if they will not, then the 
 devil take them !" My father then left me, and desired Baron 
 von Seckendorf to send off a messenger at once to Anspach, to 
 tell his children to come and see him. Grumkow and the 
 Austrian minister, Seckendorf, were in the king's suite. I re- 
 ceived them very graciously. They brought me many flatter- 
 ing messages from the empress, who had spoken of me in most 
 laudatory terms. The king, who had been listening to the con- 
 versation, now came up to where we were standing, and said, 
 " You have every reason to be grateful to the empress, my dear 
 daughter ; you should write and express your gratitude to her." 
 I answered him that I should gladly follow his advice. We 
 then went to dinner. I sat on my father's right side and the 
 Margrave of Baireuth on his left. The king was in excellent 
 spirits ; but on my leaving the room, as I was feeling ill, he got 
 terribly anxious, fearing I was going to die. 
 
 Next morning I got up very early, and showed my father all 
 the walks round the Hermitage, which he thought very pretty, 
 especially a little grotto which I had arranged as a " Tabagie." 
 The king was much pleased, and said, " You have given your- 
 self endless trouble, and have shown me every possible atten- 
 tion. I might fancy myself at Potsdam, the rooms are so like 
 mine there, and you have placed the same tables and chairs in 
 them as I always use." I had really taken great pains, and 
 yet gone to no great expense, as my father always only used 
 wooden chairs. These had to be so high that his feet should 
 scarcely touch the ground. I had also placed two large tubs 
 with water in my father's room, which he used for washing. I 
 do not think there ever existed a person who was so particular 
 about cleanliness. He washed himself at least twenty times a
 
 252 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 
 
 day, while his rooms had always to be kept perfectly tidy, with 
 no speck of dust allowed to be seen anywhere. The long walk 
 I had taken with the king had greatly exhausted me, and I be- 
 came so faint that all thought I was dying. Just at this time 
 the celebrated doctor, Stahl, my father's own medical attendant, 
 arrived at Bairenth. The queen had sent him, as well as a 
 midwife, to attend me in my confinement. Stahl was chiefly 
 celebrated for his great knowledge of chemistry, in which sci- 
 ence he had made great discoveries. His system of medicine 
 was a very simple one. He maintained that all illnesses were 
 caused by powers of imagination, and for this reason he never 
 used but two remedies, which he always gave in every illness. 
 In spite of this peculiarity, my parents had great faith in him. 
 The king at once sent for him to see me. My father sat down 
 near my bed, and made Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld do the 
 same. He asked me how I got on with my father-in-law. I 
 told him about everything, but begged him to treat the Ajar- 
 grave kindly, as otherwise my position would only become 
 worse. The king pitied me very much, and said, " I quite see 
 you cannot possibly come to Berlin at this moment, but yon 
 must do so as soon as your confinement is over. Your Mar- 
 grave can meanwhile go to his regiment, and when you are 
 quite strong and well again you can follow him. I will under- 
 take to provide for you and your people. I will also try and 
 arrange matters in such a way that I may be able to give you 
 more to live on. You must bring your child with you when 
 you come, and I will have everything prepared for you. I can- 
 not any longer tolerate the manner in which you are treated 
 here. Your father-in-law and my son-in-law of Anspach are 
 two madmen, who ought to be shut up. I will be civil to the 
 old man, but your sister and her husband shall be dealt with as 
 they deserve." I entreated rny father to spare my sister and 
 the Margrave of Anspach. The former was already unhappy 
 enough, and gentleness alone would improve matters. I feared 
 my father's anger would only make the breach greater between
 
 MEMOIRS OF TUB MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 253 
 
 us, and that she might accuse me of having made him angry 
 with her. My father promised to do as I had begged him, 
 and soon after this conversation my sister and the Margrave 
 arrived. The king received them coldly. I had got up to 
 attend the dinner, after which all retired to their rooms. 
 
 Next day my father spent the whole morning in scolding my 
 sister. In the evening he went to the " Tabagie." The king's 
 behavior towards the Anspach Court had not improved its 
 temper, and my father now began to cross-question the Mar- 
 grave of Baireuth as to the condition of his country. The 
 Margrave found it very difficult to answer him, as he knew 
 but little about it, his acquaintance with business matters 
 being very slight. The king reproached him with the state of 
 disorder in which his affairs were, and told him that he allowed 
 himself to be cheated. He also demanded an explanation from 
 him respecting a capital of 30,000 thalers* which he had lent 
 him to pay his debts with. The Margrave had not up to this time 
 repaid the loan, and the king represented to him how his credit 
 would suffer in consequence. " I excuse you," the knig pro- 
 ceeded to say, " because you have only lately succeeded to the 
 Government, and have been obliged to employ those whom 
 you found intrusted with the management of the different de- 
 partments. The time has, however, come when you ought to 
 see things with your own eyes, and not trust to those of others. 
 Your efforts will all be useless if you do not make your son 
 acquainted with the state of affairs. You should let him take 
 part in your deliberations, and let him work in the Govern- 
 ment, so that he may become thoroughly acquainted with the 
 condition of the principality. Your son should then report to 
 you daily, and there will be that advantage gained by it that 
 your ministers will work twice as hard when they have their 
 prince as a colleague. You will then, too, no longer be cheated, 
 as has been the case till now." 
 
 This speech did not at all please the Margrave. The king 
 
 * Four thousand five hundred pounds.
 
 254 MEMOIRS OF TI1E MAKGKAV1NE OF BAIKEUTH. 
 
 then said tbat he had given him this advice only on account of 
 the love he bore them, and the respect he had for the Margrave 
 himself. "Would you like me, my dear Margrave," my fa- 
 ther continued, "to send you some one to help you out of your 
 difficulties? Unless you take a stranger, who will look thor- 
 oughly into the affairs, and bring to light all the villanies that 
 have been going on, you will never get things into order." 
 Although the Margrave had been much offended by the king's 
 remarks about the hereditary prince, he appeared to accept his 
 offer gratefully, and hid his annoyance as best he could. My 
 father then induced the Margrave to promise him solemnly 
 that my husband and I should come to Berlin soon after the 
 birth of my child. He said, " As they will be living there at 
 ray cost, your own expenses will be greatly reduced." The 
 Margrave at once agreed to the proposal, and outwardly, at least, 
 everything was on a harmonious footing. I took a tearful 
 leave of my dear father that evening, who left next morning, 
 the 9th of August. My Anspach relations remained with us 
 that day. My brother-in-law, the Margrave, had fallen in love 
 with Mademoiselle von Grumkow, and made no secret of it. 
 This young lady was extremely flattered by the conquest she 
 had made, and encouraged his attentions. She was tall and 
 thin, very pale, with a long face, and a nose like an eagle. She 
 had beautiful teeth and a fine figure. She was very amusing, 
 most entertaining; but her tongue was sharp as a knife, and 
 she spared no one. She was very proud and insolent, and her 
 conduct was extremely flighty. She made mischief wherever 
 she could. With all these faults she combined an art of in- 
 gratiating herself with people, and she made many friends. 
 My sister was terribly jealous of her husband's friendship for 
 this girl, and was constantly in tears about it. I pitied her 
 very much ; yet as the girl was Grurnkow's niece, and I required 
 her uncle's help, I had to be very careful how I behaved tow- 
 ards her. Soon after this my sister and her husband return- 
 ed to Anspach, and I escaped from the difficulty.
 
 MKMO1US OF THE MABGKAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 255 
 
 No sooner bad the kiug left us than my father-in-law vented 
 his anger on my husband and myself. He began by reproach- 
 ing me for having turned him out of Monplaisir to make room 
 for my sister. He let me know through M. von Voit that he 
 was not yet dead, and hoped to live some time longer if only 
 to spite us, and that he was surprised at my giving myself the 
 airs of a regent. It was all my doing, the Margrave said, that 
 the king had spoken to him as he had. He would excuse me, 
 however, as he was aware I had acted by Mademoiselle von 
 Sonnsfeld' s advice, who he knew hated him. My father-in-law 
 said he was tired of her constant intrigues, and would therefore 
 send her to the small fortress of Plassenburg, where she would 
 have leisure to reflect on her want of respect towards him. I 
 wondered at the patience with which I listened to this message. 
 When Voit had ceased speaking I broke out into all manner of 
 abuse against the Margrave. I was so angry that I trembled all 
 over. When I cooled down a little Voit advised me to write to 
 my father-in-law, or to ask the Prince of Culmbach (the Mar- 
 grave's brother) to make peace between us. Mademoiselle von 
 Sonnsfeld meanwhile laughed at the Margrave's threats against 
 her. I followed Volt's advice, and asked the Prince of Culm- 
 bach's help. This prince blamed his brother's conduct towards 
 me and Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, and assured me that he 
 had already spoken to the Margrave very severely about it. To 
 prove my entire innocence, I showed the Prince of Culmbach 
 the letters in which the Margrave distinctly commanded me to 
 make all the necessary arrangements for our guests. He took 
 these letters with him and showed them to my father-in-law, 
 proving to him how extremely unjust he had been towards me. 
 The Margrave upon this made me many excuses, and pretended 
 to regret his behavior. This was all mere pretence on his part, 
 and he was now bent on finding some other way of annoying 
 me. 
 
 As my confinement was near at hand, it was thought desir- 
 able that J should return to Baireuth. I did so on the 20th of
 
 256 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 August. I had at last succeeded in getting my bedroom newly 
 furnished, and also one of my boudoirs, which I had decorated 
 with china and carved wood-work. My rooms, consequently, 
 looked much more cheerful and comfortable. The Margrave, 
 who had returned to Baireuth at the same time as I had, came 
 with his brother to see me next morning, and informed me that 
 Le was starting for Himmelscron, and should not return till 
 after my confinement. I was unable to conceal my dissatis- 
 faction at his leaving Baireuth, but I said I should be glad to 
 know what his orders were before he left. " I shall be obliged 
 to inform the king, my father, of the birth of my child ; but he 
 will not like only to receive the news through an ordinary mes- 
 senger. I venture, therefore, to suggest to your Highness that 
 M. von Voit should go to Berlin as soon as the event has taken 
 place. He would pass Himmelscron on his way to Berlin, and 
 could then at the same time bring you the tidings." My fa- 
 ther-in-law got very red in the face, and for a few moments 
 made no reply. He then said, " As regards sending the news 
 to Berlin, I think your suggestion quite right and proper. It 
 is, however, quite unnecessary to inform me of the event." I 
 answered my father-in-law that, if he did not wish to receive 
 M. von Voit, we would send some other gentleman who was 
 more agreeable to him. " I will have no one sent me," the 
 Margrave replied ; " I have ordered cannons to be posted the 
 whole way to Himmelscron, which will inform me much sooner 
 than any messenger could." I answered that this would most 
 likely be the case, but that I did not wish to fail in showing 
 him every mark of respect, and therefore hoped he would let 
 me do as I suggested. My father-in-law, however, insisted that 
 he did not wish to stand on any ceremony with me. He hated 
 formalities, he said, like death. lie would let Von Voit know 
 he was to hold himself in readiness to start for Berlin whenever 
 it was required. The Margrave then wished me good-by, ex- 
 pressing his hope that I should get well over my confinement, 
 with which remark he left me.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 257 
 
 Fortunately the Prince of Culmbach had been present during 
 this interview. I asked him why the Margrave behaved so 
 strangely. He assured me it was merely a fit of bad temper; 
 I must be patient with him and let him have his own way. I 
 promised the prince I would follow his advice, and then took 
 leave of him. 
 
 I was taken ill on the 29th, and continued in labor till the 
 evening of the 31st of August, when I was safely delivered of 
 a daughter. My life had been in the utmost danger, and my 
 attendants had despaired of saving me or my child. My poor 
 husband had been in a terrible state of mind, as I was after- 
 wards told. Nothing ever equalled his joy when he knew I 
 was safe. He never asked after the child ; all his thoughts were 
 for me. He kissed my hands, covering them with tears. Al- 
 though the Margrave had been informed of my great peril, he 
 had not thought fit to inquire after me. His brother, on the 
 other hand, had sent hourly to hear how I was, proving to me 
 how much he cared for me. M. von Voit left for Berlin im- 
 mediately after the birth of the child, and all the cannon were 
 fired. The clergy came to pray at my bedside; but I heard lit- 
 tle of their prayers, as I was still so weak. Next day, after 
 some sleep, my condition had much improved. 
 
 I was greatly surprised at receiving no inquiries from the 
 Margrave. At last the hereditary prince had a note from his 
 uncle, congratulating him on my safety, and at the same time 
 telling him he had informed the Margrave of the birth of his 
 grandchild. The cannon had been so badly placed, he said, 
 that the sound had not reached Himmelscron. The Prince of 
 Culmbach said he would try and induce the Margrave to come 
 to Baireuth that evening ; he was in such a dreadful temper 
 that he had not dared speak to him about anything. My fa- 
 ther-in-law, however, really came to Baireuth at six that evening. 
 He sent at once for M. von Reitzenstein, and complained to 
 him bitterly that his son and I had treated him disgracefully, 
 and that he had been the last to be informed of my child's 
 17
 
 258 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 birth. He said his patience was exhausted, that he was master, 
 and could have his son shut up in a fortress any day he pleased, 
 to teach him how to behave towards him. Poor M. von Reitzen- 
 stcin, who knew of nothing, stood there struck with dismay. 
 This dismay was only increased when the Margrave told him 
 to go and tell all this in his name to the hereditary prince. 
 Reitzenstein refused to deliver these messages. He waited a 
 few moments till the Margrave had grown calmer, and then 
 represented to him what harm he did his own reputation by 
 treating me so badly. It was doubly wrong at the present 
 moment, for I was not out of danger, and any agitation might 
 kill me. 
 
 With respect to Prince Henry, Reitzenstein said he knew 
 that he would never be wanting in respect towards the Mar- 
 grave. He advised my father-in-law to inquire how the mis- 
 take, had arisen, because he felt sure it must be some misun- 
 derstanding. At this moment the Prince of Culmbach entered 
 the room, and took my part most warmly. He reminded the 
 Margrave of the conversation he had had with me in his pres- 
 ence on that very subject. My father-in-law was much taken 
 aback at this, as he had not been aware that the prince had 
 been in the room at the time. He was very much ashamed at 
 his memory having failed him on this occasion, but he was 
 losing it more and more daily. The Margrave at once sent for 
 hi.- son, whom lie received courteously, and then came to see 
 me. lie treated me very coldly, and it was quite apparent that 
 his civil speeches were by no means sincere. He told me it 
 was the custom to have the child christened on the third day 
 after its birth, and that therefore the ceremony must take place 
 next morning. I answered my father-in-law that he must do 
 as he thought best, but that I was too weak to see any one or 
 to receive congratulations. He replied that it was not at all 
 necessary ; that I had only to tell him whom I wished to have 
 as sponsors. At first I refused to name any, but at last I men- 
 tioned the following: the empress, my parents, the Queen of
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 259 
 
 Denmark (the Margrave's sister), the dowager Princess of Culm- 
 bach (the Margrave's mother), my brother, my sister of Anspach, 
 and the Prince of Culmbach. The Margrave expressed him- 
 self very much satisfied with these sponsors, and then left me. 
 
 Next day trumpets and drums announced that the Margrave, 
 with his whole Court, and Princess Charlotte, Avho had just 
 returned from Weikersheim, would proceed to my apartments. 
 Princess Charlotte carried the child, and held it during the 
 ceremony. The whole procession went from my room to the 
 audience - chamber, where the christening took place. After 
 the ceremony was over cannons were fired, and the child was 
 brought back to my room. Then a great banquet was held, 
 followed by a ball in the evening. 
 
 A fortnight later Prince William, of Culmbach, my husband's 
 brother, arrived at Baireuth. He had just returned from his 
 travels through France and Holland. My husband, whose kind 
 heart made him cling to all his relations, was delighted to see 
 him again. He brought him at once to my room. Prince 
 William was twenty years old, but not taller than a boy of 
 fourteen. He had a handsome face, but not an agreeable ex- 
 pression, and was fairly well-proportioned, but was as childish 
 in his behavior as in stature. He was not clever, having stud- 
 ied at Utrecht, with little advantage to himself. He was very 
 absent and flighty, and had talent for nothing else but catching 
 flies. He was certainly good-natured, but probably more so 
 by nature than principle. The hereditary prince and I did all 
 we could to help him on during his short stay at Baireuth, but 
 we met with little success. He was colonel in the Imperial 
 army, and his regiment was quartered in Italy. He was now 
 on his way there, but was to stay a short time with his uncle 
 at Vienna. I shall always mention him in the course of these 
 memoirs as Prince William. 
 
 M. von Voit returned at this time from Berlin, bringing me 
 very affectionate letters from my parents. Voit told me the 
 birth of my child and my safety had caused universal joy at
 
 260 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 Berlin. The king and crown prince had spoken in the tender- 
 est manner of me. 
 
 I was just beginning to enjoy a little peace and quiet, when 
 the hereditary prince received a letter from the king, which 
 threw us into great agitation. My father reminded Prince 
 Henry of our promise to come to Berlin, and ordered him to 
 rejoin his regiment at once. He said we could rely on his 
 friendship, and the proofs he would give us of it. This 
 \vas a terrible blow for me. I loved my husband passionately, 
 and our marriage was really a happy one. He was my only 
 comfort on earth ; and now I was to be separated from him 
 only three weeks after our child's birth, and probably for a 
 long time. There was nothing to be done, unless we wished 
 to quarrel with the king. We could not afford to do that, for 
 we needed his help and .protection. The only thing we could 
 do was to postpone the evil day as long as we could. The 
 Margrave pretended to grieve much at our approaching de- 
 parture ; but he was secretly enchanted at it, as he longed to 
 get rid of us. 
 
 My husband started on the 2d of October, paying all the ex- 
 penses of his journey himself. The grief at parting from him 
 made me very ill, and my health never entirely recovered from 
 the shock. I grew dreadfully thin, and cried all night. Every 
 evening I held receptions in my rooms, at which all the family 
 appeared. Cards were played ; otherwise these parties were 
 fearfully dull. I had no one to speak to but the Prince of 
 Culmbach, who was my only companion. By degrees I grew 
 calmer, till another letter from the king upset me afresh. He 
 said he wished me to go to my sister at Anspach. He knew 
 she would be offended if I did not do so, as I owed her a visit. 
 It was very necessary to keep on good terms ; and as I was 
 the more reasonable of the two, I must do all in my power to 
 keep up a good understanding between the two families. Af- 
 ter my return to Baireuth I was to come to Berlin, where I 
 should be received with open arms. This was all very right
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIRKUTH. 201 
 
 and good ; but I had no money, and the hereditary prince's 
 journey to Berlin had exhausted all the means at our com- 
 mand. Then, too, I did not know what to do with my daugh- 
 ter. I did not like leaving her behind alone. At last I thought 
 it best to send the king's letter to the Margrave. He sent me 
 word through M. von Voit that he entirely agreed with its 
 contents, and that I was free to do whatever I thought best. 
 I thereupon spoke to my father-in-law myself, and begged him 
 for some money to help me with my journey. I said how 
 much I disliked having to make this request, but that necessity 
 forced me to do so. I had not even the means to procure ab- 
 solute necessaries. I represented to him that I could not leave 
 my daughter alone with her nurses. It was equally impossible 
 for me to take her to Berlin, as the weather was already top 
 cold. I was therefore anxious to find a lady in whose charge 
 I could leave her, and who would afterwards be able to direct 
 her education. The Margrave replied that he would take it 
 all into consideration, and would let me have an answer 
 through M. von Voit next day. The answer was in every way 
 worthy of the Margrave. He desired me to be told that there 
 was no mention in my marriage treaty of the daughters I 
 might bring into the world, nor of the journeys which I might 
 undertake. The outlay caused by his youngest son's journey 
 and his joining the army had caused great disorder in his 
 finances; he was therefore unable to help me. It seemed to 
 him that the king was bound to pay for my journey, as he had 
 invited me to come to Berlin. I was in despair. I wrote at 
 once to Berlin, and as I had to wait for the answer I was 
 obliged to postpone my journey, much as I longed to see my 
 husband again. As I did not for a moment doubt that the 
 king would send me some money, I took 2000 thalers (300), 
 which I had invested, for my present use. It was all I pos- 
 sessed in the world. It had been given me by my brother; 
 for since his engagement to the Princess of Brunswick he had 
 been receiving large sums of money from Austria.
 
 262 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREDTH. 
 
 On the 12th of October T was churched. A Te Deum was 
 sung in the chapel of the castle, the cannons were fired, and 
 in the evening there was a ball. I had no heart for anything, 
 for I was oppressed with grief and trouble. Still, I did have 
 one happy moment that evening, and that was on receiving a 
 letter from the hereditary prince, telling me of his safe arrival 
 at Berlin, where he bad been very well received by the king 
 and queen. He wrote how much and how impatiently he 
 longed to see me again, and that he was about to join his regi- 
 ment, but should wait till my arrival at Berlin before he did 
 so. Every one assured him, my brother as well as the rest, 
 that the king would receive us with every mark of special af- 
 fection. My father had told my husband I must obey his 
 wishes and go to Anspach. My husband hoped I would go 
 there without delay, in order that we might meet the sooner. 
 He had no need to urge this reason on me, for I was only too 
 desirous of seeing him again. I required time, however, to set- 
 tle things at Baireuth. I had several good days just at this 
 time. I call them good days, because I was spared the pleas- 
 ure of having to see the Margrave. He was indisposed, and 
 the doctors had bled him. 
 
 Another tiresome personage made up for the Margrave's ab- 
 sence my father-in-law's other brother, whom I will call the 
 Prince of Neustadt, as he always lived there. He was colonel 
 of a Danish regiment, and had come from Copenhagen to get 
 married, as we found out afterwards. He let the Margrave 
 know that he was coming to Baireuth for a few days. This 
 prince was the least desirable member of the family. The Mar- 
 grave could not bear him, and when I have given his descrip- 
 tion nobody can blame my father-in-law. The Margrave took 
 l>nt little notice of his proposed visit, and, as I was to leave in a 
 few days, begged his brother to postpone his visit till after my 
 return. Unfortunately the Prince of Neustadt never got the 
 Margrave's message till just as he was nearing Baireuth. The 
 weather and the roads would have excused him for not turning
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 203 
 
 back again ; but he was so much offended with the Margrave's 
 note that he continued his journey to Baireuth, purposely to 
 spite his brother. Instead of coming to the castle he lodged 
 at the town - hall, and never went near any member of the 
 family. The Margrave invited him several times to the castle, 
 where rooms were prepared for him. The Prince of Neustadt 
 answered that, after the insult offered him by his brother, he re- 
 fused to come and see him. The whole day was spent in send- 
 ing messages to and fro between the brothers. At last the 
 Margrave decided that the best thing to do would be to send 
 his son, Prince William, to fetch him. 
 
 At last this charming personage made his entry to the castle. 
 The Prince of Neustadt was neither tall nor short, and was well 
 grown. He had eyes like a pig, an enormous mouth, and very 
 short, thin lips, which hid neither his gums nor his teeth. Be- 
 sides this he always kept his mouth wide open, so that one 
 could see half down his throat. He had fair hair, and was al- 
 together most repulsive in appearance. He was half silly, and 
 could not be trusted out of one's sight. I tried to see as little 
 as I could of this terrible being, and left him to be entertained 
 by Princess Charlotte and Prince William. 
 
 The Margrave had taken it into his head that he would like 
 his whole family assembled round him, for which purpose he 
 had invited his eldest daughter, the Princess of Taxis, to come 
 to Baireuth. Princess Wilhelmine was much dissatisfied with 
 her stay in East Friesland. She had spoiled her prospects by 
 the haughty manner in which she had treated the prince, the 
 princesses, and her aunt. Her marriage, instead of being settled, 
 was on the point of being broken off, and the princess implored 
 to be allowed to return to Baireuth. When the Margrave was 
 told of the state of affairs, he decided that if the marriage were 
 entirely broken off, Princess Wilhelmine should go to Denmark 
 before returning home. He would then be able to say that 
 she had been visiting all her relations. At this very moment 
 two offers of marriage were made to Princess Charlotte one
 
 264 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 by the Prince of Weissenfels, who has so often been mentioned 
 as a suitor for my hand, and the other by the Prince of Usin- 
 gen. Princess Charlotte preferred this latter. In spite of all 
 my endeavors to get the marriage settled, the Margrave refused 
 both offers. He did not wish to marry his younger daughter 
 before the elder. T had no voice in the matter ; for the Mar- 
 grave hated me, and let me feel it on every possible occasion, 
 and tormented me when he could. He grumbled all day long 
 at the hereditary prince, and made a great favorite of Prince 
 William, which made me furious. 
 
 I started at last on the 21st for Anspach. The direct road 
 lay through Erlangen, where the widow of my father-in-law's 
 predecessor, Margrave George William, lived. I was curious to 
 see this place, as I had been told much about it, and it had 
 originally been mentioned as our place of abode. M. von Fisch- 
 er, who lived there, had disapproved of the plan, and it was 
 therefore decided that the prince and I should live at Baireuth 
 itself. The first evening, after travelling over a very bad road, 
 I reached a small village called Baiersdorf. I was there re- 
 ceived by M. von Fischer, M. von Egloffstein, a member of the 
 nobility of those parts, and Lieutenant-general M. von Basse- 
 witz, who commanded in Franconia. All these gentlemen wel- 
 comed me most kindly. M. von Fischer whispered to me that 
 the Margrave had desired I should be received with the same 
 marks of honor as were shown to himself. Fischer was also 
 desired to inform the Margravine of my arrival, and to take care 
 that I had precedence given me by her, and was treated as my 
 rank demanded. M. von Fischer said he had not been able to 
 induce the Margravine to agree to this, for she insisted on treat- 
 ing me only as hereditary princess, and not as a king's daughter. 
 
 Fischer had therefore directed that my dinner should !><i 
 served in my rooms at the castle, and advised me not to see 
 the Margravine at all. He hoped by that means to humiliate 
 her. I answered that T was quite satisfied to follow his advice, 
 ;m<l that I had no wish to make her acquaintance. I had
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 265 
 
 scarcely made this remark when the Margravine's lord cham- 
 berlain was announced, who was desired to welcome me in his 
 mistress's name. I received him at once. He made a long 
 speech of half an hour's length, during which he stuttered and 
 hesitated, and at last ended up by saying that the Margravine 
 was on the point of getting into her carriage to come and her- 
 self invite me to Erlangen. She hoped I would have supper 
 there with her that evening. I declined the visit and supper 
 as civilly as I could, excusing myself on the score of fatigue, 
 and a wish to dine at Erlangen next day. M. von Fischer now 
 came forward and said, "Her Royal Highness will go to Erlan- 
 gen if the Margravine will receive her with the respect due to 
 her exalted rank, otherwise it will be impossible for her to dine 
 at the same table, and dinner must be served in her own rooms." 
 The lord chamberlain replied that his princess would never for- 
 get what was owing to the daughter of so great a sovereign as 
 the king, and would have dinner served in her own rooms. I 
 at once sent one of my gentlemen to return the visit, and then 
 went to supper. M. von Fischer held forth the whole time, 
 praising Prince William to the skies. He never even men- 
 tioned my husband, which annoyed me to such an extent that 
 I left the supper-table before I had half finished eating. 
 
 I left next morning at ten o'clock, and was escorted by two 
 companies of Baiersdorfen and Erlangen cavalry. All the gen- 
 tlemen that had received me the previous evening followed in 
 carriages, and many of the younger members of the nobility 
 came to meet me on horseback. The townsfolk of Erlangen 
 lined the streets. I thought Erlangen very pretty. It is 
 charmingly situated, and the houses built in the newest style. 
 The castle was built to correspond with the buildings of the 
 town, and I should rather call it a country house. On one side 
 is a large open " place," or square, and on the other a beauti- 
 ful garden of very great extent. The sandy soil spoils much of 
 its charm. This part of the Margravate is called the Lowlands, 
 as it has no mountains. The Margrave Christian Ernst built
 
 266 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 the town and established a Frencli colony in it, to which it 
 owes much of its refinement. The difference between Baireuth 
 and Erlangen is very apparent, and though only at eight miles' 
 distance from one another you might fancy yourself in quite 
 another country. The town was very crowded, and everybody 
 was anxious to see me. The people pushed so close up to my 
 carriage that I was in terror lest some one should be hurt. 
 
 At last I reached the castle. The Margravine and her whole 
 Court received me at the foot of the stairs. After the usual 
 compliments had been paid, M. von Voit gave me his hand and 
 led me to my rooms. The Margravine followed me. She was 
 the sister of Prince John Adolphus of Weissenfcls, who lias so 
 often been named in this narrative. She is said to have been 
 very beautiful in her* youth. Her married life with the Mar- 
 grave George William had been a most unhappy one. The 
 Margravine might certainly have been mentioned among the 
 celebrated women of ancient history, for in her life she was 
 without doubt the Lais of the century. She was never very 
 clever, and was thirty -eight years old when I saw her, very 
 stout, but well proportioned. Her face was long, as was her 
 nose, which was so red as to disfigure her. She had beautiful- 
 ly shaped eyes, but they were rather dim, and false black eye- 
 brows, a large, well-shaped mouth, and splendid white teeth. 
 Her complexion was very fair, but faded. Altogether she 
 looked like a stage queen, and behaved herself like one ; yet, 
 on the whole, her appearance was very striking. 
 
 We sat down on arm-chairs. I- had the greatest difficulty 
 in preventing the Margravine from sitting on a " tabouret," 
 as she insisted on doing. Our conversation was most dull and 
 uninteresting. I answered all her civil speeches in the most 
 gracious manner possible. She expressed her pleasure in 
 making my acquaintance : she had been very frightened be- 
 forehand, she said, as she had been told I was very proud and 
 haughty, and would treat her without the least consideration. 
 The Margravine presented to me her mistress of the robes at
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 267 
 
 least, to the lady who acted in that capacity and also her 
 ladies-in-waiting, twin-sisters. They were both very short, and 
 round as balls. As they stooped down to kiss the hem of my 
 dress they lost their balance, and fell down, rolling across the 
 room. I could not help laughing at this extraordinary scene. 
 I never saw such ugly people at any court in my life before. 
 I think the Margravine must have collected all the monsters in 
 the land, in order to enhance her own personal charms. 
 
 At last we went to dinner. I had the place of honor given 
 me at the head of the table. The Margravine seemed in a state 
 of constant perplexity. M. von Egloffstein, who was her lover 
 at that time (I say "at that time," because she constantly 
 changed her admirers), had taught her never to open her 
 mouth or to touch any dish without first asking his advice. 
 After dinner was over I went to the Margravine's room, where 
 we had coffee, and where all the ladies from the town were 
 presented to me. There were among them some very amiable 
 people; but as I was much pressed for time, and anxious to 
 proceed on my journey, I was unable to make their nearer 
 acquaintance. In spite of my endeavors to prevent her doing 
 so, the Margravine insisted on accompanying me to the foot of 
 the stairs. M. von Egloffstein had told her to do so, she said, 
 and she always did whatever he wished. 
 
 I arrived at Carlsburg late that evening, and was there met 
 by some gentlemen and servants from Anspach. Next day at 
 seven in the evening I reached Anspach. 
 
 My sister and her husband received me with every mark of 
 affection, and I returned their greetings most warmly, for I was 
 greatly pleased at their behavior. Great dinners were given in 
 my honor as long as I remained at Anspach. I could never 
 persuade them to treat me merely as a relation, The castle, 
 which is faulty in its construction, and has very inconvenient 
 entrances, is otherwise very comfortable. It is a handsome 
 building and quite modern, very prettily decorated and fur- 
 nished. The Court is a large one, and much in the same style
 
 268 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 as that at Baireuth, with the one exception that French is 
 talked there. In the evening there was a ball, to which forty- 
 two couples were invited. The ladies were of different grades 
 of society, but were decidedly superior to those at Baireuth. 
 
 My sister was expecting to be confined, which caused univer- 
 sal satisfaction throughout the country. She was on very bad 
 terms with her husband, whose constant flirtations were a 
 source of unceasing annoyance to her. I endeavored to be as 
 courteous as possible to everybody I met at Anspach, and 
 made many friends. Even the Margrave was most friendly 
 towards me, and this good understanding between us was of 
 great service to my sister in the future. 
 
 My brother-in-law was to go to Pommersberg, to have an 
 interview with the Bishop of Bamberg. As my road lay in 
 the same direction we left on the 28th, and travelled together 
 as far as Baiersdorf, where he left me and I spent the night. 
 I there found a letter awaiting me from the king. It was in 
 answer to the one I had written to him begging him for some 
 money for my journey, and for a lady in whose charge I could 
 leave my daughter. The letter, which was not in my father's 
 own handwriting, read as follows : 
 
 " DEAR DAUGHTER, I have received your letter. I am 
 much distressed that you have such incessant worries, and that 
 the money for your journey has been refused you. I have 
 written a very strong letter to your old fool of a father-in-law, 
 and told him to supply yon with the necessary means. Flora 
 von Sonnsfeld had better remain with little Frederica,* and 
 this will save the expense of having a governess for her. I 
 am impatiently expecting your arrival," etc. 
 
 This letter caused me great dismay, for I saw that I should 
 be placed, so to speak, between two stools. At the same time 
 
 * The Margravine's little daughter.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 269 
 
 I received another letter from the hereditary prince, which 
 comforted me somewhat. He wrote to me that my brother 
 was moving heaven and earth to induce the king to grant me 
 some money ; also that the queen had greatly changed for 
 the better in her feelings towards me, and was anxious to 
 make my stay at Berlin as pleasant as possible. My mother 
 wished me specially to be told this also, that she only spoke of 
 the happiness of seeing me again. These fine words did not 
 pacify me much, and I feared that the king had deceived me. 
 
 I arrived next day at Baireuth, but was to leave again in a 
 few days to visit my aunt, the Duchess of Meiningen, at Co- 
 burg. I have always forgotten to mention that she had come 
 to Baireuth purposely to thank me for the attentions I had 
 shown her at Berlin. This wicked woman had been the cause 
 of all the misfortunes that had overtaken Culmbach, for she 
 had really plundered the unfortunate inhabitants. During the 
 time she was married to Margrave Christian Ernst she had 
 appropriated to herself all the treasures, and after his death 
 had taken possession of the Allodial Estates. The castle was 
 at that time beautifully furnished and decorated ; and the 
 duchess, not satisfied with taking away all the contents, 
 caused the wood-work to be broken and destroyed, as she was 
 unable to carry that off, too. She was very rich, and her 
 fortune was at her sole disposal. She had promised to make 
 me her heiress, and as I knew her friendly feelings for me I 
 determined to pay her a visit. 
 
 My father-in-law received me very kindly on my return to 
 Baireuth, and asked me when I intended starting for Berlin. 
 I answered that I bad not yet received my answer from the 
 king, and that I could not travel without money. I had 
 thought it wiser not to mention the letter I received from my 
 father at Baiersdorf. He on his part never made mention to 
 me of the letter he had had from the king. "I am quite 
 aware that all this is causing endless delay," the Margrave 
 said, " and in order no longer to postpone your Royal High-
 
 270 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BA1REUTH. 
 
 ness's departure I had much rather sacrifice ten thousand 
 florins." He said this in a most ironical tone, and I at once 
 perceived how desirous he was of getting rid of me. I thanked 
 him, and said that as 2000 thalers would suffice for my journey 
 I gratefully accepted that sum. He promised to send me the 
 money next day ; but he had never meant to keep his word, 
 and I received only one thousand, which would scarcely pay 
 for the necessary post-horses. 
 
 I left for Coburg on the 3d of November. I had only eight 
 miles * to go, but the weather and the roads were so bad that 
 I arrived half dead from fatigue at eleven that night. I found 
 my aunt dressed out, as was her wont, with flowers and fringes. 
 She received me most affectionately, calling me her " beloved 
 niece." She had prepared her own rooms for my use. They 
 were most richly decorated with silver. It made me very sad 
 to see all these things ; for they had the Brunswick arms on 
 them, and I considered them stolen goods, as the duchess had 
 carried them off from their rightful owner. The castle was 
 an old building, resembling a fortress, and the tower was very 
 ugly. My stay at Coburg lasted only one day, which I spent 
 in working and talking to the duchess. I never perceived the 
 slightest signs of her intending to keep all her fine promises 
 indeed, I was informed that she had never had the least inten- 
 tion of making me her heiress. I left Coburg on the 5th, 
 shaking the dust off my feet as I did so. 
 
 I found the Margrave ill on my return to Baireuth. The 
 disorderly life he led and his habits of intemperance had se- 
 riously affected his health. It was with the greatest trouble 
 that I persuaded Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld to remain with 
 my daughter. The Margrave was now apparently very fond 
 of her, and treated her very kindly, so that at length she con- 
 sented to take charge of the child. I was much surprised to 
 observe that all the letters I now received from Berlin contra- 
 
 * Sixteen English miles.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 271 
 
 dieted one another. My brother's letters were full of the 
 brightest anticipations, while those from the queen and Grum- 
 kow contained hints of a very disagreeable nature. I was 
 greatly agitated at this. I had still hoped to see my sister-in- 
 law, the Princess of Taxis, who now, however, sent her father 
 her excuses for not coming to Baireuth. She was ill, she said, 
 and must postpone her visit. As there was no reason to delay 
 my journey further, I started for Berlin on the 12th. I did 
 not take a very tender leave of the Margrave, who could not 
 conceal his pleasure at my departure. 
 
 My suite consisted of the governess, Mademoiselle von Grum- 
 kow, Mademoiselle von Marwitz (whom I had taken as lady-in- 
 waiting), and M. von Seckendorf. Bindemann had left me, 
 and the Margrave would not allow M. von Voit to accompany 
 me. I intended making the journey in five days, in order to 
 arrive before the king left for Hamburg on the 17th. The 
 weather was dreadful, and the roads were so bad that, in spite 
 of all the haste I used, I got only as far as Hof, which I reached 
 at eleven at night. It was but six miles* from Baireuth. My 
 luggage had not arrived, so that I had to lie down on a wretch- 
 ed bed without undressing. I scarcely slept all night. My 
 things arrived only at two in the morning, and I desired that 
 they might be sent on, in the hopes of my finding them ready 
 for me next night. The next day's journey was a very long 
 one. I left at three in the morning, reaching Schleiz at noon. 
 I bad some refreshment brought to the carriage ; for I would 
 not alight, as I was anxious to arrive early at Gera, which was 
 two stations farther on. The first stage I accomplished in four 
 hours, and when I arrived at the second station found no horses, 
 although they had been ordered two days before. Only one 
 other carriage accompanied me, which contained M. von Seck- 
 endorf and my maids. The postmaster was much distressed, 
 and begged me for God's sake not to proceed farther, as the 
 roads were almost impassable. 
 
 * Twelve English miles.
 
 272 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 " You will have to pass through a large wood," lie said, 
 " where people are daily being robbed and murdered ; and as 
 the same horses must take you on to Gera, you will not reach 
 it till very late. I am obliged to tell you all this, as I cannot 
 take the responsibility." I was extremely vexed at this advice. 
 My ladies wished us to spend the night in this village; but 
 we had no beds, no cooks, and the only available house looked 
 like a robber's cave, and was so dirty that it made one ill only 
 to look into it. I therefore made up my mind at once, and 
 determined most heroically to continue my journey. I was 
 really very frightened at heart. 
 
 Alas ! the postmaster's advice was but too well justified. 
 The roads were indeed awful ; every moment we were in dan- 
 ger of being upset, and to make matters worse darkness was 
 coming on rapidly. We had torches with us; but these, un- 
 fortunately, went out as we entered the wood, and this tended 
 to increase the terror we were in. As we proceeded .on our 
 way we heard whistling round about us. I trembled from 
 fright, and the cold perspiration stood on my forehead. My 
 ladies were in much the same plight. At last, at two in the 
 morning, we reached Gera safely, but more dead than alive. 
 The terrible agitation I had been in, though remaining outward- 
 ly calm, had made me seriously ill. My impatience to see the 
 hereditary prince, however, restored my failing strength suffi- 
 ciently to enable me to start again next morning, and I finally 
 arrived at Berlin at eight o'clock on the evening of the 16th 
 of November. 
 
 Whether it was to punish me for ray sins or not I cannot 
 tell ; but the king had left that very day for Potsdam, and the 
 queen was occupied with her devotions. No one met me, al- 
 though I had sent on a messenger to announce my arrival. It 
 was pitch dark when I got out of the carriage, and I was so 
 stiff from sitting still for so long a time that I fell full length 
 on the ground. M. von Brand, one of the queen's chamber- 
 lains, who happened to be passing at the moment, helped me
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGKAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 273 
 
 up again, and giving me his hand led me to my room. No- 
 body received me except one of my sisters, who met me in 
 one of the antechambers. Neither did I see my brother, and 
 this added much to my discomposure. I caught sight of the 
 queen in the distance in her bedroom, where she was trying to 
 make up her mind whether she would receive me in her audi- 
 ence-room or not. She at last decided to do so. After having 
 embraced me, she led me to ray husband. My joy at seeing 
 him again made me quite forget the cruelty of my reception. 
 My mother left me, however, not a moment to speak to him, 
 but led me to her boudoir. When we had reached it she threw 
 herself into an arm-chair, and looking very coldly at me, said, 
 "What do you want here?" This was a terrible beginning, 
 and pierced me to the heart. At last I took courage, and re- 
 plied, " I have come here by the king's orders, and also to see 
 my mother, whom I adore, and the separation from whom is 
 unbearable." "You had far better say that you pierce her 
 heart, as it were, with daggers," my mother interrupted me ; 
 " that you have come here in order to show all the world what 
 a fool you were to marry a beggar. Why do you not remain 
 at Baireuth, where you can hide your poverty, instead of mak- 
 ing an exhibition of it here? I have told you before that the 
 king will do nothing for you, and that he has long ago repent- 
 ed of all the promises he made you. You will be a terrible 
 nuisance to me with your everlasting complaints, and will be a 
 trouble to all of us !" The impression these words made on 
 me is easily to be conceived. I burst into tears, and fell on 
 my knees before the queen, kissing her hands. I endeavored 
 to soften her by tender words and entreaties. She let me be, 
 for half an hour at least, without answering one word. 
 
 Moved at length by my tears, or by the feeling that she must 
 outwardly, at least, show some semblance of kindness, she told 
 me to get up, saying, " I will have pity on yon and forget the 
 past; but I advise you to behave differently for the future." 
 The queen then rose and left the room. I was beside myself 
 18
 
 274 MEMOIKS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 with distress ; and seeing one of the queen's ladies, Mademoi- 
 selle von Pannewitz, who had been a great friend of mine, I 
 fell on her neck, and wished to pour out my woes to her. She, 
 however, looked at me from head to foot, and scarcely even 
 vouchsafed to answer me. All the queen's other ladies re- 
 ceived me in the same fashion excepting Madame von Konnken, 
 who entreated me to control myself, saying all might yet change 
 for the better. I did not dare address my husband. We 
 looked sadly at each other. He observed that I had under- 
 gone some terrible agitation, and sighed in silence. Although 
 I had had no food I was unable to eat a niorsei, for my sister 
 Charlotte did nothing else during supper but turn me into rid- 
 icule. Whenever she made any spiteful joke she received ap- 
 proving glances from the queen. I took no notice whatever 
 of her behavior, though I was inwardly boiling over with an- 
 ger. My other sisters, Sophie and Ulrika, whispered to me as 
 we got up from supper how dearly they loved me, but that my 
 mother had forbidden them to speak to me. In spite of my 
 being dead tired, the queen kept me up till one in the morning. 
 When the hereditary prince and I were at last left alone togeth- 
 er we gave free vent to our feelings, and poured out our woes 
 to each other. I told him in the presence of my governess 
 how I had been received, whereupon she told us her own re- 
 ception, and that of my other ladies had been as bad. 
 
 I spent a miserable night. Next day I wrote to the king 
 and informed him of my arrival. My brother's master of the 
 horse brought me a letter, in which the crown prince wrote that 
 he would come and see me in two days. The prospect of this 
 visit cheered me. My affection for my brother was as great 
 as ever, and he was now my only refuge. My sister Charlotte 
 came to see me, but instead of speaking with me joked all the 
 time with my husband. Everybody thought me terribly al- 
 tered in appearance, and it was quite true; for I was nothing but 
 skin and bone. This day the queen was kinder to me. She 
 no longer held receptions, but lived entirely with her children
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 275 
 
 and her household. It was a lonely existence, for she did not 
 any longer receive even the Princesses of the Blood. Of an af- 
 ternoon the queen was read aloud to while she worked, and in 
 the evening she played cards. After dinner coffee was drunk 
 in her room, and then all took their leave, with the exception of 
 the lady that was on duty. This mode of life was not particu- 
 larly cheerful. I received many visits ; but they were more those 
 of ceremony, as my visitors said many unamiable things to me. 
 
 The king came next day to Berlin. I had hoped that his 
 presence would put an end to the miserable state of things; but 
 alas ! I was greatly mistaken. My father received me very cold- 
 ly. He exclaimed, on seeing me, " S here you are I am glad 
 to see you !" He then led me up to the light, and looking at 
 me, said, "How you are changed! How is little Frederica?" 
 I replied that she kissed his hands. The king then continued, 
 " I pity you both ; you have not even bread, and if I did not help 
 you, where would you be? I too am a poor man, and cannot 
 give you much, but I will try and see what I can do for you. 
 I will give you from time to time ten thalers or florins, and that 
 will be of some use. And you," my father said, turning to the 
 queen, " you can occasionally give her a dress, for the poor child 
 has nothing to wear but what she has on at this moment !" 
 
 I thought this speech would have killed me, and I bitterly 
 regretted the faith I had placed in the king's promises. Next 
 day at dinner the king spoke in the same manner. The hered- 
 itary prince, who was present, blushed to the roots of his hair, 
 and replied that a prince who .possessed such a country as his 
 own was could never be counted a beggar. His position was 
 thus precarious only because he had a father who gave him no 
 means of subsistence. In this he did not act very differently 
 to other people. It was now my father's turn to get red, for 
 he must have observed that my husband was alluding to the 
 manner in which he had treated me and my brother. At length 
 next day I had the great joy of seeing this beloved brother. I 
 \vas with the queen as he entered the room. He was so over-
 
 276 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGKAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 come with joy at seeing me that he did not say a word to her, 
 but rushed forward to embrace me. Many and tender were our 
 words of greeting. My brother was greatly surprised when I 
 told him of the reception I had met with. He said that he 
 could not understand it at all, and that he would speak with Grum- 
 kow and Seckendorf that very evening about it. He told me 
 he was on the best possible footing with these two, and that 
 he would beg them to find means of obliging the queen to treat 
 me properly. While the crown prince and I were talking to- 
 gether, the queen was walking up and down the room with my 
 sister Charlotte. We now approached my mother again and 
 went to dinner with her. While we were at table the queen 
 began to speak of the Princess of Brunswick. She turned to 
 me and said, " Your brother is in despair at being obliged to 
 marry her ; and I can quite understand it. She is the silliest 
 creature on earth ; she can only say ' Yes ' and ' No,' and laughs 
 so idiotically that it makes one quite ill." My sister Charlotte 
 now interrupted her by saying, " But my dear mother is quite 
 unaware of her other charms. I was present one morning 
 when she was dressing, and it was terrible to see her. She is 
 quite deformed ; her stays are padded on one side, as one hip 
 is higher than the other." I was quite aghast at such things 
 being said in my brother's presence of the princess he was about 
 to marry. I observed that he was very uncomfortable, and 
 never uttered a word. This conversation was continued during 
 the whole of dinner. After it my brother bade the queen 
 good-night, and I went to my room. 
 
