¦hi

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

^ A
VIEW O F
SOCIETY AND MANNERS
I N
France, Switzerland, and Germany.
VOL. II.

A
V I E W
O F
SOCL'ETY AND MANNERS
I N
FRANCE, SWITZERLAND,
AND GERMANY: WITH
ANECDOTES relating to feme EMINENT CHARACTERS.
BY JOHN MOORE, M.D.
VOL. IL

Strenua pos exercet inertia : navibus atque
¦(^adrigis petimus bene vivere." Quod petis, hie eft.
HOR.
The FIFTH EDITION. Correfted.

LONDON;
printed for W. Strahan ; and T. Cadell, in the Strand,
MDCCLXXXIIJ,

CONTENTS

OF THE

SECOND VOLUME.

LETTER L. p. 1,
f^ONVEkSATlON nvith a foreigner con^
cerning the Englijh nation.

LETTER LL p. 17.
Inns at frankfort, — Table d*hote,-^frencb»
— Englijh. — German women,
A 3

vi C O N T E N T S.
LETTER LIL. p. 25.
CoUeSiions of paintings.— Cabinets of natural
curiofties.—Contraf ofcharaSler betiveen
the French, and Germans^ illujirated by
their fojlillions.
LETTER Llir. p. 33,
Court of CaJfeL

LETTER LIV, p. 41.
The Landgra%e.—His trg.o^s.—T^e officers,
~A brilliant a5lioT% by M^qrechal Laudohn,'}
— French comedy. — Courtiers.

LETTEH LV. p. 51.
City of Caffiel^Balaces — Academy.— Coh-
nade.— Noble cafcade at Wafenfein.

CO N T E N T Ss vit
LETTER LVL p. 6r.
y&ameyfrom C&ffisl to Bmnftin^ hy G^tttn-
gen.~^The reigning Duke tf Brui^'wii
Wolf enbuuie.— The Duchefs.—Duke Fer~
dinand.—The Hereditary Prince andPrin-
eefs. — Prince Leopold and Ms ftfitr^-^
Duke Ferdinand^s villa.
LETTER LVIL p. 70,
The tozvn of Brunftoic. — Saved i>y Prince
Frederic — -Academy dt Brunfivic.-^W&l"
fenbuttle.-^Salbzdahlen. -^ Mr. de Weji^
phakn.
LETTER LVIIL p. 80.
German nobility f&nd of mafquerades. — Eti
quette.— Prince Leopold goes to Vienna^
'which anvakens his mother's griffor the
death ^ his brothers. A 4

viii G-O N T E N T S.
LETTER LIX. p. 87.
Zell—The ^een of Denmark.— Benevolent
¦<. cdndu5l of the Princefs of Brunfnvic. —
Handv:er..-^The troops.— The military ar
dour of a corpulent general officer. — Hern-
..haofen. , . , ,
LETTER LX. p. 97.
The violent pajjionfor literature of a court
lady at Brun/nvic. — Field Marechal Spor-
ken. — George II.
LETTER LXL p. 107.
Death of the ^ueen of Denmark.— Magde--
burg. — Brandenburg.
LETTER LXn. p. 116.
P otfdam.r— Troops in private houfes, not in
barracks. — The palace. — The King'sjludy.
— His wardrobe. — The ruling pajfon of
the late King.

CONTENTS. Is
LETTER LXHi. p. 128.
Sans-Souci. — The colleSiion ofpiSlures. — The
King's tajle criticized by a cownoiffieur. —
The neiv palacei /
LETTER LXIV. p. 133.
Reviews at Berlin,
LETTER LXV. p. 143.
Pruffian difcipline.
LETTER LXVI. p. 150.
Pruffian troops remain in the fame garrifons.
— The effe6l of the difcipline on the cha-
raSiers of the officers, and of the men. —
BefeSiions.
LETTER LXVII. p. 159.
Sentiments of a Pruffian officer on difcipline.
— Story of an Englijh Jailor.

X CONTENTS.
LETTER LXVIIL p. 169.
Berlin.
LETTER LXIX. p. 178.
The ^eens court. '^French manners prevail
at Berlin. — Matrimonial felicity,
LETTER LXX. p. 187.
Freedom ofdifcourfe at Berlin. — Some touchei
of the Kings charaSier> — Licentious man*
kers.
LETTER LXXL p. 193.
The licence of the prejs,
LETTER LXXn. p. 204.
King of Pruffias teconomy. — Taxes.'-^Tht
army.-rSinguUr motives for a murder.—^
An execution.

CONTENTS. xi
L BETTER LXXIIL p. 514.
Journey to Meckkn}}nrg Strelitz, — The
reignimg Duh and bisfjler. — The Duchy
of Mecklenburg. — Preparations for enter
tainments at ^Anf-Souci.
LETTER LXXIV. p.. 226.
Theatrical entertainments. — The tragedy of
Oedipus.
LETTER LXXV. p. 235.
The King ofPruffia, — His conyerfcttion ivith
the Duke of Hamilton.
LETTER LXXVI. p. 244^.
The King of Pruffi^.
LETTER LXXVIL p. 257.
Lord Marechal. — The Hereditary Prince of
Pruffia, 3

xii CONTENTS.
LETTER LXXVIII. p. 266.
Difficulty of deferting from Pruffiian garri-^
Jons.- ^The King's valet-de- chambre.
LETTER LXXIX. p. ^7^.
Manufactory of porcelaine at Berlin. — Jour~
ney to Drefden. — EleSloral court,- — Mu-
Jeum. — Gallery oj piSiures.
LETTER LXXX. p. 282.
Sufferings of Drefden during loft voar, —
Saxon troops.
LETTER LXXXI. p. 290.
Prague. — Piety of the inhabitants. — St.
Nepomuc.—^An Irijh prieji. — A popular
commotion.
LETTER LXXXIL p. 300.
Vienna. — The court.

CONTENTS. ?Ui
LETTER LXXXin. p. 310.
The Countefs Thune.—Her charader,—Th(:
advantages which the Englijh may enjoy
at Vienna. — Prince Kaunitz.
LETTER LXXXIV. p. 317.^
A charaBer. — ReJleSiions on thci Englijh^
French, and Germans,
LETTER LXXXV. p. 328.
An entertainment on the top of Mount Ca-
lenberg, — A convent of Monks. — Spiritual
gallantry.
LETTER LXXXVI. p. 335.
Manners. — A lady^s diftrefs. — An indulgent
hujband.
LETTER LXXXVn. p. 343.
frejburg, — A Hungarian villa.

x4v C 6 N T E N T 1^.
LETTER LXXXVIir. p. 350.
The palace and gardens of Efherhajie.— The
Hungatims.
LETTER LXXXIX. p. 359.
JtefeBions on gaming. — FffeSi of great
ivealth on indolent minds. — Englijh, Ger
many French chdrdSiers. — Utility of a
tqftefor letters.
LETTER XG. p. ^-ji,
¥e'ajk of St. Stephen.-— Annual ceremony in
commemoration of the defeat of the Turks
by Sobiejki.—Mafquerade at Schonbrun.
LETTER XCL p. 382.
The Emperor,
LETTER XCII. p. 394,
Prince Lichtenjiein. — Minting party.

CONTENTS. XV
LETTER XCIIL p. 403.
Aujlrian army. — Peafants of Bohemia. — Re*
feSiions.
LETTER XCIV. p. 412.
Sentiments oj an Aujlrian lady on religion,
LETTER XCV. p. 421.
Idolatry of Roman Catholics,,
LETTER XCVL p. 428.
Sentiments oJ foreigners on the difputes be
tiveen Great Britain and her Colonies, —
Englijh opinions refpeSiing foreigners.-^
Hints to a young traveller.

A VIEW
-"v ¦

llx*x*x-*:X^x*x*x-$-x*x*x«-xi§- A
V IE W
OF
SOCIETY AND MANNERS
1 N
France, Switzerkftd, and Germany.
L E T T E R L.
DEAR SIR, Frankfort.
F'^iS^'lINCE my return from Darmftadt,
Sg^. "^ the weather has been- lo very bad,
SL^^X ^jjj^f J jjg^yg paffed the time moftly
at home. That I may obey your injunc
tions to write regularly at the ftated pe
riods, I will fend you the fubftance of a
coaverfation I had within thefe few days
with a foreigner, a man of letters, with
Vol. n. B vi'hom

2 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
whom I am in a confiderable degree of ift-
timacy. This gentleman has never been in Eng
land, but he fpeaks the language a little,
tinderftands it very Well, and has ftudied
many of but' beft Authors. .He faid;
that he had found in fome Englifh books,
a folidity of reafoning, and a ftrength of
expreffion, fuperior to any thing he had
met with elfewhere) — that the Engliflv
hiftory furniftied examples of patriotifm
and zeal for (?ivil liberty, equal to what
was recorded in the Greek or Roman
ftory; — that Englifli poetry difj^ayed a
fublimity of thought, and a knoWledgfe of
the human heart, which no writings, an-.
eieiit or modern, could furpafs; and in
philofophy it was pretty generally allowed,
that the Englifti nation had no rival. — He
then mentioned the improvements made by
Jlngli^limen in medicipe aB4 other arts,
s their

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &ci 3
their fuperiority in navigation, commerce,
and rhanufadures ; and even hirited fdme-
thing in praife of a few Englifti ftatefmen.
He concluded his pariegyric by faying,
that thefe confideradons had given him the
higheft idsaof the Englifti nation, and had
led him to cultivate the acquaintance of
many Eiigliflinieh whom he had occafion-
ally met oh their travels. But he frankly
acknowledged, that his corinefliion with
thefe, had not contributed to fuppoirt thfi'
idea he had fortned of their natipn.
As I had heard fentiments of the fam^
kind infinuated by others, I replied at fome
length, obferving, that if he had lived in
the moft brilliant period of Roman gran
deur, and had accidentally met with a few
Romans in Greece or Afia, and had formed
his opinion of that illuftrious common-
Wealth from the cotidudl and converfation
Qf thefe travellers, his ideas would, in all
Jirobability, havie been very different from
B 2 thofe

4 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
thofe which the writings of Livy, C^far,
Cicero, and Virgil, had given him of the
Roman people :— That the manners and,
behaviour of the few Englifh he might
have met abroad, fo farfrom giving him a
juft view of the character of the whole
nation, very pofTibly had led him to falfe
conclufions with regard to the charader of
thofe very individuals. For that I myfelf
had known many young Engliflimen, who,
after having led a diflipated, infignificant
kind of life while On their travels, and
while the natural objects of their ambition
were at a diftance, had changed their con-
dud entirely upon their return, applied to
bufinefs as eagerly as they had formerly
launched into extravagance, and had at
length become very ufeful members of the
community. , But, continued I, throwing this con-
fideratioa out of the queftion, the real
chara<5ei" of a people can only be difcover-
^ ed

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 5
d by living among them on a familiar
footing, and for a confiderable time. This
is neceflary before we can form a juft idea
of any nation; but perhaps more fo with
refpe£l to the Englifli, than any other : for
in no nation are the education, fentiments,
and purfuits of thofe who travel, fo difl^erent
from thofe of the people who remain at
home. The firft clafs is compofed of a few in
valids, a great many young men raw from
the univerfity, and fome idle men of for
tune, void of ambition, and incapable of
application, who, every nosv and then,
faunter through Europe,, becaufe they
know npt how to employ their time at
Jiome. The fecond clafs is made up of younger
brothers, who are bred to the army, navy,
the law, and other prbfeffions ;— rail who
follow commetGe, are employed in manu-
B 3 failures.

6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
f^dures, or farming ;r-rand, in one word,
all who, not being born to independent
fortunes, endeavour to remedy that incon-
veniency by induftry, and the cultivation of
tjieif talepts.
England is the only coqntry in Europe
whofe inhabitants never leave it in fearcl^
of fortune. There are, nioderately fpeakr
ing, tweqty Frenchmen in London for
every Engliftinian at Pari?. By far the
greater part of thofe Frenchmen travel to
get money, and almofl; all the Englifti to
fpend it. But we fliould certainly be led
into great errors^vby forming an idea of
the charader of the French nation frona
that of the French fiddlers, dancing- maf-
ters, dentifts, and valet-de-chambres to be
jnet with in Epgland, oj: other parts of
Europe. The gentleman acknowledged, that if
yvouW be unfair tp deci^^ pn the French
charadef

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 7
charader ' from that of their fiddlers and
dancing-m afters ; but added, that he did
not perceive that the Englifti could rea"-
fonably complain, ftiould foreigners forni
an opinion of their national charader from
the men of fortune, rank, and the moft
liberal education of their iOand.
I anfwered, they certainly would, becaufe
young men of high rank and great fortune
carry a fet of ideas along with them from
their infancy, which very often difappoint
the purpofes of the beft education.— —Let
a child of high rank be brought up with
all the care and attention the moft judi
cious parents a;idm afters can give-; — let him
be told, that perfonal qualities alone can
make him truly refpedable; — that the
fortuitous circumftances of birth and for-
Xnne Afford no juft foundation for efteem ;
' — that knowledge and virtue are the true
fources of honour and happinefs; — that
idlenefs produces vice and mifery ; — that
B 4 withput

$ VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
without application he cannot acquii-e
knowledge;— and that without knowledge
he will dwindle into infignificance, in fpitc
of rank and fortune :- — -Let thefe things
be inculcated with all the power of perr
fuafionj let them be illuftrated by ex
ample, and infinuated by fable and aller-
gory ; — yet, do we not daily fee the effed^
of all this counteraded by the infinuations
pf fervants and bafe fycpphants, who give
an importance to far different qualities,
and preach a much more agreeable doc
trine ?  r
They make eternal allufions in all their
difcourfe and behaviour to the great eftatc
the young fpark is one day to have, and the
great man he muft be, independent of any
effort of his own. They plainly infinuate,
if they do not dircdly fay it, that ftudy arid
application, tho' proper enough for hofpital
boys, is unneceffary, or perhaps unbecoming
I plan of falhion. They talk with rapture pf

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c, 9
of thehouftds, hunters, and race-horfes of
one great man ; of the rich liveries and bril
liant equipage Pf anpther; and how much
both are loved and admired for their libera
lity to their fervants. They tell their young
mafter, that his rank and eftate entitle him
to have finer hounds, horfes, liveries and
equipage than either, and to be more liberal
to his fervants; and cohfequently a greater
man in every refped. This kind of poi-
fon, being often poured upon the young
Q)routs of fortune and quality, gradually
blafts the vigour of the plants, and renders
^ll care and cultivation ineffedual.
If we fuppofe that domeftics of another
charader could be placed about a boy of
high rank,' "^and every meafure taken to in-
fpire him with other fentiments ; he cannot
ftir abroad, he cannot go into company
without peFceiving his own importance,
and the attention that is paid to him. His
pjlildifli pranks are called fpirited adions ;
his

10 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
his pert fpeeches are converted into bon
mots ; and when reproved or puniftied by
his parent or mafter, ten to one but foioe
jobfequious intermeddler will tell him that
Jie I>as fuffered great injuftice.
The youth, improving all this tp the pur
pofes of indolence and vanity, arrives at
length at the comfortable perfuafiop, that
ftudy or application of any kind would in
him be fuperfjuous ; — that he ought only
to feek amyfement, for, at the blefled age of
twenty-one, diftindion, deference, admi^ ¦
ration, and all other good things vyill be
added unto hini.
A young man, on the -other hand, who
is born to no fuch expedations, has no fy
cpphants around him to pervert his under-
Handing ; — when he behaves improperly, he
jnftantly fees the marks pf difapprpbptiop
on every countenance: — He daily meets
with people who inform him pf his faults
without

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. u
without ceremony or circumlocution.-rrrHe
perceives that nobody cares for his bad hu
mour or caprice, and very naturally con-
eludes that he had beft corred his temper.
1 — ^He finds that he is apt to be negleded in
company, and that the only remedy for this
jnconveniency will be the rendering himfelf
agreeable.;— He loves affluence, diftindion,
and admiration, as well as the rich and
great; but becomes fully convinced that he
can never pbtain even the fliadow of them,
ptherwife than by ufeful and ornamental
acquirements. The truth of thofe precepts,
^hich is proved by rhetoric and fyllogifm
|o the boy of fortune, is experiment
ally felt by him who has no fortune ; and
the difference which this makes, is in-
^nite. So tliat the fpn pf a gentleman of mo
derate fortune has a probability of knowing
jnore of the world at the age of fixteen, and
pf haying a jufter notion of people's fenti
ments

Ti VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
ments of him, than a youth of very high
Mnk at a much more advanced age; for it
is very difficult for any perfon to find out
that he is defpifed while he continues to be
flattered. So far, therefore, from being furprifed
that diffipation, weaknefs and ignorance,
are fo prevalent among thofe who are born
to great fortunes and high rank, we ought
to be aftonifhed to fee fo great a number of
men of virtue, diligence and genius among
them as there is. And if the number be
proportion ably greater in England than ip
any other country, which I believe is the
cafe, this muft proceed from the impartial
difcipline of our public fchools ; and the
equitable treatment which boys of the
greateft rank receive from their comrades.
Sonielimes the natural, manly fentiments
they acquire from their fchool companions,
ferve as an antidote againft the childifti, fo-
phiftical notions with which weak or de-
figning

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 13
figning men endeavour to infpire them in
after-life.

The nature of the Britifh conftitution
contributes alfo to form a greater number of
men of talents among the wealthy and the
great, than are to be found in other coun
tries; becaufe it opens a wider field for am
bition than any other government ;^ — and
ambition excites thofe exertions which pro
duce talents.
But, continued I, you muft acknowledge
that it would be improper to form a judg
ment of the Englifti genius, by famples
taken from men who have greater tempta
tions to indolence, and fewer fpurs to ap
plication than others.
My difputant ftill contefted the point, and
afferted, that high birth gave a native dig
nity and elevation to the mind;---:that di-
ftin^ions and honours were originally in-
'troduced

1-4 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
tfoduccd into families by eminent abilities
and great virtues ;— that when a man of il
luftrious birth came into a company, or
even when his name was mentioned, this
naturally raifed a recoUedion of the great
adions and fliining qualities of the eminent
perfOn who had firft acquired thofe ho
nours ; — that a confcioufnefs of this muft
naturally ftimulate the prefent poffefTor to
imitate the virtues of his anceftors ;--^that
his degenerating would fubjed him to the
higheft degree of cenfure, as the world
could not, without indignation, behold in
dolence and vice adorned with the rewards
of adivity and virtue.
I might have difputed this affertion, that
,honours and titles are always the rewards pf
virtue; and cpuld have prpduced abundance
of inftances of the oppofite propofttipn. But
I allpwed that they pften were fo, and that
hereditary honours in a family always pught" to

.MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 15
tp have, and foiiietimes had, the efted which
he fupppfed : . but thefe eonceffipns being
made in their fulleft extent, ftill he would.
do injuilice tP th^ Englifla, by forming a
judgment of their national charader, from
w'hat he had obferved of the temper, man
ners, and genius of thofe Engliftimen with
whom hC; had; been acquainted in foreigp
countries ; becaufe three-fourths of thens
were, in all probability, men of fortune,
without having family or high birth to boaft
of; fo that they had the greateft induce-
ihents to indolence, without potreffing the
motives tP virtuous exertions, which in
fluence people pf high rank.— -For, though
it rarely happened in other toufltries, it was
very common in England for men of all the
vafious profeffions and trades to accumulate
very great fortunes, which, at their death,
falling to their fons, thefe young men,
without having had a fuitable education,
immediately fet up for gentlemen, and run
over Europe in the charaders of Milords
Anglois,

i6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
Anglois, game, purchafe pidures, muti
lated ftatues, and miftreflfes, to the aftonifti-
ment of all beholders : And, confcious of
the blot in their efcutcheon, they think it
is incumbent on them to wafli it out, and
make up for the impurity of their blood,
by plunging deeper into the ocean of ex
travagance than is neceffary for a man of
hereditary fafhion.
Here our converfation ended, and the
gentleman promifed that he would abide by
the idea he had formed of the Englifh na
tion, from the works of Milton, Locke, and
Newton, and the charaders of Raleighi
Hambden, and Sidney,

MANNERS IN FRANCE, ^c. 17

LETTER LI.
Frankfort.
A MONG the remarkable things in
Frankfort the inns may be reckoned.
Twp in particular, the Emperor and the
Red Houfe, for cleanlinefs, conveniency,
and number of apartments, .are fuperior to
any I ever faw on the continent, and vie
with ^pur moft magnificent inns in Eng
land. At thefe, as at all other inns in Germany
and Switzerland, there is an ordinary, at
which the ftrangers may dine and fup. This
is called the Table d'Hote, from the cir-
cumftance of the landlord's fitting at the
bottom of the table, and carving the viduals.
The fame name for an ordinary is ftill re
tained in France, tho' the landlord does not
Vol. n. C fit

i8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
fit at the table, which was the cafe former
ly in that country, and ftill is the cuftom
in Germany.
There are no private lodgings to be had
here, as in London, nor any hotels garnis as
in Paris. Strangers therefore retain apart
ments at the inn during the whole time of
their refidence in any pf the tpwns. And
travellers pf every denpmination in this
country, under the rank of fover^ign prin
ces, make no fcruple of eating occafionally
at the Table d'Hote of the inn where they
Ipdge, which cuftom is univerfally followed
by ftrangers from every country on the
continent of Europe.
Many of our countrymen, however, who
defpife oeconomy, and hate the company of
ftrangers, prefer eating in their own apart
ments to the Table d'Hote, or any private
table to which they may be invited. It

MANNERS IN FRA.NCE,, 4rc. 19
It would JDC arrogance in any body to dif-
pute the right which every free-born Epg-
lifliman has tp follow his own inclination
in this partipul^r : Yet \vhen people wifh to
avpid the coippany of ftrangers j it ftfikes
me, that they might indulge their fancy as
cojjipleteiy at hopie as abroad ; and whilt?
they continpe in that humour, I cannpt
help thinking tbat tbey might faVe them-
felves the inconVeniency and expence of
travelling. The manners and genius of nations, it ijs
true, are not to be learnt at inns ; nor is
the moft feled conjipany to be found at pub
lic ordinaries ; yet a perfpn of obferyatipn,
and who is fond of the ftudy of charader,
will fometimes find inftrudion and enter
tainment at both. He there fees the inha
bitants of the country on a lefs ceremopiouft
footing than he can elfewhere* and hears
the remarks of travellers of every degree*
C 2 The

20 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
The firft care of a traveller certainly
ftipuld be, to form an acquaintance and fome
degree of intimacy with the principal peo
ple in every place where he intends to re-
fide ;— to accept invitations to their family
parties, ahd attend their focieties ;— to en
tertain them at his apartrnents, when that
can be conveniently done, and endeavour to
acquire a juft notion of their government,
cuftoms, fentiments, and manner of living.
— Thofe who are fond of the ftudy of man,
which, with all due deference to the philo-
fpphers who prefer that of beafts, birds and
butterflies, is alfo a pardonable amufement,
will mix occafionally with all degrees of
people, and, when not otherwife engaged,
will not fcruple to take a feat at the Table
d'H&te. It is faid that low people are fometimes
to be found at thefe ordinaries. This to be
fure is a weighty objedion ; but then it
fliOuldbe remembet-ed, that it is within the
bounds

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 21
bounds of poffibility that men, even engaged
in commerce, may have liberal minds, and
may be able to give as diftind accounts of
what is worthy of obfervation, as if they
had been as idle as people of the higheft
fafhion through the whole pf their lives.
A man muft have a very turgid idea pf his
pwn grandeur, if he cannpt fubmit, in a
foreign country, to dine at table with a
perfon of inferior rank; efpecially as he
will meet, at the fame time, with others of
equal, or fuperior rank to himfelf ; For all
etiquette of this nature is waved even in
Germany at the Tables d'Hotes,
A knowledge of the charaders of men,
as they appear varied in different fituations
and countries; — the ftudy of human nature
indeed in all its forms and modifications, is
highly intereftiqg to the mind, and worthy
the attention of the greateft man. This is
pot to be perfedly attained in courts afnd
C 3 palaces.

24 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
palaces. The mveftigator of nature muft
vifit her in hurpbler life, and put hirtifelf
on a level with the mpn whom he wiflies
to know.
it is generally found, that thofe who pof-
fefs real greatnefs of mind, never hefitate^
to overleap the obftacles, and defpife the
forms, which may ftand in the way of their
acquiring this ufeful l^nowledge.
The moft powerful of all arguments
againft entirely declining to appear at the
public table of the inp, is, that in this
country it is cuftomary for the ladies them-
felves, when on a journey, to eat there; and
my partiality for the Table d'Hote may
pofTibly be owing in fome degree to iny
having rnet, at one of them, with two of
the handfomeft women that I have feen
finqe I have been in this country, whicl^
aljounds in female beauty. There

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &e. 23
There is more expreffion in the counte
nances pf French wpmen; but the ladies in
Germany havp the advantage in the fairnefs
pf their {kin, and the blppm pf their com
plexion. They have a greater refemblance
to Englifh women than to French ; yet they
differ confiderably from them both. — I do
not know how to give an idea of the vari
ous fhades of expreffion, which, if I miftake
not, I can diftinguifh in the features of the
fex in thefe three countries. *'
A handfome French woman, befides
the eafe of her manner, has commonly a
look of cheerfulnefs and great vivacity. —
She appears willing to be acquainted with
you, and feems to exped that you fhould
addrefs her.
The manner of an Englifli woman is
not fo devoid of reftraint ; and a ftranger,
efpecially if he be a foreigner, may ob-
ferve a look which borders on difdain in
C 4 her

*4 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
her countenance. Even among the lovelieft
features, fomething of a fulky air often'
appears. "While their beauty allures, this
in fome degree checks that freedom of ad
drefs which you might ufe to the French-/
woman, and interefts your vanity more, by
giving the idea of the diflSculties you have
to conquer.
A German beauty, without the fmart
air of the one, or the referve of the other.
has generally a more placid look than
cither.

MANNERS m FRANCE, &t. 25
LETTER LII. '" '
Frankfort.
qE'VERAL individuals here are fond of
^ diftinguifhing themfelves by their paf-
fion for the fine arts, and ftrangers are in
formed, that it is well worth while to vifit
certain private colledions of paintings which
are to be feen at Frankfort. i^
You know I am no connoiffeur ; and if
I were, fhould not take up your time in
defcribing them, or giving a criticifm on
their fubjed. For though I have feen them,
you have not; and, nothing, in my opinion,
can be more linintelligible and tirefome to
the Reader, than criticifms on paintings
which he has not feen. I fhall only ob-
ferve, that gs all thefe colledions have ac
quired tl^e efteem and approbation of the
proprietors,

26 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
proprietors, which I prefume was the chief
end of their creation, they are certainly in-
titled to refped from every unconcerned
fpedator.  One of them in particular
muft be very valuable, on account of the
prodigious fum of money which the pre
fent poffeffor was offered for itj and which
he refufed as inadequate to its worth ;
though the fum offered would have at once
'made the gentleman ,eafy in his circum-
fiances, which I am forry to fay, is far
from being the cafe. This anecdote can
not be doubted, for I had it from his own
mouth. It is ftill more the fafhion here to form
cabinets of natural curiofities, Befides the
repofitories of this kind, which are to be
feen at the courts of the princes,, many in
dividuals all over Germany have Mufeums
in their houfes, and ftrangers cannot pay
their court better, than by requefting per-
n:iiffion to fee them. This would be an
¦^ eafy

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 27
^afy piece of politenefs, if the ftranger were
ailbVved to take a view, apd walk away
when he thought proper. But the mif-
fortune is, that the proprietor attends on
thefe occafions, and gives the hiftory of
every piece of oire, petrifadion, foffil-wood,
and Pionfter that is in the colledion. And
as this ledure is given gratis, he affumes
the right of making it as long as he pleafes:
fb that requefting a fight of a private col
ledion pf natural curiofities, is a more
ferious matter than people are aware of.
The Duke of Hamilton has brought him
felf into a fcrape, out of which I imagine
it will be difficult to extricate him. Being
unacquainted with the trouble which thefe
gentlemen give themfelves on fuch occa
fions, he has expreffed an inclination to
three or four virtuofi to fee their cabinets.
I attended him on his firft vifitation yefter-
day. The gentleman inade an unufual
exertion to pleafe his Grace. ¦ He faid, be ing

28 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
ing fully convinced of his tafte for natural
philofophy, in which people of his high
rank were never deficient, he would there
fore take pleafure to explain every particu
lar in the colledion with the greateft deli
beration. He had kept himfelf difengaged
the whole forenoon on purpofe, and had
given orders not to be interrupted. He
then defcantcd on each particular in the
colledion, with fuch minutenefs and perfe-
verance, as completely fatiated His Grace's
curiofity, and gave him fuch a knowledge
of earths, cryftals, agates, pyrites, mar-
cafites, petrifadions, metals, femi metals,
&c. See. as will, I dare fwear, ferve him
for the reft of his life.

Caffel.
I began this letter at Frankfort, not fuf-
peding that our departure would be fo fud-
den. But as the day approached on which
we had been promifed the fight of another
T cabinet

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. ag
cabinet of curiofitiesi I found the Duke's
impatience to be gone increafe every mo
ment. Sp fending Pur applpgy to the pro
prietors of two or three which he had afked
permiffion to vifit, We paffed one day
with Madame de Barkhaufe's family, aftd
another with Mr. Gogle's, and then bid
ding a hafty adieu to our other acquaint
ances at Frankfort, we fet out for this
place. "We flept the firft night at Mar^
burg, and on the fecond, about midnight,
arrived at Caffel.
As the ground is quite covered with fnow,
the roads bad, and the pofts long, we were
obliged to take fix horfes for each chaife,
which, after all, in fome places moved no
fafter than a couple of hearfes. The Duke
bore this with wonderful ferenity, con
templating the happy evafion he had made
from the cabinets at Frankfort. A flave
who had efcaped from the mines could not
have ifhown greater fatisfadion. His good
Rumour

30 VIEW Of SOCfE FY AND
humour remained propf agaip^l a,\l i^c
phlegm and obilinacy of the German ppfli}-
lipns, of which one iB^bo b3§ not travgjled
in the extrepiity pf the wipter, 3nd when
the rmds are cpvered with fnpw, thrpugh
this country, can form np idea.
The cointraft of charader betiveen tl^e
French and Germans is ftropgly illuftrateid
in the behaviour pf the p^illipps pf tl^
twp countries* ;
A French ppftillipn is generally either
laughing, or fretting, or finging, or fwear-
ing, all the time he is on the road. U a
hill or a bad road oblige him to go {Ipvr,
he will of a fudden fall a qracking his whip
above his head for a. quarter pf aip lipur tp-
gether, without rhyme or rea/fon j fpy. hp
knows the horfes cannot go a bit fafterjand
he does not intend they fhpuld. AH this
noife and emotion, therefore, means nothing;
and proceeds entirely from that abhprrepce pf

MANNERS IN FR'ANCE, Sec. 31
of quiet which every Frenchman fucks in
with his mother's milk.
A German poftlllion, on the contrary,
drives four horfes with all poffible tranquil
lity. He neither fings, nor frets, nor
laughs : he only fmokes ; — and when he
conies near a narrow defile, he founds his
trumpet to prevent any carriage from enter
ing at the other end till he has got through.
If you call to him to go fafter, he turns
about, looks you in the face, takes his pipe
from his mouth, and fays, Yaw, Mynheer ;
— yaw, yaw ; and then proceeds exadly in
the fame pace as before. He is no way af-
feded whether the road be good or bad •
whether it rains, or fliines, or fnows : —
And he feems to be totally regardlefs of the
people whom he drives, and equally callous
to their reproach or applaufe. He has one
objed of which he never lofds fight, which
is, to condud your chaife and the contents
from one poft to another, in the manner he

32 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
he thinks beft for himfelf and the horfes.
And unlefs his pipe goes out (in which cafe
he ftrikes his flint and rekindles it), he
feems not to have another idea during the
whole journey.
Your beft courfe is to let him take his
own way at firft, for it will c6me to that at
laft. — All your noife and blufter are vain.
Non vultus inftantis tyranni
Mente quatit folida, neque Aufter
Dux inguieti turbidus Adri«
Nee fulminantis magna Jovis manus *.
• Not-the proud tyrant's fiercsft threat.
Nor ftorms, that from their dark retreat
The lawlefsfurges wake ;
Not Jove's dread bolt that (bakes the pole.
The fiimer purpofe of his foul.
With all its power can (hake.
Blacklocke.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &ci 33

LETTER LIII;

CalTeli.

'TF^HE attention and civilities which are
¦*" paid to the Duke of Hamilton by this
court, have induced us to remain longer
than we intended at our arrival.
As you feem curious to know hoyy we
pafs our time, and the ftyle of living here,
I fhall give you a Ikeich of one day, which,
with little variation, may give you an idea
of all the reft.
We generally employ the morning and
forenoon in ftudy. "We go to the palace
about half an hour before dinner is ferved,
where we find all the officers, who have
been invited, affembled in a large room.
The Landgrave fopn appears, and conti-
Vql. II. D nuea

34- VIEW OF SOCIETY ANI?
nues converfing with the company till his
confort arrives with the princefs Charlotte,
and fuch ladies as they have thought pro
per to invite.
The company then walk to the dining
parlour, where there are about thirty co
vers every day, and the fame number in a
room adjoining. The doors being left open
between thefe apartments, the whole forms
in a manner but one company. The ftran
gers, and fuch officers as are not ttnder the
tank jof colonel, dine at their Highnefles
table. '
The repaft" continues about two hours,
during which the converfation is carried
on with fome little appearance . of con-
ftraint, and rather in a low voice, except
when either of their Highneffes fpeaks tp-
any perfon feated at a little diftance. After

kANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 35
. After dinner the company returns to the
j-pom where they firft affembled. In this
they remain till the Landgrave retires,
which he ufually dpes within abput a quar
ter of an hpur. Soon after, the company
fepa rates till feven in the evening, when
they again aflemble.
The Landgrave plays conftantly at Ca*
VanioWe, a kind of lottery, where no ad
drefs or attention, is requifite, and which
needs hardly interrupt converfation. It
j-equires about a dozen players to make his
party. The Landgravine plays at Quadrille, and
choofes her own party every night.-^Other
card-tables are fet in the adjoining rooms,
for the conveniency of any who choofe to
play. The gaming continues about a cou
ple of hours. The Landgrave then falutes
her Highnefs on both cheeks, and retires
D 2 to

36 VIEW OF SOCIETY ANI^
to his own apartments, while fhe and thd
reft of the cofnpany go to fupper. At thiS
repaft there is lefs formality, and of cort-
fequence more eafe and gaiety^ than at
dinner) "When her Highnefs rifes frorfi tablg;
tnoft part of the company attend her up
ftairs to a fpacious anti-chamber, where fhe
i"emains converfing a few minutes, and
then retires.
Thefe general forriig are fometimes va
ried by a concert in the Landgrave's apah-
ments. There are alfo certain days of
Gala, which are only diftinguifhed by the
company's being more numerous, and bet
ter dreffed, than ufual ; two circumftances
which do not add a vaft deal to the pleafure
of the entertainment.
During the Carnival, there were two or
three mafquerades. On thefe occafions thd

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 37
jcpurt affemble about fix in the evening, the.
men being all in Dominos, and the ladie§
in their ufual drefs, or with the addition
of a few fanciful ornaments, accprding tp
the particular tafle of eachj
They amufe themfelves wjth cards and
iconverfation till the hour of fupper. Dur
ing this interval, a gentleman of the courf
carries a parcel of tickets in his hat, equal
tp the number of pien ip company. Thefe
are prefented tp the ladips, each of whprn
draws ope. Tickets ip the fame manner
are prefented to the men, who take one a-
piece, which they keep till the card-playing
js finifhe(|.The officer then calls number One, up-?
on which the couple w^o are poffeffed of
that number come forward, and the gen
tleman leads the lady into the fupper-
fopip, fits by het, and is her partner for
P 3 the

38 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND.
the reft of the evening. In the fame rpapr
per every other Number is called.
After fupper, all the company put pr^
their mafks. Her Highnefs is led into'
the mafquerade rppm. The reft follow,
each lady being handed by her partner.
The LaPdgravine and her partner walk tp
the upper end of the room. — The next
Couple ftop at a fmall diftance below
them ; the third, next to the fecond, and
fo on till this double file reaches from the
top to the bottom of the hall. If there
are any fupernumerarieg, they muft retire
to the fides. — ^From this arrangement you
pxped a country dance :^— a minuet how
ever is intended : — the mufic begins^ and
all the mafkers on the floor, confifting of
twenty or thirty couple, walk a minuet
together. This, which is rather a con-
fufed affair, being over, every body fits
down, the Landgravine excepted, who
generally

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 39
generally ; dances nine or ten minuets fuc-
ceffively with as many different gentlemen.
She then takes her feat till the reft of the
company have danced minuets, wfiich being
over, the cotillons and country-dances be
gin, and continue till four or five in the

morning.

Her Highnefs is a very beautiful womaj^
graceful in her perfon, and of a gay and
fprightl^ charader. She is. in danger of
growing corpulent, an inconveniency not
uncommon in Germany, but which ihe
endeavours to retard by ufing a great deal
of exercife.
Befides the company who fup at court,
the rooms were generally crowded with
malks from the town, fome of whom are
in fancy-dreffes, and keep themfelves con
cealed all the time. And although thofe
who came from the court are known
when they enter the mafquerade rooms,
D 4 many

40 VIEW OP SOCIETY AND
jiiany of them flip out afterwards, change
their drefs, and return to amufe them
felves, by teafing their friends in their
affumed charaders, as is ufual at mafi
querades, The country-dances are compofed of all
perfons promifcuoufly, who incline to joip
in them. — Two women of pleafure, who
had come to pafs the Carnival at Caffel in
the exercife of their profeffion, aftd were
well known to many of the officers, dance^
every mafquerade night in the country-
dance, which her Ifighnefs led down j for
the malk annihilates ceremony, puts every
body on a footing, and not unfrequently^
while it conceals the face moft effedually,
ferves fo much the more to difcover the real
charader and inclinations of the wearer.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. |r

LETTER LIV,
C^fTei. ^
¦^EXT to the Eledors of the Empire^'
"*¦ the Landgrave of Heffe Caffel is one
pf the greateft Princes in Germany ; and
even of thofe, the eledors of Bohemia,
Bavaria, Saxony, and Hanover, only are
richer and more powerful than he. His
country is in general hilly, with a great
deal of wood, but interfperfed with fertile
vallies and corn fields. The large fubfidies
this court received from Britain dui-inig the
two laft wars, with what is given in the
time of peace, by way of retaining fee, have
greatly contributed to the prefent flourifh-
|ng ftate of its finances.