 Next day the crown prince came to see me. He told me 
 he had asked Grumkow and Seckendorf to speak to the king 
 about my affairs, and that they had promised to consider what 
 had best be done. When they had come to a decision they 
 would speak to me. If I approved of their plan they would 
 then speak to the king about it, and endeavor to get his con- 
 sent. T asked the crown prince if he was satisfied witli the 
 king. He replied that his position changed daily. One day
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 277 
 
 he was in favor with his father, and then the next in disgrace. 
 The distance he lived from Berlin was a most fortunate circum- 
 stance. My brother said he led a most pleasant life at Ruppin, 
 dividing his time between music and the study of the sciences. 
 I then asked the crown prince if the picture the queen had 
 drawn of the Princess of Brunswick were a correct one, and ex- 
 pressed my surprise that such remarks should have been made 
 about the princess before him. My brother replied, " To be 
 quite candid with you, my mother is, by her constant intrigues, 
 the cause of all our troubles and unhappiness. Instead of 
 keeping quiet after your marriage, and letting things rest, she 
 opened fresh negotiations with England. She hoped to break 
 off my sister Charlotte's engagement to Prince Charles of Bev- 
 ern, and secure the Prince of Wales for her, and by that means 
 to arrange my marriage with Princess Amelia of England. The 
 result of this move was fresh quarrels between her and the 
 king. Seckendorf then interfered, and, to put an end to the 
 whole business, the king settled the marriage between the 
 Princess of Brunswick and myself. Finding it impossible to 
 alter my father's decision, the queen now says everything that 
 is ill of the princess. She would like me to quarrel with the 
 king by telling him that I cannot bear my future wife. I am 
 not going to be as foolish as that. I really do not dislike her 
 as much as I pretend to do. I only give out that I do, in or- 
 der that my obedience to the king's wishes may have greater 
 weight." The crown prince then continued : "The Princess of 
 Brunswick is very pretty, with a complexion that can only be 
 compared to roses and lilies. She has delicate features, and 
 must be considered a very pretty girl. She dresses very badly, 
 and her education has been greatly neglected. I hope, when 
 the princess comes here, you will be kind to her, and will try 
 and remedy some of the defects in her bringing-up. I recom- 
 mend her to you, and ask you to take her under your protec- 
 tion." I am sure that I need not say how gladly I promised 
 my brother to do as he asked me.
 
 278 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 The king told the queen he had arranged that a company of 
 German actors should visit Berlin, and he wished us to attend 
 the representation given by them that evening. My father was 
 so delighted with the performance that we were obliged to go 
 to the theatre every night as long as these actors remained in 
 Berlin. The performance lasted four hours, and you were 
 obliged to sit as still as if in church. It was bitterly cold in 
 the theatre. A few days later my brother told me Seckendorf 
 wished to speak to me, and that I was to send for him secretly. 
 The crown prince then added, laughingly, " He is a good man, 
 who sends me from time to time ships laden with gold. I have 
 told him that he must send the same to you. I yesterday re- 
 ceived one of these freights, which I am going to divide with 
 you, as a good brother should. My brother really brought me 
 a thousand thalers next day, and promised me more. At first 
 I refused to accept the sum, as I did not wish to become a 
 burden on his purse. My brother, however, threw up his head 
 in the air, saying, " You can take it without fear. The empress 
 sends me as much money as I want, and I assure you I spend 
 it all as quickly as I receive it." 
 
 My interview with Seckendorf placed me in a great difficulty. 
 The queen hated him more than ever, She had surrounded me 
 with her spies, who watched me day and night, and told her 
 everything I did, and even who came to see me. The hereditary 
 prince, however, succeeded in introducing Seckendorf into my 
 rooms without any one else being aware of it. I described my 
 position at Berlin to him as well as that at Baireuth. I have 
 forgotten to mention that the Margrave, my father-in-law, 
 thought most highly of Seckendorf, and had great confidence 
 in him. Seckendorf shrugged his shoulders at the recital of 
 my troubles, and replied, " I fear the evil is not to be remedied 
 on either side. I know the Margrave thoroughly ; he is false, 
 deceitful, and very suspicious. His small mind is perpetually 
 troubled by the fear that he may be forced to abdicate. It 
 will require ages to put this idea out of his head, and when we
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 279 
 
 have succeeded in this he will take up some new fancy, and we 
 shall have all the trouble over again. I fear we cannot hope 
 for any change. And now, as regards the other side with whom 
 we have to reckon. We have here to do with a sovereign whose 
 idol is money. He cannot be led or influenced. If anything is 
 to be obtained it will depend on the first impression made on 
 him. He has long since repented the promises he made you at 
 the Hermitage, and will try and pick some quarrel with you in 
 order to have an excuse for not keeping them. Your Royal 
 Highness must, therefore, arm yourself with patience. The Mar- 
 grave's death alone can, in my opinion, alter your position for 
 the better. He lias never had good health, and it is to be hoped 
 that he will soon drink himself to death." 
 
 Seckendorf then continued to say, "It is now time that I 
 should deliver to your Royal Highness the messages with which 
 the empress has intrusted me. She has desired me to assure 
 you of her great affection and respect for you. The very fa- 
 vorable description that has been made of your Royal Highness 
 has greatly impressed the empress. She will do all in her pow- 
 er to give you proofs of her friendship, and in return solicits 
 your protection for the young Princess of Brunswick. The 
 dislike the crown prince has manifested towards the princess 
 makes the empress very anxious. She had much hoped she 
 should see the young couple happy and united, and that this 
 marriage might strengthen the alliance between Austria and 
 Prussia. The great love and friendship your brother bears you 
 and your influence with him are important factors. The em- 
 press feels that no one can do more in bringing about a better 
 understanding between the crown prince and the princess than 
 your Royal Highness. She will be everlastingly grateful to you 
 if you will help in this direction." I assured Seckendorf how 
 truly sensible I was of the empress's kind feelings towards me, 
 and how much flattered I felt by them. I begged him to as- 
 sure her that I considered it my duty, since my brother was 
 engaged to her niece, to do all in my power to bring about a
 
 280 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 more satisfactory state of tilings between them. I then com- 
 plained bitterly to Seckendorf of the manner in which the 
 king treated me. He begged me not to distress myself about 
 it. It was the king's way, he said, and could not be altered. 
 
 This conversation encouraged me. My husband and my 
 brother were my only comfort, and alone diverted my sad 
 thoughts. I should soon, however, have to part from the crown 
 prince. He was to return to his regiment in a few days, and 
 the king was to leave soon afterwards. My father desired my 
 mother, before he left, to visit the theatre every evening during 
 his absence. He was away only a short time, and then returned 
 to Berlin, where he remained till after the New Year. The king 
 amused himself during that time in visiting the theatre and in 
 going out to all kinds of festivities. Grumkow and Seckendorf 
 and the other generals gave him big dinners, at which a great 
 deal too much wine was drunk. My poor husband was obliged 
 to be present on all these occasions. 
 
 The king really treated us shamefully. He scarcely looked 
 at us, and if he did so it was only for the purpose of making 
 unpleasant remarks. The queen, on the other hand, was most 
 affectionate in her manner towards the hereditary prince, while 
 she vented all her anger on me. This was all my sister Char- 
 lotte's doing, who did nothing but speak ill of me to my moth- 
 er, while she praised the prince, with whom she pretended to be 
 in love. My sister ruled the queen so entirely that she often 
 even treated her like a common servant. She was very jealous 
 of my brother's friendship for me, and believed my husband 
 would show her greater attention if I did not prevent him from 
 doing so. 
 
 My health was failing more and more ; I grew daily thinner, 
 and at times could scarcely breathe. Besides this, I was in con- 
 stant anxiety about my husband. He easily became feverish; 
 and these constant dinners, at which he was forced to drink 
 more than he liked or was accustomed to, added to the daily 
 annoyances and worries, did him much harm. One day he re-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 281 
 
 turned home from one of these famous dinner-parties looking 
 pale as death, and trembling all over with fury. I was terribly 
 frightened at his appearance, and still more so when he sud- 
 denly fainted away. Although more dead than alive I rushed 
 to his assistance. When he regained consciousness, he told me 
 that he had had a fearful scene with the king. My father had 
 on this occasion, contrary to his usual habit, not asked the 
 hereditary prince to sit next him, but had placed Count Seck- 
 endorf between them. The king suddenly said, in quite a loud 
 voice, so that the prince could not help hearing it, " I cannot 
 bear my son-in-law ; he is a complete fool. I have given myself 
 endless trouble to put some sense into his head, but all in vain. 
 lie is not even clever enough to drink a glass of wine, and 
 nothing pleases or amuses him." 
 
 My husband, who could scarcely contain his anger, and was 
 just going to drink the king's health, turned round to Secken- 
 dorf and said, " I wish the king were not my father-in-law, for 
 then I would soon show him that the fool is able to stop his 
 mouth." Having said this he took up his glass, and putting it 
 to his mouth said, " In the devil's name." The king became 
 scarlet with rage, but said nothing, and all the others looked 
 down. After dinner was over the king got into his carriage 
 and drove home alone. In general my husband drove with him, 
 but he did not on this occasion ask him to do so. As there 
 was no other carriage the prince had to walk home on foot. 
 It was a long way, and the cold was intense. My husband was 
 in such a state of fury, as he gave me this account, that I feared 
 every moment he would have a fit. I did not think he was 
 in a condition to go to the theatre, and therefore begged the 
 queen kindly to excuse us both on the plea of indisposition. 
 My mother sent me back word that my husband must put in 
 an appearance that evening, for she could not otherwise an- 
 swer for the consequences with the king. We were, therefore, 
 obliged to accept the inevitable and go. I was crying bitterly, 
 and had pulled a hood far over my face to try and hide my
 
 282 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 agitation. The prince was pale as death, and muttered to him- 
 self all the time. The king never spoke a word, and as soon 
 as supper was over we retired to our rooms. My husband was 
 very ill all night: he insisted on our at once returning to Bai- 
 reuth, in which I entirely agreed with him. Grumkow and 
 Seckendorf, who came to see him next morning, urged him 
 strongly to reconsider his decision. He gave in to their wishes 
 and consented to remain, after having obtained a promise from 
 them to speak to the king, and represent to him that he must 
 behave differently towards the hereditary prince. As long as 
 the king remained at Berlin my husband and he continued 
 growling at each other. At length my father went to Pots- 
 dam, where we followed him on the 10th of January, 1733. 
 
 The hereditary prince's health had suffered greatly ; he 
 grew very thin, and was tormented by a nasty dry cough. 
 The remedies given him seemed to do him no good, and the 
 doctors were seriously afraid he was going into a consumption. 
 He could take no care of himself whatever. He had to be on 
 parade every morning at ten o'clock, and we never got to bed 
 till three in the morning. We spent four or five hours every 
 evening listening to Montbaille's fairy tales, or to old legends 
 of the Hanoverian family, all of which we knew by heart. I 
 had been in many painful and difficult positions during my life, 
 but none to equal the present. I loved my husband so tender- 
 ly, and I saw him fading away without being able to nurse 
 him properly. I had, so to speak, nothing to live on ; I was tor- 
 mented and ill-treated on all sides, and was besides that myself 
 constantly ill and suffering. My one happy thought was that 
 of my death. Life had become such a burden to rne that I 
 longed for it to be over. I can say, without exaggeration, that 
 for two years I had scarcely eaten anything else but a little dry 
 bread, and I drank only water. 
 
 The king was greatly distressed at the King of Poland's 
 death, which took place about this time. Grumkow had seen 
 him a few days before he died at Frauenstadt, where he had
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 283 
 
 gone to welcome him in my father's name. The King of Po- 
 land took an affectionate leavje of him, saying, "I shall never 
 see you again." I do not know how it was, whether Grumkow 
 was much struck by these words, or whether it was a coinci- 
 dence, but at any rate Grumkow came to see my father the 
 very day the King of Poland died, and told my father he was 
 sure the king was dead. He had appeared to him in the 
 night, pulled his bed-curtains aside, and looked at him fixedly. 
 Grumkow said, " I was wide awake, and wanted to jump out of 
 bed, but the apparition vanished." It turned out afterwards 
 that the King of Poland had really died at the very hour at 
 which he appeared to Grumkow. 
 
 My husband's illness increased at Potsdam. The fatigues, 
 which were much greater there than at Berlin, were in great 
 measure the cause of this. He had to be in the king's room 
 every morning at nine o'clock, and I had to be with the queen 
 at ten. We then went with her to the state-room, which was 
 never warmed, and remained there doing nothing till noon. 
 After this we went to the king's private rooms to bid him 
 good-morning, and then went to dinner, to which twenty-four 
 guests were invited. The dinner consisted of two dishes, the 
 one vegetables, which were boiled in water, on the top of which 
 floated some melted butter with chopped herbs ; the other pork 
 and cabbage, of which every one got only a very small portion. 
 Sometimes a goose was served or a tough old chicken, and on 
 Sundays there was one sweet dish. A very long-winded person 
 sat at the middle of the table over against the king, and nar- 
 rated the news of the day, on which he then poured forth a 
 flood of political nonsense, which engendered a deadly weari- 
 ness. After dinner the king sat in his arm-chair near the fire 
 and went to sleep. The queen and my sisters sat round him 
 and listened to his snores. I always retired to my own rooms 
 as soon as dinner was over. At three o'clock the king went 
 out riding, and my husband and I went to the queen. When 
 my father returned home, he generally occupied himself with
 
 284 MEMOIRS OF TTIE MARGRAVINE OP IUIREUTH. 
 
 drawing or painting till eight o'clock, when he went to his 
 "Tabagie." My mother meanwhile played at "Tocadille" 
 with Madame von Konnken and Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld 
 till we went to supper at nine. This meal lasted four or five 
 hours, after which every one retired to bed. Such was the life 
 we led : it never varied in the least ; each day resembled its 
 predecessor. 
 
 The hereditary prince grew so much worse that he could no 
 longer leave his bed. The king expressed extreme surprise on 
 being informed how ill my husband was. I have often men- 
 tioned that my father's faults were more those of temper, and 
 that he really had a very kind heart. He was very anxious on 
 hearing of my husband's condition. He visited him very of- 
 ten, and thought him so altered that he summoned all the doc- 
 tors in Potsdam, and sent to Berlin for a celebrated physician 
 to consult about the hereditary prince. My husband could 
 not help smiling when he found himself surrounded by so 
 many students of vEsculapius. He asked me if he were to be 
 hurried into another world, or if he himself were to become a 
 doctor. Those wise heads came to the conclusion that there 
 was hope of my husband's recovery, and that by leading a quiet 
 and regular life he might escape consumption. I was quite 
 alone at Potsdam, my ladies and gentlemen having remained at 
 Berlin. I never left my husband all day except for the pur- 
 pose of paying my respects to the king and queen, and then I 
 was away only for a quarter of an hour. The king was very 
 kind when he saw me, and one day said, " I know what is the 
 matter with your Margrave. He is annoyed at some remarks 
 which I made at dinner not long ago, and also at being laughed 
 at by my officers. I am the cause of it all, and am truly sorry 
 for it. I really meant no ill, for I am fond of your Margrave. 
 He is not lively enough, and I wanted to cheer him up, and 
 caused my officers to make jokes at him." I replied that there 
 was no doubt that the hereditary prince had been greatly up- 
 set by the manner lie had been treated ; that he would never
 
 MEMOIRS OF THK MARGRAVINE OF BAIUEUTH. 285 
 
 forget the respect he owed his father-in-law, but that be would 
 not stand being ridiculed by the officers. Up to this time he 
 had controlled himself, and seemed not to take any notice of 
 the manner in which he was treated, but I did not know how 
 long he would continue to do so. 
 
 Upon this the king replied, " My officers are perfect gentle- 
 men, and well fitted to educate your husband. He must be- 
 come better acquainted with them. I shall tell them to visit 
 him daily ; they will cheer him up. He must not always re- 
 main among women." I answered that I was sure the heredi- 
 tary prince would be very pleased to see the officers, but that I 
 should not, however, leave his side. I was far too anxious 
 about him to be away from him for any length of time. The 
 king answered me, "You are a good woman, and God will 
 bless you. You love your husband : let nothing ever change 
 that affection !" The queen continued her old system. She 
 scolded me incessantly, and spoke of the hereditary prince in 
 the most unbecoming manner. My mother could not bear my 
 being with him, and turned my devotion to him into ridicule. 
 I did not in the least care what she did, but went on quietly 
 my own way. Although my father quite approved of my 
 conduct, he constantly sent officers to see my husband. They 
 were for the most part uneducated, wild young men, who were 
 of no good save to drill and train soldiers. My husband did 
 not like them, and their visits prevented our quiet talks to- 
 gether. They annoyed and bothered him, and his health suf- 
 fered in consequence. He was obliged also to weigh every 
 word he said to these unwelcome visitors, as he knew they re- 
 peated everything to the king. 
 
 The Duke of Bevern and his son passed through Berlin at 
 this time. They were on their way back from Vienna. The 
 duke at once came to see the hereditary prince, and found him 
 very ill. I told him all my troubles, and he promised me to 
 speak with the king, and try and bring him to reason. The 
 duke brought me a beautiful present from the empress. It
 
 286 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 was a brooch in the shape of a nosegay, composed of emeralds 
 and diamonds. She sent it to me, she said, as an especial mark 
 of her affection for me. The presence of my brother and of 
 these two friends did much towards calming my husband's 
 agitated feelings. Prince Charles and he were very intimate, 
 and the former spent much of his time with him. The duke 
 meanwhile tried to be of use to us with the king. He succeeded 
 in preventing the visits from these officers, and explained to 
 my father that it was imperative that the hereditary prince 
 should have perfect quiet. The result was most satisfactory, 
 and in a fortnight the prince's health had so much improved 
 that he was able to leave his room. He, however, still coughed. 
 The king received him very kindly, and the queen overwhelmed 
 him with affection. 
 
 The presence of the Duke of Bevern and his son did much 
 towards cheering us. Prince Charles had greatly improved, 
 and Princess Charlotte was, so to speak, in " love's paradise." 
 She was so entirely engrossed with Prince Charles that she 
 neglected the queen. She, to humiliate my sister, was most 
 kind to me, even giving me beautiful presents. My sister's 
 devotion to Prince Charles annoyed my mother all the more, 
 as she had hoped to break off the engagement and marry her 
 to the Prince of Wales. The queen had this idea so firmly 
 fixed in her mind that nothing would persuade her that her 
 hopes were futile. After the Duke of Bevern's departure I 
 fell back into disgrace. Charlotte regained her wonted in- 
 fluence over the queen, and I had to suffer for the peaceful 
 days I had enjoyed. 
 
 The king only waited till my husband had entirely recovered 
 to send him to rejoin his regiment. We tried to put off this 
 evil day as long as possible. The hereditary prince was to set 
 up house at Pasewalk. But how was he to do so without any 
 means? Seckendorf endeavored to explain this to the king, 
 and tried to persuade him to give my husband a sum of money 
 uvery month to enable him to live. My father answered angri-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 287 
 
 ly, " His pay will suffice for that purpose, and if he is a good 
 manager he will have more than enough ; but then he is such 
 a fool !" It needs no words of mine to describe how such treat- 
 ment hurt us. We were often in such despair that we made 
 every kind of impossible plan to help us out of our difficulties. 
 We thought of escaping to Holland and there selling my jewels, 
 which were very valuable. We thought, too, of remaining there 
 under a feigned name till circumstances took a more favorable 
 turn. A little reflection showed us the absurdity of our plans, 
 and we determined, therefore, to be patient and not to lose heart. 
 At last the sad day on which the prince was to leave me 
 drew near, and I was in the greatest distress. He left me on 
 the 25th of March. I had cried so much that my face was 
 quite disfigured. I was nevertheless obliged to appear at Court 
 and hide my sorrow as best I could. My father, however, ob- 
 served it, and said, " You are sad, and have cried terribly." I 
 answered that it was so. " I am very sorry," he began again, 
 " but it was absolutely necessary that he should join his regi- 
 ment." By way of comforting me he drank my health and 
 that of my husband at dinner, which he had never done before. 
 The queen was more cruel towards me than ever; in spite of 
 my sore eyes and weak chest, she forced me to read aloud to 
 her all the afternoon. Perhaps she did it with a kind intention, 
 and thought to distract my mind from my sad thoughts. In 
 spite of every effort to control my grief, my face showed but 
 too plainly what I suffered. The tears were constantly in my 
 eyes, do what I would. It has always been one of my greatest 
 faults that I cannot dissemble. So few people have the gift 
 of making the griefs of others their own some partly because 
 they have only cause for happiness, and others because sorrow 
 and a sad face are unpleasant to them. This was the case with 
 the king. lie was by nature inclined to be melancholy, and 
 for that reason liked to be surrounded by happy, cheerful faces. 
 He was bored by my distress, and told the queen to tell me so. 
 Very little was necessary to rouse her displeasure against me,
 
 288 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGHAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 and she scolded rue that afternoon for two whole hours. I 
 had nothing to cheer or distract me; I was separated from my 
 husband, and in constant anxiety about him and the fatigues 
 to which he would be exposed. To make matters worse, I 
 was obliged to be present at the king's afternoon sleep, after 
 which he made me sit opposite to him, without speaking a 
 word to me. He did this merely to plague me. But I ob- 
 serve that I have not for some time mentioned Baireuth. 
 
 The Margrave was, as I said before, delighted at my depart- 
 ure, and flattered himself that my absence would last some 
 time. He wrote me from time to time very civil letters. The 
 refusal of his daughter, the Princess of Taxis, to come to Bai- 
 veuth had vexed him greatly. On nearer inquiry he found out 
 that her mother-in-law, the old Princess of Taxis, was giving 
 herself the greatest trouble to convert the princess to Roman 
 Catholicism. The Margrave, therefore, determined to go him- 
 self to Frankfort, where the family of Taxis lived, and put an 
 end to this plan. Before doing so, however, he sent M. von 
 Fischer there to find out how matters really stood. As he 
 was journeying thither, this gentleman received a letter from 
 the princess's chaplain, who informed him that he had always 
 observed that she had a great leaning towards the Romish 
 Church. The princess had, however, assured him, in answer 
 to his representations, that she never intended changing her 
 religion. Lately, however, he had in vain endeavored to pre- 
 vent her going to Mayence, and had heard she had just been 
 received into the Church of Rome by the Elector of Mayence.* 
 The town of Frankfort was so furious at this proceeding that 
 the princess had been warned that, should she endeavor to show 
 her face there, the inhabitants would murder the whole family 
 and burn down their palace. On the receipt of this letter M. 
 von Fischer turned back, and brought these unpleasant tidings 
 to Baireuth. The Margrave was determined to put a bold 
 
 * The Roman Catholic bishop.
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGBAVINE OF BAIKEUTH. 289 
 
 face on the whole matter, and gave a ball that very evening. 
 This was not well received, and my father-in-law went to Neu- 
 stadt, near Erlungen, to hide his annoyance. But to return to 
 Potsdam. 
 
 The king was in a dreadful temper, from which his poor 
 servants had much to suffer. I was present at a scene one day 
 which distressed me greatly. My father was so furious with 
 one of his valets that he broke three sticks over his head, and 
 beat him so terribly that the poor man lay almost lifeless on 
 the ground. The king tore the poor wretch's hair, kicked him, 
 and finally dragged him out of the room, and ordered him to 
 be shut up. I nearly fainted with terror. People rushed to 
 the poor man's assistance and bound up his wounds. My fa- 
 ther afterwards gave him his dismissal, which was the greatest 
 kindness, it seemed to me, he could show him. 
 
 My husband wrote to me that he had visited my brother at 
 Ruppin, on his way to Pasewalk. I grieve to say that the 
 crown prince was leading a most wild, disorderly life. He was 
 most anxious that my husband should associate himself with 
 him in his adventures. The hereditary prince, who had a 
 horror of vice of every kind, left Ruppin at the end of two 
 days. I was anxious to impress the king favorably with my 
 husband's zeal for his military duties. I therefore told my 
 father that the prince presented his respects, and wished him 
 to know that he had rejoined his regiment. " How !" said the 
 king, " I thought he had been with your brother at Ruppin ?" 
 To this remark I replied, " Yes, he was there; but his impatience 
 to be with his regiment prevented his making a longer stay." 
 This answer pleased my father greatly, and he said, " He need 
 not have hurried so much, and two days sooner or later would 
 not have mattered. The two brothers-in-law must become 
 more intimate." Then after a short silence the king con- 
 tinued, "I pity you very much, for you are poor; but you have 
 a husband who has great qualities, and this must be a comfort 
 to you. I have a plan in my head which will, I hope, be of 
 19
 
 290 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 service to you both. There are certain fiefs (Lehen) which 
 will soon fall in to me, and which I must bestow afresh. Two 
 of these will shortly be at my disposal, and I shall give them to 
 your husband. The income derived from them amounts to ten 
 thousand thalers.* I will also settle on him the reversion of 
 the next commandery (Commende) of the Order of St. John of 
 Jerusalem that falls vacant. The person who is at present in 
 possession of it is so old that he cannot live much longer." 
 
 I thanked the king a thousand times for his goodness to us. 
 This sudden change from evil to good caused me to make 
 many reflections on the changeableness of earthly things. 
 Very soon after this the fiefs fell in, and the king kept his 
 word and settled them on the hereditary prince. My brother's 
 return added to my satisfaction. He was most tender and 
 good to me, spoke with great affection of my husband, and 
 gave me so much money that I was able to pay off all my 
 debts, and provide for the hereditary prince's stay at Pasewalk. 
 
 The king had sent an official from the finance department 
 to Baireuth to try and put affairs in order there. On his re- 
 turn he laid the real state of the case before my father. It 
 turned out afterwards he had himself not been properly in- 
 formed of the real facts. This official told the king that the 
 Margrave had approved of the proposed plan by which all the 
 debts of the principality of Baireuth were to be paid off in 
 twelve years. My father at once communicated this good 
 news to me. He also sent the man that had been to Baireuth 
 to sec me, in order that he might explain the whole business, 
 and that I might then inform my husband of it all. 
 
 I gradually became calmer as things assumed a more favor- 
 able aspect. It seemed, nevertheless, as if I was doomed to be 
 slowly wasted. I was always ill and suffering, and as we had 
 no doctor at Potsdam my health became gradually worse. 
 
 Just at this time, too, I received bad news from Baireuth. 
 
 * One thousand five hundred pounds.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGKAVINE OF BAIEEUTII. 291 
 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld wrote me word that Princess 
 Charlotte had completely gone out of her mind. The poor 
 princess had for some time been flattering herself that she 
 should marry the Prince of Usingen, though she had never 
 seen him. She had now read in the papers the announcement 
 of his marriage with the Princess of Eisenach. This news 
 had upset her so much that she had become quite insane, and 
 even dangerously violent. The Princess of Taxis had no 
 sooner become a Romanist than, in despair at the step she had 
 taken, she had tried to commit suicide by throwing herself out 
 of a window. Her mother-in-law and her husband had the 
 greatest trouble in pacifying her, and her condition was not 
 unlike that of Princess Charlotte. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld 
 also told me that my little daughter was beginning to teeth. 
 The Margrave insisted on taking her to Himmelscron against 
 the doctor's advice, but Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld had suc- 
 ceeded in inducing him first to write to me on the subject. 
 My father-in-law followed her advice. I showed this letter to 
 the queen, asking her opinion on the subject. She said she 
 did not think it advisable that the child should be moved at 
 present, as during teething children always required the great- 
 est care and attention. I therefore wrote a most courteous 
 letter to the Margrave, begging him to allow little Frederica to 
 remain at Baireuth. I heard afterwards that my letter had 
 made him very angry, and that he had taken my child to 
 Himmelscron in spite of every remonstrance. His reason for 
 doing so, he said, was that he intended showing that he was 
 master, and could do with the child whatever he pleased. 
 Poor little thing! it nearly cost her her life. She was so ill 
 for some time afterwards that her recovery was despaired of. 
 Not satisfied with this, my father-in-law must needs write me 
 a most cruel letter, in which he heaped reproaches on me. I 
 showed this letter to the queen, who was at first extremely 
 angry at it, and said she would herself write to him on the 
 subject. She however afterwards thought it would be wiser
 
 292 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 to do nothing, and advised me to treat ray father-in-law cour- 
 teously. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, who was greatly be- 
 loved and respected at Baireuth, and had great influence with 
 the Margrave, effected a reconciliation between us. 
 
 The king and queen were greatly delighted at receiving the 
 news of my sister of Anspach's safe confinement, and the birth 
 of a son. The joyful intelligence was brought them by the 
 chamberlain, M. von Nostiz. The king gave a fete in honor 
 of the event. He told M. von Nostiz that he had a wife ready 
 for the little prince in my daughter. I thought there was still 
 plenty of time before us to think about that. 
 
 Prince Charles of Bevern reached Berlin that same evening, 
 on his return from Holland. I was delighted to see him, and 
 to have news of my husband. My brother also arrived, and 
 overwhelmed me with affection. I spoke with him about my 
 present position, and he advised me to be patient. There 
 would co*me a time, he said, when he should be able to make 
 up for all the sufferings I had had to endure. "I shall not 
 only never require a shilling paid back of the loan made you 
 by the king," my brother said, " but I will also give you, if 
 your father-in-law is still living, a pension of forty thousand 
 thalers (6000), and shall not consent to our being separated 
 any more. I give you my word of honor about it, and if you 
 wish it I will give it yon in writing, and have it signed and 
 scaled." I assured him that his word, his love, and his friend- 
 ship were far more precious to me than any worldly advantages 
 he could promise me. I forgot all my sorrows as long as I 
 had my beloved brother with me. 
 
 The king and queen seemed bent on finding some fresh 
 manner in which to torment me. They always treated me 
 like some poor beggar in want of bread. Remarks of this 
 nature were constantly made at the dinner-table. It was most 
 painful to me, as these cruel speeches were made in the pres- 
 ence of M. von Nostiz. The king even went so far as to abuse 
 my husband, calling him a fool and a blockhead. If I en-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BATREUTH. 293 
 
 deavorcd to reply, my father looked at me in so furious a man- 
 ner that the words died on my lips. 
 
 I meanwhile received news from Baircuth of the Margrave's 
 illness. He was failing fast, and was anxious for our return. 
 I had written to Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld how painful rny 
 position at Berlin was. She now wrote and advised me to re- 
 turn to Baireuth, and take advantage of my father-in-law's 
 kindly feelings towards us. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld also 
 told me that Princess Charlotte's condition had greatly im- 
 proved, and that her fits of madness returned only at rare in- 
 tervals. I begged Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld to do her 
 utmost to further our return to Baireuth. I mentioned, how- 
 ever, that at present nothing could be said to the king about 
 it. He would certainly not let us take our departure till the 
 inspection of the hereditary prince's regiment had taken place. 
 It would also be impossible for me to leave before the arrival 
 of the Princess of Brunswick. My brother had asked me to 
 take her under my protection and do what I could for her, and 
 I had promised him to do so. I therefore urged Mademoiselle 
 von Sonnsfeld to try and arrange matters in such a manner 
 that unless the Margrave grew much worse, we might return in 
 the month of August. 
 
 The hereditary prince wrote to me every mail -day. He 
 gave himself endless trouble to bring his regiment to a state 
 of efficiency. lie wrote to me that he had heard from the 
 king, and that his letter contained nothing but abuse and re- 
 proaches. This treatment hurt him doubly, as he did not in 
 the least deserve it. He was extremely fond of his profession, 
 and devoted himself seriously to the performance of his duties. 
 My father continued to torment me, and I could not in the 
 least make out why. I afterwards found that his conduct had 
 been caused by the gossip of some officers. The hereditary 
 prince was devoted to music, and himself played the flute very 
 well. lie had induced a violinist to come to Pasevvalk and ac- 
 company him when he played. The king considered music a
 
 294 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 capital offence, and maintained that every one should devote 
 himself to one sole object : men to the military service, and 
 women to their household duties. Science and the arts he 
 counted among the " seven deadly sins." I told my husband of 
 this peculiarity of my father's, and begged him therefore to leave 
 his music alone for the short time he was still at Pasewallc. I 
 was anxious we should part from the king on the best of 
 terms, for on our return to Baireuth we should need his support 
 more than ever. My husband followed my advice and dis- 
 missed the violinist. No sooner had he done so than my fa- 
 ther sang the hereditary prince's praises and was most kind to 
 me. The queen, on the other hand, ill-treated me cruelly. I 
 have always said how dearly I loved my younger sisters. They 
 were charming children, and although they were still very 
 young they tried in every way in their power to be of use to 
 me. They always warned me when my sister Charlotte had 
 set the queen against me. My mother even spoiled the pleas- 
 ure I had in talking to them, and forbade them to have any 
 intercourse with me, threatening them with severe punishment 
 if they disobeyed her. The queen told them I was the one 
 black sheep in the family, and that they could learn nothing 
 but evil from me. As soon as I entered the queen's room 
 they ran away, looking at me with tears in their eyes. My 
 mother made her servants believe the same, so that none of 
 them dared even open the door for me when they saw me ap- 
 proaching. 
 
 I had determined to leave Potsdam at once, and to complain 
 to the king of the treatment I was subject to. Madame von 
 Konnken, however, dissuaded me from such a step. I then 
 proposed asking my mother for an explanation of her cruel 
 conduct ; but Madame von Konnken again very wisely prevented 
 my doing so. She told me I should gain nothing by it. The 
 nearer my brother and sister's weddings drew, the more fu- 
 rious my mother grew with me. She said to Madame von 
 Konnken that I was the cause of all her troubles and annoy-
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 295 
 
 ances. If I had not married tlie hereditary prince, my brother 
 and sister's double marriage would never have been arranged. 
 She could not look at me, the queen said, without angry feel- 
 ings. Madame von Konnken told the queen that this was 
 most unchristian behavior ; that it was our duty to submit to 
 the decrees of Providence, and that marriages were made in 
 heaven. The queen replied that she was well aware that her 
 besetting sins were revengeful feelings, and the impossibility 
 of forgiving or forgetting. However, the wise representations 
 made by Madame von Konnken bore fruit, and I determined to 
 bear my fate with patience. 
 
 My life was one long chain of sorrow and trouble. But I 
 must now give a few anecdotes, in order that this narrative 
 may not become wearisome from the perpetual vein of sadness 
 which runs through it. 
 
 About this time the Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg came to 
 Potsdam to present his respects to the king. My father, who 
 was very fond of teasing people, and besides liked arranging 
 marriages, took it into his head to marry his niece, the Prin- 
 cess Albertine (his sister's daughter), to this prince, who how- 
 ever knew nothing of this plan. He was very short, with a 
 face resembling a full moon, and very high shoulders. I never 
 saw any one much uglier or stupider than this prince. He 
 stuttered, and could not say a word without making a gurgling 
 noise like a child. In spite of all my sorrow, I could not help 
 laughing when I first saw this wonderful little personage. He 
 was truly ridiculous. His destined bride was as ugly, as stu- 
 pid, and as disagreeable as he was. The king at once brought 
 the prince on his arrival to see the queen. At dinner he said 
 to him, " Listen to me, prince I am going to marry you. I 
 know of just the wife for you one who will make you happy. 
 You must marry my niece. She is the best creature possible, 
 full of good qualities, but as ugly as a thousand devils. You 
 must look at her only in the dark. But that does not matter 
 much, does it, prince ?" The poor man was at a loss what to
 
 296 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 answer, and could not make up his mind whether to say "yes" 
 or " no." I will drive to Berlin with you this afternoon," the 
 king continued, " and we will dine with my good sister, and 
 then you can propose to her daughter." The poor prince was 
 much perplexed, but after a few moments' reflection felt great- 
 ly honored at marrying the king's niece: he therefore answered, 
 amid stutters and hesitations, that he would be proud to ac- 
 company him to Berlin. 
 
 The news I received from Baireuth was very satisfactory. 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld wrote that the Margrave's condi- 
 tion grew visibly worse. He had gone to Neustadt to visit his 
 wretched brother, of whom I have made mention before, and 
 who had meanwhile married a Princess of Anhalt-Schaumburg. 
 My father-in-law spent enormous sums of money during his 
 stay at Neustadt, and passed his days in playing at cards and 
 amusing himself. One day in going down-stairs he had a very 
 bad fall, and was carried almost lifeless to his room. I never 
 knew whether he had injured himself internally. The doctors 
 that attended him were so ignorant that their accounts could 
 not be believed. Whether caused by his fall or by his habits 
 of intemperance I cannot tell, but the Margrave was seized with 
 violent hemorrhage, and his recovery was despaired of. His 
 chaplain had been sent for to prepare him for his approaching 
 end. His good constitution, however, saved him this time, and 
 lie recovered slowly. 
 
 Every one at Baireuth, since my father-in-law's accident, had 
 been clamoring for our return. He wished it himself, and 
 wrote to me asking me to advise him in what way he could 
 bring it about. I showed several people this letter, knowing 
 that they would make its contents known to the king, and I 
 also for the same reason gave them full particulars of my fa- 
 ther-in-law's fall. The king did not wish to lose us, but at the 
 same time did not wish to treat us properly. Yet to prevent 
 our departure he tried to do everything to win us over to his 
 side. lie fondled IIH-, and was loud in my husband's praises.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF RAIREUTIT. 297 
 
 All this touched me but little ; I had been too often deceived 
 to have much faith in outward appearances. 
 
 The king was indisposed, and his face much altered and 
 swollen. One afternoon he was seized with a bad attack of 
 suffocation and breathlessness. We were all sitting round him, 
 and did not at first observe it, as he was in the habit of snor- 
 ing loudly. I was the first to notice his face being quite black 
 and swollen. I at once told the queen, who tried in vain to 
 rouse my father. We called for assistance, cut open his collar, 
 and poured water over his face, after which he gradually re- 
 gained consciousness. This attack frightened the king very 
 much ; but the doctors, to please him, treated it very lightly. 
 They knew, however, that these had been very grave symptoms, 
 probably caused by suppressed gout. 
 
 The spring, that beautiful season when all nature seems 
 awakened to new life and being, was to me a time of renewed 
 persecution. We were obliged to go every evening into the 
 king's garden. The king called this garden " Marly," but I 
 never knew why. It was a fine large kitchen-garden, in which 
 my father had planted varieties of rare European fruits. It 
 was no pleasure to walk there, as there was no shade of any 
 kind. We had to do so every afternoon at one o'clock. At 
 eight o'clock we had a moderately good supper served in the 
 garden, and at nine we all returned home. The king rose ev- 
 ery morning at four o'clock, to be present when his regiment 
 paraded, which took place under his windows. I lived on the 
 ground-floor, and could not sleep all night on account of the 
 firing that went on. One of the soldiers, who was anxious to 
 load too fast, fired his gun before he had time to pull out the 
 ramrod, which went through the window into my room. 
 
 I endured all these fatigues with patience. My husband's 
 return was such intense joy to rne that I forgot everything 
 else. He arrived at Potsdam with my brother on the 20th of 
 May. To my great satisfaction I found the hereditary prince 
 looking decidedly better than when he had left inc. His cough,
 
 298 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 however, although not so troublesome, still continued. The 
 king received him kindly, and was much pleased with the re- 
 port he brought him of the efficiency of his regiment. The 
 Margravine Albertine and her daughter, together with the 
 Prince of Bernburg, arrived that afternoon. The wedding of 
 the Prince of Bernburg with the Margravine's daughter was to 
 take place next day. The young princess was radiant with 
 happiness, and did nothing but laugh whenever her bridegroom 
 was mentioned. Her two ladies joined in her laughter. The 
 prince himself gave the signal by a loud outburst, which the 
 two ladies echoed. It was so ridiculous that we too were 
 obliged to laugh. The king teased his niece very much, but 
 was only answered by shouts of laughter, which displeased him 
 greatly. We did everything in our power to induce Princess 
 Albertine to be more serious, but it was all in vain. Her joy 
 at the near prospect of her marriage was too much for her. 
 The hereditary prince and Prince Charles of Bevern had been 
 invited by the king to be present at the wedding. They visit- 
 ed the bridegroom next day more, I fear, for the purpose of 
 amusing themselves at his expense than to show him civility. 
 It seemed that everybody except this unfortunate prince knew 
 the wedding was to be solemnized that evening. He was so 
 confused and absent that he had forgotten all about it. He 
 swore like a trooper, and declared he had no proper clothes, 
 and that the ceremony must be postponed till next day. The 
 king was greatly amused at this, and the hereditary prince was 
 obliged to lend him the necessary garments, for which the 
 Prince of Bernburg was so grateful that he ran every moment 
 to him for advice in other matters. I can say with perfect 
 truth that I never witnessed anything so funny as this wedding. 
 There were balls for three days after it, which we thoroughly 
 enjoyed. These happy days were not of long duration, for my 
 husband was obliged to return to his regiment, lie left me 
 again on the 27th of May, on which day my brother and all 
 the other royal guests took their departure.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 299 
 
 The king expressed himself greatly pleased with the heredi- 
 tary prince, whom he thought greatly improved. " He will be- 
 come my favorite son-in-law," my father said, turning to the 
 queen ; " I love my children very dearly, and nothing shall pre- 
 vent my giving my son-in-law all the money I have lent him, if 
 he continues behaving as he docs now." I kissed the king's 
 hand, and thanked him in the tenderest accents. On his again 
 repeating to me what he had said to the queen, I ventured to 
 assure him that we should be greatly distressed if he thought 
 our conduct had been prompted by selfish motives. We need- 
 ed his help sorely of that there was no doubt bat we did not 
 wish to be in any way a burden to him. I would rather re- 
 fuse to accept his generous offer than feel I was a trouble to 
 him. 
 
 My father turned to me with a loving look, while tears stood 
 in his eyes, and said, " No, my dear child, I shall not allow you 
 to leave me ; and as long as I live you shall be cared and pro- 
 vided for." These words touched me much, but at the same 
 time made me feel rather uneasy. Knowing how changeable 
 the king was, I could not put much reliance on his promises; 
 yet they could not leave me unmoved, I loved him so dearly, 
 and had it not been for the queen's jealousy I should easily 
 have regained my old place in his affections. It was impossi- 
 ble to be on good terms with one of my parents without offend- 
 ing the other. My mother made me suffer for my father's kind- 
 ness, and scolded me all day. I have never yet been able to 
 discover who originated the intrigue which was made against 
 the hereditary prince and myself. There is, however, no doubt 
 that some one at this moment tried to make as much mischief 
 us possible. 
 
 One day the king said to me, " I have thought of a plan 
 which will enable you both to remain here. I will give your 
 husband an annuity which will enable him to live at Pasewalk 
 as his position demands. You can then visit him there from 
 time to time, for if you remain there entirely he would neglect
 
 300 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BA1REUTH. 
 
 his regiment." That this plan did not particularly please it is 
 needless to say, yet I did not like to contradict the king direct- 
 ly. I therefore merely replied that I should always encourage 
 my husband in the performance of his duties. My father ob- 
 served that his intentions did not quite agree with my views, so 
 he turned the conversation. As the king and queen were leav- 
 ing on the 8th of June for Brunswick, in order to attend my 
 brother's wedding, I asked for leave to visit my husband at Pase- 
 walk. . At first my father consented to my request, but on sec- 
 ond thoughts said it was scarcely worth while for me to under- 
 take the journey, as he should be back in a week, and would on 
 his return send for the hereditary prince. This answer vexed 
 me extremely. I had a horror of Berlin, and feared I should 
 there be exposed to fresh annoyances. As it was, my mother 
 had forbidden my sisters or her ladies to go near me. All this 
 and other vexations had upset me so much that I had to go to 
 bed, where I at once fell asleep, as much from weakness as from 
 fatigue. I had scarcely slept three hours when a great noise in 
 my antechamber woke me. I started up in alarm, drew back 
 the bed-curtains, and called my maid Mermann. This faithful 
 servant never left me, and shared my sorrows and joys with me- 
 I called in vain ; no one came to my assistance, and the noise 
 continued. My horror is easily to be imagined when I mention 
 that I suddenly saw, by the dim light of my night-light, a dozen 
 tall grenadiers with fixed bayonets enter my room. I thought 
 I was lost indeed, and that I was to be arrested. In vain I 
 racked my brain as to what possible crime I was guilty of. 
 My maid now rushed into my room, and pacified me by telling 
 me that she had not been able to get to me sooner, as she had 
 tried to prevent the soldiers entering my room. The Castle 
 was on fire, she said, and this was the cause of all the tumult. 
 I asked where the fire was. My maid was reluctant to answer 
 at first, but ended in saying that my sisters' rooms were burn- 
 ing, but that their servants would let no one in, as they declared 
 tlie fire was in my apartments. My governess now came to me
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIKEUTIf. 301 
 
 in great alarm. She managed to prevent the officers coming 
 farther into the room, and so enabled me to get up. There- 
 upon my room was thoroughly searched, and not a trace of fire 
 was to be found anywhere. The soldiers now proceeded to my 
 sisters' rooms, where, everything was found in flames, the beds 
 destroyed, and the wood-work nearly so. The fire was at length 
 put out, after much trouble. The king was at once informed 
 of what had occurred. My father was very severe in such mat- 
 ters, and always dismissed the servants, whether they were 
 guilty or innocent. 
 
 Whatever should I have done had the fire taken place in my 
 rooms? The king was at first told it was where I lived that 
 the accident had happened, and flew into a great passion about 
 it. Hearing, however, that this was not the case, he grew calm 
 again. My sisters were in great distress, and came crying to 
 me to know whatever they were to do. 
 
 I offered Charlotte to share my bed, while the two others 
 slept in the hereditary prince's. Mademoiselle de Montbail 
 was obliged to sleep on the sofa, at which she grumbled a good 
 deal. My sister soon fell asleep ; but as she was accustomed 
 to have the bed to herself, she pushed me constantly and woke 
 me up. We laughed much over it the more so as my two 
 younger sisters could not sleep either. We therefore decided 
 to call our maids, and get up and have breakfast. Mademoiselle 
 de Montbail now appeared, clad like a rising sun, in brightest 
 yellow, and full of complaints against us. She said she had 
 never slept, and that the sofa had been so hard that her bones 
 ached in consequence. I am afraid the little humiliation this 
 dear lady had been obliged to endure afforded me great secret 
 pleasure. Mademoiselle de Montbail was always the one to 
 rouse the queen and Princess Charlotte's anger against me. 
 It was only after much earnest entreaty that Mademoiselle de 
 Montbail obtained from the king a free pardon for her servants. 
 My father said I was most good-natured to have helped my 
 sisters as I had.
 
 302 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 The king was to start next day, and the queen was to accom- 
 pany him. My mother was terribly dejected, and looked ill 
 and altered. It was, however, impossible to pity her. She was 
 as passionate as the king, and no one, not even my sister Char- 
 lotte, could get on with her. My brother arrived in the even- 
 ing. When alone with me he was as merry as possible, but 
 before others he affected to be miserably unhappy. Next day 
 we all separated, and I returned with my sisters to Berlin. 
 
 My father had, much to our disgust, desired us to visit the 
 theatre every evening. The Princesses of the Blood, with whom 
 I was on very good terms, joined me there. They did so as a 
 mark of civility towards me. We conversed the whole time 
 together, paying no attention to the play, which was very sec- 
 ond rate. The Margravine Philip invited me several times to 
 dinner, and I enjoyed myself there extremely. The Margravine 
 always invited some clever, agreeable people to meet me, and 
 the evenings were spent most pleasantly. I endeavored as 
 much as possible to avoid coming in contact with those people 
 who annoyed me, and I consequently spent a quiet time at 
 Berlin. 
 
 Sastot, the queen's chamberlain, often came to see me. 
 Although a very intimate friend of Grumkow's, he was an hon- 
 est man and devoted to me. He was very clever, but lacked 
 common-sense. I confided all my difficulties to him, and told 
 him that I was determined at all hazards to return to Baireuth 
 as soon as my husband's regiment had been inspected. Sastot 
 answered that Grumkow had asked him to tell me he had re- 
 ceived a letter from the hereditary prince containing the very 
 same suggestion. It even seemed to him as if my husband 
 were not disinclined to leave the regiment altogether. Grum- 
 kow had told the king this, and represented to him at the same 
 time how much dissatisfied we were with the manner in which 
 we were treated. 
 
 The king feigned the greatest astonishment at this, and an- 
 swered that he could not let us leave. I will give my sou-in-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 303 
 
 law twenty thousand thalers* as his pay, on condition that he 
 remains with his regiment. My daughter must stay with her 
 mother, and can see her husband from time to time." Grum- 
 kow, who was well aware of our intentions, had made no reply 
 to this remark of the king's, but now begged me to let him 
 know what he was to do. I begged Sastot to tell Grumkow, 
 with my kind greeting, that I implored him to arrange matters 
 in such a manner as to enable us to return to Baireutli. My 
 health was destroyed, I said, and I was overwhelmed by trou- 
 bles and difficulties. I would not continue to live separated 
 from the hereditary prince, and no one could expect us to bury 
 ourselves alive in some small garrison town. The Margrave of 
 Baircuth's health was failing rapidly, and our presence at 
 Baireuth was absolutely necessary. 
 
 Next day Sastot brought me Grurakow's answer: he would 
 do all that lay in his power to urge our departure on the king. 
 It would, however, be necessary that the Margrave should also 
 take steps in that direction. The king must first be told about 
 the Margrave's illness. Grumkow informed me at the same 
 time that the Principality of Cleves had petitioned the king to 
 make me Regent there, and had offered to provide entirely for 
 my maintenance. The king had declined the request, accom- 
 panying his refusal with a reprimand, saying that he hoped he 
 might never have a repetition of the request. I was very sorry 
 these good people should suffer on my account. I had not the 
 faintest idea of the step that had been taken or I would have 
 endeavored to prevent it. 
 
 I was most anxious for news from Brunswick and details of 
 the wedding. My brother kindly sent me M. von Kaiserling, a 
 great favorite of his, to tell me all about it. He told me rny 
 brother was quite pleased with his bride, and that he had played 
 his part on the wedding-day (the 12th of June) extremclv well. 
 He had made every one believe he was in the worst possible 
 
 * Four thousand pounds.
 
 304 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 temper, and had scolded his servants in violent tones before 
 the king. The Icing had remonstrated with him on the sub- 
 ject, and had seemed very thoughtful. The queen was de- 
 lighted with the Brunswick Court, but could not bear the 
 crown princess. My mother had treated the two duchesses 
 "like dogs" so much so that the reigning duchess had with 
 great trouble been prevented from complaining to the king 
 about it. That evening I received a letter from the king in 
 his own handwriting. He wrote very kindly, and desired my 
 sisters and me to go to Potsdam, where I should soon see my 
 husband. This prospect made me very happy, and I left in 
 good spirits for Potsdam. 
 
 The king arrived there before the queen. He was most 
 gracious and affectionate to me. He told me he was charmed 
 with his daughter-in-law, and hoped I should be great friends 
 with her. She was "a good child," he said, " but requires 
 educating. I am afraid you will be badly lodged. I cannot 
 help it, and can give you only two rooms. You must see how 
 you, your husband, and sister, and your suite can manage." 
 The queen arrived as we were in the midst of this conversa- 
 tion. She received me kindly ; then turning to my sister, whom 
 she embraced, said, "You will be very happy, dear Lottie; you 
 will have a brilliant court, and every amusement you can wish 
 for." My mother then told me my brother could not bear his 
 wife, and that she was his wife in name alone. In spite of all 
 the trouble that had been taken with her, she was more stupid 
 than ever. " She will please you on first acquaintance, because 
 she has a lovely face ; but you are not able to look at her longer 
 than a moment." Then my mother made fun of the two 
 rooms in which we were all to be lodged. My sister replied 
 it was all very well for the king to say that we must manage 
 with those two, but that it was an impossibility ; and I myself 
 really think nobody but my father would have thought of such 
 a plan. The rooms that were apportioned us had no exit, and 
 one of them was a little boudoir, or antechamber. My sister
 
 MfcMOlliS OF TUE MARUKA.VINE OF BAIKEUTU. 305 
 
 and I now endeavored to arrange things as best we could. We 
 gave up the little room to our two maids, and with the help of 
 a great many screens I converted the other room into a habita- 
 tion for six persons. My governess, who had been ailing for 
 some time, was now attacked with a bad sore throat, accom- 
 panied with high fever. Her condition made me very anxious 
 the more so as I had no one with me. 
 
 I expected the hereditary prince the next day but one. The 
 crown princess, the Duke and Duchess of Brunswick, as also 
 the Duke and Duchess of Bevern and their son, Prince Charles, 
 were expected on the 22d of June. The queen had given me 
 a repulsive description of the Duchess of Brunswick. She was 
 the mother of the empress, and as such claimed special marks 
 of attention and respect, to which she had from her personal 
 qualifications no right. She was intensely proud, and had in- 
 sisted on having precedence over the crown princess. My 
 mother warned me to be on my guard, as otherwise I might 
 have endless trouble with the duchess. 
 
 I was in great perplexity. The king lived like a simple 
 nobleman, and would not tolerate ceremony of any kind. He 
 treated my sisters simply as daughters of the house, and insist- 
 ed on their receiving his guests, and also on giving the " pas " 
 to all foreign princesses that came to Berlin. My father hated 
 all disputes about rank. I knew this was a very tender point 
 with him, and that I should have many annoyances in conse- 
 quence. Yet I also knew that if I once gave up any rights 
 I possessed as a king's daughter, I should lose them forever. 
 After due consideration I determined to speak with the queen 
 about it. I did so, and she promised me her warmest support. 
 
 My mother and my brothers and sisters always wished the 
 king good-night every evening, and remained with him till he 
 had fallen asleep. Since my marriage I had dispensed with 
 that ceremony. As, however, the king was generally in a par- 
 ticularly good - humor of an evening, I made up my mind to 
 speak with him then. As soon as he saw me he exclaimed, 
 30
 
 306 MEMOIRS OF THE MA11GEAVINK OF UAIUEUT11. 
 
 " Oh, you are also come to see me !" I answered that I had 
 just received a letter from the hereditary prince. He present- 
 ed his respects, and was anxious to know if he was to come to 
 Berlin or to Potsdam. "I am going to Berlin to-morrow; tell 
 him to meet me there, and I will bring him back here with 
 me. I am very much pleased with him," he continued ; " he 
 has brought his regiment to the highest state of efficiency, and 
 I am sure he has worked day and night." This beginning gave 
 me courage, and by degrees I turned the conversation on the 
 Brunswick family. I asked him what I was to do about the 
 duchess, as I knew she would wish to take precedence of me. 
 I wished for his advice in the matter, I said, as I was always 
 anxious to obey his orders. The king answered, " That is 
 quite absurd. She cannot do such a thing." " Indeed she 
 will," the queen now interrupted ; " I had to tell her plainly 
 what I thought, because she claimed to rank before the crown 
 princess." " She is a regular old fool !" the king exclaimed ; 
 " but we must be careful, as she is mother to the empress. 
 You are not to call on her," my father said, turning to me, 
 " till she has first been to see you, and you are always to go 
 before her." I was very thankful to have got so well out of 
 this difficulty, and now left the king. 
 
 Next day my joy was complete, for at last my husband re- 
 joined me. He told me his uncle, the Prince of Culmbach, 
 was soon to arrive at Berlin. The king had invited him ; I 
 was delighted at the prospect of seeing him, and hoped his in- 
 fluence with his brother would tend to make our position in a 
 less degree one of slavery. 
 
 The Court of Brunswick arrived on the 24th of June. The 
 king and my brother, with a large suite of generals and officers, 
 went to meet the crown princess. The queen, my sisters and 
 I received her at the entrance to the castle. I will describe her 
 now as she was when I first saw her, for she has terribly altered 
 since then. 
 
 The princess was tall and not very thin, arid held herself
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 307 
 
 badly, which gave her a great want of dignity. She had a 
 dazzling complexion, pale -blue eyes, without much mind in 
 them, a small mouth, and pretty,' delicate features. She cer- 
 tainly was lovely, and there was a childlike simplicity about 
 her such as you would find in a girl of twelve. Her teeth, 
 which were bad, spoiled much of her beauty. The princess 
 had neither manners nor education. She expressed herself 
 badly and spoke with difficulty, so that you had to guess what 
 she was saying. 
 
 As soon as we had all greeted her, the king led her to the 
 queen's room ; but when he had discovered that her hair was 
 unpowdered, and that she looked hot and tired, he told my 
 brother to take her to her own room. 
 
 My brother presented his wife to me with these words: 
 " This is the sister whom I adore, to whom I owe the deepest 
 gratitude. She has promised me to take you under her pro- 
 tection, and to help you with her good advice. I wish you to 
 show more respect towards her than towards the king and 
 queen, and to do nothing without her approbation. Do you 
 understand me ?" I embraced the crown princess, and assured 
 her of my friendship and affection. She remained meanwhile 
 stiff and cold as a statue, and never answered a word. As her 
 servants had not yet arrived, I powdered her hair afresh, and 
 put her dress in order again, but she never even thanked me. 
 My brother grew very angry at this, and said to her, " You lit- 
 tle goose, thank my sister for her kindness !" Very little edi- 
 fied with the princess, I led her back to the queen. 
 
 Both the duchesses were with my mother. The Duchess of 
 Brunswick must have been fifty years old, but had kept her 
 looks so wonderfully that she might easily have been taken for 
 forty. She was very clever, and a woman of the world, but 
 had an unpleasant manner, and it was notorious that she was 
 by no means a Lucretia. Her present lover was a M. von 
 Stocker. It is inconceivable how a person of such cleverness 
 could misplace her affections in such a manner. I never saw
 
 308 MEMO1KS OF T1IE MAEGKAVINE OF BA1KEUTH. 
 
 any one so stupid and so insupportable as this said gentleman. 
 The duke was disagreeable, but he possessed many good quali- 
 ties. His wife's conduet was no secret to him ; but he toler- 
 ated it with patience, and treated her with respect and affection. 
 His daughter, the Duchess of Bevern, and I were delighted to 
 meet again. We now sat down to dinner, which was laid for 
 forty guests. Afterwards we drank coffee in the queen's rooms. 
 The crown princess never left my side, but it was impossible 
 to persuade her to say a single word. The king gave us all 
 presents, and we spent the rest of the evening in playing cards 
 with my mother. 
 
 Next morning at six we all went to the inspection of the 
 king's regiment, and returned at noon in time for dinner. The 
 king left in the afternoon for Berlin, accompanied by my broth- 
 er and the hereditary prince. The queen and we princesses 
 went to Charlottenburg. The queen, the two duchesses, and 
 the old Duke of Brunswick drove in one carriage, the crown 
 princess, my sister and I in the second. The heat was insup- 
 portable, while the dust almost smothered us, and the crown 
 princess was taken very unwell in consequence. 
 
 We reached Charlottenburg at eight o'clock in the evening. 
 The crown princess went to bed, and we all went to supper. 
 M. von Eversmann, who had arranged all the rooms, had taken 
 such good care of me that I had to cross the court-yard before 
 I could get to the queen. I felt this fresh insult very keenly 
 the more so as the foreign ladies had all the best rooms given 
 them. The queen, who had been much kinder to me since 
 her return from Brunswick, now recommenced teasing me. 
 She spoke most unkindly to me during supper, and treated me 
 without the least consideration. 
 
 Next day the Duchess of Brunswick called on me, and made 
 endless excuses for not having done so sooner. We all went to 
 the queen, who told us that there would be only one dinner that 
 day, as we must all retire early to rest, to be ready next day 
 for the crown prince's entry into Berlin. The queen had sent
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BATREUTIT. 309 
 
 for a band, and we danced till ten that evening. I had vainly 
 flattered myself with the hope that my husband would suddenly 
 appear and take us by surprise. But the king would not allow 
 it. He was obliged to remain alone at Berlin ; and although 
 he was always accustomed to dine in the evening, the king had 
 had nothing prepared for him. He was not able to get even 
 bread and cheese. 
 
 This ball was no pleasure to me. I remained a sad specta- 
 tor of it, as I was too weak to dance. At nine o'clock the 
 queen took leave of all her royal guests, and after she had 
 reached her bedroom asked my sister and myself if we should 
 like any supper. I answered that I was not hungry, and would, 
 with her permission, go to bed. Without replying, she turned 
 her back on me, shrugging her shoulders. We were to start 
 at three next morning to attend a review ; and, having to be in 
 full dress, this did not leave us much time for sleep. I asked 
 Madame von Konnken to obtain the queen's permission for me 
 to retire to my room. She persuaded me to stay, as the queen 
 seemed to wish it. I therefore remained, and we four sat down 
 to supper. The queen did nothing else all the time but abuse 
 the Brunswick family and myself. There was no word bad 
 enough for the crown princess and her mother. My sister 
 supported her in everything she said, and did not even spare 
 Prince Charles. The supper lasted till midnight, and its end 
 was the crowning point of all. " We have all lost our heads," 
 my mother suddenly exclaimed, looking at me ; " we have been 
 speaking in the presence of suspicious persons, and to-morrow 
 everybody will know all we have said. I know the spies by 
 whom I am surrounded, and who have combined with my ene- 
 mies against me. I shall, however, find means of recalling 
 them to a sense of their duty. Good-night, my dear," the 
 queen said, turning to me ; " be ready at three to - morrow 
 morning, as I have no idea of being kept waiting by yon." I 
 silently left the room. All I had been forced to listen to had 
 incensed me beyond bearing. I had perfectly well understood
 
 310 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 that the queen had meant my little person when she spoke of 
 " spies and enemies." 
 
 I returned to my room, where I poured out my troubles to 
 my governess and Mademoiselle von Marwitz. I cried bitterly, 
 and wished I could say I was too ill to leave my room. The 
 two ladies, however, found means of comforting me, and begged 
 me to appear as usual. It grew late, and I had only time to 
 dress and reach the queen's rooms by three o'clock. As I was 
 ;il ways allowed free access to them, I was greatly surprised at 
 Ilamen stopping me at the door. "Good gracious me!" she 
 said, "your Royal Highness is already dressed; the queen has 
 only just woke, and has not yet left her bed. She has forbid- 
 den me to let any one in. I will send you word as soon as she 
 is ready." I waited in the gallery, walking up and down with 
 my ladies. Soon after the two duchesses joined me there. 
 The Duchess of Bevern looked lovingly at me, saying, " You 
 have had some cause for grief, I know, and have been crying." 
 " Yes, I have," I answered, " and I hope those who are the 
 cause of it will be satisfied. Death will soon release me from 
 my sufferings ; for I can scarcely drag myself about, and feel 
 that I have daily less strength. You have influence with Seck- 
 endorf and the king ; for God's sake exert it, that I may leave 
 this place, and die in peace at Baireuth." The Duchess of 
 Bevern replied that she would do her utmost to help me. " Al- 
 though you have told me nothing of what has occurred," she 
 continued, " I am cognizant of it all. I will tell you who told 
 me : it was Princess Charlotte." I was extremely surprised at 
 what she said. " This daughter-in-law of ours will give us a 
 good deal of trouble ; but my son knows her thoroughly, and 
 will keep her in order." At this moment the queen, with my 
 sister and the crown princess, joined us, and put an end to our 
 conversation. 
 
 After having embraced the two duchesses, my mother turned 
 to me with these words: "Your Royal Highness has slept a 
 long time; I think you might have exerted yourself to get up
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTII. 311 
 
 when I did." To this speech I replied, " I have been ready 
 dressed since three o'clock, and Ramen knew it, and would not 
 allow me to enter your room." " She did perfectly right," 
 the queen continued ; " your proper place is with the two 
 duchesses rather than with me." Having said this she turned 
 away, and got into the carriage with the crown princess. I 
 and my sister drove in a state coach, the two duchesses in an- 
 other one, and all the princes accompanied us on horseback. 
 
 It was an hour's drive to the spot where all assembled. The 
 heat was unbearable. Some tents had been pitched, each large 
 enough to hold six persons. These were intended for the 
 queen, the princesses, and the ladies of the Court, and those out 
 of the town. More than eighty ladies followed us in very hand- 
 some carriages. All had done their utmost to add to the brill- 
 iancy of the scene. We drove in this order down the line. 
 Twenty-two thousand men were assembled in battle - array. 
 The king stood at the entrance to the queen's tent, and pushed 
 us all inside it. Some of us had to stand ; the others sat or lay 
 on the ground. The sun poured through the canvas, and we 
 nearly succumbed to the heat. No refreshment of any kind 
 had been provided for us. I lay down at the back of the tent; 
 the others stood in front of me, and shaded me from the rays 
 of the sun. 
 
 We remained in this position from five in the morning till 
 three in the afternoon, when we resumed our carriages. We 
 drove at a footpace, so that we only reached the Castle at 
 five o'clock, without having had even a drop of water to drink 
 all day. We immediately sat down to dinner with all our 
 guests. The king sat at the head of the table, and was in the 
 best possible spirits. At nine o'clock we had coffee in the 
 queen's rooms ; after which we again got into our carriages 
 and accompanied the crown princess to her own palace, where 
 we stayed till eleven, and then returned home. 
 
 The queen had desired us all to be ready at eight next morn- 
 ing, to accompany the king to the ceremony of the consecra-
 
 312 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 tion of St. Peter's Church. I was quite unable to be present 
 at it, as I had been dangerously ill all night, and was so weak 
 and faint that I could not stir. I sent the queen word of my 
 condition, and begged her to excuse me. My mother sent Ra- 
 men to me to tell me that it was all mere imagination on my 
 part, and that she would listen to no excuses. I told this wom- 
 an to assure the queen that I was really very ill, and quite un- 
 fit to leave my bed. I said I should let the king know of it, 
 and felt sure that he would not be offended with me if I stayed 
 in my room. I also sent Mademoiselle von Grumkow to my 
 mother. She was a very courageous girl, with a very glib 
 tongue. The queen was afraid of her on account of her uncle, 
 and was very careful what she said before her. 
 
 As soon as the queen saw this young lady she said, " Good- 
 morning, Grumkow. It seems my daughter is in one of her 
 bad humors, and will not leave her room. She wishes to give 
 herself airs in my house, while I, who am of more importance 
 than she is, must be plagued and tormented." Mademoiselle 
 von Grumkow replied, " Your Majesty does your daughter 
 great injustice. Her Royal Highness has been suffering greatly 
 for some time. Her health is much weakened, and she cannot 
 stand any fatigue. She has been very ill all night, and I doubt 
 whether she will be able even by to-morrow to pay her respects 
 to your Majesty." " To-morrow !" the queen cried, angrily, " I 
 think yon must be dreaming. In this world people must learn 
 to control themselves. I desire you to tell the princess that T 
 command her to leave her room." " I crave your Majesty's 
 pardon," Mademoiselle von Grumkow answered, "but I shall 
 not give this message. I shall advise the hereditary princess to 
 return to Baireuth as soon as ever she can. There at least she 
 can live in quiet and comfort, without being exposed to the ill- 
 treatment she receives here." The queen was made extremely 
 uncomfortable by this straightforward answer, and said nothing 
 more. The king had sent to inquire how I was, begging me 
 to be careful ami rest, in order to be able to be present at my
 
 MEMOIRS OF TITE MARGRAVTXR OF RATKEUTII. 313 
 
 sister's wedding. When the hereditary prince came to dinner 
 my father asked him kindly after me. Everybody had told 
 him, he said, that my health had quite given way. The Duch- 
 ess of Bcvcrn corroborated this statement, and added that, if 
 energetic measures were not soon taken, she feared I should 
 take my departure for another world. The king seemed great- 
 ly distressed, while the queen plainly showed her vexation that 
 she should have been detected in the wrong. I went out next 
 day, and though my mother said nothing to me she was very 
 cross. In the evening we went to the theatre. 
 
 The Prince of Cnlmbach, who at once came to see rne on 
 his arrival, was very much dissatisfied at his reception by the 
 king. I did all I could to pacify him. As my father had in- 
 vited him, the prince had every right to expect to be courteous- 
 ly received. I promised him to endeavor to put things on a 
 plcasantcr footing, but I had reckoned without my host. All 
 the Princes and Princesses of the Blood dined every day with 
 the king and queen without receiving any special invitation, 
 and next day the Prince of Cnlmbach likewise appeared with 
 them. M. von Schlippenbach, who was at the head of the 
 king's household, came up to the prince with a very crest- 
 fallen face, and told him that the king had not wished him 
 to be invited to dinner. M. von Schlippenbach was in de- 
 spair, he said, but thought he had best at once tell him. The 
 Prince of Culmbach was, naturally, mortally offended by this 
 treatment, and at once complained to my governess about it, 
 telling her to inform me of it. I was at a loss how to act 
 when I heard of the occurrence; for I was much attached to 
 the Prince of Cnlmbach, and any discourtesy shown him af- 
 fected me equally. There was, however, no time for lamen- 
 tations or complaints, and the poor prince had to leave with- 
 out having dined. He went to my rooms and waited there, 
 where I found him afterwards in a great state of anger. The 
 hereditary prince was no less so, and both he and the Prince 
 of Culmbach wished at once to take their departure from
 
 314 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTtl. 
 
 Berlin. I happily succeeded in dissuading them from such a 
 step, and I promised that my uncle should obtain satisfaction 
 for the affront. For this purpose I sent for General Marwitz, 
 who was then at Berlin, and begged him to speak with the 
 king. He was able to remonstrate so strongly with my fa- 
 ther that he came himself to make his excuses to the prince 
 for the " unfortunate misunderstanding" that had taken place. 
 
 The only amusement offered to the foreign guests was that 
 of going to the theatre, where we all fell asleep from the ex- 
 treme dulness of the performance. The Duchess of Bevern, 
 my husband, Prince Charles, and I always managed to find 
 places where neither the king nor queen could observe us, and 
 spent the evenings talking together. I had always to drive 
 to the theatre with the Duchess of Brunswick, who would not 
 drive with the queen in order not to be obliged to let the 
 crown princess take precedence of her. When she drove with 
 me she always managed to reach the carriage first, into which 
 she scrambled in a great hurry to seat herself on the right- 
 hand side. I am not proud, nor do I care about questions of 
 rank, but I do require that the respect that is due to me be 
 shown me ; and if others are inclined to tread on my toes, 1 
 am well able to assert myself. For the first few times I had 
 let the duchess have her own way, and did not remonstrate 
 with her. At last, however, I watched my opportunity, stepped 
 in front of her, and took the right-hand scat in the carriage. 
 She grew scarlet with rage, and had some trouble to control 
 herself, and I believe she would have scratched my eyes out. 
 Her face was swollen and disfigured with rage. After a few 
 moments she said to me, " I am not in my right place, but 
 that troubles me but little." " I arn quite of your Serene 
 Ilighness's opinion," I replied ; " I think there is nothing more 
 absurd than claiming rights which do rfot belong to you, and 
 I think still more so not to insist on those which are yours 
 by right." Having said this I seized hold of my head-dress 
 and held it with both hands, fearing every moment that the
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 315 
 
 duchess would tear it off. Happily we reached our destination 
 before she could do so, and she got out of the carriage still 
 grumbling. 
 
 When I saw my mother I told her the whole story, at which 
 she was so greatly amused that she forgot to scold me. Indeed, 
 she highly approved of my conduct. She said she hoped to 
 have an opportunity that evening of teasing the duchess about 
 her behavior. Everybody hated the duchess on account of 
 her inordinate pride. She was so fearful lest any of the ladies 
 that came to see her should sit down in her presence that she 
 had all the chairs removed. Such a thing was never done 
 even by the queen, who always allowed the ladies to sit down 
 in her antechamber. The ladies of the Court and of the town 
 were so offended by the duchess's behavior that none of them 
 would go near her. She made an even more ridiculous ex- 
 hibition of herself on the following occasion : 
 
 We were all at the theatre. The stage had been erected in 
 the former riding-school, and there were only two entrances to 
 it. That through which we passed led through the stables 
 into a narrow little passage, where we were obliged to walk 
 in single file. The king stood at the door, so that we all had 
 to pass him. I always went and sat down, as I have before 
 mentioned, in an out-of-the-way corner. The play had scarce- 
 ly begun when a violent thunder-storm came on. The light- 
 ning was so vivid that the stage seemed on fire; tremendous 
 peals of thunder followed, and every one was afraid the theatre 
 would be destroyed. All at once we heard fearful screams, 
 and the king was told that the lightning had struck the stables. 
 My father, who was next to the door, at once left the theatre, 
 accompanied by the queen and the crown princess. They had 
 no sooner left than everybody hurried to get out, and there 
 was such a crowd that neither the Duchess of Bevern, Prince 
 Charles, nor my husband and I could get away. The old 
 Duchess of Brunswick made frantic efforts to save herself. In 
 the hopes that the people would disperse, we waited for some
 
 316 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 
 
 time; but finding this was of no use, and really fearing for 
 our lives, we determined to make a great effort to get out of 
 the theatre. The hereditary prince and Prince Charles made 
 way for us with difficulty. It was pouring in torrents. I at 
 once got into the carriage with the Duchess of Bcvern and 
 my three sisters. The Duchess of Brunswick, who had at 
 last got out of the theatre with the aid of her dear M. von 
 Stocken and the two princes, followed us. As she got into 
 her carriage with her husband, the two princes followed her 
 into it, upon which she had the insolence to tell them they 
 could walk home. They were still young, she said, and the 
 rain would not hurt them. M. von Stocken must drive with 
 her. The two princes never forgave her for this, and turned 
 her into great ridicule, at which the crowd were greatly amused. 
 Although Prince Charles was the duchess's grandson, he did 
 not spare her any more than did my husband. 
 
 I have already mentioned that the king had not for some 
 time been well, and that the doctors thought him suffering 
 from suppressed gout. We were therefore greatly relieved 
 when he was now seized with an attack of gout in the right 
 hand. He suffered very much, but we were all thankful that 
 the disease had taken this course. 
 
 The next day, the 2d of June, was fixed for my sister's wed- 
 ding. We all went to the king's rooms to be present at the 
 ceremony of renunciation, after which we went to dinner. The 
 king had gone to bed, and sent for my mother, my sister, and 
 myself. He told us to sit down near him. My sister was very 
 sad, for the queen had confided to her how terribly annoyed 
 she was at the destruction of all her fondest hopes. " Dear 
 Charlotte," she said to her, " my heart bleeds when I think that 
 you are to be sacrificed to-morrow. I have kept my secret from 
 all the world, but I had tried by every means in my power 
 and had flattered myself to the last that I should be able to 
 bring about your marriage with the Prince of Wales. I am 
 miserable; my enemies have everywhere triumphed over me.
 
 MEMOIIiS OF TL1E MARGRAVINE OF 15AIREUTH. .317 
 
 You are going to marry a beggar, and a man without any com- 
 mon - sense." This conversation was repeated to me by my 
 youngest sister. 
 
 The queen's ambitious views now made my sister regret that 
 tilings had not turned out as my mother had wished. The 
 king, who was kept informed of everything that passed in the 
 queen's room by his spy, Kamen, was well aware of this con- 
 versation. " What is the matter with you, Lottie ?" he said, 
 addressing my sister. "Are you unhappy at going to be mar- 
 ried ?" " It is but natural that I should be in a serious mood 
 on my wedding-day," she replied, " and that I should consider 
 how serious a step I am taking, and make reflections on what 
 concerns my whole future life." The king laughed, and an- 
 swered, " Your lady mother has given you matter for consid- 
 eration. She ruins her children's happiness by the incessant 
 chimeras she puts into their heads. You can comfort yourself 
 with the assurance that you would never have gone to England. 
 Nobody wished for you there, and no step was ever taken by 
 that Court in the matter. I should have been well satisfied 
 had yon settled there, but they would not make their peace 
 with me. The English Court takes every opportunity of an- 
 noying me whenever they have an occasion. That your mar- 
 riage came to nothing," my father continued, turning to me, 
 " was my fault, and I have never ceased reproaching myself 
 about it ; but then I was deceived by my ministers. Will you 
 forgive me ? I have given you much cause for sorrow, and 
 thuse who urged me on have been wicked people. Had I only 
 done what I ought, I should have dismissed Grumkovv at the 
 time of Ilotham's mission. But I was then like one bewitched, 
 and I am more to be pitied than condemned." I replied that 
 I begged my father would not reproach himself, as I was quite 
 satisfied with my lot. I had a husband whom I loved devoted- 
 ly, and as for the rest I put my trust in God. 
 
 My father was much pleased with my answer, and embraced 
 me, saying, " You are a brave, good woman, and God will bless
 
 318 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BA1REUTH. 
 
 you." We then left the king and went to dress. The queen 
 desired me to be ready at eight o'clock, and join her in the 
 large state-rooms of the Castle. 
 
 When I got there I found every one assembled. I was led 
 to a room set apart for the royal personages. Here I found 
 waiting the crown princess, my younger sisters, and the Prin- 
 cesses of the Blood. We were soon afterwards joined by the 
 two duchesses, and then the queen appeared with the bride. 
 Prince Charles gave my sister his hand, and led her into the 
 room in which the marriage service was solemnized. We all 
 followed according to rank. The king sat opposite the altar. 
 The whole ceremonial was exactly the same as that which had 
 been observed at my own marriage. At two in the morning 
 we all retired to our rooms. Next day was my birthday. All 
 the princes and princesses came early in the morning to offer 
 me their congratulations. All brought me presents, with the 
 exception of the queen. We all afterwards went to see my 
 sister, and then the king, whose attack of gout obliged him to 
 keep his bed. As soon as my father saw me he wished me 
 joy of the day and every blessing, and then desired the queen 
 to find a present for me. " She is to choose it herself," he 
 said ; " I will pay for it, and you must also give her one." That 
 afternoon the queen sent for several jewellers, and told me to 
 choose what I liked from among their goods. Among the 
 things brought for approval was a little watch in jasper set 
 with brilliants, which cost four hundred thalers,* and on this I 
 fixed my choice. My mother, having looked at the watch for 
 some little time, said to me in a contemptuous manner, "Does 
 your Royal Highness imagine that the king will give you so 
 costly a present ? You have not even bread to cat, and you 
 wish for watches ! A small present will do quite as well for you." 
 Upon this she sent all the things away, merely keeping a small 
 ring worth ten thalers,f which she gave me. My mother, how- 
 
 * Sixty pounds. f Thirty shillings.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 319 
 
 ever, told the ting that all the other articles had been far too 
 expensive, and that she had not liked to take anything. Her 
 behavior towards me wounded me far more than the loss of 
 my birthday present. I, however, armed myself with patience. 
 The hope of soon being home again at Baireuth helped me to 
 bear my many mortifications. 
 
 Next evening there was a ball. As so many people had been 
 invited, dancing took place in four different rooms, where several 
 quadrilles were arranged. My newly married sister led one of 
 these, in which my mother, the crown princess, my sisters and 
 I danced. The second quadrille was led by the Margravine 
 Philip, the third by the Princess of Zerbst, and a fourth by 
 Madame von Brand. The ball began at four o'clock in the 
 afternoon. The candles were all lighted, and the heat was in- 
 supportable. Two more such balls took place, at which every- 
 body nearly died of heat and fatigue. 
 
 I was very ill. The complaint I was suffering from made 
 great progress, and I was so weak that I could scarcely walk. 
 The hereditary prince was in great anxiety about me, and much 
 distressed at having to leave me again. He departed on the 
 9th of July to rejoin his regiment, the inspection of which was 
 to take place on the 5th of August. The weather was splen- 
 did, and I proposed to the crown princess that we should go 
 out driving. The carriage in which we drove was called a 
 " Wurst." There was room in it for twelve persons, which was 
 very convenient, as we had the enjoyment of the drive and of 
 conversation at the same time. On our return home I dined 
 with the crown princess, and we spent the evening most pleas- 
 antly. 
 
 Next day we all went out driving in state, beautifully dressed. 
 We drove in phaetons, and the whole Court and nobility fol- 
 lowed, there being in all eighty carriages. The king drove in 
 front in a "Berline,"* and soon fell asleep. We were over- 
 
 * A four-seated close carriage.
 
 320 MEMOIRS OF TUB MARGRAVINE OF BAIBEUTH. 
 
 taken by a heavy thunder-storm, but continued the drive not- 
 withstanding. It is easy to imagine the result, and the state 
 to which we were reduced ! We were drenched to the skin, 
 and our dresses quite ruined. At last, after driving for four 
 hours in the pouring rain, we got out at Monbijou, where a 
 ball and illuminations were to take place. I never saw such 
 funny figures as all the ladies looked. They were so wet that 
 their dresses clung to them. None of us could even change 
 our things, but had to remain in our wet clothes all the rest of 
 the day. Next day there was a representation at the theatre. 
 
 I had written to Baireuth begging the Margrave Jto arrange 
 for our return home. His letter, which I awaited with great 
 impatience, at last reached me. It was worded in such a man- 
 ner that I was able to show it to the king. He had also had 
 one from my father-in-law, written in much the same strain as 
 mine, and I flattered myself that no difficulties would be placed 
 in our way. When I went to see my mother I found the king 
 and the Duchess of Bevern with her. " I have received a letter 
 from your father-in-law," the king said to me. " He wishes 
 for your return to Baireuth, and will increase your income by 
 8000 thalers.* This would enable you and your husband to 
 live at Erlangen ; but I think this will be unnecessary, as I count 
 on your remaining here. What answer do you wish me to send 
 the Margrave ?" I replied that I should be very glad to re- 
 main at Berlin, but that my father-in-law was failing fast, and 
 I therefore thought it would be right that we should return to 
 Baireuth, and that the hereditary prince should become ac- 
 quainted with his own country. The king frowned, and then 
 answered, " You wish to keep house yourself." " It will be im- 
 possible to do so with only 8000 thalers," I said, "and I could 
 not manage it on less than double that sum." " If I can ob- 
 tain. that amount for you," the king continued, " I will let you 
 leave ; if not, you must remain here." The Duchess of Bevern 
 
 * One thousand two hundred pounds.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF HAIREUTU. 321 
 
 now interrupted us, and taking part in the conversation re- 
 marked that I was in such bad health it would be easier for 
 me to take care of myself at Baireuth than at Berlin. She 
 then explained to my father the nature of my complaint (the 
 doctors thought I had the beginning of an internal tumor), and 
 told him I had been recommended to take a course of mineral 
 waters. " She can do that at Charlottenburg," my father an- 
 swered, " and if she likes I will provide everything for her, and 
 she will be much more comfortable than at Baireuth." Neither 
 the duchess nor I dared say anything more, and I was in per- 
 fect despair at finding the moment of my departure further ofi 
 than I had thought. 
 
 The duke and duchesses all left Berlin next day, and my sis- 
 ter followed them on the 19th of July. My leave-taking from 
 my sister was no melancholy one ; but my mother, on the other 
 hand, was greatly distressed. The queen really had a good 
 heart, but her jealousy, her suspicion of every one, and her love 
 of intrigue were the cause of most of her troubles. 
 
 My sister had no sooner left than the queen became much 
 kinder in her manner towards me. I tried everything in my 
 power to win her affection, and although I did not entirely suc- 
 ceed, I at any rate obtained kind treatment at her hands. I 
 had informed the Margrave of my conversation with the king, 
 and entreated him to insist on our return, as otherwise we should 
 never obtain my father's permission to quit Berlin. The same 
 day that my sister took her departure the king left for Pomera- 
 nia. He was in raptures over my husband's regiment, and said 
 he had never seen a finer or better disciplined set of men. My 
 father returned on the 8th of August, bringing the hereditary 
 prince with him. I implored my brother's help to get us leave 
 to return to Baireuth. He determined to speak next day with 
 Grumkow and Seckendorf about it. The king was going to 
 drive with them, and my brother said he would arrange that 
 the matter should be brought before my father. As good-luck 
 would have it, I received letters from the Margrave that very 
 21
 
 322 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 morning, enclosing one to the king, which I gave him after din- 
 ner. He was in a very good-humor, and had drunk a little, but 
 his face changed at once as soon as he saw the letter. He 
 said nothing at first, but after a while turned to me, remarking, 
 " Your father-in-law does not know what he wants. You arc far 
 better here than with him. My son-in-law must study the art of 
 war, which is far more useful than planting cabbages at Baireuth." 
 
 Grumkow and Seckendorf represented to the king that he 
 would be the cause of bad feeling between the Margrave and 
 ourselves if he prevented our return ; that although my father- 
 in-law had one foot in the grave, he might take it into his head 
 to remarry a step which would have very disastrous results for 
 us. Indeed, everybody supported my husband and myself in 
 oui- wish to go back to Baireuth. The king looked at me, and 
 asked me what I thought about it. I replied that the gentlemen 
 were quite right in what they said, and that I should count it a 
 groat favor if he would allow us to take our departure. " Very 
 well, then," my father answered, "you can go; but "there is no 
 great hurry, and I should not wish you to leave till the 23d of 
 August." I never was happier in my life than when I had at 
 last obtained the king's leave, and felt certain of our return. 
 
 The last fortnight I spent at Berlin passed very quietly. The 
 queen, who had now grown accustomed to have me about her, 
 was very sorry at my departure. She told me that Grumkow 
 had been the cause of her having treated me so unkindly. He 
 had represented to her that my timidity alone had been the 
 cause of the breach with England ; that my father's anxiety 
 to marry me to the hereditary prince had been a mere pretence ; 
 that, had I shown more determination on that memorable occa- 
 sion when the king had sent all those gentlemen to speak with 
 me, things would have turned out differently. She said I might, 
 therefore, consider whether she had not had good cause of an- 
 noyance with me. Upon this I disclosed to my mother Grum- 
 kow's perfidious behavior and double-dealing. 
 
 The day before I left for Baireuth the king came to take
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 323 
 
 leave of me. He did not, however, show much feeling or re- 
 gret. It was the last time that I ever saw my dear father, whose 
 memory will always remain precious to me. I took a most 
 touching leave of my brother; my mother also dissolved into 
 tears, and I left my old home in great distress. 
 
 I dined at Sarmiind, and after a very bad dinner continued 
 my journey. The coachman was again kind enough to upset 
 the carriage twice, and I was a good deal bruised, but neverthe- 
 less proceeded on my way. Next day we reached Halle, where 
 I was received in state. A deputation from the University 
 met me, and presented an address. M. von Wackholz, who 
 was in command there during the Prince of Anhalt's absence, 
 furnished me with an escort, and asked me to give him the 
 password. At Halle I found Princess Eadziwill, sister of the 
 Margravine Philip. She had come there on purpose to see me. 
 I knew her very well ; she was most charming, and full of wit 
 and cleverness. 
 
 Next morning I left Halle, and reached Hof on the 30th of 
 August. M. von Voit, who had met me at Schleiz, informed 
 me that the Margrave was at Hof, expecting our arrival with 
 the greatest pleasure and impatience. My father-in-law met me 
 close to the entrance to the town, accompanied by a suite in 
 thirty carriages. I stopped my carriage and got out, as I ob- 
 served he did the same. He received me most courteously, and 
 was very affectionate in his manner towards the hereditary 
 prince. We then resumed our way, my father-in-law driving 
 with us. He thought me grown very thin and much altered. 
 He told me he had now got a very celebrated doctor at Bai- 
 reuth, and hoped he would be able to cure me. We spent one 
 day at Hof, and reached Baireuth on the 7th of September. 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld was delighted to see me again. I 
 found my little daughter so grown and improved that I should 
 scarcely have known her again. She had been taught many 
 funny little tricks, and I can say with truth I never saw a more 
 beautiful child.
 
 324 MEMOIRS OF TUB MAKGKAVINE OF BAIEEUTH. 
 
 Early next morning my father-in-law sent his doctor to see 
 me* I told him what the doctors at Berlin had said, and 
 showed him their written opinion. Thinking my delicate state 
 of health proceeded from a disordered digestion and heated 
 blood, he proposed to bleed me next day, and promised me 
 speedy recovery. Accordingly next morning the doctor took 
 ten ounces of blood from me, which weakened me so much 
 that I was unable to leave my room for several days. Mad- 
 emoiselle von Marwitz read aloud to me of an afternoon, and the 
 Margrave came every evening to see me. My father-in-law was 
 full of little attentions for me, which I owed to the kind influ- 
 ence of Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, who had gained wonder- 
 ful power over him. To add to my comfort, my father-in-law 
 went away to Ilimmelscron. On leaving, he said to me he did 
 so purposely to leave me quiet, and to give me a better chance 
 of recovering my health. He knew that if he remained at Bai- 
 reuth I should have to exert myself more than was good for me, 
 and he trusted to find me much stronger on his return. His 
 kindness and attention touched me very much, and I determined 
 to do everything I could to prevent this satisfactory understand- 
 ing being disturbed. My sister of Anspach came and spent a 
 few days with me, and I gradually began to improve under the 
 peace and quiet I now enjoyed. Alas ! a new occurrence was 
 soon to plunge me into fresh anxiety. I must now give a full 
 account of it. 
 
 I have already mentioned the King of Poland's sudden death. 
 It led to the formation of two parties in the country, the one 
 holding firmly to the Elector of Saxony and protected by the 
 Emperor of Russia, while the other favored the claims of Stan- 
 islaus,* and was supported by France. The Emperor of Aus- 
 
 * Stanislaus Lcszczynski, a Pole by birth, placed on the throne of 
 Poland through the influence of Charles XII. of Sweden. After the bat- 
 tle of Pultawa he could no longer maintain himself on the throne. He 
 fled to Pomerania and then to Sweden, where he remained some time. 
 After Augustus II., King of Poland's death, a party in Poland, supported
 
 MEMOIRS OF TITK MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 325 
 
 tria's policy, which was always opposed to that of France and 
 that of the King of Prussia, who himself cared very little for 
 so powerful a neighbor, naturally opposed the election of Stan- 
 islaus. Russia did so as strongly, for she was bound by inti- 
 mate ties to the Emperor of Austria and the Elector of Sax- 
 ony. In spite of this combined opposition the French party 
 triumphed, and Stanislaus Leszczynski was chosen King of 
 Poland. Russia was mortally offended at this proceeding, and 
 sent troops to Poland, and Dantzic was invested by them. Ev- 
 erything tended towards a rupture between Austria and France. 
 French troops were sent to the Rhine and to Italy. My father 
 was bound by the articles of the secret treaty made between 
 him and the emperor to send him a contingent of ten thousand 
 men. Private letters from Berlin informed me that the king 
 was himself preparing to take the field, and relied on my hus- 
 band's accompanying him. 
 
 It was this that caused me such anxiety. I was so accus- 
 tomed to trouble and sorrow that any fresh event alarmed me. 
 My grief had almost made me sink into a confirmed state of 
 melancholy. All I had gone through and suffered during my 
 stay at Berlin had made it very difficult for me to regain my 
 accustomed cheerfulness. My health did not improve, and all 
 thought I was in a rapid consumption. I thought myself 
 doomed, and awaited my death with courage. The only thing 
 which diverted my mind was the study of the sciences. I wrote 
 and I read all day long, and discussed scientific subjects with 
 Mademoiselle von Marwitz. I did so in order to make her re- 
 
 by France, again proclaimed him king. Stanislaus proceeded to Warsaw 
 and then to Dantzic. This town was invested by the Russians, and Stan- 
 islaus escaped disguised as a peasant. After the treaty of Vienna, in 
 1735, Stanislaus renounced the throne, but was allowed to retain the title 
 of king. He possessed the duchies of Lorraine and Bar for life, and on 
 his death they fell back to France. He died in 1766, regretted by all hia 
 subjects. His daughter was married to Louis XV. of France. Note by 
 Translator.
 
 3-26 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 fleet on what she read, and to develop her mind. This girl was 
 entirely devoted to me, and I was extremely fond of her. She 
 had become much more serious, and tried to give me pleasure 
 and satisfaction in every way she could. 
 
 The Imperial troops were being gradually concentrated, and 
 the Duke of Bevern was appointed to command them. The 
 hereditary prince was burning to take part in the campaign, 
 which could not last long, as the season was so far advanced. 
 The Margrave, however, made no secret of how greatly he was 
 opposed to the prince's wishes. My husband only obtained per- 
 mission to visit the army in the neighborhood of Heilbron. He 
 left for this place on the 30th of September, and returned again 
 on the 1st of November. 
 
 The Princess of Culmbach, daughter of the Margrave George 
 William, came to visit us during this time. Her story is so 
 curious that it deserves a place in these memoirs. 
 
 She was educated by her aunt, the Queen of Poland, till she 
 reached her twelfth year; after which her mother, whom I 
 described on my visit to Erlangen, thought it no longer neces- 
 sary to leave her at Dresden, and sent for her back to Baireuth. 
 The young princess was very beautiful, and could well bear 
 comparison with her mother. My father-in-law, who, in con- 
 sequence of Margrave George William having no children, was 
 the probable heir, was among her suitors. He was at that time 
 already divorced from his first wife. The Margravine, how- 
 ever, could not bear him, and her daughter shared her dislike. 
 The young princess's beauty and purity of mind made her 
 mother furiously jealous, and she determined, if possible, to 
 ruin her. The Margravine's husband was much in favor of 
 the princess's marriage to the Prince of Culmbach. In order 
 to make this impossible, the Margravine endeavored to get 
 a certain Vobscr, chamberlain to her husband, to seduce the 
 young princess. She promised him four thousand ducats if 
 he succeeded. Vobser, tempted by the prospects of so large a 
 sum, was nothing loath. He paid assiduous court to the prin-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 327 
 
 cess, but earned only contempt at her hands. The Margravine, 
 finding her plan had failed, now conceived a more diaboli- 
 cal scheme. The unfortunate princess fell into the trap, and 
 gave birth some time later to an illegitimate child. The Mar- 
 grave was so furious when he heard of it that he had the 
 princess imprisoned in the fortress of Plassenburg. 
 
 When my father-in-law succeeded to the principality on the 
 death of the Margrave, he endeavored to restore the poor 
 princess to freedom, but the Queen of Poland would not hear 
 of it. The princess was, nevertheless, no longer so strictly 
 guarded and watched. Some Roman Catholic priests by this 
 means gained admittance to the fortress. They persuaded 
 the princess that if she would only recant and go over to the 
 Roman Church she would gain the powerful protection of the 
 Empress Amelie and be set at liberty. Blinded by these fair 
 promises, she secretly became a Roman Catholic, and on the 
 death of the empress publicly announced her change of faith. 
 Before long, however, religious doubts assailed her, and short- 
 ly before my return to Baireuth she again returned to Prot- 
 estantism. My father-in-law, who was anxious to show his 
 zeal for the Protestant cause, invited the princess to Baireuth, 
 received her with every mark of respect, and reinstated her 
 in the good opinion of the world. She did indeed deserve it, 
 for she was endowed with many great qualities. She was al- 
 ways doing good, and her behavior at all times more than 
 atoned for the fault she had been forced to commit. The 
 princess made a very short stay at Baireuth, and returned to 
 Culmbach after a few days. My health prevented my accom- 
 panying her, as I otherwise should have. She, however, met 
 the Margrave and the hereditary prince, who were hunting in 
 that neighborhood. 
 
 I have in these memoirs made a point of mentioning every 
 fact that concerns myself, and like telling little anecdotes to 
 enliven my narrative. I shall therefore give one here, which 
 made a greater impression on many people than on myself,
 
 328 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTIT. 
 
 because much study and reflection have made me overcome 
 many prejudices. Indeed, I flatter myself I am somewhat of 
 a philosopher. 
 
 The hereditary prince's suite of apartments was composed 
 of two large rooms, with a small antechamber attached to 
 them. There were two doors, one communicating with my 
 bedroom and the other with a vestibule or hall, where two sen- 
 tinels and one footman kept watch. On the 7th of November 
 the three men were suddenly awakened in the night by hear- 
 ing steps in the large room, and soon afterwards a whining 
 noise, to which succeeded cries as of some one in great dis- 
 tress. They went several times into the room, but without 
 discovering anything, and as soon us they had left the noise 
 recommenced. Six sentinels, who relieved one another in 
 succession, gave the same account. On M. von Reitzenstein's 
 being informed of the occurrence, strict search was made, 
 but without any result. The incident was kept a profound 
 secret from me. People pretended it had been the " White 
 Lady," * who had appeared as a warning of my approaching 
 death. Others feared some accident would befall the heredit- 
 ary prince. This fear was, however, soon put to rest by his 
 return with the Margrave on the llth of November. 
 
 They had scarcely reached home when a messenger brought 
 the news of the death of my brother-in-law, Prince William. 
 Strange to say, he had died at the very hour at which the 
 strange noise had been heard in the Castle. Prince William 
 had left Vienna with his uncle, the Prince of Culmbach, to 
 rejoin his regiment at Cremona. Soon after his arrival there 
 lie had caught small-pox, and died in seven days. It was a 
 relief to the whole family, for he was almost imbecile, and 
 hud he lived longer would have caused much trouble. 
 
 The Margrave received the news with great equanimity, and 
 
 * A white figure that was said to appear in several of the royal Imnscs 
 of (iermany before a death took place in the family.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 329 
 
 never shed a tear. My husband, on the other hand, was not to 
 be comforted, so that I had the greatest trouble in diverting 
 his mind. The Prince of Culmbach found means of sending 
 Prince William's body secretly to Baireuth. We all went to 
 Himmelscron to avoid being present at the funeral. The 
 prince was to be interred in the family vault in the Church of 
 St. Peter. The vault had always been kept walled up, and had 
 to be opened some days before the funeral. The astonishment 
 of those who entered the vault can be easily imagined when it 
 was discovered to be full of blood. The whole town came to 
 see the extraordinary sight, and most unpleasant rumors were 
 circulated. I was told of this at Ilimmclscron, and some one 
 brought me a handkerchief which had been dipped in this 
 miraculous blood. The Margrave had heard nothing of all this, 
 as people were afraid of frightening him. I, however, was of 
 opinion that he should be told, and implored him to send his 
 own doctor, M. Gackel, to inquire into the facts of this singular 
 occurrence. 
 
 My father-in-law granted my request, and begged me to see 
 that a thorough investigation was made, lie was well aware 
 of the panic the whole circumstance must have created. Gackel 
 reported that the blood had so filled the vault that he had had 
 some carried away in buckets to be examined. He thought it 
 proceeded from a crack in the coffin of a princess that had been 
 buried eighty years ago! To make quite sure he thought it 
 would be best to open the coffin. The Margrave agreed to this, 
 and the necessary order was given. It was, however, found that 
 it was impossible to execute it. After some further inquiries 
 a chemist in the town put an end to the various suppositions. 
 The supposed blood was discovered to be balsam, which had 
 been used for embalming the said princess. The whole cir- 
 cumstance was considered very strange. Prince William was 
 buried on the 3d of December. Mademoiselle von Grurnkow 
 and Mademoiselle von Marwitz attended the funeral, and re- 
 turned to Himmelscron after it.
 