42 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
The reigning Prince forfook the Pro-
teftant faith about twenty years ago, and
made a public profeflSon of the Roman
Catholic religion, in the lifetime of the
late Landgrave, his father. This gave
great uneafinefs to the old Prince, and
alarmed his fubjeds, who are all Pro-
teflants. The flates of the Landgraviate were af
fembled on this important occafion, and
fuch meafures taken as were judged necef-
iary. to maintain the religi9n and conftitu
tion of the country againfl any future at
tempt to fubvert them. The Hereditary
Prince was excluded from all fliare in the
education of his fons, who were put under
the tuition of the Princefs Mary of Great
Britain, his firft wife, living at that time
feparate from her hufbapd. The eldef^
fon, upon his father's acceffion to the
Landgraviate, was put in poffeffion of the
county

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 43
county of Hanau ; fo that the inhabitants
have felt no inconveniency from the change
pf their Prince's religion. And as he
himfelf has reaped no earthly advantage,
either in point of honour or profit, by his
converfion, it is prefumable, that his High-
nefs's hopes are now limited to the reward?
which may await him in another world.
This Prince keeps on foot 16000 men,
in time of peace, difciplined according to
the Pruffian plan, the Landgrave himfelf
having the rank of Field Marfhal in the
Pruffian army. The Prince is fond of
exercifing them ; but not having a houfe
on purpofe, as the Prince of Heffe Darm
ftadt has, he takes that amufement when
the weather is very bad in the dining-
room of his palace, where I have fre
quently feen two or three hundred of the
firft battalion of guards perform their
pianoeuvres with all poffible dexterity. The

^4 VIEW QF SOCIETY AND
The Prince of Saxe-Gotha, brother tq
\l\e kte Princefs of "Wales, has a regiment
Ip the Landgrave's fervice, apd refides at
iCaffel. The perfpn who has the chief manage-
^nent in military affairs, is General Scli-
Y^p, a man of an exceeding juft and ac
curate underftanding, which he has finely
cultivated by reading and refledion,
I have the happipefs to be intimately
^cqpaiipted with many other officers ip this
fervice. — An open manner, and undefign-
^pg civility, diftinguifh the German charac
ter ; qualities which naturally banifh re
ferve, and infpire confidence. And what
pi^kes the converfation of thefe gentlemen
llill more agreeable and interefting to me,
is thejuftice they feem fond of rendering
^P the bravery of the Britifli troops with
^hom they ferved. They always mentipp th^

MANNERS IM FRANCEi kc 43
the names of Grahby, "Wdldgravd, artd
Kiiigfley, with the higheft 'encomiUmfej
and fpeak with affedionate regard of fbipg
bfiicers with whom they Were more iri^
timately acquainted^ particularly Mr. Keith
now at Vienna, and Colonel John Max^
Wellj Whom they applaud at ohe of thS
bfa^efi: aiid moft adjve ofiitierS that fei-vgd
in the allied army ; and fefetn fppd Pf tti^h-
tionlng inftances of the amazing intrepidity
ef the Britifh grenadiers whom he coiii-
manded. iBefides thofe adually in the Landgrave 'S
fervice, there are fome other perfons of
note who refide at Caffel. I fometiriie§
pafs an afternoon with old General Zaftrdwj
who had the command of the garrifon Of
Schweidnitz, when it was furprifed by the
Auftrian general Laudohni
V If you Tecolied that importafit placS
Md been taken from the Pruffiatis in thg

4i> VIEW OF SOCIETY ANEJ
year 175 ^> by Count Nadafti. It wa«
blockaded by the King of Pruflla in the
winter of that fame year, and furrendered[
to hitn in fpring 1758, after one half pf
the garrifon had fallen in defending the
place. In the year 1761, Laudohn retool?
it almpft in fight of the Pruffian monarchj
by the moft brilliant coup-de-main that
perhaps ever was ftruck.
The King's army and Laudohn *s were
both in the neighbourhood of Schweid-*
nitz. The latter could not attempt a re
gular fiege, while he was watched by fuch
an enterprifing enemy. But obferving that
the King had moved at a greater diftance
than ufual from the town, and knowing
that more than onfe: half of the garrifon had
been drafted, he refolved on an enterprifi'
as bold as it was fagacious. One mornipg
early this vigilant commander, taking the
advantage of a thick fog, marched his ai-my J' ,
to

MANNERS IN FRANCE, kt. 47
to the town of Schweidnitz in four
divifions. Scaling ladders were applied
to the ramparts, and fome of the Auf«
trians had adually entered the town,
before they were obferved by the cen-
tinels. The garrifon, being at laft roufed, at
tacked the affailants in a furious man
ner. — The confufion was increafed by
the blowing up of a powder magazine,
which deftroyed great numbers on both
fides. The Governor was taken prifoner,
fighting fword in hand on the ramparts,
and the town furrendered.
This exploit eftablifhed the reputation of
Laudohn, while poor Zaftrow, according
to the ufual fate of the unfortunate, be
came a prey to the calumny of the unfeel
ing and ungeperous. He demanded a trial
by a court martial. — The King faid therfe
2 was

48 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
was po occafion for that, as he did not ac«
cufe him of any crime. — But he did not
judge it expedient to employ him in any
command after this misfortune.
I have heard the old man relate all the
particulars of that affair, and the accpunt
he gave has been cpnfirmed to me by
pfficers well infprnied, and uncpnneded
Y^ith him.
A cornpany of French cpmedians are
lately arrived here, which fprins a new
refpurce for the court. They remain fix
weeks, or two months. The Landgrave
pays them a flipulated fum for ading twice
a week during that time ; and they have
fcarcely any emolument befide; fpr the
iphabitants of Caffel, who are Calvipifts,
(hew np ^reat paffion for dramatic enter-
|ainnients. . '
The

MANNERS IN FRANCEi &c. 49
The playhpufe is neat, though fmall.
The front gallery, with a convenient room
behind, is appropriated to the court.
When the Prince or Princefs ftands up,
whether between the ads, or in the time
of the reprefentation, all the audience, pit,
box, and gallery, immediately arife, and
remain in a ftanding pofture till their fove*
reign fit down.
Since the arrival of thefe players, the
court has been uncommonly brilliant, and
the Gala days more frequent. Yefterday
was a very fplendid one. I then obferved
in the drawing-room two perfons, neither
of whom is a Heffian, fainting each pther
with great politenefs and apparent re
gard. A little after, one of them touched
my fhoulder, and, pointing to the other,
whifpered in my ear, — Prenez garde, Mon-
fieur, de cet homme ; c'eft un grand co-
quin. VoL.IL E The

So VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
The other within a few minutes came
to me, faying, Croyez vous, Monfieur, que
vouz puiffiez reconnoitre un fou fi je vouS
le montrois f — Le voila, added he, fhoWing
the perfon who had whifpered me before.
I have been finee told, by thofe who
know both, that each had hit exadly upon
the other's charader.
This little trait I have mentioned merely
on account of its fingularity, and to fhow
you how very different the manners of this
court, and the fentiments of the courtiers
here with regard to each other, are from
thofe at St. Jaipes's.

^MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 5.1

LETTER LV.

CalTei.

fnr\ H E city of Caffel is fituated on the
-^ river Fulda. It confifts of an old and
new town. The former is the largeft and
moft irregular. The new town is well
built ; and there, as you may believe, the
nobility and officers of the court have their
houfes. The ftreets are beautiful, but not
over-crowded with inhabitants.
Befides the large chateau in the town of
Caffel, which is the Landgrave's winter
refidence, he has feveral villas and caftles
in different parts of his dominions. Imme
diately without the town, there is a very
beautiful building, in which he dwells for
the moft part of the fummer. The apart-
E 2 ments

52 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
ments there are neat and commodious, fome
of them adorned with antique ftatues of
confiderable value.
None of the rooms are fpacious enough
to admit of exercifing any confiderable
number of the troops within their walls;
but his Highnefs fometimes indulges in
this favourite recreation on the top of this
villa, which has a flat roof, moft convenient
for that purpofe.
Around this are fome noble parks and
gardens, with a very complete orangery.
There is alfo a menagerie, with a confi
derable colledion of curious animals. I
faw there a very fine lionefs, which has
lately loft her hufband-^-an elephant' — three
camels in fine condition, one of them milk-
white, the other two grey, and much
taller than the elephant; — an African deer,
a fierce and lively animal, with afkin beau
tifully

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 53
tifully fpotted ; a very tall rain-deer — fe
veral leopards — a bear, and a great variety
of monkies. The colledion of birds h
ftill more complete, a great many of which
are from the Eaft Indies.
In the academy of arts, which is fituat
ed in the new town, are fome valuable ap-
tiques, and other curiofities, among which
is a St. John in Mofaic, done after a pidure
of Raphael's, with the following infcription
below it ; IMAGINEM S. JOHANNES
EX ITALIA ADVENAM
IN RARUM RARjE INDUSTRI.1E HUMANE MONUMENTVM
HANC COLLOCARI JUSSIT
FREDERICUS II. HASSIyE LANDGR.
A, M.D.CCLXV.
Biit this art of copying pkintings in Mo
faic work, I underftand has of late been
brought to a much greater degree of per-
fedion at Rome.
E 3 I«

14 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
In the veftibule is placed the trunk of a
laurel tree, with this infcription on the
wall behind it;
PER OCTQ PRINCIPUM CATTORUM ^TATIS
IN- AMiENIS INCLYTI CASSEL.
VIRIpARH SPA'TIAM FLORUIT
LAUMJS
ALT. CIRCITER LIV. LAT. IV. FED. RHENA?^,
AD TEMPORA HEROUM
SERENISS. DOMUS HASSI^
CORONIS CINGENDA,
S?:NIP, SED NON IMPLORIS, EMORTUA EST
NE VERO TOTA PERIRET
ARBOR APOLLINI SACRA
TRUNCUM IN MUSEO SERVARI JUSSIT
FREDERICUS II. H. L.
A. M.D.CCLXIII.
They alfo fhow a fword, which was
confecrated by the Pope, and fent to one
of the Princes of this family at his fetting
put on an expedition to the Holy Land,
What havoc this facred weapon made
^mong the infidels I cannot fay.— It has a
very

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. , Si
very venerable appearance for a fword, and
yet feems little the worfe for wear.
Near the old chateau, and a little to one
fide, , is a colonnade of fmall pillars lately
built, an(| intended as an ornament to the.
ancient caftle, though in a very different
ftyle of arcbitedure. The flimnefs of their
forpi appears the^ more remarkable on
account pf their vicinity to this Gothic
ftrudpre. ^
. Some tirne fipce,, a mountebank c^me to
Caffel ^ who, befides many pther wonder
ful feats, pretended that he could fwallpw
and digeft ftones. A Heffian officer walk
ing before the chateau with an Englifh
gentleman, who then happeped, to be at
Caffel, afked him, What he thought of
the fine new colonnade? — It is very fine in
deed, replied the ftranger; but if you wifh
it to be durable, you ought to take care
E 4 not

56 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
not to allow the mountebank to walk this
way before breakfaft.
Nothing in the country of Heffe is more
worthy the admiration of travellers, than
the Gothic temple and cafcade at Wafen-
ftein. There was originally at this place
an old building, which was ufed by the
Princes of this family as a kind of hunting-
houfe. It is fituated near the bottom of
a high mountain, and has been enlarged
and improved at different times. But the
prefent Landgrave's grandfather, who was
a Prince of equal tafte and magnificence,
formed, upon the face of the mountain
oppofite to this houfe, a feries of artificial
catarads, eafcades, and various kinds Of
water-works, in the pobleft ftyle that can
be ipiagined.
The principal eafcades are in the middle,
apd on each fide are ftairs of large black
ftones,

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 57
ftones of a flinty texture, brought from a
rock at a confiderable diftance. Each of
thefe ftairs confifts of eight hundred fkps,
leading from the bottom to the fummit of
the mountain ; . and when the works are
allowed to play, the water flowing over
them forms two continued chains of
fmaller caffcades. At convenient diftances,
1
as you afcend, are four platforms, with a
fpacious bafon in each ; alfo grottos and
caves ornamented with fhell-work, ftatues
of Naiads, and fea divinities — One grotto
in particular, called the Grotto of Neptune
and Atnphitrite, is happily imagined, and
well executed.
The Water rufhes from the fummit of
this mountain in various fhapes :— -Some
times in detached eafcades, fometimes in
large fheets like broad cryftalline mirrors ;
at one place, it is broken by a rock con-
Ijfting of huge ftones, artificially placed for
that

58 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
that purpofe. — There are alfo fountains ;
which ejed the water in columns of five
or fi« inches diameter tP a confiderable
height. All this muft have a very brilliant effed.
when viewed from the bottom. This
fight, however, 1 did not enjoy : for there
has- been a continued froft ever fince w.e^
have been at Caffel; and when I vifited
Wafepftein, the fields were covered with.
fnow, which did not prevent my going tp
the top, though it made the afcent by the
ftairs exceedingly difficult.
On the higheft part of the mountain, a
Gothic temple is built, and upon the top
of that an obeliflc, which is crowned by
a coloffal ftatiie of Hercules leaning on his
club, in the attitude of the Farnefe Her
cules. This figure is of copper, ^nd thirty
feet ip height. There is a ftaircaie within the

MANNERS. IN FRANCE, &c. 59
the club by which a man may afcend, and
have a view of the country from a window
at the top.
Wafenftein, upon the whole, is infinite
ly the nobleft work of the kind I ever faw.
1 have been affured, there is nothing equal
to it in Europe. It has not the air of ^
modern work, but rather conveys the idea
of Roman magnificence.
We think of leaving this within a few
days for Brunfwick. — I fhall not clofe my
letter- till we get to Gottingen, where we
may probably ftay a fhort time.
P.S. The Duke and I took our leave of
the Court and our friends yefterday, and ac
tually fet out from Caffel this morning; but
finding the roads entirely overflowed by the
extraordinary fwelling of the Fulda, we
were obliged to return, A great thaw for
2 fome

6o VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
fome days paft diffolving the fnow and ice,
has occafioned this fwelling, and rendered
the roads impaffable. ,
After taking leave we could not appear
again at court, but dined at ^ one of the
nieffes with the officers. — From this party I
am juft returned, and finding it uncertain
when we may get ^o Gottingen, I fend this
tP-night. Adieu.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &e. 6t

LETTER LVL
Brunfwick-.
A S foon as the roads were paffable, we
left Caffel, and arrived, not without
difficulty and fome rllk, at Munden, a
town fituated in a vale, where the Fulda,
being joined by another river, takes the
name of the Wefer.
This town feems to run fome danger
from inundations. The road, for a con
fiderable way before we entered it, and
the ftreets neareft the river, were ftill
overflowed when we paffed.
We went on the fame night to Got-
tingen, an exceedingly neat and well-
built town, fituated in a beautiful coun
try. The univerfity founded here by
George the Second h^s a confiderable re
putation.

'.rM V

62 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
putation. We made but a fhort ftay at
Gottingen, and arrived about a month fince
at Brunfwick.
The Duke of Hamilton had been expeded
here for fome time, and was received by
this court with every mark of attention
and regard. He was preffed to accept of
apartments within the palace, which he
thought proper to decline. We fleep
every night at private lodgings. ; but may
be faid to live at court, as we conftantly
dine, pafs the evening, and fup there,
except two days in every week that we
dine with the Hereditary Prince and Prin
cefs at their apartments.
The family of Brunfwick Wolfenbuttle
derives not greater luftre from its antiquity,
from having given empreffes to Germany,
and from having a younger branch on the
throne of Britain, than from fome living
charaders now belonging to it. The

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 63
The reigning Duke has that ftyle of
converfation, thofe manners and difpofi-
tions, which, in an inferior ftation of life,
would acquire him the charader of a fen-
fible, worthy gentleman.
The Duchefs is the favourite fifter of the
King of Pruffia. She is fond of ftudy, and
particularly addided to metaphyfical in
quiries, which, happily, have not fhaken,
but confirmed her belief in Chriftianity.
The military fame arid public charader
of Duke Ferdinand are known to all Eu
rope. — In private life, he is of a ceremo
nious politenefs, fplendid in his manner of
living, attentive even to the minutise of his
toilet, and fond of variety and magnifi
cence in drefs.
He has lived conftantly at his brother's
court fince the Duke of Hamilton came to
.'Brunfwick ; but he generally paffes the
fummer in the country. ^ The

64 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
The Hereditary Prince ferved under hi^
uncle during the laft war, and commanded
detached parties of the army with various
fuccefs. His adivity, courage^ «nd thirft
of glory, were always confpicuous ; but
his youthful ardour has been fince mel
lowed by time, ftudy, and refledion ; and
if he fhould again appear in the field aS
a general, it is imagined that he will be as
much diftinguiflied for prudence, policy,
and judgment, as he ever was for fpirit and
enterprize. He has at prefent the rank of
Lieutenant- General in the King of Pruffia's
fevice, and the command pf the garrifen
at Halberftadt.
I fay nothing of his Princefs : — Her
open cheerful charader is well known in
England, and her affedion for her native
country is in no degree diminiftied by ab-
fence. The Prince Leopold is a very amiable
young man* He feems much attached tOs
the

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 65
the Duke of Hamilton, with whom he lives
on an intimate and friendly footing.
His fifter, the Princefs Augufta, is greatly
beloved by every body, on account of her
obliging temper and excellent difpofition.
Thefe illuftrious perfons always dine and
fup together, except two days in the week,
as I have already faid. With them the
officers of the court, and the ftrangers who
are invited, make a company of about
twenty or thirty at table.
In the evening the affembly is more nu
merous. There is a large table for Vingt-
un, the Dutchefs preferring this game,
becaufe a great number of people may be
engaged in it together. The reigning
Duke and Prince Ferdinand always join
in. this game.
The Hereditary Princefs forms a Qua
drille party foi- herfelf: Her hufband never
Vol. II. F plays

66 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
plays at all. The whole is intended merely
for paftime, all kinds of gaming being dif-
.couraged. The Dutchefs in particular al
ways puts a very moderate ftake on her
cards. — A man muft have very bad luck
to lofe above twenty piftoles in an even
ing ; fo we are in no dangier from gaming
while at this court.
One wing of the palace is occupied by
the Hereditary Prince's family. He has
at prefent three fons and as many da-ugh-
ters, all of the fair complexion, which
diftinguifhes every branch of the Brunf
wick line.
A few days ago, I accompanied Prince
Leopold and the Duke of Hamilton on a
Vifit to Duke Ferdinand, who was then at
his houfe in the country, about fix miles
from this place. In that retreat he paffes
the greateft part of his time. He is fond
of gardening, and is now employed in lay ing

MANNERS IN FRANCE, Stc 67
ing out and dreffing the ground, in what
js called the Englifh tafte.
His Serene Highnefs conduded the Duke
round all his park, and fhewed- him his
plans and improvements. The greateft:
obftacle to the completely beautifying this
place, arifes from the furface of the coun
try being a dead flat, and incapable of
great variety.
The houfe is furrounded by a Foffe,
and contains a great number of apart
ments. The walls of every room are
hung with prints, from the roof to wjthin
two feet of the floor. Perhaps there is
not fo complete a colledion of framed ones
in any private houfe or palace in the
world. While Prince Ferdinand played at
Billiards with the Duke of Hamilton, I
coptinued with Prince Leopold examining
thefe prints, and could fcarcely recoiled a
good one that f did noi: find here.
F 2 . His

68 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
His Highnefs faid it was equally diffi
cult and expenfive to have a colledion of
good paintings, and nothing could be
more paltry than a bad ope : he had
therefore taken the refolution to adorn his
houfe with what he certainly could have
good of its kind; and, next to fine pidures,,
he thought fine prints the moft amufing
of all ornaments. But, added he, with
a fmile, every tolerable room is now per
fedly covered, and I have lately received
a reinforcement of prints from England,
which will oblige me to build new apart
ments to place them in, puifque je fuis
toujours accoutume a donner un pofte ho
norable aux Anglois.
The company had been invited to break
faft ; but the repaft was a very magnifi
cent dinner, ferved a little earlier than
ufual. There was only fix perfons at ta
ble ; but the number of attendants might
without difficulty have ferved a company of

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 69
of thirty. The Prince, who is always in
the utmoft degree polite, was on this oc
cafion remarkably affable and gay. He
called toafts after the Englifli cuftom, and
began himfelf by naming General Con
way ; he afterwards gave Sir H. Clinton,
and continued to toaft fome Britifh officer,
as often as it came to his turn.— You may
believe it afforded me fatisfadion to have
had an opportunity of obferving a litde
of the private life of a perfon who has
aded fo confpicuous a part on the theatre
of Europe.
As he has not returned to the Pruffian
fervice, and feems to enjoy rural amufe-
ments, and the converfation of a few friends,
it is thought he will not again take a part
in public affairs, but for the reft of his
life repofe, in this retreat, on the laurels
he gathered in fuch abundance during the
laft war. F3

7o VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LVIL
Brunfwick,
'T^HE town of Brunfwick is fituated in
¦*" a plain,' on the banks of the Ocker.
The houfes in general are old, but many
new buildings have been ereded of late,
and the city acquires frefh beauty every
day. Fortifications have been the caufe of
much calamity to many towns in Germany,
having ferved not to defend them, but
rather to attrad the vengeance of enemies.
For this reafon, Caffel, and fome other
towns, which were formerly fortified, are
now difraantled. But the fortifications at
Brunfwick were of great utility laft war,
and on one occafion they faved the town-
from being pillaged, and afforded Prince
Frederick,

MANNERS IN FRANCE, Sic. yi
Frederick, who is now in the Pruffian fer
vice, an opportunity of performing an ac->
tion, which, I imagine, gave him more
joy than twenty vidories. This hapr_
pened in the year 1761, foon after the
battle of Kirch Denkern, when Duke Fer
dinand proteded Hanover, not by condud4
ing his army into that country, and de
fending it diredly, as the enemy feemed to
exped, and probably wiflied ; but by diver-
fion, attacking with ftrong detachments,
commanded by the Hereditary Prince, their
magazines in Heffe, and thus drawing their
attention from Hanover to that quarter.
While the Duke lay encamped at Will-
hemfthall, watching the motions of Bro-
glio's army, the Marechal being greatly
fuperior in numbers, fent a body of 20,000
men, under Prince Xavier of Saxony, who
took poffeflion of Wolfenbuttle, and foon
after inverted Brunfwick, F 4 Prince

72 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
Prince Ferdinand, anxious to fave his
native city, ventured tP detach 5000 of his
army, fmall as it was, under his nephew,
Frederick, affifted by General Luckener,
with orders to harafs the enemy, and en
deavour to raife the fiege. The young
Prince, while on his march, fent a foldier
with a letter to the Governor, which was
wrapped round a bullet, and which the
foldier was to fwallow in cafe of his being
taken by the enemy. — He had the good
fortune to get fafe into the town. — The
letter apprifed the commander of the gar-:
rifon of the Prince's approach, and parti-
cularifed the night and hour when he ex
peded to be at a certain place near the
town, requiring him to favour his cUt
trance. In the middle of the night appointed,
the Prince fell fuddenly on the enemy's
cavalry, who, unfufpicious pf his apprpach, were

MANNERS IN' FR'ANCE, &c. 73
were encamped carelefly within a mile of
the town. They were immediately dif-
perfed, and fpread fuch an alarm among
the infantry, that they alfo retreated with
confiderable lofs.
Early in the morning,^ the young Prince
entered Brunfwick, amidft the acclama
tions of his fellow-citizens, whom he had
relieved from the horrors of a fiege. — The
Hereditary Prince having deftroyed the
French magazines in Heffe, had been re
called by his uscle, and ordered to attempt
the relief of Brunfwick. While he was
advancing with all poffible fpeed, and had
got within a few leagues of the town, he
received the news of the fiege being raifed.
On his arrival at his father's palace, he
found his brother Frederick at table, enter
taining the French officers, who had been
taken prifoners the preceding night. \ The

74 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
The academy of Brunfwick has been
new-mpdelled, and the plan pf educatipn
imprpved, by the attentipn, and under
the patrpnage, pf the Hereditary Prince-
Students npw refprt tP this academy frpm
many parts pf Germany; and there are
generally fpme ypung gentlemen frpm
Britain, whp are fent tp be educated here.

Such pf them as are Intended fpr a mili
tary life, will npt find fp many advantages,
united at any Pther place pn the cpn-
tinent, as at the academy bf Brunfwick.
They will here be under the protedion of
a family partial to the Britifh nation ; —
every branch of fcience is taught by maf-
ters of known abilities ; — the young ftu-
dents will fee garrifon- duty regularly per
formed, and may, by the intereft of the
Prince, obtain liberty to attend the re
views of the Pruffian troops at Magde-^^
burg and Berlin :— They will have few
tempfations

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &e. 75
temptations to expence, in a town where
they can fee no examples of extravagance
— have few opportunities of diffipation,
and none of grofs debauchery.
I paffed a day lately at Wolfenbuttle,
which is alfo a fortified city, the ancient
refidence of this family. — The public li
brary here is reckoned one of the moft
complete in Germany, and contains many
curious ipanufcripts. They fhowed us
fome letters of Luther, and other original
pieces in that reformer's own hand
writing. Having dined with Colonel Riedefel,
who commands a regiment of cavalry in
this town, I returned by Saltzdahlen. This
is the only palace I ever faw built almoft
entirely of wood. There are, neverthelefs,
fome very magnificent apartments in it,
and a great gallery of pidures, fome of
3 which

76 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
which are allowed by the connoiffeurs tp
be excellent. I will nPt invade the prp-
vince of thefe gentlemen, by prefuming
to give my opinion of the merits or de-
feds of the pidures, though I have often
heard thofe, who are as ignorant as myfelf,
decide upon the interefting fubjed of
painting, in the moft dogmatic manner.
The terms Contour, Attitude, Cafting of
Draperies, Charging, Coftume, Paffion,
Manner, Groupe, Out-line, Chiaro Scuro,
Harmony, and Repofe, flowed from their
tongues, with a volubility that com
manded the admiration of all thofe who
could not difcover, that in the liberal
ufe of thefe terms confifted all thofe gen,
tlemen's tafte and knowledge of the fine
arts. Confcious of my ignorance In the myf-
teries of connoiffeurfhip, I fay nothing of
the pidures, and prefume only to give my
opinion.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 77
opinion, that the gallery which contains
them is a very noble room, being two
hundred feet long, fifty broad, and forty
high. In this palace there is alfo a cabinet of
china porcelain, containing, as we were
told, feven or eight thoufand pieces ; — and
in another fmaller cabinet, we were Ihewn
a colledion of coarfe plates, valuable only
on account of their having been painted
after defigns of Raphael.
The country about Brunfwick is agree
able. 1 was particularly pleafed to fee
fome gentlemen's feats near this town ; a
fight very rare in Germany, where, if you
avoid towns and courts, yon may travel
over a great extent of country, without
. perceiving houfes for any order of men be
tween the Prince and the Peafant. I fpent

'jB VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
I fpent yefterday very agreeably, fourteen
miles from Brunfwick, at the houfe of
Mr. de Weftphalen. This gentleman at
tended Duke Ferdinand during the late
war in the charader of his private fe-
cretary j an office which he executed en
tirely to the fatisfadion of that Prince,
whofe friendfhip and confidence he ftill
retains. Mr. de Weftphalen has written the hiftory
of thofe memorable campaigns. In which
his patron had the command of the allied
army, and baffled all the efforts of France
In Weftphalia. Though this work has
been finifhed long fince, the publica
tion has hitherto been delayed for poli
tical reafons. It is to appear, however,
at fome future period, and is faid to be a
paafterly performance. Indeed, one would
naturally _ fuppofe this from the remark
able acutenefs and fagacity pf the authpr, whp

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. .79
who was prefent at the fcenes he defcribes,
and knew the fecret intentions of the Ge-
perali whofe affillance he has probably had
in finifhing the work.

- t -TT 'i f .

8o VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LVIII. EruofwickK
WE have had fome mafquerade balls
here of late. — The Court do not go
in proceffion to thefe as at Caffel.— Thofe
who chufe tP attend, gp feparately when
they fin^ it eonvenient.
There Is a gallery In the mafquerade-
rppm for the reigning family, where they
fometimes fit without mafks, and amufe
themfelves by looking at the dancers. But
in general they go mafked, and mix in
an eafy and familiar manner with the com
pany. I am not furprifed that the Germans,
efpecially thofe of high rank, are fond of
mafquerades, being fo much haraffed with
ceremony

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 8i
ceremony and form, and cramped by the
diftance which birth throws between people
who may have a mutual regard for each
other. I imagine they are glad to feize
every opportunity of affuming the mafk
and domino, that they may tafte the plea-
fures of familiar converfation and focial
mirth.' ¦ In company with the Duke pf
Hamilton,-I once had the honour of dining
at the houfe of a general officer. His
fifter did the honpurs of the table ; and on
the Duke's expreffing his furprife that he
never had feen her at court, he was told
flie could not poffibly appear there, becaufe
{he was not noble. This lady, however,
was vifitjsd at home by the Sovereign, and
every family of diftindion, all of whom
regretted, that the eftablifhed cuftom of
their country deprived the court of, a
perfon whofe charader they valued fo
highly. Vpl. it. G The

82 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
The General's rank in the army was a
fufficient paffport for him, but was pf np
fervice tP his fifter ; for this etiquette is
obferved very rigidly with refped to the
natives of Germany, though it Is greatly
relaxed to ftrangers* particularly the Eng
lifh, who they imagine have lefs regard for
birth and title than any other nation.
Public dlverfions pf every kind are npw
pver for fome time, and fhe Court is at
prefent very thin, — Duke Ferdinand refides
in the country. The Hereditary Prince
went a few days fince to' Haberftadt, where
he will remain at leaft a month, to pre
pare the garrifon, and his own regiment In
particular, for the grand reviews which are
foon to take place. Diligence in duty,
and application to the difcipllning of the
forces, are indifpenfable In this fervice.
Without tliefe, not all the King's partia
lity to this Prince, or his confanguinlty, could
3

MANNERS IN FRAtJCE, &c. 83
Could fecure to him his uncle's favour for
one day, perfonal talents and vigorpus eK-
fertion being the fple means pf acquiring
and retaining the favpur of this- fteady and
difcerning monarch.
"The Hereditary Princefs has left Brunf
wick, and is gone to Zell, and will remain
during the abfepce of her hufband with her
fifter the Queep of Denmark.
The young Prince, Leopold, has alfo
left the Court. He goes diredly to VIepna,
and it Is thought he Intends to offer big
fervices to the Emperor, If proper en
couragement be given, he will go entirely
into the Auftrian fervice. In this cafe, he
will probably, when a war happens, find
hlipfelf in oppofitioh to his two brothers ;
a ch-cumftance not much regarded In Ger
many, where brothers go into different fer
vices, with as little hefitation as into dif
ferent regiments with us.
G 3 The

84 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
The ftrideft friendfhip has always fub-
fifted between this young man and his
fifter, who has been cryipg almoft without
intermiffion fince he went away.
His mother bears this with more com-
pofure, yet her uneafinefs is eafily per
ceived. Independent of the abfence of her
fon, fhe is diftreffed at the idea of his go
ing into a fervice, where he may be
obliged to ad in oppofition to her brother,
for whom I find flie has the greateft affec
tion, as well as the higheft admiration.
I was not furprifed to hear her fpeak of
him as the greateft man alive ; but fhe ex
tends her eulogium to the qualities of his
heart, in which fhe is not joined by the
opinion of all the world. — She, however,
dwells particularly on this, calling him
the worthieft of men, the firmeft friend,
and the kindeft of brothers : — and as ffie
founds her opinion on her own experience alone,

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 85
alone, fhe has the greateft reafon to think
as fhe does; for, by every account, the
King has always behaved with high regard
and undeviating tendernefs to her.
The departure of Prince Leopold haS'
revived this Princefs's afflidion for the
untimely fate, of two of her fons. One died
in the Ruffian camp at the end of the cam
paign of 1 769, in which he had ferved with
great diflindion as a volunteer ; the other
was killed in a fkirniifh towards the end of
the laft war ; having received a fhot; in his
throat, [he died of the- woupd fifteep days
after, much regretted by the arniy, whp
had formed a high idea pf the rifing merit
pf this gallant youtli.
He wrote a letter to his mother in the
morning of the day on which he died. In
this letter he regrets, that he fhould be
ftopped fo foon in the courfe of honour, and
laments that he had not been killed in fome
G 3 memorable

86 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
memorable adion, which wpuld have fav
ed his name from oblivion, or In atchiev*
ing fomething worthy of the martial fpirit
of his family. He expreffes fatisfadion,.
however, that his memory would at leaft be
dear to fome friends, and that he was cer
tain of living in his mother's affedions^
while fhe fhould exift. He then declares
his gratitude to her for all her care and ten
dernefs, and concludes with thefe expref-
fippS, which I tranflate as near as I can re
member — I wifhed the Dutchefs tP repeat
them ; but it was with difficulty, and eyeiS
OverflpWing, that fhe prpnpunced them
pnce :— " My eye§ grpw dim — I can fee no
" longer — happy to have emplpyed their
*^' laft light in expreffing my duty to my
** mpther."

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 87

LETTER LIX. Hanover.
rnpHE Duke of Hamilton having deter-
mined to pay his refpeds to the
Queen of Denmark, before he left this
country, chofe to make his vifit while the
hereditary Princefs^was with her fifter.
I accompanied him to Zell, and next
¦day waited' on the Count and Countefs
Dean, to let them know of the Duke'is
arrival, and to be informed when .we could
have the honour of being prefented to the
Queen. They both belong to the Princefs
pf Brunfwick's family, and while I was at
breakfaft with them, her Rpyal Highnefs
entered the rOOm, and gave me ^he inform
ation I Waiited. G 4 Before

88 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
Before dinner, I returned with the Duke
to the caftle, where we remained till late
in the evening. There was a concert pf
mufic between dinner and fupper, and the
Queen feemed In better fpirlts than cpuld
have beep e.^peded.
Zell is a fmall tpwn, Withput trade "or
manufadUres ; the hpufes are old, and of
a mean appearance, yet the high courts of
appeal for all the territories of the Eledoral
Houfe of Brunfwick Lunenburg are held
here ; the inhabitants derive their principal
means of fubfiftence from this circum-
ilance. - ,t
This town was feverely haraffed by the
French army at the beginning of the late
war, and was afterwards pillaged, in re
venge for the fuppofed -infradlon of the
treaty pf Clofter Seven. The Duke de
. * ¦ -• -" .1
Richlieu had his head-quarters here, when
Duke Ferdinand re-affembled the troops who

MANNERSTN FRANCE,. &c. 8$
who had been difarmed and difperfed, Im-
^mediately after that convention.
The c^aftle Is a ftately building, fur-
rounded by a moat, and ftrongly fortified.
It was formerly the refidence of the Dukes
of Zell, and was repaired lately by order
of the King of Great Britain for the recep
tion pf his unfortunate. fifjer. The apart
ments^ are fpacious and convenient, and
now handfoniely furpifhed.
The officers of the Court, the Queen's
maids of honour, apd, other attendants,
have a very genteel appearance, and retain
the moft refpedful attachment to their ill-
fated miftrefs. The few days we remained
at Zell, were fpent entirely'at Court, where
every thing, feemed tp be arrjapged In the
ftile of. rhe other fmall German courts,
and nothing wanting to render the Queen's
fituation as comfortable as circumftances
would admit.. But by far her greateft con*
folation

^0 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
folation is the company and converfation
of her fifter. Some degree of fatisfadion
appears in her countenance while the- Prin
cefs remains at Zell ; but the moment fhe
goes away, the Queen, as we were in
formed, becomes a prey to dejedion and
defpondency. The Princefs exerts herfelf
to prevent this, and devotes to her fifter
all the time fhe can fpare from the duties
fhe owes to her own family. Unlike
thofe who take the' firft pretext of break^"
ing connedions which can no longer be
of advantage, this humane Princefs has
difplayed even more attachment to her
fifter fince her misfortunes, than fhe ever
did while the Q^een was in the meridian
of her prpfperity.
The yputh, the agreeable cpuntenance,
and pbliging manners of the Queen, have
conciliated the minds of every one in this
country. Though flie was in perfed
health, and appeared cheerful, yet, con
vinced

MAN-NER-S IN FRANCE, &c. 9.1
vinced that her gaiety was affumed, and
the effed of a ftrong effort, I felt an im-
preffion of melancholy, which It was not
In my power to overcome all the time we
remained at Zell.
From Zell we went tp Hanpver, and
on the evening of our arrival, bad th^e
pleafure of hearing Handel's Meffiah per
formed. Some of the beft dompany of this
place were affembled on the o6caifion, and;
we were here made acquainted with; old.
Field-Marfbal Sporken, and other people
of diftindion. Hanover is a neatj thriisr«
ing and agreeable city. It has more, the:
air of an Englifti tPwn than any other I
have feen in Germany, and the Englifh
manners and cuftoips gaip ground every
day ainbng the Inhabitapts. The gepial
influence of freedpm has extended from
England to this place. Tyranny is not
felt, and eafe and faitisfadlpn appear in the
cpuntenances pf the citizens. This

9t VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
This town is regularly fortified, and all
the works are in exceeding good order.
The troops are fober and regular, and per
form every effentlal part of duty well,'
though the difcipline is not fo rigid as in
fome other parts of Germany. Marflial
Sporken, who is the head of the army,
is a man of humanity ; and though the-
foldiers are feverely punifhed for real
crimes, by the fentence of a court martial,
lie does not permit his officers to order
them to be caned for trifles. Caprice is
too apt to blend itfelf with this method of
panifhing, and men of cruel difpofitlons
are prone to indulge this diabplical pro-
penfity, under the pretence of zeal for dif
cipline. The Hanoverian infantry are not fo tall
as fome of the other German troops, owing
to this, that nobody is forced into the
fervice, the foldiers are all volunteers;
whereas, in other parts of Germany, the
Prince

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 93
Prince picks the ftputeft and talleft pf -, the
peafants, and obliges them to become fol
diers. It is allowed, that in adion no
troops can behave better than the Hano
verians ; and it is certain, that defertlon
is not fo frequent among them as among
Pther German troops, which can only be
accounted for by their not being preffed
into the fervice, and their being more
gently ufed when in it. ,
It is not the mode here at prefent, to
lay fo much ftrefs on the tricks of the ex
ercife as formerly. The officers in gene
ral feem to defpife many minutix, which
are thought of the higheft Importance In
fome other fervices. It is incredible to
what a ridiculous length this matter is
pufhed by fome.
At a certain parade, where the Sove*
reign himfelf was prefent, and many of
ficers affembled, I once faw a corpulent general-

^4 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
general-officer ftart fuddenly, as if he had
feen fomething preternatural. He imme
diately waddled towards the ranks with
all the expedition of a terrified gander. ^
eould not conceive what had put his Ex
cellency into a commotion fo little fuki*
able to his years and habit of body. While
all the fpedator s were a- tiptoe to obfefve
the Iffue pf this phenpmenpn, he arrived
at the ranks, and in great wrath, whick
prpbably had been augmented by the heat
acquired in his cpurfe, he pulled off one
of the foldier's hats, which it feems had
not been prpperly cpcked, and adjufted
it to his mind. Having regulated the mi
litary difcipline in this impPrtant parti
cular, he returned to the Prince's right-
hand, with a ftrut expreffive of the higheft
felf-approbation. Two days after our arrival here, I walked
to Hernhaufen, along a magnificent ave
nue, as brpad, and abput dpuble the
length

MANNERS IN FRANCE, lie. 9J
length pf the mall at St. James's. The
hpufe Itfelf has npthing extraprdinary in
its appearance ; but the gardens are as
fine as gardeps planned in the Dutch tafte,
and formed pn grpund perfedly level, can
be. The prangery is reckpned equal to
any in Eurppe. Here Is a kind pf rural
theatre, where plays may be aded during
the fine weather. There Is a fpacipus
amphitheatre cut put In green feats for
the fpedatprs ; a ftage in the fame tafte,
with rows of trees for fide-fcenes, and a
great number of arbours and fummer-
rppms, furrounded by lofty hedges, for the
adprs tP retire and drefs in.
When the theatre is illuminated, which
Is always dpne when mafquerades are
given, it muft have a very fine effed.
The groves, arbours, and labyrinths, feem
admirably calculated for all the purpofes
of this amufement.