 330 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTfl. 
 
 Next day, when Mademoiselle von Marwitz andT were sitting 
 alone together, I observed how silent and absent she seemed to 
 be, and asked her the cause. She sighed, and answered that 
 she was very sad, but was not allowed to say why. Her re- 
 ply made me very curious, and I pressed her to tell me the 
 reason of her dejection. "I wish to God I might tell you," 
 Mademoiselle von Marwitz said. "I have a far greater wish to 
 speak than your Royal Highness has to hear ; but I have sworn 
 a terrible oath to keep silent. All I may say is that it con- 
 cerns you." Her whole manner and tone alarmed me. I 
 could not in the least make out what she could possibly mean. 
 I tried to get at the truth by cross-questioning her, but at ev- 
 ery fresh question I put she shook her head. At last she said 
 it had to do with the Margrave. " Do you mean to say that 
 he intends to marry ?" I exclaimed. She made a sign in the 
 affirmative. " But with whom ?" I asked ; " and how comes 
 it that you are the first to hear of it? Without telling me in 
 so many words what and who it is, you can tell me by signs." 
 Mademoiselle von Marwitz jumped up from her chair, ran across 
 the room, seized a pencil, and wrote at some length on the wall, 
 after which she left me. I had already become very uncom- 
 fortable, but when I read the words she had written I was 
 petrified. 
 
 " I went this morning to see my Aunt Flora " (that was the 
 Christian name of Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld's sister, and I 
 shall for the future always call her by it in these memoirs). " I 
 found her very busy and very silent. I asked her what was 
 the matter, to which she replied that she had many things on 
 her mind, which would, if I knew them, greatly surprise me. 
 On my entreating her to explain what she meant, she answered 
 that she would confide her secret to me on condition of my 
 swearing not to divulge it. I gave her the required promise. 
 My aunt Flora now told me that ever since we had left for 
 In-iTm the Margrave had begun to pay her marked attention ; 
 that he had become so attached to her that he was determined
 
 AfiaiOTRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 331 
 
 to marry her. He intended raising her to the rank of a count- 
 ess in the empire (Reichsgrafin), so that after her marriage she 
 might be on an equality with other princesses. In this case 
 he would leave Baireuth for good and establish himself entire- 
 ly at Himmelscron. He would settle a large dowry on her, and 
 some place out of the principality, so that she should be safe from 
 any possible unpleasantness that might arise through the hered- 
 itary prince. The Margrave had only waited till his son's fu- 
 neral was over to inform your Royal Highness of his intentions 
 himself. I told my aunt that neither your Royal Highness nor 
 the hereditary prince would ever consent to this marriage, and 
 that the king would support you in your opposition to it; that 
 her sister, your governess, would have to leave the Court ; that 
 she would be miserable forever afterwards, and that I could not 
 believe she could place any reliance in such phantasms. 
 
 '"These are no phantasms,' my aunt replied; 'I cannot see 
 why I should not accept the happiness offered me. What 
 wrong am I doing the hereditary princess or her husband? If 
 the Margrave does not marry me he will marry some one else, 
 and, after all, he need ask for no one's consent.' ' But if you 
 have children ?' I continued . . . . ' If I have children I shall 
 die, but I shall have none ; I am too old for that.' ' Take care 
 what you are about, and do not treat this matter lightly, for it 
 may have terrible consequences for you,' I answered. ' Pah !' 
 cried my aunt, ' you are young, and are alarmed without any 
 cause. I am sorry now that I have told you anything about it. 
 At least be good enough to keep my secret. I must now go to 
 Himmelscron, where I shall find my sister, who knows nothing, 
 and to whom 1 must break the news.' " 
 
 I never was more surprised at anything in my life, and end- 
 less thoughts crossed my mind. The time was, however, short : 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld was to come next day, as well as 
 the Margrave, who would probably tell me the whole of this 
 beautiful story. I rubbed out what Mademoiselle von Marwitz 
 had written on the wall, and then sent for my husband, to whom
 
 332 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 I told the fatal secret. We were both, so to speak, on the 
 rack, and did not know what to do. 
 
 I was so upset and so totally unable to regain my compos- 
 ure that I excused myself from appearing at dinner on the plea 
 of indisposition. Neither my husband nor I could sleep all 
 night, but kept walking up and down our room. The matter 
 was far too serious in every aspect. First of all, it was no 
 honor to have a step-mother of inferior rank ; secondly, such a 
 step-mother might do us and the country endless harm, and 
 bring about fresh misunderstandings between the Margrave and 
 ourselves ; thirdly, my governess, whom I loved almost as if 
 she were my mother, and who was devoted to me, would, as 
 well as Flora von Sonnsfeld, be obliged to leave me. They 
 would be miserably unhappy, as the king would be sure to send 
 for them to Berlin and imprison them. And then, fourthly, 
 the whole circumstance would do me harm in the eyes of the 
 world, as people would naturally think I had been deceived. 
 No one would for a moment believe that my governess and her 
 sister had not both agreed to befool me. All this made me 
 quite ill ; and though I did all I could to preserve my compos- 
 ure outwardly, "Aunt Flora" could not help observing next 
 day that I was mortally wounded. She induced the Margrave 
 not to speak with me for the present, saying she did not con- 
 sider the moment propitious. She reproached Mademoiselle von 
 Marwitz bitterly for having spoken to me; but the latter was 
 able to pacify her, and obtain her confidence anew. 
 
 Flora enjoyed talking of her future high position. "As 
 step-mother, I shall be able to claim precedence of her Royal 
 Highness, and the Margrave has promised to obtain that right 
 for me. All the same, I shall never forget the respect due to 
 the hereditary princess, and shall try to be of what use I can 
 to her. I shall wait for a little while longer before I tell her 
 everything, and the Margrave intends doing the same. We 
 shall try and flatter her, in order to win her consent to our 
 wishes."
 
 MEMOIltS OF THE MAKUKAVINK OF ISAIHKU'J H. 333 
 
 Mademoiselle von Marwitz told me all this. After much re- 
 flection I determined to tell my governess all about it; but in 
 order to shield Mademoiselle von Marwitz I gave out that an 
 anonymous note had informed me of the matter. Mademoi- 
 selle von Sonnsfeld was ferocious when I told her, and declared 
 it was a malicious invention of her enemies to ruin her and her 
 family. However, when I gave her proofs of all I had said 
 she grew calmer. I called her attention to the constant visits 
 the Margrave paid her sister, and to his marked attentions to 
 her. My governess raised her hands to heaven with sobs and 
 tears. She was so angry that she at first wanted to demand an 
 interview with the Margrave. Then she thought of resigning 
 and taking her sister away with her. However, this did not 
 suit my views, and I persuaded her we could put an end to this 
 intrigue only by using gentle remonstrances. She at last gave 
 way to my wishes. Flora came again several times to Himmels- 
 cron, where Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld could not resist teas- 
 ing her about her long and frequent interviews with the Mar- 
 grave. 
 
 We returned to Baireuth on the 20th of December. Madem- 
 oiselle von Sonnsfeld could now no longer keep silent, and treat- 
 ed her sister pitilessly, and told her I was fully aware of all her 
 intrigues. Flora was not clever; and, as she had been educated 
 by her sister, was in great awe of her. She therefore made 
 a full confession to Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld. She even 
 showed her the Margrave's letters, in which he promised to 
 make ample provision for her in case of his death. The letters 
 were all written in most flattering terms. As soon as my gov- 
 erness had read these she told Flora to accompany her to my 
 room and show me them, and then to write to the Margrave 
 
 ' O 
 
 in my presence breaking off the engagement. If she refused 
 to do this she would at once act alone, and would assuredly 
 find other means by which to remove her from Baireuth. The 
 linn manner in which Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld spoke to 
 her frightened Flora. She therefore came to me and told me
 
 334 MEMOIUS OF THIS MAIMiliAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 all the circumstances. She tried to make believe that she 
 had never meant to accept the Margrave's offer. I appeared 
 as if I believed this, and spoke kindly and gently to her, yet 
 making her clearly understand that I would never consent to 
 the marriage. My husband promised to provide for her, at 
 the same time repeating what I had said. " You can never 
 be princess," I said to her; "the emperor alone could raise you 
 to that rank, and he has far too much consideration for the 
 king to do anything which would displease him. You there- 
 fore see that the whole thing is impossible." Flora promised 
 me to write to the Margrave that he must once for all give up 
 his intention. As she could, however, from her great influence 
 with him be of considerable use to us, she determined to ap- 
 proach him carefully, in order to prevent any serious rupture 
 between them. She kept her word, and there was happily an 
 end to this unpleasant business. 
 
 Mademoiselle Flora von Sonnsfeld is only five feet in height, 
 very stout, and larne. In her youth she is said to have been a 
 great beauty, but the chicken-pox had so disfigured her that 
 she could no longer lay claim to it. In spite of this, however, 
 her face is attractive, and her eyes are so full of cleverness that 
 they mislead you. Her head being too large for her body gives 
 her the appearance of a dwarf, but the rest of her figure pre- 
 sents nothing remarkable. She has grace and dignity, and her 
 manners denote that she has lived in the world. She has an 
 excellent heart, and is gentle and anxious to be of use to others. 
 In a word, there is nothing to find fault with in her character. 
 Her conduct was always irreproachable, but Heaven had not 
 endowed her with consistency. A certain amount of knowl- 
 edge of the world enabled her to hide this fault, which became 
 apparent only on intimate acquaintance. The advantages of- 
 fered her by the Margrave had dazzled her, ambition and self- 
 ishness had misled her, and her narrowness of intellect had not 
 enabled her to forsce the results. 
 
 My health still continued indifferent. I no longer had con-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BA1REUTH. 335 
 
 slant fever, though it returned at night. I was, however, able 
 to receive company, though doing so did not amuse me. I 
 was always low spirited, though I did my utmost to appear 
 cheerful in the presence of others. My illness was greatly the 
 cause of my melancholy, but the annoyance I had had while 
 at Berlin had quite as much to do with it. I had got into a 
 habit of sitting silent, pondering over things. 
 
 Prince William's death had left his regiment in the Imperial 
 army without a commander. The Margrave was advised to 
 ask that it might be given to the hereditary prince. Margrave 
 George William had raised the regiment upon the condition 
 that it should always belong to the family. My father-in-law 
 desired me to write to the empress on the subject. I received 
 a most gracious answer from her, and the request was granted. 
 The hereditary prince was delighted, for he was devoted to 
 soldiering. 
 
 We were at the beginning of the Carnival. Mademoiselle 
 von Marwitz did her utmost to cheer me, and proposed that 1 
 should arrange a masquerade. My husband, who loved amuse- 
 ment, urged me to obtain the Margrave's permission for the 
 purpose. This was not so easy, for my father-in-law disliked 
 all gayeties. It was a matter of conscience with him, and his 
 chaplain, who was very pious, encouraged him in this view. 
 Flora von Sonnsfeld, with whom we spoke of our wish, managed 
 so well that the Margrave himself proposed my giving this ball. 
 He asked me to undertake all the arrangements, and made only 
 one condition, viz., that he need not wear a mask. This kind 
 of fete is known only in Germany. A host and hostess arc 
 represented, and the other guests act the part of the different 
 trades and guilds of the country, all wearing masks. 
 
 I had the large ballroom transformed into a wood, with a 
 village and an inn at the end of it. The house was built of 
 bark, and the roof covered with tiny lamps. In the interior 
 of it a table was laid for twenty people, having a centre-piece 
 with a fountain. The ball commenced after dinner. Every
 
 336 MEMOIRS OF THE MAUGUAVINE OF BAIREDTH. 
 
 one else was charmed with it, but I was only bored ; for my 
 father-in-law never left me in peace, but insisted on holding 
 long moral discussions with me. He prevented my speaking 
 to any of my guests, of whom there were many whose con- 
 versation I should have enjoyed. 
 
 The following Sunday the Margrave's almoner preached a 
 long sermon on the sinfulness of this ball, and publicly called 
 us all to order. Although he openly spared the Margrave, he 
 reproached him so bitterly in private for having consented to 
 the masquerade that my poor father-in-law thought himself 
 condemned to all eternity. lie promised solemnly that such 
 festivities should never take place again, upon which his chap- 
 lain gave him absolution. But this was not sufficient ; the 
 Margrave wished my husband to take a similar oath, which he, 
 however, found means of evading, to the great displeasure 
 of his father. A circumstance arising at that time only 
 strengthened the Margrave in his superstitious views, and 
 might have resulted in his adopting the life of a Trappist, 
 had not iny husband brought the deception practised on him 
 to light. 
 
 Since Prince William's death a general panic existed on the 
 subject of ghosts. Every day some fresh absurd story was 
 circulated of persons and things supposed to have been seen 
 and heard in the castle. Each story was more improbable 
 than the last. The anxiety about my health seemed to have 
 called a real ghost of flesh and blood into existence. It often 
 happens that what you most wish you are at last inclined to 
 believe as a fact. A rumor was set on foot in the town that I 
 was expecting to be confined; but as I was aware what had 
 caused this I took to riding, partly as an amusement and part- 
 ly because the doctors considered it good for my health. The 
 Margrave had given me a charming easy black horse. As 
 I was still very weak my ride never exceeded a quarter of 
 an hour. Anything out of the common is sure to meet with 
 disapprobation. The custom of ladies riding on horseback,
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 337 
 
 which was so common in England and France, was unknown 
 in Germany. Every one exclaimed against it, and hence the 
 stories of ghosts arose. After a little while Chamberlain von 
 Rcitzenstein was informed that a figure of supernatural size 
 appeared every evening in the castle, saying these words in a 
 terrible voice : " Tell the highest lady in the land that if she 
 continues to ride a black horse some dreadful misfortune will 
 overtake her. Tell her that she must on no account be seen 
 outside her room for six weeks." 
 
 M. von Reitzenstein, himself the most superstitious of mor- 
 tals, at once informed the Margrave of this fact ; the conse- 
 quence being that I received an order on no account to leave 
 the castle or to be seen out riding. My annoyance was ex- 
 treme, particularly at the absurd reason which had caused this 
 prohibition. I represented to the Margrave that the whole 
 circumstance was the purest invention ; and my husband in- 
 sisted so seriously on its being so that he obtained his father's 
 command to sift the whole matter. The hereditary prince 
 thereupon had a watch kept at every entrance in the castle at 
 which the ghost was said to show itself, but without result. 
 The supernatural being seemed to have been informed of the 
 measures taken against it, for it did not appear. The heredi- 
 tary prince at length had a secret interview with the instigator 
 of the whole fraud, and promised her (for a woman it was) a 
 large sum of money if she would say who it was. The poor 
 woman took a" lantern with her, but had only time to look for 
 one moment at the apparition when it threw some poison at 
 her which blinded her for life. According to her information, 
 the person who represented the ghost had nutshells over her 
 eyes, and was tightly swathed in white linen sheets. The 
 Margrave's superstitious piety, or rather his bad humor with 
 us, was not in any way appeased by this discovery. The 
 hereditary prince deemed it advisable, in order to avoid any 
 possible misunderstanding between us and his father, to leave 
 Baireuth for a short while. We owed the Margrave of Afls- 
 22
 
 338 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 pach a visit ; so we took this opportunity of paying it, and 
 left for Auspach on the 21st of January. 
 
 It seemed almost as if the prediction of the ghost were to 
 conic true. In driving down a very steep road the front 
 wheel of our carriage came off, and we were nearly flung head- 
 long down a precipice. My husband, my governess, and Mad- 
 emoiselle von Marwitz had managed to get out of the car- 
 riage, and my servants, who were holding it back, thought I 
 had done the same. They let go their hold, and I should have 
 been killed had I not jumped out. In doing so I fell down, 
 and must have been crushed by the wheels had I not been ex- 
 tricated by a Prussian who was with us. Having had some 
 wine to strengthen me after this fright, we continued our 
 journey. 
 
 A thaw had set in with the night, but the sun was required 
 to melt the ice in the shade. Our road led across a river, which 
 was frozen over. As soon, however, as we got on it the ice 
 gave way, and carriage and horses stuck fast. We were at 
 length pulled out by the aid of ropes, and narrowly escaped 
 drowning. 
 
 At length we reached Baiersdorf, where we spent the night. 
 I was more dead than alive from fatigue and the terror of the 
 narrow escapes we had had. We reached Anspach next even- 
 ing. My reception there resembled that given me on the oc- 
 casion of my first visit; and as I described the Court on that 
 occasion I will not stop to do so again. We returned to Bai- 
 reuth on the 10th of February, having left Anspach on the 8th. 
 
 New troubles awaited us on our return home. At the time 
 of my marriage a treaty had been made between the king and 
 the Margrave, by which rny father obtained the right to levy 
 three Prussian regiments in the principality, viz., my brother's, 
 the hereditary prince's, and the Prince of Anhalt's. ' M. von 
 Miinichovv, the recruiting-officer at Baireuth, was a young man 
 who stood high in my brother's favor. lie was a son of the 
 Miuiichow who had been of such service to the crown prince
 
 MEMOIltS OF THE MAKGRAVINK OF iiAIUEUTH. 339 
 
 during his imprisonment at Kiistrin, and had been specially 
 recommended to my husband's notice. He was a good young 
 man, but had certainly not invented gunpowder. lie met us 
 at Streitberg, where we were to dine, and announced to my 
 husband the fact of his having enlisted a young man over six 
 feet in height. This giant belonged to Bamberg, and had in- 
 tended joining another regiment. M. von Miinichow had, there- 
 fore, taken him by force and brought him secretly to Pasewalk, 
 without any one's finding it out. He added that the man was 
 a great rascal, who would do no good otherwise. He there- 
 fore thought the occurrence would make no great stir. 
 
 The hereditary prince told me of this feat of Miinichow's, 
 and I at once foresaw the annoyance it would cause us. My 
 husband told Miinichow of my apprehensions; but he reas- 
 sured him greatly, by telling him of all the precautions he had 
 taken in the matter. We therefore hoped that the whole 
 transaction would remain a secret. The Margrave received us 
 so kindly on our arrival at Baireuth that I quite thought he 
 had heard nothing, and he left in a most amiable mood for 
 llimmelscron on the 12th of February. We therefore had ev- 
 ery reason to think the circumstance was past and forgotten, 
 when M. von Voit had us awakened at midnight, demanding 
 most urgently to speak with us. lie told us that Councillor 
 Lauterbach (a man of no particular social position) had been to 
 see him towards dusk. He had asked him to inform us that 
 he had just come from llimmelscron, where he had left the 
 Margrave in a greater state of rage than he had ever seen him 
 in before. He had found out what Miinichow had done, sus- 
 pected the hereditary prince of being concerned in it, and had 
 sworn revenge of the most summary kind. The Margrave in- 
 tended to come to town next day, and Lauterbach warned us 
 to take our precautions, as everything was to be feared for my 
 husband. 
 
 This intelligence caused us a deadly fear. We consulted 
 and deliberated in vain ; we could find no means of escape
 
 340 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 from the difficulty. Nothing remained to the hereditary prince 
 but to bow to the inevitable and submit. If this was of no 
 use, then all was lost. We spent a cruel night. 
 
 As soon as it was morning I sent for Mademoiselle von 
 Sonnsfeld, and we consulted afresh what was to be done, but 
 equally without result. At last we spoke to Flora von Sonnsfeld. 
 She promised to use all the influence she possessed with the 
 Margrave to mediate in the matter. She feared, however, 
 that she would be able to do but little. We took so little 
 trouble at any time to give the Margrave pleasure, she said, 
 that we could not be surprised if he treated us as he did. I 
 asked her to explain what she meant by this remark, as I did 
 not understand it. I could not remember that the hereditary 
 prince or I had ever failed in consideration towards my father- 
 in-law. Flora shrugged her shoulders and remained silent. I 
 knew perfectly well what she meant, but I wished to oblige 
 her to speak more clearly. She did not know what answer to 
 make, and therefore merely replied that I turned him into ridi- 
 cule, and treated him like some one who was not quite in his 
 right mind. " If I have ever said that the Margrave was not," 
 I replied, " I spoke the truth. But I made this remark only 
 in the presence of people who I was sure would make no bad 
 use of it, like your sister and yourself. I admit that the Mar- 
 grave has now good cause to be angry. I entirely disapproved 
 of Miinichow's proceeding, and should not blame my father- 
 in-law if he found fault with his son about it, as long as he 
 refrained from violence, which would place him completely in 
 the wrong." 
 
 I spent the whole afternoon in a great state of agitation. 
 I knew what the Margrave's fits of rage would be, and that in 
 the first heat of the moment he was capable of anything. He 
 arrived at five o'clock. My husband received him at the foot 
 of the stairs, and accompanied him to his room. My father- 
 in-law was most affectionate and kind in his manner towards 
 the hereditary prince, and conversed for an hour with him.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 341 
 
 He then dismissed him, saying he had some business to trans- 
 act, after which he would come and see me. My husband re- 
 turned quite triumphant to me after this interview. He spoke 
 of his father in Flora's presence in the highest terms of praise. 
 He said he should never forget the temperate manner in which 
 the Margrave had spoken with him on this occasion. Although 
 he the hereditary prince was quite innocent of Miinichow's 
 high-handed proceeding, yet he felt the wrong that had been 
 done far more keenly than if his father had been violent with 
 him. But this peaceful atmosphere was soon disturbed, and 
 we heard that M. von Miinichow and two sergeants had been 
 arrested and imprisoned. 
 
 I remembered that not long before this occurrence the 
 Dutch had shot a Prussian officer whom they had caught re- 
 cruiting on their territory, and I remembered, too, that the 
 Margrave had expressed his approval of their action. I there- 
 fore had but little doubt that Miinichow would suffer the same 
 fate. I trembled at the possibility, for I foresaw what dread- 
 ful results it would have. As I was considering what could 
 possibly be done to prevent so dangerous a step my father-in- 
 law entered my room. He was extremely gracious, while I 
 was greatly agitated. As we were just going to dinner we 
 only spoke of trivial matters. After dinner was over I ap- 
 proached my father-in-law, saying to him, " Your Highness has 
 every right to be extremely angry with M. von Miinichow. 
 The hereditary prince blames him as much as I do. Still, as 
 his arrest will cause the king extreme annoyance, I implore your 
 Highness to set him at liberty for my sake. It is the first fa- 
 vor I have ever asked of you, and I feel convinced you will 
 not refuse it me." The Margrave listened to me coldly, and 
 then replied in a most arrogant tone, "Your Royal Highness 
 is always demanding favors of me which I cannot grant. The 
 proceeding is a monstrous one. The man whom Miinichow 
 has carried off is a Catholic priest. He was bound and most 
 cruelly treated, and that even in my presence. I shall have
 
 342 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 
 
 endless trouble with the Bishop of Bamberg, and I cannot 
 stand being treated with so great a want of respect. If my 
 son has had any hand in it, I almost wish he had never been 
 born, or had been strangled in his cradle. I am master here, 
 and I will make my power felt by all who forget what is due 
 to me and my position." 
 
 " Nobody has, I think, ever ventured to doubt that," I an- 
 swered. " I should be in utter despair if I thought your 
 Highness imagined the hereditary prince had anything to do 
 with this unfortunate affair." " I do not think he has," the 
 Margrave said, " but my son would have done better to have 
 himself informed me of all that occurred. I also quite think 
 that Munichow represented it all to him in a different light." 
 
 " I quite agree," I answered ; " but may I venture to make 
 one more remark ?" " Yon can say everything you wish," he 
 replied. " Well, then, will your Highness let mercy gain the 
 day, and will you set Munichow free to-morrow ? Let his arrest 
 be sufficient satisfaction for his fault. The hereditary prince 
 will dismiss him at once. Munichow is my brother's great fa- 
 vorite, and the crown prince is bound to his family by many 
 ties of gratitude. My brother would, I know, be everlastingly 
 grateful to your Highness if he knew that you had given Mu- 
 nichow his liberty on account of the services rendered to him." 
 My father-in-law interrupted me here by saying, " I beg your 
 Royal Highness not to continue this conversation, and to say 
 nothing more on the subject. I am the best judge of my own 
 actions, and have the honor to wish you a very good-night." 
 With these words the Margrave turned on his heel, leaving me 
 standing dumb with surprise. 
 
 My husband found me quite upset by the interview. We 
 both expected the worst. The hereditary prince was greatly 
 irritated with his father, and I was not less so. The Margrave 
 was certainly justified in resenting Miinichow's conduct; still, 
 he ought to have behaved differently. He ought to have spo- 
 ken to his son about it, arrested Munichow, and then granted
 
 MEMOIRS OP TltR MARGRAVINE OP BA1REUTH. 343 
 
 my request for his freedom. The falseness with which the 
 Margrave behaved was unpardonable, and only proved the real 
 state of his feelings towards us, which were certainly not those 
 of friendship. Miinichow was tried publicly. He emphatically 
 denied having ill-used his recruit, and equally denied ever hav- 
 ing heard the man was a priest, as he had never worn the 
 priest's habit. Miinichow was cross-questioned several times, 
 bat without any further information being obtained from him. 
 Flora had been able to obtain nothing from the Margrave, and 
 I therefore determined to give out that I was ill, and took to 
 my bed. Everything was tried to move my father-in-law. He 
 was told I was ill from the sorrow and trouble this occurrence 
 had caused. He merely laughed when he heard it. 
 
 Up till now I had endeavored by gentleness to bring the 
 matter to a favorable issue. Hearing, however, that Miinichow 
 was strictly guarded and treated like a criminal, I thought the 
 time had arrived for energetic measures. I therefore sent for 
 Baron Stein, and explained to him what disastrous results the 
 Margrave's behavior would have should he deal violently with 
 Munichow. I gave him such a wholesome fear of the king 
 and his anger that he promised to do all he could to pacify 
 the Margrave. Terribly frightened by what I had told him, he 
 rushed to his master, and put him into such a state of terror 
 that he at once set Munichow free. 
 
 My father-in-law desired Baron Stein to tell me that he did 
 not insist on Miinichow's dismissal, but that on the contrary 
 he would treat him civilly. He implored me to make his peace 
 with the king. I thanked the Margrave for the consideration 
 he had shown me in granting my request, and assured him my 
 husband would at once order Munichow to rejoin his regiment. 
 My husband, I said, did not wish to have people about him 
 that had the misfortune to offend his father. I promised to 
 explain the whole affair to the king, and felt sure that all would 
 soon be forgotten. My father-in-law did not seem delighted 
 with the part I had played. However, Miinichow took his de-
 
 344 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 parturc, and peace was re-established. The hereditary prince 
 was fortunate enough to induce the king to let the priest go. 
 My father-in-law, therefore, received every satisfaction he could 
 expect. 
 
 I had scarcely begun to breathe again, when new troubles 
 overtook me. These were caused by a letter from the king, in 
 which he informed me that, being bound by treaty to assist 
 the emperor with ten thousand men, he intended to take the 
 field himself, and join the army on the Rhine. He counted on 
 my husband's accompanying him, and wished me to speak 
 with the Margrave about it and obtain his consent. 
 
 My husband was burning to take part in the campaign, and 
 as lie had the king's support he did not despair of gaining his 
 father's leave. I, on the other hand, was much opposed to the 
 plan. I knew my husband's ambition to distinguish himself. 
 He loved soldiering passionately, and I was fearful of his ex- 
 posing himself unnecessarily, and of* some misfortune happen- 
 ing to him. He was my most precious earthly treasure : we 
 were one heart and one soul. Never were two people so 
 closely bound together as we were. Notwithstanding my 
 fears, I was obliged to show the king's letter to my father- 
 in-law. I managed, however, to deceive my husband, by 
 speaking first to the ministers, begging them to dissuade the 
 Margrave from giving his consent. This gave me but little 
 trouble. 
 
 My husband was now the Margrave's only son. The minis- 
 ters were much opposed to the king's wishes, and promised to 
 use their influence with the Margrave to prevent the plan bring 
 carried out. Having, therefore, arranged matters to ray satis- 
 faction, I now spoke to my father-in-law. He seemed rather put 
 out, and said he would think the matter over. The hereditary 
 prince moved heaven and earth to obtain his father's consent. 
 Nobody, however, would help him, and the Margrave was not 
 to be induced to grant the permission. All the country's hopes 
 were centred in my husband, and every one opposed the idea
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 345 
 
 of his taking part in the war. This reply quieted the king for 
 a while, and laid ray fears to rest. 
 
 I have not for some time mentioned my sister-in-law, Prin- 
 cess Charlotte. She was completely mad, and fit only to be 
 shut up. At times she had most violent paroxysms of rage, 
 and her father was then obliged to beat her. Nobody could 
 manage her. She appeared twice daily in public, and was then 
 closely watched all the time. The Duke of Weimar had long 
 wished to marry her. He was one of the most powerful of 
 the Saxon princes of the time. He was almost as mad as Prin- 
 cess Charlotte, so that they suited each other perfectly. He 
 had a picture painted of the Princess by Dobener, and although 
 it was a most unfavorable likeness, he was enchanted with it. 
 He formally proposed to the Margrave for Princess Charlotte's 
 hand, and made only one condition, viz., that the matter 
 should not be talked of tilHie himself came to Baireuth. The 
 Margrave at once consented, as can easily be understood, and 
 the preparations for the wedding were taken in hand. 
 
 Princess Wilhelmine, who had not been able to make up her 
 mind to go to Denmark, had meanwhile married the Prince of 
 East Friesland. But to return to the Duke of Weimar. He 
 came, like Nicodemus, by night, and announced his arrival only 
 a few hours before he made his appearance. He also gave 
 notice of the Duke of Coburg's visit, which annoyed us a good 
 deal. lie was the Duke of Weimar's next heir, and we feared 
 he came to Baireuth in order to prevent the marriage. Both 
 dukes arrived the same evening. As my father-in-law hated 
 guests, as well as society of any kind, he desired me to do the 
 honors, and instructed his Court to take all orders from me. 
 The royal dukes were at once brought to me. The Duke of 
 Weimar was small and very thin. He was most civil and cour- 
 teous, and I could then discover nothing singular about him. 
 He took a great deal of notice of Princess Charlotte, who was 
 as beautiful as an angel. The Duke of Coburg was tall and 
 well-proportioned ; he was very clever, and full of good-sense.
 
 346 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 He deserved the respect of everybody for his many great quali- 
 ties of heart and mind. 
 
 Next day the Duke of Weimar showed himself in his true 
 light. He conversed with me for two hours, telling me such 
 barefaced lies as he could only have learned in the " devil's 
 school." He never sent any message to the Margrave, which 
 greatly disquieted my father-in-law, who entreated me for God's 
 sake to get the marriage settled. " I do not wish to expose 
 myself to a refusal from the Duke of Weimar," he said to me ; 
 " your Royal Highness alone can settle this matter. I should be 
 in despair if the marriage were broken off. The honor of my 
 house and family would suffer from such a misfortune ; and it 
 might, besides, have disastrous results." 
 
 I gave in to the Margrave's entreaties, but found myself in a 
 great difficulty, as I did not in the least know how to induce 
 the duke to declare himself. 
 
 The Duke of Coburg, however, came to my assistance. He 
 asked the hereditary prince and myself for a private interview, 
 in which he told us that he was quite aware that we considered 
 him heir presumptive to the Duke of Weimar, and therefore 
 mistrusted his intentions in coming to Baireuth. That he had 
 come solely to help on the marriage, for the Duke of Weimar was 
 subject to fits of bad temper, was extremely stupid, and changed 
 his mind at least twenty times a day, so that we should never 
 arrive at a solution of the question in the ordinary way. He ad- 
 vised me to joke with the Duke of Weimar about the marriage, 
 and get him to declare himself, and then immediately announce 
 the betrothal. The Duke of Coburg said he would support me in 
 every way in his power; for the princess pleased him, and he was 
 sure that if I would do as he suggested the engagement would 
 be settled that very evening. My husband and I were most grate- 
 ful to him. The Duke of Coburg instructed me in my part, and 
 lugged the hereditary prince not to interfere, for he added, " The 
 I >uk<! of Weimar is fond of ladies, and her Royal Highness will 
 !>< ,-il>le to make him jump over the stick if she likes."
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAtREUTH. 347 
 
 The Margrave was now informed of all that had been settled. 
 I asked him to be in readiness to come to me as soon as I gave 
 him a sign, so that he might be a witness of the engagement 
 
 In the afternoon I at once began to " shuffle my cards." I 
 collected a band composed of every imaginable instrument of 
 trumpets, drums, fifes, bagpipes, horns, and what not besides 
 and the noise they made was almost deafening. The Duke of 
 Weimar soon fell a prey to the influence of such sounds. He 
 sprung from his chair, himself played the drum, danced, jumped 
 about the room, and behaved in the most ridiculous manner. 
 After dinner I led him to my room, accompanied by the Duke 
 of Coburg, Princess Charlotte, and my ladies. I talked to him 
 about the campaign on the Rhine, and said I thought it so 
 wrong of the emperor not to have appointed him to the com- 
 mand of the army. He answered me by making the most ex- 
 travagant remarks, and ended by saying he would join the army, 
 and he had everything in readiness. I replied, " I cannot ap- 
 prove of your intention. A prince like yourself should not be 
 allowed to expose himself. You have great expectations, and 
 may yet become Elector of Saxony. It would not matter how 
 many other princes were sacrificed, as long as you yourself are 
 spared." " That is true," the duke answered, " but I am born 
 to be a soldier." I now interrupted him by saying, " I know a 
 means by which all could be combined. You must marry and 
 soon have a son, and then you may take the field whenever you 
 choose." 
 
 " H'm !" he replied, " as regards women, there are enough of 
 those. I may see a hundred of them before I find one who 
 pleases me. At Hof three princesses and two countesses arc 
 sitting waiting for me ; but I like none of them, and shall send 
 them all away again. Your royal father was good enough to 
 propose yourself to me, and it only required my consent to 
 have married you. I did not know you, so I declined the offer 
 with thanks. I am now in despair that I did so. I worship 
 you, and am desperately in love with you !" " I am indeed
 
 348 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 distressed!" I exclaimed; "you have insulted me by declining 
 rny hand ! This is news indeed to me, and I am determined at 
 whatever cost to have satisfaction for it !" I acted as if I were 
 beside myself. The hereditary prince and my ladies with diffi- 
 culty restrained their laughter. At last the duke fell trembling 
 at my feet, uttering protestations of love and devotion, and as- 
 suring me of his readiness to give me every satisfaction I de- 
 manded of him. " Well, then," I cried, " nothing will satisfy 
 me but your marrying one of my relations. Will you do so ?" 
 " With all my heart," the duke answered ; " propose to me 
 whom yon like, and may the thunder fall on me if I do not 
 marry her at once." "I shall not require much time to find 
 you a wife," I replied; "for here is some one who is far more 
 beautiful and amiable than I am, and you will only gain by the 
 exchange." With these words I took my sister-in-law by the 
 hand and presented her to the duke. He wished to embrace 
 her, but she pushed him from her, and, as she did so, the duke 
 exclaimed, " Dear me, she is proud- indeed ! but she pleases me, 
 and I am more than satisfied." 
 
 I now sent in hot haste for the Margrave, and told him that 
 as soon as he came the rings should be exchanged. He ap- 
 peared a few moments later, and I at once told him that I had 
 been bold enough to arrange a marriage, and that all that was 
 now required was his consent to it. The Duke of Weimar had 
 so risen in my estimation that I had given him my word of 
 honor that he should obtain Princess Charlotte in marriage, 
 
 CT ' 
 
 and I hoped he would approve of the match. Instead of an- 
 swering me the Margrave stood there with open mouth, and 
 laughingly asked the duke how he felt? I thought the Duke 
 of Coburg, my husband, and I should have died of surprise and 
 disgust; for our fool of a duke now began a long conversation 
 with the Margrave, and seemed to have forgotten all about his 
 betrothal. We were obliged to begin our manoeuvres afresh. 
 At last we pressed the Margrave so hard that he obtained a 
 satisfactory declaration from the duke, and the engagement
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 349 
 
 was settled. The cannon were fired, and the whole Court and 
 the ladies from the town came to my room to offer their con- 
 gratulations. After this we all went to dinner, and in the 
 evening there was a ball. I retired to my room as soon as I 
 had danced with the Duke of Weimar. I was dead tired, and 
 my throat was quite sore from having had to speak so much. 
 
 Next morning M. von Comartin, who was in attendance on 
 the Duke of Weimar, asked to see me. He began by making 
 many excuses in having to bring me an unpleasant message. 
 The duke was like one bereft of his senses, insisted on leaving 
 instantly, and wished me to be informed that he did not want 
 to marry. He said he wished to remain unmarried, and that 
 all that had taken place yesterday had only been a joke. Co- 
 martin advised me to treat the whole matter with a very high 
 hand, and to behave as if it were a matter of perfect indiffer- 
 ence to me. I "answered M. von Comartin that I did not need 
 this advice ; that he should tell the duke from me that I 
 thought I had conferred a great honor on him by arranging 
 this marriage, but that I did not in the least care for his rela- 
 tionship, and should be delighted if he took his departure as 
 soon as possible. " Tell him also in my name," the hereditary 
 prince added, " that I shall be very glad to show him my satis- 
 faction at his behavior." 
 
 I informed the Margrave of what had happened, but begged 
 him to pretend to know nothing of it, as I still hoped to ar- 
 range matters. I was not disappointed in this. Comartin 
 came soon afterwards to see me again, to offer me his master's 
 apologies, and beg me to reconcile- him with my husband. The 
 duke now appeared himself. I pretended for a long time to 
 be very angry, but at last softened my manner towards him, 
 and my husband's wrath also gave way. We settled that the 
 wedding should take place next day, the 7th of April. 
 
 I dressed the princess in my own room. She wore a white 
 robe, and on her head was a ducal crown made of my own dia- 
 monds. Till this moment all had gone well, and my sister-in-
 
 350 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGRAVINE OF BAIKEUTII. 
 
 law bad remained quiet and composed. As I was, however, on 
 the point of placing the crown on her head she sprang from 
 her chair, and rushed screaming and crying from one room to 
 the other. She knelt in turn before each chair, as if to pray. 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, who had most power over her, 
 asked her what was the matter. The princess answered that 
 people wanted to murder her, and that she was surrounded by 
 enemies wishing to kill her. After some time we at last dis- 
 covered the cause of her terror. She had seen her brother's 
 coffin, and the same crown she was now going to wear had 
 lain on a cushion near it. We had the greatest trouble in the 
 world in pacifying her. 
 
 She looked most beautiful. As soon as she was ready 
 dressed the Margrave and the two dukes came to fetch her. 
 We led her first to the audience-chamber, where the deed of 
 renunciation was signed. The religious service was then per- 
 formed, after which there was a great banquet, followed by the 
 " Fackeltanz." * AVlien all was over I accompanied the bride to 
 her room to help her undress. My husband did the same with 
 the duke. The duke behaved in the strangest manner, and 
 kept us all up till four in the morning. 
 
 The late hours and the many fatigues had done my health 
 great harm, and in spite of every possible remedy I suffered 
 incessantly and most cruelly. 
 
 Next day we had fresh troubles. The duke complained of 
 his wife, and continued to do so all the rest of the time they 
 were at Baireuth. I would not interfere in their quarrels, and 
 left my husband to settle them. At last, to our great relief, 
 the newly married pair left on the 14th of April. I think we 
 should all have gone mad had they remained any longer. As 
 the duchess had no ladies of her own, I was very glad of the 
 excuse of letting Mademoiselle Flora von Sonnsfeld go with 
 her, and gave her six weeks' leave. The hereditary prince ac- 
 
 * A polonaise danced with torches.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGKAVINE OF BAIUEUT1I. 351 
 
 companied bis sister as far as Cobtirg, where he remained only 
 a few days. The Margrave went to Iliinmelscron, and the he- 
 reditary prince and I went later to the llermitage. I there 
 received a letter from the queen, which surprised me not a lit- 
 tle. She informed me that my youngest sister, Sophie, was 
 engaged to be married to the same Margrave of Schwedt who 
 had formerly been my destined husband. She praised the prince 
 in a most strange way, and said she would never have opposed 
 him so much at that time had she known him better. I mar- 
 velled at the changeableness of all earthly things, particularly 
 of the human heart. The Margrave of Schwedt had known 
 how to win the queen over to his side by reporting everything 
 to her that happened, till she at last consented to the marriage. 
 But no sooner was the engagement declared than he let fall 
 the mask and showed himself in his true colors. In conse- 
 quence of this I received another letter from my mother by 
 the following post, containing accounts of all the Margrave's 
 villanies. This marriage made me quite wretched, for I loved 
 my sister dearly. She was not beautiful, but her noble charac- 
 ter, gentleness, and a thousand other good qualities more than 
 counterbalanced that deficiency. She knew how to manage 
 her husband so cleverly that he treated her like a lamb. Nev- 
 ertheless, she was not able to cure him of his faults, and he re- 
 mained what he had ever been. They were, however, very hap- 
 py together in spite of everything, and he behaved like an angel 
 to his wife. 
 
 My fears that my husband would, after all, join the army on 
 the Rhine began afresh. He tried secretly to obtain the Mar- 
 grave's consent; I, on the other hand, did my utmost to pre- 
 vent his doing so. In this way we cheated each other. I re- 
 ceived a second letter from the king on the subject which 
 annoyed me terribly. Its contents were as follows : 
 
 " MY DEAR DAUGHTER, I leave in six weeks for the Rhine. 
 My son and my cousins accompany me, my son-in-law should
 
 352 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 also do so. Is he to remain planting cabbages at Baircuth 
 while all other princes of the empire take part in the war? 
 He will appear like an arrant coward in the eyes of the whole 
 world. The Margrave's reasons against his going are all ground- 
 less. You must force him to consent; he insults his son if he 
 prevents his taking part in the campaign. Let me have an 
 early answer, and believe me," etc. 
 
 Oh, heavens! I can never describe what I felt while read- 
 ing this letter! I burst into tears. The hereditary prince 
 spoke very seriously with me about it, and said that his father's 
 continual opposition to his serving in the war would force him 
 to do so without his consent. I answered my husband that 
 all he could expect of me was that I should not oppose his 
 wishes, but that I could not be asked to try and induce his 
 father to let him go. I sent the king's letter to the Margrave. 
 He asked me to return to Baireuth, where there were many 
 important things to be discussed with me, and where he intend- 
 ed summoning a Council of State. I accordingly returned to 
 Baireuth on the 14th of June. The Margrave showed me a 
 letter from the king, written much in the same strain as that 
 which I had received, and also one from Count von Seckendorf. 
 He implored the Margrave, for God's sake, to give in to the 
 king's wishes, as his opposition would cause him only endless 
 disagreeables. The campaign would anyhow not last long, 
 on account of the season of the year being far advanced. He 
 hoped to send the prince back to him before the end of. the 
 year well and strong, and crowned with honors. My father- 
 in-law asked me what I thought of all this. I answered that I 
 left the whole matter in his hands. He was the father, and I 
 was sure he would consider all sides of the case before he came 
 to a final decision. The Margrave seemed very uneasy. The 
 whole country was, in fact, opposed to the hereditary prince 
 1 ;iking part in the war. People said openly that should the 
 Margrave let his son go it would be a proof that he did not
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGKAV1NE OF BAIREUTII. 353 
 
 care for him. My father-in-law therefore answered the king 
 that his proposition was so serious and grave that he must 
 take it into earnest consideration. My husband was terribly 
 put out by his father's want of decision, and urged him daily 
 to grant his request. 
 
 The king had meanwhile left to join the army. My brother 
 and all the princes followed him a few days later. The king 
 had gone by way of Cleves, but my brother wrote me word he 
 should pass through Baireuth. As the king had, however, 
 strictly forbidden him to stop there, he begged me to meet him 
 on the 2d of July at Berneck, two miles from Baireuth, where 
 he should make a halt of an hour. I took good care not to 
 lose this opportunity of seeing my beloved brother, and started 
 quite early in the morning for Berneck, accompanied by my 
 governess, M. von Voit, and M. von Seckendorf. My husband, 
 attended by my Chamberlain and Baron Stein, followed us, to 
 welcome the crown prince in the Margrave's name. We ar- 
 rived at ten o'clock at Berneck. The heat was intense, and I 
 was very tired with the journey. I waited in the house pre- 
 pared for my brother's reception till three o'clock in the after- 
 noon. A fearful thunder-storm came on. I never witnessed 
 one more terrible. The thunder resounded among the rocks 
 which surround Berneck till the world seemed approaching its 
 end. A perfect deluge of rain followed on the thunder. It 
 struck four o'clock, and yet my brother never came. I could 
 not understand what had happened to him, while the different 
 people I had sent on horseback to look for him did not return 
 either. At last, in spite of all my entreaties, my husband 
 started off in quest of my brother. 
 
 I waited till nine o'clock in the evening in this painful state 
 of anxiety, and no one appeared. My fears grew greater each 
 moment. These tremendous rains are very dangerous in mount- 
 ainous districts, and are often the cause of fatal accidents. I 
 was therefore persuaded that some misfortune had happened to 
 both the crown prince and the hereditary prince. At length I 
 23
 
 354 MEMOJUS OF THE MAKGKAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 heard that my brother had changed his route, and had gone to 
 Culnibach, where he intended spending the night, and I wished 
 to join him there. Culmbach is four miles* from Berneck, 
 and the road leading there is very bad and almost dangerous, 
 being very precipitous. Everybody was opposed to my going 
 there, and whether I wished it or not, I was put into the car- 
 riage and taken back to Himmelscron. We had a narrow 
 escape of being drowned on the way. The streams were so 
 swollen by the rain that the horses had to swim through them. 
 
 At length I reached Himmelscron at midnight. Half dead 
 from fear and fatigue, I threw myself on my bed. I was 
 haunted by the dread that some accident must have happened 
 to my brother and my husband. The hereditary prince ar- 
 rived at four o'clock, without, however, bringing me any tid- 
 ings of my brother. Somewhat pacified by my husband's 
 return I fell asleep, but was -awakened almost directly by a 
 message that M. von Knobelsdorf wished to speak to me, hav- 
 ing been sent by my brother. I jumped up at once from my 
 bed and rushed to meet him. He informed me that my broth- 
 er had only expected me next day, and had therefore stopped 
 to rest at Ilof. If I liked, he would meet me at some spot near 
 Baireuth, which he would reach at eight o'clock, and remain 
 there a few hours to see me. No time was therefore left for 
 sleep. I ordered my carriage and started to join the crown 
 prince. 
 
 My brother overwhelmed me with affection. He found me 
 in a deplorable condition, and so altered he could hardly help 
 crying. I could scarcely stand I was so weak, and fainted 
 constantly. He told me that the king was greatly irritated 
 against the Margrave because lie would not allow his son to 
 take part in the campaign. I explained all my father-in-law's 
 reasons to my brother, and defended his actions in the matter. 
 " Very well, then," the prince replied, " your husband must 
 
 * Eight English miles.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 355 
 
 leave the army, and give up the command of his regiment to 
 the king. At the same time, you need have been in no anx- 
 iety, for I know from reliable sources that no blood will be 
 shed." "Yet for all that," I added, "preparations are being 
 made to lay siege to Philippsburg." " That is true," he an- 
 swered, "but no battle will be fought there." While we were 
 talking my husband joined us, and entreated my brother to 
 help him to get away from Baireuth. They both stood talking 
 together for some time. My brother told me afterwards that 
 he would write the Margrave a very civil letter, and place the 
 matter in such a light before him that it could not fail to have 
 good results. " We will remain together," he added, turning 
 to my husband ; " nothing will make me happier than to have 
 my dear brother always about me." The crown prince wrote 
 his letter, and gave it to Baron Stein to deliver to the Mar- 
 grave, after which we took a tender farewell of each other. 
 My brother promised me to obtain the king's leave to pay me 
 a visit at Baireuth on his return. This was the last time I saw 
 him in the same intimate way as of old. He changed greatly 
 afterwards. 
 
 We returned to Baireuth, and I was for three days after- 
 wards so ill that my life was almost despaired of. I recovered, 
 however, for a time, but the low fever I suffered from con- 
 tinued worse than ever. 
 
 I have not mentioned Mademoiselle Flora von Sonnsfeld for 
 some time. She had returned from Weimar, where she had 
 left the duke and duchess very happily and peacefully estab- 
 lished. I had always flattered myself that the Margrave's pas- 
 sion for her would cool down during her absence ; but I had 
 reckoned without my host, for on her return he became more 
 in love with her than ever. His affection for her knew no 
 bounds ; he spent the whole day with his lady-love, preached 
 moral sermons to her, and contented himself by kissing her 
 hands. Every day he put on a new coat, and had his few re- 
 maining hairs dressed so as to appear younger. If he were
 
 356 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 prevented seeing her, notes were rained down upon her, and 
 these were so tender, and at the same time so senseless, that 
 they disgusted the reader. He declared he intended to marry 
 her, and that his intentions were of the most honorable kind. 
 Anyhow, the whole proceeding displeased us extremely. Flora 
 loved the Margrave as much as he did her, and I foresaw that 
 she would in the end give in to his wishes. The poor Mar- 
 grave, however, was doomed to other sorrows than that which 
 his cruel lady-love caused him, and in this fresh trouble I felt 
 most truly with him. This blow was the death of the Prince 
 of Culmbach, the news of which was brought the Margrave by 
 his aide-de-camp. The Prince of Culmbach fell on the 29th of 
 June, in the battle of Parma. The troops were commanded by 
 General Merci. The prince had just captured a French battery, 
 when two bullets struck him, and he fell into a ditch. He was 
 carried into a neighboring hut, where the surgeons that attended 
 him told him he had but a few hours to live. " I have the sat- 
 isfaction of dying as I always wished to die, and shall be quite 
 contented if we are victorious." These were his last words, 
 for he lost consciousness and died soon afterwards. The Mar- 
 shal Merci and fifteen officers of high rank were killed in this 
 battle. The French remained in possession of the battle-field, 
 and the victory must be allowed to have been theirs, for the 
 losses sustained by the Austrians were enormous. 
 
 The hereditary prince and myself felt the prince's death most 
 keenly. It cost me many bitter tears, for I lost a most true 
 friend, and a prince who had been the pride of our family. 
 His body was brought secretly to Baireuth. 
 
 The crown prince's letter to the Margrave had meanwhile 
 borne fruit, and preparations were being hurried forward for 
 my husband's departure. I had sunk into the deepest melan- 
 choly. The Prince of Culmbach's death had made such an 
 impression on me that I felt sure that a similar fate would 
 overtake the hereditary prince. My bad state of health com- 
 forted me, for I hoped that should he be killed I should not
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BATREUTH. 357 
 
 survive him long. Up to this time the doctors had bled me 
 eight times in the space of ten months. They did not recog- 
 nize the disease I was suffering from, and thought my ill health 
 was the result of being too full-blooded. They also gave me 
 very strong remedies, which for a time afforded me relief. 
 They now wished to try another treatment, and recommended 
 a course of waters. In order to carry this out we went with 
 the Margrave to the Brandenburger baths. The waters were, 
 however, too strong for me in my weakened state, and after 
 three days I was obliged to give up taking them. 
 
 About this time the Prince of Culmbach's body reached Bai- 
 reuth. As the preparations for his funeral, which was to be 
 solemnized with great pornp and ceremony, were not yet com- 
 pleted, the coffin was placed in the chapel. 
 
 The Margrave was terribly affected by the prince's death, 
 and seemed to fail rapidly. The doctors declared his condition 
 was most serious, and that his recovery could not be hoped for 
 unless he gave up drinking so much. He was, however, so ac- 
 customed to this habit that it was most difficult for him to 
 renounce it. 
 
 The terrible day of the hereditary prince's departure at last 
 drew near. It was the 17th of August. Only those who loved 
 as passionately as I did can understand what I suffered. A 
 thousand deaths cannot be compared to my sorrow. My pow- 
 ers of imagination were so excited that I felt convinced I should 
 never see my husband again. He tore himself from me, and 
 was so upset at my condition that he did not seem conscious 
 of anything, and was led in this state to his carriage. I re- 
 mained behind overwhelmed with grief. My condition would 
 have touched even the most hard-hearted of beings. I re- 
 mained like this for four days, after which I endeavored to 
 control my sorrow and to appear outwardly calm. I have not 
 hitherto mentioned the campaign on the Rhine, so as not to 
 interrupt my narrative. I will therefore now mention the most 
 important facts connected with it.
 
 358 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 The Duke of Bevern, who had last year been appointed to 
 the command of the Imperial army, consisting of 20,000 men, 
 had till now remained on the defensive. He had been unable 
 to prevent the French army, under the Duke of Berwick, from 
 crossing the Rhine. Prince Eugene, of Savoy, took over the 
 Duke of Bevern's command. On his arrival he expressed grent 
 dissatisfaction at the positions taken up by the duke, and im- 
 mediately moved the troops from Stockhofen. The French 
 pursued the Imperial army, but without being able to do it 
 any harm. Although France had not up to this moment at- 
 tacked the empire, the princes had imprudently mixed them- 
 selves up in this war by offering their contingents to the em- 
 peror. Six thousand Danes, ten thousand Prussians, and the 
 troops of the empire were most useful in extricating Prince 
 Eugene from a very precarious position. The prince was, 
 however, unable to prevent the French taking Kehl and lay- 
 ing siege to Philippsburg. This latter place capitulated after 
 six weeks' determined resistance. Marshal de Berwick and 
 Prince Lixin were killed in the trenches. Two days after the 
 fall of Philippsburg my husband reached the army. The king 
 had done everything in his power to induce Prince Eugene to 
 fight a battle in order to relieve the town. The prince refused 
 to do so, and represented to the king that should he be beat- 
 en the whole of Germany would then be at the mercy of the 
 French, and they would be able to take whatever they liked. 
 
 The hereditary prince was most kindly received by the king 
 and my brother, and as his things had not yet arrived the 
 crown prince lent him a tent. My husband found the king 
 much altered. His face was thin and drawn, and he had the 
 gout in one hand. He already carried in him the seeds of that 
 disease from which he died. My father was not able to remain 
 with the army during the whole campaign, but was obliged to 
 go to Cleves. Before he left he was most tender and affection- 
 ate in his manner to my husband, and told the crown prince to 
 stop at Baircuth on his way back. The hereditary prince be-
 
 MKMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 359 
 
 came most popular with all the generals and officers. He did 
 his utmost to learn his duties, and his moral conduct, his cour- 
 tesy, and charming, amiable manner, won him all hearts. It 
 was quite a different thing with my brother, who had struck 
 up an intimate friendship with Prince Henry, brother of the 
 Margrave of Schwedt. This prince had no other merit than 
 his good looks; he was full of vice, which together with his 
 bad character caused him to be held in contempt by every 
 one. He had, however, managed to gain great power over my 
 brother, whom he ruined and entangled in his own evil ways. 
 But this was not all : he succeeded in making the crown prince 
 suspicious of all honest, upright people. Only those who shared 
 his views were acceptable. In one word, my brother was an 
 altered man. Everybody was dissatisfied with him, and my hus- 
 band shared the same fate as others did. 
 
 One day when my husband had gone with my brother, Duke 
 Alexander of Wiirtemberg, and several other generals to recon- 
 noitre the enemy's positions, they found the French outposts on 
 tli is side of the Rhine. The hereditary prince began to take 
 notes and make sketches of their positions, and did not notice 
 that my brother had separated himself from him. A young 
 hussar who was with my husband amused himself by spend- 
 ing his time in shooting at the enemy with his gun. The 
 French at once answered him, and the bullets soon flew round 
 the hereditary prince's head. lie, however, never stirred, but 
 continued finishing his sketches. He did not, however, neg- 
 lect to give the hussar a severe reprimand for his heedless- 
 ness. As soon as the prince had finished his drawings and 
 notes he mounted his horse and hastened to rejoin my brother. 
 The crown prince was speaking in a most satirical manner to 
 Prince Henry of Schwedt about the occurrence I have just men- 
 tioned. The hereditary prince overheard what was said, and 
 described the circumstance as it had taken place. As, however, 
 he observed my brother still continued talking in whispers to 
 Prince Henry, looking scornfully at him meanwhile, my hus-
 
 360 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 band said to him, " I will soon teach those who dare to calum- 
 niate me to your Royal Highness how to speak the truth, and 
 will cure them of telling lies." 
 
 The crown prince and Prince Henry, for whom the remark 
 was intended, were at once silenced. 
 
 Next day my husband had a splendid opportunity of show- 
 ing Prince Henry up before all the generals. This latter there- 
 upon pretended to be ill, and induced the crown prince, who 
 was very much put out with the hereditary prince, to show him 
 some marked civilities. 
 
 A few days after these events a messenger arrived in camp 
 bringing news of the king's serious condition. His illness had 
 much increased, and he had been unable to leave Cleves. His 
 body had become much swollen ; the doctors declared him to be 
 suffering from dropsy, and considered his state one of great 
 danger. 
 
 I now returned to Baireuth. As the funeral of the Prince 
 of Culmbach was to take place on the 25th of August, we in- 
 tended going to Himmelscron in order to avoid being present 
 at it. Since my husband's departure I had observed that the 
 Margrave's passion for Flora Sonnsfeld had greatly increased. 
 She could not resist .showing her affection for him ; and we re- 
 marked from various hints she dropped that she had fallen a 
 prey to the desire of becoming Margravine. My father-in-law's 
 health was failing visibly. His physician, who was about the 
 most ignorant man in existence, promised him complete recov- 
 ery by means of baths and waters. These consisted of pine 
 cones boiled in water. The Margrave and I began our cure 
 simultaneously. Mercifully some charitable people warned me 
 I should kill myself if I used these pine baths. They wished 
 equally to warn my father-in-law ; but he had such unbounded 
 faith in his doctor that he continued his treatment, and con- 
 stantly fainted while taking the baths. The Margrave was 
 much occupied with the restoration of Himmelscron. Work- 
 men were employed night and day redecorating the rooms with
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTIT. 301 
 
 looking-glasses and rich gilt mouldings. My father-in-law also 
 intended laying out a beautiful garden there, and building a 
 riding-school. 
 
 From all these preparations I gathered that he was intending 
 to marry, and to establish himself entirely at Himmelscron. 
 Mademoiselle von Marwitz encouraged me in this belief, and 
 warned me to be on my guard. This young lady was very 
 clever, and I could rely on her discretion, and grew daily more 
 attached to her. As she was always on the alert, she soon 
 found out that many people were mixed up in this intrigue, 
 among others M. von Hesberg, who had been Prince William's 
 governor. I had always known him to be a most upright and 
 honorable gentleman, and therefore had no hesitation in seek- 
 ing an explanation from him. I, however, thought it best to 
 wait till after I had returned from Himmelscron. 
 
 I left for this place on the 24th of August, accompanied 
 by my governess and Mademoiselle von Marwitz. The time I 
 spent there was dull in the extreme. The Margrave was in a 
 terrible state; his memory was almost gone, and he was scarce- 
 ly conscious of what he said. After dinner, and when he had 
 drunk wine, he was seized with convulsions, which terrified 
 me, as I feared they would end in the same fits to which he 
 had been subject in his youth. He spent the rest of the day 
 in my room, which annoyed me not a little. 
 
 We at last returned to Baireuth on the 4th of September, 
 after which I at once endeavored to have a private interview 
 with M. von Hesberg. He at once owned to me that he was 
 cognizant of all that I wished to know ; that Mademoiselle Flo- 
 ra von Sonnsfeld had confided the whole matter to him, and 
 that the circumstances of the case were as follows: From the 
 first moment I had interfered in the matter, the Margrave had 
 been unceasing in his endeavors to win Flora's consent. She 
 had at first refused to listen to him, but had now given in to 
 his entreaties, yet only on condition that she obtained our con- 
 sent to her marriage with him. The Margrave, who was well
 
 362 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 aware of the difficulties that stood in the way of his making 
 her Margravine, had decided to make her Countess of Himmels- 
 cron. He intended retiring with her to Himmelscron, and in- 
 vesting a large capital for her out of the principality. He only 
 waited till the hereditary prince returned, and my brother had 
 left, to inform us of his intentions. He was determined to 
 carry them out, whether we approved of thorn or not. 
 
 All this troubled me greatly. I could easily have put an end 
 to all these intrigues by appealing to the king, but I loved my 
 governess and her family too much to wish to expose them to 
 his displeasure. I at length determined to venture " all for all," 
 and sent for Flora von Sonnsfeld. I told her that I was per- 
 fectly well informed of all her intrigues with the Margrave, and 
 that I had already, on a previous occasion, spoken with her, tell- 
 ing her that I should never give my consent to the marriage, 
 and that if she persisted in her intention of marrying the Mar- 
 grave, she would compel me to inform the king of what was 
 taking place. That she must give up having these constant in- 
 terviews with him, which did harm to her reputation. I said 
 she ought to consider the terrible state of his health ; that he 
 was on the brink of the grave, and could not possibly live long. 
 If she married him for love, then her grief at his loss would bo 
 far greater than it would otherwise have been ; but if she were 
 doing so merely from selfish motives, then I promised to pro- 
 vide for her as long as I lived, and told her I would endeavor 
 to find means of rewarding her for the sacrifice she might make 
 of her personal wishes. I softened this speech as much as pos- 
 sible, and, partly by threats and partly by gentleness, obtained 
 a second promise from her that she would move no further in 
 the matter. She owned to me she had always hoped to win 
 my consent in the end, that the Margrave's affection for her 
 touched her deeply, and she should be obliged to treat him 
 most carefully in order to prevent his anger being roused and 
 vented on us ; " for," she added, " were he to become aware that 
 your Royal Highness's opposition to his wishes was the cause
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINK OF BAIREUTII. 3G.1 
 
 of rny refusal, there is no knowing to what his fury might drive 
 him." 
 
 Flora von Sonnsfcld managed so cleverly that up to the mo- 
 ment of his death she evaded giving the Margrave a decided 
 answer, and by her influence over him was able to be of the 
 greatest service to us. She was, indeed, the Margravine in all 
 but name. Nothing was settled without her leave, and all marks 
 of favor were obtained through her. The first pleasure I owed 
 to her intervention was my husband's return, the permission 
 for which she obtained with great difficulty from the Margrave. 
 The French were taking up their winter quarters, and there was 
 nothing more for the army to do. 
 
 On the 14th of this month I had the great joy of again em- 
 bracing my husband. He had been universally appreciated. I 
 received numerous letters, all speaking in terms of the highest 
 praise of him, and of the zeal he had shown in learning his du- 
 ties in the field. I found him looking very well and much 
 stouter. He expressed himself with much dissatisfaction about 
 my brother, who, he told me, was so greatly altered for the worse 
 that one would scarcely recognize him. He said the crown 
 prince no longer took the least interest in me, and was, in one 
 word, altogether a changed man. I was greatly distressed at 
 this news, but nevertheless flattered myself I should regain my 
 place in his affections during his stay with me. 
 
 The king was in a wretched condition. He had been taken 
 to Berlin, but the doctors considered his state as quite hopeless. 
 The Margrave was failing rapidly. The state of his health did 
 not allow of his receiving my brother. In order to avoid see- 
 ing him he went into the park, where he had a beautiful 
 house, and began a new cure. But he was unable to stand the 
 treatment, and an attack of hemorrhage threatened to put an 
 end to his life. Those about his person advised him to dismiss 
 his doctor, and indeed irritated him so much against him that 
 had not others interfered he would have had the poor man ar- 
 rested. The other doctors told the Margrave that the baths
 
 364 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREtJTH. 
 
 had produced the state in which he was, while Gokel (his own 
 doctor) declared the very reverse, and tried to prove it by giving 
 the following reasons : 
 
 " You preserve the body by embalming it," he said ; " if there- 
 fore I succeed in embalming a living being, he ought to live a 
 hundred years. Pine cones are the best remedy against decom- 
 position, and I have therefore acted as a clever man should in 
 recommending the use of this remedy to the Margrave and the 
 hereditary princess." 
 
 I could not help laughing at a system that was to make mum- 
 mies of the Margrave and myself. 
 
 Meanwhile we received favorable news of the Austrians in 
 Italy. Count Konigseck having crossed the Seggio with his 
 troops, surprised the army of Count Broglio and the King of 
 Sardinia. The marshal escaped with bare feet, the other with 
 his boots on, and the whole Allied Army took to flight. Peo- 
 ple said it had been most amusing to see the Austrian soldiers 
 dressing themselves up in the braided uniforms of the French of- 
 ficers. A few days later the French received full satisfaction. 
 Count Konigseck having pursued them, they offered him battle 
 at Guastalla, and defeated him. Prince Louis of Wiirtemberg 
 and many brave Austrian generals fell in this engagement. 
 
 My brother arrived at our house on the 6th of October, lie 
 seemed to me to be unable to control himself, and in order to 
 avoid all conversation with me, said he was obliged to write to 
 the king and queen. I sent for pens and paper, and he sat 
 down and wrote in my room. It took him one good long 
 hour to write two short notes of a few lines only. Afterwards 
 he had the whole Court presented to him, but took no particu- 
 lar notice of its members beyond looking mockingly at each of 
 them. We then went to dinner. The whole of his conversa- 
 tion consisted of perpetual satirical remarks about everything 
 he saw, while he repeated to me over and over again the words 
 " little Sovereign and little Court" at least a hundred times. I 
 was irritated beyond measure, and could not understand bow
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 365 
 
 he could have altered so much towards me. The etiquette at 
 all the courts of Germany allows only those that have the rank 
 of captain to dine at the table with the royal personages, lieu- 
 tenants and ensigns dining at a third table. My brother had a 
 lieutenant in his suite, and insisted on his dining at his table, 
 saying that the king's lieutenants were worth the Margrave's 
 ministers. I appeared not to notice this uncivil remark. 
 
 As we were sitting alone together in the afternoon, my broth- 
 er said, " Our old master has nearly reached his end ; he will 
 not last out this month ! I know he made you many fine prom- 
 ises, but I shall not be able to fulfil them. Half the sum the 
 king has lent you I will leave you. I think you can both be 
 satisfied with that." I answered him that my love for him 
 had no selfish ends in view, and that I should never ask him 
 for anything but the continuance of his friendship. I would 
 rather not accept a penny from him than be a burden to him. 
 
 "No, no," my brother replied, "you are to have the hundred 
 thousand thalers.* I have settled them on you. People will 
 be much surprised when they find how differently I act to what 
 they expect. They imagine I shall waste my treasures, and 
 that money will become as common at Berlin as stones. I 
 shall take good care it is not so. I shall increase the army, but 
 all the rest will remain on its old footing. The queen, my 
 mother, shall be treated with every possible respect and honor, 
 but she shall not interfere in the affairs of the State. If she 
 does so she will meet her match in me." 
 
 I was struck dumb as I heard the crown prince say all this, 
 and did not know whether I were sleeping or waking. My 
 brother afterwards asked me about the affairs of the principal- 
 ity, about which I gave him nearer details. " When your fool- 
 ish father-in-law is dead, I would advise your getting rid of the 
 whole Court, and living like private people, in order to pay off 
 your debts. You do not, in fact, require so many people, and 
 
 * Fifteen thousand pounds.
 
 366 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 you must discover how to reduce the salary of those whom it is 
 necessary for you to keep. You were accustomed at Berlin to 
 have only four dishes at dinner, and you must be satisfied with 
 the same here. I will ask you both to come to Berlin from time 
 to time, and that will save you the expense of house-keeping." 
 
 My heart had all along felt fit to break, but now as I listened 
 to this unworthy talk of my brother's I burst into tears. 
 " Why do you cry ?" he asked me. " Go along with you, you 
 are depressed and in a melancholy humor, and require some 
 distraction. The music is waiting for us. I will drive your 
 sad thoughts away by playing to you on the flute." With 
 these words he gave me his hand, and led me into the other 
 room. I sat down to the harpsichord, which I covered with my 
 tears. Mademoiselle von Marwitz sat down opposite to me, so 
 that no one should observe my distress. 
 
 On the fourth day of his stay with us the crown prince re- 
 ceived an urgent message from the queen entreating him to 
 hasten his return, as the king was at the point of death. This 
 news overwhelmed me with grief. I loved the king, and felt 
 that owing to the turn circumstances had taken I could no lon- 
 ger rely on my brother. During the last two days before he 
 left he was more amiable towards me. My love for him made 
 me find excuses for his shortcomings, and I fondly believed we 
 were again reconciled to each other. The hereditary prince 
 meanwhile did not let himself be deceived. He told me many 
 things which afterwards came true. My brother took his de- 
 parture on the 9th of October, leaving me in great uncertainty 
 regarding himself. Two days after this the Margrave returned 
 to Baireuth. I was greatly taken aback at his appearance, for 
 I never had seen such an alteration in any one. His whole 
 face was drawn on one side, so that I scarcely recognized him. 
 During the whole time he spent with me he did nothing but 
 abuse his doctor, and give me the minutest details of his ill- 
 ness. This latter increased so rapidly that he was soon unable 
 to leave his own room. I visited him every day, and his tern-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 367 
 
 per was so unbearable that we suffered martyrdom while we 
 were with him. For fear of bringing his people into trouble 
 we dared speak to nobody. The Margrave had taken it into 
 his head that we had intrigues and plots with every one, and 
 in order to put an end to the constant disagreeableness to which 
 we were exposed we no longer saw anybody, with the excep- 
 tion of my ladies. We dined and supped alone ; I read, worked, 
 and composed music during the day. We played at blind- 
 man's-buff, danced or sung ; in fact, tried to pass away the time 
 as best we could. I have hitherto forgotten to mention a very 
 interesting circumstance, because I disliked breaking the thread 
 of my narrative. 
 
 I have already given a description of the dowager Margra- 
 vine of Culmbach, who lived at Erlangen. She had fallen in 
 love with a Count Hoditz, who belonged to a very old Silesian 
 family, but who was notorious as an adventurer. As the prin- 
 cess's singular behavior was well known, and as she was con- 
 stantly having fresh lovers, this new intimacy did not trouble 
 the Margrave. At first, too, she was most circumspect in her 
 conduct, but eventually determined to marry this Count Ho- 
 ditz. The two lovers left the castle one dark night. In order 
 to escape unseen, they had got hold of the keys and let them- 
 selves out through the garden. It was pouring with rain, but 
 notwithstanding they walked to a small village half a mile 
 from Erlangen. The Margravine was dressed in a petticoat 
 and short jacket. In this village they found two Catholic 
 priests, who married them, after which they returned to the 
 castle in the same manner in which they had come. The Mar- 
 gravine's secretary and a footman who had followed them 
 served as witnesses. She gave her husband, who left in a few 
 days for Vienna, part of her jewels, and the rest she pawned to 
 pay for the expenses of his journey. This circumstance made 
 a great stir, and the Margravine's secretary, who observed that 
 he would not be likely to gain by it, notified the marriage to 
 my father-in-law.
 
 368 MEMOIRS OF THE MAEGUAVINE OF BA1KEUTH. 
 
 The Margrave immediately sent Baron Stein to Erlangen to 
 inquire into the whole matter. The Margravine at once ac- 
 knowledged her marriage. Every possible representation was 
 made to her. She was told how disgraceful her behavior was, 
 and the serious consequences it would have. It was proposed 
 to annul the marriage, on account of its not having been per- 
 formed according to the ritual of the Church, inasmuch as the 
 priests had not received dispensation from the Bishop of Bain- 
 berg to perform the ceremony. The Margravine answered that 
 she would rather live on dry bread and water with the count 
 than possess all the riches of the world. As the Margrave per- 
 ceived he could make no impression on her, he informed the 
 Duke of Weissenfels of the occurrence. The duke sent one of 
 his ministers to Erlangen, but all his entreaties and representa- 
 tions proved equally unavailing. The Margravine left the cas- 
 tle to rejoin her husband. Her creditors, however (of whom 
 there were many), arrested her. In order to free herself from 
 their hands she made over all her possessions to them. Hav- 
 ing done this, she went to Vienna, where she became a Roman 
 Catholic. She lived there in the greatest poverty, despised by 
 every orfe. As long as she still possessed any money her hus- 
 band had flattered her. She was forced to sell all her clothes 
 to pay his expenses, and he finally deserted her, leaving her in 
 abject misery. 
 
 The commencement of the year 1735 was not favorable to 
 the Margrave. His health became worse and worse, and he 
 could no longer leave his bed. Endless projects passed through 
 liis mind, but he never thought of death. He planned im- 
 provements at Ilimmelscron. He intended making it a beau- 
 tiful residence, and spending a hundred thousand florins on it. 
 I have not yet spoken of his order. He wished to alter it, and 
 have different classes of it. He bought numbers of horses, 
 and had different kinds of carriages built, in order to keep up 
 the appearances of a " great gentleman." Indeed, had not the 
 Almighty taken him to Himself, he would have ruined his
 
 MEMO1US OF T11K MARGRAVINE OF J5AIREUTH. 3G9 
 
 whole country, and made us complete beggars. All about 
 him who saw that he could not possibly recover, turned for 
 help to the hereditary prince, who was secretly endeavoring to 
 postpone the rebuilding of Hitnmelscron and other expenses. 
 At times the Margrave was not responsible for what he did : 
 everything went wrong, and he caused us great annoyance. 
 But I will now let him rest a while. 
 
 The king was still dangerously ill, owing to the dropsy. He 
 suffered terribly, for his legs had burst, and the water poured 
 from them. As he was rapidly getting worse, he determined 
 that mv sister Sophie's marriage to the Margrave of Schwedt 
 should take place at once, and the marriage service was per- 
 formed on the 17th of January at his bedside. An abscess 
 having formed on his leg, the doctors resolved to open it. 
 The operation was long and painful, but the king bore it with 
 heroic patience. He had a looking-glass brought, so that he 
 might be better able to observe what the surgeons were doing. 
 My brother wrote to me each day the post left, and told me the 
 king could not last twenty-four hours. He had, however, been 
 mistaken ; the dropsy became less, and thanks to the skill of 
 the surgeons he made a marvellous recovery. It was consid- 
 ered a miracle. All my sisters went to Berlin to congratulate 
 him on his improved health. I was obliged to send him my 
 good wishes in writing, as I was unable to leave the Margrave 
 in his present state. 
 
 Ill as he was, the Margrave insisted on inaugurating his new 
 order. All the knights of the order were present. He lay in 
 bed, and there received the homage of his Court. This order 
 consists of a white cross, with the red eagle, which is the 
 family order, in the middle of it. The order is worn round 
 the neck attached to a red ribbon with a gold border. The 
 star is of silver, with the red eagle in the centre, surrounded 
 by the motto, " Upright and constant," in Latin. I gave a 
 great banquet, and a ball, which, however, lasted only half an 
 hour. 
 24
 
 370 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 I was much distressed at this time by a letter from the 
 Duchess of Brunswick, announcing the death of her husband, 
 who had succeeded to the throne only a year. I mourned his 
 loss most truly, and have ever remained his wife's firm, devoted 
 friend. His son, Prince Charles, now became duke. It was a 
 great piece of good-fortune for my sister, that is, if one can 
 call the death of so excellent a prince a lucky event, as she 
 found herself a reigning sovereign two years after her mar- 
 riage. 
 
 Meanwhile the Margrave's illness became so dangerous that 
 he was advised to consult a celebrated doctor from Erfurt. 
 The physician that had replaced Gokel was named Zeitz, and 
 was clever and more scientific than his predecessor, but his 
 treatment was as absurd. He was also a bad man, without 
 religion of any kind, so that no control whatever could be 
 exercised over him. A blind faith is not given to every one, 
 indeed it will often be found that those who live the most 
 moral lives are not always those who have most faith. Yet a 
 "crooked head "that has no faith is a dangerous member of 
 society. Most people do not really know what they believe, 
 and do without religion because it does not agree with their 
 nature ; others again, because it is the fashion, and some in 
 order to be well thought of by those cleverer than themselves. 
 I greatly disapprove of these strong-minded people, yet I can- 
 not condemn those who are searching for truth in the hope of 
 getting rid of old prejudices. Indeed, I am of opinion that 
 thoughtful people must be good, for those that search after 
 truth learn to judge rightly, and in judging rightly must ap- 
 preciate virtue. My reflections have led me away from my 
 narrative, and I must now take up its thread again. 
 
 M. Juch, the doctor who had been sent for from Erfurt, told 
 the Margrave quite honestly that he could not recover, and that 
 he had only a few more weeks to live. Zeitz, on the contrary, 
 disagreed with this opinion, and declared he would cure him. 
 The Margrave believed this assertion, as was but natural, for
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 371 
 
 we always like to believe what we wish for. My father-in-law 
 accordingly continued with his works at Himmelscron. 
 
 When the Princess of East Friesland heard of her father's 
 serious condition she at once started for Bairenth. This 
 troubled the hereditary prince and myself very much, as 
 she might cause us endless annoyance should she induce her 
 father to make a will iu favor of her and her sister. Madem- 
 oiselle Flora von Sonnsfeld, however, was able to make the 
 Margrave believe that the sight of his daughter would upset 
 him too much, and that she might prefer requests to him that 
 would not be in the interest of his country, and which he 
 would be unable to refuse without appearing to act harshly. 
 In one word, she managed so cleverly that the Margrave sent 
 off a messenger begging the princess not to come. 
 
 The Margrave's affection for Mademoiselle Flora von Sonns- 
 feld continued as great as ever. She nobly kept the promise 
 she had made me, and informed me of all her interviews with 
 my father-in-law. Things would have gone badly with us but 
 for her help, for the Margrave treated us like dogs. We bore 
 it all patiently, hoping that better days were nigh at hand. 
 I, in particular, endured all the ill-treatment with resignation, 
 and I must do the hereditary prince full justice, for I never 
 heard him murmur against bis father, or speak of him with 
 anything but the greatest respect, save on one sole occasion 
 when the Margrave wanted to strike him. My husband was 
 well aware of his father's dangerous state, and as he had little 
 knowledge of business, had daily secret interviews with M. von 
 Voit on matters connected with the affairs of the principality. 
 I knew the hereditary prince's character thoroughly, and was 
 well aware that he would not allow himself to be led. I had 
 fully determined not to interfere -in anything. I had a mortal 
 hatred of intrigues, but was equally determined that every 
 respect should be paid me, and that no one should meddle with 
 my own affairs. I do not know whether M. von Voit told the 
 prince I wished to guide and influence him, but I could not but
 
 372 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 observe that ray husband was no longer as candid and open 
 with me as formerly. This troubled me, although I did not let 
 it be noticed. 
 
 One day Mademoiselle von Marwitz said to me, " The heredi- 
 tary prince is still too lively to go thoroughly into all the de- 
 tails of the government. I am sure your Royal Highness will 
 be obliged to help him. He is still so young, knows nothing 
 about these things, and has no experience. I fear he will 
 make many mistakes if he does not follow your advice." " I 
 assure you," I answered, " you are quite mistaken, my dear 
 friend. I shall not interfere in anything, and you may be 
 quite certain that the prince will not ask me for advice." She 
 was much surprised at my reply. As we were speaking to- 
 gether the hereditary prince came into the room, and Madem- 
 oiselle von Marwitz repeated to him our whole conversation and 
 the answer I had made her. He said nothing, but was very 
 cold in his manner towards me. I thought this change was 
 due to the many grave matters with which he was occupied, 
 for up to this time he had never had any secrets from me. 
 He had always told me his inmost thoughts, but had never 
 confided his views about the future to me, and I for my part 
 had never troubled about them. 
 
 One day as we were sitting at dinner we were sent for in hot 
 haste to the Margrave, who was said to be at the point, of death. 
 We found him sitting in an arm-chair, unable to breatlie, and 
 with the pulse of a dying man. He looked at us all without 
 saying a word. A clergyman had been sent for a step which 
 seemed at first to displease him. lie spoke most touchingly 
 to the Margrave. He told him he would soon have to appear 
 before God to answer for all his actions; that he must bow to 
 God's will, and the Almighty would show him mercy, and give 
 him strength to meet death with courage. "I have been just, 
 1 have been charitable towards the poor," my father-in-law an- 
 swered, " 1 have fulfilled the duties of my station ; I have noth- 
 ing to reproach myself with, and can appear with confidence
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 373 
 
 before God's judgment-seat." " We are all sinners," the cler- 
 gyman replied; " even the most just on earth have sinned seven 
 times, and we too, after having tried to do our utmost, arc use- 
 less creatures." We observed that these remarks annoyed the 
 Margrave, for he repeated in an excited tone, " No, I have noth- 
 ing to reproach myself with, and my people can mourn my 
 loss as that of a father !" He remained silent for a few mo- 
 ments, and after that begged us to leave him. He was then 
 put to bed again, and we were greatly surprised to hear in the 
 evening he was much better. He had scolded his servants for 
 having made such a to-do, and above all for having sent for 
 the clergyman. My father-in-law seemed to improve for a 
 short while, but again on the 6th of May grew so much worse 
 that Zeitz himself, who had always said he would recover, now 
 pronounced his sentence of death. The Margrave became very 
 thoughtful, and desired he might be left quite alone and undis- 
 turbed all that day. His weakness was very great. 
 
 Next morning he sent for the hereditary prince and myself. 
 He exhorted his son in a long speech how he was to govern 
 his country. He told me he had always loved me, and entreat- 
 ed me to remind my husband daily of his moral and other du- 
 ties as reigning sovereign, and of those principles he had just 
 laid down for his guidance. He wished me everything that 
 was best in this world, and begged me to accept the snuffbox 
 he gave me as a remembrance of him. After that we both 
 knelt down, and he gave us his blessing and embraced us. We 
 were crying bitterly. His words had touched me so deeply 
 that had it been in my power I would willingly have prolonged 
 his life. My father-in-law asked me not to see him again till 
 the end came, adding, " I entreat your Royal Highness to grant 
 me this favor." He then sent for my daughter, to whom he 
 also gave his blessing. He took leave of my ladies, each in 
 turn, but not of Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld, who was ill. All 
 the heads of the different State departments were called next. 
 The Margrave spoke to them all, impressing on each his re-
 
 3*4 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAJREUTH. 
 
 sponsibility towards the State, and repeating much the same 
 as he had said to the clergyman. In conclusion he exhorted 
 them to be faithful and devoted to their new sovereign, and 
 bade them a last farewell. He had the strength of mind to 
 take leave of his whole Court, from the first minister of state 
 down to the most humble of his servants. It touched me much, 
 but I must nevertheless confess there was too much show about 
 it all. The Margrave was at great pains to impress on every- 
 one what great services he had rendered his country. It will 
 be seen he had never really thought of death, but had gone 
 through the whole ceremony for the sake of effect. He was 
 so weak after it that he begged to be left alone. 
 
 The doctors told us that his death might take place any mo- 
 ment. In order to be near at hand, and also to be able to keep 
 our promise to him, we took up our position in a room next 
 that in which he lay, and sat watching there all night. 
 
 As my father-in-law felt much weaker next day, he sent for 
 the hereditary prince, and in the presence of the Council of 
 State made over the government to him, begging at the same 
 time that he might no longer be troubled with business of any 
 kind. He repented of it as soon as he had done so, and could 
 not help reproaching my husband each time he saw him. He 
 even inquired whether the hereditary prince had already issued 
 any orders, adding that he supposed he was in perfect bliss at 
 being at last his own master. The Margrave was told with 
 perfect truth that the hereditary prince had sworn not to give 
 an order or to transact any business as long as his father was 
 still living. 
 
 My father-in-law's illness lasted till the 16th of May, when 
 we were suddenly summoned. It was nine o'clock in the even- 
 ing. We found every one assembled in the Margrave's sitting- 
 room, and all were praying. We heard the death-rattle in his 
 throat, and he was in fearful suffering. He said to my hus- 
 band, " Dear son, I am suffocating; I can bear this pain no 
 longer it drives me to despair;" and then he screamed aloud.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 375 
 
 It was terrible to hear him. Three times he lost consciousness, 
 and three times he regained it. He spoke up to the last mo- 
 ment, and died at last on the 17th of May, at half-past six in 
 the morning. 
 
 I had never been more overcome in my life. I had never 
 seen any one die, and it had made such an impression on me 
 that it was long ere I got over it. The hereditary prince was 
 in great despair, and it was with much trouble that we persuad- 
 ed him to leave his father's room and go to his own. The 
 whole Court had followed him there. As soon as my husband 
 had somewhat recovered, M. von Voit told him it was necessary 
 for the Council of State to be appointed and sworn in. The 
 Margrave hesitated for a moment, and made no reply. He 
 then took me aside and asked me my opinion. I told him hon- 
 estly I did not think there was such pressing haste. His father 
 had scarcely been dead an hour, and it seemed to me we ought 
 to show some respect, and not appear so anxious at once to 
 assume the government. By postponing the business to the 
 next day he would gain time and be able to consider carefully 
 whom he wished to appoint. My husband followed my ad- 
 vice. We were both greatly fatigued, for we had been up and 
 watching all night, and my health besides was most indifferent. 
 In order to escape the importunities of these gentlemen, the 
 Margrave laid down and rested for a few hours. So much 
 pressure was, however, put on him as to the necessity of the 
 immediate appointment of the ministers of state that my hus- 
 band settled the matter. The Council of State (or Privy Coun- 
 cil) consisted of Baron Stein, Voit, Dobenek, Hessberg, Lauter- 
 bach, and Thomas. 
 
 The mourning and the funeral were then decided on, and 
 the Margrave was made to believe that the Council must settle 
 all these things. My husband, who was quite inexperienced 
 in such matters, was obliged to trust to what was told him. 
 These gentlemen met for three consecutive weeks, and did 
 nothing else but settle about the cloth which was to be bought,
 
 376 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 although that was a matter which belonged to the lord cham- 
 berlain's office. The Council soon made itself quite intolerable, 
 particularly M. von Voit. This man owed me much gratitude, 
 for I had always strenuously supported him during my father- 
 in-law's lifetime. He was my lord chamberlain, and the du- 
 ties of his office required him to come and see me at least once 
 every day. He did not do so, nor did he send an excuse, and 
 this conduct made me extremely angry with him. The late 
 Margrave lay in state, and his funeral took place on the 31st 
 of May. He was interred at Himmclscron in a vault he had 
 himself built for that purpose. On the 1st of June we went 
 into deep mourning, which was to be worn for a whole year. 
 The same day I held a reception in order to receive the condo- 
 lence of the entire Court. There was also for the first time a 
 great public dinner. As all this show of mourning and the at- 
 tendant ceremonies were very wearisome to us, we went to the 
 Brandenburger for some weeks. 
 
 M. von Voit came one day to see me, and told me he had 
 become aware that I was displeased with him because he did 
 not more punctually perform his duties as lord chamberlain. 
 He said he was very busy, and had scarcely a free moment to 
 himself. He added that the Council of State had not forgot- 
 ten me, and had determined to apply for an increase of my in- 
 come, and that he did not doubt that the Margrave would 
 grant it. This speech made me extremely angry. I answered 
 very coldly, "If I require my income increased, I will myself 
 ask the Margrave to increase it. I am very grateful to you for 
 your kind intentions, but shall not trouble you to speak for 
 me, as I shall take that duty on myself." He seemed much 
 put out, and said he thought it could not be very pleasant to 
 ask for a favor for one's self. "Yet still more unpleasant, sir," 
 I replied, " if asked for through another person. In order that 
 you may at once understand my position, I wish to tell you I 
 would not accept an increase of my income even if the Mar- 
 grave offered it to me. His finances have suffered too much
 
 MKMOIRS OP THE MARGUAV1XK OF BAIREUTH. 377 
 
 from the great expenses he has had without my causing him 
 more. At the same time, sir, I should wish to owe to him any 
 advantages I gain, otherwise they would afford me but little 
 satisfaction." 
 
 I at once observed that the members of the Council intended 
 placing me in the same position as my sister of Anspach. She 
 was always obliged to appeal for aid to a third person when 
 she wished to obtain anything from her husband. The cold- 
 ness with which the Margrave treated me, together with the 
 feeling I had, troubled me much. I went to my room with 
 Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld and confided my fears to her, cry- 
 ing bitterly. She shrugged her shoulders, and said she shared 
 my fears, and that the Council had clearly shown their inten- 
 tion of alone ruling the Margrave. In order to attain this end, 
 she said, they must begin by getting me under control. They 
 occupied themselves chiefly with trifles, and wished to meddle 
 in the smallest details, while they neglected more important 
 matters. She entreated me to speak with the Margrave, and 
 to open his eyes. She would meanwhile try and lead the con- 
 versation towards that topic, so as to prepare him somewhat 
 for what I should say. I at first declined to follow her advice; 
 she had, however, so many good reasons to give me that I at 
 last decided to do as she suggested. 
 
 I really did speak to the Margrave ; but he took it very ill, 
 and said many hard things to me. I am very quick tempered, 
 but can control myself up to a certain point. I am a woman, 
 and like other women have my weaknesses. I had a dreadful 
 quarrel with my husband, and was in such despair that I fainted 
 away. % I was put to bed, and was attacked'with such difficulty 
 in breathing that those around me feared for my life. The 
 Margrave was at once sent for. My state touched him deeply, 
 and he was in the greatest anxiety about me. We made ex- 
 cuses to each other, and after a long explanation he told me 
 that he had been set against me. 
 
 My husband begged my pardon over and over again. I
 
 378 MEMOIRS OT THB MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTl-I. 
 
 promised him I would never interfere or meddle in anything, 
 and trusted he would never tolerate mischief being made be- 
 tween us, and my being lowered in his estimation. The Mar- 
 grave replied that nothing would make him happier than my 
 continuing to be as natural and open with him as of old, and 
 he begged me always candidly to tell him my thoughts and 
 opinions. He promised me he would on his part never have 
 any secrets from me. Our conversation resulted in our being 
 even greater friends than before. He asked my advice about 
 everything, and I told him I had rarely known any one that 
 would less allow himself to be ruled than himself. By giving 
 his Council of State such power he would become a tool in its 
 hands a position from which he would find it most difficult to 
 extricate himself. He would then be driven to violent meas- 
 ures in order to make the Council understand its proper place. 
 I begged him to remember his father's last words and recom- 
 mendations, viz., to keep his ministers within bounds, to lis- 
 ten to their advice, but to weigh it well before he followed it. 
 Having reflected on what I had said, my husband asked me, 
 "But what shall I do? I must trust them; I know nothing 
 of the business of the State. I have myself told them I wished 
 them to occupy themselves with graver matters, and not waste 
 their time in troubling over trifling details. They, however, 
 answered me that they could not do everything at once." 
 
 Colonel von Reitzenstein had been sent to Berlin, and M. 
 von Hessbcrg to Denmark. The finances were in such a de- 
 plorable state that I was obliged to use a capital of six thou- 
 sand thalers,* which I had invested, to pay the expenses of 
 these two missions. - I made the Margrave a present of that 
 sum. If I could have given him pleasure even at the sacrifice 
 of my life, I would gladly have done so. He on his part 
 showed me every possible respect, and repaid my affection by 
 equal love, lie had so good a heart that he could never make 
 
 * Nine hundred pounds.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 370 
 
 up his mind to say an unkind word to any one, far less to re- 
 fuse any favor asked of him. This excessive kindness was the 
 cause of many an annoyance, and the reason of his leaving the 
 Court in the same condition as he found it. All those who 
 were devoted to him advised him to get rid of all known mis- 
 chief-makers and lovers of intrigues, but he could not decide 
 to do so. My husband neglected none of the duties he owed 
 his late father, and did not dismiss a single old servant. He 
 showed the greatest magnanimity to those who had sown dis- 
 union between him and his father, and if any one spoke to 
 him on the subject, he answered, " I have forgotten the past, 
 and wish every one in my country to be happy and contented." 
 
 The gentlemen composing the Council of State were much 
 dissatisfied with the generosity the Margrave displayed towards 
 his father's old servants. They sent to me M. von Voit, who 
 arrived breathless, with their complaints. I never listened to a 
 more insolent speech than his. "The Margrave is doing un- 
 heard-of things," he said to me, " in appointing people to de- 
 partments and posts, without first asking the advice of his 
 Council." He then struck the floor with his stick, exclaiming, 
 " lie is not empowered to dismiss or appoint even a kitchen- 
 maid without our leave. We shall go in a body to the Mar- 
 grave, and represent to him that we consider ourselves not 
 treated with proper respect." I answered that I should not 
 interfere, and that they could do whatever seemed best to them. 
 My husband, who was talking to Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld 
 in the next room, heard all that Voit had said, and would have 
 told him what he thought of it had she not prevented him. 
 
 As soon as Voit had left me my husband entered the room 
 greatly excited, and vowing he would dismiss all the members 
 of the Council. After a while I succeeded in pacifying him. 
 He now recognized the truth of my previous speeches, and de- 
 cided on seeking the assistance of a man who had formerly 
 been his father's secretary. He was named Ellerot, and was as 
 clever as could be. The late Margrave had trusted him blind-
 
 380 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 ly, and had greatly respected him on account of his perfect 
 honesty. My husband, who remembered Ellerot's great knowl- 
 edge of all matters connected with the State, thought he could 
 not do better than obtain his help in resisting the overbearing 
 conduct of his Council. Ellerot soon made the Margrave ac- 
 quainted with all the business, and informed him of all his fa- 
 ther's plans. 
 
 My health now really began slightly to improve. As we 
 had no better doctor, we were obliged to keep Zeitz. Ho 
 made me take goat's milk and seltzer- water, and recommended 
 as much exercise as possible. I learned to use a gun, and ac- 
 companied my husband nearly every evening when he went 
 out shooting. As I was still too weak to walk much, my hus- 
 band had a carriage made for me from which I could conven- 
 iently fire. I really did this more by way of passing the time 
 than to kill the poor animals. I did not care about shooting, 
 and abandoned it as soon as I found other occupation. What 
 I cared for passionately was the study of the sciences, music, 
 and the pleasures of cultivated society. I could not have as 
 much of these as I wished. My health prevented my occupying 
 myself as much as formerly, and the music and society I had 
 were not of the best. 
 
 The campaign on the Rhine took the same turn as the last 
 year's. The time was spent in eating and drinking. 
 
 Twelve thousand Russian soldiers, who were to join the Im- 
 perial troops, marched through the upper Palatinate. We ar- 
 ranged to sec them on their way. Before starting we received 
 M. von Polnitz, who had been sent by the king to express his 
 sympathy with us at the death of the late Margrave. 
 
 This personage has made enough stir in the world to oblige 
 me to mention him specially. He is the author of the me- 
 moirs which appeared in his name. The king had had them 
 read aloud to him, and was so much pleased with the account 
 given of the Berlin Court that he expressed a wish to see the 
 author again. Polnitz was at that time living at Vienna under
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MAEGEAVINE OF BAIEEUTH. 381 
 
 the empress's especial protection. He came to Berlin, where he 
 managed to ingratiate himself with the king, and obtain a sal- 
 ary of fifteen hundred thalers* from him. I had known Pol- 
 nitz very well in my youth. He was extremely clever and well- 
 read, and his conversation was most agreeable. Although his 
 heart was not bad, he had no knowledge of the world, and no 
 right judgment. He constantly sinned from inadvertent hasti- 
 ness. He was clever enough to retain the kingls favor as 
 long as he lived, and my father stood by him till the last. 
 We liked Polnitz very much, and the time passed pleasantly 
 in his society. He accompanied us to a monastery, where we 
 spent the night. We stayed there in order to see the Russian 
 troops, who were to pass next morning through a small town 
 close by called Vielseck. 
 
 We started quite early, and dined at Vielseck. When Gen- 
 eral Keith, who commanded the division, heard we were there, 
 he sent us a guard of honor composed of light infantry. They 
 all had boots on, and in our honor wore gaiters over them. I 
 never saw anything funnier than their dress, which appeared 
 still more singular to me, accustomed as I was to the neatness 
 and smartness of the Prussian troops. General Keith came at 
 once to pay us his respects. He was an Irishman, very civil, 
 and possessing great knowledge of character. He asked us to 
 wait a few moments, as he wished his troops to be drawn 
 up in battle order. The soldiers were very small, badly 
 dressed, and quite wanting in smartness. The general granted 
 me the lives of two deserters, who were to have been hung. 
 He had them brought before me, and they threw themselves 
 down at my feet, knocking their heads with such violence on 
 the ground that I am certain had they been other than Rus- 
 sian they must have been broken. I also saw their priest, who 
 made many profound bows, at the same time expressing his 
 regret that he had not brought his images with him in my 
 
 * Two hundred and twenty-five pouuds.
 
 382 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 honor. This nation really somewhat resembles the animals, 
 for they drank out of the puddles and ate poisonous mush- 
 rooms and grass without taking any harm. As soon as they 
 reached their quarters, the soldiers almost crept into the stoves, 
 and having got into a fearful state of heat threw themselves 
 into cold water, where they remained for some time. They 
 declare that this is the best way of preserving the health. 
 We took leave of General Keith, and went back to our mon- 
 astery, whence we afterwards returned to the Brandenburger. 
 
 I have forgotten to mention that my birthday was celebrated 
 on the 3d of August. The Margrave had made me presents 
 of some beautiful jewels, an increase to my income, and the 
 Hermitage. The addition to my income I accepted only the 
 following year. I spent the whole month of August in having 
 the roads leading to the Hermitage mended and making new 
 ones. I drove there daily, and amused myself in forming plans 
 for increasing the beauty and comfort of the place. 
 