In

,96 VIEW'OF SOCIETY AND
In thefe gardens are feveral large refer-
volrs and fountains, and on one fide, a
.canal above a quarter of a mile in lengtli.
I have not feen the famous jet d'eau, as
the Water-works have not been played off
fince I came to Hanover. On the whole,
we pafs our time very agreeably here. We
have dined twice with Baron de Leiith,
who has the chief diredion of the affairs
of this eledorate, and at his houfe have
met with the principal inhabitants. I make
one pf Marfhal Spprken's party every night
'at Whift, and pafs mpft of my time in the
fpclety at his houfe.
The Duke of Hamilton having promifed
to meet fome company at Brunfwick by a
certain day, we fhall fet out for that place
to-morrow — but have engaged to pay an
other vifit to Hanover before we go to
Berlin.— My next therefore will be from
Brunfwick, or poffibly from this place after
our return.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, Stc, 97

LETTER LX. Hanover. .
TT 7 E remained a week at Brunfwick,
and returned to this town about ten
days ago. None of the family are there
at prefent, except the Duke and Duchefs,
and the young Princefs, their daughter.
The charader pf the Sovereign, at every
court, has great influence in forming the
tafte and manners of courtiers. This muft
operate with Increafed force in the little
courts of Germany, where the parties are
brought nearer to each other, arid fpend
the moft part of their time together. • The
pleafure which the Duchefs of Brunfwick
takes in ftudy, has made leading very
fafhionable among the ladies of that Court :
of this her Royal Highnefs gave me a cu-
VoL. II. H rious

98 VIEW OF SOCIETY ANf?
rious Inftance the laft time I had the ho
nour of feeing her.
A lady, whofe education had been ne
gleded in her youth, and who had arrived '
at a very ripe age without perceiving any
inconveniency from the accident, had ob
tained,' by the Intereft of fome of her rela
tions, a place at the Court of Brunfwick,
She had not been long there, till fhe per
ceived that the converfation in the Duchefs "s
apartments frequently turned on fnbjeds of
which fhe was entirely ignorant, and that
thofe ladies had moft of her Royal High
nefs 's ear, who were beft acquainted with
books. She regretted, for the firft time^
the negled of her own education ; and al
though _ fhe had hitherto confidered that
kind of knpwledge, which is derived from
reading, as unbecoming a woman of qtia-
lity, yet, as it was npw fafhionable at Courts
flie refolved to ftudy hard, that ffie might get
to the top of the mode as faft'as poffible.
2 She

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. '99
She mentioned this refolution to the
Duchefs, defiring, at the fame time^
that her Highnefs would lend her a book
to begin. The Duchefs applauded her
defign, and promifed to fend her one of
the ufefulleft books In her library— it w,aa
a French and German didionary. Some
days after, her Highnefs enquired how ffie
reliffied the book. Infinitely, replied this
ftudious lady. — It is the moft delightful
bobk 1 ever faw. — The fentences are all
ffiort, and eafily underftood, and the let
ters charmingly arranged in rapks, like
foldier^ on the parade ; whereas, in fome
other books which I have feeh, they ard
iningled tdgether In a confufed manner,
like a mere mob, fo that it is no pleafure
to look at therp, and very difficult to know
what they mean. But I am Po longer fur
prifed, added ffie, at the fatisfadion your
Royal Highnefs takes In ftudy.
H 2 Since

100 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
Since our return to Hanover, we have
dined twice at the Palace. There Is d
houfehold eftabliffied with officers and fer
vants, and the guard is regularly mounted,'
as at the time when the Eledors refided
here conftantly. The liveries of the pages
and fervants are the fame with thofe worn
by the King's domeftic fervants at St,
James's, Strangers of diftindion are enter
tained at the Palace in a very magnificent
manner. The firft of the entertainments I
faw was given to the Duke of Hamilton,
and the other to young Prince George of
Heffe Darmftadt, who arrived here a few
days fince, with Prince Erneft and Prince
Charles of Mecklenburg, brothers to the
Queen of Great Britain, both of whom are
in the. Hanoverian fervice.
Moft of my time is fpent, as formerlyj
at Marffial Spor ken's. The converfation of
a man of fenfe, who has been fifty years in
the

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. lor
the fervice, and in high rank during a con
fiderable part of that time, which led him
into an intimacy with fome of the moft ce
lebrated charaders of the age, you may be
fure is highly interefting. It affords me
fatisfadion to be informed from fuch au
thority, of many tranfadions in the laft
war, the common accounts of which are
often different, and fometimes contradic
tory. The Marffial's obfervations are fen-
fible and candid, and his manner of con
verfing unreferved. He ferved with the
late Marffial Daiin in the allied army, op-
pofed to Marffial Saxe, in the war 1741,
and has many curious anecdotes illuftrating
tjie charaders of fome of the commanders
who conduded the armies during that
memorable period. He has a very high
opinion of Duke Ferdinand's military cha
rader, and declares, that of all the Generals
he ever ferved under, that Prince feemed
to him to have the beft talents for con-
duding an army. He fays, that as Pripce
H 3 Ferdinand

1.02 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
Ferdinand had feldom held councils of war,
or communicated to the Generals of his
army, any more of his plans than they
were to execute) it was difficult for them
to form a juft opinion of his capacity,
while they remained with the army imme
diately under hjs command ; but that he
(Marffial Sporken) had fometimes com
manded a detached army, which obliged
the Prince to be more communicative, and
afforded the Marffial the ftrongeft proofs of
the depth of his judgment. Above all
things, he admired the perfpicuity of his
written inftrudions.  Thefe, he faid,
were always accompanied with the moft-
accurate apd minute defcription of the
country through which he Vv^as to march,
every village, rivulet, hollow, wood, or
hill on the route, being diftindly particu-'
larifed, and the moft judicious conjedureS'
concerning the enemy's defigns added, with
diredions how to ad in various probable
emergencies. Upon

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 103
Upon the whole, Marffial Sporken feem
ed convinced that great part of the fuccefs
of the allies, during the late war in Weft
phalia, was owing to the forefight, pru
dence, and fagacity of their General. One
memorable event, however, which has
been cited as the moft ftriking proof of all
thefe, he imagined was not fo much owing
to any of them, as to the perfonal valour
of a few regiments, and the good condud
of fome inferior officers. The Marfhal
added, that his praifes of Duke Ferdinand's
military abilities did not proceed from pri
vate attachment, for he could claim no
ffiare in his friendffiip ; on the contrary, a
mifunderftanding had' happened between
them, on account of an incident at the
fiege of Caffel, the particulars of which he
recapitulated, and this mifunderftanding
was of a nature never to be made up.
The liberal, candid fentiments of this
veperable man carry convidion, and com-'
H 4 ^ mand

IP4 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
mand efteem. He is refpeded by people
of all ranks, and liftened to like an oracle,
la the fociety generally to be found at the
Marffial's, there are fome nearly of his
pwn age, who formed the private parties
of George the Second, as often as he came
to vifit his native country. The memory;
of that monarch is greatly venerated here.
I have heard his contemporaries of this fo
ciety relate a thoufand little anecdotes con
cerning him, v/hich at once evinced the
good difpofition of the King, and their
own gratitude. From thefe accounts it ap
peared, that he was naturally of a very fo-
ciable temper, and entirely laid afide, whep
at Hanover, the ftate and referve which he
retained in England, living In that familiar
and confidential manner which Princes, as
well as peafants, will affume ip the com
pany of thofe they Ipve, and who love them,
Not only the perfonal friends of that
monarch fpeal? pf him with regard ; the
fani§

MANNERS IN FRANCE, '&c. IC5
fame fentiments prevail ampng all ranks
of people in the Eledorate. Nothing does
more honour to his charader, or can be a
lefs equivocal proof of his equity, than his
having governed thefe fubjeds, over whom
he had an unlimited power, with as much
juftice and moderatiPn as thofe whofe
rights are guarded by law, and a jealous
conftitution. The two vifits I have made to Hanover,
have copfirmed the favourable impreffion
1 had before received of the German cha
rader. One pf the moft difagreeable cir
cumftances which attend travelling is, the
being obliged to leave acquaintances after
ypu have difcpvered their worth, and ac
quired fome degree of their friendffiip. As
the feafon for the Pruffian reviews now
appro?iches, we have already taken leave
of our friends, and are to fet out to
morrow morning on our return to Brunf
wick, that aftgf remainipg a few days
^ there.

jo6 VIEW ©F SOCIETY AND
there, we may ftill get to Potfdam in pro**
per time,
I ffiall not leave behind me every valu
able acquaintance I have acquired fince I
came to Hanover. — We met, on bur laft
arrival here, with Mr. Fortefcue, fon of
Lord Fortefcue. He has been of our parties
ever fince, and will accompany us to
Brunfwick and Potfdam.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 107

LETTER LXL Potfdam.
/^N returning to Brunfwick, we found
^^ the Hereditary Princefs had come
from Zell a few days before, having left
the Queen of Denmark In perfed health.
The Princefs refided with her children at
Antonettenruche, a villa a few miles fromi-
Brunfwick. She invited the Duke of Ha
milton, Mr. Fortefcue, and me to dine with
her the day before we were to fet out for
Potfdam. That .morning 1 chanced to
take a very early walk in the gardens of
the palace. — The Duke of Brunfwick was
there.— rHe informed me, that an exprefs
had arrived with news of the Queen of
Denmark's death. — TJhey had received ac
counts a few days before that ffie had been
feized with a putrid fever, — He faid that no-

io9 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
nobody in the town or court knew of this,
except his own family, and defired that I
would not mention it to the Princefs,
who, he knew, would be greatly affeded ;
for he iPtended to fend a perfon, after her
company ffiould be gone, who would In
form her of this event, with all its circum?
fiances. When we went, we found the Princefs
in fome anxiety about her fifter ; — yet
rather elated with the accounts ffie had re
ceived that day by the poft. She ffiowed
us her letters. — They contained a general
defcription of the fymptoms, and convey
ed fome hopes of the Queen'§ recovery.
Unable to bear the Idea of her fifter's death,
ffie wrefted every expreffion into the moft
favourable fenfe, and the company met her
wiffies, by confirming the interpretation
ffie gave. To me, who knew the truth,
this fcene was affeding and painful. As

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 16^
' As we returned to Brunfwick in the
evening, we met the gentleman who was
commiffioned by the Duke to impart the
news of the Queen's death to her fifter.—
We fupped the fame night at court, and
took leave of this illuftrious family. — The
Duchefs gave me a letter to her fon, Prince
Frederick, at Berlin, which ffie faid would
fecure- me a good reception at that ca
pital. I
On coming to the inn, we found a very
numerous company, and the whole houfe
refounded with mufic and dancing. It
is cuftomary all over Germany, after a
marriage of citizens, to give the wedding-
feaft at an inn. As there was no great
chance of our being much refreffied by fleep
that night, inftead of going to bed, we or
dered poft-horfes, and left Brunfwick about
three in the morning. We

>io VIEW OF SOCIETY ANE)
We arrived the fame afternoon at Mag-s
deburg. The country all the way is per
fedly level. The Duchy of Magdebp^g
produces fine cattle, and a confider^bk'
quantity of corn, t,hofe parts which are not
marffiy, and over-grown with Wood, being
very fertile. I have feen few or no in-
clpfures in this, or any part of Germany^
except fUch as furround the gardens or
parks of Prlncesii
The King of Pruffia has a feat In the
diet of the empire, as Duke pf Magde
burg. The capital, which bears the fame
tiame with the dubby, is a very confidera
ble town. Well built and ftrongly forti
fied. There are maUufadories here of cot
ton and linen goods, of ftockingSj gloves
and tobacco ; but the principal are thofe of
woollen and filk.
The German woollen cloths are. In ge
neral, much inferior to the Engliffi and
French,

MANNERS IN FRA'NCE, &c. nt
French. The Pruffian officers, however,
affert, that the dark blue cjoth made here,
and in other parts of the King of Pruffia's
dominions, though coarfer, wears better,
and has a more decent appearance when
long worn, than the fineft cloth manufac
tured in England or France. — Thus much
is certain, that the Pruffian blue is pre
ferable to any other cloth made in Ger
many. — The town of Magdeburg is happi
ly fituated for trade, having an eafy com
munication with Hamburg by the Elbe,
and lying on the road between Upper and
Lower Germany. It Is alfo the ftrongeft
place belonging to his Pruffian Majefty,
and where his principal magazines and
founderies are eftabliffied. In time of war,
it is the repofitory of whatever he finds ne
ceffary to place out of the reach pf fudden
infult. Places vehere any extraprdinary event
has happened, even though they ffipuld have

ill View of SociEtY ANtf
have npthing elfe to diftinguiffi them, id*
tereft me more than the moft flouriffiing
country, or fineft town which, has never
been the fcene of any thing memorabki
Fancy, awakened by the view of the
former, inftantly gives ffiape and features
to men we have never feen; — We hear
them fpeak, and fee them ad ; the paffions
are excited, the mind amufed ; the houfes*
the rivers, the fields around fupplying the
abfence of the poet and hiftorian, and re-
ftoring with new energy the whole fcene
to the mind.
While croffing the Elbe at this tpwn
with the Duke of Hamilton, I recalled to
his memory the dreadful tragedy which
was aded here by the Auftrian General
Tiflyiwho, having taken this town by
ftorm, delivered up the citizens, without
diftindion of age or fex, to the barbarity
and luft of his foldiers. Befides the gene
ral niaffacre, they exhibited fuch ads of
wantpn

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. ifj
Wantpn ctuelty, as difgrace human' njftdrd.
.We viewed, with a lively fympathy, that
part of the river where three dr fpiir huri^
dred of the inhabitants got oVer and made
their efcape : — all that were faved ouit of
twenty thoufand citizens !
This fad catalirOphe fupplled usi \S^Ith
converfation for great part of this day's
journey. It is urineceftary to comment ori
an event of this tind to a perfon of the
Duke's fenfibility. — Proper refledions arife
fpontaneoufly in a well- formed mind fronri
the fimple narrative.
The country is well cultivated, and fer
tile for about two leagues beyond Magde
burg ; afterwairds it becomes more barrerii
and within a few leagues of Brandenburg,
it is, as naked and fandy as the deferts of
Arabia. Brandenbilrg, fi^orh which tlie v^liold
Eledorate takes its name, is but a firiall
Vol. IL I town,

rr4 VIEVV OF SOCIETY AND
town, divided into Old and New^-by a
river, which feparateS the fort from both.
The principal trade is carried on bf fome
French woollen manufadurers, whom the
King has encouraged lo refide at this town.
The whole number of inhabitants does not
amount to pipre than 1500.
On entering the Pruffian garrifon towns,
you are ftopped at the gate; the officer of
the guard afks your name, whence you
come, whither you are going ? and takes
your anfwers down in writing. This is
done in the French garrifons alfo, but
not with the fame degree of form and ac
curacy. When the title of Duke is given, the
gttard generally turns out under arms. As
for Milord, It is a tide treated with very
little ceremony, either In France or Ger
many. It Is oftep affumed In foreign
countries by thofe who have no right to It,
8 and

, MAf^NERS IN FRANCE, a?c. ti5
and given to every Engliffiman pf a decent
appearance. But Duke, in Germany, im
plies a Sovereign, and is more refpedable
than Prince. Every fon. of a Duke in this
country, is called Prince, although he had
as many as old King Priam,
We arrived laft night at Pptfdapi, which
important piece of news, you will pleafe to
obferve, I have taken the earlieft opportu
nity of comraunicating.

I 2

-JO .'i't^'ffC

n& VIEW OF SOCIETY AJfO

LETTER LXIL

Pdtfdam.

^T^HE day after our arrival here, I wait
ed on the Count Finkenftein, and de-
fired to know when the Duke of Hamilton
and I could have the honour of being pre-
fepted to the King, requefting, at the fame
time, the liberty of attending at. the re
views. I was not a little furprifed when,,
this minifter told me, that I muft, write a
letter. to his Majefty, informing him of
that requcft, and that I ffiould certainly re
ceive an anfwer the day following. It ap
peared very fingular to write to fo great a
Prince upon an affair of fuch fmall impor-
ance; but the Count told me this, was the
eftabliffied rule. Sp I immediately did as
I was defired. Next

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. H7
Next morning one of the court- fervants
called for me at the inn, and delivered a
fealed letter addreffed to me, and fign-
ed by the King, importing, that as the
court would foon be at Berlin, the minif
ter in waiting there would let the Duke
of Hamlltpn and Mr, Mpore know when
they might be prefented, and that they
were very wekpme tp attend at all the
reviews, • In the evening we were prefented tP the
Prince and Princefs of Pruffia, who refide
almpft conftantly at Potfdam. He is a tall,
ftput-made, handfome map, of abput
thirty- five years pf age, The Princefs Is
of the family of Heffe-Darmftadt, and has
a great refemblance to her aunt, whom
we had feen at Garlfruche. We have had
the honpur of fupping with them twice
during the few days we have been at
Pptfdam. 1 3 The

t)g VIEW Of SOCIETY AND
. The Pritffce and all the officers have beep
employed every morning in preparing for
the "'reviews, Yefterday, for the fecoP^
time, there were feven thoufand men re
viewed by the I'v'n'g' The Prince pf Prufr
fia's fon, a child of fix or feven years old,
was prefent op foot with his tUtPr, and
unattended by any officer or fervant. They
iniftgled without any mark of diftitidioili
among the other fppdators. I mentioned
my furprife at this to the tptor. In France,
fea'd he, it would be otherwife: the Dau
phin, at the age of this child, would be
parriied tp the review in a coach, with ^
troop of mufqueteers tp attend hiin; but
here, the King and Prince are equally de-
fixoii^ that !their fucceffor ftiould be brought
up in iL hardy manner, and without any
flrpng impreffion pf his own Importance,
Sentiments of that kind wiU copie foon
enough, in fpite of ail the pain's that can
he takep tp exclude them, The

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 119,
The tropps were drawn up In pne line
along the fummits. ,of fome hills. From
this fituation they defcended over very
unequal and rough ground, firing in grand
divifions all the way, tiH they came to the
plain, where they went through various-
evolutions. But as we were to' fet out in a
little time for Berlin, where the grand re
views of that garrifon are to take place, I
{hall f^y no more op the fpbjqd of revie^P''^
till then.
Our mornings, fince we came hither,
have always been paffed with the troops
jn the field. The forenoons we have fpent
in looking at every thing curious in the
town. .The houfes are built of a fine
white freeftoiig, almoft all of them new,
and nearly of the fame height. The
ftreets are regular and well paved, apd
there are fome very magnificent public
buildings; fo that Potfdam has every re
quifite to form an agreeable town, if by
I 4 that

I2p VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
that wprd Is meant the ftreets, ftpne-wallj^
^nd exterpal appearapce. But If a pipre
complex idea be ann,e?ced tp the wprd, an4
if it be thought , to pon^prehend the finiffii.
ing, furniture, and ponveniencies within the
l^opfes, in that c^fe |?ptfdan? is a yery poo^
tpwn indeed,
The King having expreffed a great ip-
plination to fee this' town'increafe, feveral
monled people built houfes,, partly to pay
their couf j to his Majefty, and partly be-
capfe, by letting thep?, they found they
would ^-eceive very gppd intereft fpr theif
jppiiey. But as the tPwn did npt augment
fo qMickly as he wifljqd, his Majefty or
dered (eyeral ^regts to be built at once, at
]ii5 own expence. This impiediately funk
thp value of houfes, and the firft builders
foupd they had difpofed of their money
•very injudicioufly. Towns

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. iii
J l^wn& generally are fortned by d%rees, •
|ts''fhe inhabitants increafe in numbers ; and
'joules are built larger and more corhmodi-
jOhs as they increafe in riches ; fofnlen's
ideas df conveniency ¦ enlarge with their
Wealth. But here the matter is reverfed ;
the houfes are reared In the firft place, in
hopes that their fair outfides, like the
pymphs of Circe, will allure traveller s^^ "and
attrad inhabitants. Hitherto their power
pf attradion has not been ftrong ; for -few
towps are wpffe inhabited than Pptfdam,
though the houfes are let to merchafntS' and
grades-people at very fmall rents. ' ,
I vvas not a little furprifed, while I walk
ed through the town, to fee buff-helts,
breeches and waiftcoats, hanging to dry
from the genteeleft lookipg houfes, till I
was informed, that each houfekeeper has
two or pipre ' foldiers quartered in his
houfe, and their apartments are, for the
pioft part, on the firft floor, with windows
to the ftreet ; which I am told is alfo the
cafe

122 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
cafe at Berlin. The King choofes that
his foldiers ffiould be quartered with the
citizens, rather than ip barracks. This
ought to be a fufficient anfwer to thof^,
military gentlemen, who infift on building
barracks for the foldiers in Britain, upop
the fuppofition, that our army cannot be
Wtll diciplined without them. For it
tonld fcarcely be expeded, or wiffied, tha>t
the Britiffi army were under more rigid dif-
pipline than the Pruffian*
I imagine the Prufllan foldiers are quar
tered in private houfes rather than barracks,
from confideratipns diametrically oppofite
to thofe which prPdpce the fame effed in
England.-^The Britiffi parliament have al
ways ffiown an averfipp to logding tlie mi
litary in barracks, apd have prefered quar
tering them in the citizens' houfes, that a
cpnnedion and good-will may be cultivat
ed between the foldiers and their fellolv»
citi^eps ; apd that the former may pot con- fider

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 123
der themfelves as a diftind body of men,
with a feparate intereft from the reft of the
community, and whofe duty It is implicitly
to obey the will of the crowp at all times,
and upon all occafions.
. Whereas here It may not be thought
expedient, to lodge great bodies of armed
men together in barracks, left they ffipuld,
during the night, form combinations de-
ftrudive of difcipline, and dangerous to:
government. This cannot happen In the
day-time, becaufe then the officers are pre-'
fent, and the foldiers are not allowed even
to fpeak to each other when under arms ;
and while off duty, their time is wholly
fillled up in cleaning their arms, accoutre-
pients, and clothes, and preparing for the
next guard. — I imagine thefe may be part,
at leaft, of the reafons which induce the
King of Pruffia to prefer quartering his
pien in private houfes; for in all other re-
fpedg, lodging them together in barracks would

124 VIEW OF SOCTETY AND
would be mpre cpnvenient, and more agrce«»
able to the genius of his government.
The palace at Potfdam, or what they
call the caftle. Is a very noble building,
with magnificent gardens adjacent, I ffiall
not trouble you with a defcription of either,
only it ftruck me as a thing rather uncom
mon In a palace, to find the ftudy by far
the fineft apartment in it. The ornaments^
pf this are of maffy filver. The writlng-
defk, the embelUfhments of the table, and
the accommodatiops for the bpofcs, were all
in fine tafte.
The perfon who attended, us, afked If
we had any defire to fee his Majefty's
wardrpbe ? — On being anfwered in the af-'
firmative, he cpnduded ps to the chamber
where the monarch's clothes ^re depofited;
it had a very djfferept appearance from his
library. The whole wardrobe confifted
qf two bli^e coats, fficed with red, the Hp- ing

MANNERS IN FRANCE, kc i±s
Ihg of one a little torn ; — two yellow waift
coats, a good deal foiled with Spaniffi
fnuff; — three pair of yellow breeches, and
a fuit of blew velvet, embroidered with
filver, for grand occafions.
I Imagined at firft, that the man had
got a few of the King's old clothes, and
kept them here to amufe ftrangers ; but,
upon enquiry, I was affured, that what I
have mentioned, with two fuits of uniform
which he has at Sans-SpucI, fprm the
entire wardrobe pf the King of Pruffia.
Our attendant faid, he had never known it
more complete. As for the velvet fuit, it
was about ten years of age, and ftill enjoyed .
all the vigour of youth. Indeed, if the
moths fpared it as much as his Majefty has
done, it may laft the age of Methufalem.—
In the fame room, are fome ftandards be
longing to the cavalry. Inftead . of the
ttfual fquare flag, two or three of thefe
a have

126 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
have the figures of eagles in carved filver
fixed on a pole.
In the bed-chamber where the late King
died, at the lower part of the window
which looks into the garden, four panes
have been removed, and a piece of glafs^
equal in fize to all the four, fuppUes their
place. We were informed that bis late
Majefty's fupreme delight through life had
been to fee his troops exercife, and that he
had retained this paffion till his laft breath*
When he was confined to his room by his
laft illnefs, he ufed to fit and view them
through the window, which had been
framed in this manner, that he might en
joy thefe dying contemplations with the
greater conveniency. Becoming gradually
weaker, by the increafing diftemper, he
could not fit, but was obliged to lie on a
couch through the day. When at any
time he was uncommonly languid, they
raifisd

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 127
raifed his head to the window, and a fight
of the men under arms was perceived to
operate like a cordial, and revive his fpi-
. rits. — By frequent repetition, however,
even this cordial loft Its effed. — His eyes
became dim — when his head was raifed, he
could no longer perceive the foldiers, and
he expired.
This was feeling the ruling paffion as
Urong in death as any man ever felt it.

128 VIEW OF SOCIETY ANlli

.-.I} 'I ,

¦""'f'j-r')
L E T T E R LXIIL

Potfdairii :
T Have been twice or thrice: at Sans*
Souci, which is at a fmall diftance froni
Potfdam. The King lives conftantly at
the Old Palace, except when fome people
of very great diftindion come to refide witfe
htm for fome days. He then receives them
at the New Palace, and remain* there him
felf during their ftay.
The gallery contains a. great cdiiediori
of paintings, fome of them originals^ high
ly efteemed.— *The moft valuable are of th^
Flemiffi fchool.— Some people who pafs
for connoiffeurs, and for aught I knoW
toay be what they pretend, affert, that the;
King has not a juft tafte In painting, which
appears by his purchafing a great many very

MANNERS iK FRANCE, kc. li^
Very indifferent pidures. Whatever may
be in that, it is certain that hia Majefty
does not give the leaft importance to thiS
opinion of thefe connoiffeurs ; but buys,
admires, and aVoWs his admiration of fuch
pieces as appear excellent in his own eyes,
without regarding what they or Others
may think. It has no weight with him*
that the piece is faid to be by Raphael*
Guido, or Corregio. If he fee no beauty
in it, he fays fo, and without ceremony
prefers the work of a modern or obfcuf^
painter. Thts is cbtifidered by inany critics In
painting as bUfphemy, and ffiocks theni
more than any other fpecies of ittipiety. A
painter and great connoiffeur, whom the
Sing had difgufted, by rejeding fome
pidures of his recommending, and by pur*
chafing others which he had condemn
ed, faid (fpeaking of the King), The man
imagines, becaufe he can pla.y on the Ger-
VoL. II. K man

I30 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
man flute, and has been praifed "by a par-*-
cel of poets arid philofophers, and has
gained ten or a dozen battles, that there
fore he underftands painting ; but fighting
hattles is one thing, and a true knowledge
of painting Is another, and that he will
find to his coft.
A few years after the fate war, the King
of Prufiia began to build the new palace
of Sans-Souci, which is now completely
finiffied, afld is' certainly a very noble
and fplendid work. The offices are at a
tonfiderable diftance, and are joined to the
body of the palace by a double colonnade,
which has a very grand effed. The front
of the palace feems rather crowded, by the
great number of ftatues which are intended
to ornament it. Thefe are generally in
groups, reprefenting fome ftory from Ovid.
This building has a cupola, terminated by
a large crown, fupported by the three
Graces. The Duke of Hamilton obferved^ ,-, that

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &5. tSt
that three Pruffian grenadiers would have
been more fuitfible. On the ground-floor,
in the middle, there is a large hall, whofe
fl^oor, fides, and roof, are all of marble;
It is called the grotto, and the ornaments
correfpond with that name. This room
can be agreeable only when the weatner is
exceffively hot; In Italy it would be de
lightful. The roof of this hall is loW, and
vaulted, and fupports another room in all
refpeds of the farne dimenfions^ only
higher. This fecond room iS alfo lined
with beautiful marble. The other apart
ments are adorned with rich furniture and
paintings, all very ffiowy; Many people
think therh gaudy.— It muft be owned,
that the gilding is laid on with a very
laviffi hand*
Oppofite to the old palaee of Sans-Souci,
and immediately without the gardens.
Lord Marechal has built a houfe, where
he conftantly refides. You are well ac-
K 2 qualnted

132 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
quainted with the amiable charader of this
nobleman. We waited on him foon after
our arrival, and have dined with him fe
veral times fince. On the front af his
houfe is this infcription r
FREDERICUS II. NOBIS H^C OTIA FECIT.
Adjoining to this houfe is a fmall garden,
with a door which communicates with the
King's garden of Sans-Souci,, fo that his
Lprdffiip has the full enjpyment pf thefe
gardens. The King has alfo a key tP my
Lprd's little garden, and frequently walks
by thus paffage to vifit him.
We fet put fpr Berlin tp-mprrow* Adieii.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 133,

LETTER LXIV.
Berlin.
"f X /"E arrived here in the height of the
preparation for the reviews. No
thing was to be feen in the ftreets but fol
diers parading, and officers hurrying back
wards and forwards. The town looked
more like the cantonment of a great army,
than the capital of a kingdom In the time
of profound peace. The Court itfelf re-
fembled the levee of a General in the field
— except the foreign minifters, and a few
ftrangers, every man there (for there were
no women) was dreffed In a military uni
form. Mr, Harris, the Britiffi minifter, attend
ed the Duke of Hamilton the day we were
prefented to the King. A fon of Prince
K 3 Kaunitz's,

134 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
Kaunitz's, and fome other ftrangers, were
prefented at the fame time. The Count
Reufe, chapiberlain of the Cpurt, named
each perfpn to his Majefty as he approachr
ed; He converfed a confiderable time with
the Duke, and fpoke a few words to
^very perfon who was prefented. — His
countepance and manner are exceedingly
animated.— He feemed that day Ip very
high fpirlts, apd fpoke tp all his pfficers ip
^n eafy ftyle, and with a kind pf gay aff4-
]>ility. Op their part, they appear befor?
their piaftpr wi^h ap ered military bold-
pefs^ free from th^t cringing addrefs which
prevails ip mapy Courts, h^t ^ould nqj
fucceed here.
The King xis^as thrqe days at Bprlin be
fore the reviews began, and paffed fom^
Jiours every mprning in the park, wherq
there were four or five thoufand men or
dered daily, not to be exercifed, but fim-
ply that the Kin^ might examine the ftate

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 135
of each corps in particular : and it is incre
dible with what accuracy and minute at
tention he did examine them, the Colonel
of the regiment under fcrutiny walking
along with him, to anfwer any queftion,
and hear his diredions and remarks. By
this exadnefs, he not only knows the con
dition of the army in general, but the ap
pearance, degree of difcipline, and ftrength
of each regiment.
The whole number reviewed was about
thirty-fix or thirty-eight thoufand, confift
ing of the garrifon of Berlin, and troops
from fome of the adjacent towns and vil
lages. This army was in the field three
mornings fucceffively, and the operations
were different each day. I ffiall endeavour
to give you an idea of the plan of the laft
day's reviewj which Is frefheft in my m?-
pory. K 4 At

J36 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
At break of day, about eight thoufand
itien marched out of Berlin, under the
command of a general officer, and took
poffeffion of a village, fituated on a rifing
ground, at the diftance of two or three
miles. - About an hour after, the King
himfelf joined the army, which was af
fembled without the gates. He divided it
into three columns. Two general pfficers
tppk the command of two of them ; he
himfelf led the third. The whole marched
by three different routes towards the vil
lage, where the former detachment had
now -taken poft. In the attack and de
fence of this village the review confifted.
As the army advanced, they were can
nonaded from the village, but could not
be fuppofed to fuffer much, becaufe th^
leader of each column advanced with cau
tion, taking fuch circuits as expofed the
tpen very little.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 137
At length the three columns met on a
large plain near the village, but proteded
from the batteries by a rifing of the
ground. Here the King formed the army
into two lines. While this was doing,
they were perfedly fecure ; but they could
not advance towards the village otherwife
than by going over the fwell in the ground,
and being expofed to all the cannon of the
enemy. This was to be performed, there
fore, with as much expedition as could be
confiftent with good order. The right
wing of the army made the attack. As
foon as the fignal was given, all the drums
and fifes ftruck up at once. The foldiers
advanced with a rapid pace. A numerous
train of large field-pieces, placed at proper
intervals, advanced with equal velocity,
and kept in a line with the front rank,
The rapidity with which they were charged
and difcharged, as they advanced, was quite
aftonlffiing. When the line came within
g proper diftance of the village, the foU
diers

138 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
diers began to ufe their firelocks. In th?
ipean tin>e there was a furious cannonade,
and difcharge of fmall ffiot from the vil
lage. The King was between the advanc
ing line and the village during the attack.
When they had got very near the hedges,
a new battery opened from the village.
The King gave a fignal, and the firft line
, broke, fell into an artificial confufion, and
gave back towards ,the fecond line, which
opened at feveral places, and clofed again
the moment the i-ctreating line had pierced
through. The fecond line then moved to
the attack, as the former had done. This
alfo feemed to be repulfed— a retreat was
founded, and the whole wing began to
retire. A body of cavalry then appeared
from the village, and were advancing to
charge the retreating army, but were them
felves charged, and driven back, by the
cavalry of the right wing. ¦¦¦ ^
$ A body

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 13^
A body of huffars purfiied alfo frotn the
village, and haraffed the retreating army,
Thefe were fometimes repulfed by the fol
diers, who turned and fired on them, and
fometimes by detached parties of cavalry,
yi^hlch drpve thein away.
Thefe varipps operatipns lafled frpiji
five in the mprning till nppn, when the
trppps returned to Berlin. — It Is hardly
poffible for any wofds of mine to convey
^n adequate Idea of the perfed manner
in which thefe evolutions were executed.
The charges madp by tbe cs^yalry were
praifed by the King himfelf. I had never
fepn fo great ^ body together, and had no
idea that it was poffible to charge at fulj
gallop, and keep the ranl^s and diftances
fo exadly as they ^id.
]Upon the pripciple, that yelocjty is equ^l
{p weight, they endeavour to compenfate fpr

140 VIEW OF SOCIETY Al^D
for the lightnefs of the horfes by the
quicknefs of their motion. The huffars
in the Pruffian army are taught, not only
to harafs a retreating army In detached
parties, but to charge like heavy cavalry
in a large body. The late General Seid-
litz, who had the reputation of being the
beft officer of cavalry in Europe, brought
the Pruffian dragoons to a wonderful de
gree of perfedion, and It Is faid that he
gained the battle of Rofbach by one brifk
charge. Ever fince, the King of Pruffia
has beftowed great attention on bis cavalry;
They are now habituated to charge in large
bodies, and at full fpeed.
The cuiraffiers are the flower of the
Pruffian army. They are dreffed In huff
coats, and wear very heavy iron breaft-
plates, which cover all the fore-part of
the body, and have been tried by mulket-
ffiot before they are delivered to the men.Ineg-

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 141
'I negleded to mention, that the infantry
were ordered to ffiout as they advanced to
the attack on the village, and that this
pradice is adopted by the Pruffians in adual
fervice. The King, as I am informed, is
of opinion, that this keeps up the fpirlts of
the men, and prevents them from refled-
ing on the danger of their fituation. There
are a greater proportion of drummers in
the Pruffian fervice than In moft others :
a regulation, in all probability, founded pn
the fame principle.
The evening after the reviews, there
were a concert and fupper at Prince Hen
ry's palace. The Queen was prefent, and
the King's brothers, Henry himfelf,, and
Ferdinand, with their Princeffes ;, alfo the
Prince and Priflcefs of Pruffia, Prince
Frederick of Brunfwick and his Princefs,
and a numerous campany. I here deli
vered to Prince Frederick the letter I bad-
brought from his mother, who I found had,
2 before

i42 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
before apprized him of my intention to gd
to Berlin.
The iCirig himfelf was not prefent. Me
feldom appears at feftivals. All his bourse
tipt employed In bufinefs, he fpends id.
reading, or In the fociety of a few people
whom he efteeiris. The Hereditary Prince
of Brunfwick is at prefent the King's moft
copftant companion, a choice which does
not more honour to the Prince than to the
King's difcernment.
Prince Henry's palace is one of the mof!
magnificent buildings in Berlin. No fuh-
jed of the king of Pruffia lives in a more
fumptuous manner than this Prince, who
keeps a numerous eftabliffiment of fervants^
moftly handfome yourig men, very richly
dreffed. The entertainment on this occa-«
fiofi Was remarkably fplendid.

* :*>

IWANNERS IN FRANCEv Sfc. i^-t

LETTER LXV.

BerHn,

^Tp H E day after the reviews, the King,
"¦¦ attended by his nephew, the Prince of
Pruffia, and the Hereditary Prince of Brunf
wick, fet out for Magdeburg, where there
is a camp of 15,000 men. He afterwards
will proceed to Silefia, and his new ac
quired dominions in Poland, and is not ex
peded at Potfdam for fix weeks at leaft:.
His Majefty makes the fame circuit
twice every year. — Surely no King in Eu
rope can have fuch a thorough knowledge
of his dominions and fubjeds as this mo
narch. — His abfence from Berlin has made
but little relaxation In the duty, and none
in the difcipline, of the troops. The re
views were fcarcely over, when field-days began.

144 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
-began. There are 1500 or 2000 of the
troops belonging to this garrifon, exercifed '
in the park almoft every morning, befides
thofe who appear on the parade for the or
dinary guards.
A review, fuch as that which I endea*
voured to defcribe, is undoubtedly one of
the fineft ffiows that can be exhibited : but
when a fpedator of fenfibility refleds on
the means by which thefe poor fellows are
brought to this wonderful degree of accu--
racy, he will pay a fevere tax for this fplen«^. >
did exhibition.-— The Pruffian difciiplme on
a general view is beautiful ; in detail it is
ffiocking. When the young ruftic is brought to
the regiment, he is at firft treated with a
degree of gentlenefs ; he is inftrud'ed by
words only how to walk, and to hold up
his head, and to carry his firelock, and he
is not puniffied, though he fhould npt fuc-
ceed

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &g.. 145
¦teed in his earlieft attempts: — they aJloYt
his natural awkwardnefs and timidity to
wear off by degrees : — they feem cautious
of confounding him at the beginning, or
driving him to defpair^ and take care not to
pour all the terrors of their difcipline upon
his aftoniffied fenfes at once. When he
has been a little familiarifed to his new
ftate, he is taught the exercife of the fire
lock, firft alone, and afterwards with two
or three of his companions. This is not
entrufted to a corporal or ferjeant ; it is the
duty of a fubaltern officer. In the park at
Berlin, every morning may be feen the
Lieutenants of the different regiments ex
ercifing, with the greateft affiduity, fome
times a fingle man, at other times three or
four together ; and now, if the young re
cruit ffiows negled or remiffnefs, his at
tention is roufed by the officer's cane, which
is applied with augmenting energy, till he
has acquired the full command of his fire
lock. — He Is taught fteadinefs under arms,
Vpl. If. L and

146 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
and the immobility of a ftatue ;— be is In
formed, that all his members are to move
only at the word of command, and not at
his own pleafure ; — that fpeaking, cough
ing, fneezing, are all unpardonable crimes ;
and when the poor lad is accompliffied to
their .mind, they give him to underftand,
that now it is perfedly known what he can
do, and therefore the fmalleft deficiency
will be puniffied with rigour. And al
though he ffiould deftine every moment of
his time, and all his attention, to cleaning
his arms, taking care of his clothes, and
pradifing the manual exercife, it is but
barely poffible for him to efcape puniffi-
ment ; and if his captain happens to be of
a capricious or cruel difpofition, the Ill-
fated foldier lofes the poor chance of that
poffibility. As for the officers, they are not Indeed
fubjeded to corporal puniffiment, but
they are obliged tP beftow as unremitting ,
attentipn
9

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. Uf
attention on duty as ' the men. The
fubalterns are almoft c6iiftandy on guard.
Or exercifing the recruits i the Captaiii
knows, that he will be blamed by his Co
lonel, and can exped no promotion, if his
company be not as perfed as the others ;
the Colonel entirely lofes the King's favour
if his regiment ffiould fail in any particular:
the General is anfwerable for the difcipline
of the brigade, or garrifop, under his Im
mediate command. The King will not be
fatisfied with the General's report on that
fubjed, but muft examine every thing him-»
felf ; fo that from his Majefty, down to the
common centinel, every Individual Is alert.
And as the King, who is the chief fpring
and primum mobile of the whole, never
relaxes, the faculties of every fubordlnate
perfon are kept in conftant exertion : the
confequence of which is, that the Pruffian
army is the beft difciplined, and the readieft
for fervice at a mlnute*s warning, of any
now in the world, or perhaps that ever was
Li? in

148 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
in it. Other monarchs have attempted to
carry difcipline to the fame degree of per
fedion, and have begun this pla'n with
aftonlffiing eagernefs. But a little time
and new objeds have blunted their keen-
nefs, and divided their attention. They
have then delegated the execution to a
commander in chief, he to another of in
ferior rank, and thus a certain degree of
relaxation having once taken place, foon
pervades the whole fyftem ; but the perfe-
verance of the King of Pruffia Is without
example, and is perhaps the m.oft remark
able part of his extraordinary charader.
That degree of exertion which a man
of a vigorous mind is capable of making
on fome very Important occafion, the King
of Pruffia has made for thirty years at a
ftretch, without permitting pleafure, indo
lence, difguft, or difappointment, to inter
rupt his plan for a fingle day. — And he
has obliged every perfon through the va-
I rious

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 149
rious departments of his government to
make, as far as their charaders and
ftrength could go, the fame exertions. — I
leave you to judge in what manner fuch a
man muft be ferved, and what he is capable
of performing.

L3

150 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

' LETTER LXVI.
Berlin.
^T O condition in life can be more adive,
^ ^ and at the fame time have lefs va
riety in it, than that of a Pruffian officer
in the time of peace. He is continually
employed in the fame occupation, and con
tinually occupied in the fame place. There
is no rotation of the troops as in the Britiffi
fervice. The regiments which were placed
in Beilin, Magdeburg, Schweidnitz, and
the other garrifons at the conclufion of the
war, remain there ftill. It is dreaded, that
if they were occafionally moved from one
garrifon to another, the foreigners in the
fervice, who are exceedingly prone to de
fertlon, might then find opportunities,
which according to the prefent plan they
cannot ; for however defirous a Pruffian foldier

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 151
foldier may be to defert, the thing is al
moft Impoffible. The moment a man is
miffing, a certain number of cannons are
fired, which announce the defertion to the
whole country. The peafants have a con
fiderable reward for feizing a deferter, and
are liable to fevere penalties If they har
bour, or aid him In making his efcape, and
parties from the garrifons are fent after
him in every diredion.
As none of the foldiers are ever allowed
to go without the walls of the town, it re
quires great addrefs to get over this firft
difficulty ; and when they have been fo far
fortunate, many chances remain againft
their efcaping through the Pruffian domi
nions ; and even when they arrive fafe in
any of the neighbouring ftates.
Nunc eadem fortuna viros tot cafibus ados
Infequitur *.
« Th« fame fate awaits them there, afcer all tke dan
gers they have efcaped.
L 4 For

152 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
For there they will probably be obliged tp
inlift again as foldiers ; fo that on the
whole, however unhappy they may be, it
is abfurd to attempt defertion in any other
way than by killing themfelves, which me
thod, as I am told, begins to prevail.
In confequence of their remaining con-
flantly in the fame place, converfing always
with the fame people, and being employ
ed uniformly In the fame bufipefs, the
Pruffian officers acquire a ftaid, ferious ap^
pearance, exceedingly different from the
gay, diffipated, degage air of Britiffi or
French officers. Their only amufement,
or relaxation from the duties of their pro
feffion, feems to be walking on the parade,
apd converfing with each other. The in
ferior officers, thus deprived of opportu
nities of mixing in general fociety, and not
having time for ftudy, can have no very
fextenfi ve range of ideas. Their knpwlcdge, it

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 153
it muft be confeffed, is pretty much con
fined to that branch of tadics in which
they are fo much employed ; and many
of them at length feem tP think, that to
ftand firm and fteady, to march ered, to
wheel to the right and left, and to charge
iand difcharge a. firelock, if not the fole
ufe of human creatures, is at leaft the chief
end of their creatipn.
The King, as I have been informed,
has no inclination that they ffiould reafon
pn a larger compafs of thought, which
plight poffibly lead them to defpife their
daily employment of drilling foldiers
counting the buttons of their coats, and
examining the ftate of their fpatter-
daffies and breeches. For as foon as men's
minds become fuperior to their bufinefs,
the bufinefs will not be fo well performed.
Some application to other ftudies, and op
portunities of mixing with a more general
fociety, might make them more agreeable men.

.154 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
men, but npt better captains, lieutenantfj
and adjutants.
His Majefty Imagines he will always find
a fufficient number of men of a more liberal
turn of mind, and moreextenfive notlpns,
fpr pfficers pf great truft and feparate com
mands, where the general muft ad according
to emergencies, and the light of his own
underftanding. He believes alfo, that this
general fyftem will npt deprive him of
the advantage of particular exceptions, or
prevent genius from being diftinguiffied,
when it esifts in the humbleft fpheres of
his fervice. As often, therefore, as he
obferves any dawnlngs of this kind ; when
any officer, or even foldier, difcovers un
common talents, or an extenfive capacity,
he Is fure to be advanced, and placed in a
fituation where his abilities may have a
full power of exertion ; while thofe muft
fland ftill, or be moved by a very flow gra
dation, who have np Pther merit tP depepd op

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 155
on for promotipn but affiduity alpne,
which, in the Pruffian fervice, can never
cpndud to that rank In the army, where
other qualifications are wanted.
As tP the common men, the leading
idea of the Pruffian difcipline Is to reduce
thepi, in many refpeds, to the nature of
machines ; that they may have no volition
of their own, but be aduated folely by
that of their officers ; that they may have
fuch a fuperlative dread of thofe officers as
annihilates all fear of the epemy; and that
they may move forwards when ordered,
without deeper reafoning or more concern
thap the firelocks they carry along with
them. Copfidering the length to which this
fyftepi is carried, it were to be wiffied
that it could be carried ftill further, and
that thofe unhappy men, while they re
tained

ts6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
tained the faculties of hearing apd obey
ing orders, could be deprived of every
other kind of feeling.

The. common ftate of flavcry in Afia,
or that to which people of civil profef
fions In the mpft defpptic cpuntries are
fubjed, is freedom In comparifon pf this
kind of military flavcry. The former are
not continually under the eyes pf their
tyrants, but for long Intervals of time may
enjoy life withput reftraint, and as their
tafte didates ; but all the fpreign fpldlers
in this fervice, and thofe of the natives,
whp are fufpeded pf any Intentipn tp de
fer t^ and cpnfequently never allpwed fur
loughs, are always pnder the eye of fome-
body, who hj^s the power, and too often
the Inclination, to controul every adion
pf their bodies* and every defire' of their
hearts. Since

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c, 15,7
Since fuch a number of men all over
Europe are doomed to this ftate of con-
ftraint, It Is much to be lamented that,
from the nature of the fervice, the doom
ffiould fall on the ufeful, induftrious pea-
fantry, who, when uncontrolled by cruel
and abfurd policy, pafs their days in cheer
fulnefs, tafting every real pleafure without
the naufea of fatiety, or the ftings of re-
morfe, and perhaps, of all mankind, have
the greateft enjoyment of life. The fum-
total of happinefs, deftroyed by removing
men from this fituation into a ftate of mi
sery, muft be infinitely greater than if
many c.f the ufelefs, wealthy, and luxu
rious could be tranflated into the fame
ftate. This would not be annihilating
happinefs, but only ffiifting the fcene of
the wretched. Such recruits would only
be haraffed by the caprices of others In
ftead of their own ; — plagued with the
manual exercife, inftead of being tortured by-

is8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
by peeviffinefs and difguft;— laid up in
GPnfequence pf running the gantlet, ip-
ftead of being laid up with the gput;--
and, finally, knocked dpwn by a cannpn-
ball, Inftead pf being killed by a fit pf the
appplexy pr a furfeit.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 159

LETTER LXVil.

Berlin.

INSTEAD of troubling you with any
more obfervations of my own, on the
nature of the Pruffian difcipline, or the
principles on which it is founded, I ffiall
give you the fubftance of fome converfa-
tions I have had on that fubjed with a
Pruffian officer of charader.
Walking one morning In the park, we
faw a poor fellow fmartly caned, for no
other reafon,' but becaufe he did pot re
turn the ram- rod into his piece with fo
much celerity as the reft of the platoon.
I turned away with Indignation from the
fight, which the, officer obferving, faid.
You think the puniffiment too fevere for
the crime !— There was no crime, faid I :
the

If^

i66 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
the ram-rod flipt through his fingers,,by
accident, and it is not poffible to imagine,
that the man had any Intentipn tP perfprm
this Important motion lefs rapidly than
his comrades. Every thing muft be con
fidered as of importance by a foldier, re
plied my Pruffian acquaintance, which
his officer orders him to do. In all pro
bability, the fault was involuntary ; but
It is not always poffible to diftinguiffi in
voluntary faults from thofe that happen
through negligence. To prevent any man
from hoping that his negligence will be
forgiven as involuntary, all blunders are
puniffied, from whatever caufe they hap
pen ; the confequence of which is, that
every man is more attentive and alert than
he would otherwife be. I remember, added
he, that it was very ufual on field-days for
the dragoons to have their hats blown off.
Nobody fufpeded that they had bribed
the wind to play this trick ; yet a general
officer being put out of humour by the
fre-

MANNERS IN FIi.ANGE, &c. i6i
frequency of the aceiderit, gav6 orders t6
puniffi every; rPE^n to whoni it ffiould hap*
pen; and fince that order was put In force,
the hats have been much feldomer blown
t then mentioned a fad which appeared
to me ftill more extraordinary. A huffar,
at the iaft review, had fallen from his
horfe at full gallop, and was fo much
bruifed, that it was found neceffary to
carry hipi to the hofpital ; and I had been
affured, that as foon as the man ffiould
be perfedly recovered, he would certainly
be puniffied for having fallen. Now, con
tinued I, though a man may be a little
carelefs about his hat* it cannot be Ima
gined, that this , huffar was not ferioufly
inclined to keep his feat; for by falling,
he might have broke his neck, or have
been trod to death : Or, even If you
choofe to fuppofe, tha.t he did not ride
with all the attention he ought, yet, as
Vol. II. M he

i62 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
he received one fevere puniffiment by the
fall, it would be cruel ta infiid another*
I have nothing to ppppfe«tp the folidity
of your argument, replied the Pruffian,
but that General Seidlitz, who was the
beft officer of cavalry in the world, firft
introduced this piece of cruelty, fince
which it is certain, that the men have
not fallen fo pften. The King imagines,
cpntlnued the Pruffian, that difcipline is
the fpul pf an army; that men in the dif
ferent nations of Europe are, in thofe
qualities which are thought neceffary for "^
a foldier, nearly on a par; that In two
armies pf equal numbers, the degrees pf
difcipline will determine hpw far pne is
fuperlpr tp the other. His great objed,
therefore, is to keep hrs own army at the
higheft ppffible degree pf perfedipn in this
effential point. If that could be done by
geptle means, undoubtedly he would pre
fer them. — He is not naturally of a cruel
difpofition. — -His general condud to officei-s of

MANNERS ii^ FRANCE, &c. 163
6f rank proves this. — ^Findin^ that the
hopes of 'ptonfiftion, and a fenfe of ho-
^nour, iare fufflclerit motives to jfrbmpt
them to their duty, he never has had re-
courfe, except in cafes of treafehery, to
any higher puniffiment than difniiffing
them. In fome remarkable itiftarices, he
has difplayed more iPildnefs than is ufual
In any other fervice. Some of his Generals
have allpwed tpWns of the greateft im
portance tP be taken by furprife; pthers
Tiave loft intird armies ; fet he never wa^
influenced by popular clamPur, dr by the
ruinpus tpriditipn pf his pwn affairs in
tohfequence of thofe loffes, to put any of
the unfortunate generals to death. And
%hett any of them have been fufpended
for a certain time, pr declared, by the
decree pf a court-martial, incapable of k
toilitary commarid utider him, he has ne
ver aggravated the fentence by any Pppro-
hrious cOmifafentary, but has rather al
leviated -it by fome claufe or meffage,
M s{ which

i64 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
which fpared the honour of the condemned
general. The common foldiers cannot be kept to
their duty by mild treatment. Severe and
immediate corporal puniffiment is found
abfolutely neceffary.— Not to ufe it at
all, or to ufe it In a degree Incapable
of producing the full effed, would be
weaknefs. Soldiers are fometimes puniffi
ed for flips, which perhaps all their at
tention cannot prevent; becaufe, though
it Is Impoffible to afcertain, that any par
ticular man could have avoided them, yet
experience has taught, that, by puniffiing
every blunder, fewer are committed on
the whole. This fufficlently juftifies the
pradice of what you call cruelty, but
which is in reality falutary difcipline ; for
an individual fuffering unjuftly is not fo
great an evil in an army, as the permit
ting negligence to pafs uUpunlffied. To
allow ten guilty men to efcape, rather
t than

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 165'
than rifk the puniffiment of one innocent *
perfon, may be a good maxim in morality,
or in civil government, but the reverfe will
be found preferable in military difcipline.
When the Pruffian had finiffied his dif- '
courfe. I faid. You feem to negled all
thofe incitements which are fuppofed to
influence the minds of foldiers ; the love
of gloryj the love of country, you count
as nothing. You addrefs youfelf to no
paffion but one. — Fear is the only inftru- "
ment by which you compel your common
men to deeds of Intrepidity. — Never mind
the Inftrument, replied the Pruffiah, but
look to the effed.
I am convinced, "anfwered I, that Britiffi
foldiers, with that degree of difcipline .
which fubfifts in our army, which is not
near fo rigid as yours, animiated by their
native courage, and the Intereft which even
thf fPmmpn men take In all their coun-
M 3 try's

?6|5 yiEW.pF SpCIET.V AND
try's quarrels, are ^t leaft P^pal tP any Pthep
tpopf. I hope, faid h^* ^^P experiment will
pot be made foon, fpr I efteeni your na-
tipp, and fhpuld be fprry tp fee your troops
oppofed tp pprs in the i^eld : but till they
are, ypp cannot be fure pf the juftnefs pf
ypur affertion. The advantages you gain-
|sd pyer the French In the late war rather
lljakefforipy argupient, becaufe the French
army is mnre remlfs in the article of dif?
f ipline thap your^.
I then rptv^rned to ipy old ground, the
prqelty of haraffing and tormenting meri
without iptermlffion; and afferted, ^that
the advantages arifing from fuch exceffiv^
feverity, even though they fhould be a^
great as he repref^nted, coiild pot forip ^
iuiificlent reafpp for rendering the lives of
fo many men miferablf.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. ^7.
I do not know that they are miferable,
replied he. — ^When men are but indiffe
rently fed, forced to perform very hard
4vity> certain of being feverely puniffied for
the fmalleft faults, and fometimes even for
their misfortunes, can ypu doubt, faid I,
that thefe men are miferable? — They do
not feem ratiferable, replied he, they bear
it very well.  -And would you, added I,
have the lefs remorfe in tormenting men,
becaufe they have the ftrength of mind to
bear it well ?
I then told him a ftory I had heard of
an Engliffi fallor, who was tried for a rob
bery he had committed on the highway.
While his doom was pronouncing, he raif
ed a piece of rolled tobacco to his mouth,
and held it between his teeth till he heard
the fentence of death paffed on him. He
then bit off a piece of the tobacco, and be
gan to chew it with great unconcern.
Sirrah, faid the judge, piqued at the
M 4 man's

i68 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
n>an's indifference, dp ypu knpw that yoij
are tp be hanged In a very ffiprt time .^-r^Q '
I hqar, faid the failpr, fquirting a litde tp-
baccp juice frpm his mputh. — Dp ypu
know, rejoined the judge, where you will
go when you die ? — I cannot tell indeed.
an't pleafe your honour, faid the failor^— -'
Why, thpn, cried the judge, with a tre-
mendops voipe, I will tell you : You will
go to hell, you villain, and there be burnt
tp all eterpity.7— If I ffiould, replied the
failor, with perfed tranquillity, I hope,
my Lord, I ffiall be able to bear it.

i'ksJm'-

l^ANNERS IN FRANCE, &c, 169

LETTER LXVIII.
Berlin,
T>ERLIN is certainly one of the moft
beautiful cities in Europe. The ftreets
^re built in a very regular manner, and of
a commodious breadth. In the new town
they are perfedly ftraight. Frederick-
ftreet Is reckoned two Engliffi miles and a
half, or a French league, in length. Others,'
which go off at right angles from that,; are
^ mile, or a mile and a half long.
Some pepple affert, that Berlin covers
as much grpund as Paris. Thefe are not
Frenchmen, as you will readily believe ;
peither am I of that opinlpn, but it cer
tainly apprnaches much nearer tp Paris in
fize than in number pf inhabitants ; Ber-
Ijn is undpubtedly mpre than half the fize pf

jyo VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
of Paris, yet I am convinced it does not
contain above a fifth of the Inhabitants.
There are a few very n?agnificent build
ings in this town. The reft are neat
houfes, built of a fine white free-ftone,
generally one, or at pioft two ftorles high.
Here, as at Potfdam, the finiffiing within
^les not cor:?efpond with the elegance of
the outfide> apd the foldiers are quartered
on the ground- floor ip roorns looking to. the
ftreet. The principal edij&ces are the
JCing's palace, and that of Prince Henry,
poth of thefe are very magnificent. The
arfenali which is a noble ftrudure, is
built In the form of a fquare. We were
informed, that at prefent It contains arms
for 200,000 mep. I ani cppvipced this is
pp exaggeratipp,
The new Rpman Cathpllc church is, by
far the mpft elegant pUce pf worfhip in"
the city. The King allows the free exer- ?if?

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &<;. j;?
pifeof every religion over all his dopiinions.
He thinks the fmalleft contrpul over men's
cpnfciences highly upjuft. He even ha*
the delicacy not to influence thetp by his
jsxample, and offends po religiop, by giving
, ^.preference to any one in particular.
On the front of the opera-houfe, which
is a very beautiful ftrudure, is this In-^
fcription :
FREDERICUS SEX, APpLLINI ET MUSIS.
After obferving the infcriptions and pr-
paments'pf the palaces and pther public
buildings, the pew methpd pf decorating
the churches, the number pf Mercuries,
Apollos, Minervas, and Cupid^, that are
to be met with in this country, a ftranger
plight be led to fufped, that the Chriftian
rellglofl was exploded from the Pruffian
dominions, and old Jupiter and his family
fefloired to their ancient hpnpurs. There

172 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND '
There Is an equeftrian ftatue of Wllliaip, ¦
the Great Eledor, on the new bridge over
the Spree. This is highly efteemed as a
piece of fine workmanffiip. — In the corner
of one of the fquares, is a ftatue of Marffial
Schwerln. He Is reprefented holding the
epiign with which he advanced at the
fanious battle of Prague.— r-Percei vine his
troops on the point of giving way, he
felzed this from the officer's hands whofe
duty it was to carry It, and marched to
wards the enemy, calling out. Let all but
cowards follow me. The troops, affiamed
to abandon their general, charged once
more, and turned thefortune of the day. — ¦
But the brave ohi Marffial was killed, in
the eighty-fourth year of his age. — Dp nPt
you ihink the trouble of living fo long was
amply repaid by fpch a death ?
Inftead of faints pr crucifixes, the King.
intends, that the churches pf Berlin ffiall
\>e ofqumented with the portaits of men
who

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c 173
who have been ufeful to the ftate. Thofe
of the Marffials Schwerln, Keith, Winter-
field, and fome others, are already placed
in the great Lutheran church.
The fociety into which ftrahgers may be
admitted In this capital, is not various or
extenfive. The Pruffian officers of the
higher ranks, whofe time is not entirely
engroffed, like that of their inferiors, by
the duties of their profeffion, live moftly
with their own families, or with each
other. Exclufive of other reafons which
might determine thepi to this. It is upder-
ftood, that the King does not approve of
their forming intimacies with foreign mi
nifters, or with ftrangers.
The Duke of Hamilton followed the King
to Magdeburg to fee the reviews there, and
^as fince made a tour as far as Leipfi'c,
with two Engliffi gentlemen. My con-
nedion

J74 VIEW OF SOCIETY ANt»
nedlon with him, and the letter 1 brought
from the Duchefs of Brunfwick, haVe pro*
cured me invitations, which I ffiould other-
wife have had but a fmall chance of re
ceiving. , I paffed a day lately at a very
pleafant villa, about fix miles from Berlin^
belonging to the King's brother. Prince
Ferdinand. He is married to a fifter of
the Princefs of Heffe CaffePs. The Prin
cefs of Pruffia was there at the fame time
and Prince Frederick of Brunfwick with
hi« Princefs, who is remarkably pretty.
I have the honour of flipping fometimes
with Prince Frederick, who lives conftant
ly at Berlin. To the fpirit and vivacity
common to all his familyj he adds a tafte
for poetry, and has compofed fodie dra
matic pieces in the French language, which
have been reprefented on a little theatre in
his own houfe, and in private focieties at
Berlin. — There has been a continued round
of -feafting all the laft week.

Manners in France, &c. 175^
The Princefs of Pruffia gave a breakfaft
at a garden In the Park, to which a large
company was invited. There was dancing,
which con tinped all the forenopn. Uppn
all thefe pccafipns, I faW npne pf that ft-ite
and ceremony of which the Germans are
=accufed. Thofe of the higheft rank be-
baved with the greateft eafe and affability
to every perfon prefent, and joined in the
country- dances, without obferving any
form or etiquette.
. ,?' ¦ )
The minifter. Count Finkenftein, gave
a great dinner and ball, on account of the
marriage of^ one of his foi^s. The Count
Reufe, and fome others, have alfo given
entertainments ; but the chief and peripa-
nent fociety Is to be found at the houfes of
the fofeign minifters Who -refide here. I
have been introduced to all of -them by Mr.
"Harris, his Majefty "s envoy ^xtraordinairy,
: ,, who

176 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
who lives here in a ftyle which does honoulf
to his country and himfelfj
We have received very great civilities alfo
from Baron Van Swieten, minifter from
the Court of Vienna, a man of wit and
erudition. He is fon to the celebrated
phyfician, whofe works are fo highly
efteemed all over Europe. There are two
or three general officers who are pretty
often at the houfes of thefe minifters, and
entertain ftrangers occafionally at home.—
Befides thofe I have named, there are very
few of the King of Pruffia's fervants who
have any connedlon With the ftrangers that
come to Berlin. I haVe had the happinefs
of forming an acquaintance here With two
very agreeable French gentlemen, the
Marquis de Laval, fon of the Duke df
that name, and the Count de Qcrmont,
grandfon of that Monf. de Saint Hillaire,
whofe arm was carried off by the fame
bullet

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 177
bullet which killed Marffial Turenne^
You remember the fentiment which St.
Hillaire expreffed to his fon, who lament
ed his wound — A fentiment which proved,
that his magnanimity was equal to that of
the ' hero whom he fo greatly preferred to
himfelf. Adieu.

Vol.. It U

>78 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LXIX.

B«rKn.

T ¥ 7 HEN we arrived here firft, the Queen
lived at Mont Bijou, a fmall palace
juft without the gates. Her Majefty had
a public day twice a week while ffie re
mained there ; but ffie has lately removed
to Shoenhaufen, another palace, fituated
two leagues from Berlin, where ffie paffes
the fummer. Here ffie has a public day
only once a week. The Princes, the no
bility,, the foreign minifters, and ftrangers,
generally attend on thefe occafions at five
in the evening. After her Majefty has
walked round the circle, and fpoke a few;
words to every onei ffie fits down to cards.
There is a table for the Queen, and one
for each of the Princeffes, all of whom
choofe their own parties. The reft of the
company

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 179
company prefent themfelves for a few mi
nutes at each of thefe card-tables, after
which the duty of the day is over, and
they walk in the garden, or form parties
at cards in the other apartments, as they
think proper,' and return to Berlin when it
begins to grow dark. On fome particular
nights, her Majefty invites a confiderable
number of the company to fupper, who then
remain till midnight.
The Queen's Court refembles the other
Courts of Europe ; whereas that at Sans-
Souci is upon quite a new plan. J^o
ftrangers are received there, nor any other
perfons, except fuch as have real bufinefs
with the King. There his Majefty is em
ployed in his affairs from mprning till even
ing, and fpends the hours he deftines for
relaxation in the company of two or three
men of letters, and a few officers, who
dine with him daily. — When he has bufi
nefs with apy of his fervants, or with the
N 2 foreign

i8o VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
foreign minifters, which cannot he execut
ed by letter, they attend him at Sans-Souci,,
and come away as foon as that bufinefs is
tranfaded. Thofe affemblies at Shoenhaufen are the
only eftabliffied amufement for the ladies
of quality at Berlin during the fummer,;
but you have frequent opportunities of
meeting with the court ladies at the houfes
of the foreign minifters.
The French manners and turn of think
ing certainly prevail very little amOng the
Pruffian officers ; but the ladles of the
court of Berlin have more the air of French
women, than thofe of any court I have
feen. Mademoifelje de Hartfield, firft lady
of honour to the Queen, with an Infinite
deal of wit, has all the eafe and elegance
which diftinguilh the ladies of the Court of
Verfailles. His

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. i8i
His Majefty very feldom appears at the
<!)ueen's court, or at any place where
women form part of the affembly. When
he Inclines to unbend, his amufements are
of a nature In which they can take no ffiare.
I once faid to a lady of this Court, that It
was a pity his Majefty did not love women.
-^Confidering his time of life, faid iTie, we
could difpenfe with his love ; but it Is hard
that he cannot endure us,
Notwithftanding this humour of the
King's, the ladies here are by no means
negleded by the men in general. Many
of the married women particularly, have
avowed admirers, who attend them on all
occafions, are invited with them to all en
tertainments, fit next them at table, and
whom the mafter or miftrefs of the feaft
takes care to place In the fame party with
them at cards. When a lady is not pro
vided with an attendant of this kind, her
huffiand, as well as. herfelf, is generally a
N 3 little

i82 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
a little out of countenance, and both feem
rather in an awkward fituation, till this
neceffary concomitant be found.
A misfortune of a very ferious nature
happened lately to a certain gentleman
here ; inftead of expreffing concern about
him or his wife (for he was a married
man), every body fympathized, in the ten-
dereft manner, with another lady, between
whom and this unfortunate gentleman the
moft intimate connedion was thought to
fubfift : they faid ffie was one of the
worthieft women in the world, and of fuch
delicate feelings, that her health might be
injured by the impreffion the gentleman's
misfortune would make upon her mind-
Being furprifed that no mention was made
of his wife all this time, I aflced If ffie
might not alfo be in'fome meafure affeded
by her huffiand's difafter ? — I was told, that
ffie was otherwife occupied, and that any
.thing which could happen to her huffiand was

MANNERS IN FRANCE, Sec. 183
was of little or no importance to her. I then
enquired if ffie and her huffiand lived on
bad terms ; I was informed, that, on the
cpntrary, they were on the beft footing in
the world, for that he was much attached
to another woman— (the very lady they fo
greatly lamented) and that his wife was
entirely devoted to another man : fo the
account between them being perfedly ba
lanced, they lived free of all domeftic de->
bates, in a ftate of mutual negled, apd
engroffed with feparate paffions.
In this country, when both parties are
willing, and when there are no children,
a divorce may be obtained with very little
trouble or expence ; we are frequently in
companies, where a lady, her prefent and
former huffiand are at table, and all parties
behave in the moft polite and friendly man
ner tp each Pther. N 4 I have

184 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
I have heard of one gentleman, whq
having lived In a ftate of donieftic jarring"
with his wife, got her perfuaded to con
cur with him in applying for a divorce?. — r.
This was foon obtained. — He then mar
ried another worpan, with whom he was
violently In love, and expeded, as ufual,'
eternal happinefs. After marriage, how
ever, this paffion cooled rather fooner than
common, and within a few months he
became the profeffed admirer of his firft
wife. He now faw a thoufand charms ip
her perfon and converfation, which had
entirely efcaped his notice, while the bonds
pf wedlock fubfifted. He alfo difcovered,
that certain peculiarities in her manner,
which he had formerly thought exceed-!
ingly awkward, were in reality graceful.
He expreffed his remprfe for his former
hlindnefs in the moft pathetic terms : the
^ady was foftened, apd at . length gave thg
poft perfed marks of forgivenefs ; and it
wasi

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 185
was univerfally thought, that he thus
contrived to live in adultery with the very
woman to whom he had been lawfully
married. Here jealoufy is held in equal contempt
and deteftation, and fcandal is very little
kpown. People feem fo fully occupied
with their own private affairs, that they fel
dom trouble their heads about the bufinefsj
pf their neighbours. If, in the courfe pf
converfation, an intimacy of a particular
kind is hinted at between people of different
fexes, it is mentioned accidentally as a fad
of no importance, and without the fmalleft
blame or ill-natured refledion on either of
the parties. One reafon of this may be, that
there is fcarce fuch a thing (I am affured) as
an old maid in his Pruffian Majefty's dp-
nilnions. The moft faffiionable walk In Berlin, is
in the middle of one of the principal ftreets.

r86 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
—^Before the houfes on each fide there is a
caufeway, and between thefe two caufeways
are fine gravel walks, planted with lime-
trees.— Tents are pitched under thefe, and
ice, lemonade, and other refreffiments fold.
The bands of mufic belonging to the regi
ments pradife here in the fummer. — The
Company generally are in the greateft num
ber in the evening, and often walk till it
is very late.

¦Nunc et campus, et are^.

Lenefque fub nodem fufurri,
Compofita repetantur hora *.
• Beneath the grateful evening fhade.
The public walks, the public park,
Are affignations duly made,
With gentle whifpers in the dark.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 187.

'^'letter lxs.

Berlin.

TVT OTHING furprifed me more, when
I firft came to Berlin, than the free
dom with which the people fpoke of the
meafures of government, and the condud
of the King. I have heard political to
pics, and others which I ffiould have
thought ftill more tickliffi, difcuffed here
with as little ceremony as at a London
coffee-houfe. The fame freedom appears
in the bookfeller's ffiops, where literary
produdions of all kinds are fold openly*
The pamphlet lately publiffied on the di-
Tifion of Poland, wherein the King is very
roughly treated. Is to be had without dif
ficulty, as well as other performances,
which attack fome of the moft confpicuous
charaders with all the bitternefs of fatlre. Ago-

i83 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
A government, fupported by an army
of 180,000 men, may fafely difregard the
criticifms of, a few fpeculative polidcians,
and the pen of the fatirift. While his
Majefty retains the power of difpofing of
the lives and properties of his fubjeds as
his wifdom ffiall diired, he allows them
the moft perfed freedom to amufe them
felves with as many remarks or jokes on
his condud as they pleafe.
The mind of" this monarch is infinitely
fuperior to that goffiping difpofition, by
which the defpicable race of whifperers
and retailers of fcandal thrive at fome
courts. Convinced that the fame perfidy
which can betray a real converfation, may
invent a falfe one, he liftens to no little,
malicious tales of what has paffed in pri
vate companies, or during the hours of
convivial mirth. Any perfon who ffiould
attempt to repeat anecdotes of this kind
to him, would be driven from his prefence with

. MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 189
with difgrace. He treats with equal con
tempt all -anonymous letters, and every
kind of injurious information, when the
informer declines appealing openly in fup-
port of his affertions.
This great Prince is fo perfedly devoid
of fufpiclon and perfonal fear, that he re
fides at Sans-Souci without any guard
whatever. An orderly ferjeant, or cor
poral only, attends there in the day-time
to carry occafional orders to the garrifon
at Potfdam, whither he always returns in
the evening. In this houfe, where the
King ileeps every night, there are not
above ten or a dozen perfons, the fervants
included. When you recoiled that Sans-
Souci is a folitary manfion, about half a
league from Potfdam, where all the guards
are ffiut up, and therefore could be of no
manner of ufe, in cafe of any attempt on
the King's perfon during the night ; wheP
you confider that he, who lies thus de-
2 fencelefs

I90 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
fencelefs. and exppfed, is a defpptic mo
narch, who governs by the didates of his
own will and underftanding, without mind
ing the ill-humour or difcontent of any
man, or any fet of men, and who, no
doubt, has many inveterate enemies, you
muft confefs, that all thefe circumftances
argue great magnanimity.
Berlin, though not a fortified. Is cer
tainly a very military town. When all the
foldiers of the garrifon are prefent, they
amount to 30,000. In their general condud
they are quiet, and the police of the town is
pretty well regulated. Yet there are fome
kinds of irregularities which prevail In the
higheft degree. Public courtezans are more
numerous here than in any town in Eu
rope, in proportion to the number of in
habitants. They appear openly at the
windows in the day-time, beckon to paffen-
gers as they walk in the ftreets, and ply
5 fot

MANNERS IN FRANCE, ^c. 191
Tor employment in any way they pleafe,
without difturbance from the magiftrate.
It feems to be a received opinion here,
that the peace and happinefs of the com
munity are not Interrupted by this fpecies
of licentioufnefs ; or perhaps it is believed,
that an attempt to reftrain it would be at
tended with confequences worfe than the
thing Itfelf, Therefore nobody Is allowed
to moleft or abufe thofe who have chofen
this for a trade, and as little attention is
paid to cuftomers, who frequent the cham
bers of thofe ladies, as if they ftept into
,any other houfe or ffiop, to purchafe any
other commodity.
Another fpecies of debauchery is faid to
prevail in this capital. — I imagine, how
ever, thait what is related on that naufeous
fubjed is greatly exaggerated. The

102 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
The better kind of citizens and manufae-;
turers live entirely among ttiofe of their
own rank, and without affeding the man
ners of the courtiers, or ftooping to thd
mean debauchery of the commonalty, main
tain the decency, plainnefs, and honefty of
the German charader.
His Prufiian Majefty has applied his at
tention to no objed with fo much zeal, and
fo little fuccefs, as to the eftabliffiing of
commerce in his dominions. All his ef
forts. In order to this, have been rendered
abortive by injudicious taxes, by monbpo*
lies, and Other reftridions; Commerce,
like the wild commpners pf the air and th6
fpreft, when confined or ffiackled, iffltfle-
diately droops and dwindles, or, being
alarmed, like Lpve,

at fight of human ties.

" Spreads its light wings, and in a moment flies*''

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c., 193

1

' E E T T E R LXXI.
Berlin.
THANK y6u, Sir, for the poem and
pamphlets ypu fent me by  . ; I
own I do not think the former a very ca
pital performance ; yet am not furprifed at
the great run it has had. For though it
had contained ftill a fmaller proportion of
wit, it would have been a good deal re
liffied on account of the malignity and
perfonal abufe with which it abounds.
The Engliffi nation have always had a
great appetite for pplitical writings ; but
thofe who cater for them have of late
ferved up fuch meffes of mere politics, as
feem at length to have turned their fto-
machs. A little wit or perfonal fatire is
now found neceffary to make even a news-
VoL. II. O paper

194 VIEW OF SOCIETY ANX)
paper go down. The , firft Is not always
at the compiand of the caterer : he there
fore, ufes the other in its place, which an
fwers his purpofe as well.
1 never had any delight in contemplAt-
ing or expofing the dark fide of human na
ture; but there are fome ffiades fo obvi
ous, that you cannot open your eyes with-r
out obferving them. The fatisfadion that
many people enjoy in reading libels, where- ¦
in private charaders are traduced, is of
that number. If" to be abufed in pam-
- phlets and news-papers is confidered as ad-
verfity, the truth of Rochefoucault's max
im Is uncontrovertible : — Dans I'adverfite
de nos meilleurs amis, nous trouvons tou
jours quelquechofe qui ne nous deplait
pas. The common fcribblers of the age have
turned to their own account this malevo
lent difpofition, which they perceive to
-3- ' \e

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 195
be fo prevalent am6ng men. -^ Like the
people Who provide bulls and other animals
to be baited by dogs for the amufement of
the fpedators, thefe gentlemen turn out
a few charaders every week to be mangled
and torn in the moft cruel manner in the
public- news-papers.
It is the favage tafle of thofe who pay
for thefe amufements, which keeps them
in ufe. The writers of fcurrilous books in
London often bear no more malice to the
individuals they abufe, than the people at
Paris and Vienna, who provide the other
horrid amUfement, bear to the boars, bulls,
and other^ animals which they expofe to
the fury of Jogs.
As for the fcribblers, they feldom have
any knowledge of the perfons whofe cha
raders they attack. It Is far from being
impoffible, that the author of the fevere
verfes you fent me, has no more acquaint*
ance with the lords and gentlemen againft
O 2 whom

196 " VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
whom he writes with fuch bitterne^*
than the weaver who wove their pocket-
handkerchiefs* The motive for the fa
brication of the one as well as the othet
commodity moft probably was daily bread,
and this poetafter has preferred fatire to
panegyric, merely becaufe he knew the firft
was moft to the tafte of his cuftomers.
I remember once to have been in a cer
tain bookfeller's ffiop, when a letter was
delivered to him, inclofing a paper, which,
after he had thrown his eyes over it, he
prefented tP me, telling me It was a
charader pf Lprd S  , which he in
tended tp Infert in a certain wprk then
publiffiing — I fancy, added he, it will do
pretty well; the apthor Is a ffiarp blade,
I affure you; — none of my boys carry fuch
. an edge, or cut fo deep, as that little gla
diator.
- I found this a moft bitter invedive
againft the above-mentioned nobleman,
8 written

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 197
Written with all the inveteracy pf malice
and perfonal enmity, branding him as a
prodigy of fenfuallty, and accufing him of
every villanoi^s difpofition and propenfity
that ever tainted the moft corrupt heart.
This faid t, is a much more harmlefs
produdipn than is intended. The viplence
of this poifon will prove its own antidote.
The moft voracipus ftomach for flander
and defamation will not be able to bear
fuch a dofe, but muft rejed it with dif
guft. Every reader of cpmmpn underftand
ing will clearly perceive, that all this abufe
has been didated by malice and perfonal
refentment. Then, replied the bopkfeller, every reader
pf common underftanding will clearly per
ceive what does not exift ; for the writer
pf that paper, to my certain knpwledge,
never had the fmalleft intercpurfe pr cpn-
fiedipn with Lord S j never bore him
O 3 any

igS VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
any Ill-will- and 'has not the moft diftant
wiffi to injure that noble Lord ; as a proof
of which, added he, taking another paper
out of, his drawer, here Is a charader of
the. fame noblemian, written by the fame
author, which Is to appear about a week
after the publication of the former, by way
ef anfwer to it, . * |
This fecond paper was a continued eu?
logliim on Lord 'S^  froni beginning to
end, in which the candid Author, having
compared him to fome of the greateft an4
moft celebrated men, and having colleded
piany of the brighteft flowers, Vyith Which
Plutarch has adorned his woj-tbies, he
forms them into one large wreath, which
he very ferioufly binds round the Engliffi
nobleman's broW, concludiii^ with this
obfervation. That as his Lordffiip refem-?
bled them in their virtues, fo like them
he had been diftinguiffied by the moff vi
rulent attacks qf envy and Plalice, which w^s

MANNERS IN-FRANCE,'&c. 199
was a tax that had always been paid for
fuperior talents.
How comes my Lprd S  , faid; I to
the bookfeller, to be feleded from his bre
thren of the peerage, and diftinguiffied'
fo remarkably by the obloquy and the
praife of ypur ingenipus friend ? ,;.
Becaufe, replied he, that nobleman is at
the head of an adive department, and is
one of thofe vigorous and decifive charac
ters, which never fail to create a number
pf enemies and of, friends. His. enemies
are delighted tp fee him abufed, and it is
expeded, that his friepds will be c;harmed.
tP >bear him praifed ; and, between^ the
twp, my friend's prpdpdions will find a
brifk fale, and I hppe tp make a tolerable
job of his Lprdffiip; which, let me. tell
you, cannot be done with every map of
rapk. — Lord, Sir ! there are fome of them
of fuch mawkiffi, water-gruel charac-
O 4 ters,

200 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
ters, a-s to iptereft no mortal. There. Is'
_ — __-__ -ja man of fuch high ¦
rank and fuch a known name, that I
thought fomething might have been made
of him: — And fo I employed my little
Drawcanfir for and againft him, and two
very pretty pamphlets he produced;- — but
juft as I was going to fend them to tbei
prefs, I happened to ffiew them to a
friend of mine, who is an admirable judge
in thefe matters. — Thefe pamphlets, fays
he, are very well wrote ; but they'll neyer
pay the printing. The perfon who is the
fubjed of them Is of fuch a cold, tame,
civil, cautious difpofition, and has bar
lanced fo exactly through the whole of"
his life, that he. has never. obliged or, dif-
obliged any one. He has. neither friend
nor foe In the world : — Every body fays, he
is a good enough fort of a man ; but were
he to break his neck to-night, po human
creature would feel either forrow or fa
tisfadion at the event, and a fatire or pa
negyric

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. ao.i
negyric on his grandmbther would be as
nfiuch read as thofe written on- him.
In faith, fir, concluded the Bookfeller, I
took the hint, and fp the pamphlets never
appeared. Though I was a good deal entertained
with my friend the Bookfeller's reafoning,
yet I could not help feeling indignation at
the literary bravo, who lived in this in
famous manner, by wounding and mur
dering, or at leaft attempting to murder,
people's reputations. And thofe are not
entirely free from blame, who,, detefting ~
the writer, take pleafpre in the writings.
He has very poffibly tlie plea of neceffitous
circumftances to urge in alleviation of his
wick^dnefs: — :but the pleafure they take
feems to proceed from a pure, difinterefted
fondnefs of feeing others abufed. Many
of thpfe whp cry ffiame pn the licentipuf-
nefs pf the prefs, and exclaim againft the
* injuftice

202 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
injuftice and cruelty of tearing private cha- ,
raders to pieces in public papers, have the
moft virulent of thefe produdions ferved ,
up every morning as regularly as their
toaft and butter. If they would forego the
pleafure of reading the moft malicious of
thofe compofitions, the evil they complain
of would ceafe diredly.
But it Is ridiculous, and feems ungrate
ful, for people to affed an appearance of
indignation againft thofe who provide for
them one of the greateft enjoypients of
their lives. To chuckle over fcahdal all
the forenoon with every mark of pleafure,
and decry it in the evening with affeded
anger. Is as prepofterous as it would be in a
judge, firft to feduce a poor wench to for
nication, and then puniffi her for the fin.
You may poffibly retort upon me, by,
putting me in mind of the admiration I
expreffed of the ftyle pf certain celebrated letters,

MANNERS IN FRANCEy Stc. 203
letters, wherein fome eminent charaders
are diffeded, and tortured with the fcientific
fkill of an anatomift, and the refined cruel
ty of an inqulfitor. I anfwer, that I ad
mired the wit and genius, but not the dif
pofition difplayed In thofe letters. ¦i
Malice, when Introduced by genius
and wit, is often tolerated on account of
the refped due to the introducers ; but
when the wretch comes alone, or is ac
companied by dulnefs, which often hap
pens, ffie will be expelled with infamy
from all good company.

¦ ¦¦¦ •: *th }< ¦ -•¦'!

204 VIEW OF SOCIETY ANQ

LETTER LXXIL

Eerlio.

'T^HE Pruffian army at prefent, accord-
¦^ ing tP my information, confifts of
180,000 men. If twenty, pr even thirty
thpufand are deduded frpm this accpunt,
on the fuppofition that it is exaggerated,
ftill the remainder will be very great ;
and the expence of fuch an eftabliffiment
in time of peace, feems tp many almoft in
compatible with the King of Pruffia's re-
fources. Although the revenues of this
monarch are much greater than is general
ly imagined, yet the armies he has fupport
ed,. and continues to fupport ; the palace
he has built, and other expenfive under
takings which he has completed, are not
fuch proofs of the greatnefs of his revenue,
as of the prudence with which it has been
managed,

/

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 205
tiianaged. Many other Princes have greater
revenues, which, like water fpilt on un
cultivated land, and affifting the growth of
ufelefs weeds, are diffipated, without tafte
or magnificence, pn the trumpery pf a
cPurt and their dependents. Perhaps it was
never knpwn what miracles tsecpnomy and
affiduity, through all the departments of
government, could perforin, till this mo
narch made it apparent.
In the King of Pruffia's dominipns, there
are npne pf thpfe ppfts which enrich indi
viduals at the expence pf the public j
places fulted tP the abilities and the luxury
of the great, where the falary is large, be
caufe the applicatipn and talents requifite
are fmalh If thpfe whp hpfd the mpft lu
crative places in this cpurt, can fuppprt a
becoming dignity by the emoluments pf
their pffice, and lay up a very mpderate
prpvifipn for their families, it is the utmoft
they ever exped. All

2o6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
All cpiPmpdities are highly taxed in the
Pruffian dpminiops. At Berlin, though
money is a great deal fcatcer than at Lon
don or Paris, a ftranger will find very little
difference in the ordinary expence of living.
There are no means by which his revenue
can be augmented, which this King has not
tried. He has taxed even the vanity of his
fubjeds, and drawn confiderable fupplies
fince the beginning of his reign from that
plentiful fource. The rage which the Ger
mans, above all men, have for titles,
prompts many of the wealthy citizens to
purchafe that pf fome pffice about court;
and although the King employs no perfon
void of abilities, he never fcruples to per
mit this kind of traffic. The title, how
ever, is literally all that is fold, for with re
gard to the real bufinefs of the office, the
purchafer has as little connedion with
it after the bargain as before. Though
his Majefty fcarcely ever confults with
any body, he has more nominal privy-
counfellors

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. ao;
cpunfellprs than any King In Chriften-
dpn^ The taxes in general are invariably fixed ;
but methpds are found pf drawing cpntri-
butlons from the proprietors of the very
great eftates, which do not affed the
fmaller landlords, or the reft of the fub
jeds. The fpirit of the government is
not favourable to great and independent
Lords. But both the great and the fmall
landlords are prevented from fqueezing or
pppreffing the peafants. As the foldiery
are drawn from them, care is taken that
they ffiall not be deprived pf the chief
fpurce pf health and vigpur, and there is
np peafahtry in Europe better fed than the
Pruffian. The army is chiefly cpmppfed of pro
vincial regiments. The whole Pruffian
dominions being divided into circles or
cantpns ; in each pf thefe, pne or more re-
6 giments.