 At this time, too, we received a pleasant addition to our so- 
 ciety in the person of M. von Beaumont, major of the Mar- 
 grave's Imperial regiment, and Count Borkhausen, a captain in 
 the same regiment. The latter was the nephew of my gov- 
 erness, for whose maintenance the Margrave, who was much 
 attached to him, had hitherto provided. He was very clever, 
 but most imprudent. His father, a most respectable man, be- 
 longing to one of the oldest Silesian families, had found it 
 possible to run through a fortune of four hundred thousand 
 thalers,* make debts besides, and thereby entirely ruined his 
 children. These lived in Silesia, supported by friends and my 
 governess. Count Borkhausen, since I had married, had often 
 come to Baireuth. He was desperately in love with his cousin, 
 Mademoiselle von Marwitz, who, however, treated him with a 
 haughty coldness that drove him distracted, and caused him to 
 commit many follies, which did him much harm. I shall again 
 
 * Sixty thousand pounds.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUT1I. 383 
 
 have occasion to mention this love affair, as it is intimately 
 connected with the course of this narrative. 
 
 My governess also let her two other nieces (Marwitz) come 
 to Baireuth the elder named Albertine, the younger Caroline. 
 I shall always mention them by their Christian names to dis- 
 tinguish them from their eldest sister. The younger had 
 scarcely been a fortnight at Baireuth before she made a con- 
 quest. She was very pretty, with a lovely complexion, and 
 most gentle, winning manners. 
 
 As soon as the Margrave succeeded to the throne he had 
 added to my Court. Count Schonburg became my chamberlain, 
 and a certain M. von Westerhagen, gentleman-usher. Schon- 
 burg was the son of a reigning count of the empire. His fa- 
 ther, who was still living, was very rich. All the young ladies 
 of Baireuth vied with one another in trying to make a con- 
 quest of Schonburg, but all in vain. Caroline's beautiful eyes 
 had enchained his affections. He was passionately in love 
 with her, and she entertained a high regard for him. They 
 became intimate friends, and I shall mention later the results 
 of this friendship. 
 
 As regards Mademoiselle von Marwitz, I loved her dearly, 
 and we had no secrets from each other. Indeed,! think there 
 never existed such perfect confidence as between us ; she could 
 not live without me, nor I without her. She asked my advice 
 in everything she did, and won the approbation of every one. 
 
 We went into the park, where the Margrave intended to 
 shoot stags. It was but an hour's distance from the town, and 
 as only a select party was invited we amused ourselves ex- 
 tremely. AVe had a ball every day, and danced six hours in a 
 very badly paved hall, so that we made our feet quite sore. 
 The exercise did me much good, and we were in the best of 
 spirits. The Margrave loved society and amusement. His re- 
 fined, courteous manners endeared him to all, and we lived in 
 perfect harmony. 
 
 Peace seemed returning everywhere. The negotiations be-
 
 384 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 tween the emperor and France had commenced, and peace was 
 concluded during the winter. The Spaniards retained posses- 
 sion of Naples and Sicily, which they had taken from the em- 
 peror. The Duke of Lorraine gave up his duchy to France, 
 and received in exchange the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. France 
 and Spain joined in the Pragmatic Sanction. In this manner 
 peace was restored to Germany. 
 
 The Margrave had not yet received the homage of his sub- 
 jects ; and this ceremony, which took place on our return to 
 Baireuth, was to be repeated at Erlangen. The Bishop of 
 Bambcrg and Wiirzburg, who was at this moment residing in 
 his beautiful country-seat of Pommcrsfelden, close to Erlangen, 
 invited, us there, as well as the Margrave and Margravine of 
 Anspach, hoping by that means to bring about a better under- 
 standing between us. 
 
 M. von Bremer, the Margrave of Anspach's former governor, 
 was at Baireuth. I gave him a kind message for my sister, 
 and asked him to tell her that the bishop was very proud, and 
 would make ridiculous pretentions as to the titles we should 
 give him. I was therefore certain that we should have some 
 fuss on the subject. As we were sisters, and each of us had 
 the same rights and observed the same etiquette, I proposed 
 that we should come to an understanding as to these points. 
 I was of opinion that, as the eyes of the whole world would be 
 upon us, we should be very particular in not giving up even the 
 least of our privileges. I should be glad to hear from her what 
 she thought on the subject. M. von Bremer entirely approved 
 of my suggestion. We gave the title of " Ihr Liebden,"* which 
 is less distinguished than that of " Highness" only given to 
 bishops and newly-created princes of the empire. The bishop 
 wished for a higher title, and to be called " Your Grace," and 
 declined to call us " Royal Highnesses." I heard all this 
 through a third person, and might have asked for an expla- 
 
 * This title has uo Euglish equivalent.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIRKUTH. 385 
 
 nation. I was, however, advised to leave matters alone, as I 
 was assured that the bishop would soon find his proper level. 
 
 M. von Breuier went to Anspach, and brought me a very 
 satisfactory reply from my sister. She would do just as I 
 thought right, and quite approved of all I had suggested 
 through M. vou Bremer. I have always insisted on retaining 
 my rights and privileges as a king's daughter, and the Mar- 
 grave has always supported me in this. In this present in- 
 stance I had his entire approval. He has often said he thought 
 but little of those who themselves forgot what they them- 
 selves were. We started in November, and spent the night at 
 Baiersdorf, and next day made our entry into Erlangen. Tri- 
 umphal arches had been erected. The magistrates received 
 us at the gates of the town with an address, and handed the 
 keys to the Margrave. The townsfolk and the militia lined 
 the streets. The Margrave and I drove in a state carriage. 
 As we were in mourning we were much bored by the many 
 speeches we were forced to listen to during that day. 
 
 Next day the ceremony of "doing homage" took place. 
 There was a great banquet, and a reception in the evening. 
 We stayed several days at Erlangen, and then went to Pom- 
 mersfcld, which we reached at five o'clock in the evening. The 
 bishop, surrounded by his Court, received us at the foot of 
 the stairs. After the first compliments had been exchanged 
 he presented to me his sister-in-law, the Countess von Schon- 
 brunn, and his niece of the same name, who was Abbess of 
 Wiirzburg. " I beg your Royal Highness to look on them as 
 your servants," he said. " I have asked them to come express- 
 ly for the purpose of performing the duties of hostesses in 
 my house." I was particularly courteous towards these ladies. 
 The bishop afterwards led me to my room. When we reach- 
 ed it he had chairs brought, and begged me to seat myself in 
 an arm - chair, and the conversation was becoming animated 
 when the two countesses entered the room. I felt some sur- 
 prise at missing my governess, but did not let it be apparent. 
 , 25
 
 386 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 In order to leave the room I pleaded the great disorder of my 
 dress, upon which the bishop and also the two ladies rose and 
 left. 
 
 As soon as I was alone I sent for my ladies, and asked Mad- 
 emoiselle von Sonnsfeld why she had not followed me. "Be- 
 cause I did not wish to expose myself to being insulted," she 
 replied. " These countesses treated me like a dog ; they never 
 deigned to speak to me, and passed by me without even look- 
 ing at me. Had it not been for the assistance of one of the 
 gentlemen of the Court, I should not have found your rooms." 
 " I am very glad to know this," I said, " for the Margrave prom- 
 ised me that my privileges should be respected." I knew 
 quite well that my governess gives precedence only to the 
 reigning countesses of the empire, for as she is not one she 
 cannot claim to rank before them. 
 
 The Margrave told me to speak to Voit about what had 
 happened. In his position as my lord chamberlain it was 
 his business to make representations in my name on the sub- 
 ject. I therefore sent for him, and told him my intentions. 
 M. von Voit was the greatest coward on earth always full 
 of fears and scruples. He pulled a long face. " Your Royal 
 Highness scarcely appreciates the gravity of the message with 
 which you have intrusted me," he said. " We are assembled 
 here for the purpose of uniting the different members of Fran- 
 conian society. Is this, therefore, a suitable moment to enter 
 into a dispute with people ? The bishop will treat the matter 
 with a very high hand. He will be offended, and insist on 
 having his own way. If you, on the other hand, persist in the 
 matter, it will become a State question." I laughed aloud, " A 
 State question ? Well, all the better, then ! Ladies have never 
 before been concerned in such matters; it is something quite 
 new." The Margrave looked compassionately at him and shrug- 
 ged his shoulders. " That may be as you like," I added ; " I 
 must still ask you to let the bishop know I have such respect 
 for him that I should be grieved to offend him, but that he
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BA1REUTH. 387 
 
 ought to have taken better precautions to avoid all such dif- 
 ficulties. As he was brought up at the Court of Vienna he 
 must know the rights belonging to a king's daughter. Al- 
 though I considered it an honor to have married the Margrave, 
 I am nevertheless determined not to surrender one iota of what 
 is due to me." M. von Voit made many objections ; but the 
 Margrave made him bestir himself, as it was late, and it was 
 necessary that the matter should be put straight at once. 
 
 M. von Voit spoke in my name to the bishop's master of 
 the horse, Baron von Rothenhahn, and after much talk it was 
 settled that the countesses should take their departure im- 
 mediately after my sister's arrival. Matters had scarcely been 
 settled when the Court of Anspach arrived. I sent at once 
 to my sister, saying I would come and see her as soon as she 
 was alone. I was not bound to call first on her. My being 
 the eldest by birth gave me precedence of all my other sisters, 
 and the Margrave also ranked before the Margrave of Ans- 
 pach. I had, therefore, double privileges ; but as we were of 
 the same blood I never asserted them. My sister let me know 
 she would come to me, which she did a few moments later, 
 accompanied by her husband. I thought them both very 
 cold in their manner. My sister was expecting to be confined, 
 and when I expressed my joy at her prospects she took it very 
 ill, and answered me very shortly. I asked her what I had 
 done, but she would give me no answer. As the bishop en- 
 tered my rooms she slipped away to her own, where she had 
 the gentlemen belonging to the bishop's court presented to her. 
 She mentioned the two countesses, and gave it to be under- 
 stood that she disapproved of my conduct ; that she was not 
 proud as I was, and that, had she been there, she would not 
 have tolerated what had taken place. All expressed their dis- 
 satisfaction at her behavior. 
 
 We fetched her for dinner, when I had the place of honor 
 given me. My sister would not sit near me, but placed the 
 bishop between us, and addressed him constantly as " Your
 
 388 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 Highness," in spite of our former agreement. I meanwhile 
 adhered to my determination. I showed the bishop and his 
 Court every possible civility and attention which lay in my 
 power. It is time I should give an account of him. 
 
 The Schonbrunn family are acknowledged to be one of the 
 oldest and the most glorious in Germany. The empire has had 
 many electors and bishops from among that family. The 
 bishop of whom I here speak was educated in Vienna. His 
 cleverness and abilities caused him to be made chancellor of 
 the empire, which position he held for some time. When the 
 sees of Bamberg and Wiirzburg became vacant by the death of 
 the bishops, the Court of Vienna took this opportunity of re- 
 warding the chancellor's services. It managed to bribe the 
 voters, by which means he was elected prince and bishop of 
 these two sees. He was held, and rightly so, to be a genius 
 and a great politician. His character is in accordance with the 
 last-named ; for he was deceitful, refined, and false, but with 
 courteous manners. His cleverness was not of an agreeable 
 kind, for he was too pedantic. You could, nevertheless, get 
 on very well with him when you once knew him especially so 
 if you took advantage of his great learning. I was fortunate 
 enough to meet with his approbation, and we often spent four 
 or five hours conversing alone together, the time seeming to 
 pass very quickly. He told me many interesting circumstances, 
 which were all new to me. There was no subject which we 
 did not discuss. 
 
 As soon as dinner was over I accompanied my sister to her 
 room, and the bishop then took me to mine. It was bitterly 
 cold. I lay down at once, and soon went to sleep. I had hard- 
 ly been asleep an hour when the Margrave woke me, saying that 
 they were trying to break open the door into my room. The 
 door led into a passage in which a hussar was posted as sen- 
 tinel. I listened, and when I heard some one working at the 
 door I gently called my people, telling them to go and see 
 what was the matter, and they really found the hussar engaged
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 389 
 
 in trying to force the door. He begged the Margrave to show 
 him mercy, and for God's sake not to expose him, which my 
 husband was generous enough to promise him. 
 
 Next morning, as soon as I was up, I went over the whole 
 castle, which is large. The main building stands alone between 
 the two wings, which arc not connected with it. Its shape is 
 square, and at a distance it appears to be a solid mass of stone. 
 Its exterior has many faults, but once within the court-yard 
 your first impression undergoes an entire change, and you be- 
 come aware of the vastness of its structure. A flight of six 
 steps leads up to a low portico, which much spoils the appear- 
 ance of the castle, and by which you enter. Here a fine stair- 
 case directs your attention to the great height of the building ? 
 its vaulted roof, nowhere supported, seeming to depend on its 
 own balance. This roof is painted on chalk. The balustrade 
 of the staircase is of white marble, and decorated with statues. 
 The stairs lead up to a large hall with a marble floor, and thence 
 you pass into a large room, much gilt and hung with pictures. 
 Among these are works of celebrated masters Rubens, Guido 
 Reni, Paul Veronese, etc. ; yet I did not admire the whole ar- 
 rangement of the room, which reminded me more of a chapel. 
 This room led to a succession of others, all containing pictures. 
 One of them is hung with leather, which is of great value, as 
 there are paintings by Raphael on it. The picture-gallery was 
 the finest part of the castle. Here lovers of painting could 
 satisfy their artistic passion. As I love this art dearly, I spent 
 several hours in admiring the pictures. 
 
 On this day as well as the next I dined alone with my sister, 
 our two mistresses of the robes, and two ladies from Anspach, 
 because the Margrave went out shooting each day with the 
 bishop, and returned home only at five in the afternoon. As I 
 spent the whole day with my sister, who sulked, I found the 
 time pass very slowly. After the princes had returned, we all 
 assembled in the large room to listen to what was called a 
 "serenade." This "serenade" is a selection from some opera.
 
 390 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 The music was horrible. After this we went to supper, and 
 got to bed dead tired at three o'clock in the morning. 
 
 An expedition was proposed to us, which sounded very 
 " spiritual." We were to go to Bamberg, dine there, and visit 
 the churches. I let my sister know that if she went I would 
 also go ; if, on the other hand, she would rather not I would stay 
 at home to keep her company. She sent me word she should 
 much like to go to Bamberg, and that I was, therefore, to ac- 
 cept the proposed expedition. As the princes were going to 
 shoot near Bamberg, they would join us there for dinner. I 
 was called at seven in the morning, and told to dress and get 
 ready to start, as Bamberg was a good four hours' journey, and 
 that, as the shooting would last but a short while, I should 
 scarcely have time to see anything unless I left early. I got 
 grutnblingly out of bed, for I was ill, and the fatigues and the 
 cold soon upset my health. 
 
 As soon as I was ready dressed I went to my sister's room, 
 and was greatly surprised to find her in bed. She said she was 
 indisposed, and would not go to Bamberg. She seemed to 
 have nothing the matter with her, and was sitting up in her 
 bed working. I told her I should have been glad had she let 
 me know this sooner. I had inquired after her health, and 
 was told she was quite well. Her mistress of the robes, Ma- 
 dame von Budenbrok, shrugged her shoulders, and hinted to 
 me that it was merely a fit of temper. She induced my sister 
 at length to get up and dress. I never saw any one take a 
 longer time over that operation, for she was at least two hours. 
 
 Two splendid state carriages were waiting for us, one of 
 which was intended for my sister, the other for myself. I 
 asked if we should not drive together, and on her declining to 
 do so, I asked her to get into her carriage. She exclaimed, 
 " My goodness, no you rank before me; I will not get in first." 
 " We are sisters," I replied, " and I never pay attention to 
 rank with them, nor will I enter into a dispute with them 
 about it." The bishop's master of the horse, who was very
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 391 
 
 blunt, now took me by the hand .and led me to my carriage, 
 saying, "Here is your Royal Highness's carriage; have the 
 goodness to get into it." I did so, accompanied by Madem- 
 oiselle von Sonnsfeld, and had not even time to ask for my fur 
 cloak. We drove at a footpace, and were starved with cold. 
 Our feet and hands were so benumbed that we could not move 
 them. I told the coachman to drive faster, which he did, and 
 we reached Bamberg in three hours. 
 
 We were led at once to the church, where the priests had 
 laid out the relics, viz., a piece of the Holy Cross in a gold 
 box, two jars which had been used at the marriage feast at 
 Cana, bones of the Virgin, a small piece of Joseph's coat, and 
 the skulls of the Emperor Frederick and the Empress Kuni- 
 gnnde, the patrons of Bamberg and founders of its Chapter. 
 The empress's teeth seemed to be of the length of those of a 
 wild-boar. 
 
 I was so frozen that I could not walk, so got into the carriage 
 again and drove to the castle. I was taken to the rooms pre- 
 pared for me, where I was seized with such pains in my lirnbs 
 that my ladies undressed me, and rubbed me till some warmth 
 began to return to my body. 
 
 As soon as my sister arrived I sent to inquire how she felt, 
 and excused myself from coming to her. She sent me word 
 that as she was very tired she intended lying down and getting 
 some sleep, and begged me not to come to her room. I sent 
 several times, but was always told that she was resting. Thanks 
 to the care of my ladies I soon felt better, and as the time 
 seemed very long I began to play at " Toccadille." 
 
 The princess did not arrive till six o'clock. They dined at 
 a special table, while our dinner was served in my room. When 
 my sister joined me she looked very cross; and her whole 
 Court, her ladies in particular, were very sulky, and seemed to 
 take pleasure in making rude speeches. I appeared not to ob- 
 serve anything, and behaved as if their conduct were beneath 
 my notice.
 
 392 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTIT. 
 
 After dinner I followed my sister into a small room, where 
 we had coffee. I then told her that I saw perfectly well that 
 she was put out with me, and begged her, therefore, to tell me 
 what was the matter. Had I been unfortunate enough to of- 
 fend her, I should be only too anxious to make amends. She 
 answered me very coldly, and said she was not in the least an- 
 noyed with me, but that she felt ill, and that made her cross. 
 She then became very thoughtful and silent. I sat down op- 
 posite her and imitated her example. The bishop relieved me 
 from this painful position by leading me back to my carriage, 
 into which I again got with my governess. " I am in despair," 
 she said to me, " for the devil seems let loose among the Court 
 of Anspach. They have insulted my sister and Mademoiselle 
 von Marwitz in a terrible way. -Mademoiselle von Zoch has 
 made most insolent remarks, and I was only in time to separate 
 them before they came to blows. They have dared to say that 
 your Royal Highness had ordered the coachman to drive the 
 Margravine of Anspach so fast in order that she might have a 
 premature confinement. They are full of lamentations at the 
 way in which the princess had been shaken about." I was quite 
 furious when I heard all this, and wished to have satisfaction 
 given me for these unjust accusations. My governess, however, 
 represented to me that I had best leave matters alone, to which 
 I at last consented, and behaved as if I had not heard anything. 
 
 As my sister would not appear at supper, and 1 also made 
 my excuses to the bishop, my ladies came and told me the 
 whole story. I saw at once that we must behave with caution, 
 unless we wished the matter publicly talked about. I there- 
 fore desired my ladies to let the matter rest, and to treat the 
 Anspach ladies with perfect civility, for I knew the blame of 
 all this gossip would fall back on them. I had not been mis- 
 taken, for I found next day that every one knew the story. 
 The Margrave of Anspach was himself furious at the things 
 which had been said of me, and expressed his opinion to the 
 authors in very angry terms.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 393 
 
 Two days after this we took our departure, and returned to 
 Erlangcn. I there lost a little Bologna dog I had had for nine- 
 teen years. He had been my companion in all my hours of 
 trial and trouble, and I felt his loss keenly. This race of dogs 
 is very clever, and I have seen some so intelligent that speech 
 alone seemed wanting to enable them to express their thoughts. 
 I think Descartes's theory very ridiculous in this respect. A 
 dog's fidelity is very precious to me, and I think they possess 
 this virtue in a far greater measure than human beings, who 
 are capricious and unstable. If I entered more minutely into 
 this subject I could give proofs that animals possess as much 
 sense as human beings. However, I am writing my memoirs 
 and not the praises of animals, though these remarks may serve 
 as the funeral oration of my dog. We stayed a few days at 
 Erlangen and then returned to Baireuth. 
 
 Nothing of importance took place in the year 1736. I have 
 already mentioned that peace was concluded between the em- 
 peror and France. It was owing to this fact that the Austrian 
 troops marched through Germany, which was a most unfavor- 
 able circumstance for the princes of the empire ; for they had 
 most unjustly, too to provide for the troops as they marched 
 through the different principalities. We could not, however, 
 alter this, but endeavored to reap advantages from it, and daily 
 received a large number of guests. The Austrian officers were, 
 for the most part, very amiable, and so were those of their 
 wives whom I saw. We were very merry together, and there 
 was a ball every evening. My health also began to improve. 
 
 I gave a beautiful fete on the 10th of May, the Margrave's 
 birthday, in one of the large rooms of the castle. I had ar- 
 ranged a sort of " Parnassus." A very good singer I had pro- 
 cured represented Apollo, and nine beautifully dressed ladies 
 the Muses. Below the " Parnassus " a stage for the audience 
 had been erected. Apollo sang a cantata, in which he desired 
 the Muses to celebrate the happy day. These at once rose 
 from their seats and danced a ballet.
 
 304 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAlREUTH. 
 
 Below the stage for the audience a large table was laid for 
 fifty people ; the rest of the room was decorated with symbols 
 and green boughs, and we all represented the other gods of 
 heathendom. I never saw anything finer than this fete. Ev- 
 erybody was full of admiration at it. 
 
 Since the Margrave had obtained Ellerot's assistance, his af- 
 fairs began to improve. An increase in the income that was 
 found was kept secret, as there is no doubt that the gentlemen 
 of the finance chamber would have endeavored to reap a per- 
 sonal advantage from it. The Margrave dismissed all those 
 gentlemen and appointed others in their place. Ellerot was, 
 moreover, fortunate enough to discover all the debts, and money 
 that had for years been owing to the Margrave was now paid. 
 Thus, after struggling with poverty, we suddenly found our- 
 selves transformed into rich people. 
 
 This year, which had seen the conclusion of one war, now 
 witnessed the commencement of another. Russia fought with 
 the Turks. She had helped Austria with those twelve thou- 
 sand men only on condition that she might break her truce and 
 attack the Turks in Hungary. All the emperor's troops began 
 to concentrate themselves there, and one may well date the 
 decline of the Austrian House from that circumstance. 
 
 About this time the emperor celebrated the marriage of his 
 daughter, the Archduchess Marie Therese, to the new Archduke 
 of Florence. 
 
 The Prince of Wales also was married in this year to the 
 Princess of Saxe-Gotha. The king arranged this marriage, in 
 which the affections of the prince played no part. The princess 
 was neither handsome nor clever. They lived, nevertheless, very 
 happily together. I must now return to my narrative. 
 
 We spent the finest part of the year in the Brandenburger. 
 The Margrave was there taken ill, being attacked with violent 
 headaches and fainting fits, which, however, did not prevent 
 his going out, but made me terribly anxious. There is no 
 complete happiness in this world. I had everything I could
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 395 
 
 wish for, but the fear I was in about this precious life destroy- 
 ed all my feelings of satisfaction. The doctors led me to ap- 
 prehend that the attacks my husband suffered from were of an 
 apoplectic nature. I was often almost wild with despair, and 
 did not know what I did. At last, however, my husband's 
 health improved, and I was relieved of my anxiety. 
 
 Since my husband's accession he had endeavored to win the 
 King and Queen of Denmark's friendship. As the queen was 
 the daughter of a younger prince, and received an annuity, she 
 had no dowry. This was a rule in the House of Brandenburg, 
 otherwise the annuities and dowries to be paid would have 
 been endless, and at last have ruined the family. The queen 
 let the Margrave know that if he would give her a dowry she 
 would endeavor to let him reap a fourfold advantage from do- 
 ing so. The Margrave, who trusted her promise, agreed to her 
 proposal. 
 
 The king and queen were to make a stay at Altona, and in- 
 vited the Margrave to come there, letting him know that the 
 queen had the intention of showing him her gratitude in a 
 most marked manner. Some business delayed the Margrave's 
 departure. The king sent a messenger to tell him that he 
 should remain only a fortnight at Altona, and therefore if he 
 wished to see him he must hasten his journey. 
 
 The Margrave started, intending to travel day and night, 
 that he might meet his uncle and the king at Altona. In order 
 to reach that town it is necessary to pass through my father's 
 domains, and through Halberstadt, a town only fourteen miles 
 from Altona. My husband stopped there in order to dine with 
 General Marwitz, and was informed that the king was expected 
 there in two or three days to inspect the troops in that district. 
 The choice, therefore, now remained to the Margrave to see the 
 King of Denmark or the King of Prussia. The disagreeables 
 of which the Margrave had to complain at the hands of the 
 latter, and the promise he had given the former, as well as the 
 advantages which had been held out to him, induced him to
 
 396 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 proceed on his journey. He explained to General Marwitz all 
 the reasons that led him to act thus, and begged him to explain 
 matters to the king. He also asked him to assure my father 
 that, should he be at Berlin when he returned, he would not 
 fail to come there to pay him his respects. My husband after 
 this continued his journey. 
 
 He left Halberstadt in the afternoon and reached Brunswick 
 at noon next day. His old friend, the duke, and my sister re- 
 ceived him there most kindly. He thence went to Zelle, where 
 he found letters from Altona telling him of the King of Den- 
 mark's dangerous illness. He therefore rested there, and ar- 
 rived a few days later at Altona. 
 
 The lord chamberlain and the whole Court received him in 
 a house that had been prepared for his reception, as there was 
 no room in the king's. The queen, his uncle, and his aunt 
 received him most affectionately. The queen had been very 
 handsome, but constant fatigues and bad health had left mere 
 traces of her former beauty. Her mother, the Margravine of 
 Culmbach, who had never left her since she married, ruled her 
 completely, as well as the king and the whole Court. She was 
 very clever, and in order to retain her influence she had made 
 the queen and the Court great bigots. As the king was by 
 nature very fond of society and amusements, she endeavored to 
 counteract these fancies by making the most innocent things 
 questions of conscience. The duke had many good qualities, 
 but was not clever; and in this the queen had no advantage 
 over him, for she was as little intelligent as lie was. The Mar- 
 gravine had therefore no difficulty, and easily persuaded them 
 to accept her views. The Court still retained an appearance 
 of greatness, but really resembled a monastery, where nothing 
 was done but praying all day. My husband said he had never 
 known the days to pass so slowly as there. He was over- 
 whelmed with honors and fair words ; but of the promises made 
 him none were mentioned, and he was glad when he was able 
 to take his departure.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 397 
 
 As the king, my father, had started for Prussia, the Margrave 
 returned straight to Baireuth, in spite of my brother's begging 
 him to await the king's return at Brunswick. I received a 
 most disagreeable letter from my brother on the subject of the 
 Margrave's journey. It was written in a tone very different 
 from that in which he had ever written to me before. It ran 
 as follows : 
 
 " I have received your letter, dearest sister. If I am to write 
 with my accustomed candor, I must tell you I cannot possibly 
 approve of the Margrave's passing only a few miles' distance 
 from a place where the king was immediately expected with- 
 out paying him his respects. To tell the truth, it is looked on 
 as a great piece of rudeness on his part, and I must confess I 
 am of the same opinion. The Margrave can, however, make 
 up for it by coming to Berlin when the King of Prussia re- 
 turns there. I own I am not surprised at the king's displeas- 
 ure at such behavior. It shows such want of respect towards 
 a king who is at the same time his father-in-law. I doubt very 
 much whether your husband will ever obtain any advantages at 
 the hands of the King of Denmark ; and assuredly he will never 
 receive such as those he owes the king, inasmuch as he possess- 
 es such a treasure as yourself. I should have much more to 
 say on this subject, but I must content myself with the assur- 
 ance of being," etc., etc. 
 
 Although the concluding words made up somewhat for the 
 beginning, I thought the letter very harsh. The expression 
 " rudeness " seemed to me very strong, and the whole tone 
 struck me as strange. My brother was much changed towards 
 me since his return from the Rhine. All his letters were forced, 
 and betrayed a certain shyness, which made me feel his heart- 
 was no more what it had been. It pained me terribly. My 
 tender feelings towards him were unchanged, and I was not to 
 blame in any way. I therefore bore it all patiently, and trust- 
 ed in time to regain his love.
 
 398 MEMOIRS OF TH'E MAKGBA.VINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 I spent the time of the Margrave's absence very pleasantly 
 in the Brandenburger. But can we be quite happy separated 
 from those we love ? I was really not thoroughly contented, 
 but endeavored to find distraction rather than pleasure. I had 
 very agreeable companions, in whose society I spent my time. 
 In the mornings and evenings I occupied myself for several 
 hours with reading and with music. 
 
 At the beginning of these memoirs I described Mademoiselle 
 von Grumkow, and it will have been observed that in addition 
 to her other faults she was a great flirt. She had already had 
 several lovers since she had been in my service, at which I was 
 greatly displeased. Yet, as she had till now been circumspect 
 in her behavior, I pretended not to notice her flirtations. This 
 girl was most insolent towards me, and never appeared in my 
 presence save at meals. She spent all her time with M. von 
 Westerhagen, my gentleman-usher, who was desperately in love 
 with her, and gave her beautiful presents, which she pretended 
 to have received from her father. Although she had no attach- 
 ment of any kind for myself, and took no pleasure in the ful- 
 filment of her duties as my lady, she was terribly jealous of 
 Mademoiselle von Marwitz, whom she endeavored to humiliate 
 on every possible occasion. I was unable to put a stop to her 
 behavior on account of her father ; but I endeavored, by broad 
 hints which I dropped from time to time, to bring her to rea- 
 son. It was in vain : her passion for Westerhagen got the bet- 
 ter of her prudence. 
 
 The Margrave returned at length on the 1 6th of July. My 
 joy knew no bounds, and he was also very happy to be at 
 home again. My birthday was celebrated by a charming fete 
 he gave in my honor in a large garden belonging to the castle. 
 It had been illuminated with colored lamps, and a stage had 
 been erected in it. The scenery consisted of the large lime- 
 trees. Diana and her nymphs appeared on the stage, and acted 
 a little pastoral play. Opposite it was a raised platform ar- 
 ranged as a saloon, and beautifully lighted from outside. The
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 399 
 
 day following this fete we left for the Hermitage, which I will 
 now describe. 
 
 The Hermitage is situated on a height reached by means of 
 a high-road made by the Margrave. On entering the Hermit- 
 age is seen the home of the Muses on Mount Parnassus a cave 
 supported by four columns, above which Apollo and the Nine 
 Muses are sitting. This cave is so cleverly made that it resem- 
 bles a real rock. On one side is a covered walk leading to 
 another artificial rock, in which and hidden by trees are six 
 fountains. Under this rock is a small door through which 
 you pass into a subterranean passage, leading to a grotto deco- 
 rated with rare and beautiful shells. It is lighted from above, 
 and there is a large fountain in the centre of it, and round it 
 are water-falls. The floor is of marble. On leaving the grotto 
 you pass into a small court, surrounded by artificial rocks inter- 
 spersed with trees and hedges. There is a large fountain in 
 the middle, which keeps it constantly cool. These rocks hide 
 the wings of the house, which contain each four small cells, or 
 eight little dwelling -rooms, each comprising a bedroom and 
 wardrobe. The main building is reached through the court. 
 On entering it you pass into a large hall, which has a fine ceil- 
 ing painted and gilt. The whole is composed of Baireuth mar- 
 ble, the walls gray, with red marble pillars, of which the capitals 
 are gilt. The floor is paved with different colored marble. My 
 rooms are situated on the right-hand side. 
 
 First, there is a room with a painted ceiling representing the 
 Roman matrons that prevented Rome from being plundered by 
 her enemies. The raised decorations are all gilt. The walls 
 are hung with yellow damask with a silver border. You then 
 pass into a wing which I have added, containing a room with 
 a raised gold ceiling. The paintings represent the story of 
 Chelonide and Cleobrontas. The wood-work has a white ground 
 with raised gold decorations. Between the windows and above 
 the fireplace are looking-glasses. The walls are covered with 
 a rich blue and gold stuff, on which are flowers in chenille.
 
 400 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 You could not see anything handsomer. After this comes a 
 small room with Japanese furniture given me by my brother. 
 It cost enormous sums of money, as it is the only specimen of 
 its kind that has come to Europe so, at least, my brother was 
 told. Close to this is the music-room, of white marble with 
 green panels, each panel containing trophies of musical instru- 
 ments, gilt, and very well made. Portraits by the best masters, 
 in gold frames, are hung above these trophies. The ground of 
 the ceiling is white, and the story of Orpheus charming the 
 wild beasts with his lyre is represented on it in raised work. 
 All these decorations are gilt. My piano and other musical 
 instruments are in this room. My study joins it. It is of 
 brown lac, with painted flowers on it. It is in this room that 
 I write my memoirs, and spend so many hours in reflection. I 
 pass from the music-room by another door into my dressing- 
 room, which is quite simple, and then into my bedroom. The 
 bed is hung with blue damask, and the walls with striped vel- 
 vet. Adjoining this is my wardrobe, which is very conven- 
 ient. 
 
 The arrangement of the Margrave's rooms is the same as 
 mine, save that the rooms are differently decorated. The first 
 is covered with a kind of varnish, the composition of which is 
 partly my own invention. A beautiful painting in it represents 
 Alexander burning incense on the altar, and Aristotle reprimand- 
 ing him for his extravagance. The next room is dark brown. 
 All the decorations are gilt, and consist of trophies of arms of 
 all nations. In the centre of the ceiling is a painting repre- 
 senting Artaxerxes receiving Themistocles. The walls are hung 
 with tapestry, describing the story of that general. In the 
 small cabinet next door are some fine pictures. The wood-work 
 is ebony and gold, while the ceiling contains a painting of 
 Mucius Scajvola. 
 
 The next room is decorated with Vienna china,, and the 
 painted ceiling represents Lconidas defending the pass of Ther- 
 mopylae The bedroom is hung with green damask bordered
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREDTH. 401 
 
 with gold. It may appear strange that I should have taken 
 historical subjects for the decorations of the ceilings. But I 
 like all that is speculative ; and all these historical facts repre- 
 sent virtues which might have been introduced in a modern 
 garb as allegories, but which would not have been so pleasing 
 to the eye. The exterior of the house has no artistic decora- 
 tions. It might easily pass for a ruin. It is surrounded by 
 beautiful large trees. In front is a flower-bed, with a water- fall 
 behind it. There are fine avenues of lime-trees, and on one 
 side grass-plots, with a fountain in the centre. 
 
 Near the house are ten avenues of limes, whose branches are 
 so thick that the sun's rays never penetrate them. Every path 
 in the wood leads to some hermit's cave or other device, each 
 differing from the other. I have a little hermitage of my own, 
 commanding a view of a ruined temple built in imitation of 
 those at Rome. I have dedicated it to the Muses, and have 
 placed in it the pictures of all the famous scientific men of the 
 last century Descartes, Leibnitz, Locke, Newton, Bayle, Vol- 
 taire, Maupertius, etc. Near this is a small round hall, two lit- 
 tle rooms and a kitchen, which I have decorated with old china. 
 From these you pass into a small garden, at the entrance of 
 which stand the ruins of a portico. The garden is enclosed by 
 a shady walk, where you can sit and read during the greatest 
 licat. As you proceed, new objects become visible among 
 others an amphitheatre, where acting can take place in the 
 open air. But I will go no further in my description. From 
 all I have said it will be clear that the Hermitage was unique 
 of its kind. I have described it in the condition in which it 
 was in the year 1744, and will mention the improvements I still 
 intend making. 
 
 I have probably wasted too much time over this subject ; but 
 I write for my own amusement, and not with the idea of ever 
 seeing these memoirs published. Perhaps I may sacrifice these 
 pages to Vulcan, or perhaps I may give them to my daughter. 
 I repeat that I merely write this narrative for my own special 
 26
 
 402 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 satisfaction, and take pleasure in mentioning every circumstance 
 that happened to me, as well as in recording all my thoughts. 
 
 The war between the emperor and Turkey broke out afresh 
 this year. It was one of the most unjust wars ; but, rightly to 
 understand its cause, I must look back a few years. 
 
 I have already stated that Russia sent a contingent of twelve 
 thousand men to Germany to help the emperor in his cam- 
 paign against the French. The Russian empress was at that 
 time engaged in hostilities with the Turks, and had sent the 
 Emperor of Germany these troops only on condition that when 
 he had made peace with France he would create a diversion, 
 and break his truce with the Ottomans. Accordingly, in the 
 year 1736, the emperor prepared to fulfil his engagements 
 with Russia, and ordered his troops to enter Hungary. The 
 beginning of the campaign proved successful. As the Turks 
 had not expected to be attacked from that quarter, and had no 
 army there, they retreated, and left the Imperial troops in pos- 
 session of Nissa without striking a blow. In the year 1737, 
 however, the luck turned. General von Seckendorf was in- 
 trusted with the command of the Austrian forces, and behaved 
 so extremely ill that the whole army soon went to rack and 
 ruin. He was brought before a court-martial at the end of that 
 year, and sentenced to life-long imprisonment in the fortress of 
 Spielberg, thankful to have escaped so easily. I marvelled at 
 the fate of the man who had caused me so much trouble, and 
 who had been the scourge of all the Courts at which he had 
 lived. I pitied him, and I cannot say that his misfortunes af- 
 forded me even a moment's satisfaction. We shall see him 
 appear again on the scene, but I must now return to my own 
 narrative. 
 
 We commenced the year 1737 by receiving a visit from the 
 Bishop of Bamberg. Our Court appeared on this occasion in. 
 its full splendor. I had greatly improved both the Margrave's 
 room and my own. The acquisition of some first-rate Italian 
 musicians and singers had greatly improved our private orche-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRA.VINE OF BAIREUTH. 403 
 
 tra. Several foreigners who Lad entered our service served to 
 enhance the brightness of our Court, which had happily lost 
 its former depressing and monotonous nature. Everybody 
 who visited it was delighted with it, and the bishop took his 
 departure much pleased with his stay. 
 
 Although my health was still very delicate, it now began to 
 improve. The whole country ardently wished for an heir. It 
 was suggested that I should take a course of strengthening 
 baths ; and although my constitution could not stand them, 
 the doctor was bribed to urge the necessity of my using them, 
 and I was obliged to give in to the wishes of the people. As 
 Ems was the least strong of these baths in Germany, I chose 
 it in preference to others. The season of the year was, how- 
 ever, not yet far enough advanced, so we went to Erlangen, and 
 waited there till the proper time arrived. 
 
 We made a very /pleasant stay at Erlangen. It was there 
 that I saw for the first time a pastoral play, in which the cele- 
 brated Zachini acted. Every one was enraptured with the 
 beauty and charrn of his voice. We thought of nothing else 
 but amusements, when the sudden death of my nephew, the 
 hereditary Prince of Anspach, put an unexpected end to our 
 pleasures. 
 
 I have already mentioned the miserable married life of my sis- 
 ter with the Margrave of Anspach. The unhappy relations ex- 
 isting betweem them had of late become much worse, partly ow- 
 ing to the Chamberlain von Seckendorf, who unceasingly excited 
 the Margrave against his wife. The death of the young prince 
 presented a wide field to Seckendorf's malignity. He said my 
 sister was to blame for the sad occurrence, and incensed the 
 Margrave to such a degree against her that he swore he would 
 never see her again, and would have himself separated from 
 her. He even treated her shamefully, sent her cruel messages 
 through the servants, and forbade the Court to see her. In a 
 word, everything was done that could possibly humiliate her. 
 
 This state of things had already lasted three weeks without
 
 404 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 my knowing anything about it. At last some well-intentioned 
 people informed me secretly of it, and begged me to go to 
 Anspach and put an end to this misery. I did not hesitate 
 one moment, but went at once. The Margrave of Anspach 
 was in the country, seeking comfort for his son's death in the 
 arms of his mistress. As soon as he heard of my arrival at 
 Anspach he returned home. I found my sister bathed in tears, 
 and so altered that she was not to be recognized. The Mar- 
 grave never even looked at her. He could not well avoid din- 
 ing with us, but it was quite apparent that he was terribly ill 
 at ease. I would not speak with him till I was thoroughly 
 cognizant of all the circumstances. I soon found that M. von 
 Seckendorf was the chief cause of all the trouble. I therefore 
 turned to him, and the firmness as well as the gentleness with 
 which I spoke probably made an impression on him. He prom- 
 ised me to do everything in his power to restore peace, and he 
 kept his word. 
 
 Everybody combined with him to pacify the Margrave, yet 
 no doubt the reason of his listening to all these entreaties was 
 his fear of me. I had therefore the satisfaction of seeing peace 
 and unity restored, and, having no longer anything to keep 
 me at Anspach, returned to Erlangen. From there I went to 
 Wertheim, where I embarked for Ems. Our journey was very 
 pleasant. The society on board the boat was agreeable and 
 the food good, and we were charmed by the lovely scenery. 
 At the end of six days we arrived at Ems. We were very tired 
 from our last day's journey and a sleepless night spent on board 
 a small ferry-boat, as the large boat could not pass up the Lahn, 
 on which Ems is situated. Ems is a very pleasant place, sur- 
 rounded by a citadel of mountains, but without trees. The 
 House of Orange, in which we lived, is a fine building, besides 
 being very comfortable. We rested the first twenty-four hours, 
 but on the following day I began to receive people. The so- 
 ciety was limited and very tiresome. Madame von Hartenberg, 
 the wife of a royal English chamberlain, was the heroine of
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 405 
 
 the place. She had come to Eras with her husband and her 
 lover, a M. von Diefenbrock. She was small, ugly, and repul- 
 sive, very smart, and a great flirt. Her ridiculous appearance 
 was a source of amusement to us. The Margrave pretended to 
 be in love with her, and made her fine speeches, and she was 
 foolish enough to fall into the trap, and wished to begin the 
 romance where it really ended. It was not the Margrave's 
 fault that she did so, but her whole wrath fell on me. She 
 was convinced I had prevented the Margrave's love for her, 
 and consequently abused me to every one. She was, however, 
 happily so well known that nothing she said made any im- 
 pression. 
 
 I began my " cure," and at first felt pretty well. The agree- 
 able society that assembled at- Ems did much towards making 
 our stay there pleasant. Besides other ladies and gentlemen 
 from the neighborhood, Polnitz arrived, of whom I have spoken 
 before. He told me much about Berlin, where he was a great 
 favorite with the king, and was well acquainted with the state 
 of affairs. He told me everybody pitied me, for the king had 
 received dreadful news of the Margrave that he had mistresses 
 and ill-used me ! Surely slander had never invented greater 
 lies. I implored Polnitz to undeceive the king, which he did 
 on his return. 
 
 We sometimes went out walking, or rather wading through 
 the mud. The " promenade " consisted of an avenue of limes 
 planted on the banks of the river. You could never feel lone- 
 ly, as you were always accompanied by pigs and other domestic 
 animals, which you had to chase out of your path by means of 
 a stick. I used the weakest of the baths, and always waited 
 till the water had cooled down. I had been recommended to 
 do this by the doctor and others, as hot baths were very preju- 
 dicial to my health. Zeitz, our own doctor, insisted, however, 
 that I should try the stronger baths. I tried them, but was 
 able to do so only for a few minutes, for they were so hot that 
 the room became filled with steam. The doctor now turned to
 
 406 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 
 
 M. von Voit, in order that he might induce me to continue using 
 them, and although all the other doctors remonstrated with 
 Zeitz on the subject, and told him the waters would kill me, he 
 still insisted on the point. He told several people, from whom 
 I heard it afterwards, that if I only had a prince, the rest would 
 be immaterial to him. If I died well, there would only be one 
 woman the less in the world. My good genius prevailed, and 
 prevented my following his advice. However much I was 
 entreated by people, I did not do what they asked. As soon 
 as I had finished my " cure " I went to Coblentz, where I was 
 shown the castle and the town, which, however, need not be 
 further mentioned. 
 
 On my return to Ems I found one of the Landgrave of 
 Darmstadt's gentlemen, who had been sent by that prince to 
 invite the Margrave most courteously to come to Miinichbruck, 
 a country-seat belonging to the Landgrave on the road to 
 Frankfort. Much pleased to make the acquaintance of this 
 prince, who was famed for his civility and love of splendor, the 
 Margrave accepted the invitation, and induced me to accompany 
 him. We therefore started next day, passing by Schlangenbad 
 and Schwalbach, which were crowded with people. We spent 
 the night at Wiesbaden, and although greatly fatigued I got up 
 at five next morning to proceed on our way to Miinichbruck. 
 I found two " originals " in my room two Counts Reuss. One 
 of them continually hopped from one foot to the other, and told 
 me he was one of the Imperial chamberlains and a count of the 
 empire. " I am much pleased to learn this, my dear sir," I re- 
 plied; "and I am sure if the emperor possesses many cham- 
 berlains of your kind the Court must be well provided." 
 " That is also the case," he said. The other told me that he 
 lived on his property near Frankfort, " because," he added, 
 "forage is much better there. My whole pleasure consists in 
 having fine horses." He then told me the pedigree of all his 
 horses, and explained to me their special qualities. I might 
 have answered him that none could be better than he himself.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 407 
 
 At last I got into the carriage to escape from the hopping and 
 horse-loving counts. We arrived at Miinichbruck, having had 
 a terribly hot and dnsty journey. 
 
 The Landgrave offered me his hand as I stepped from the 
 carriage, but without saying a word, and left me standing in 
 the middle of the court-yard while he went to greet the Mar- 
 grave, after which he led me into the house. There I found 
 his daughter, the Princess Maximilian of Hesse-Cassel, and his 
 son, the hereditary prince. I endeavored to converse with 
 them. The Landgrave never answered one word, his daughter 
 laughed aloud, and his son made low bows. As soon as their 
 father left the room they began to talk, but of subjects which 
 were quite new to me, and of the coarsest and most improper 
 nature. I opened my eyes very wide and felt most uncomfort- 
 able. Such a thing had never happened to me before, and 
 such society did not suit me. The Princess of Hesse was a 
 second Duchesse de Berry. She had been very good-looking r 
 but good living and a very gay existence had spoiled her com- 
 plexion. Her bold manners and impudent behavior were in 
 accordance with her opinions, and left but little doubt as to 
 her real character. 
 
 At last we sat down to dinner. In spite of all the civility 
 I showed the Landgrave he remained completely silent, till an 
 unforeseen occurrence gave me the pleasure of hearing his 
 voice. Miinichbruck is a shooting lodge consisting of different 
 small pavilions, each of which contained a small saloon, with 
 three rooms on either side of it. These were all hung with 
 different colored damask bordered with silver. During dinner 
 the Princess Maximilian suddenly exclaimed, " Goodness me 
 oh, goodness me !" I was quite frightened, as I feared she 
 would be seized by one of those fits of temper by which she 
 was said to be frequently attacked during the day. However, 
 she soon called out to me that miracles were taking place ; she 
 had never seen anything so wonderful as what was disclosed to 
 her sight. I really thought she had gone out of her mind ; but
 
 408 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 when I saw the Landgrave smiling to himself in a strange way, 
 I was relieved. The great wonder consisted in part of the 
 damask hangings having been rolled up, and thereby disclosing 
 some linen decorated in oil colors beneath it. This caused the 
 Landgrave to make the following remark to me : " Your Royal 
 Highness perceives that witchcraft is practised here." This 
 was all I ever heard him say. I thought this nonsense very 
 remarkable; for the proverb says, "You must howl with the 
 wolves." 
 
 After this most tiresome dinner had come to an end I was 
 compelled to dance, whether I wished it or not. I was as tired 
 as a dog, and as there were only three ladies present, and many 
 " Allemandes" were danced, I was so exhausted that I could 
 scarcely stir. After much entreaty I induced the Margrave 
 to let us leave that evening at seven. It is only right that I 
 should now give a description of the Landgrave and his son. 
 
 At the time I saw the Landgrave he was eighty, years old, 
 and but for his white hair you would not have thought him 
 more than fifty. He had cancer of the mouth, which disfig- 
 ured him greatly. He was said to have been very clever in 
 his young days, but this had disappeared with his years. He 
 lived on very bad terms with his son, whom he treated like a 
 child, although he was forty-nine years of age. The prince 
 was very intelligent, very courteous, and even learned; but the 
 bad society in which he lived had made him so coarse that his 
 original character was not to be recognized. 
 