2o8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
giments. In proportion to the fize and po-
jpuloufnefs of the divifion, - have beep ori
ginally raifed, and from It the recruits cori-
tinue to be taken ; and each particular re
giment is always quartered, in the time of
peace, near the cahttm from which its re
cruits are drawh.
Whatever number of fon§ a peafant may
haVe, they are all liable to be taken into
the fervice except one, who is left to affift
in the managertient of the farm. The reft
wear badges from their childhood, to mark
that they are deftlned to be foldiers, and
ready to ferve when the ftate requires them.
if a peafant has only one fon, he is not
forced into the fervice, except he has the
misfortune to be uncommonly ftout and
well-made. The King, however, endea
vours to fave his own peafantry, and draw
as many recruits as he cap from other
countries : — For this purpofe, there are
Pruffian pfficers employed at^ Hamburgh, Frankfort,

MANNERS IN FRANdE, ilc. ' id^
Frankfort, and other free towns pf Ger
many. I have feen them alfo at Neufcha-
tel, and at places near French garrifons,
attempting to Inlift , men, and pick up de-
ferters. The recruits procured in this man*-
ner, remain continually, with the regiments
in which they are placed ; but the native
Pruffians have every year eight or -nine
months of furlough, during which they
return to their fathers' or brothers' houfes,
and work at the bufinefs of the farm, or
gain their livelihood in any other way they
pleafe. Here Is at once an immenfe faV-
Ing in the expence of the army, and a great
gain to the ftate from the labour of fo many
men^ Erom this it appears, that the Pruffian
army Is neither more nor lefs than a ftand->
Ing milida, embodied for two or three
months every y^ar, and then difperfed to
their ufual labours as farmers.
Vol. II. P I think

2id VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
I think this decides our old difpute oil
the fubjed of ftanding armies and miiitia,
I exped therefore that you will, by the re
turn of poft, fairly and candidly acknow
ledge that I was in the right, and that all
your arguments to prove, that a mihtia
could not be depended on in the time of
adual fervice, are built on falfe principles,
and that my opinion was juft and well-
founded. Before clofing this letter, I will Inform
you of a very fingular incident, the cir
cumftances of which I relate, not fo much
with a defign to illuflrate the charader or
fentiments of the vulgar of this place in
particular, as to furnlffi you with a curious
fad in the hiftory of human nature in

I went a few days fince with Mr. Fortefcue
to fee a man executed for the murder of a
child. — His motives for this horrid deed
were

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 211
ivere much more ejttraOrdinary than the
adion itfelf. He had accompanied fome
of his corilpaniorts to the houfe of a fellow
who affumed the charader of a fortune
teller, and having difobllged him, by ex
preffing a contempt df his art, the fellow^
out of revenge, prophefied, that this mart
ffiould die on a fcaffold.-r^Thls feemed tfi
make little impreffion at the tlnie, but af
terwards recurred oftert to this unhappy
creature's mePiOry, and became every day
more troublefdme to his Imagination. At
length the ^ idea haunted his mind fo iri-
ceffantly, that he was rendered perfedly
iniferable, arid could no longer endur^-
life. He would have piit himfelf to death with
his Own hands, had he not been deterred
by the notion, that God Almighty never
forgave filicide ; though, upon repentance^
he is very ready to pardon every other
crime. He refolved, therefore, to commit
' P 2 murder,

2j2 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND •
murder, that he might be deprived of Ufe
by the hands of juftice; and mingling a
fentiment of benevolence with the cruelty
of his intention, he refleded, that if he
murdered a grown perfon, he might poffi
bly fend a foul to hell. To avoid this, he
determlped to murder a child, who could
pot have committed any fin which de-
. ferved damnation, but dying in innocence,
would go immediately to Heaven. In
confequence of thefe ideas, he adually
murdered an Infant of his mafter's, for
whom he had always ffiewn an uncommon
degree of fondnefs. Such was the ftrange
account which this infatuated creature gave
on his trial ; — and thus the random pro
phecy proved, as ill many other cafes, the
Caufe of its own completion.
He was executed about two miles from
Berlin. As foon as he afcended the fcaffold,,
he took off his coat and waiftcoat ; — his
fiiirt was rolled down belpw his ffipulders ;
-—his

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 213
—his night-cap was pulled over his eyes ;-—
he was placed on his 'knees, and the exe
cutioner, with a fingle ftroke of a broad
fword, fevered his head from his body. — It
was the firft time this executioner had per
formed: — there were two others of the
fame trade on the fcaffold, who exhibited
an inflance of infenfibility more ffiocking
than the execution.' — ^While the man's head
rolled on the fcaffold, and the arteries of the
trunk poured out their blood, thofe men,
with the gayefl air you can imagine^ ffiook
their brother by the hand, wiffied him joy,
and clapped him on the back, congratulat
ing him on the dexterous and effedual man
ner In which he had performed his office,

P3

|j^ VIEW QF SOCIETY AN|^

LETTER LXXIIL
Berlin.
inr^ H E Duke of Hamlltop having expreff-
¦^ ed an inclination to vifit the' court of
Mecklepbprg Strelitz, I accompanied hirti
thither foon after his return from Magde
burg and Leipfic. The weather being ful-
try, his Grace thought that travelling ip
the pight would be moft agreeable. We
did pot fet out therefore till about fix or
feven in the evening. The firft poft-houfe
i? four Germap miles from Berlin ; but a$,
great part of the road Is through a large
wood, and the night became very dark,
the poftilions loft their way. In a ffiort
time we were perfedly bewildered, and
without the fmalleft notion which direc
tion we ffiould follow. After many in
effedual attempts tp find put the path, we
thpugh^

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 215
thought It would be moft prudent to un
yoke the horfes, and allow them to graze
around, while we flept in the chaife till day
break. This plan was literally followed :
as foon as the fervants, by the light of the
rifing fun, had difcovered the path, we
proceeded by Oranlenburg and Seidneek
tp Reinffiurg, which is a magnificent caftle
belonging to Prince Henry of Pruffia,
The gardens here are very extenfive, and
have been highly Improved and ornament
ed by this Prince, who has a good tafte, and
a magnificent turn of mind.
When we arrived at the town of New
Strelitz, we were informed that the court
was at Brandenburg. The Ducal refidence
was formerly at Old Strelitz ; but the
palace there, with all the magnificent fur
niture and effeds, was burnt to affies about
fifty years ago. The fire having broke out
P 4 in

2i6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
In the night-time, the family themfelvesi
had a very narrow efcape,
A new palace has been fince built at the
diftance of two Engliffi miles from where
the former flood, but in a much more
agreeable fituation, being placed on a
gentle eminence near a fine lake ; and the
towp of New Streliz has gradually arifen
in the neighbourhood.
After a ffiort ftay at Strelitz, we proceed
ed to New Brandenburg, which is fome
leagues farther north, and within a fmall
diftance of the Baltic. We arrived there
in the morning of the third day after we
h?d left Berlin. When the Chamberlain of
the Court was informed of the Duke of
JI?iniilton's arrival, we received an invitation
to dinner, and, a coach and equipage wer^
pfdeyed tp attend his Gra^e,
The

MANNERS IN FRANCE, Sec. it?
The reigning Duke of Mecklenburg
Strelitz is unmarried, as well as the Prin
cefs, his fifter, who lives conftantly with
him. They are both of a darker co;n-
plexion than the Queen of Great Britain,
and neither of them fo tall ; nor have they
much external refemblance of her Majefty,
except in tbe affability of their manner.
The Duke is beloved by his fubjeds, on
account of the humanity and benevolence
of his difppfition, which feem to be cha-
raderiftic of the whole family. — After
dinner there was a concert of mufic, and
pard-playing till fupper.
The whole country of Mecklenburg was
for many centuries under the government
of one Prince, In the year 1592, on the
death of the Sovereign, it was divided be
tween his two fons'. The eldeft retaining
the Duchy of Mecklenburg Sehwerin,
which is confiderably the largeft ffiare; the
younger obtained the Duchy of Mecklen burg

4
2i8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
burg Strelitz. This laft branch became
extind In the year 1695, and Duke Fre
deric William, of the eldeft branch, laid
clalni to the inheritance of the Duchy of
Strelitz. But he was oppofed by Adolphus
Frederic, his father's younger brother, and
the conteft was fettled by compromife be
tween the parties in 1701. The right of
primogeniture, and the lineal fucceffion
were then eftabliffied in both houfes, and
this final agreement was ratified by the
Emperor, The country here is not a fandy flat, as
around Berlin; but the foil becomes gra
dually better as you move from that city,
and around New Brandenburg it Is re
markably fertile. Though the fouthern
border of this Duchy Is flat, fandy and bar
ren, yet all the northern part is of a rich
veidure, finely diverfified with hills, mea
dows, woods, and feveral beautiful lakes,
from four to ten miles in length. The coun try

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 219
try yields plenty of corn, hemp, flax, ex
cellent pafture for numerous flocks of ffieep,
and a good breed of horfes.-r-New Bran
denburg is a neat and thriving town, very
agreeably fituated, > The inhabitants carry
pn a confiderable trade in hops, which grow
in great abundance all around.
This country, which feems to be happy
in its prince apd other particulars, cannot
rank among its bleffmgs the neighbourhood
pf fp great and warlike a monarch as the
King of Pruffia. In the cPurfe of the late
war, both the Meeklenburgs fuffered very
feverely from this circumftance. The Ruf-
fans and Auftrians, who pillaged the mid
dle Mark of Brandenburg, did not afcertain
with nicety where the King of Pruffia's do
minions ended, and the Duke of Strelitz's
began ; but as often as there was any thing
valuable to carry away, plundered both
without diftindion. And when that Mo
narch

220 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
narch himfelf was driven to extremity, and
obliged to ufe every means pf recruiting his
army, the Mecklenburghers were cajpled
and feduced by every art intP the Pruffian,
fervice; and when thefe methpds failed, they
were, as it is faid, taken by fprce. Even
at prefent, whenever the Pruffian recruit
ing pfficers know of a ftrong well-looking
peafant belonging to the Duchy of Meck
lenburg, they ufe every means they can
devife to feduce him into their mafter's fer
vice,— Complaints are frequently made of
thefe pradices to his Pruffian Majefty, and
redrefs will be given when It ffiall pleafe
the Lord.
The fecond day after our arrival, we
fpent the forenoon in viewing every thing
worthy of notice in the town, and dined
again at court, where there was a more nut
merous company than had been the firft
day. After dinner we accompanied his
flighnefs and the Princefs to an affembly in
4 thq

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 221
the town, and returned to fup at the court.
During fupper there was a concert of vocal
and inftrumental mufic.
Having received every mark of polite at
tention from this Prince, we took leave of
him and the Princefs, and left the town early
next morning, and returned by Old Stre
litz, which is not in fuch a flouriffiing eon-
ditlon, or fituated In fo fine a country, as
New Brandenburg. While Britiffi fubjeds.
pafs through this country, they will na
turally refled with gratitude and veneration
on the charader of a Princefs whofe virtues
are an ornament to the Britiffi throne, and,
whofe amiable manners and prudent con
dud have united the affedions of a people
divided by party, and irreconclleable in fen
timent on almoft every other fubjed.
On our return to Berlin, 1 found a letter
from Lord Marechal, informjng me, that
the King was expeded at Potfdam within a very

i22 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
a very few days; that great preparation!
Were making for the reception of the Prin
cefs of Heffe and the Duchefs of Wur-
temberg, who were then both at Berlin^
and were to pay a vifit to the King at
Sans-Souci; that they would be accompa
nied by the Princefs Amelia, the King's
unmarried fifter, and his two fifters- in
law, for all of whom apartments were
preparing at the new palace, where his
majefty alfo was to refide all the time that
his illuftrious guefts ffiould remain. My
Lord added, that the celebrated Le Kain^
and a company of French comedians', were
already arrived, and alfo a company of
Italian adors and fingers for the opera;
and that both companies were to perforin
at the theatre within the palace; that a
great coPcourfe of company was expeded
at PotfdaPi on the occafion ; that moft of
the apartrtients in the town were already
befpoke, and, as he imagined we ffiould
incline to be there, he had engaged lodg
ings for uSi The

MANNERS IN FRANqE, &c. ii^
The Duke was extremely pleafed with
this obliging behaviour of Lord MarechaL
I afterwards fpoke to Mr. Harris on this
fubjed, and enquired If he intended to be
at Potfdam on the occafion ? He told me,
that as the plays, operas, and other enter
tainments, were to be given In the palace,
nobody could attend them except thofe
who had particular invitations; that nei
ther he nor any of the foreign minifters had
been, or, as he underftood, were to be in
vited, nor did he hear that any ftrangers
were expeded; — and that he imagined it
would be unbecoming the Duke of Hamil
ton to be at Potfdam at that time, except
he could with propriety attend the enter
tainments at Sans-Souci,
His Grace, on hearing this account,
determined to remain here; but fome days
after, 1 received a letter from Cottnt Fin
kenftein, acquainting me, that he had or
ders to invite the Duke of Hamilton and me
2 to

224. VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
to attend the entertainments to be given at
Sans-Souci, This afforded us great fatlf-
fadion, not fo much on account of the
public entertainments, as becaufe it will
give us opportunities, which we could not
otherwife have, of feeing the King of
Pruffia, and probably in an eafier way
thap at Berlin. As for the ufual amufe
ments and fplendour of courts, his Grace
difplays more cool nefs about them than
one would naturally imagine, confidering
the manner in which he is received, his
time of life, and his perfonal appearance.
1  rNamque ipfa decoram

Csefariem nato genitrix, lumenque juventas
Purpureum, & Ijetos oculis afHarat honores.
Since our return from Mecklenburg,
we have paffed our time almoft conftantly
with Mr. Harris, who accompanied the
Duke yefterday on his laft vifit to Shoen
haufen ; for we ffiall probably not return to
this place from Potfdam. Mr. Fortefcue fet
out

MANNERS ik FRANCE, &c. 225
but a feW days ago for Frankfort on the
Maine ; his eafy humourj and original
turn of thought, piake his abfence felt
with pain by all whd have trffted the plea
fure of his converfation.

Vol. ii. Q^

226 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LXXIV.
Potfdanr.
TT/E have been here about a fortnight.
KIs Majefty arrived at the new pa
lace of Sans-Souci about the fame time
that we came to Potfdam. The Princefs
Amelia, who is miftrefs of the ceremonies,
was there to receive him; The company
I formerly mentioned are all lodged In the
palace. I will give you a ffiort fl5;etch of
what has paffed.
There has been a theatrical entertain
ment every fecond or third day* His
Grace and I attend at Sans-Souci on
thefe days only. We drive from Potfdam
about five in the evening. The cpmpany
affemble in one of the apartments of the
palace abput that time, and walk tP the
7 play-

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 227
pJayhoufe a little before fix. The theatre
is very well contrived for the accommo
dation of a fmall audience. There are
neither boxes nor pit ; but femicircular
benches in the front of the ftage. The
foremoft bench is upon the floor ; the
others rife '"gradually behind, that all the
fpedators may fee equally well.
A few minutes after the company are
placed, the Royal Family arrive. The
Princefs Amelia is led in by Prince Fre
derick of Brunfwick, and the Princefs of
Heffe by the King. The Duchefs of
Wurtemberg, and the other Princeffes, are
led in after: they, and the ladies their
attendants, fit in the firfi rows. The
King generally feats himfelf in the third
or fpurth. The piece then begins, and
is ufually finiffied abput nine, after which
all the cpmpany return to the large apart- ,
ment, where the King remains ccnver£ng
in a familiar manner till fupper is ready.
0^2 He

228 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
He then retires, and goes to bed at
ten. Thofe whom the Princefs Amelia
orders to be invited, ftay to fupper;
and there is generally a pretty nume-'
rous company.— We have been at this re
paft three or four times, and ufually get
to our lodgings at Potfdam about mid
night. Hitherto there have been no comedies
aded, and I underftand there are to be
none, becaufe Le Kain never ads in co
medy; and for another reafon, which is
equivalent to a thoufand, — his Majefty
loves tragedy better.
Le Kain has already appeared in fome of
his principal charaders. — You need not
doubt of his exerting all his powers be
fore fuch an audience. — I might have faid,
fuch an auditor. The King feemed pleafed with

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. ' 229
with his ading, and of confequence the
courtiers were in raptures, and vied with
each other who ffiould praife him moft.
The tragedy of Oedipus Is his Majefty's
favourite piece. This has been reprefented
twice, and he feemed to enjoy It v6ry
much on both occafions ; particularly when
the following fpeech againft priefts was
pronounced :
Tandis que par vos foins vous pouvez tout apprendre,
Qgel befoin que le Ciel ici fe fafle entendre .'
Ces Dieux, dont le pontife a promis le fecours,
Dans leurs temples. Seigneur, n'habitent pas toujours ;
On ne voit point leur bras fi prodigue en miracles ;
Ces ancres, ces trepieds, qui rendent leur oracles,
Ces organes d'airain que nos mains ont fjrnies,
Toujours d'un fouffle pur ne font point^animes.
Ne nous endormons point fur la foi de leurs pretres ;
Au pied du fan^uaire il eftfouvent des trai'.res.
Qui nous aflerviflant fous un pouvoir facre.
Font parler les deAins, les font taire a leur gre.
Voyez, examinez, avec un foin extreme,
Philoftete, Phorbas, & Jocafte elle-merae.
Nenous fions qu'a' nous, voyons tout par nos yeux,
' Ce font la nos trepieds, nos oracles, nos Dieux,
0^3 And

230 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
: And afterwards, when Jocafta pours
forth another tirade of the fame kind, which
terminates with thefe lines :
Nos Pretres re font point ce qu'un vain peuple penfe ;
Notre ered ulite fait toute leur fcience.
I happened to fit next to the Abbe
Baftiani, and, while the adrefs fpoke this,
the king ftarted up, coughed, and laughed,
with very fignificant geftures, to the eccle-
fiaftic. But though thefe paffages, and fome
others, feem at firft fight to be fevere
againft priefts, the tragedy of Oedipus,
upon the w^hole, does them great honoun
For all that is faid againft them, turns out
to be unjuft, and it appears that the ora
cle, which had been treated in fuch fevere
terms, was true, and that the high-prieft
had aded throughout like an honeft and
virtuous man. It furprifes me, therefore,
that Voltaire ffiould have taken the plot
of

MANNERS IN FRANCE, Sec. 431
of his play frpm the Greek tragedy pn
this fubjed, which has cpnftrained him,
Hke Balaam the fpn pf Barak, tP dp ho
nour to thofe whom he would have been
better pleafed to have curfed. — And the
King on his part (If I may prefume to
fay it) could not have pitched upon a tra
gedy lefs a-propos, if his intention was to
turn the clergy into ridicule.
I have no objedion to this piece, on
account of the honour done to the clergy •
becaufe I cannot help forming an opinion
of men from my own experience : And I
have known fo many good men of that
profeffion, that I ffiould refped it on their
account, exclufive of other reafons.
But I own I have the misfortune not to
follow this great monarch, and many other
refpedable critics, in their admiration of
the tragedy of Oedipus. — The fable, in my
popr ppinipn, is too horrible. — The cir-
0^4 cumftance

132 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
ppmftance of Oedipus being married to his
mother, and having childrep by her, is
highly difgufting ; and the idea it gives pf
.Providence and the cpndpd pf the gods^j
cannot have a good effed op the mind.
Nothing could be more unjuft, than that
Heaven ffiould fend a plague among the
inhabitants of Thebes, and pour fuch
vengeance on poor Oedipus and Jocafta,
for crimen of which it knew them to be
innocent. We cannot help admitting the
juftice of Oedipus's reproaches againft the
gpds, whep he fays,
Le voila done rempli cet oracle execrable,
Dont ma crainte a preffe reifet inevitable : ,'
Etje me yois enfin, par un melange affreux,
' ][ncelle, & parricide, & pourtant vcrtueux.
Miferable vertu, nom fterile & funefle,
Toi par qui j'^i re'gle des jours queje detefte,
A mon noir afcendant tu n'as pu refifter:
Je tombais dans le piege, en voulant I'eviter.
Un Dieu p'us fort que moi m'entrainait vers le crime;
^ous mes pas fugicifs il creufait un abime ; /
Et j'etais, malgre moi, dans mons aveuglement,
D'un pouvoir inconnu I'efdave & I'inflrument. Voi^a
2,

BANNERS IN FRANCE, l^c. 2^33
ypila tows mfs foffaits, je n'en connais ppint d'autres.
Impitoyables Dieux, mes crimes font les vOires,
£c vous m'en punilfez 
We muft fufped, hovyever, that Jocafta
W^s iniftaljj^n in the opinion ffie utters ip
the concluding lines of the tragedy.
Pretres, Sf ifous Thebains, qui fates mps fujets,
Honorez mon bucher, & fongez a jamais,
Qu'au milieu des horreurs du deftin qui m'opprime,
J"^ fait tQHgir les ^ieux, qui nri'ont fqif^e. a^ crimp.
For thofe, ,who could force innocent peo
ple to commit criminal adions, and then
puniffi them on that account, were not
capable of bluffiing for any thing. A
French tragedy and Italian opera are re
prefented at this theatre alternately ; the
King attends the latter as pundually as
the former, and difplays in his counte
pance that extreme fenfibility to mufic,
which forms part of his charader. I ima
gine this Prince would fucceed better ip
any thing than in fimulation, if he ffiould
fver think it worth his while to attempt that

234 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
that part of hypocrify, — his features are fo
expreffive of his feelings, that the firft
would be conftantly In danger of betray
ing the other. When there is no repre
fentation at the theatre, his Majefty h?is
a private concert in his own apartment,
where he himfelf performs on the German
flute, in which inftrument he has attained
the higheft degree of excellence. — Tp thefe
ppncerts nP ftranger is admitted.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 23s

LETTER LXXV. Potfdam.
TT7"HEN we firft arrived here, there
* ' was nothing I was fo eager tP fee
as the Pruffian trppps at their exercife j. but
the reviews at Berlin" have cpmpletely fa
tiated my curipfity. And thpugh the gar
dens pf the palace are juft oppofite to the
windows of our inn, 1 hardly ever go to
look at the guards, who are paraded there
every forenoon. — A few days ago, how
ever, I happened to take a very early walk
about a mile out of town, and feeing fome
foldiers under arms. In a field at a fmall
diftance from the road, I went towards
them. An officer on horfeback, whom I
took tP be the Majpr, fpr he gave the
WPrd of command, was uncommonly ac
tive, and often rode among the ranks to
reprimandj

236 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
reprimand, or Inftrud, the common men.
When I came nearer, I was much furprif
ed ~ to find that this was the king himJelf.
He had his fword drawn, and continued to
exercife the corps for an hour after. He
made them wheel, march, form the fquare,
and fire by divifions, and in platoons, ob
ferving all their motions with infinite at
tention ; and, on account of fame blunder,
put two officers of the Prince of Pruffia's
regiment in arreft. — In ffiort, he feemed to
exert himfelf with all the fpirit of a young
©fficer, eager to attrad the notice of his
^ieneral by uncommon ajertnefs.
I expreffed my furprife to an officer pre
fent, that the King was not willing to take
fome repofe, particularly from that kind
of employment of which he had had fo
very much of late, and that he could take
fp much pains with a mere handful of men
immediately after he had come from exer-
qifing whole armies. This

MANNEkS IN FRANCE, &c. 2^7
This gentleman told me, that, on this
particular day, the King had been trying
fome new evolutions ; but though this hadi '
not been the cafe, he might very poffibly
have been In the field : — for his maxim
was, that his,, troops ffiould difplay as
much Jjpifknefs on a common field day as
if they were to engage in ,battle; and,
therefore It vvas never knov^n when he in
tended to be prefent, or when not : — that
as for repofe, he took it between ten at
-night and four in the morning, and hi*
other hours were all devoted to adion,
either of body or mind, or both ; and that
the exercife he had juft taken, was probably
*'*• by way of relaxation after three hours pre
vious labour In his cabinet.
The more I fee and hear of this extraor-^
dinary man, the more am I aftoniffied. He
reconciles qualities which I ufed to think
incompatible. I once was of opinion, that
the mind, which ftoops to very fmall ob
jeds.

238 VIEW OF SOCIETY ANI)
jeds, is incapable pf embracing great pnes j
— lam npw cpnvlnced, that he is an ex-
ceptlpn ; fpr while few pbjeds are tpp great
fpr his genius, npne feem tpp fmall for his
attentipn. I pnce thpught that a man pf much vi
vacity was npt capable pf entering intP the
detail pf bufinefs :— I now fee that he, who
is certainly a man of wit, can continue
methodically the neceffary routine of bufi
nefs, with the patience and perfeverance of
the greateft dunce that ever drudged in a
compting-houfe. Since my laft, we have feen the Italians
perform; but neither the plays nor the
operas, nor any part of the entertainments,
intereft me half fo much, or could draw
me fo affiduoufty to Sans-Souci, as the op
portunity this attendance gives of feeing
the King. Other monarchs acquire im
portance from their ftation; this Prince gives

) t t t

Manners in france, ua 23^
gives importance to his. The traveller
in other countries has a wiffi to fee the
King, becaufe he admires the kingdom : —
here the objed of curiofity is reverfed : —
and let us fuppofe the palaces, and the
towns, and the country, and the army of
Pruffia ever fo fine, yet our chief intereft in
them will arife from their belonging to
Frederic the Second; — the man, who,
without an ally but Britain, repelled the
united force of Auftria, France, Ruflia,
and Sweden.
Count Neffelrode, talking with me on
this fubjed, had an expreffion equally live
ly and juft : C'eft dans I'adverfite qu'il
brille, lorfqu'il eft blen comprime il a ua
reffort irrefiftible.
The evening pf the day on which I had
feep the King In the field, I was at Sans-
Souci J for I wiffi tP negled no opportunity of

t46 viEVir dF SOCIETY And
of being prefept where this monarch Is. 1
like to ftaiid riear hini, to hear him fpeak,
and to Obferve his movements, attitudes*
and moft itidlfferent adiohS. He always
behaves with particular affability to the
JDuke of Ha'niilt'on. One evening, before
the play began, his Grace .and I were
fl:anding accidentally with Count Finken
ftein, In a room adjoining to the great
apartment where the company were. The
King entered alone, when he was not ex
peded, and immediately began a conver
fation with the Duke*
He afked feveral queftions^relatirig'" to thd .
Britiffi conftitution ; particularly at what
age a peer could take his feat in parlia-
Pient? — When the Duke replied. At twep-
ty-ope. — It is evident from that, faid the:
King, that the Engliffi Patricians acquire
the neceffary talents for legiflation much
fooner than th'ofe of ancient Ronie, who
were

Ti/IANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 241
were not admitted into the Senate till the
age of forty.
He then enquired about the ftate of Lord
Chatham's health, and expreffed high
efteem for the charader of that minifter.—
He afked me, if I had received letters by
the laft poft, and if they mentioned any
thing of the affairs In America ? — He faid,
there were accounts from Holland, that
the Engliffi troops had been driven from
Bofton, and that the Americans were in
poffeffion of that place.  1 told htpi, our
letters informed us, that the army had
left Bofton to make an attack with more
effed elfewhere.
He fmiled, and faid— If you will not
allow the retreat to have been an affair of
neceffity, you will at leaft admit, that it
was tout-a-fait a-propos.
Vol. il R He

242 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
He faid he heard that fome Britiffi of
ficers had gone into the American fervice,
and mentioned Colonel Lee, whom he
had feen at his Court. He obferved, that
it was a difficult thing to govern men
by force at fuch a diftance ; that if the
Americans ffiould be beat (which ap
peared a little problematical), ftill it
would be next to impoffible to continue
to draw from them a revenue by tax
ation ; th^t if v/e Intended conciliation
with America, fome of our meafures were
too rough ; and if we intended its fub-
jedion, they were too gentle. He con
cluded by faying, Enfin, Meffieurs, je ne
comprends pas ces chofes la ; je n'ai
point de colonic :— j'efpere que vous vous
tirerez blen d'affaire, mais elle me pa-
roit un peu epineufe.—— Having faid this,
he walked into the Princefs's apart
ment, to lead her to the playhoufe, while
we joined the company already affembled there.

Manners in France, &c. 243
there. — The tragedy pf Mahpmet was per-
fprmed, which, Iii my ppinipn, is the fineft
pf all Vpltaire's dramatic pieces, and that
in which Le Kain appears tP the greateft
advantage.

R 2

244 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LXXVL
Potfdam.
¦\7" O U exprefs fuch an earneft defire to
-*• be made acquainted with every thing
which regards the King of Pruffia, that I
am in danger of lengthening my defcrlp-
tions with a tedious minutenefs. Yet I
will rifk it, rather than give you reafon to
complain that I have not gratified your cu
riofity as fully as is in my power.
Do not imagine, however, that I pre
fume to draw a complete portrait of this
monarch. That muft be the work of much
abler painters, who have feen him In a
more familiar manner, and whofe colpurs
can give an expreffipn wprthy pf the pri-
glnal. I ffiall pnly attempt tP give a
faithful fketch of fuch features as I was
able

MANNEkS IN FRANCE, &c. 245
able tp feize during the tranfient views I
myfelf hiad, pr which I 'have learnt frpmi
thpfe whp have paffed with him many pf
the hpurs which he dedicates tP free conver
fation, and the pleafures of the table.
The King of Pruffia is below the middle
fize, well made, and remarkably adive
for his time of life. He has become hardy
by exercife and a laborious life; for his
conftitution originaHy feems to have been
none of the ftrongeft. His look announces
fpirit and penetration. He has fine blue
eyes ; and, In my opinion, his countenance
upon the whole is agreeable. Some wha
have feen him are of a different opinion.
All who judge from his portraits only, muft
be fo ; for although I have feen many
which have a little refemblance of him,
and fome which have a great deal, yet
none of them do him juftice. His features
acquire a wonderful degree of animation
R 3 while

246 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
while he con verfes. —This is entirely loft
upon canvas.
He ftoops confiderably, and Inclines his
head almoft conftantly to ope fide.
His tone of voice Is the cleareft and moft
agreeable in converfation I ever heard.
He fpeaks a great deal ; yet thofe who
he?ir him, regret that he does not fpeak a
great deal nipre. His obfervations are al
ways lively, very often juft, and few men
poffefs the talent pf repartee in greater
perfedipp, He hardly ever varies his drefs, which
confifts of a blue coat, lined and faced with
red, and a yellow waiftcoat and breeches.
He always wears boots, with huffar tops,
which fall in wrinkles about his ancles,
and are ofteper of a dark brown thap a
black colour. His

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 247
His hat would be thought extravagantly
large in England, though it is of the fize
commonly ufed by the Pruffian pfficers of
cavalry. He generally wears one of the
large fide corners over his forehead and
eyes, and the front cock at one fide.
He wears his hair cued behind, and
dreffed with a fingle buckle on each fide;
From their being very carelefly put up
and unequally powdered, we may natural
ly conclude, that the frifeur has been
greatly hurried In the execution of his
office. He ufes a very large gold fnuff-box, the
lid ornamented with diamonds, and takes
an immoderate quantity of Spaniffi fnuff,
the marks of which very often appear on
his waiftcoat and breeches. Thefe are alfo
liable to be foiled by the paws pf two or
three Italian greyhounds, which he often
careffes. R4 He

248 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
He dreffes as foon as he gets up in the
morning. This takes up but a few mi
nutes, and ferves for the whole day. — You
have often heard that the King of Pruffia's
hours from four or five in the morning,
till ten at night, are all dedicated methodi
cally to particular occupations, either of
bufinefs or amufement. This is certain
ly true; and the arrangement has not
fuftained fuch an Interruption for many
years, as fince the prefent company came
to Potfdam.
Some who pretend to more than common
penetration affert, that at prefent they
can perceive marks of tmeafinefs In his
countenance, and feem convinced, that
there will not be fuch another company
at Sans-Souci during this reign.
All bufinefs with the King is tranfaded
by letters. Every petition or propofal
ipufl he made in this form, which is ad-
\ hered

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 249
hered to fo invariably, as I have been af
fured, that if any of his Generals wiffied to
promote a cadet to the rank of an enfign,
he would not venture to make his propofal
in any other manner, even though he had
daily opportunities of converfing with his
Majefty. The meaneft of his fubjeds may apply
to him in writing, and are fure of an
anfwer. His firft bufinefs every morning
is the perufing the papers addreffed to him.
A fingle word wrote with his pencil in
the margin, indicates the anfwer to be
given, which is afterwards made out in
form by his fecretaries.— This method af
fords the King time to deliberate on the
juftice and propriety of every demand, and
prevents the poffibility of his being fur
prifed intP a promife, which it might be
incpnvepient tP perfprm^ He

250 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
He fits down to dinner precifely at noon.
Of late he allows more time to this repaft
than formerly. It Is generally after three
before he leaves the company. Eight or
nine pf his pfficers are commonly invited to
dine with him. Since our coming to .Potf
dam, Count Neffelrode, and the Abbe
Baftiani, two men of letters, were the only
company, befides the officers, who dined
with thf King, while he lived in his ufual
way at the Old Palace of Sans-Souci ; and
thofe two were then of his party almoft
every day. The Cpunt has upw left this
Cpurt; the Abbe has' an apartment in the
Palace. , He is an Italian by birth, a map
pf wit, and an excellent companion.
At table, the King likes that every per
fpn ffipuld appear tP be on a footing, and
that the converfation ffipuld be carried on
with perfed freedom. The thing, by the
way, is Imppffible. That cpnfidential un-
2 reftrained

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 251
reftrained flow of the heart, which takes
place in a fociety of equals, is a pleafure
which a defpotic Prince can never tafte.
However, his Majefty defires that it may
be fo, and they make the beft of it they
can, At one of thefe meetings, when the
King was In a gay humour, he faid to Baf
tiani, — When you ffiall pbtain the tiara,
which your exemplary piety muft one day
procure you, how will you receive me
when I arrive at Rome to pay my duty to
y*our Holinefs? — I will immediately give
orders, replied the Abbe, with great readi-
nefs, Qu'on faffe entrer I'aigle noir,— qu'il
me couvre de fes ailes, mais — qu'il m'epargne
de fon bee,
Nobody fays more lively things in con
verfation than the King himfelf. Many of
his bons mots are repeated here. I ffiall
pnly mention one, which is at once an
inftance

2sa VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
inftance of his wit, and greatnefs of mind,
in rendering juftice to the merit of a man
who has eaufed him more vexation than
perhaps any other perfon alive. — When
the King of Pruffia had a perfonal meeting
fome years fince with the Emperor ; they
always dined together, a certain number of
their principal officers being with theraw
One day. General Laudohn was gbing tO
place himfelf at the bottom of the table,
when the King, who was at the head, called
to him, Venez, je vous en prie, Monfieur
Laudohn, placez vous ici. Jaime infini-
ment mieux vous avoir de mon cote qttfc
¦vis-a-vis. Though all the cordiality of friendffiip,
and the full charms of unreferved fociety,
cannot exift where the fortune of every
other individual depends on the will of one
of the company J yet the King endeavours
to put every pne as much at his eafe as
the nature pf the cafe will admit, and I
have

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 253
have heard of his bearing fome very fevere
retorts with perfed good humpur. He has
too much wit himfelf, and is tPP fond of
it in Pthers, tP repel its attacks with any
other weapons than thofe which it fur-
liiffies. None but the moft abfurd of
dunces could attempt to rally, without be
ing able to allow of raillery ; and only the
meaneft of fouls would- think of revenging
the liberties taken with a companion by the
power of a King.
A very ftriking Inftance of the freedom
which may be ufed with him occurred a
litde. before the late reviews, and what
makes It more remarkable, It happened, not
during the gaiety of the table, but on the
very fcene of military ftrldnefs.
Two regiments were in the field. That
of General  was one of them. This
officer is fond of company, and paffes more
of his time in the fociety of ftrangers, and
with

254 VIEW OF SOCIETY ANO
with the foreign minifters, than moft other^
in the Pruffian fervice. — Something, it is
probable, had chagrined the King that
morning. While, the regiment advanced
In a line, he faid to the General, who ftood
near him, Votre regiment n'eft pas allgnej
Mopfieur  , et ce n'eft pas furprenant,
vous jouez tant aux cartes. The General
called out inftantly with a loud voice to
the regiment, Alte I and they Immediately
ftopped: then, turning to the King, he faid,
II n'eft pas queftion. Sire, de mes cartes —
Mais, ayez la bonte de regarder fi ce re
giment n'eft pas aligPe. — The regiment was
in a very ftraight line, and the King mov
ed away without fpeaking, and feemingly
difpleafed, not with the General, but with
himfelf. — This manly officer never had rea
fon afterwards to believe that the King had
taken his freedom amifs,
I have already faid, that it is abfolutely
impoffible for any man to enjoy an office in

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 255
in the King of Pruffia's fervice without
performing the duty of It. He is himfelf
adive and affiduous, and he makes it a
point that all his minifters and fervants
fhall be fo too. But to thofe who know
their bufinefs, and perform it exadly, he is
an eafy and equitable mafter.
• A gentleman, who has been many years
about his perfon, and is now one of his aid-
fde-camps, affured me of this : — The King
[Underftands what ought to be done : and
his fervants are never exppfed to the ridicu
lous or contradidory orders of ignorance,
or the mortifications of caprice.
His favourites, of whatever kind, never
were able to acquire influence over him in
any thing regarding bufinefs. Nobody
ever knew better how to difcriminate the
merit of thofe who ferve him in the im
portant departments of ftate, from theirs
who contribute to his amufement. A man who

fts6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
who performs the duty of his office with
alertnefs and fidelity, has nothing to appre
hend from the King's being fond of the
company and converfation of his enemy.
Let the one be regaled at the King*s table
every day, while the other never receives a
fingle invitation ; yet the real merit of both
is known :"-and if his adverfary ffiould ever
try to turn the King's favour to the purpofer
of private hatred or malice, the attempt
will be repelled with difdain, and the evil
he intended to another, will fall on him
felf.

MANNERS IN FRANCE^ &L ^57

LETTER LXXVIL
t'oifd^^^j
I^N the days when there is no public
court at Saris-SoucI, we generally dine
with Lord Marechal, whp is always happy
tP fee the *Duke of Hamilton, and Is df
great fervice to all Britiffi fubjeds whild
they remain here or at Berllfif. EXcltifivd
of other reafonS he may have for efteeming
the Duke, his Lprdffiip e\idently difplays
£t kind pf partiality fPr his Grace, as thd
firft man iri point of rank belonging to his
country. This appfear^ in a thoufapd in-
'fiances; for with very liberal fenrimeftte,
and a moft benevolent heart, this venerable
'ifiobleman ftill retalnsr a few CaledoniaiS
prejudices.
•, Vol. II. S fe

258 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
He afked one day of the Duke, If he
reckoned himfelf a Scotchman ? Moft
certainly I do, replied his Grace. By fo
doing you lie under a miftake, faid my
Lord ; for I can affure you, and I am con
vinced the beft lawyers in England will
do the fame, that you .have a much jufter
claim to all the privileges belonging to
your Engliffi title of Brandon, though fome
of them, I fear, are ftill difputed.
It Is to be hoped, faid the Duke, that
the Houfe of Peers will not always refufe
to do my family juftice ; on a thorough
examination of the cafe, I ftill flatter my
felf they will grant me thofe privileges,
which have been, for no valid reafons,
refufed my anceftors. But in the mean
time, why will your Lordffiip, more cruel
than the Peers, deny my birth-right as a'
Scotchman ? , Becaufe

MANNERS IN FRANCE, lit. 259
Beeaufe your birth gives you no fuch
right, replied the Earl ; f6r you in reality
afe hut a North Briton: — unlefs your Grace
Can prove that you were born before
the Union. But, continued he, . with an
air of triumph, I am a real Scotchman :
-¦¦ ¦ ^ —  adding a little after, with
a figh, and in a plaintive accent ^ — 

and almoft the only one In the world -'- —
All the Scots of my acquaintance are noW
dead. The good old Earl is infinitely fond of
talking of his country, and of the days of
former years. When I make any enquiry
about the King of Pruffia, pr concerning
Spain or Italy, In which countries he re
fided fo long, he anfwers with a kind of
complalfant brevity, and Immediately turns
the difcourfe back to Scotland, to which
his heart feems Wonderfully attached.

S3 In

26o VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
In the time of dinner, one of his fer
vants, a ftout hfghlander, generally enter
tains the company by playing on the bag
pipe. I have obferved, that thefe North
Britons (to abide by Lord Marechal's dif
tindion) who are the moft zealous for
the Intereft and honour of their country,
and who value themfelves on being born
north of the Tweed, are particularly, if
pot exclufively, fond of this inftrument.
You will, at leaft, allow that your gallant
friend, Lord Eglintoun, is no exception to
this obfervation ; and perhaps you will ad
mit, that It requires a confiderable degree
of patriotifm, or amor Caledonia, to have
a great reliffi for the melody of a bag
pipe. I called on Lord Marechal one after
noon, juft as the King had left him: for
the monarch, without any form or pre
vious nbtice, fometimes walks through .the
garden, and pays a ffiort vifit to his old
2 friend.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 261
fciend, to whom he has an unalterable
attachment, both from perfonal regard,
and on account of the high eftimation In
which he holds the memory of his brother
Marechal Keith.
Another day I was with the Earl, when
the Princeffes of Pruffia and Heffe, with
Prince Frederic of Brunfwic, all- en
tered and demanded coffee, which my
Lord immediately ordered, with the ad
dition of a couple of melons ; telling -the
Princeffes, he knew they would not ftay
long enough with a man of eighty, to
give time for preparing a better repaft. — ^
Thus favoured by the monarch and the
Princes, you will not doubt that the old
Earl's friendffiip is cultivated by the reft of
I the court.
¦ The Hereditary Prince of Pruffia lives
}p a fmall houfe in the town of Potfdam..
S 3 His

262 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
His appointments do not admit of that /
degree of magnificence, which might be
expeded in the Heir of the crown; — but
he difplays a fpirit of hofpitality far
more obliging than magnificence ; and
doubly meritorious, confidering the very
moderate revenue allowed him. We ge
nerally fup there two or three times a
week. This Prince is not often of the King's
parties, nor Is It imagined that he enjoys
a great ffiare of his uncle's favour. In
what degree he poffeffes the talents of, a
general is not known, as he was too young
to have any command during the late
war. But he certainly has a very juft un
derftanding, which has been Improved by
ftudy. He has taken fome pains to ac
quire the Engliffi language, to which he
was induced by an admiration of fevera^
Engliffi authors, whofe works be had read in

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 263
In French and German. He Is now able
to read Engliffi profe with tolerable faci
lity, and has been of late ftudying Shake-
fpear, having adually read two or three
of his plays.
I took the liberty to obferve, that as
Shakefpear's genius had traced every la
byrinth,, and penetrated into every recefs
of the human heart, his fentiments could
not fail to pleafe his Royal Highnefs ; but,
as his language was uncommonly bold and
figurative, and full of allufions to national
cuftoms, and the planners of our ifland
two centuries ago, the Engliffi themfelves,
who had not made a particular ftudy of his
works, did not always comprehend their
full energy. I added, that to transfufe the
foul of Shakefpear into a tranflation, was
impoffible ; and to tafte all his beauties- In
the original, required fuch a knowledge
of the Engliffi manners and language as
S 4 few

^^4 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
few foreigners, even after a long refidence
in the capital, could attain.
The Prince faid, he was aware of all
this; yet he was determined to ftruggle
hard for fome acquaintance with an au
thor fp much ^jdmlred by the Engliffi na
tipn ; that though he ffiould never be able
tp tafte all his gscellencies, he was pop-
vlpced he ffiould underftand enough to rcr
cpmpence hipi fpr his trouble ; that he had
^Irpady ftudied fpme detached parts, which
|ig t^PlJght fuperlpr tp any thing he had
evermet with in theworksof any other Poet,
pis Royal Hignefs attends to military
bufinefs with as much affiduity as moft
pfficers of the fame rank in the army ; for
in the Pruffian fervice, no degree of emi-
pepce ip the article pf birth can excufe a
yemiffipp In the duties pf that prpfeffipn.
He is much efteemed by the army, and
confidered aa an exceeding gpod officer.
^  ' ^ "^ " Tq

MANNERS IN FRANCE, Ice, 265
Tp the franknefs pf a foldier he joins the
integrity of a German, and is beloved by
the public In general, on account of his
gPod- nature, affability, and humane turn
pf tpind.

t6& VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LXXVIIL Potfdam.
T A M afraid you will think the anecdotes
and converfation which I fometimes
fend you are rather tedious. Your curiofity
about certain charaders has led me into
this pradife ; for I choofe to give you op
portunities of forming an opinion of your
own, rather than to trouble you with mine.
My opinion might very probably be erro
neous; the accounts I give of what I have
feen or heard are aUvays true. And, not
withftanding that the adions and conver-
fations I relate may be apparently of fmall
importance, ftill as the perfons in fome
m'eafure defcribe themfelves, an under
ftanding like yours will be able from thence
to draw jufter ideas of charader than I
could have given. In
9 .

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 267
In a former letter I mentioned the great
difficulty of deferting from a Pruffian gar
rifon, and of what importance it is thought
to prevent it. An accident which happen
ed a few days fince, will give you a ftronger
idea of this than any general account.
Two foldiers of the Prince of Pruffia's
regiment got over the walls in the night
time, with an intention to defert ; but, un
luckily for them, this town ftands on a
penlnfula formed by the river, and the
neck of land is guarded in fuch a manner
that it is almoft impoffible to pafs that way
without permiffion, Thefe men could not
fwim, and they durft not prefent them
felves at any of tbe ferries, becaufe the
boatmen are forbid, under the fevereft
penalties, to connive at the efcape of any
deferters, and ftrldly ordered to affift In
apprehending them. A reward is alfo of
fered, as a greater inducement to this piece
of- fervice.
'i All

258 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
All thefe circumftances being known in
the garrifon, it was imagined that, as none
of the peafants would In\all probability ven
ture to harbour them, they were ftill fl^:ulk-
ing in the fields, among the ftanding corn.
On this fuppofition, parties of men were
employed for three days fucceffively In tra-
verfing the fields, and beating the buffies,
as If they had been in chafe of a hare. Great
numbers of the officers of this regimentj
fome of the higheft rank, rode about for
three or four hours every day, all employ
ed in the fame manner. But not finding
the men, they were at laft convinced that
they had by fome means or other got out
of the penlnfula, and all further fearch was
given up as unneceffary.
On the morning of the .fourth day, thefq
two unfortunate men came and furrender
ed to the guard at one of the gates. Find
ing it impradicable to effed their efcape,
and not daring to enter a houfe, they ^-er^
... '^

MANNERS IN FRANCE, ka. 26§
at length compelled, by hunger and fatigue,
to deliver themfelves up.
Before I ^^lofe this letter, I will give you
an account of an adventure of an affeding
nature, which happened In the King's
family, at the time when all thefe refearches
were made for the two deferters.
The King's principal valet- de- chambre
Was a man confiderably refpeded. Having
conftant opportunities of beipg about the
King's perfon, and having enjoyed his ap
probation for feveral years, people of the
firft rank paid him fome degree of atten
tion. He was liked by his acquaintances,
as I have been told, on account of his per
fonal qualities, and had accumulated a little
fortune by the perquifites of his office. He
had built a houfe near that of my Lord
Marechal, and kept a coach for the ufe of
'his miftrefs.

It

270 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
It was this man's misfortune to difoblige
the King, probably by fome negled of
duty; or it might poffibly be fomething
worfe :— I never could hear exadly how
this had happened : — But while the Prin
ceffes were at the New Palace, the King
had blamed him in very ffiarp terms ; and
not being fatisfied with the excufes the
man made, he told him, that as foon as
the company was gone, he ffiiould be taken
care of.
When the Princeffes went to Berlin, his
Majefty returned to his old palace at Sans-
Souci : and the day after, he fent for an
officer of his guards, and ordered him to
condud this man to Potfdam, and place
him in the quality of a drummer in the
firft regiment of fopt- guards.
The pppr man endeavpured to pacify
his mafter by prayers and entreaties, but
"Without fuccefs. — He then faid to the of
ficer,

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 271
ficer, that there were fome things in his
room which he wiffied to put In prder be-
fpre he went, and defired that he might be
allpwed a little time for that purpofe. The
pfficer readily affented, and as fppn as this
defperate man had entered his own apart
ment, he felzed a piftol, which he had
prepared from the time the King had
threatened him, and immediately ffiot him
felf through the head. The report of the
piftpl alarmed the King and the off.cer.»^
They both went Into the rppm, and fpund
the pppr creature expiring.
Thpugh the King certainly had no idea
that his valet would ffioot himfelf; and
though, it is moft probable, he would not
have allowed him to remain long In the
fituation to which, in a fit of refentment,
he had condemned him ; — yet there is
fomething exceedingly harffi in daffiing a.
man at once from a fituation of eafe and
refped, Into a fphere of life fp very diffe rent.

iji View OF SOCIETY AND
rent. — Such an order was more becoming
the fury of an intemperate defpot, than the
dignity of fo great and fo wife a monarch
as the King of Pruffia.
I converfed with a perfon who had been
at Sans-Souci immediately after this me
lancholy event. — He faid the King feemed
to be very much affeded. — If he felt it as
he ought, he was an objed of compaffion ;
if he did not, he was ftill more fo, for no-*
thing can be a greater misfortune to a matt
than to want humanity, ; j

MA^NNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 273

LETTER L2iXlX.
Drefden.
T Believe I negleded to mention in any of
¦*¦ my letters from Berlin, that when I
, vifited the manufadory of porcelain, I was
fo much ftruck with the beauty of fome
of it, that I ordered a fmall box for you.
But as I take It to be a matter of Indiffe
rence, whether you'fip your tea out of the
china you have already, or this, you may
fend it as a prefent to the female you love
and efteem moft. If by this diredion It
ffiould not go ftraight from you to Mifs
 , pray let me know to whom you fend
it. The fador at Hamburgh will give you
notice when he ffiips it off.
I did not imagine that this manufadory
had arrived at fuch a degree of perfedion
Vol. II. T as

274: VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
as it has in feveral places in Germany,
particularly at Brunfwic and Berlin. .The
parcel I have ordered for you, is thought
equkl to the fineft made at Drefden.
The day we left Potfdam we dined with
good Lord Marechal, who took leave of
the Duke, with an emotion which at
once marked his regard for his Grace, and
his fears that he ffiould never fee him
again. If I Were ftrongly in a humour for de
fcription, our journey through the moft
beautiful and moft fertile part of Germany
would afford me a fair opportunity. I not
only could ring over the whole chimes of
woods, meadows, rivers, and mountains,
rich crops of grain, flax, tobacco, and hops^
I might animate the landfcapes with a
copious breed of horfes, black cattle, ffieep,
wild- boars, and venifon, and vary the de
fcription with the marble, precious ftones, and

M ANNERS In FRANCE, &c. 27S
and mines of lead, copper, iron, and filver,
which Saxony contains within its bowelf.
I might expatiate on the fine china ware,
and fine women, that abound In this coun
try, formed of the finefl: clay in Germany,
et tres joliment travaille'es; — but I am long
fince tired pf defcription, and therefore beg
leave to convey you at once from Potfdam
to Drefden.
Having been prefented to the Eledor
and Eledrefs by Mr. Offiorn, the Britiffi
minifter here, we had the honour of dining
with them the fame day. The Eledrefs is
young, tall, well-made, and lively. — We
were afterwards prefented to the Eledrefs
Dowager, and to the Princefs Elizabeth,
the Eledor 's aunt, to the Princefs,, his
fifter, and to his three brothers, the eldeft
of whpm has loft the ufe of his legs, and
is moved about the rpom in a chair with
wheels. T 2 The

276 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
The court was numerous and fplendid.
In the evening there was card playing for
about two hours. The Duke of Hamilton
was of the Eledrefs's party, while I played
two rubbers at whift with one of the
Princeffes, againft the Eledrefs Dowager
and the Princefs Elizabeth. — I have never
feen deep gaming at any of the German
courts. — What has approached neareft to it,
has been at mafquerades, or where the
Sovereign was not prefent.
Drefden, though not one of the largeft,
is certainly one of the moft agreeable cities
in Germany, whether we confider its -fitu
ation, the magnificence of its palaces, or
the beauty and conveniency of the houfes
and flreets. This city is built on both fides
of the Elbe, which Is of a confiderable
breadth here. The magnificent and com
modious manner in which the two oppofite
parts of the town are joined, adds greatly
to its beauty. I There

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 277,
There is an equeftrian ftatue of King
Auguftus, in a kind of open place or fquare,
between the old city and the new. The
workmanffiip is but indifferent ; however,
I was defired by our Cicerone to admire
this very much, becaufe  it was made:
by a common fmlth. I begged to be ex-
cufed, telling him that I could nOt admire
it, had it been made by Michael Angelo. '
E|i 'Few Princes In Europe are fo magni
ficently lodged as the Eledor of Saxony.
The Palace and Mufeum have been often
defcribed. — The laft was begun by the
Eledor Auguftus, and ftill retains the name
of the Green Room, though it now confifts
of feveral apartments, all painted green, in
Imitation of the firft. I will not enume
rate the prodigious number of curiofities,
natural and artificial, to be feen there. Some
of the laft are curious, only becaufe they
gire invifible to the human eye. Of this
T 3 number.

2^8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
number, is a cherry ftone, upon which, by
the help of a microfcope, above a hurtdred
faces may be diftinguiffied. Undoubtedly
thefe little mechanical whims difplay the
labour, perfeverance, and minute attention
of the workman; but I cannot think they
are proofs of the wifdom of thofe who
could employ artifts'to fo litde purpofe.
Let the aftonlffiing minutiae of nature be
admired through microfcopes ; but furely
nothing is a proper work for the hands, of
man, which cannot be feen by the unaided
human eye.
A work of the jeweller Dinglinger,
which reprefents the celebration of the
Mogul's birth-day, is much admired. The
Mogul fitting on his throne, his grandees
and guards, with a great many elephants,
are all exhibited upon a table about an ell
fquare. This work employed Dinglinger,
and fome affjftants, above ten years. Do
not

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 279
^ot you think this was leaving fo inge
nious an artlft a little too long in the Mo
gul's fervice?
A fimple lift of every thing valuable
-and curious in this Mufeum, would exceed
the bounds of one of my longeft letters >
I ffiall therefore pafs them all over ip
filence, except the ftory of the prophet
Jonah, which it would be impious to omit.
The ffiip, the whale, the prophet, and
the fea-ffiore, are all reprefented In pearl ;
hut the fea and rocks are in a different kind
of ftone, though, in my opinion, there
was no occafion to vary the materials :
for furely there is as great a difference be*
tween a prophet and a whale, as between
A whale and a rock. So that if the firft
two could be reprefented with the fame
materials, I do not think it was worth
while to change the compofition for the
third. T 4 The

28o VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
The gallery of pidures Is h'g'^ly efteem-.
ed. To enumerate the particular merits
of each, would fill many volumes, and re
quires a far greater knowledge of painting
than I can pretend to. The moft valuable
pieces are by Corregio and Rubens. There
are three or four by the former, and of his
moft capital works ; and a very confiderable
number by the latter. The ftrength and
expreffion of this great artift's pencil, the
natural glow of his colouring, and the fer
tility of his fancy deferve the higheft en
comiums. Yet one cannot help regretting,
that he had fo violent a paffion for fat
women. 1 hat kind of nature which he
had feen early in life in his own country,
had laid fuch hold of his imagination, that
it could not be eradicated by all the ele
gant models he afterwards ftudied In
Italy. Some of his female figures in
this gallery are fo much of the Dutch
make, and fo fat, that it Is rather op-
preffive

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 28^'
preffive to lopk at them in this very hpt
weather. In the Mufeum, within the Palace, there
is a moft complete cofledipn of prints, from
the commencement of tlie art of engraving
^jll the prefent thae^

282 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LXXX;
» Drefden.
TVT OTHING feems clearer to me, than
that a fortified town ffiould have no
palaces within It, and no fuburbs without.
As the city of Drefden has both, it would
have been well for the Inhabitants, during
the laft war, that the town had been en
tirely without fortifications. In the year
1756, when the King of Pruffia thought
it expedient to invade Saxony, he made
himfelf mafter of this city, and kept
peaceable poffeffion of it till. 1758, when
Marechal Daun, after the battle of Ploch-
kirchen, threatened to befiege it. The
Pruffian General Schmettau began his de
fence by burning part of the fuburbs.
The Saxons and Auftrians exclaimed at
this meafure, and Daun threatened to
make

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 283
make the governor anfwerable, in his own
perfon, for fuch defperate proceedings*-
Count Schmettau Was totally regardlefs of
their exclamations and threats, and feemed
attentive only to the orders of the King
his mafter. He gave Marechal Daun to
underftand, that the remaining fuburbs
would ffiare the fate of thofe already de
ftroyed, if he perfifted in attacking the
town. The King appearing foon after, the
Auftrians retreated into Bohemia:
The inhabitants of Drefden, and all Sax
ony, were now In a very difmal fituation,
and found their hardffiips increafe in pro
portion to the fuccefs of their friends
and allies ; for whatever exadions were
raifed in the King of Pruffia's dominions
by the Auftrians and Ruffians, the like
were impofed by way of retaliation on the
miferable Saxons. A people muft be in a
deplorable ftate Indeed, when the fuccefs of
their enemies is the moft fortunate thing
which can befal them. In

2«4 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
, In 1759, after the dreadful batde of
Cunerfdorf, near Frankfort on the Oder,
the King of Pruffia being neceffitated to
repair the flaughterof that day, withdrew
the pruffian garrjfon from Drefden, which
then fell into the hands of the Imperialifts,
But' the calamities of this city did not end
here; fpr his Pruffian Majefty having de-
Qeived Marechal Daun by a very mafterly
feint, while he feemed to bend his courfe
for Sileafia, he wheeled fuddenly about,
and threatened Drefden, which Marechal
Daun had abandoned, in the full convic
tion, that the King had marched to the
relief of Schweidnitz. While the Auftri
ans hurried on by forced marches into Si
lefia, the King attacked Drefden, which
was refoiutely defended by General Mac-
quire. Every poffible effort was made to reduce
this city before Count Daun ffiould return
to its relief jrr-and the wretched citizens were

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 285
were expofed to a continued cannonade and
bombardment. This perhaps was jpftl-
fiable by the laws of war, as long as there
were hopes that the town might be
brought to furrender by fuch means. —
But the enemies of his Pruffian Majefty
affert, that the bombardment was conti
nued, and churches, fine buildings, and
whole ftreets, laid In affies, even after
Marechal Daun's return ; and when thefe
vindldive proceedings could only tend to
the ruin and ^deftrudlon of private people
withput contributing in the fmalleft de
gree to the reducing the town, or being of
any ufe to the public caufe.
Many of thefe houfes ftill lie In rub-
biffi ; but the inhabitants are gradually
rebuilding, and probably all the ruined
.ftreets will be repaired before a new war
breaks out in Germany. While they re
build the houfes, I cannot help thinking
it would be fortunate for the proprietors, thet

236 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
that they were allowed to deftroy the for
tifications, which perhaps might be placed
with more advantage around fome towns
en the frontiers.
The curious manufadory of porcelain
fuffered confiderably by the Pruffian bom
bardment. The Eledor has a complete
colledion of the fineft pieces, from the
firft attempts made here In this elegant
work, to the lateft improvements. This,
Independent of the beauty of many of the
pieces. Is a matter of real curiofity, as
It marks the progrefs of Ingenuity and in
vention. Our morning-walk is in the gardens of
the late Count Bruhli fituated on the high
banks of the Elbe. Nothing can be ima
gined more delightful than the view from
a lofty terrace in thefe gardens. The
Count's magnificent houfe Is now ftript
of many of its greateft ornaments. The
fine cplledlpn pf paintings has been fpld to

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. nSj
to the Em prefs of Ruffia for 150,000 rix-
dollars. The library, which is in the gar
den, is two hundred and twenty feet long.
I am not certain, whether it was abfo
lutely neceffary to have fo large a room
for containing this nobleman's books ; but
it muft have required one of that fize at
leaft for his wardrobe, if the account that
is given of it be juft. They tell us, that
the Count had at leaft three hundred dif
ferent fuits of clothes ; each of thefe had a
duplicate, as he always ffiifted his clothes
after dinner, and did not choofe that his
drefs ffiould appear different in the after
noon from what it had been in the morn
ing. A painting of each fuit, with the
particular cane and fnuff-box belonging to*
It, was very accurately drawn In a large
book, which Was prefented to his Excel
lency every morning by his Valet de' Cham
bre, that he might fix upon the drefs in
which he wiffied to appear for the day.
This minifter was accufed of having accu-
9 mulated

288 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
mulated a great fortune. The reverfe
of this, however, is true. His houfe and
gardens belong now to the Eledor.
The Saxon troops make a very fine ap
pearance. The men in general are hand
fome and well made. Neither they nor
their officers are fo very upright and ftlff
In their manners, as the Pruffians. Hav
ing been fo long accuftomed to thefe laft,
this difference ftruck me very ftrongly at
firft fight. The uniform of the guards is
red and yellow ; that of the marching re
giments white. The foldiers, during the
fummer, wear only waiftcoafts, even when
they mount guard ; and always _ appear
extremely neat and clean. The ferjeants,
befides their other arms, have a large piftol.
This is fo commodioufly faftened to the
left fide, that it gives no trouble. The
band of mufic belonging to the Saxon
guards is the moft complete and the fineft
I ever faw.
I I do

MANNERS IN France, ka; iS^
1 do not exped to receive any accounts
from you tiU we arrive at Vienna ; but I
fhall probably write again from Prague,
for which place we intend to fet out to
morrow.

Vol. II. U

29,0 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LXXXI. Prague,
T> OK EM I A, though by no means fo
fertile, or fo fine a country as Saxony,
does not deferve the bad charader which
fpme travellers have given it. 1 thought
many places very beautiful, and varied with
the moft agreeable rural objeds.
Prague, the capital of Bohemia, ftands
in a hollow, furrounded on all fides with
hills. Thofe neareft the town, and which
command it, are comprehended within the
fortifications. It is a very large town, re
taining fome marks of former fplendpr, but
many mpre evident fymptoms of prefent
decay — Symptoms which naturafly attend
thofe places which once have been the refi
dence of rpyalty, and are fp np mpre. All

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 291
All the houfes, with any appearance of
magnificence, are old, and it Is not pro
bable that any new ones will be built In
that ftyle: for the Bohemian nobility, who
are In circumftances to bear fuch an ex-
pence, live at Vienna, and the trade and
manufadutes of this town are not fufficient
to enable any of the mercantile people to
build fine houfes.
In whatever degree this city may have
dwindled in wealth and magnificence, the
piety of the inhabitants certainly flouriffies
as much as ever. I do not recoiled to
have feen fo many glaring marks of devo
tion In any place. The corners of the
ftreets, bridges, and public buildings, are
all ornamented with crucifixes, images of
the Virgin of all fizes and complexions,
and ftatues of Saints of every country, con
dition, age, and fex. People are to be
feen on their knees before thefe ftatues in
every part of this city, but particularly on
U 5? the

292 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
the large bridge over the Moldaw, where
there is the greateft concourfe of paffen-
gers. This bridge is fo profufely adorned
with the ftatues of Saints, that, croffing over
It, you have a row of them on each fide,
like two ranks of mpfketeers.
Travellers, efpecially fuch as arrive di
redly from Berlin, muft be aftoniffied at
the people's devotion in this city, in a par
ticular manner at the vehemence with
which it Is expreffed by thofe who exhibit
before the Saints upon the bridge.
Not contented with kneeling, I faw fome
proftrate themfslves on their faces, kiffing
the earth ; and others, who offered their
petitions to thefe Saints with fuch earneft-
nefs and fervour, that, if their hearts had
not been of ftone, they muft have paid
more attendon to the petitioners than they
feemed to do. There

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 29s
There is one faint who has more votaries
than all the reft put together — Saint Ne-
pomuc, I think they call him: — As my
acquaintance with Saints is not extenfive, I
never heard of him till I came hither,
but his reputation is very great in this
town. This faint, it feems, was ordered
by fome cruel tyrant, to be thrown over a
bridge, and his neck was broke by the fall,
and he Is fuppofed to retain a particular
affedion for bridges ever fince ; an effed
fomething different from what was to
have been expeded from the caufe; how
ever, the people here are perfuaded, that fo
It happened to Saint Nepomuc; and to put
the fad beyond controverfy, he is at this
moment the tutelar Saint of bridges;—
almoft all thofe in Bohemia are dedicated
to him. He has alfo the reputation of ex
celling every Saint in heaven in the cure
of barrennefs in women. — How his 'cha
rader for this was eftabliffied, I did not
enquire. Us ix

»94 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
It is a melancholy refledion, that the
wealthy are m or ^ carelefs about religious
duties than the indigent, and that poverty
and piety are fo often linked together. I
often obferved, when we ftopped at any
town or village, which had fymptoms of
great poverty, that the inhabitants feemed
alfo unufually devout.
It would appear, that hope is a more
powerful fentiment in the human breaft
than gratitude, fince thofe who ought to
feel the greateft thankfulnefs to Heaven,
difplay the leaft.
We found an acquaintance at Prague
when we leaft expeded It; for as the Duke
of Hamilton and I ftood talking in the
ftreets, a prieft, who belongs to a feminary
of learning in this town, overheard us; up
on which he ftopped, and after looking at
us very earneftly for fome time, he at
length came up, and addreffed us in thef^
words:

¦;» ,,*.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 295
words : — I do affure you now, I am an
Iriffi man too. This eafy kind of introduc
tion foon produced a degree of Intimacy ;
I afked, how he knew fo readily that we
were Iriffi ? Am I not after hearlflg you
fpeak Engliffi, my dear ? replied the honeft
prieft, for he really was a very honeft ob
liging fellow, and the moft ufeful and en*
tertalning Cicerone we could have had at
Prague. After having vifited the royal apart
ments, they ffieWed us the window in the
fecretary of ftate's office, from whence
three noblemen were thrown in the year
1618. This was rather a violent mode of
turning out the people in power ; but It is
probable the party in oppofition had tried
gentler means in vain.
As one great ufe of hiftory is to furnlffi
leffons and examples, by which pofterity
in all ages may profit, I do not think it
U 4 would

5p6 .VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
would be amifs to remind your friends In
adminiftration of this adventure, that they
may move off quietly before their op
ponents take defperate meafures. For it
has beep obferved, that the enemies of
tottering ftatefmen are much more adive
than their friends, who when things
come tP the laft pufh, are apt tp ftand
aloof, (
Like people viewing, at a diflance,.
Three men thrown out of a cafement,
,Who never ftir to their affiftance,
^Vit juft afford them their amazement.
In cafe however a fimilar outrage ffiould be
threatened In England, it is to be hoped
that Apollo (as he was wont of old
when any of his friends wer? in danger)
will interpofe with a cloud, a.nd fave,
the Minifter; for, in the prefent fcarcity
pf wit and gopd-humour. It would be a
thopfand pities to iof? a, piap fp mucl^
diftip-

MANNERS IN FRANC^j &c. %57
diftinguiffied for both, at one defperate
throw.

We walked over the heights, from which
the Pruffians attempted to carry the town,
immediately after the defeat of Prince
Charles of Lorraine and Count Brown.
The bombardment of this town was a
more defenfible meafure than that of Dref
den; for while the army within were
under the dejedion natural after the lofs
of a battle, and unprepared for a fiege
It might be fuppofed, that the confufion
and terror produced by the bombardment,
joined to the vaft confumption of pro-
vifions by fuch a numerous garrifon, would
induce the befieged to furrender. But al
though the King's humanity has not been
called in queftion for his condud here,
I have heard many military men cenfure
him for want of prudence, particularly
on account of his defperate attempt at
Kolin,

298 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
Kolin, when, leaving the half of his army
to continue the blockade of Prague, he
marched with little more than thirty thou
fand men, and attacked an army of double
that number, ftrongly fituated, and com
manded by one of the ableft generals of
the age.
After all, it is more than probable, that
the King had very good reafons for his
condud. But as the attempt was unfuc-
cefsful, and as the fad reverfe of the Pruffian
affairs may be dated from that epoch, the
voice of cenfure has been very loud in
blaming an adion, Which would have been
exalted to the fkies had it been crowned
with fuccefs. If Hannibal had by any ac
cident been defeated at Cannse, It is very
poffible, that hiftorians would have found
put many reafons why he ffiould not have
fought that battle, and would have en
deavoured to prove, that his former vic
toria' «^

manners in FRANCE, &c. 299
tories had been gained by chance, and
that_^he was a mere Ignoramus in the art
of war. Adieu, my good friend ; I wiffi you good
luck in all your undertakings, that you may
continue to be reckoned by the world, a
pian of prudenge.

300 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LXXXIL Vienna.
v-^N arriving, at Vienna, the poftillions
^^ drive diredly to the Cuftom-houfe,
where the baggage undergoes a very fevere
fcrutiny, which neither fair words nor
money can mitigate. As nothing contra
band was found among our baggage, if
was all carried diredly to our lodgings,
except our books, which were retained to
be examined at leifure, and were not re-
ftored to us till fome time after. The Em-
prefs has given ftrid orders, that no books
of impiety, lewdnefs, or immorality, ffiall
be allowed to enter her dominions, or be
circulated among her fubjeds ; and Maho
met himfelf dares as foon appear publicly at
Vienna as any one of them, Unfortu-

MAlSfNERS IN FRANCE, &c. jo^
Unfortunately for us. Sir Robert Keith
is lately gone to England, and Is not exped
ed back for feveral months . We have reafon
to regret the abfence of fo agreeable and fo
worthy a man; but every advantage we
could have received from him as a minifter,
has been fupplled by his fecretary, Mr.
Erneft; who has introduced us to the Count
Degenfeldt, ambaffador from the States-
General. This gendeman furniffied us with
a lift of the vifits proper to be made, and
had the politenefs to attend the Duke of
Hamilton on this grand tour.
The firft day we waited on Prince Kau
nitz, we were invited to dine, and foupd a
very numerous company at his hpufe; many
pf whom, as I afterwards underftood, had
been prepoffeffed in our favour, by the po
lite and obliging letters which the Baron de
Swieten had written from Berlin.
Some of the principal families arc at
their feats in the country, which we ffiould
3 have

3&2 View of society and
have more reafon to regret, were it not
for the politenefs and hofpitality of the
Count and Countefs Thune, at whofe houfe,
or that of their fifter the Countefs Walftein,
there Is an agreeable party every evening ;
among whom is the Vlfcount de Laval,
brother to the Marquis, whom I had the
honour of knowing at Berlin. The Vlf
count has been as far north as Peterffiurg,,
and intends to make the tour of Italy before
he returns to France.
The city of Vienna, properly fo called.
Is not of very great extent; nor can it be
enlarged, being limited by a ftrong fortifica
tion. This town ,is very populous : It is
thought to contain above feventy thoufand
inhabitants. The ftreets in general are nar
row, and the houfes built high. Some of
the public buildings and palaces are mag
nificent ; but they appear externally to no
great advantage, on account of the nar-
rownefs of the ftreets. The chief are the
8 Imperial

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 3.03
Imperial Palace, the Library and Mufeum*
the: palaces of the Princes Lichtenftein,
Eugene, and fome others, which I know
you will excufe me from enumerating or
defcribing. There is no great danger that Vienna
will ever again be fubjeded to the Incon-
venlencies of a fiege. Yet, In cafe the
thing ffiould happen, a meafure has been
taken, which will prevent the neceffity of
deftroying the fuburbs: No houfes with
out the walls are allpwed tp-be built nearer,
tP the glacis than fix hundred yards ; fo
ffiat there is a circular field pf fix hupr
dred paces broad all around the town^,
which, exclufive pf the advantage abpve
mentlpned, has a very beautiful and falu
tary effed. Beyond the plain, the fuburbs
are built. — They form a very extenfive and
magnificent tPwn, pf an irregularly circular
form, cpntaining within its bpfpm a fpa
cious field, which, has for its centre the
original tPwn of Vienna. Thefe

304 VIEW OF SOCIETY ANO
Thefe magnificent fuburbs, and the towil
together, are faid to contain above three
hundred thoufand Inhabitants ; yet thd
former are not near fo populous, in pro
portion to their fize, as the town ; becaufe
many houfes of the fuburbs have extenfive
gardens belonging to them, and many fa
milies, who live during the winter within
the fortifications, pafs the fummer months
in the fuburbs.
Monfieur de Breteuil, the French am
baffador, lives there at prefent. The Duke
and I dined at his houfe a few days ago.
This gentleman was attached to the Due
de Cholfeul, and had been appointed am
baffador to this court, In which charader
he was about to fet out from Paris, when
that minifter was difmlffed by the late King
of France ; upon which M. de Breteuil,
inftead of Vienna, was fent to Naples.
But fince the new King's acceffion, he has
been eftabliffied at the court for which he
wa$

MANNERS IN FRANCE, kc. jjoj
was originally intdnded. He is a man of
talents, and not calculated for a fituation Iri
which talents have little or no room for
exertion. About a Week after our arrival at VIennJti
we had the honour of being prefented to
the Emperor. The Count Degenfeldt ac
companied us to the palace between nine
and ten In the morning, Aftdr walking a
few minutes in an adjoining room, we were
conduded Into that where the Emperor was
alone. His manner is affable, eafy, and
gracefully plain.
The fame forenoon we drove to Schorf^
hlun, a palace about a league from Vienna,
where the Emprefs refides at prefent. I had
no fmall curiofity to fee the celebrated Maria
Therefa, whofe fortunes have Interefled Eu
rope for fo many years. Her magnanimity
in fupporting the calamities to which the
early part of her life was expofed, and the
Vol. II. X moderation

3o6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
moderation with which ffie has borne pro-
fperity, have fecured to her univerfal appro-
batlpn. She alfo was alone when we were
prefented. She converfed for fome time
with the Duke of Hamilton in an eafy and
cheerful manner, and behaved to all with
an affable dignity. She now poffeffes but
fmall remains of that beauty for which ffie
was diflinguiffied in her youth ; but her
countenance indicates benevolence and
good-humour. I had often heard of the
fcrupulous etiquette of the Imperial court,
but have found every thing diredly op
pofite to that account.
Prince Kaunitz having feen ayoung Eng
liffi gentleman fcarcely fourteen years of age,
whom the Duke of Hamilton patronizes, and
who has accompanied us on this lour, the
Prince defired that he alfo might be pre
fented to the Emperor a^nd Emprefs, which
was accordingly done, and they both re
ceived him in the moft gracious manner. I men-

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 307
I mention this circumftance as a ftrong
proof how far they are fuperior at this
court to trifling pundillos, and how greatly
they have relaxed in ceremony fince the
acceffion of the Lorrain family.
Two or three days after this, we were
prefented at a full court, to the two un
married Arch-Ducheffes, their fifter the
Princefs Albert of Saxony, and the Princefs
of Modena, who is married to the Em
peror's brother. The laft couple are lately
arrived from Milan on a vifit to the Em
prefs. The Imperial family are uncommonly
well-lookingi and have a very ftrong refem
blance to each other. They are all of a fair
complexion, with large blue eyes, and fome,
of them, particularly the Arch-duke,' are dif
tinguiffied by the thick lip fo long remarked
in the Auftrian family. The beautiful
Queen of France is the handfomeft of this
X 2 familyji

3o8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
family, only becaufe ffie is the youngeftj
fome people. think that her fifter the Prin
cefs Albert has ftill the advantage.
One of the unmarried Arch-dlicheffes,
who formely was thought the moft beau
tiful, has fuffered confiderably by the fmall-
pox — A lady of the court told me, that, as
foon as this princefs underftood what her
difeafe was, ffie called for a looking- glafs,
and with unaffeded pleafantry took leave of
thofe features ffie had often heard praifed,
and which ffie believed would be greatly
changed before ffie ffiould fee them again.
The diminution which the fmall-pox has
made in the beauty of this Princefs, has not
in the fmalleft degree Impaired her good-
humour, or the effential part of her cha
rader, which by every account is perfedly
amiable. When the King of Pruffia faw his army
defeated at Cunerfdorf, after he had written
i to

MANNERS IN FRANCE, Sec. 309
to the Queen that he was fure of vldory ;
or when any of thofe monarchs, of whom
hiftory gives examples, were daffied frPm
their thrones to a ftate of dependence or
captivity, unqueftionably it required great
ftrength of mind to bear fuch cruel reverfes
of fortune ; but perhaps it requires more in
a woman, whofe beauty is admired by one
half of the human race, and envied by the
other, to fupport Its lofs with equanimity
jb all the pride of youth. — If thofe veteran'
" beauties, who never had any thing but their
faces to give them importance, whom we
fee ftill withering on the ftalk, and repining
that they cannot retain the-bloom of May
in the froft of December, had met with
fuch an accident, it would probably have
killed- them at once, and faved them many
years of defpifed exiftence.

X3

310 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LXXXIII. Vienna,
TT Never paffed my time more agreeably
^ than fince I came to Vienna. There Is
not fuch a conftant round of amufements as
to fill up a man's time without any plan or
occupation pf his own j and yet there i^^
enough to fatisfy any mind not perfedly
vacant and dependent on external objeds.— r?
We dine abroad two or three times a week.
We fometimes fee a little play, but never
any deep gaming. — —At the Countefs
Thune's, where I generally pafs the evening,
there Is no play of any kind.— The fpciety
there literally forrp a converfazipne.
I dare fay, you will be at a lofs to Imagine
hPw a mixed company, fometimes pretty
pvimerpus, can pafs feveral hpurs every
eyenip^.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, Ice. 3H
evening, merely in converfing, efpecially
when you are told that the converfation is
not always fplit into parties and tete-a-tetes;
but is very often general. You will fufped
there muft be many melancholy paufes,
which, after a certain length, are prolonged,
from the reludance of people to be the firft
breakers of a very fblemn filence ; or you
may think that fometimes there will be fo
many tongues moving at once, that nothing
can be heard diftindly ; and you may pof- '
fibly figure to yourfelf the lady of the houfe
at other times endeavouring, by formal ob
fervations on the weather, or politics, to
keep alive a converfation which is juft ex
piring in all the yawnings of death.
Nothing of this kind, hpwever, happens.
The Countefs has the art of entertaining a
company, and of making them entertain one
another, more than any perfon 1 ever knew.
With a great deal of wit, and a perfed
knowledge of the world, ffie poffeffes the
X 4 moft

312 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
moft difinterefted heart. She is the firft to
difcover the good qualities of her friends,
and the laft who lees their foibles. One of
her greateft pleafures is to remove prejudices
from amongft her acquaintances, and tp
promote friendffiips. She has an everlafting
flow pf fpirjts, which ffie manages with fuch
addrefs as tp delight the gay, without dif-
pleafing the dejeded,, I never knew ^ny
body hayp fuch a number of friends, and fo
much generous friendffiip to beftow on each ;
She is daily making new ones, vvithout al
lowing her regard for the old to diminifh,
She has formed a little fyftem of happinefs
a,t her, Own houf?, herfelf- heing the centrg
pf attradion and union. Nobody is updef
the leaft neceffity of remaining a moment
in this fociety after being tired. — They ifpay
retire when they pleafe.— No more notice is
taken of the entries or exits of any perfon
who has been once received, than of a fly's
coming in or going out of the room. — There
is not the fhadow pf reftraint. — If you go
every

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 313
every night, you are always treated with
equal kindnefs; and if you ftay away for a
month, you are received on your return
with the fame cheerfulnefs as if you had
been there every evening.
The Engliffi who come to this place are
in a particular manner obliged to this fa
mily, not only for the polite reception they
generally meet with, but alfo for the oppor
tunities this affords them of forming an
acquaintance with the principal people at
Vienna. And I Imagine there is no city In
Europe where a young gentleman, after his
univerfity education Is finiffied, can pafs a
year with fo great advantage ; becaufe, if
properly recommended, he may mix, on an
eafy footing, with people of rank, and have
opportunities of Improving by the converfa
tion of fenfible men and accompliffied wo
men. In no capital could he fee fewer ex
amples, or have fewer opportunities of deep
gaming.