 I reached Frankfort very late, where we were received by 
 the magistrates and town council with salvos of cannons. As 
 I was not feeling well I stayed a day there, and visited all the 
 sights worth seeing among them the " Romer," which is the 
 hall in which the emperors dine at their coronation. Near this 
 are several rooms, in one of which is kept the "Golden Bull,"* 
 
 * The celebrated "Golden Bull" of the Emperor Charles IV. of Ger- 
 
 nianv, so culled from its goUU'ii seal, was made Hie fundamental law of
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 409 
 
 which was shown to me. I then went to the church where the 
 emperors are usually crowned. I was also shown the place 
 where the electors assemble on the day of election. As there 
 are many descriptions given of these sights in other books, I 
 pass them over in silence. 
 
 We left Frankfort next evening at five o'clock, intending to 
 travel all night, in order to avoid the intolerable heat. In spite 
 of my being very ill, I determined to visit on our way Pliil- 
 ippsruhe, a castle belonging to Prince William, of Hesse. The 
 castle is large and roomy, but very simply arranged in the in- 
 terior. The position is fine, looking over a beautiful garden, 
 with a view over the Maine, and a lovely country beyond it. 
 
 The farther we proceeded on our journey the worse I grew, 
 for I was attacked with violent dysentery. During the night 
 we were overtaken by tremendous rain, after which it suddenly 
 became quite cold. The roads were of the worst description. 
 We were in the Spessart Mountains, in the middle of a wood, 
 where no house or village was to be seen. 
 
 I arrived early next morning at half-past eight in a small 
 village called Eselsbach. I was half dead, and was carried 
 without noticing it out of the carriage and laid on a bed. The 
 doctor, who had arrived long before I did, thought me very 
 ill. I had high fever, and he considered my condition one of 
 great danger. It was decided I should remain next day in this 
 village, and then, should my state not improve, they would en- 
 deavor to move me. The place we were in was so bad it was 
 impossible to remain there any longer. As I was rather better 
 on the second day, we continued our journey to Wiirzburg, 
 where the bishop had invited us. 
 
 We were received there with all possible honors. The gar- 
 
 the German Empire at the Diet of Nuremberg in 1356. A "bull" is a 
 decree of the Pope, and is properly the seal, deriving its name from bulla, 
 and is made of gold, silver, lead, or wax. On the one side are the heads 
 of St. Peter and St. Paul, and on the other side the name of the Pope and 
 the year in which he reigned.
 
 410 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 rison had turned out and lined the streets, and cannons were 
 fired. The prince and his whole court received us at the foot 
 of the stairs. The motion of the carriage had made me feel 
 very weak, so that I was obliged to go to bed. Ill as I was I 
 managed, however, to drag myself about to visit the interior 
 of the castle, which was considered one of the finest in Ger- 
 many. The staircase was beautiful, and the rooms large and 
 roomy ; but the decoration was, to my taste, very ugly. 
 
 We left at eight o'clock in the evening. I was better in 
 some respects, but was now attacked with violent pains in my 
 chest, so that I was unable to speak. Having travelled all 
 night I reached Erlangen next day, where I remained a fort- 
 night, until I was pronounced out of danger. I remained very 
 weak, and my health was not re-established. 
 
 On my return to Baireuth I found Mademoiselle von Boden- 
 bruck, one of the queen's maids of honor, there. It was she 
 who had caused me so much annoyance at Berlin. She was 
 on her way to Carlsbad to take the baths. I was desirous of 
 behaving generously towards her, and overwhelmed her with 
 civility. My behavior touched her, and caused her to repent. 
 She gave me an account of all that was going on at Berlin. 
 She told me the queen was still angry with me, and never 
 spared an opportunity of speaking ill of me. It was all the 
 fault of my sister of Brunswick, who was constantly exciting 
 her against me, and inventing stories about Baireuth. Among 
 other things, she told her I had cared so little for the jewels 
 the queen had given me that I had sold them, and bought oth- 
 ers instead in order to keep nothing which had come from 
 Berlin. She was not content with telling my mother such 
 stories, but served me in the same manner with my brother. 
 He had, unfortunately, so much changed towards me that he 
 said openly my sister was his favorite. Mademoiselle von Bo- 
 denbruck told me my brother was no longer what he had been, 
 and that every one began to hate him, and wished I might re- 
 gain my influence over him. In order to justify myself with
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 411 
 
 respect to the slanders of my sister, I showed Mademoiselle 
 von Bodenbruck the jewels the queen had given me, which she 
 herself knew well. She promised to take my part warmly 
 with the queen, and also to speak favorably of me to my 
 brother, after which she left Baireuth laden with civilities and 
 presents. 
 
 The year 1738 seemed to me to promise to be a very un- 
 happy one. The Margrave was suddenly taken very ill. At 
 first his malady seemed not to be dangerous, being merely a 
 rush of blood to the head. Soon, however, an attack of pa- 
 ralysis threatened to put an end to his life. His mouth was 
 slightly drawn on one side, and his left eye also suffered and 
 continually watered. It did not disfigure him, however. How 
 cruelly I suffered all the time he was ill ! I can never de- 
 scribe my fears and my anxiety. His recovery seemed to give 
 me fresh life. 
 
 My own health, alas, was not improving, but on the contrary 
 became daily worse. I was again suffering from ague, and at 
 the end of three months the doctor said that there was no hope 
 of curing me. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld and the Margrave 
 informed the queen and my brother of my condition. Doctors 
 from Berlin were sent for, and the result of the consultation 
 was to pronounce my state as hopeless. The last spark of my 
 brother's love for me was now kindled afresh. He wrote to me 
 that there was a very clever doctor at Stettin, to whom the king 
 in a great measure owed his recovery while suffering from the 
 dropsy. My brother said I should ask my father to send him 
 to see me. The letter my brother wrote to me on this occasion 
 was most tender. I was resigned to my fate, and believed that 
 this time I must die. Death's approach did not fill me with 
 terror, and I was ready to meet it with courage. 
 
 My only feeling of sorrow was the thought of what my loss 
 would be to the Margrave. I tried to think, however, he would, 
 like so many other husbands, after being in terrible despair for 
 a time, at length find comfort.
 
 412 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 My brother's entreaties, combined with the Margrave's, in- 
 duced me nevertheless to follow the advice of the former. I 
 wrote the king a touching letter, telling him of the deplorable 
 condition I was in. I said that, standing on the brink of the 
 grave, I begged his forgiveness for any annoyance I had un- 
 wittingly caused him, and entreated him to give me his bless- 
 ing. I assured him of my tender love for him, and finally asked 
 him, more for the sake of pacifying the Margrave than in the 
 hopes of saving my life, to send Doctor Supperville to see me. 
 The king answered me most kindly, and sent me the doctor, 
 who arrived in a fortnight at the Hermitage, where I was at 
 that moment. 
 
 I expected to meet with a pedant one of those worthy sup- 
 porters of the faculty that constantly bring out long Latin 
 words, and bore their patients with their long-winded talk. I 
 was, however, much mistaken. A tolerably good-looking man 
 appeared, who addressed me with respect, thereby disclosing 
 perfect knowledge of the world, and in a word you were not 
 aware that he was a doctor at all. He found me dangerously 
 ill, but encouraged me, and gave me hopes of being able to cure 
 me. It will be right of me here to describe him. 
 
 Supperville was of French extraction, and is said to have 
 sprung from a good family. Every Frenchman that settles in 
 a foreign country becomes as aristocratic as the king himself, 
 whether his father be a hotel-keeper or footman in Paris. How- 
 ever, we pass over this. Supperville had, as his father lived at 
 the Hague, studied at Utrecht and Leydcn. Having completed 
 his course for the law, he became secretary to a minister who 
 was sent to France. Love made him become a doctor. He 
 fell in love with a very rich young girl, and being unwilling 
 to separate himself from her, came to a decision very repug- 
 nant to him. He went back to the University, and the ardor 
 he displayed in the study of medicine and anatomy soon made 
 him celebrated. The king took him with him, as his first doc- 
 tor, to Pomcrania, whence his fame soon spread. He was ex-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 413 
 
 tremely clever, had read immensely, and was a great genius. 
 His conversation was natural and pleasant, he understood how 
 to joke as well as how to be serious ; but his imperious and 
 jealous nature cast his other qualities and talents into the shade, 
 and made him ridiculous to such a degree as not to be easily 
 forgotten. 
 
 After the account I have given of him here, it will be easily 
 understood that he soon gained our approbation. Our Court 
 had, after much trouble and work, greatly changed for the 
 better. It had lost a certain want of courtesy and coarseness 
 that had formerly existed in it, but it was not yet what it 
 ought to have been. All composing it were narrow-minded 
 beings, who had never left Baireuth, and who had no concep- 
 tion of the rest of the world. Books and the sciences were 
 unknown to them. Their conversation was confined to shoot- 
 ing, agricultural pursuits, and stories about the old court-life. 
 M. von Voit, who had been of some help to us, had become 
 very pious. The only refuge, therefore, that remained to us 
 was in ourselves. Supperville arrived most opportunely, and 
 showed himself so devoted to us that we began to look with 
 favor on him. He made me use a "cure" which in six weeks 
 got rid of the low fever I was suffering from. I had never- 
 theless not yet entirely recovered, and lie was therefore of 
 opinion that unless I took the greatest care and led a very 
 strict life I might easily have a relapse. 
 
 This fear one day caused him to say to me that he was well 
 aware that my health was as yet not by any means re-establish- 
 ed, and that his presence was necessary. He therefore put his 
 services at my disposal, and assured me that nothing would 
 make him happier than to be able to devote his whole life to 
 the Margrave and myself. His proposal pleased me greatly, 
 but I nevertheless saw many reasons against it. Supperville 
 was a great favorite with my brother, and shared in all his 
 social pursuits. I felt certain he would never tolerate my de- 
 priving him of a person whom he liked, I told Supperville
 
 414 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGRA.V1NE OF BAIEEUTH. 
 
 this at once. He answered me by saying, " I have never up 
 to the present time dared to speak quite openly with your 
 Royal Highness ; but since I now have the honor of knowing 
 you, I feel that I may venture to do so without running the 
 risk of making myself unhappy. I had already formed the 
 intention of leaving the king's service before I came here. I 
 intended settling in Holland, but the pleasant position I have 
 found at this Court and my devotion to your Royal Highness 
 have caused me to alter my plans. I cannot deny that the 
 crown prince is most kindly inclined towards me, but I have 
 had time to study his character closely. The prince has great 
 understanding, but a bad heart; he is suspicious, ungrateful, 
 and vicious, and I am much mistaken if he will not in time 
 become more avaricious than the king, his father, is at the 
 present moment. He has no religion, and his morality is of 
 his own making. He endeavors to throw a glamour over the 
 public, but in spite of his art of dissembling many already 
 know his true character. He has singled me out at present in 
 order to increase his scientific knowledge, for learning is his 
 greatest passion. When he has learned all he wants from me, 
 he will drop rne, as he already has so many others. It is for 
 this reason that I have taken my precautions in good time." 
 
 I had already for some time been displeased with my broth- 
 er, and knew that many who had cared for him shared my 
 feelings. Yet I could not believe it possible that his whole 
 character should have changed so completely. I disputed this 
 point for a long time with Supperville ; but the Margrave, who 
 entered the room at this moment, took his part, and said he 
 had long ago come to the same opinion. He gladly accepted 
 Supperville's offer, and we both wrote to the king to ask his 
 consent. I also wrote in the same strain to my brother, and 
 Supperville started for Berlin laden with these letters. 
 
 It may seem strange that I have entered so much into detail 
 on the subject; but it was necessary, in the course of these me- 
 moirs, in which Supperville plays a conspicuous part.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 415 
 
 The king answered me most kindly that Supperville was al- 
 ways at my disposal whenever I wanted him, but that he could 
 not entirely give him over to me, as he could not do without 
 him. The queen, nevertheless, wrote to me that she hoped still 
 to obtain his consent, particularly if I were able to send several 
 very tall soldiers. 
 
 Mademoiselle von Grumkow was married at the end of the 
 year to a M. von Beist, an excellent man of good family, but 
 possessed of no riches beyond the four children left him by his 
 first wife. I was very glad to get rid of her, and took two 
 other ladies as her successors Mademoiselle Albertine von Mar- 
 witz and Mademoiselle von Hutten. This latter belonged to a 
 celebrated old family. 
 
 The year 1*739 was far more interesting than the preceding. 
 Supperville returned in the spring, and a "cure" which he 
 obliged me to use almost re-established ray health, ov rather put 
 an end to all danger. I must now turn to another subject. 
 
 I have already said that the Margrave had made a certain 
 Ellerot his secretary. He was a man possessed of honesty and 
 cleverness, and understood the affairs of the State. He had 
 found all the business departments, but more especially the 
 finance, in the greatest confusion. This department had at first 
 been intrusted to a M. von Dobeneck, but it soon became evi- 
 dent that in spite of all his self-assertion he understood noth- 
 ing about it. It was therefore given over to Ellerot, to whom 
 the Margrave also intrusted his privy purse. This man's whole 
 object was to find means, without endeavoring to restore order 
 or credit. Several large claims owing to the Margrave were 
 used to meet the expenditure. One must do Ellerot the justice 
 of saying that he rendered the Margrave valuable service, not 
 only as regards the management of his state affairs, but also 
 foreign. This secured him the confidence of his master to such 
 a degree that he made him his private referendary. The min- 
 isters clamored loudly against such an innovation, for it clipped 
 their wings aqd took from them much of their importance.
 
 416 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 They therefore presented the Margrave with a by no means re- 
 spectful written remonstrance, which he, being much offended 
 at their behavior, answered most curtly. Ellerot was suspected 
 of having written the reply, and this made him many enemies. 
 A perfect outcry was raised, and it was publicly said that the 
 servants had not been paid, and that two quarters were owing 
 to them. 
 
 I was the first to hear of this, and was informed, after inquir- 
 ing privately, that it was the case. I sent for Ellerot, spoke 
 with him, and told him I had heard that the finances were in a 
 bad way, and that the Margrave's privy purse was in debt. He 
 said that this was not the case, and assured me these reports 
 were all calumnies, invented by his enemies in order to bring 
 about his fall. I determined, therefore, not to mention any- 
 thing of this to the Margrave, who had however already heard 
 of it. 
 
 Supperville, to whom he confided his business matters, rec- 
 ommended him a gentleman from Berlin a most honest man 
 of great merit named Hartmann, of whom I had often heard, 
 to take over the finance department. Ellerot did not take it 
 in the least amiss, having long been desirous of getting rid of 
 this branch. It will, however, be seen later that he was never- 
 theless much hurt at Ilartmann's appointment. 
 
 No sooner had Hartmann arrived than the storm against 
 Ellerot burst forth. Young and old entreated me to draw the 
 Margrave's attention to his dishonesty and bad management. 
 I was too well acquainted with the ways of the world to inter- 
 fere in such things. Ellerot was in high favor, and this roused 
 jealousy and envy ; and as I believed him to be innocent, I took 
 good care not to rouse the Margrave's suspicions. Hartmann, 
 however, confirmed the rumors, and declared the finances were 
 in terrible confusion, and that half a year's wages were owing 
 to the servants. In order to come to no hasty conclusion the 
 Margrave sent secretly for Hartmann, and desired him to give 
 him his accusations in writing. This man assured him of the
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUXH. 417 
 
 truth of all he had said, and declared he would convict his op- 
 ponent. 
 
 Ellerot had many friends. He heard of the Margrave's se- 
 cret interview, and as he had his own creatures about the place 
 he soon became aware of the trick that was to be played him. 
 He spoke to the Margrave next day, protesting his innocence, 
 and begging for a strict inquiry into his conduct. What more 
 could be done ? The Margrave appointed four commissioners 
 to carry out this inquiry. Ellerot was pronounced free from 
 all guilt, and came out of the whole proceeding white as snow, 
 while his accuser was sent to the fortress. We shall learn the 
 end of this story next year. 
 
 My health meanwhile improved but very slowly, and the 
 complaint I suffered from seemed to develop into a kind of 
 consumption. Supperville advised change of air, as Baireuth 
 was cold and unhealthy during the winter. He therefore sug- 
 gested to the Margrave our spending a year at Montpellier, and 
 proved to him the double advantage the change would have. 
 First of all, it would help the restoration of my health, and sec- 
 ondly, improve the state of his finances, as the country was 
 obliged to vote the money for our journey. The Margrave 
 was delighted with the proposition, and at once informed me 
 of it. It can be easily understood that I at once consented. I 
 foresaw that great difficulties would be made at Berlin ; for I 
 knew that the king and queen would disapprove of the plan, 
 besides which I did not expect to find much amusement at 
 Montpellier. 
 
 My father-in-law, the late Margrave, had spent several years 
 there, and had not given me a favorable impression of the 
 place. I proposed another plan to the Margrave and Supper- 
 ville, of which they entirely approved. It was this : to spend a 
 few months at Montpellier, then to go to Autibes by sea, and 
 travel through Italy. As we were, however, persuaded that 
 this journey would meet with still greater disfavor than the 
 other, we determined to keep it a secret. 
 27
 
 418 MEMOIRS OF TI1K MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 We thought it advisable that the Margrave should pay a visit 
 to Berlin, in order to remove any possible opposition and an- 
 noyance from that quarter. My husband gladly assented to 
 my wishes. He left in a fortnight, accompanied by eight tall 
 men he had chosen from his own body-guard, whom he intend- 
 ed offering to the king. His journey and his arrival were kept 
 such a secret that no one heard of either. 
 
 On seeing the Margrave the king, who was just on parade, 
 evinced the greatest delight. He at once alighted from his 
 horse and embraced him several times, calling him his dear son. 
 He had tears in his eyes, and kept repeating, "My God, what 
 pleasure you are giving me! Now I know that you do care for 
 me a little." The king then led the Margrave up to the queen, 
 who also received him most kindly. But the Margrave rose 
 still higher in the king's estimation next day, on his presenting 
 him with the eight tall soldiers. My brother also greeted him 
 most warmly, but dissuaded him from asking any favor of the 
 king, as he would then, he said, spoil everything. I am certmn 
 the king would have granted him anything, for I have been 
 told so repeatedly. The Margrave was anxious to remain on 
 good terms with my brother, and therefore missed the oppor- 
 tunity of gaining any advantage from the king's favorable dis- 
 position towards him. He not only received the consent to 
 our journey to Montpellier, but Supperville's resignation was 
 accepted, and he was entirely given over to us. The king gave 
 the Margrave a gold snuffbox, set with diamonds and contain- 
 ing his portrait, of the value of 4000 thalers (600). I also 
 received several presents from the king and queen. The Mar- 
 grave returned to Baireuth after an absence of six weeks, very 
 much satisfied with the marks of friendship shown him at 
 Berlin. 
 
 Now that all obstacles from that quarter had been overcome, 
 we met with others from the principality. The dissatisfaction 
 was general, and the people would not let us leave. My gov- 
 erness, whose great age prevented her accompanying us, made
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 419 
 
 a great to-do. At last, at the end of four weeks, all difficulties 
 having been got over, our departure was fixed for the 20th of 
 August. 
 
 My poor Meermann* was very ailing, and much as I grieved 
 to separate myself from both these devoted companions of rny 
 sorrows, I felt I would rather suffer that pain than expose their 
 lives and healths to any risk. Meerraanu's husband was my 
 man of business. He had an excellent head, but was violent 
 and vehement. lie wished to pass as my favorite, and was 
 furious at not being so. He ruled his wife with a rod of iron, 
 so that she did not dare stir, and was frightened to death of 
 him. This man was bitterly annoyed that I did not take him 
 with me, and determined to have his revenge. He asked my 
 permission to go to Berlin, and remain there during my ab- 
 sence, which I granted him. At last, having taken a tearful 
 leave of my governess and Meermann, I got into the carriage 
 with my husband, accompanied by Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld 
 and Mademoiselle von Marwitz, who were the only ladies I took 
 with me. Supperville had been attacked with fever two days 
 before, and awaited us at Erlangen. 
 
 We had barely driven a mile when the Margrave was taken 
 suddenly ill with violent headache, accompanied by sickness. 
 We hoped that it was nothing but an ordinary sick headache, 
 but had reckoned without our host. He became feverish, and 
 we were obliged to stay several hours in a dreadful little place 
 called Traubach. I proposed returning to Baireuth ; but he 
 would not hear of it, and insisted on our getting into the car- 
 riage again and driving to Streitberg, where we spent the night. 
 The fever continued all night, but as he was desirous of reach- 
 ing Erlangen we brought him there with great difficulty. 
 
 On our arrival there we were told that Supperville was very 
 ill indeed. All the symptoms of his illness coincided with 
 those of the Margrave. I was in terrible anxiety about the 
 
 * The Margravine's faithful old maid.
 
 420 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 latter, and was afraid he was going to have some malignant 
 fever. In spite of my consumptive condition, I never left his 
 side for a moment, and suffered far more than he did. His 
 condition did not improve, and for five times twenty- four hours 
 he lay in this burning fever, which nothing seemed to relieve. 
 My anxiety drove me to seek Supperville, who was living in the 
 castle. I told him that the Margrave was in so dangerous a con- 
 dition that no time must be lost in bleeding him. Supperville 
 replied that he was of the same opinion, and was only waiting 
 till the fever abated somewhat to carry it out. I therefore re- 
 turned to the Margrave, with whom I found our second doctor, 
 Wagner. I informed him of my consultation with Supper- 
 ville and of his opinion ; but he declared that he would never 
 consent to bleed the Margrave at this moment, as nothing could 
 be more dangerous, and it should be resorted to only as a last 
 means in case there were no hope of recovery possible. I an- 
 swered that I could not prescribe what he was to do, and that 
 he must settle the matter with Supperville. He returned after 
 a few moments, and said Supperville was of the same opinion, 
 viz., to do nothing hastily. 
 
 I remained with the Margrave till three o'clock in the 
 morning, when, overcome by fatigue and anxiety, I at last 
 threw myself on my bed in a small room next his, from which 
 I could see and hear all that was going on, and soon fell asleep. 
 I might have slept four hours, when I was awakened, and as 
 I opened my eyes I saw Wagner standing near my bed. No 
 Medusa's head could have alarmed me more, and I thought the 
 Margrave must be dying. " I beg your Royal Highness not to 
 be alarmed," Wagner said ; " the Margrave is still in the same 
 condition, and we have at length determined to bleed him. We 
 thought it right to inform you of our intention, in order that 
 you might be present." 
 
 More dead than alive I rose from my bed. A poor sinner 
 led to his place of execution could not have suffered more than 
 I did at that moment. I trembled all over, and my knees shook
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 421 
 
 tinder me. As the last means of help was to be resorted to, I 
 felt convinced all hope was at an end for the Margrave. In 
 this state of mind I dragged myself into the Margrave's room, 
 where another scene presented itself. The whole Council was 
 assembled, while in the streets a crowd had gathered, who 
 abused Supperville for his intention of bleeding the Margrave. 
 Supperville was quite as ill as the Margrave, but never lost his 
 head. He had himself bled first, to put an end to the uproar 
 and outcry, and thus pacified the people's minds. 
 
 Throughout all this I lay in an arm-chair in a condition not 
 to be described. I was incapable of collecting my thoughts, 
 and kept staring fixedly at one spot. At last the bleeding took 
 place and oh, what joy ! The Margrave's face changed as the 
 blood flowed, the renewed attack of fever which had been an- 
 ticipated did not supervene, and by the evening he was pro- 
 nounced out of danger. As soon as his condition improved, I 
 observed he was very cold in his manner towards me. He quar- 
 relled with me about every trifle, and was, on the other hand, 
 very marked in his manner towards Mademoiselle von Marwitz, 
 for whom he asked incessantly whenever she was out of the 
 room. He obeyed her blindly in all that concerned the care 
 of his health. If I ventured to offer a suggestion, he flew out 
 at me. I was in great despair at this. My health soon began 
 to suffer from mental grief, and I was seized with convulsions, 
 which I had never had before. My governess came to visit 
 me, and did all she could to afford me relief. No one could 
 guess the real cause of my complaint. I have already said ray 
 bedroom joined the Margrave's. I heard how he sent for my 
 ladies every morning when he woke. If I were well enough to 
 go to him he scarcely spoke to me, and at once sent for Mad- 
 emoiselle von Marwitz. Violent jealousy took possession of 
 my heart. Every one observed my distress, but I took care no 
 one should discover its cause. 
 
 I knew Mademoiselle von Marwitz so well how devoted she 
 was to me, and how virtuous and felt certain that if she be-
 
 422 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 came aware of the cause of rny sorrow, she would leave my 
 court. But the Margrave I could not forgive for behaving as 
 he did towards me. For a year past I had been blind to many 
 little circumstances I now observed. 
 
 He was still determined to carry out the plan of travelling 
 through Italy, but I had lost all wish and inclination to do so ; 
 for I was convinced that the ease with which he would be 
 brought in contact with Mademoiselle von Marwitz would only 
 increase his love for her. Besides, my heart was too sad and 
 heavy to find pleasure in anything but in a change in my pres- 
 ent position. 
 
 A new trouble completely crushed me. I have mentioned 
 Meerman's husband's dissatisfaction. Immediately on his ar- 
 rival at Berlin he presented my letter and the Margrave's to 
 the king. On the king's inquiring after my health, this man 
 took the opportunity of speaking most insolently of me. He 
 said I had never been ill, and then expatiated on the great 
 expenses I encouraged the Margrave to incur, which he said 
 ruined the country. In fact, he roused the king's anger to 
 such a degree against me that he did not know how to con- 
 tain himself. Meerman, however, did not dare confess to his 
 wife how he had slandered me. He knew her honesty, and that 
 she would never have tolerated his behavior. 
 
 This excellent woman went next day to see the queen, who 
 inquired most particularly about all those points on which I 
 had been so cruelly accused, by which she found out that the 
 direct opposite to what had been said was the case. Meerman 
 (my maid) was besides ready to take an oath that all that had 
 been said of me was entirely false. 
 
 The queen, nevertheless, wrote me a very strong letter, in 
 which she told me in the king's name that he would never 
 forgive me if I insisted on carrying out the project of going to 
 Montpellicr. At the same time I also heard from my brother, 
 who told me all the circumstances I have before mentioned, 
 and of my father's anger against me. " I, nevertheless, advise
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF HATRED TH. 423 
 
 you to continue your journey," he wrote. " The king has re;illy 
 no orders to give you, and it would be a sign of weakness on 
 your part if you let yourself be intimidated by the false gossip 
 of a man like Meerman. I recommend your getting rid of that 
 scoundrel. Turn him away at once, and show a determined spirit. 
 It is true that his wife is most devoted to you, and does not de- 
 serve such harsh treatment ; but you must get over that, in order 
 to get rid of such a bad man." 
 
 These two letters distressed me greatly, for I loved Meer- 
 mann's wife dearly, yet knew the Margrave would approve of 
 my brother's advice. My governess, who had been for a few 
 days at Erlangen, helped me out of the difficulty. She de- 
 fended my poor maid so warmly that she induced the Mar- 
 grave to pardon the husband. All these annoyances did much 
 harm to my health. 
 
 My governess several times discovered me in tears, and I at 
 last gave in to her entreaties, and owned to her the reason of 
 my altered appearance and my sorrow. Mademoiselle von Mar- 
 witz had observed that I was not in my usual spirits, but thought 
 it was owing to my illness. When, therefore, my governess 
 spoke to her about it she evidently guessed the reason, for she 
 was so terribly upset that she had an attack of fever in conse- 
 quence. Mademoiselle von Sonnsfeld observed that I had not 
 complained without some good reason, and that the Margrave 
 treated me very coldly. She therefore spoke most seriously 
 with him, and not without making an impression, for he ex- 
 cused himself and said it was all the consequence of his fever. 
 Indeed, I now found him as tender and kind as of old. I over- 
 whelmed Mademoiselle von Marwitz with affection, that I might 
 entirely put her very just apprehensions out of her head. 
 
 It was now November, and it being too late in the season to 
 proceed to Montpellier, we returned as soon as the Margrave 
 had entirely recovered his health to Baireuth, where we were 
 received with every demonstration of joy. 
 
 Soon after this Meermann and his wife returned from Ber-
 
 424 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 Jin. I welcomed his wife most affectionately, and himself all 
 the more coldly. He was greatly surprised to find me so per- 
 fectly informed of his conduct. I forgave him out of love for 
 his wife, and he has since then proved himself so devoted to me 
 that I have every reason to be satisfied with him. 
 
 I had not followed my brother's advice either in regard to 
 Meermann or to the Italian journey, in consequence of which I 
 received a letter from him. I endeavored to pacify him by put- 
 ting forward good reasons for having acted as I had. I told 
 him in my answer that the Margrave's health had been too 
 delicate to undertake the journey; that I had too good a 
 heart to wish to make a person unhappy whom I loved, and 
 to whom I owed much gratitude. My brother was not satis- 
 fied with this explanation, and I observed that he wrote to me 
 very coldly. 
 
 About this time I heard the king was ill, and that the doc- 
 tors feared a fresh attack of dropsy. His illness increased dur- 
 ing the year 1740. 
 
 We began the New Year (1740) with the Carnival. Several 
 " Bals Costumes " were given at the Castle, to which the nobil- 
 ity alone were invited. 
 
 During the lifetime of the late Margrave the clergy had gain- 
 ed great power and influence. A. sect had been formed calling 
 themselves "Pietisten" (Devotees), of which the late Margrave's 
 confessor was the head. This man possessed inordinate ambi- 
 tion, combined with a most intriguing nature, but hid these 
 qualities beneath the mask of religion. This man now began 
 to stir the people tip against us. He stood in high favor at 
 the Danish Court, and we therefore had, on political grounds, 
 to treat him with caution. In order to prevent gossip which 
 might have done us harm, we were obliged to accustom people 
 by degrees to our gayeties. I lived in perfect peace and quiet; 
 for the Margrave treated me kindly, and Mademoiselle von Mar- 
 wit/, and I enjoyed undisturbed the pleasures of friendship. 
 
 The king's illness meanwhile became more serious, and the
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTU. 425 
 
 queen wrote me word that the doctors gave him only a month 
 more to live. My sister of Brunswick had herself gone to Ber- 
 lin to inquire after his health. I felt it was my duty to do the 
 same, and therefore spoke with the Margrave about it. He did 
 not approve of the idea, but nevertheless allowed me to discuss 
 it with my governess. From an exaggerated feeling of friend- 
 ship for me, she dissuaded me from undertaking the journey. 
 She feared the shock of the king's approaching death would in- 
 jure my health afresh. As, however, I insisted on carrying out 
 my plan, she advised me to write to my brother. This did not 
 suit me at all ; but since the Margrave would not under any other 
 condition hear of the journey, I had to submit, and sent the fol- 
 lowing letter to my brother by messenger : 
 
 " I had up to this time flattered myself that the king's illness 
 was curable. The last letter, however, which I received from the 
 queen informs me that there is no hope. I have therefore de- 
 cided, if you approve of my doing so, to go to Berlin without 
 further delay, to assure my dying father of my devotion, and to 
 seek a reconciliation with him. I should, I confess, be in utter 
 despair were he to die before I saw him, and had I to reproach 
 myself with having neglected my duty towards him. I beg you, 
 therefore, to send me an answer by messenger, and to let me 
 know what you think of my plan." 
 
 To this letter I received the following reply : 
 
 " Your message has filled me with the greatest surprise. 
 What on earth do you want here? You will be received like 
 a dog, and get no thanks for your kindly feelings. Remain at 
 Daireuth and amuse yourself, and do not dream of coming to a 
 hell, where you hear only groans and cries, and where every one 
 is ill-used. The queen disapproves of your plan as much as 
 I do. It depends entirely on yourself if you will make the 
 venture. Good-by, dear sister ; I will inform you of the king's
 
 426 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 health each time the post leaves. He cannot recover, but the 
 doctors say he may linger on for some time yet. I am always," 
 etc. 
 
 This letter put an end to all my plans, for I could no longer 
 hope to obtain the Margrave's consent to my journey to Berlin. 
 The king grew worse and worse, and closed his life and reign 
 on the 31st of May. It will not be out of place if I hear say 
 a few words about his singular and heroic death. 
 
 He had spent a very bad night, and at seven in the morning 
 had himself rolled in his chair to the queen's room. Not 
 having thought the danger so imminent, she was still asleep. 
 " Get up," the king said to her, " I have only a few more hours 
 to live, and wish to have the happiness of dying in your arms." 
 He then had himself taken to my brothers, of whom he took a 
 tender farewell, with the exception of the crown prince, whom 
 he ordered to follow him into the next room. As soon as he 
 reached it he sent for the first two ministers, the Prince of An- 
 halt, and all the generals and colonels at that time at Potsdam. 
 After making them a little speech he thanked them for their 
 past services, and asked them to be as faithful to the crown 
 prince, his heir, as they had been to him. He then made over 
 all his power and rights to the crown prince, whom he exhorted 
 in the most touching manner, reminding him of the sacred 
 duties of a sovereign towards his subjects. He recommended 
 the army to his care, and specially the generals and officers 
 present. 
 
 The king then turned to the Prince of Anhalt, and said, 
 " You are my oldest general : it is but fair that I should leave 
 you the best horse I possess." He then desired it should be 
 brought round, and observing that the prince was much upset, 
 he added, " It is man's fate ; he must pay his tribute to nature." 
 As he was afraid the tears and lamentations around him might 
 cause him to lose his composure, the king begged all present 
 to leave him. He ordered his servants to put on their new
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTTI. 427 
 
 liveries and liis regiment the new uniforms he had just had 
 made for them. The queen now entered the room, and had 
 barely been there a quarter of a hour before the king fainted 
 away. He was put to bed, and after much difficulty regained 
 consciousness. On looking around him and observing his 
 servants in their new liveries, he exclaimed, " Vanity, vanity, 
 all is vanity !" After this, he asked his doctor if his end were 
 near at hand. Upon the doctor's replying that he might live 
 another half-hour, he asked for a looking-glass. Having looked 
 at himself in it, he smiled, saying, " I am much altered, and 
 shall have a very ugly face when I die." Repeating his ques- 
 tion to the doctor, he received the answer that a quarter of an 
 hour had passed, and that his pulse was becoming more rapid. 
 Upon this he said, "So much the better: I shall soon return 
 to my nothingness." Those around him wished to let two 
 clergymen enter the room to pray with him ; but the king re- 
 plied that he knew just what they would say, and that they 
 should go their way. After having repeated fainting fits, he 
 died at noon. The new king at once led the queen to her 
 room, where many tears were shed. I do not know whether 
 they were sincere or false. 
 
 The king sent me a messenger to inform me of the sad news. 
 Although I was prepared for it, it upset me terribly. I cannot 
 dissemble, and although I have had many sorrows I have felt 
 more keenly, I can say with truth that this was a great grief 
 to me. 
 
 I continued to be on the same terms with the king as 
 formerly. I wrote to him whenever the post went, and al- 
 ways in the fulness of my heart. But six weeks went by 
 without my getting any answer. The letter which I at last 
 received was only signed by the king. Soon after his acces- 
 sion he made a journey through Pomerania and Prussia. He 
 continued his silence towards me, and I did not know what I 
 was to think of it ; for, loving him so dearly, I could not help 
 being anxious at such indifference.
 
 428 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTH. 
 
 At last, after three months, I was secretly informed he had 
 left Berlin incognito to surprise me at the Hermitage, where 1 
 was at that moment. I nearly died of joy at the news, and 
 was so upset by it that I was ill for two days in consequence. 
 
 At length he arrived, accompanied by my second brother, 
 whom I shall simply call " my brother," in order to distinguish 
 him from the other. My heart opened out afresh at this hap- 
 py meeting. I had so much to tell the king that I could not 
 find words. I observed at once that his affectionate manner 
 towards me was forced. It staggered me rather, but I thought 
 no more about it. " My brother " I found so grown and al- 
 tered that I should scarcely have known him. As I shall have 
 occasion to mention him again later on, I will not here inter- 
 rupt the thread of my narrative. 
 
 The king conversed all day with me, but only on trivial 
 subjects. There was a certain embarrassment in his manner 
 which puzzled me. M. Algarotti, an Italian, and one of the 
 clever men of the century, who was in the king's suite, was a 
 great help to the conversation. What surprised me most was 
 the king's great eagerness to see my sister of Anspach again, 
 for whom he had never really cared. More than twenty mes- 
 sengers were sent next day to invite her in the tenderest terms 
 to the Hermitage. She arrived on the following day, with the 
 Margrave, her husband. The king now showed no further 
 consideration for me, but made no secret of his marked prefer- 
 ence for my sister. He gave me a small bunch of flowers made 
 of diamonds, worth two hundred thalers (thirty pounds), and 
 a fan in which there was a little watch. To the Margrave lie 
 gave a snuffbox set in diamonds with the portrait of the late 
 king. My sister received a present similar to mine, and of the 
 same value; but he gave the Margrave of Anspach a snuffbox 
 made of a white pebble, which was cracked right through the 
 centre, so that he at once gave it away to one of his pages. 
 M. von Miinichow, whom I have mentioned before, had become 
 equerry to the king, and accompanied him everywhere. This
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREUTII. 429 
 
 verdant youth was much liked at Court, and was of more ac- 
 count than any of those who had been devoted to the king 
 when he was crown prince. Daring his stay at Baireuth he 
 had been much in love with Mademoiselle von .Marwitz, and 
 flattered himself that, if I were not opposed to it, he might 
 receive her in marriage from the king and General Marwitz. 
 
 We arrived at Berlin at the end of October. My youngest 
 brothers, all the Princes of the Blood, and the whole Court re- 
 ceived us at the foot of the stairs. I was at once taken to my 
 rooms, where I found the reigning queen and my sisters. I 
 heard, to my great sorrow, that the king had an attack of tertian 
 fever. He sent me word that his illness prevented his seeing 
 me, but that he hoped to have this pleasure next day. As 
 soon as the first greetings had been exchanged I went to see 
 the queen-mother. Her sinister and melancholy expression 
 struck me painfully. Every one still wore deep mourning for 
 the king, my father, and I felt his loss anew. Nature has its 
 rights, and I can say with truth I was never more upset than 
 on this occasion. My meeting with the queen was very trying. 
 We dined that evening alone with the family, and I renewed 
 my acquaintance with my brothers and sisters, whom I had 
 not seen for eight years. 
 
 I saw the king next day. He was thin and disfigured, and 
 his manner was forced. Love makes one sharp-sighted, and 
 friendship equally so, and I was therefore not taken in by his 
 empty assurances, and felt but too plainly that he no longer 
 cared for me. He asked me to follow him to a castle in the 
 country, called Rheinsberg, where he was going for change of 
 air. The reigning queen was to accompany him, but as the 
 house was small he said he could not house me, but he would, 
 however, take care to have a room arranged for me, and as soon 
 as it was ready would let me know. 
 
 As the Court wore mourning, it presented no brilliant appear- 
 ance. I went daily to the queen-mother, who saw few people,
 
 430 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 and was overcome by her great grief. She had always flattered 
 herself that she possessed great influence over the king, my 
 brother, and hoped when he came to the throne to take part in 
 the affairs of the State. To her great surprise and disgust, how- 
 ever, the king, who was very jealous of his own power, did not 
 allow her any voice in matters of business. 
 
 After the king's departure I remained a fortnight longer at 
 Berlin. I was overwhelmed with marks of honor and respect, 
 which might have misled any one but myself. If you set store 
 by mutual affection, such outward show makes but little im- 
 pression, and a trifling mark of friendship proves more than 
 any vain pomp. I observed during my short stay that great 
 dissatisfaction existed throughout the country, and that the 
 king had lost much of the affection of his subjects. He was 
 spoken of publicly with little respect. Some complained of 
 his want of consideration towards those that had been devoted 
 to him while he was crown prince ; others of his stinginess, 
 which, they said, was far greater than the late king's. Others, 
 again, found fault with his distrust and suspicion, his violence, 
 pride, and dissimulation. Several circumstances of which I had 
 been a witness made me believe these rumors. I would have 
 spoken with the king about them, but my brother of Prussia 
 and the reigning queen dissuaded me from doing so. I will 
 later on explain all this, and entreat those who may some day 
 read these memoirs to suspend their judgment on the character 
 of this great sovereign till I have given it more in detail. The 
 news of the death of Charles VI.,* which arrived at this mo- 
 ment, formed the chief topic of conversation and political spec- 
 ulation at the Court. Two days afterwards I arrived at Rheins- 
 berg. The quinine the king had taken quite had cured him of 
 his fever ; but he still kept to his room, and continued to do so 
 during the whole of my stay at Rheinsberg. It was surpris- 
 
 * Emperor of Germany aud of the Holy Rornaii Empire. He died the 
 20th of October, 1740.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 431 
 
 ing how the king, prostrated as he was by illness, was able to 
 transact all business matters. Nothing was settled or took place 
 without his knowledge, or without passing through his hands. 
 The small amount of leisure time at his disposal he spent in 
 the society of clever and distinguished men, such as Voltaire, 
 Maupertius, Algarotti, and Jordan. In the evening there was 
 generally a concert, when the king, in spite of his weakness, 
 himself played two or three concertos on the flute. He was, 
 without any flattery, a real artist on that instrument. After 
 supper he devoted his time to writing poems, for which he 
 had a great talent. All these occupations were a recreation 
 to him. The subject that most occupied his mind at this 
 time was the conquest of Silesia. His preparations for this 
 object were kept so secret and were made so cleverly that the 
 Austrian envoy at Berlin never heard a word of them till they 
 were concluded. 
 
 The stay at Rheinsberg pleased me only on account of the 
 pleasant society I met with there. I saw the king very seldom, 
 and had no reason to be satisfied with our interviews. They 
 consisted in the exchange of forced civilities, or in bitter jokes 
 about the Margrave's financial difficulties. The king went so far 
 as often to turn him and the other princes of the empire into 
 ridicule a rudeness I felt very much indeed. Added to this I 
 found myself unfortunately involved in a very delicate matter, 
 which might have had very serious consequences. As it has, 
 however, remained a secret up to this time, and as the honor of 
 several people to whom I owe consideration was concerned in 
 it, I will pass it all over in silence, and will therefore turn to 
 another subject, which may- appear less interesting, but which, 
 as it concerns this narrative, I feel bound to mention. 
 
 Madame von Sonnsfeld and the elder Mademoiselle von Mar- 
 witz were the only members of my household that had accom- 
 panied me- to Rheinsberg. Mademoiselle von Marwitz had 
 become very intimate with two Mademoiselles von Tertow, 
 ladies-in-waiting to the queen. They were very amiable, but
 
 432 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 made themselves generally hated on account of their love of 
 gossip and raillery. 
 
 Madame von Morian was no longer young, but had kept her 
 looks wonderfully, knew the ways of the world, was lively, and 
 had managed to overcome all prejudices. Her behavior was 
 not praiseworthy, and she seemed to have lost all sense of pro- 
 priety. She said such things while sitting at the queen's din- 
 ner-table as made even gentlemen blush. This society, which 
 was calculated to ruin a young creature, had the very worst 
 effect on Mademoiselle von Marwitz. The love of ridicule, the 
 ambiguous remarks, and the improper behavior of Madame von 
 Morian and of the two Tertows were copied by her, and she 
 shaped her behavior according to theirs. Her conduct gave 
 credence to rumors afloat about her. Some gossips rallied her 
 about her love passages with the Margrave, and remarked to 
 her upon her influence over him. In a word, nothing else was 
 talked of. But they did her injustice. She slept and lived in 
 the same apartments with her aunt, and never saw the Mar- 
 grave except in her presence or mine. 
 
 Characters change by slow degrees. A young person sud- 
 denly launched into the great world may be misled by its 
 amusements, but would forget herself only gradually. When 
 I told her of the stories circulated about her, she was beside 
 herself. All the good principles I had endeavored to imbue 
 her with presented themselves to her in their full force. She 
 said she would leave the Court, and wished to return home to 
 her father. I had to use all my powers of persuasion to pre- 
 vent her doing so, and it was only with much trouble that I 
 was able to pacify her. I succeeded after a time in proving 
 her virtue without a shadow of doubt, and putting an end to 
 the gossip. It had, however, put ideas into her head, as will be 
 seen later on, which she would otherwise never have thought of. 
 
 We returned to Berlin at the beginning of December. The 
 disturbances caused by the death of the emperor obliged the 
 Margrave to return home ; but in order not to displease the
 
 MEMOIKS OF THE MAIiGKAVINE OF BAIREUTU. 433 
 
 king, I remained in Berlin. After the mourning bad been dis- 
 carded, the Carnival festivities, which always take place at 
 Berlin in December, January, and February, were commenced. 
 On Mondays the king gave a masked ball at the Castle, on Tues- 
 days a public concert took place ; Wednesdays and Fridays 
 masked balls were given in the town in the houses of the high- 
 .est officials. These gayeties were not of long duration, for the 
 king's great plan suddenly saw light. Ilis troops marched 
 against Silesia, and the king left Berlin to place himself at the 
 head of his army. I was greatly upset as I took leave of him. 
 His project involved great risks, and might, if it failed, have 
 most disastrous consequences. These reflections made the part- 
 ing all the more painful. I would have awaited his return, for 
 he intended coming back for a few days at the end of six 
 weeks, had not the circumstance which I have passed over in 
 silence still troubled me. My impatience also to see the Mar- 
 grave again prevented my prolonging my stay at Berlin. 
 
 I left Berlin on the llth of January, 1741, and arrived at 
 the end of eleven days at Baireuth. The inundations had so 
 destroyed the roads that I could travel only four hours each 
 day. Mademoiselle von Marwitz and her sister deafened me 
 during the whole journey with their lamentations at having 
 left Berlin. " Here we are, obliged to return to that devil's 
 nest, where we are bored to death after having tasted the pleas- 
 ures of Berlin," Mademoiselle von Marwitz exclaimed. These 
 remarks had already annoyed me more than once ; but, as I 
 looked on her as a person the fire of whose youth carried her 
 away, I tried to find an excuse for her. She appeared, too, after 
 a time to have recovered herself, and to have given up her follies. 
 I returned to my accustomed existence at Baireuth. Many stran- 
 gers visited us, which added much to the brightness of our Court. 
 
 The fall of Glogau* made me very happy. After the king, 
 
 * One of the chief towns of Silesia. It was taken by Frederick the 
 Great in his first Silesian war, on March 10, 1741. Note by Translator. 
 38
 
 434 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 ray brother, had laid siege to it, he took it by storm. This 
 town was the key of Silesia. 
 
 A short time after this occurrence, Count Cobentzel, the 
 envoy of the Queen of Hungary, Maria Theresa, arrived at 
 Baireuth. He brought me a letter from the widowed empress, 
 in which she implored me to use my influence with the king, 
 my brother, to induce him to make peace. The queen, het- 
 daughter, was without money or troops, and had been attacked 
 without the least warning. In spite of her precarious position 
 she had refused to entertain the king's proposal. She was de- 
 termined to resist to the last, rather than give up the four 
 duchies,* which were the cause of the whole dispute. All 
 Count Cobentzel's entreaties, all the favorable conditions he 
 offered me, would not induce me to interfere in this matter. 
 I did not even think it advisable to write to the king about it 
 the more so as no explanation had been given as to the con- 
 ditions of such an agreement. The king continued to make 
 successful progress. On the 10th of April the battle of Moll- 
 witz was fought, resulting in a victory which in every way re- 
 flected honor on the king. This victory entirely justified his 
 talents as a general, for his first attempt had been a master- 
 stroke. On this occasion General Marwitz was dangerously 
 wounded in the thigh. The siege and fall of Neisse was the 
 result of this victory, and led to peace being concluded. It is 
 difficult to describe my joy at these good tidings, which I cele- 
 brated by fetes. 
 
 This year passed by quietly for me, but it was also the last 
 in which I experienced any peace or quiet. I now began a 
 new career, which was far harder and more difficult than any 
 over which I had before triumphed. I have prided myself on 
 my perfect honesty, and shall, therefore, not endeavor to hide 
 any of the faults I have committed. I may have sinned against 
 rules of policy, but I cannot reproach myself with any want of 
 uprightness. 
 
 * Jagerudorf, Licgnitz, Brieg, and Wohlan.
 
 MEMOIKS OF THE MAKGKAVINE OF BAIEEUTH. 435 
 
 As General Marwitz's wound was fatal, be implored me to let 
 bis daughter go and see him a request I felt I could not refuse. 
 He had become governor of Breslau, and commanded all the 
 troops in Silesia. His daughter, whom I had thought highly 
 delighted at the permission to visit her father, came crying to 
 me two days before her departure in a great state of despair. 
 
 I asked her in great surprise what was the cause of her dis- 
 tress. She could, however, scarcely answer me for sobbing. 
 At length she said, " I now see I must leave your Royal High- 
 ness. The rumors that were circulated at Berlin attacking my 
 reputation have found but too much credence. Nothing is 
 dearer to me than my honor, and the stain cast on it is more 
 bitter to me than death. I shall become the -most miserable 
 creature on earth, for I feel I cannot live without you. To in- 
 crease my misery and to drive me still further to despair, my 
 father insists on my marrying. I am, therefore, to become a 
 double victim on the one hand to the distress at the separation 
 from you, and on the other to the necessity of uniting myself 
 to a man I probably hate." 
 