314 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
gaming, open profligacy, or grofs de
bauchery. He may learn to pafs his time
agreeably, independentof a continued round
of amufements.— He may be gradually led
to enjoy rational converfation, and at length
acquire the bleffed faculty of being fatisfied
with moderate pleafures.
To the politenefs of the Countefs Thune,
and the recommendation of the Baron
Swieten, I am Indebted for the agreeable
footing I am on with Prince Kaunitz, who
at prefent lives at Laxenberg, a pleafant
village about ten miles from Vienna,
where there is a fmall palace and very
extenfive park, belonging to the Imperial
family. -Prince Kaunitz has lately built a houfe
there, and lives in a ftyle equally hofpitable
and magnificent. He is not to be feen be
fore dinner by any but people on bufinefs ;
but

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 315
but he always has a pretty large company
at dinner, and ftill greater numbers from
Vienna pafs their evenings at Laxenberg ;
not unfrequently the Emperor himfelf makes
one of the company. This minifter has
epjoyed the favour of the Emprefs for many
years. He was her envoy at the treaty of
Aix la Chapelle in 1748, and has been of
her cabinet council ever fince. At prefent
he is minifter for all foreign affairs, and is
fuppofed to have greater influence with her
than any other perfon.
He Is certainly a man of knowledge,
genius, and fidelity, and the affairs of this
court have profpered greatly under his ma
nagement. His friends are very much at
tached to him, and he ffiews great difcern
ment in difcovering, and employing men of
talents. He is the friend and patron of
Monf de Swieten. It is fuppofed that he
gdvifed and negociated the French alliance,
t yet

3i6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
yet he has alv/ays had a ftrong partiality in-
favour of the Britiffi nationl— He has fome
fingularities ; but as they do not affed any
effential part of his charader, they need not
be mentioned.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, Sec. 317

LETTER LXXXIV. Vienna.
T Had the pleafure of yours by the laftpoftj
wherein you inform me that our ac
quaintance C  talks of fetting out for
Vienna very foon. As nothing is fo tirefome
as the company of one who is continually
tired of himfelf, I ffiould be alarmed at your
information, were I not abfolutely certain
that his ftay here will be very ffiort, come
when he will.
C — called at my lodgings one morning
the fummer before I had left London. — I
had remained in town merely becaufe I had
no particular bufinefs elfewhere; — but he
affured me, that the town was a defert ; —
that it was ffiameful to be feen in the
ftreets ;— that all the world was at Bright-
helmftone. — •

3i8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
helmftone. — So I allowed him to condud
me to that place, where we had remained
only a few days, when he told me, that none
of the people he cared for were there ; and
as i had nothing particular to detain me, he
begged as a favour that 1 would accompany
him to Tunbridge. — We went accordingly,
and to my great fatisfadion I there found
Mr. N  's family. C — remained pretty
quiet for about four days ;— he yawned a
good deal on the fifth ; — and on the fixtb,
I thought he would have diflocated his
jaws. As he perceived I was pleafed with
the place, and would take none of his hints
about leaving It, he at laft pretended that
he had received a letter which made it ab
folutely neceffary for him to fet out for
London:— and away he went.
I ftaid three weeks at Tunbridge. — On my
return to town, I underftood that C — had
taken a genteel furniffied houfe for the fum
mer in Yoikffiire, where he had already paffed

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 319
pafled a week, having previoufly engaged a
female friend to gp abng with him. — He
left word in town, that he was not to be:
expeded till the meeting of parliament.
Though I never imagined that he would
remain quite fo long, yet I was a little fur
prifed to fee him enter my room two days
after I had received this account. — He told
me, he was quite difgufted with his houfe,
and more fo with his companion : — and be
fides, he had taken a violent fancy to go to
Paris, which you know, added he, is the
moft delightful place in the world, efpecially
in fummer ; for the company never think
of rambling about the country like pur
giddy fools In England, but remain toge
ther in the capital as fenfible people ought
to do.He then propofed that we ffiould pack
up a few things, — take poft, — pafs over, —
and fpend a couple of months at Paris.
Finding I did not reliffi the propofal, he
wrote

32b VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
wrote an apology to the lady in Yorkffiirej
with an inclofed bank bill, and fet out next
day by himfelf. I heard no more of him
for fix weeks, but at the end of that time
happening to be at Bath, I faw my friend
C — enter the pump- room.-^'Egad, faid he^
you were wife to ftay at home :-^ParIs Is
become the moft infipid place on earth: — I
could not fupport it above ten days.— But
having heard a good deal of Flolland, I even
took a jaunt to Amfterdam, which, between
friends, I found very little more amufing
than Paris ; two days after my arrival,
finding an Engliffi ffiip juft ready to fall, I
thought it would be a pity to let the oppor
tunity flip. Sp I ordered my trunk aboard;
— We had a difagreeable paffage : — How
ever, I arrived fafe a few days ago at Har
wich. After this fketch of pppr C — 's turn
of mind, you fee, I have no reafon to fear
his remaining long with us, if he ffiould
come. Foreigners

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c, 321
Foreigners affert that the Engliffi have
more of this reftlefs difpofition than any
other people In Europe.
II faut que votre vlfle de Londres foit un
trifte fejour. — I afked the perfon who made
this remark to me, wherefore he thought fo .?
— Parceque, anfwered he, tous vos jeunes
gens que je vols en France s'ennuyent k la
mort.— But, faid I, there area great many
of your countrymen In London, — Affure-
ment, anfwered he, with polite infolence,
cela fait une diffe'rence.
Our climate is accufed of producing this
ennuy. If I rightly remember, I formerly
hinted fome reafons againft this opinion,
arid of late I begin to fufped that the excef-
five wealth of certain individuals, and the
ftate of fociety in our capital, are the fole
caufes of our having a greater ffiare of that
malady among us than our neighbours.
The common people of England know
Vol. II. Y nothing

in VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
ppthing of It : — neither do the Induftrious
of any rank, whether their objed be wealth,
knowledge, or fame. But in England there
Is a greater number than In any other coun
try, of ypupg men, wjit) CPme to the ppf-
fefjipn of great fortunes before they- have
acquired any fiixed ,aiad determined tafte,
.which m^y ferve as a r^fource and occupa
tion through life.
When a youth has acquired a habit pfap-
pUcatipUj a thirft ©f knowledge, or of fame,
the moft ample fortune which can fall to
him afterwards, cannot always deftroy dif
pofitlons and paffions already formed — Par
ticularly if (the paffion be ambition, which
generally gives fuch energy to the mind, and
occafions fuch continued exertions as fuffi
clently ward off laffitude and tgedium ; for
wealth cannot lull, or pleafure enervate, a
mind ftrongly Infplred by that adive prin
ciple. Such t;herefore are out of the prefent
que'^ion. But when a full and uncontrolled gompiand

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 323
cpmmand pf mpney cpmes firft, and every
Pbjed pf pleafure is placed within the reach
of the unambitipus, all other purfuits arc
too frequently defpifed ; and every tafte or
accompliffiment which could inform or
ftrengthen the mind, and fill up the tedious
Intervals of life, is negleded.
A young man in this fituation is prone to
excefs, he feldom waits the natural returns
of appetite of any kind ; — his fenfibility Is
blunted by too frequent enjoyment ; — what
is defired to day. Is lothed to-morrow; —
every thing at a diftance, which bears the
name of pleafure, is an objed of defire ; —
when prefent, it becomes an objed of in
difference, if not of difguft. — The agitations
pf gaming are tried tP prevent the horrid
ftagnation of Indolence:— ; All amufements
lofe their reliffi, and ferve to increafe the
languor they were meant to expel.
Y 2 As

324 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
As age, advances, caprice, peeviffinefs,
and tsedium augment : — The fcene Is often
changed ; but the fame fretful piece is con
ftantly aded till the curtain is dropt, or
is pulled down by the impatient ador him
felf before the natural ?nd pf the drama.
Does not all this happen In France and
Germany .'' — Doubdefs ; but pot fo oftep as
in England, for the reafons already men
tioned. In France, a very fn^all proportion
of young mep have the upcontrolled pof
feffion of grpat fortunes. They have not
the means of gratifying every defire, and Ip-
dulglqg every caprice, Inftead pf fpending
their time in dph? pr taverns with pepple
of their own age, the greater part of the
young nobility p^fs their evenipgs with fopie
private family, or in thpfe focieties pf both
fexes to which they have the eptr^e. There
the decprupi due tp fpch coippany reftraips
gf pduife the vivacity ^nd wantonpefs of
theij?

Manners IN francE' see, 32J
their behaviour and converfation ; and ad
ventures occur which Intereft and amufe,
without being followed by the naufea, lan
guor, and remorfe, which often fucceed
nights fpent at the gaming-table, or the
licentioufnefs of tavern fuppers.
Nothing has a better influence on the
temper, difpofition', and manners of a young
perfon, than living much In the company
of thofe whom he refpeds. Exclufive of
the Improvement he may receive from their
converfation, he Is habituated to felf-denial,
and muft relinquiffi many, indulgences
which lead to Indolence and languor.
The young French nobility, even al
though they ffiould have no great ffiare of
ambition, no love of ftudy, no particular
turn for any of thofe higher accompliffi-
ments which enable men to pafs the hours
of life Independent of other amufements ;
yet they contrive to keep txdium at a dif-
Y 3 tance

3i6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
tarice by efforts of a different kind, by a
fpecies of adivity peculiar to themfelves ;
they perceive, very early in life, the abfolute ^
neceffity of pleafing. This fentiment per
vades their general condud, and goes a great
way in the formation of their real charader.
They are attentive and obliging to all, and
particularly erideavour to acquire and retain
the friendffiip of thofe who can affift their
fortunes ; and they hive a reliffi for life,
becaufe it is not always in their pdWer to'
anticipate enjoyment, nor can- they cloy
their appetites by fatiety. Even the moft
diffipated among them are unacquainted
with the unbounded freedom of a tavernf
life, where all the freaks of a whimfical
mind, and a capricious tafte, may be in
dulged without hefitation, and which, after
long indulgence, renders every other kind
of fpciety infupportable.
With regard to the Germans, there are
v^ry few men of great independent fortunes
: ' among

MANNERS IN France, &c. 3*7
ampng them. The little princes, by whpm
the riches pf the country are engroffed,
have, I fufped, their own difficulties to get
through life with any tolerable degree pf
fatisfadion. As for their younger brpthers
and the middling gentry, they go into the
army, and ate fubjeded to the rigprous and
unremitting attentions of military difcipline*
This, of confequence, forms a charader.
In many refpeds different from that pf the
Engliffi or French gentleman.
But I have not yet mePtioped the elr-
cumftance, which, of all others, perhaps
contributes the moft to render London the
trifte fejour which foreigners often find it ;
I mean the eftabliffiment pf clubs, ffpnl
t^hich that part pf the cpmmunity are ex
cluded who have the greateft power to,
foothe the cares, and enliven the pleafures
of life.

Y4

32S VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LXXXV. Vienna.
TT TE had an Invitation lately from Monf.
' " de Breteuil tp dine on the top of
Mount Calenberg, a very high mountain In
the neighbourhood of this city. Common
coaches or chariots cannot. be dragged up;
but having driven to the bottom, we found
chaifes of a particular conftrudlon, calcu
lated for fuch expeditions. Thefe had been
ordered by the Ambaffador for the accom
modation of the company, and In them we
were carried to the fummit, where there is
a convent of Monks, from Which two
landfcapes of very oppofite natures appear.
The one confifts of a feries of wild moun
tains ; the other, of the town, fuburbs,
and environs of Vienna, with the various
branches

H

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 329
branches of the Danube flpwing thrpugh a
rich champaign pf bpundlefs extent.
The table fpr dinner was covered in a
field near the cpnvent, under the ffiade of
fome trees. — Every delicacy of the feafon
was ferved up.— —Madame de Matignon,
a very beautiful and fprighly lady, daugh
ter of M. de Breteuil, did the honours. —
; Some of the fineft women of Vienna, her
companions, were of the company ; and
the whole entertainment was conduded
with equal tafte and gaiety.
During the deffert, fome of the Fathers
came and prefented the company with
bafkets of fruit and fallad from their gar
den.— The Ambaffador invited them to fit,
and the ladies , pledged them in tokay.
Monf. de Breteuil had previpufly pbtained
permiffipn fpr the ladies tp enter the cpn
vent ;-  which they accprdlngly did, as
foon

33p VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
foPn as they rpfe frpm table, attended hf
all the cpmpany.
Ypu will readily befieve, that the ap
pearance of fb many handfome women
would be particularly interefting to a com
munity which had never - before beheld a
female within their walls. — This indeed
was fufficlently evident, in fpite of the
gravity and mtortlfied looks of the Fa-»
thers. One lady of a gay difpofition laid hold
pf a little fcourge which hung at one of
the Fathers' belts,, and defired he would
make her a prefent of It, for ffie wiffied to
ufe It when ffie returned home,, having, as
ffie faid, been a great finner.  The Fa
ther, with great gallantry, begged ffie
Would fpare her own fair flcln, affuring her
tTiat he would give himfelf a hearty flog
ging on her account that v^ry evening ; — ¦
and to prove how mueh he was in earneft, fell

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &tf. 331
fell diredly on his knees before a little
altar, and began to whip his own ffioulders
with great earneftnefe, declaring, that when
'the ladies ffiould retire, he wotild lay it
with the fame violence on his- naked body;
for he was determined ffie ffiould be as
free from fifi as ffie was on the day of her
. bii'th. This melted the heart of the lady. — She
begged the Father might take no more of
fier faults upon his ffioulders.  She now
affured him that her flips had been very
venial, and that ffie was convinced what
fee had already done would clear her as
{Completely as if he ffiould whip himfelf t&-
tfee bone.
There is fomething fo ludicrous in all
this, that you may naturally fufped the
feprefentation I have given,' proceeds from
fevemlon rather' than maPiory. I affurd you.

332 VIEW t)F SOCIETY AND
you, however, in downright earneft, that
the fcene paffed nearly as defcribed ; and
to prevent farther mifchief, I put the
fcourge, which the zealous Father had
made ufe of. In my pocket.
On my return to Vienna, I called the
fame evening at the Countefs Walftein's,
and foon after the Emperor came there.
Somebody had already mentioned to him
the pious gallantry of the Father at the top
of Mount Calenberg. — He afked for a fight
of the whip, which, he underftood I had
brought away : — I had it ftill in my pocket,
and immediately ffiowed It him.  He
laughed very heartily at the warmth of the
Father's zeal, which he fuppofed had been
augmented by the Ambaffador's tokay.
You have often heard of the unceremo
nious and eafy manner in which this great
Prince lives with his fubjeds. Report can-
8 not

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. .333
not exaggerate on this head. The Countefs
Walftein had no expedations pf his vlfiting
her that evening-  -When the fervanc
named the Emperpr befpre he entered, I
flarted up, and was going to retire.— The
Countefs defired me to remain, for nothing '
was more difagreeable to him than that any
company ffiould be difturbed on his enter
ing. — The ladies kept their feats, fome of
them knotting all the time he remained.
:;, The men continued ftanding while he ftood,
and when he was feated, moft part of them
fat down alfo. — The Emperor put Count
Mahoni, the Spaniffi ambaffador, in mind
of his gput, and made him fit while him
felf remained ftanding.
This mpnarch converfes with all the eafe
and affability pf a private gentleman, and
gradually feduces pthers tP talk with the
fame eafe tP him. He Is furely much hap
pier in this noble condefcenfion, and muft
acquire

334 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
acquire a more perfed knowledge of man
kind, than if he kept himfelf aloof from
his fubjeds, continually wrapt up In his
own importance and the Imperial fur.

MAN-NERS IN FRANCE, iic. 335

LETTER LXXXVI. Vienna.
rr^HE manners of this, cpurt ^^^re cpnfider-
ably altered fince Lady Mary Wprtley
Montague was here, particularly fince the
acceffion of the prefent Emprefs, whofe un
derftanding and affability have abridged
many of the irkfome ceremonials formerly
in ufe. Her fon's phllofophical turn of
pilnd, and the amiable and conciliating
charaders of her whole family, have no
doubt tended to put fociety in general upon
a more eafy and agreeable footing.
People of different ranks now do bufinefs
together with eafe, and meet at public
places without any of thofe ridiculous dif
putes about precedency, of which the in
genious Engliffi lady has given fuch lively
8 defcriptions.

Kit
336 VIEW Of^ SOCIETY ANDi ,
defcriptions. — Yet trifling pundilios are not
fo completely banlffied, as, I imagine, the
Emperor could wiffi, he himfelf being the
leaft pundlllous perfon in his dominions : —
for there Is certainly ftill a greater feparation
than good fenfe would dired, between the
various claffes of the fubjeds. — The fenti
ments of a people change very gradually,
and it takes a courfe of years before reafon,
pr even the example pf the Sovereign, can
overcome old cuftoms and prejudices.
The higher, or ancient families, keep
themfelves as diftind from the Inferior, or
newly-created nobility, as thefe do from the
citizens : So that It is very difficult for the
inferior claffes to be In fociety, or to have
their families much conneded with thofe of
the fuperior ranks. And, what is of niore
importance In a political fenfe, there are cer
tain places of high truft in the government,
which cannot be occupied by any but the
higher order of nobility. Would

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 337
Would you not think it difadvantageous
for a government to keep a law in force
which enads, that the offices in the ftate
which require the greateft abilities, ffiould
be filled from that clafs of the . community
in which there is the leaft chance of finding
them ? — Perhaps the ufage above mentioned
is nearly equivalent to fuch a law. As for
the peafants, who are entirely out of the
queftion, they are. In many parts of the Em
peror's dominions, in a ftate of perfed
flavery, and almoft totally dependant on the
proprietors of the land.
The ideas relative to drefs feem to have
entirely changed fince Lady Mary's time,
and if the drefs of the ladies be f^ill as ab
furd, it is at leaft not [o fingular; for they,
like the reft of Europe, have now adopted
iheParifian modes.
The prefent race of Auftrian ladies can
differ in nothing more than they do in looks
Vol. II. Z from

338 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
from their grandmothers, who, if any of
them were ftill alive, may be as beautiful at
this day as they were when ffie wrote; for
time Itfelf could hardly Im.prove that ugli-
nefs, which, according to her, was in full
bloom fixty years ago. I have not as yet
enquired what method the parents have de-
vifed to remedy this Inconveniency; but
nothing is more certain than that it Is reme
died very effedually; for at prefent there is
no fcarcity of female beauty at the court of
Vienna. This being the cafe, it Is natural to ima
gine that gallantry maftnow be more pre
valent than when her ladyffiip was here.
But exclufive of any real difference, which
may have happened in the fentiments of the
ladles themfelves, they are obliged to obferve
an uncommon degree of circumfpedion in
that particular, as nothing is more heinous
in the eyes of her Imperial Apoftollc Ma
jefty. She feems to think that the ladles cf

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 339
of her court, like the wife of Csefar, ffiould
not only be free from guilt, but, what is
ftill more difficult, free from fufpiclon; and
ftrongly marks by her manner, that ffie Is
but too well informed when any piece of
fcandal circulates to the prejudice of any of
them. With regard to whatLady Mary calls fub-
marrlages, and of which ffie has given fuch
a curious account, I do not imagine they are
common at prefent, in afl the latitude of her
defcription. But it is not uncommon for
married ladles here to avow the greateft de
gree of friendffiip and attachment to men
who are not their huffiands, and to live with
them In great Intimacy, without hurting
their reputation, or being fufpeded, even
by their own fex, of having deviated from
the laws of modefty.
One evening at the Count Thune*s, when
there was a pretty numerous company, I
Z 2 obferved

34-0

VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

obferved one lady uncommonly fad, and en
quired of her intimate friend, who happened
to be there alfo, if flie knew the caufe of this
fadnefs ? — I do, replied ffie ; Mr. de  ,
whom ffie loves very tenderly, ought to have
been here a month ago; and laft night ffie
received a letter from him, informing her
that he cannot be at Vienna for a month to
come. But pray, fajd I, does your friend's
huffiand know of this violent paffion ffie has
for Mr. de  ? Yes, yes, anfwered ffie,
he knows it, and enters with the moft ten
der fympathy into her afflidion ; he does
all that can be expeded from an affedionate
huffiand to comfort and foothe his wife,
affuring her that her love will wear away
with time. But ffie always declares that
ffie has no hopes of this, becaufe ffie feels
it augment every day. — Mais, au fond, con
tinued the lady, cela lui fait bien de la peine,
parceque malheureufement II aimefa femme
a la folic. Et fa femme, qui eft la meil-
leure creature du monde, plaint infiniment
3 fon

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 341
fon pauvre marl ; car elle a beaucoup d'ami-
tie et d'eftlme pour lui ; — mais elle ne f^au-
roit fe defalre de cette malheureufe paffion
pour Monf. de — ¦  — . '
I was not in the leaft furprifed that a dif
appointment of this nature ffiould affed a.
woman a little; but I own it did aftonlffi
me that flie ffiould appear in public, on
fuch an occafion. In all the oftentatlon of
forrow, like a young widow vain of her
weeds. Here this paffion was lamented by
her friends as a misfortune : In England if,
I rightly remember, fuch misfortunes are
generally Imputed to people as crimes.

23

342 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER LXXXVIL
Prefburg.
/T^HE Vifcpunt de Laval having pro-
"*¦ pofed to me lately to make a ffiort
tour with him into Hungary, I very rea
dily confented, and we arrived at this towp
yefterday morning.
Preffiurg, which Is the cipital of Lpwer
Hungary, like Vienna, has fuburbs mpre
magnificent than Itfelf. In this city the
States of Hungary hold their affemblies,
and in the cathedral church the Sovereign
is crowned.
The prefent Emprefs took refuge here
when the Eledor of Bavaria was declared
Emperor at Prague, when ffie was abandoned
by her allies, and when France had planned her

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 343
her deftrpdlon. Her own magnanimity,
the generous friendffiip of Great Britain,
and the courage of her Hungarian fubjeds,
at length reftored her fortunes, and fecured
to her family the fplendid fituation they
now hold In Europe.
What polidclan in 1741 could have
thought, that in the courfe of a few years the
,_ Emprefs would be in ftrid alliance with
France, and one of her daughters feated on
the throne of that kingdom? — Should a
foothfayer of Bofton prpphefy, that John
Hancock, or hisfon, will, fome time hence,
' demand in marriage a daughter of Eng
land, — pray, do not lay an uncommon odds,
that the thing will not happen.
Monf. de Laval and I walked up this
morning to the caftle, which is' a noble
Gothic building, of a fquare form, with a
tower at each corner. The regalia of Hun
gary, confifting of the crown and fceptre of
Z4 ' St.

344 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
St. Stephen, the firft king, are depofited
here. Thefe are carefully fecured by feven
locks, the keys of which are kept by the
fame number of Hungarian noblemen. No
Prince is held by the populace as legally
their Sovereign till he be crowned with the
diadem, pf King Stephen; and they have a
notion that the fate of their nation depends
pn this crown's remaining in their poffef
fion. It has therefore been always removed
in times of danger to places of the greateft
fafety. The Turks, aware of the influence of fuch
a prejudice In the minds of the vulgar, have,
it is faid, made frequent attempts to feize
this Palladium — Thefateof Hungary feems
now to bepretty much decided ; fo that ex
clufive of the value they put upon the crown,
as a relic of confiderable antiquity, the
Hungarians need not be folicltous whether
it remains in this caftle or in the Imperial
palace at Vienna. By

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 345
By the conftitution of Hungary, the
cfown is ftill held to be eledive. This point.
Is not difputed. AH that is Infifted on is,
that the heir of the Houfe of Auftria ffiall be
deded as often as a vacancy happens.
The caftle of Preffiurg is the ufual refi
dence of Prince Albert of Saxony, who
married one of the Arch-ducheffes, a very*
beautiful and accompliffied Princefs. As
M. de Laval and I entered one of the rooms,
we obferved them at a window. We im
mediately ftarted back, and withdrew, being
in riding frocks and boots. Monf. de La
val had feen their Highneffes a few days
before at Schonbrun, and thought they had
been there ftill. The Princefs fent a polite
meffage after us by a fervant, who had
orders to condud us through every apart
ment of the caftle ; ffie herfelf ftept into
another room, that we might fee that which
ffie left. All

346 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
AU the Princeffes of the Auftrian family
are diftinguiffied by an attentive and obliging
politenefs, which is the more remarkable,
as thofe who live much at courts often ac
quire a fpecies of politenefs which is by no
means obliging. The fplendor and dif-
tlndions of a court frequently infpire an
overweening vanity, and have a peculiar
tendency to ffiake the fteadinefs of the fe-,
male underftanding. Court ladies In ge
neral, but particularly fuch as fubmit to be
abjed fycophants to Queens and Princeffes,
are apt to render themfelves ridiculous by
the arrogant airs they affume to the reft of
the world, and while they ufurp the im
portance of royalty, fill the breafts of all
who know them with as much deteftation
as is confiftent with contempt.
The view from this citadel Is very exten
five, commanding the vaft and fertile plains
of Hungary. Having

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 347
Having dined at the inn, and regaled
ourfelves, at no great expence, with tokay,'
we went to. vifit a vifla at the diftance of
four miles from Preffiurg, belonging to a
Hungarian nobleman. This houfe Is de
lightfully fituated,- — the gardens laid out a
litde too methodically; hut the park, and
fields around, where lefs art has been ufed,
difplay a Vaftluxuriancyof natural beauties.'
— While wandering over thefe, we entered
a little wood in a very retired place ; as we
advanced into this, we faw a venerable look
ing old man with a long beard, who,
ftretching out his hand, feemed to invite
us to an hermitage which we obferved hard
The Vlfcount, impatient to cultivate the
acquaintance of a perfon of fuch an hofpi
table appearance, ran before me toward him 5
when he got up to him, he ftopped ffiort
as if fiirprifed, and then, to my utter aftoniffi-
inent he raifed his foot with every mark Of
indignation.

348 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
indignation, and gave the poor old hermit
a violent kick.
I do not remember that I was ever more
fhocked In my life ; I was at the fame time
quite confounded at an ad:ion fo unworthy
in Itfelf, and fo incompatible with the cha
rader of Mpnf. de Laval. — I was foon re
conciled, however, to the treatment the old
fellow had received, when I difcovered that
this venerable perfonage was not the honeft
man we took him for, but a downright Im-
poftor, made of painted wood, and dreffed
in tile robes of a hermit to deceive paffen-
gers. Over the dppr was an infcrlptipn frpm
Hprace- 
Odi profanum vulgus*.
On the infide pf the door 

Fatavolentes dueunt, nolentes trahuntf.
* I abhor the profane vulgar.
f Fate leads the willing, and drags the unwilling.
And

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 349
And in another part, within the hermit
age  Omnes eodem cogimur ; omnium
Verfatur urna, ferius ocius,
Sors exitura, et nos in jeternum
Exilium impolitura Cymb^*.
There were alfo feveral infcriptions taken
from Cicero, in favour of the foul's immor
tality, which I am forry I negleded to
tranfcribe. — We returned In the evening to
this place, and are to fet out tomorrow
for Prince Eftherhafie's.
' Thus all muft tread the path of fate.
Thus even fliakes the mortal urn,
Whofe lot embarks us, foon or late.
On Charon's boat, ah, never to return !
Francis.

3Se

VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

H

LETTER LXXXVIII. "ru Vienna.
AVING left Preffiurg, we travelled
eight pofts acrofs a very fertile country
to the palace of- Eftherhafie, the refidence
of the Prince of that name. He is the
firflin rank of the Hungarian nobility, and
one of the moft magnificent fubjeds in Eu
rope. He has body-guards of his own, all
genteel-looking men, richly dreffed in the
Hungarian manner.
The palace is a noble building, lately
finiffied, and fituated near a fine lake. The
apartments are equally grand and commo
dious : the furniture more fplendid than al
moft any thing I have feen In royal palaces.
In the Prince's own apartment there afe
fome curious mufical clocks, and one in the
' ffiape

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 331
ffiape of a bird, which whiftles a tune every
hpur. Juft by the palace, there is a theatre for
operas, and other dramatic entertainments;
and In the gardens, a large room with com
modious apartments for mafquerades and
balls. At no great diftance, there is another
theatre exprefsly built for puppet-ffiows.
This Is much larger and more commodious
than moft provincial playhoufes, and I am
bold to affert, Is the moft fplendid that has
as yet been reared in Europe for that fpecies
of adprs. We regretted that we cpuld not
have the pleafure of feeing them perform ;
for they have the reputation of being the
bell cpmedians In Hungary.
We had the curipfity tP peep behind the
curtain, and faw Kings, Emperors, Turks,
and Chriftians, all ranged very fociably to
gether. —

352 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
gether^ — King Solomon was -obferved in a
corner in a very fufpicious tete-a-tete with
the Queen of Sheba.
Amongft other curiofities, there is in the
garden a wooden houfe, built upon wheels.
It contains a room with a table, chairs, a
looking-glafs, chimney, and fire-place. There
are alfo clofets, with many neceffary accom
modations. — The Prince fometimes enter
tains twelve people in this vehicle, all of
whom may eafily fit round the table, and
the whole company may thus take an air
ing together along the walks of the garden,
and many parts of the park, which are as
level as a bowling-green. The machine,
when thus loaded, is eafily drawn by fix
or eight horfeS.
Prince Eftherhafie having heard of M. de
Laval's being in the garden, fent us an in
vitation to the opera, which was to be per
formed that evening; but as we had brought with

kANNERS IN FRANCE, kt. 353
with us no drefs proper for fuch an occa
fion, we were forced to decline this oblig
ing invitation. — Ihe Prince afterwards fent
a carriage, in which we drove round the
garden and parks. Thefe are of vaft ex
tent, and beautiful beyond defcription ; ar
bours, fountains, walks, woods, hills, and
valleys, being throwp together in a charm
ing confufion. — If you will look over
Ariofto's defcription of the gardens in Al-
cina's inchanted ifland, you will have an
idea of the romantic fields of Eftherhafie,
which are alfo inhabited by the fame kind
of animals.
Tra le purpuree rofe e 1 bianchi gigli,
Cha tepid aura frefchi ognora ferba,
Sicuri fi vedean lepri e conigli :
E cervi con lafronte alta e fuperba,
Senza temer che alcun Ii uccida o pigli,
Pafcono, e ftanfi rnminando I'erba:
E Saltan daini e capri fnelli e deftri,
Che fono in copia in quei luoghi campeftri *.
M. de
• While 'midft the rofes red and lilies Cair,
For ever nurs'd by kindly zephyr's care.
Vol. II. A a THef

354 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
M. de Laval was In raptures with the
gardens of Eftherhafie. In the height of
his admiration, I afked him, how they
ftood In his opipion, compared with thofe
of Verfaflles ?
Ah, Parbleu ! Monfieur, anfwered he,
Verfailles etoit fait expres pour n'etre com
pare a rien.  He acknowledged, however,
without difficulty, that, except France, no
other country he had feen was fo beautiful
as this.
Having wandered here many hours, we
returned to the Inn, where a fervant wait
ed with Prince Eftherhafie's compliments,
and 'a bafket containing two bottles of
Tokay, and the fame quantity of Cham
paign and of Old Hock. We lamented very
fmcerely, that we could not have the ho-
The nimble hares, in wanton mazes play'd,
And ftately ftags with branching antlers ftray'd ;
Without the fear of hoftile hand, they ftood
To crop, or ruminate their grafly food.
The wild goats frolick; leap the nimble deer.
That in this rural place in troops appear.
a Pour

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 3^5
hour of waiting On this very magnificent
Prince, and thanking him pierfonally for foJ
much politenefs.
A company of Italian fingers and ador^
were then at the inn, and preparing for the
opera. Great preparations Were making
for the entertainment of the Emprefs and
,all the Court, who are foon to make a vifit
of feveral days to Eftherhafie. Though
the Impei-ial family, and many of the nobi
lity, are to lodge in the palace, yet every
fcorner Of this large and commodious inn I§
already befpoke for the company which are
invited upon that occafion.
Hungary is a very cheap cotmfry, the
land being infinitely fertile, and in fome
places producing the moft efteePied grape
in Europe. It is beautiful with lakes,
the windings of the Danube, and many
ftreams which flow into that fine river. In
the woods of Hungary are bred a race of
A a 2 horfes.

3s6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
horfes, the moft adive, hardy, and fpirit
ed, for their fize, in the world. Thefe
have been found very ufeful in war, and
the huffars, or light dragoons of the Auf
trian army, are mounted on them.
The men In Hungary are remarkably
handfome, and well-ffiaped. Their appear
ance is improved by their drefs, which you
know Is peculiar, and very becoming.
Lady M. W. Montague afferts, that the
Hungarian women are far more beautiful
than the Aiifti-ian. For my part, I think
of women, as M. de Laval does of Ver
failles ; — that they are not to be compared
with any thing,- — not even with one an
other. And therefore, without prefuming
to take a^eemparative view of their beauty.
It may be remarked in general, that where
the men are handfome and Well-made, it
is natural to fuppofe, that the women will
poffefs the fame advantages J for parents
generally

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 357
generally beftow as much attention to the
making of their daughters as of their
fons. In confirmation of which dodrlne,
I can affure you, that I have feen as hand
fome women, as men, in Hungary, and
one of the prettleft women, In my opinion,
at prefent at the Court of Vienna, is a
Hungarian. None of the Emprefs's fubjeds are taxed
fo gently, or enjoy fo many privileges as
the Hungarians. This is partly owing to
the grateful remembrance ffie has of their
loyalty and attachment in the days of her
diftrefs. But although this fentiment were
not fo ftrong ip her breaft as it really is,
there are political reafons for continuing to
them the fame exemptions and privileges ;
for nothing can be more dangerous than dif-
obliging the Inhabitants of a frontier coun
try, which borders on an inveterate enemy.
— Nor could any thing pleafe the Turks
more, than to find the hearts pf the Hun-
A a 3 garians

|58 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
garians alienated frotn the houfe of Auf
tria. I found this country, and the compapy
pf M. de Laval, fo very agreeable, that I
ffiould have been happy to have extended
our excurfion farther ; but he Is obliged t.o
fet out foon for Chamberry to pay his duty
to the Comte d'ArtoIs, who Is expeded
there to wait on his future fpoufe, the
Princefs of Savoy. We therefore returned
by the dired road fropi Efterhafie tQ
Vienna.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, See. 359

LETTER LXXXIX.
Vienna.
00 the fate of poor  is finally decid-
^^ ed, and he now finds, that to be ruined
is not a matter of fo much indifference as
he once imagined. I neither "fee the pof
fibility of his extricating himfelf from his
prefent difficulties, nor in what manner he
wUl be able to fupport them. Accuftonied
to every luxuriant indulgence, how can I
he bear the inconveniencies of poverty ? —
Diffipated and inattentive from his child
hood, how can he make any exertion for
himfelf ?— His good-humour, genteel figure,
and pliant difpofition, made him well re
ceived by all. — While he formed no ex
pedations from their friendffiip, his com
pany feemed particularly acceptable to fome
who are at prefent in power : Whether it
A a 4 will

35o VIEW OP SOCIETY AND
will be equally fo now, when he has no
thing elfe to depend on, is to be tried.
And I really think it as well for him
that it be tried pow, as five or fix years
hence. This calamity has been long forefeen.—
There feemed to be almoft a neceffity that
It ffiould happen fooner or later ; for he
had neither cautipn, plan, nor objed in his
gaming.— He continued It from habit
alone. Of all mankind, he was the leaft
covetous of exceffive wealth ; and exclufive
of gaming, he always lived within his in
come, not from a defire pf faving mPney,
but merely becaufe he had no tafle for great
expence.— ?How often have we fefin him
lofe immenfe fums to thofe who could never
have paid the half, h^^ be happened to
win it ; and to forne of whom he had
lent the money which enabled them to
|lake againft him ? There

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 36*
There are many carelefs young men of
great fortunes, who game in the fame
ftyle, and from no other motives than
thofe of our unhappy friend. — What is
the confequence ?— The money circulates
for a while among them, but remains
finally with perfons of a very different
charader.-^I ffiall not fuppofe that any of
the very fortunate gamefters we have been
acquainted with, have ufed thofe means
to corred fortune which are generally
reckoned fraudulent. I am fully per
fuaded, they are feldomer pradifed In the
clubs in London, thap in any other gam
ing focieties In the world. — Let all flight
of hand, and every fpecies pf downright
ffiairping, be put out of the queftion ; but
ftin we may fuppofe, that among a great
number of carelefs Inattentive people, pf
fortune, a few wary, cool -and ffirewd
pien are mingled, who know how to con
ceal real caution and defign under appa
rent inattention and gaiety of manner ; —
I who

362 VIEW OF society' AND
who have a perfed command of them
felves, puffi their luck when fortune fm lies,
and refrain when ffie changes her difpofi
tion ;— who have calculated the chances,
?ind underftand every game where judg
ment is required.
If there are fuch men, is not the pro
bability of winning infinitely in their fa
vour ? — Does it not amount to almoft as
great a certainty, as if they had adually
loaded the dice or packed the cards ? — ^I
know you live in the habit of intimacy
with fome whp anfwer to the above de
fcription ; and I have heard you fay, that
however fortunate they may have been,
you were fully convinced that nothing
can be fairer than their manner of playing.
I accufe them of taking no other advantages
than thofe above mentioned ; but I appeal
to your own experience, — pray recoiled, —
and I am greatly miftaken. If you will not
find, that by far the greater part of thofe who

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 36^
who have xmie fortunes by play, and
have kept them when made, are men of
jMol, cautious, ffirewd, and felfiffi cha-
raderSf If any of thefe very fortunate people
were brought to a trial, and examined by
what means they had accumulated fuch
fums, while Co many others had entirely
Joft, or greatly impaired their fortunes (if
the word efprit be allowed to irnply that
artful fuperiority which belongs to their
charaders), they might anfwer in the
words of the wife of Concini Marechal
d'Ancre, when ffie was afked what charm
ffie had made ufe of to fafcinate the mind
pf the Queen ? — De I'afcendant, ffie re
plied, qu'un efprit fuperieur a toujours fur
des efprits foibles — Certainly there can
be no greater weaknefs, than for a man of
jndependent fortune to game in fuch a
manner as to rifk lofing it, for the chance of

364 VIEW OF society AND
of doubling or tripling his income : be
caufe the additional happinefs arifing from
any fuppofable addition of wealth, can
never be vvithin a thoufand degrees fo great,
as the mifery which would be the confe
quence of his being ftripped of his original
fortune. This confideration alone, one would
Imagine, might be fufficient to deter any
reafonable man from a condud fo weak
and abfurd : .yet there are other confidera-
tions which give much additional weight to
the argument ; — the difmal effeds which
the continued pradice of gaming has fome
times been obferved to produce in the dif
pofition of the mind, and the moft effen
tial parts of the charader, deftroying every
idea of osconomy, engroffing the whole
time, undermining the beft principles, per
verting the qualities of the heart, render
ing men callous to the ruin pf acquaint ances.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, kc. 365
ances, and partakers, with a favage In
fenfibility, in the fpoils of their unwary
friends. The peculiar inftances with which yoit
and I are acquainted, where the long-con
tinued habit of deep play has had no fuch
effeds, are proofs of the rooted honour and
integrity of certain individuals, and may
ferve .as exceptions to a general rule, but
cannot be urged as a.rguments againft the
ufual tendency of gaming. If men of for
tune and charader adopted the pradice of,
gaming upon any principle of reafoning,
there might be a greater probability of
their being reafpned put pf It : but mpft pf
them begin tP game, npt wath any view or
fixed plan pf increafing their wealth, but
merely as a faffiipnable amufement, or per
haps by way of ffipwing the liberality
pf their fpirit, and their cpntempt fpr
mpney. I wpuld

3^6 VIEW OF SOCIETY ANli
I Would not be very pofitive, that fome
pf them have not miftaken for admirationi
that furprife which is expreffed when any
perfon has loft an immenfe fum. And this
tnlftake may have given them lefs repug-
PaPce to the idea of becoming the objeds of
admiration in the fame way.^ Afterwards
endeavouring to win back what they had
fo idly loft, the habit has grown by de
grees,' and at length has become their fole
refource from the Wearinefs which thofe
born to great fortUPes, and who have not
early in life acquired fome faculty Of amu
fing themfelves, are more prone to fall in
to than others. Men born to no fuch ex
pedations, whatever their natural difpofi-*
tlons may be, are continually roufed froni
indolence by avocations which admit of
no delay^ The purfuit of that independ-'
ence, for'^ which almoft every human bo-
fbm fighs, and whofe value is unknowP
only to thofe whp have always ppffeffed it, is

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 367
is thought a neceffary, and is often found*
an agreeable employment to the generality
of mankind. This, with the other duties
of life, is fufficient to engrofs their time
and thoughts, and guard them from the
pains and penalties of idlenefs.
As the purfuit of wealth is fuperfluous
in men of rank and fortune, fo It would be
unbecoming their fituation. Being de
prived of this, which is fo great an objed
and refource to the reft of mankind, they
ftand in more need of fomething to fupply
its place. I know of nothing which can
fo completely, and with fo much propriety,
have this effed, as a tafte for letters and
love of fcience. I therefore think thefe
are more effentiafly neceffary to the happi
nefs of people of high rank and great for
tune, than to thofe in confined circum
ftances. If independence be defired with univer
fal ardour by mankind, the road of fcience

IS

368 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
is neither the moft certain, nor the ffiorteft
way to attain it. But thofe who are al
ready in poffeffion of this, have infinite
need pf the other to teach them to enjoy
their independence with dignity and fatif-
fadlbh, and to prevent the gifts of fortune
from becoming fources of mifery inftead of
happinefs. If they are ambitious, the cul
tivation of letters, by adorning their minds,
and enlarging' their faculties, will facilitate
their plans, and render them more fit for
the high fituations to which they afpire.
If they are devoid of ambition, they have
ftill more occafion for fome of the purfuits
of fcience, as refources againft the languor
of retired or inadive life.— Quod fi non hie
tantus frudus oftenderetur,et fi ex hlsftudils
deledatio fola peteretuT"!'- fain'en, ut opinor,
banc animi remlffionem, humaniffimam ac
liberaliffimam judicaretis.
This love of letters confidered merely as
an amufement, and to fill up agreeably the

Manners IN FRANCE, &c. 36^
the vacant hours of life, I believe to be
more effentially neceffary to men of great
fortutie than to thofe who have none J — to
men without ambition, than to thofe who
are animated by that adive paftiofi ; and to
the generality of Engliffimen more than to
the natives of either Germany or France — ^
The Germans require very little variety.
They, can bear the languid uniformity of
hfe always with patience,, and often with
fatisfadion. They difplay an equanimity
under difguft that is quite aftonlffiing.— i-
The French, though not fo celebrated for
patience, ate of all mankind the leafl liable
to defpondence. Public affairs, fo apt to
difturb the repofe of many worffiipfuj ci
tizens of London, never give a Frenchman
uneafinefs* If the arms of France are fuc-
cefsful, he rejoices with all his heart ; — If
they are unfortunate, he laughs at the com
manders with all his foul. If his miftrefs
is kind, he celebrates her goodnefs, and com-
Vol, II, B b mends

370 VIEW OF SOCIETY -AND
mends her taffe;— If ffie is cruel, he derides
her folly in the arms of another.
No people ever were fo fond of amufe
ment, and fo eafily amufed. It feems tP
be the chief objed of their lives, and they
contrive to draw it from a thoufand fources,
in which no other people eVer thought It
could be found. I do not know where I
met with the following lines ; they are na
tural and eafy, and feem expreffive of the
copdud and fentiments of the whole French
nation. M'amufer ri'itnporte comment.
Fait route ma philofophie.
Je crois ne perdre aucun moment
Hors le moment ou je m'ennuie i
Et je rit;ns ma tache finie.
PoLirvu qu'ainfi tout doucement ;
Je me defaffe de la vie.
Our countrymen whp have applied to
¦letters, have prpfecuted every branch of
fcience

MANNERS In FRANCE, kc. 371
fcience as fuccefsfully as any of their neigh
bours. But thpfe Pf'them who ftudy
mere amufement, independent of literature
bf any kind, certainly have not been fp
happy in their refearebes as the French.
Many things which entertain the latter,
feem frlvplpus and- infipid to the former.
The Engliffi view objeds through a darker
medium. Lefs touched than their- neigh
bours with the gaieties, they are more af
feded by the vexations of life, under which
they are too ready to defpond; They feel
their fpirlts flag with the repetition of
fcenes Which at firft were thought agree
able. This ftagnation of animal fpirits,
from whatever caufe it arifes, becomes it
felf a caufe of defperate refolutions, and
debafing habits.
A man of fortun^, therefore, who can
acquire fuch a reliffi for fcience, as will
make him rank its purfuits among his
amufements, has thereby made an acquifi-
^ b 2 tion

372 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
tion of more importance to his happlnef'^t,
than if he had acquired another eftate equal
in value to his firft. I am almoft cour
vinced, that a tafte of this kind Is the only
thing which can render a man of fortune
(efpecially If his fortuae be very large) to
lerably Independent and eafy thicough life.
Whichfoever of the roads of fcience he
loves to follow, his. curiofity will conti
nually be kept awake. An inexhauftlble va
riety of interefting objeds- will open to his.
view,-— his niind will be repleniffied , with"
ideaSjT— and even when the purfuits of am
bition become infipid, he will ftill have an
tidotes againft taedium,. and' (othpr things
being fuppofed equal) the beft chance ol
ipaffipg .agreeably through life, that the un
certainty of human events allows to man..