 Her tears and words touched me much. I did my utmost 
 to comfort her, and succeeded after two hours in pacifying her, 
 and obtaining her promise not to leave my service. The reader 
 may judge if, after such a conversation, I could mistrust the 
 girl. Could I believe she was cruelly deceiving me, and rob- 
 bing me of my greatest earthly treasure my husband's heart? 
 She was constantly with me, and she was so prudent in her 
 behavior towards him that it would have dispelled all suspicion, 
 had I entertained any. After her departure her sister showed 
 me much devotion, and her cheerful, lively, clever disposition 
 made the time pass quickly. The Margrave joked much with 
 her without raising any uneasiness in my mind, and I was 
 glad when he was amused. I hated restraint, and therefore 
 wished to put none on him. 
 
 About this time the Elector of Bavaria was elected Roman 
 Emperor. He passed incognito through Baireuth at the begin-
 
 436 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGBAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 ning of the year 1742, on his way to Mannheim to attend the 
 wedding of the Prince and Princess of Sulzbach ; and thence 
 he was going to Frankfort for the coronation. He came 
 through Baireuth so poorly attended that we should probably 
 not have heard of it had he not sent us one of his gentlemen 
 with a kind message and his excuses for not stopping. The 
 Margrave at once mounted his horse and hastened after him. 
 He used so much speed that he overtook him three miles from 
 the town. The emperor* left his carriage at once, and showed 
 him every mark of civility. After conversing together for 
 about half an hour they parted, mutually satisfied with each 
 other. 
 
 Soon after this we heard the coronation was fixed for the 
 31st of January. We were so curious to see it that we deter- 
 mined to go to Frankfort in the strictest incognito, to arrive 
 there on the day of the ceremony, and to leave again the fol- 
 lowing morning. Our envoy, M. von Berghofen, was instruct- 
 ed to arrange our journey and help us to observe our incognito. 
 We fixed our departure for the next week, when the Duchess 
 of Wiirtemberg took it into her head to pay us a visit. This 
 lady, who was famed for her bad behavior, went to Berlin to 
 visit her sons, whose education she had intrusted to the king. 
 They had passed through Baireuth not long before this, and 
 the duke had on this occasion fallen in love with my daughter. 
 As she was nine years old and he fourteen, this love affair 
 amused us very much. I found the duchess had kept her looks 
 wonderfully. She has fine features, but talks so much as to 
 silence all around her. Her voice is at the same time so shrill 
 that it deafens one. Still, she is clever and talks well. Her 
 manner towards those she is anxious to attract is most pleasant 
 and courteous; but she is very free and easy with gentlemen. 
 In her conduct you find the most curious contradictions of 
 
 * Charles VII., Emperor of Germany and of the Holy Roman Empire, 
 began to reign 1742; died 1746.
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 437 
 
 pride and baseness. Her behavior had brought her into such 
 odium that her visit gave me very little satisfaction. She was 
 regent during the minority of her son. But I will not further 
 describe her character here, as she will often appear in the 
 course of these memoirs. 
 
 I return to Mademoiselle von Marwitz. She had asked me 
 for an extension of leave, but when she heard of our proposed 
 journey started off at once, and arrived at Baireuth when I 
 least expected her on the same day as the duchess. As soon 
 as I saw her she displeased me. She gave herself great airs, 
 talked incessantly of her father's large property, of the approval 
 she had met with at Berlin, of the civilities that had been 
 shown her, and of the great sacrifice she was making in return- 
 ing to me. When I am fond of a person I am very sensitive, 
 as I have mentioned more than once. It is possible I expect 
 too much of my friends, but I do expect the same refinement 
 of feeling as I study myself. It was not to be found in this 
 behavior, and this vain boasting displeased me much. It all 
 depends on the manner in which things are said. You can 
 prove to your friends what you have done for them if you wish 
 to show them affection, and thereby earn their gratitude. But 
 if I reproach any one for a service rendered him, I take from 
 it all its merit. As regards myself, I am quite satisfied if I can 
 give pleasure to my friends, and never wish them to find out 
 to whom they owe it. I am rewarded by the fact of having 
 been able to be of use to them. As I have never been able to 
 dissemble, Mademoiselle von Marwitz soon observed my answers 
 were somewhat short. This annoyed her so much that she 
 complained to the Margrave about it. He treated me very 
 coldly for some days, which troubled me so much that I asked 
 him the cause, which he at length told me. " You have a bad 
 heart," he said, " if you can ill-use people you love. Madem- 
 oiselle von Marwitz is beside herself, and fancies you no longer 
 like her, and has complained bitterly to me about it." I was 
 as much surprised as I was annoyed that this girl had turned
 
 438 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 to the Margrave and mixed him up in our little dispute. Ob- 
 serving, however, that he was vexed with me, I replied merely 
 that I was the same as I always was. On this assurance Mad- 
 emoiselle von Marwitz came to me, and made me many pro- 
 testations of affection. I was convinced anew that she had 
 only erred from want of thought, and from too great a love of 
 amusement. Peace was therefore re-established. 
 
 We intended starting on the 27th of January, when Polnitz, 
 who is famed for his memoirs and his mad freaks, suddenly ar- 
 rived. He told us that as the Austrians had entered Bavaria, 
 the king had thought it well to make a diversion by which to 
 help his ally and march into Bohemia. The duchess,* who 
 was going to Berlin partly for the purpose of speaking with 
 the king, was placed in a great difficulty by this unforeseen oc- 
 currence. She determined to remain with us till the king's re- 
 turn. It was not so easy for us to get rid of her, but after 
 many schemes we at length succeeded. She started for Berlin 
 on the 28th of January, and we left the same day for Frank- 
 fort. 
 
 The bad roads and the inundations obliged us to travel day 
 and night, and we at last reached the gates of Frankfort on 
 the 30th of January. M. von Bcrghofen, to whom we had 
 sent, met us just outside the town, and informed us that the 
 coronation had been postponed to the 12th of February ; that 
 every one knew of our arrival, and that it would be impossi- 
 ble to preserve our incognito if we entered the town that day. 
 I was dead tired, and tormented by a very bad cold. After 
 some consultation, we determined to retrace our steps to a little 
 village a mile from Frankfort and spend the night there. 
 
 Next day M. von Berghofen came again to see us. He had 
 taken infinite trouble in persuading every one of their mistake, 
 and had been able to arrange matters in such a way that we 
 were able to get quietly into the town that evening, in order 
 
 * Of Wiirtcmberg.
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTII. 439 
 
 to witness the emperor's entry next day. I had only the two 
 Mademoiselles von Marwitz with me, for my dear governess 
 was no longer able to undergo fatigue. My wardrobe was in 
 very bad order, for my ladies and I had each of us only a 
 black " Adrienne," which I had invented in order to lessen the 
 amount of luggage. The Margrave, Diichatelet, and Schonburg 
 were merely in uniform. In order not to be recognized they 
 had blackened their eyebrows, which suited to perfection the 
 black wigs they wore. I thought I should have died of laugh- 
 ter when I saw their get-up. 
 
 We arrived at Berghofen's house adorned in this manner, 
 lie scarcely knew us again. I had padded out my dress, which 
 gave me a most venerable appearance, and we all wore hoods 
 which came right over our faces. Berghofen thought we could 
 not possibly be recognized, and proposed our going to the 
 French theatre. This proposition, as can be easily understood, 
 pleased us greatly, and we hid ourselves in a box in the second 
 tier. The emperor's entry next day was splendid, but I will- 
 not stop to describe it. That same evening I had the pleasure 
 of going to a masked ball, and as no one knew me I amused 
 myself by teasing the other masks. 
 
 The fear of being recognized obliged us to retire to a little 
 cottage belonging to a private gentleman, where we remained 
 for several days. The cold was intolerable, and for the small 
 amount of pleasure I enjoyed at Frankfort I suffered from the 
 annoyance both Mademoiselles von Marwitz caused me. They 
 were proud beyond bearing, insisted on being waited on, and 
 expected to be treated with the same marks of respect and 
 honor as I was. The elder had infected the younger one's 
 cleverness with her pride, and the younger encouraged the elder 
 in her love of ridicule and gossip. They studied the faults 
 and weak points of everybody, and found pleasure in criticis- 
 ing the whole Court unmercifully, and even did so in their 
 presence. 
 
 As they were very clever, their remarks amused the Mar-
 
 440 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OP BAIREtJTH. 
 
 grave, who spent the whole day in their rootn, and never ob- 
 served that he was often the object of their ridicule. If I was 
 present they never said a word did not even answer ray ques- 
 tions but sat themselves down in a corner, where they laughed 
 like fools. As I could no longer tolerate this stupid behavior, 
 I at length spoke my mind plainly. I told them distinctly 
 that I was much displeased with them, and endeavored, by put- 
 ting forward good reasons, to bring them to a better frame of 
 mind. The younger remained silent, but the elder rode the 
 high horse, and even dared to speak her mind to me. Would 
 to God I had quarrelled seriously and broken with them both 
 at that time ! How much sorrow I should have spared my- 
 self ! I was afraid, if I used my authority, to make a disturb- 
 ance, and the hope that I might improve them caused me not 
 to show myself in my true light. 
 
 My return to Frankfort helped me to forget the sad reflec- 
 tions this occurrence had called forth, and to distract my mind. 
 I missed not a single representation at the theatre, and not a 
 single ball. One day as I was at the theatre my hood slipped, 
 and Prince George, of Hesse-Cassel, who was just looking at 
 me, recognized me. He told the Prince of Orange, who was 
 standing near him, and they both came without warning into 
 my box. It was now no longer possible to keep up our dis- 
 guise, for they would not either of them leave us. They took 
 me home in their carriage, and begged the Margrave, who could 
 not refuse them, to allow them to remain to supper. From 
 that day forward they never left our side. The Prince of Or- 
 ange, whose cleverness and agreeable conversation pleased me 
 greatly, is so well known that it is unnecessary to describe him. 
 His wife, a princess of England, was at Cassel, and he promised 
 to let her come to Frankfort, that I might make her acquaint- 
 ance. His stay was, however, so short that he was not able to 
 keep his word. 
 
 Next day we went to a ball. The Elector of Cologne, who 
 had heard what had taken place at the theatre on the previous
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 441 
 
 day, was watching for us. As soon as I appeared he invited 
 me to dance with him, said he knew me, and talked with me 
 for some time. He presented to me his niece, Princess Clem- 
 entine of Bavaria, two princesses of Sulzbach, and his brother, 
 Prince Theodore. We could now no longer keep up our in- 
 cognito, but our disguise prevented our appearing officially. 
 We therefore returned to our privacy, and after a long consul- 
 tation sent a messenger to Baireuth to fetch us all we required. 
 
 * I was waiting for the Margrave to get into the carriage, 
 when he entered the room with a lady whom he presented to 
 me as Madame de Belisle, wife of the French envoy. I had 
 up to this time carefully avoided her, for I had feared that she 
 would lay claim to rights which I was not willing to grant her. 
 I made up my mind at once, and treated her in the same man- 
 ner as I did all the other ladies who visited me. The whole 
 conversation consisted in singing the praises of the king. I 
 found Madame de Belisle very different from what I had been 
 led to imagine. She knew those she had to do with, but her 
 whole manner was like that of a " soubrette," and she bad but 
 little presence. 
 
 I spent two or three days in the cottage, where the Prince 
 of Orange was most faithful in keeping us company, and I re- 
 turned to Frankfort only the day before the coronation. I 
 shall not stop to describe that ceremony. The poor emperor 
 did not have all the satisfaction he must have expected; for he 
 was terribly ill with gout, and could scarcely stand upright. 
 In addition to this circumstances were not favorable to him. 
 The incident at Lienz had obliged the French to retreat, and 
 owing to this the Austrians were enabled to enter Bavaria, 
 which they devastated unmercifully. My brother, the king, 
 raised the emperor's hopes a little by entering Bohemia ; but as 
 
 * Something seems to have been left out here, or it may perhaps merely 
 appear so from a difference in the style of writing, for in the succession 
 of time nothing is wanting.
 
 442 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREtTTH. 
 
 the emperor had neither money nor troops he was obliged to 
 seek to gain over the princes of the empire in order to obtain 
 their help. He therefore treated the envoys of those princes 
 that had electoral rights, and especially the Margrave's two min- 
 isters, Messrs, von Berghofen and von Cornartin, with marked 
 distinction. These two gentlemen, who were of comparatively 
 low birth, were intensely flattered by the emperor's attentions, 
 and Marshal Bel isle won them over entirely by the gold he let 
 glitter before their eyes. In consequence of this they made a 
 treaty, which they laid before the Margrave the very day we 
 returned to Frankfort. He spoke with me about it, and as- 
 sured me it contained such advantageous conditions that he 
 had not hesitated to approve of it. This treaty was really con- 
 cluded before we left, but was to be ratified only when the Mar- 
 grave had fulfilled its first conditions. Berghofen was deter- 
 mined to keep the treaty so carefully that the Margrave could 
 not even give it to me to read. But I must now return to my 
 narrative. 
 
 The business I have just referred to obliged us to remain a 
 few days longer at Frankfort. After our things arrived T re- 
 ceived everybody under the name of Countess of Reuss, and 
 our house was never empty even M. de Belisle coming to it 
 several times. 
 
 I do not know how M. von Berghofen managed it, but he 
 certainly represented to the Margrave that it would not look 
 well if I left Frankfort without having seen the empress. Berg- 
 hofen, who had much cleverness, was in great favor with the 
 Margrave on account of the services he had rendered, and also 
 on account of the pretended advantages obtained by the treaty. 
 My husband allowed him to propose this meeting to me, leav- 
 ing me free to act as I thought best. I declined positively to 
 entertain the idea. The rules of etiquette prevented royal per- 
 sonages from paying each other visits. As the daughter of a 
 king, I was not allowed to place the honor of my house in a 
 difficulty. There was no precedent of a king's daughter ;m<I
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 443 
 
 the empress having met, and I did not know to what rights I 
 ought to lay claim. 
 
 Berghofen was so furious that he even forgot the respect 
 due to me. He screamed at me that I was ruining the Mar- 
 grave by offending the empress ; that women were of no good, 
 and that it would have be.en far better if I had remained at 
 Baireuth instead of coming to Frankfort, where I interfered 
 with the Margrave's affairs, and where my pride was a bar to 
 his plans. This rudeness neither moved me nor shook my de- 
 termination in the least, and I merely laughed at it all. In or- 
 der, however, to pacify him I made my own conditions. I de- 
 sired, first of all, that the empress's Court should receive me at 
 the foot of the stairs ; secondly, that she should meet me at the 
 door of her bedroom ; and, thirdly, that she should offer me an 
 arm-chair to sit on. He promised he would speak to the em- 
 press's mistress of the robes about it, and to do everything in 
 his power to satisfy me. I risked nothing in making these 
 conditions. If they were granted me, then I had asserted my 
 position ; and if they were declined, then I had a good excuse 
 for not paying the visit. 
 
 Meanwhile I had the opportunity of consulting with M. von 
 Schwerin and M. von Klingrave, ministers of the king. The 
 latter was highly thought of at the Imperial Court. Both 
 were of opinion that I could not insist on the arm-chair; still, 
 they thought it best to adhere to its being given me, or they 
 would find another way in which to settle the ceremonial. As 
 the king was nearly related to the House of Bavaria, and the 
 Margrave had every reason to treat it well, there were sufficient 
 reasons to excuse my conduct. I was to visit the empress un- 
 der the name of Countess of Reuss, which already denoted my 
 being incognito. Under this title I could not lay claim to be 
 treated with the honors due to the Crown Princess of Prussia 
 and Margravine of Baireuth. 
 
 Had I had time I would have written to the king, and left 
 it to him to decide. But even had I sent a messenger, the an-
 
 444 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 swer would have come too late, and I was therefore obliged to 
 submit. They disputed all day over the conditions I had made. 
 The two first were granted me, but all that could be obtained 
 with respect to the third was that the empress would use quite 
 a small arm-chair, while she gave me a chair. 
 
 Next day I saw this royal personage. I own that had I been 
 in her place I would have made all the rules of etiquette and 
 ceremony the excuse for not being obliged to appear. The 
 empress was small and stout, round as a ball, very ugly, and 
 without dignity or manner. Her mind corresponded to her 
 body. She was terribly bigoted, and spent her whole day 
 praying. The old and ugly are generally the Almighty's por- 
 tion. She received me trembling all over, and was so upset 
 that she could not say a word. 
 
 After some silence I began the conversation in French. She 
 answered me in her Austrian dialect that she could not speak 
 in that language, and begged I would speak in German. The 
 conversation did not last long, for the Austrian and Low Saxon 
 tongues are so different from each other that to those acquaint- 
 ed with only one the other is unintelligible. This is what hap- 
 pened to us. A third person would have laughed at our mis- 
 understandings ; for we caught only a word here and there, and 
 had to guess the rest. The poor empress was such a slave to 
 etiquette that she would have thought it high treason had she 
 spoken to me in a foreign language, though she understood 
 French quite well. The emperor was to have been present at 
 the interview, but he had been taken so ill that fear was enter- 
 tained for his life. He deserved a better fate. He was gentle, 
 kind, and gracious, and had the gift of winning people's hearts. 
 One might well have said of him that he would have shone in 
 a humbler sphere, while more brilliant surroundings threw him 
 into the shade. His ambition was greater than his intellect, 
 and his position lay beyond his powers. He had, unfortunate- 
 ly, no one about him to supply the talents that were wanting. 
 
 After remaining at Frankfort a few days longer, which were
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 445 
 
 spent in fetes and gayeties, I at last returned to Baireuth at the 
 end of February. We were followed there shortly afterwards 
 by M. de Montaulieu, chamberlain to the Duchess of Wiirtem- 
 berg. He brought the Margrave and myself letters from the 
 king, from the queen, my mother, and from the duchess, con- 
 taining an offer of marriage for my daughter with the young 
 Duke of Wiirtemberg. As this union was a very advanta- 
 geous one, and had the support of the king and queen, we gave 
 it our consent. We postponed the conclusion of the condi- 
 tions till the duchess's return from Berlin. 
 
 Our return home induced the Imperial Court to insist on the 
 fulfilment of the first article of the treaty. After M. von 
 Berghofen had sent the Margrave this wonderful master-piece 
 in politics, he let me read it. Its contents were as follows: 
 
 The Margrave bound himself, firstly, to raise an infantry 
 regiment of eight hundred men for the emperor; secondly, to 
 assist him by every means in his power in the Franconian cir- 
 cles ; thirdly, to try and induce that district, if circumstances 
 allowed of it, to declare itself for the emperor. In return for 
 these services the emperor, firstly, granted the Margrave the 
 command of the regiment and the appointment of the officers, 
 up to the captains, twenty-five gulden (florins) for every man, 
 their uniforms and arms ; secondly, he gave him over the jus 
 appellandum; thirdly, the emperor gave him the little town 
 of Redwitz and its district (this last article was to be carried 
 out only if the emperor took possession of Bohemia, as the 
 town is in that territory) ; fourthly, the emperor promised him 
 his support in the Franconian district, in order that the Mar- 
 grave might be appointed marshal and comrnander-in-chief of 
 the troops of that district. 
 
 The Margrave had spent his time at Frankfort amid con- 
 stant distractions. The gayeties, the late nights, and the great 
 confidence he reposed in Berghofen had prevented his con- 
 sidering seriously the results which the treaty would involve. 
 Now that he read it over a second time, it appeared to him in
 
 446 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIKEUTH. 
 
 quite a different light. The conditions seemed to him as de- 
 ceptive as they had at first appeared advantageous. The sum 
 promised with which to raise the regiment was so small that 
 the loss became apparent. The jus appellandum is an advan- 
 tage only to unjust princes. An upright sovereign has always 
 that right, for he never gives his subjects cause to appeal to 
 the imperial courts of justice. The title of commander-in-chief 
 is an empty honor, and possesses no other advantage than that 
 of commanding the troops of the district in time of war. The 
 little town of Redwitz was a mere nothing, while its possession 
 was uncertain, and its advantage as little satisfactory as the 
 rest of the articles mentioned. This and many other reasons 
 induced the Margrave to break off the negotiations. 
 
 I received many unpleasant letters from the king, my brother, 
 on the subject of this treaty. He complained with much bit- 
 terness to me that the negotiations had been begun without 
 his knowledge. I suppressed the first of these letters, and gave 
 no answer on this point. At last he wrote me word that I was 
 to speak in his name to the\Margrave, and make him under- 
 stand that he could not conclude treaties without consulting 
 the head of the family. My husband dictated his answer to 
 me, which was very curt, and from this moment war was de- 
 clared. I now received from the king only very harsh letters, 
 and was even told that he spoke most unfavorably of me and 
 turned me publicly into ridicule. This behavior hurt me very 
 much, but I hid my annoyance and treated him as I always 
 had. 
 
 The Duchess of Wiirtemberg arrived about this time. The 
 agreement as to the marriage of our children had been settled 
 at Berlin. It had been decided that the marriage should only 
 take place when both parties, having attained a proper age, 
 were agreeable to it. This projected union obliged me, much 
 against my will, to become more intimately acquainted with the 
 duchess. She talked pleasantly, but possessed a mind which 
 occupied itself only with trifles. At first this is rather amus-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE MAKGKAV1NE OP BAIKEUTH. 447 
 
 ing, but after a time it became very wearisome. She was in a 
 perpetual state of merriment and high spirits, and as her chief 
 study consisted in trying to attract others, all her endeavors 
 had no other end in view. Jokes, childish behavior, looks in 
 fact, everything that deserves the name of coquetry was used 
 for that purpose. The two Mademoiselles von Marwitz im- 
 agined the duchess's behavior was copied from the French, and 
 that in order to be in the fashion people must adopt the same. 
 The elder, who had much influence with the Margrave, induced 
 him to alter the whole Court. In a fortnight all was changed ; 
 there was nothing but romping, throwing napkins at one an- 
 other's heads, running about like wild horses, and finally sing- 
 ing very ambiguous French songs. Far removed from being 
 like French ladies, I believe if any French person had visited 
 us at this moment he would have thought he was in the com- 
 pany of opera girls and actresses. My endeavors to put a stop 
 to this disorder were in vain. My governess thundered and 
 inveighed against her nieces, but instead of answering her they 
 turned their backs on her. How happy I was still at that time ! 
 Oh ! those Marwitzes deceived me, and I knew nothing of their 
 intrigues, for the Margrave showed me as much attention as 
 ever. I slept quietly while my destruction was being worked 
 out. 
 
 The duchess's departure made me hope to restore things to 
 their former condition, but I soon observed the evil had taken 
 root. As I have since then perceived, Mademoiselle von Mar- 
 witz had at that moment made her plan. She had great ambi- 
 tion, and in order to satisfy it she felt she must entangle the 
 Margrave in a net of amusements and gayeties a fault to which 
 he was already too much inclined. She hoped by that means 
 to distract his mind from his affairs, to which he gave such 
 earnest attention. She knew also how to deceive me by hav- 
 ing me informed of important business matters, and endeavored 
 to allay my suspicions by the confidence shown me by the Mar- 
 grave. She meanwhile kept the appointments of some people
 
 448 MEMOIRS OF THE MARGRAVINE OF BAIREUTH. 
 
 and the rewards given to others in her own hands, and particu- 
 larly the finances. The rumors that had been circulated at 
 Berlin about her, and the remarks on her position and power 
 over the Margrave, had led her to make many reflections on 
 the subject. Her desire to make her great genius felt over- 
 ruled every other consideration. She had observed his weak- 
 ness for her, and made use of it to rule according to her own 
 will and pleasure. She thought that if she gained my confi- 
 dence, and avoided every occasion of rousing my suspicions, she 
 would at last throw such a glamour over me that, should I dis- 
 cover her intrigues, I should be powerless to defend myself. It 
 was true her behavior, as well as the Margrave's, were calculated 
 to keep me in complete ignorance of their secret understanding. 
 We went to Stuttgart at the end of July, where we had been 
 invited by the Duchess of Wiirtemberg. I will not describe 
 this Court. I thought it most repugnant full of ceremonies 
 and civilities. 
 
 ******* 
 
 Here the memoirs suddenly break off, and the Margravine has 
 not left any special record of the last fifteen years of her life. 
 On the other hand, there remain her most interesting correspon- 
 dence with her brother, Frederick the Great, and her letters to 
 Voltaire, which are carried on to the time of her death. NOTE 
 BY TKANSLATOR.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 A. 
 
 Albertine, Margravine, 298. 
 
 Albertine, Princess, 295, 298. 
 
 Alexander, Dona, Count, 19. 
 
 Algarotti, 428, 431. 
 
 Allodial Estates, 128, 203, 269. 
 
 Altdorf, meeting of sovereigns at, 247. 
 
 Altona, Margrave at, 395. 
 
 Amelia, Princess of England, 27. 
 
 Aruelie, Countess (Finkeustein), 64, 75, 
 99. 
 
 Am61ie, Princess of Prussia, see Prussia. 
 
 Anhalt, Prince of, 19, 157, 426. 
 
 Anhalt-Bernbnrg, Prince of, 295, 297. 
 
 Anhalt-Schanmburg, Princess of, 296. 
 
 Anna Maria, see Prussia, Princesses. 
 
 Anspach, Caroline of, see England, 
 Queen. 
 
 Anspach, Crown Prince at, 144. 
 
 Anspach, Margrave of, 94, 99, 201, 210, 
 255, 403, 404. 
 
 Anspach, Margravine, see Prussia, Prin- 
 cess Frederica Louise. 
 
 Auspach, Prince of, 292. 
 
 An"nach, visit to, 264, 338. 
 
 Arlington, Lady, 48, 52. 
 
 Augustus, Ferdinand, see Prussia, Prin- 
 cess. 
 
 Augustus, William, see Prussia, Princes. 
 
 Austria, Emperor of, see Germany. 
 
 Austria, treaty with Prussia, 68. 
 
 Austria, treaty with Spain, 68. 
 
 Austrian Envoy, see Seckendort 
 
 Austrian peace with Frauce, 384, 393. 
 
 B. 
 
 Baireuth, Court of, 227; clergy of, 224; 
 finances of, 290 ; town of, 225. 
 
 29 
 
 Baireuth, Margraves of: 
 Christian Ernest, 202. 
 George Christian, 238. 
 George Frederick Charles, 112, 153, 
 303, 204, 227, 239, 253, 292, 336, 361, 
 363, 366, 372, 374. 
 
 Henry, education of, 187, 188 ; be- 
 trothal of, 190 ; reception of, by the 
 Queen, 193 ; appointment of, to a 
 colonelcy, 195 ; at Wusterhausen, 
 198; insults to, 205; marriage of, 
 811; return of, to Baireuth, 220; 
 at Berlin, 260; difference of, with 
 the king, 2S1 ; illness of, 284 ; or- 
 dered to Pasewalk, 287 ; return of, 
 to Baireuth, 322 ; at Anspach, 338 ; 
 leaves for the war, 357 ; at Erlan- 
 gen, 385, 393 ; at Berlin, 429, 432. 
 Baireuth, Margravine of, see Holstein, 
 
 Prussia; princesses, nobility of, 223. 
 Baireuth, Princesses of: 
 
 Charlotte, 227, 243, 259, 263, 264, 291, 
 
 293, 345, 349, 350. 
 Frederica, 263, 291, 323. 
 Wilhelmine, 227, 231, 235, 236, 240, 
 
 243, 263, 345. 
 Bamberg and Wurzburg, Bishop of, 384, 
 
 385, 388, 402. 
 
 Bavaria, Elector of, see Germany. 
 Bavaria, invasion of, 438, 441. 
 Bavaria, Princess Clementine of, 441. 
 Bedenbruck, General, 146. 
 Beist, M. von, 415. 
 Belisle, Marshal, 442. 
 Berghofeu, von, 436, 438, 449. 
 Berlin, State apartments at, 209. 
 Berlin, visit to, 271, 418, 429. 
 Berneck, 353. 
 Berwick, Marshal de, 363.
 
 450 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Bevern, Duchess of, 183, 134, 204, 310, 313, 
 314, 320, 370. 
 
 Severn, Duke of, 122, 1S4, 202, 211-15, 285, 
 326, 358, 370. 
 
 Severn, Prince Charles of, 122, 191, 202, 
 212, 213, 215, 286, 292, 314, 370. 
 
 Severn, Princess of, see Prussia. 
 
 Bevern, Princess Charlotte of, see Prus- 
 sia, Princess Charlotte. 
 
 Bilinska, Countess, 80. 
 
 Bindemann, von, 206, 248, 249 
 
 Blankenburg, Duke of, 122. 
 
 Blaspiel, Mme. von, 30, 31, 35, 36. 
 
 Bodenbruck, Mile, von, 410. 
 
 Bohemia, invasion of, 441. 
 
 Bork, von, 105, 111, 178. 
 
 Borkhausen, Count, 382. 
 
 Bourguait, M. de, 92, 103. 
 
 Brandenburg, Elector of (Frederick Will- 
 iam), 21, note; Electorate of, 80, note; 
 Electressea of: Sophie Louise, 21, note; 
 Sophie Dorothea, 21, note, 72. 
 
 Brandenburg -Culmbach, Margrave of 
 (George Wilhelm), 187,326. 
 
 Brandenbnrg-Cultnbach, Margravine of, 
 266, 326, 367, 368, 396. 
 
 Brandenburg-Culmbach.Princess of, 326. 
 
 Brandenburg House, 238. 
 
 Bremer, von, 97, 384. 
 
 Broglio, Count, 364. 
 
 Brunow, Mme. von, 54. 
 
 Brunswick, Duchess of, 307, 308, 314, 315, 
 316. 
 
 Brunswick-Bevern. set Bevern. 
 
 Billow, Mile, von, 103, 116, 134, 138, 155. 
 
 Burstell, von, 221, 233,244. 
 
 C. 
 
 Carlsbad, 242. 
 
 Carnival, 335,424. 
 
 Caroline, nee Anspach. 
 
 Caroline von Marwitz, see Marwitz. 
 
 Carteret, Lord, 58. 
 
 Charles, fee Bevern, Germany, Sweden. 
 
 Charlotte, nee Baireuth, Prussia. 
 
 Charlottenburg, 43, 308. 
 
 Cnarlottenburg, treaty of, 68. 
 
 Chesterfield, Lord, 158, 190. 
 
 Clement, 27, 28, 31. 
 
 Cleve, Duke of, 69, note. 
 
 Cobentzel, Count, 434. 
 
 Coburg, Duke of, 346, 346. 
 
 Coburg, visit to, 270. 
 
 Cologne, Elector of, 440. 
 
 Comartiu, von, 442. 
 
 Council of State, 375. 
 
 Courland, Duchess of, 37. 
 
 Courland, Duke of, '202. 
 
 Croom, 24, 25. 
 
 Crown Prince, see Prussia, Frederick III. 
 
 Crowu Princess, see Prussia. 
 
 Culmbach, Margravine of, see Branden- 
 burg-Culmbach. 
 
 Culmbach, Prince of, 255, 2CO, 313, 356. 
 
 Culmbach, Prince William of, 259 ; Dow- 
 ager-Princess of, 259 ; Princess of, 243. 
 
 D. 
 
 Dabeneck, M. von, 225, 415. 
 Danish envoy, see Liivner. 
 Darmstadt, Landgrave of, 406-408. 
 Darmstadt, Prince of, 407, 40S. 
 Denmark, King of, 17, 23, 395. 
 Denmark, Queen of (Princess of Bai- 
 
 renth), 395. 
 
 Derchow, General, 146. 
 Diefeubrock, vou, 405. 
 Donep, Colonel, 199, 200. 
 Donhoff, Major-general, 161. 
 Dostow, General, 148. 
 Dowry of Prince Henry, 216, 218. 
 Dresden, Polish Court at, 73. 
 Duhau, 154. 
 Dumouliu, General, 158. 
 
 B. 
 
 East Friesland, Prince of, 345. 
 
 East Friesland, Princess of, see Baireuth, 
 Wilhelmine. 
 
 East India Company at Ostend, 68. 
 
 Ebersteiu, Princess of, see Kcndal, Duch- 
 ess of. 
 
 Egloffstein, vou, 267. 
 
 Eisenach, Princess of, 291 
 
 Ellerot, 379, 394, 416, 41. 
 
 Emperor, see Germany. 
 
 Empress, see Germany. 
 
 EoiB, visit to, 404-406. 
 
 England, King of, George I., 62; in Prus- 
 sia, 57; in Hanover, 60; death of, 72; 
 George II., 207, 208. 
 Queen Caroline of Anspach, 62. 
 Prince** Amelia, 27, 277.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 451 
 
 English envoy, see Bonrguait, M. dc. 
 
 Eugene, see Savoy. 
 
 Eversmann, 46, 103, 109, 166, 167, 1C9. 
 
 F. 
 
 Fackeltanz, see Polonaise. 
 Finkenstein, Count, IB, 40, 88, 99, 104. 
 Fiukensteiu, Countess, 90, 92, 138, {146. 
 Fischer, von, 228, 231, 28S. 
 Flemming, Count, 76, 80. 
 " Flora, Aunt," see Sonusfeld. 
 Florence, Archduke of, 394. 
 France, 324, 384. 
 Fran ke, 73. 
 
 Frankfort, visits to, 408, 409, 438-444. 
 Franenstadt, 282. 
 Frederica, see Bairenth. 
 Frederica, Sophie Wilhelmine, see Prus- 
 sia. 
 Frederick I., see Prussia. 
 Frederick II., see Prussia. 
 Frederick III., see Prussia. 
 Frederick William, we Brandenburg. 
 French envoy, see Hoteuburg. 
 Friedrichshall, 27. 
 
 Q. 
 
 Qallizin, Princes*, 39. 
 
 Gaustalla, battle of, 364. 
 
 Gefres, 225. 
 
 George Frederick Charles, see Baireuth. 
 
 George I., see England. 
 
 George II., see England. 
 
 Gera, 222. 
 
 Gerber, 151, 106. 
 
 Germany: 
 
 Emperor Charles IV., 408. 
 
 Emperor Charles VI., 68, 242, 430. 
 
 Charles VII. (Elector of Bavaria), 
 435, 436, 444. 
 
 Empress, 242, 279, 305. 
 
 Empress, 444. 
 Gleicheu, M. von, 229, 250. 
 Glogan, capture of, 433. 
 Gokel, 364. 
 "Golden Bull," 409. 
 Graveureuter, Mrne. von, 228. 
 Grumkow, 19, 20, 61, 62, 87, 88, 99, 105, 
 121, 135, 138, 139, 151, 156, 170, 178, 194, 
 204, 208-210, 216, 217, 251. 
 Grnmkow, Mile, von, 254, 271, 312, 399, 
 415. 
 
 H. 
 
 Hnlberstadt, 395. 
 
 Halle, visit to, 323. 
 
 Hanover, Elector of, see England. 
 
 Hanover, Princesses of, see Prussia, 
 Queens. 
 
 Hanover, Queen of Prussia in, 63. 
 
 Hartenberg, Mine, von, 404. 
 
 Hartmann, 416. 
 
 Heideknmm, 31. 
 
 Henry, Prince, see Buirenth. 
 
 Herfort, Abbess of, see Schwedt, Margra- 
 vine Philip. 
 
 " Hermitage, The," 242, 399-401. 
 
 Hessberg, von, 378. 
 
 Hesse, Prince William of, 199, 409: Prin- 
 cess of, 407. 
 
 Hesse-Cassel, Prince George of, 440. 
 
 Hesse-Caflsel, Princess Maximilian of, 
 407. 
 
 Himmelscron, 360, 361, 3C9. 
 
 Hoditz, Count, 367, 368. 
 
 Hof, 222, 354. 
 
 Hohenlohe-Weikersheim, Prince of, 242, 
 243. 
 
 Holstein, Duke of, 220; Princess of, 211. 
 
 Holzeudorf, 29, 78, 81, 97. 
 
 Hotham, 121, 123, 124, 128. 
 
 Hutten, Mile, von, 415. 
 
 J. 
 
 Jablousky, 135. 
 
 Jordan, 431. 
 
 Jtich,Dr.,370. 
 
 Julich and Berg, see Allodial Estate* 
 
 K. 
 
 Kaiserling, von, 98, 303. 
 
 Kalstein, Mnjor, 40, 93. 
 
 Kamke, von, 32. 
 
 Kateck, Fiscal-general, 35. 
 
 Katt, Field - marshal von, 101, 119, 134, 
 
 136, 137, 140, 141, 150, 151, 166, 161-163; 
 
 letter of, 164. 
 Keith, General, 381. 
 Keith (page), 83, 145, 156-153. 
 Kendal, Duchess of, 392. 
 Kielraansegge, see Arlington. 
 Klingrave, von, 443. 
 Klosterzina, 220. 
 Kniephauseii, von, 103.
 
 452 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Konigseck, Connt,364. 
 Konnken, Mile, von, 167. 
 Koniiken, Mme. von, 40, 110, 152, 274. 
 Knrff, vou, 228. 
 Kustrin, 163, 171, 208. 
 
 Ln Crape, 24. 
 
 Lamotte, M. de, 89, 90, 93. 
 
 Leipsic, 222. 
 
 Leinan,31. 
 
 L6ti, 41, 42,46-60. 
 
 Letters, casket of, 141, 142, 148. 
 
 Lienz, engagement at, 441. 
 
 Linger, Major-general, 161. 
 
 Lixin, Prince, 368. 
 
 Lorraine, Duchy of, 384. 
 
 Lovuer, von, 126, 130. 
 
 M. 
 
 Makenhnu, 199. 
 
 Mantenffel, Count, 30. 
 
 Maria Theresa, Queen of Hungary, 434. 
 
 Marie Ther6se, Archduchess, 394. 
 
 Marriage treaty of Princess of Bnirenth, 
 
 216. 
 Marwitz, Albertine and Caroline you, 
 
 383, 439, 447. 
 
 Marwitz, General, 314, 434, 436. 
 Marwitz, Mile, von, 246, 271, 325, 330, 361, 
 
 383, 431, 437, 447. 
 Maupertins, 431. 
 Meermanns, the, 419-424. 
 Meiningen, see Saxe-Meiuingen. 
 Mistress of Robes, see Kouuken, Mme. 
 
 von. 
 
 Molhvitz, battle of, 434. 
 Monbijou, 37, 40. 
 Mouplaisir, 248. 
 Li onii nnoii. M. de, 446. 
 Morian, Mine, von, 432. 
 Mosel, General, 147. 
 Muhlberg, 124. 
 Munichbruck,406. 
 Munichow, von, 338-343, 428. 
 Myliiio, 161, 166. 
 
 N. 
 
 Naples, 384. 
 
 Nassmer, Field-marshal von, 36. 
 Natzmer, 171. 
 Nauen, 214. 
 
 Neisse, capture of, 434. 
 Neustidt, Margrave at. 296, 297. 
 Neustadt, Prince of, 262, 263, 296. 
 Nisaa, capture of, 402. 
 Nuremberg, Diet of, 408, 408. 
 
 O. 
 
 Orange, Prince of, 16, 440. 
 Orselska, Countess, 76, 80. 
 
 P. 
 
 Pannewitz, Mile, von, 274. 
 
 Pasewalk, 196. 
 
 Peter the Great, see Russia. 
 
 Philip, Margravine of Schwedt, 219, 302. 
 
 Puilippsburg, siege of, 358. 
 
 Philippsrnhe, 409. 
 
 "Pietisteu," the, 424. 
 
 Podewils, 178, 204. 
 
 Poland, Crown Prince of, 79, 101 ; king 
 of, 17, 30, 73, 79, 81, 100, 117, 282. 
 
 Poland, parties in, 324, 325. 
 
 Polnitz (lady-iu-waitiug), 61-63. 
 
 Polnitz, M. von, 380, 381, 406, 438. 
 
 Polonaise at royal weddings, 206, 207. 
 
 Pommersfeld, 384, 386. 
 
 Poniatowsky, Prince, 25. 
 
 Pragmatic Sanction, 884. 
 
 Prussia, Kings: 
 
 Frederick I., 16, 16, 19. 
 Frederick II., marriage of, 15; char- 
 acter of, 19, 32, illness of, 28, 29, 
 361; will of, 28; hypochondria in, 
 72; at Dresden, 73; gout in, 93, 
 316, letter of, to Finkenstein, 104; 
 at Dresden, 117; at Baireuth, 250; 
 fit of, 297; recovery of, 369; hab- 
 its of, 251, 262; dislike of, for mu- 
 sic, 293; denth of, 426. 
 Frederick William (Frederick the 
 Great), birth of, 18; disposition of, 
 27; in disgrace, 66; forgiven, 67 ; 
 at Dresden, 74 ; in love, 77, 78 ; fa- 
 ther's violence to, 102 ; arrest of, 
 139; at Anspach, 144 ; attempted 
 escape of, 148; at Kustrin, 156; in- 
 quiry on, 166; court-martial of, 11 ; 
 imprisonment of, 171 ; works M 
 clerk, 208; return of, to Berlin,209; 
 colonelcy of, 210, 211 ; engagement 
 of, 234 ; money from Austria, 261 ;
 
 INDEX. 
 
 453 
 
 marriage of, 303 ; march through 
 Baireuth, 353; deterioration of, 359; 
 at Buireuth, 365, 366 ; letters from, 
 397, 411; accession of, 428; com- 
 plaints against, 430. 
 Prussia, Kingdom of, 80, note. 
 Prussia, Queens : 
 
 Sophie Charlotte, of Hanover ( = 
 Frederick I.), 15. 
 
 Princess of Hauover ( = Frederick 
 II.), marriage of, 16; in Hauover, 
 63 ; jealousy of, 64, 66 ; portrait of, 
 87; illuess of, 118,121. 
 
 Princess of Bevern ( = Frederick 
 III.), 234, 276, 304,307. 
 
 Princes: Frederick, see Frederick 
 William ; William, 25, 43 ; Augus- 
 tus William, 51; Henry, 65; Au- 
 gustus Ferdinaud, 124. 
 
 Princesses: Frederica Sophie Wil- 
 helmiue, Margravine of Baireuth, 
 birth of, 17 ; education of, 23, 24, 
 49-51 ; memory of, 54 ; projected 
 marriages of, 21, 23, 83, 109, 114, 
 115, 106, 1T3-183 ; betrothal of, 190 ; 
 marriage of, 205 ; illness of, 64, 96 ; 
 at Baireuth, 225 ; at Anspach, 267 ; 
 at Berlin, 272 ; return to Baireuth, 
 322; at Anspach, 338; at Erlan- 
 gen, 385, 393 ; at Berlin, 429, 433. 
 
 Frederica Louise, Margravine of 
 Auspach, 94, 99, 201, 202, 216, 292, 
 324, 3S5, 387, 388, 391, 392. 
 
 Charlotte, Duchess of Bevern, 191i 
 192, 198, 199, 202, 234, 276, 277, 286, 
 301, 310, 316. 
 
 Am61ie, 75, 76. 
 
 Anna Maria, 59. 
 
 Sophie, 175, 274, 369. 
 
 Ulrika, 274. 
 Pultawa, battle of, 324. 
 
 R. 
 
 Rad/.iwill, Princess, 323. 
 
 Ramcn, 75,81, 90, 103, 109, 114, 119, 183, 
 
 194, 312, 317. 
 Recruiting, Prussian, in Bairenth, 338! 
 
 in Hanover, 60. 
 Red Eat'le, Order of, 238. 
 Reichenbach, 123. 
 Reinbeck, 141. 
 Reitzen stein, M. von, 257. 
 
 " Reuse, Countess of," 442. 
 
 Reuss, Counts, 406. 
 
 Rheinsberg, visit to, 431. 
 
 Rhine, campaigns on the, 358, 380. 
 
 Rochow, Colonel, 98, 127, 146. 
 
 Rocoule, Mine, von, 23, 168. 
 
 " Roraer," the, 408. 
 
 Rosenau,ee Clement. 
 
 Rotenburg, Count von, 70. 
 
 Rotbenhahn, Baron von, 387. 
 
 Rovedel, 171. 
 
 Ruppin, Crown Prince at, 277, 284. 
 
 Kup pin, Prince Henry at, 289. 
 
 Russia, Emperor and Empress, 37-40. 
 
 S. 
 
 Sardinia, King of, 384. 
 Sastot, von, 89, 195, 208, 302. 
 Savoy, Prince Eugeue of, 358. 
 Saxe-Qotha, Princess of, 394. 
 Saxe-Meiniugen, Duchess of, 202. 
 Saxon army, 23. 
 Saxon envoy, see Flemming, Manteuffel, 
 
 Suhm. 
 
 Saxony, Elector of, 324. 
 Schlippenbach, von, 313. 
 Schonburg, 383. 
 
 Schwedt, Margrave of, 22, 23, 111. 
 Schwedt, Margravine Philip of, 112, 113, 
 
 130, 219, 302. 
 
 Schwedt, Prince Henry of, 359, 360, 369. 
 Schwerin, Marshal von, 443. 
 Seckendorf, Baron von, 248, 271, 403, 
 
 404. 
 Seckendorf, Count von, 68, 71, 122, 128, 
 
 251, 278, 402. 
 Sicily, 384. 
 Silesia, 431, 433. 
 Sounsfeld, Flora von, 268, 330-335, 340, 
 
 355, 356, 361, 362, 371. 
 Sounsfeld, Mile, von, 60, 51. 109, 110, 155, 
 
 167, 168, 205, 219, 239, 270, 333, 386. 
 Sophie, see Prussia, Princesses ; Sophie 
 
 Charlotte, see Prussia, Queen. 
 Spain, treaty of, with Austria, 68. 
 Span, Lieutenant, 151. 
 Stahl, Dr., 252. 
 Stanislaus, 324. 
 Stein, Baron von, 228. 
 Stein, Bnroness von, 229. 
 Stflcker, von, 307. 
 Stralsund, siege of, 23.
 
 454 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Stuttgart, visit to, 448. 
 
 Suhm, M. de, 74. 
 
 Sulzbach, Prince of, 436. 
 
 Sulzbacb, Princesses of, 436, 441 . 
 
 Supperville, 412-415. 
 
 Sweden, 16, 23, 26. 
 
 Sweden, King Charles XII., 325. 
 
 T. 
 
 " Tnbagie," the, 24. 
 
 Taxis, Princess of, 263, 288, 291. 
 
 Tertow, Mile, von, 431. 
 
 Theodore, Prince, 441. 
 
 Thnlemeier, 173, 184, 204. 
 
 Townsend, Lord, 58. 
 
 Trosqui, 34 
 
 Turkey, war with Anstria, 402. 
 
 Turkey, war with Russia, 394. 
 
 Tuscany, Grand Duchy of, 384. 
 
 U. 
 
 Ulrica, Princess of Sweden, 15. 
 Ulrika, Princess of Prussia, see Prussia. 
 
 V. 
 
 Vielseck, 381. 
 
 Vienna, treaty of, 6S. 
 
 Viereck, 99. 
 
 Vittingshofen, von, 229. 
 
 Vobser, 326. 
 
 Voit, M. von, 188, 204, 206, 215, 216. 
 
 Voltaire, 434. 
 
 W. 
 
 Wackholz, von, 323. 
 
 Waguiss, Mrae. von, 25, 26. 
 
 Waldow, 146-148. 
 
 Wales, Frederick, Prince of, George, 
 Prince of, see England, George II. 
 
 Wales, Princess of, 394. 
 
 Wallen, 171. 
 
 Wallenrodt, 64. 
 
 War with Turkey, 325, 394. 
 
 Weikersheim, see Hohenlohe. 
 
 Weimar, Duke of, 345, 346, 360. 
 
 Weissenfels, Prince Johaun Adolf of, 79, 
 82-84,101,111,264. 
 
 Wesel, 138. 
 
 Westerhageu, von, 383, 398. 
 
 " White Lady," The, 327. 
 
 William, see Prussia, Princes. 
 
 William, Prince of Culmbach, see Culm- 
 bach. 
 
 Wolmirstatten, Abbess of, see Sonnsfeld, 
 Mine. von. 
 
 Wurtemberg, Duchess of, 436, 438, 447. 
 
 Wurtemberg, Duke of, 185, 235. 
 
 Wiirtemberg, Prince of, 436 ; Prince 
 Louis, 364. 
 
 Wurzburg, 409 ; Abbess of, 385, 409, 410. 
 
 Wnsterhausen, 43, 84, 100, 197, 200. 
 
 Z. 
 
 Zachiui, 403. 
 
 Zeitz, Dr., 370, 380. 
 
 Zelle, Priuce Ueury at, 396. 
 
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