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c, ^$

LETTER XC.
'iij.* Vienna.
TN your laft, you ffiow fuch a paffion
* for anecdote, and feem fo defirous of
my infifting on manners and charaders,
that I fear you will not be pleafed with my
laft long epiftle upon a fubjed entirely,
remote from what you demand. But you
muft remember, that you were warned
from the beginning of this correfppndence,
that I wpuld retain the privilege pf di-
greffing as pften as I pleafed, and that my
letters ffipuld frequently treat pf what I
thought, as well as what I faw. However,
this ffiall confift entirely of^ights.
The firft I ffiall mention was exhibited
foon after our arrival at Vienna. This was
B b 3 the

374 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
the feaft pf St. Stephen, at which the EiPt
perpr dined in public with the knights.
He was, af. the head pf the tjble ; his
brother and brother-in-law next him, and
the other knights fat according to feniorlty.
The Arch-ducheffe^, with fome of the
principal ladles pf the cPurt, were at ^
balcony within the hall to fee this cere^
mony.— The Emperor and all the knjght?
were dreffed in the robes pf the order.
The Hungarian guards, with their fabres
drawn, furrounded the table.
The hopour of ferving the Emperpr a?
this folempity belongs entirely to the Hun
garians. When he called for drink, a
Hungarian nobleman poured a little of the
wine into a cup and tafted it ; he after
wards fifled another, which he prefepted
with one knee touching the ground. "The
Emperor often fmfled upon this nobleman
as he went through the cereniony, and
feemed

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 375
feemed to indicate, by the whole of his
behaviour, that he confidered fuch fubmlf-
five bendings of one man to another, as
greatly mifplaced, and that he fuffered this
mummery merely In compliance with an
cient cuftom.
There was great crowding to fee this
feaft, and it was not without difficulty
I got admiffion; though, after all, there
was nothing to be feen but fome well-
dreffed men, who ate an exceeding' good
dinner with tolerable appetite.
3ince the feaft of St. Stephen, we have
been wltneffes to the annual ceremony in
qommemoratiop of the defeat of theTurk-
I(h army, and the raifing the fiege of Vi
enna by John SobieIki king of Poland;
The Imperial family, and the principal no
bility of both fexes, walked in folemn pro
ceffion, and heard mafs at the church of
§t. ^tpphen on this occafion. In the
B b /|. pilddle

376 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND'
piddle pf the ftreet, leading frpm the
palace tP the church, a platfprm was
raifed, upon which the company, who
fprmed the proceffion, walked, — The
ftreets were lined with the Imperial guards,
and the windows and tops of the houfes
were crowded with fpedators.-^The Duke
pf Hamilton and I found a very good fitu
ation at a window with the Venetiam .am
baffador. This ceremony would have been too
fatiguing fpr lihe Emprefs 5 — She there
fore did not attend : — The Emperor, the
Arch-dukes and Ducheffes, with all the
pobility, did. A prodigious train of bi-^'
ffiops, priefts, and monks followed; and
a numerous band of mufic played as they
went alpng.
As this is a day pf rejoicing, the rioheft
and gayeft dreffes are thought the moft ex
preffive pf the pipus gratitude becpmlng fuch

M^ANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 377
Hich an occafion. The ladies difplayed
their devotion in the moftbrifliant manner.
Their minds, however, were not fo much
exalted by heavenly contemplations, as to
be above taking notice of their earthly ac*
quaintances at the windows, whom they
regaled with fmiles and nods as they walked
along. t Next: day the Imperial family dined in
publiq, and many people went to fee them.
I was not of the number, 'though nobody
can more fincerely wiffi them the enjoy
ment of all the comforts of life. I know
not on what principle the Rpyal Family in
France, and other countries in Europe,
have adopted the cuftom of eating ip^ pub-
lit. They cannot imagine, that the fee-
mg them chew and fwallow their viduals
cap create a vaft deal of admiration in the
beholders. It would certainly be taken
for granted, that they could perform thefe
neceffary fpndions, although a cloud of
wltneffes

37^ VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
wltneffes were not admitted tP cpnfirm the
fad. If thefe exhibitions are defigned for
the entertainment of .the fubjeds, a thou
fand could be thought of more amufing
to them ; for however interefting the part
of an ador at a fe^it may be, that of a
foedator is furely One of the rppft infipid,
that can be imagined,
But the fame evening there was a grand
mafquerade at Schonbrun, which was more
generally amufing, — Four thoufand tickets^
were diftributed on this occafion.^— — A
large party of, dragppnjs were placed
along the road frpm Vienna, to keep the
coaches ip a regular line, and to prevent
confufion, The principal rooms of this
magnificent palace were thrown open fpr
the receptipp of the company. In three
large halls on the ground-floor, tables,
were covered with a cold collation of all
kinds of fowls, ham, and confedions, with
pine-apples and every fort of fruit. Tfiefe,
I y^i^M

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 379
with Old Hock, Champagne, and other
kinds of wine, were ferved with readinefs
and profufipn tp all whp afked fpr them.
At the end of the large dlnlng-rppm^
there was a raifed feat fpr the Emprefs,
and fome ladies whp attended her. Here.
a grand Ballet was danced by the Arch-r
duke, the Arch-ducheffes, the Princefs pf
Modena, and fpme pf the chief ppbi-
lity, tP the nupibpr pf twepty-fpur. ^, Th^
dancers, bpth male apd fepiaje, were
dreffed ip white filk, floupced with pink*
coloured ribbands, and eprlched with a vafl
profufipn pf diampnds.
'This ballet was perfbrpied three times
at proper Intervals. Thofe who had feen
itonce, paffed into the gallery, and other
apartnients, giving way to a new fet of
fpedators. In the garden, on a rifing
ground oppofite to the palace windows, a
fetpporary fabric was ereded in the form of

SSo VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
s
qf a large and magnificent temple. This
was illuminated by an incredible number
of lamps, and gave the appearance of a
very extraordinary piece of arcbitedure,
which continued flaming through the
whole night, and had a very fine effed,
viewed from Vienna, and other places at a
greater diftance.
The Emperor mixed with the com
pany without ceremony or diftindion, tak
ing no part himfelf but as a fpedator.
He was converfing In the .middle of th,e
hall, in the moft familiar manner, with
an Engliffi gentleman, without obferving,
that the third ballet was going to be
danced, when the mafter of the ceremo-
nies whifpered ^hi in In the ear. — The Em
peror, feizing the Engliffiman by the arm,
faid, Allons, Monfieur, on nous chaffe —
il faut fe retirer ; and itnmediately walked
into another room, to give place to others
who had nPt yet feen the dance. ' .This

MANNERS IN FRANCE, kc. ^^t
This very fplendid entertainment was-
given to the Arch- duke, and the Princefs
of Modena, whpfe ufual refidence is at
MIlan.-^-The Emprefs, thus furrpunded by
her pffspring, appeared cheerful and hap
py. — She feemed to enjoy the vivacity, and
fympathize with the gaiety,, of the com
pany. — She Is greatly beloved by her own
children, apd by her fubjeds in general,
whom ffie alfo confidcrs as her children in a
greater degree than is ufual for fbvereigns.
It is an error to imagine, that great de
votion has a tendency to four the temper :
Though it muft be acknowledged, that It
has not always the power of fweetenlng
the very auftere trunks on which it is fome
times grafted ; but in a charader naturally
benevolent, every good difpofition will be
ftpengthened and animated by real piety.
Of this I have feen a thoufand inftances,.
and I believe her Imperial Majefty affords
one<

itz VIEW OF SOCIETY AN0

t E t 'i' E R XCIi

ViennS,

^T^HE Emperor Is of a middle fize, well
"*¦ made, and of a fair complexion. He
has a confiderable refemblance to his fifter^
the Queen of France, which, in my opinion,
is faying a great deal in favour of his
looks. — Till I faw fomething of his ufual
behaviour, I did not think it poffible for a
perfon, in fuch an elevated fituation, to put
every body with whom he converfed upon
fo eafy a footing. .
His manner, as I have often mentlonedj
is affable, pbliging, and perfedly free from
the referved and lofty deportment affumed
by foike on account of high birth. Whom
ever rias the honour to be in company with
him, fo far from being checked by fuch
defpicable

MANNERS IN France, kc. m
defpicable pride, has need to be on hi*
guard, not to adopt fuch a degree of fami
liarity as, whatever the condefcenfion of
the one might permit, would be highly im
proper in the other to ufe.
He Is regular in his wiay of life, mo
derate In his pleafures, fteady in his plans,
and diligent in bufinefs. He is fond of
his army, and Inclines that the foldiers
ffiould have every comfort and neceffary
confiftent with their fituation. He is cer
tainly an ceconomlft, and laviffies very
little riioney on ufelefs pomp, miftreffes, or
favpurites ; and It is, 1 fupppfe, pn no bet
ter foundation than this, that his enemies
accufe him of avarice.
I cannot help regarding ceconomy as
one of the moft ufeful qualities In a Prince.
Liberality, even when puffied to an im
prudent length, may, in a private perfon,
proceed rroin a kind of greatnefs of j mind,
becaufe

384 VIEW OF SOCIETY AlSfD
becaufe his fortune is In every fenfe his
own, and he can Injure Pobody but him
felf by lavlffiing It away — He knows that
^hen It Is gone, nobody will reimburfe
him for his extravagance. — He feems
therefore to have taken the refolution to
fubmit to the Inconveniency of future po
verty, rather than renounce the prefent
happinefs of ading with a magnificent li
berality, and beftowing on others more
that! he can afford.
This is npt the cafe with a Prince. —
What he fquanders Is not his own, but
the public money.— ^He knows that his
pomp and fplendour will be kept up, and
that his fubjeds, not he, are to feel the
inconveniencies of his prodigality. When
I hear, therefore, that a King has given
great fums of money to any particular per
fon ; from the fums given, the perfon who
receives it, the motive for the gift, and
other circumftances, I can judge whether
9 it

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 385
It is well or ill difpofed of; but in either
cafe. It cannot be called generofity.
The virtue of generofity confifts in a
inan's depriving himfelf of fomething for
the fake of another. There can be no ge
nerofity in giving to John what James
niuft replace the-next moment. What is
Called generofity in Kings, very often con-
fifts in beftowing that money on the idle
part of their fubjeds which they have
fqueezed from the induftrious^ I have
heard a parcel of fiddlers and opera dancers
praife a Prince for his noble and generous
behaviour to them, while men near his
perfon, of ufeful talents and real Worth, were
diftreffed for bread. — The Emperor cer
tainly has none of that kind of generofity.
His ufual drefs (the only one Indeed in
which I ever faw him, except at the feaft
of the Knights of St. Stephen) is a plain
uniform of white faced with red.— When
Vol. II. C c he

386 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
he goes to Laxenberg, Schonbrun, and
other. places near Vienna, he generally
drives two horfes in an ppen chaife, with
a fervant behind, and np other attendant
of any kind. — He very feldom allows the
guard to turn out as he paffes through the
gate. — Nobody ever had a ftronger difpo
fition to judicious inquiry. — He Is fond of
converfing with ingenious people. — When
he hears of any perfon, of whatever rank
or country, being diftinguiffied for an/
particular -talent, he is eager to converfe
with him, and turns the converfation to
the fubjed on which that perfon is thought
to excel, drawing from him all the ufeful
information he can. Of all the means of
knowledge, this is perhaps the moft power
ful, and the moft proper that can be ufed,
by one whofe more neceffary occupations
di not leave him much time for ftudy.
He feems to be of opinion, that the
vanity and ignorance of many Princes are

MANNERS IN FRANCE, kc. 3S7
^re frequently owing to the forms in
Vhich they are Intrenched, and to their
being deprived of the advantages which
the reft of mankind enjoy from a free
comparifon and exchange of fentiment.
He is convinced, that unlefs a King can
contrive to live In fome focieties on a foot
ing of equality, and can weigh his own
merit, without throwing his guards and
pomp Into the fcale, it will be difficult
for him to khow either the world or him
felf. One evening at the Countefs Walftein's,
the converfation leading that way, the Em
peror enumerated fome remarkable and lu
dicrous inftances of the inconveniencies of
etiquette, which had occurred at a certain
court. One perfon prefent hinted at the
effedual means his Majefty had ufed to
baniffi every inconveniency of that kind
from the Court of Vienna, To which he
C c 2 replied.

388 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND.
replied,, It would be hard indeed. If, be*
caufe I have the Ill-fortune to be an Em
peror, I ffiould be deprived of the pleafures
of focial life, which are fo much to my
tafle* ^All the grimace and parade to
which people in my fituation are accuftom
ed from their cradle, have not made me
fo vain, as to imagine that I am in any
effential quality fuperior to other men ; and
If I had any tendency to fuch an opinion,
the fureft way to get rid of it, Is the me
thod I take, of mixing in fociety, where I
have daily occafions of finding myfelf in
ferior in talents to thofe I meet with. Con
fcious of this, it would afford me no en
joyment to affume airs of a fuperiority
which I feel does not exift. I endeavour
therefore to pleafe, and to be pleafed ; and
as much as the inconveniency of my fitua
tion will permit, to enjoy the bleffings of
fociety like other m^n, convinced that the
man who is fecluded from thofe, and
raifes

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 389
raifesi himfelf above friendffiip, is alfo raifed
above ihapplnefs, and deprived of the means
of acquiring knowledge.
This kind of language is not uncom
mon with poor phflofophers; but I Ima
gine it is rarely held by Princes, and the
inferences to be drawn from it more rarely
put In pradice.
A few days after this, there was an ex
hibition of fire- works on the Prater. This
Is a large park, planted with wood, and
furrounded by the Danube, over which
there is a wooden bridge. No carriages
being allowed to pafs, the company leave
their coaches at one end, and walk. There
is a narrow path railed off on one fide
of the bridge. Many people very inju
dicioufly took this path, to which there is
an eafy entrance at one end, but the exit
is difficult at the other ; for only one per-
C c 3 fon

390 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
fpn can go out at a time. The path there
fore was very foon choaked up ; the un
fortunate paffengers crept on at a fnail's
pace, and in the moft ftraitened and
difagreeable manner jmaglnable; whilft
thofe who had kept" the wide path in the
middle of the bridge, like the fortunate and
wealthy in their journey through life,
moved along at their eafe, totally regard
lefs of the wretched circumftances of their
fellow-paffengers. Some few of the prifoners in the nar
row paffage whp we're of a fmall fize,
and uncommon addrefs, crawled under
the rail, and got into the broad walk
In the middle ; but all who were tall,
and of a larger make, were obliged to
remain and fubmit to their fate. An En
gliffiman, who had been at the Coun
tefs Walftein's when the Emperor ex
preffed himfelf as above mfentioped, was of

MANNERS IN FRANCE, kc ^91
of the laft clafs. The Emperor, as he
paffed, feeing that thofe of a fmall fize
extricated themfelves, while the Englifl:^-
man remained fixed In a very awkward
fituation, called out. Ah, JVIonfieur ! Je
vous ais bien annonce' combien 11 eft in
commode d'etre trop grand,-— A prefent
vous devez etre bien de mop avis ; —
Mais comme je ne puis rien faire pour
vous foulager, je vous recommende a Saint
George. There are people, who having heard
of the Emperor's uncommon affability,
and of his total contempt of pomp and
parade, of which the bulk of mankind
are fo much enamoured, have afferted,
that the whole is affedation. But If
the whole tenor of any perfon's words
and adions Is to be confidered as affec
tation, I do not know by what means we
are to get at the bottom of his real
C c 4 charader.

392 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
charader. Yet, people who have a
violent tafte for any particular thing,
are extremely ready to believe, that thofe
who have not the fame tafte art af
feded. I do not remember that I ever told
you, that our friend R  , who loves
his bottle above all things and who,
I believe, efteems you above all men,
let me into a part of your charader
of which I never had the fmalleft fuf
piclon. One day after dinner, when a couple
of bottles had awakened his friendffiip,
and laid open his heart, he took it in
to his head to enumerate your good
qualities, and concluded the lift, by .
faying, that you were no milk-fop. — I
know what that expreffion imports in the
mouth of R  . I therefore flared, and

MANNERS IN FRANCE, kc. 3.93
and faid, I had feldom feen you drink
above three glaffes at a time in my life. —
Nor I, faid he ; but take my word for it,
he is too honeft a fellow not* to love
good wine, and I am certain his fobriety
is ^U affedation.

Sn VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER XCII.

Vienna.

T Returned very lately from Prince Llch-
tenftein's houfe at Felberg in Auftria,
where I paffed a few days very agreeably.
The Lichtenftein family is one of the firft
in this country, whether confidered in
point of antiquity, wealth or dignity. This
Prince, befides his lands in Auftria, has
confiderable eftates in Bohemia, Moravia,
and that part of Silefia which belongs to
the Emprefs. Like Prince Efterhafie, he
has body guards in his own pay. — I be
lieve no other fubjeds in Europe retain this
diftindion. Felberg is a fine old manfion, about forty
miles from Vienna. The apartments are
large.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 39S
large, convenient, and furniffied in the
magnificent ftyle which prevails in the no
blemen's ,houfes of this country. The
company confifted of the Prince and Prin
cefs, the Count Degenfeldt and his lady,
a very accompliffied woman ; the Duke of
Hamilton, Mr. Milnes, an Engliffi officer,
another Engliffi gentleman, and myfelf.
Our entertainment was in every refped
fplendid, particularly in the article of at
tendants. Some of the Auftrian nobility
carry this point of magnificence to a height,
which could fcarcely be fupported by the
beft eftates In England, where one footman
is more expenfive than four in this country.
The day after our arrival, breakfaft was
ferved to the company feparately in their
own apartments, as is the cuftom here,:
We afterwards fet out for another villa
belonging to this Prince, at fix miles di
ftance, where he intended to give the Duke
the amufement of hunting. The Prin cefs,

3^6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
cefs, the Countefs Degenfeldt, the Duke,
and Captain Milnes, were in one coach ;
the Prince, the Count, and I, in another ;
the two young Princes, with their gover
nor and the young Engliffi gentleman, in
a third, with a great retinue on horfe
back. As the dav was vv^ell advanced when we
arrived, I imagined the hunting would be
gin immediately :— But every thing Is done
with method and good order In this coun
try, and It was judged proper to dine in
the firft place. This in due tipie being
concluded, I thought the men would have
proceeded diredly to the fcene of adion,
leaving the ladies tilf their return. — But
here I found myfelf again miftaken : — The
ladies were to affift In the whole of this
expeditions But as there was a neceffity
to traverfe a large wood, into which coaches
could not enter, vehicles of a more com
modious conftrudlon were prepared. I
forget

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 39/
forget what name is given to thefe car
riages. They are of the form of benches,
with fluffed feats, upon which fix or eight
people may place themfelves one behind
the other. They are drawn by four
horfes, and Aide over the ground like a
fledge, paffing along paths and tracklefs
ways, over which no wheel-carriage could
be drawn. '
After being conveyed In this manner
acrofs the wood, and a confiderable way
beyond it, we came to a very large open
field, in which there were feveral little
circular inclofures of trees and underwood
at wide intervals from each other. — This
hunting had hitherto been attended with
very litde fatigue ; for we had been car
ried the whole way In coaches, or on the
fledges, which are ftill eafier than any
coach. In ffiort, we had been perfedly
paffive fince breakfaft, except during the
time of dinner. But

39^ View OF society ANb
But when we arrived at this large plain j
I was informed, that the hunting would
commence within a very ffiort time. I
then expeded we ffiould have fome vio
lent exercife after fo much Inadivity, and
began to fear that the ladies might be
over-fatigued, when, lo ! the Prince's fer
vants began to arrange fome portable chairs
at a fmall diftance from one of the thickets
above mentioned. The Princefs, Coun^
tefs, and the reft of the company took
their places ; and when every body was
feated, they affured me that the hunting
was juft going to begin.
I own, my curiofity v^as now excited in
a very uncommon degree ; and I was filled
with impatience to fee the Iffue of a hunt
ing. Which had been conduded in a ftyle
fo different from any idea I had of that dl-
verfion. While I fat loft in conjedure,
I perceived, at a great diftance, a long line
of people moving towards the little wood, near

manners in France, kc 399
near which the company was feated. As
they walked along, they gradually formed
the fegment of a circle, whofe centre Was
this wood. I underftood that thefe were
peafants, with their wives and children,
who, walking forward in this manner,
roufe the game, which naturally take ffiel-
ter In the thicket of trees and buffies. As
foon as this happened, the peafants ruffied
In at the fide oppofite to that where our
company had taken poft, beat out the
game, and then the maffacre began.
Each perfon was provided with a fufil,
and many more were at hand loaded for
immediate ufe. The fervants were epi-
ployed in charging as faft as the piecesi
were fired off: So that an uninterrupted
fliooting was kept up, as long as the game
continued flying or running out of the
wood. — The Prince hardly ever miffed. —
He himfelf killed above thirty partridges,*
a few pheafants, and three hares.
* 2 At

4c6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
At the beginning of this fcene, I was a
good deal furprifed to fee a fervant ha,i\d
a fufil to the Princefs, who with great
coolnefs, and without rifing from her feat,i
took aim at a partridge, which Imme-'
diately feU to the ground. With the fame
eafe, ffie killed ten or twelve partridges
and pheafants, at about double the num
ber of ffiots. — The execution done by the
reft of the company was by no means con
fiderable. Though I had not heard of It before,
I now underftood, that ffiooting is not an
uncommon amufement with the German
ladles : And it is probable, their attention
to the delicacy of the fair fex, has Induced-
the hardy Germans to render this diverfion
fo little fatiguing;
The company afterwards Walked to
Pther little inclofures of planting, where
fome game was driven out, and killed as
bcfor«;

MANNERS IN FRANCE, kc. 401
before. — The following day, the Prince
conduded us to another of his feats, where
t^ere is a very fine open wood, full of
deer of every kind, fome of them the
largeft I ever faw. There is alfo a great
number of wild boars, one of which, by
the Prince's permiffion, the Duke of Hamil
ton killed.
Nothing could furpafs the politenefs and
magnificence with which the company
were entertained during the whole of their
ftay. The Princefs is a woman of an ami
able charader, and a gppd imderftanding ;
educates her children, and manages her
affairs, with the utmoft prudence and pro
priety. This family, and many of the nobility,
who have hitherto been at their country-
feats, are now about to return to Vienna.
The family of Monfieur and Madame de
Pergen have been here for fpme time. This
Vol. IL P d lady

t,o% VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
lady is an intimate friend of the Countefs
Thune; and nearly the fame company,
who form her fociety, now affemble twice
a yireek at the houfe of Madame de Pergen,
who rivals the Countefs in good fenfe and
many accompliffiments ; and, without raif
ing jealoufy or ill-will, divides with her
the efteem of the beft company of this
place. The agreeable footing on which
fociety is eftabliffied here, and the number
of refpedable people with whom we are
acquainted, fills me with regret at the
thoughtsof leaving Vienna ; but the Dukeof
Hamilton Inclines to pafs the winter In Italy.
Indeed, if he did not, he would be obliged
to delay the journey a whole year, or fub
mit to the Inconveniences of travelling in
the fummer months, which, in fo hot a
climate, is rather to be avpided.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 403

LETTER XCIIL
Vienna, '
T Have not faid any thing of the Auftrian
army, having fome fufpiclon that I
rather over-dofed you with military de
tails from Berlin, where the fubjed of my
letters was continually before my eyes.
But the Emperor has very few of his troops
in garrifon at Vienna. They make a fine
appearance, and the army in general are
more judicioufly clothed, than any other I
have feen.
Inftead of coats with long fkirts, their
uniform is a ffiort jacket of white cloth.
With waiftcoat, and breeches of the fame ;
and each foldier has a furtout of coarfe
grey cloth, which he wears in cold or
rainy weather. This he rolls up in a very
D d 2 fmall

4cr4 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
fmall bulk when the weather is good, and.
it is little or no Incumbrance on a march
They have ffiort boots for ffioes ; and, in
place of hats, they wear caps of very ftout
leather, with a brafs front, which ufually
ftands up, but which may be let down up
on occafion, to prevent their eyes from be
ing Incommoded by the fun.
Except a very few Hungarians who do
duty within the palace, there are no
troops in the Auftrian fervice with In
creafed pay, and exclufive privileges, un
der the denomination of body-guards ; the
marching regiments on the ordinary efta
bliffiment, form the garrifon of Vienna,
and perform the duty of guards by ro
tation. The Infolence of the Praetorian bands
int Rome, fo often terrible to their mat
ters ; the frequent Infurredions of the Ja-
niflaries at Cdnftantinople, and the revolu tion*

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 46.5
tlons effeded by the Ruffian guards at
Peterffiurgh, fufficlently point out the dan
ger of fuch an inflitution. Thefe ex
amples may have Influenced the Auftrian
government to renounce a fyftem which
feems to render certain regiments lefs ufe
ful, and more dangerous, than the reft of
the army.
The Auftrian army is calculated at con
fiderably above two hundred thpufand;
and It Is imagined that there never was
a greater number pf excellent pfficers in
the fervice than at prefent; fp that, In cafe pf
a war with Pruffia, the twp ppwers will be
mpre equally matched than ever. It wpuld
be unfprtunate fpr this Cpurt if it ffipuld
break put at prefent ; fpr there are fpme
commptlons among the peafants In Bohe
mia, which occafion a general difquiet,
and by which fome individuals have fuf
tained great loffes. One nobleman of
D d 3 the

4o6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND '
the firft rank has had his houfe, and all
the furniture, burnt to the ground, to
gether with fome large out-houfes near
his caftle.
Thefe exceffes, according to fome, pro
ceed from m.ere wantonnefs, and love
of mifchief, in the people. Others affert,
that they are excited by the tyranny of
the lords, which has driven thofe poor
men to defpalr. Whichfoever of thefe
accounts is true. It feems evident to me,
that It would be much better for the lords,
as well as the peafants, that the latter,
Inftead of being bond-men, were in a ftate
of freedom. At prefent, they pay their
rent by working a certain number of days
in the week for their mafters, and main
tain themfelves and families by labour
ing the other days on their Own account.
You will readily ' believe, that more real
bufinefs will be done in one day when
they work for themfelves, than in two
days

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 4O7
days labour for their lords. This occafions
ill-humour and blows on the part of the
mafter, and hatred and revolt on that of
the peafants.
If the eftates In Bohemia were let to
free- men at a reafonable rent, freedom
and property would excite a fpirit of in
duftry an^ong thefe Indolent people. They
would then work every day with cheer
fulnefs and good will, and I am con
vinced the landlords revenues would in
creafe dafly. In confequence of this, the
peafants would, in all probability, con
tinue as much attached to the ground
from choice, as they are at prefent from
neceffity .^Do we not fee families In Great
Britain remain for many generations on
gentlemen's eftates, though the mafter has
the privilege of changing his tenant, and
the tenant his mafter, at the end of every
leafe ? D d 4 tn

4o8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
In almoft every country^ in Europe,
except England, the inhabitants are con
fined, by fome barrier or other, to the
fituation in which ihey are born. The
total want of education neceffarlly obliges
the greater part to gain their livelihood by
bodily labour. National opinions prevent
others from ever rifing above the level of
their birth, however fublime their genius,
or hpwever great their acquired knowledge.
But in our ifland the door of fcience,
and confequendy the road to ambition,
is open to. almoft every individual. Even
in the moft remote viUages fome degree
of education Is beftowed on the pooreft
inhabitants. ¦: J
This may be of little or no Importance
to ninety-nine in a hundred: and of the
fmall number who, by improving this
pittance of knowledge, raife themfelves
above the ftate in which they were born,
very few arrive at any degree of eminence} the

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 409
the reafon of which is, that great genius
Is a quality very fparingly- dealt out to
mankind. Though It muft be allowed,
that much the greater part of the inhabit
ants of the fame country and climate are
born with nearly the fame natural abilities;
and that the degrees of education, and
other opportunities of improvement, gra
dually form all the difference which appears
among them In after-life; yet I cannot,
with Helvetius, believe that genius is en
tirely the work of education.
I am fufly convinced, that Nature is
continually producing fome Individuals in
every nation of a finer organization, with
an Infinitely greater aptitude for fcience
of every kind, and whofe minds are capable
of a more fublime and extenfive range of
thought, than is attainable by the com
mon run of mankind with any poffible de
gree of culture. This natural fuperiority
is what I call genius. Wherever a confi
derable

4IO VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
derable ffiare of this Is lodged, a little cul
tivation wfll be fufficient, but fome Is ab
folutely requifite to make it appear.
When it dpes exift in the minds pf pea
fants in Ruffia, Poland, and fome parts of
Germany, It remains dormant from negled,
or is fmothered by oppreffion. But in Great
Britain, the degree of education which is
now univerfal, fmall as It is, will be fuf
ficient to roufe, animate, and bring into
adion the fire of extraordinary genius, the
feeds of which impartial Nature is as apt to
place in the infant breaft of a peafant as of
a prince. The chance of great and diftin
guiffied men fpringing up in a country. Is
therefore not to be calculated by the num
ber of inhabitants, but by the number whofe
minds receive that degree of cultivation ne
ceffary to call forth their latent powers.
On the fupppfition, that one kingdom
contains eight millions pf inhabitants, and
anPther

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 41%
another triple the number, many more
men of original genius, and great eminence
in every art and fcience, may, from the cir
cumftances above mentioned, be expeded
to appear in the firft than In the fecond. In
Great Britain, for example, almoft all the
natives may be included in the calculation;
but in the other countries which I have men
tioned, the peafantry, who form the moft
numerous clafs, muft be ftruck out.

412 VIEW OF SOCIETY ANQ

LETTER XCIV.

Vienn*.
¦^inrHETHER it is owing to the ex
ample of the Emprefs, or to what
other caufe, J ffiall not take upon me to
decide; but there certainly appears a
warmer and more general attachment to
religion in Vienna, than in any other great
town in Germany : There Is alfo a greater
appearance of fatlsfadipn and happipefs
here than in many -other cities, where
religious impreffions are more feeble and
lefs prevalent : It Is not improbable, that
the latter may be a confequence of th^
former, Irreligion and fcepticlfm, exclufive of
the bad effeds they may have on the
8 morals

MANNERS IN FRANCE, kc. 413
mprals pr future deftlny pf men, impair
even their temporal happinefs, by ob-
fcuring thofe hppes, which, in fome fi
tuations, are their Pnly confolation. In
whatever fuperior point pf view thpfe men
may confider themfelves, who deride the
opinions which their fellow-citizens hold
facred, this vanity Is often overbalanced
by the irkfome doubts which obtrude on
their minds. Uncertainty with refped to
the moft interefting of all fubjeds, or a
fixed perfuafion pf annihilatlpn, are equally
infupportable to the greater part pf man
kind, whp fppner pr later endeavpur tP put
in a claim fpr that bright reverfipn, which
rellgipn has prpmifed tP believers. If the
Idea pf annlhflatipn has been fuppprted
withput pain by a few philofophers, it is
the utmoft that can be faid ; fuch a ftate
of mind can never be a fource pf fatisfac-
tipn or pleafure. Pepple of great fenfibi
lity feldom endure it long; their fond
defire

414 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
defire of immortality overturns every fa
bric which fcepticlfm had attempted to
raife in their minds ; they cannot abide
by a dodrine which plucks from the
heart a deeply-rooted hope, tears afunder
all thofe ties of humanity, affedion,
.friendffiip, and love, which it has been
the bufinefs of their lives to bind, and
which they exped will be eternal. Since
fenfibility renders the heart averfe ^to
fcepticlfm, and inclinable to devotion,
we may naturally exped to find women
more devout than men ; very few of that
delicate fex have been able to look with
ftedfaft eyes on a profped, which termi
nates In a difmal blank ; and thofe few,
who have had that degree of phllofophi
cal fortitude, have not been the moft
amiable of the fex.
None of my female acquaintance at
Vienna are In this uncomfortable ftate of
mind;

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 415
mind ; but many of them have embroidered
fome fanciful piece of fuperftitlon of their
own upon the extenfive ground which the
Roman Catholic faith affords. In a lady's
houfe, a few days ago, 1 happened tP take up
a book which lay upon the table, — a fmall
pidure of the Virgin Mary on vellum fell
from between the leaves ; under the figure
of the Virgin there was an infcription,
which I tranflate literally :
" This Is prefented by  — — to her
" deareft friend  , in token of the
*' fincereft regard and affedion ; begging
*' that as often as ffie beholds this figUre of
" the bleffed Virgin, ffie- may mix a fenti-
" ment of affedion for her abfent friend,
" with the emotions of gratitude and ado-
" ration ffie feels for the Mother of Jefus."
The lady informed me, that it was ufual
for intimate friends to fend fuch prefents to
each Pthei* when they were about tp fepa-
3 rate,

4i6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
rate, and When there was a probability pf
their being long afunder.
There feems to be fpmething exceedingly
tender and pathetic in blending friendftiip
with religious fentiments, and thus, by a
kind of confecration, endeavouring to pre-
ferve the former from the effeds of time and
abfence. — The perufal of this infcription re
called to my memory certain connedions I
have at home, the impetuofity of which
recolledion affeded me beyond expreffion.
I remarked in this lady's houfe another
beautiful pidure of the Virgin, ornamented
with a rich frame, and a filk curtain to pre-
ferve it from duft; Ipbferved that ffie never
looked at it but with an air of veneration
andJove, nor paffed it when uncovered by
the curtain without a gentle bending of the
knee. — She told me, that this pidure had
been long In the family, and had been al
ways held in the higheft efteem j for that
both

kANNERS IN FRANCE, kc. 417
both her mother and ffie owed fome of the
moft fortunate events of their lives to the
protedion of the bleffed Virgin, and ffie
feemed not intirely free from a perfuafion,
that the attention of the Virgin was In fome
degree retained by the good offices of this
Identical pidure. She declared, that the
confidence ffie had in the Virgin's goodnefs
and protedion, was one of the greateft com
forts ffie had in life— that to her ffie could,
without reftraint, open her heart, and pour
DUt her whole foul under every afflidion,
and ffie never failed to find herfelf com
forted and relieved by fuch effufions.
I obferved, that devout Proteftants found
the fame confolation in addreffing the Al
mighty. She faid — She could not comprehend how
that could be — for that God the Father was
fo great and awful, that her veneration was
mixed with fuch a degree of dread, as con-
1', Vol. II. E e founded

4i8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
founded all her ideas when ffie attempted
to approach him ; but the bleffed Mary was
of fo mfld, fo condefeending, and compaf-
fionate a charader, that ffie could addrefs
her with more confidence.
She faid, ffie knew it was her duty to
adore the Creator of the univerfe, and ffie
fulfilled It to the beft of her power ; but
ffie could not diveft herfelf of a certain de
gree of reftraint In her devotions to Him, or
even to her Saviour. But the bleffed Mary
being herfelf a woman, and acquainted with
all the weaknefs and delicacies of the fex,
ffie could to her open her heart with a de
gree of freedom, which it was not poffible
for her to ufe to any of the Perfons of the
Holy Trinity. — Regardez fa phyfionomie,
added ffie, pointing to the pidure, — mon
Dieu, qu'efle eft douce, qu'elle eft gra-
cieufe \ Thefe

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 419
Thefe fentiments, hpwever cpntrary tp the
jProteftant tenets, and the maxims of philo
fophy, are not unnatural tp the human
heart.— Vpltaire fays. That man has always
ffiewn an inclination to create God after his
own image; this lady fprmed an idea pf
the bleffed Virgin from the reprefentation
of the painter, as well as from the account
given of her in the Evangelifts ; and her re
ligion allowing the Mother of Chrlft to be
an objed of worffilp, ffie naturally turned
the ardor of her devotion to her, whofe power
ffie imagined was fufficient to proted her
v^otaries here, and procure them paradife
hereafter; and whofe charader ffie thought,
in fome particulars fympathifed with her
own. Some zealous Proteftants may poffibly be
ffiocked at this lady's theological notions :
however, as in other refpeds ffie is a woman
of an excellent charader, and obferves the
E e 2 moral

420 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
moral precepts of Chriftianity with as much
attention as If her creed had been purified
by Luther, and doubly refined by Calvin, it
is hoped they will not think It too great an
extenfion of charity to fuppofe that her
fpeculative errors may be forgiven.

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 421

L E T T E I^ XCV. Vienna;
f~r^ H E preference which is given by in-
"*• dividuals in Roman Catholic countries
to particular Saints, proceeds fometimes
from a fuppofed connedion between the
charaders of the Saints and the votaries.
Men exped the greateft favour and Indul
gence from thofe who moft referable them
felves, and naturally admire others for the
qualities which they value moft in their
own charader.
A French Officer of dragoons, being at
Rome, went to view the famous ftatue of
Mofes by Michael Angelo. The artlft has
conveyed Into this mafter-plece, in the opi
nion of fome, all the dignity which a human
form and human features are capable of re-
E e 3 ceiying ^

422 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
celving ; he has endeavoured to give this
ftatue a cpuntenance worthy of the great le-;
giflator of the Jews, the favourite of Heaven,
who had converfed face to face with the
Deity. The officer happened to be ac
quainted with the hiftory of Mofes, but he
laid no great ftrefs on any pf thefe circum
ftances — he admired him much more on ac
count of one adventure in which he Ima
gined Mofes had acquitted himfelf like a,
man of fpirit, and as he hirnfelf would have
done— —Voila qui eft terrible ! vpfla qui
eft fublime ! cried he at fight of the ftatue—
and after a little paufe he added, on voit la,
un drole qui a dpnne des cpups de baton en
fon tems, et qui a tue fon homme.
The crucifixes, apd ftatues, and pidures,
of Saints, with which Popiffi churches are
filled, were no doubt Intended to awaken
devotion when it became drowfy, and to
excite In the mind gratitude and veneration
for the holy perfpps they reprefent ; but it
cannpi

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 423
cannot be denied that the grofs Imagina
tions of the generality of mankind are ex
ceedingly prone to forget the originals, and
transfer their adoration to the fenfelefs figures
which they behold, and before which they
kneel. So that whatever was the original
defign, and whatever effeds thofe ftatues
and pidures have on the minds of calm,
fenfible Rpman Cathplics, it is certain that
they pften are the pbjeds pf as complete
idolatry as ever was pradifed in Athens
pr Rpme, before the ftatues of Jupiter or
Apollo. On what other principle do fuch multi
tudes flock from all the Roman Catholic
countries in Europe to the ffirine of our
Lady at Loretto ? Any ftatue of the Virgin
would ferve as effedually as that to recal
her to the memory ; and people may adore
her as devoutly In their own parlfh churches,
as in the chapel at Loretto. — The pflgrims,
therefore, muft be perfuaded that there is
P e 4 |bme

42+ VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
fome divine Influence or Intelligence in the
flatue wljiich is kept there ; that it has a
confcioufiiefs of all the trouble they have
taken, and the inconveniencies to which
they have been expofed, by long journies,
for the fole purpofe of kneeling before it,
in preference to all other images.
It was probably on account of this
tendency of the human mind, that the
Jews were forbid to make unto them
felves any graven image, This indeed feems
to have been the pnly method of fecuring
that fuperftiilous people from idolatry ;
and, notwithftanding the peremptory tenor
of the commandment, neither the zeal
nor remonftrances of their judges and
prophets could always prevent their mak
ing idols, nor hinder their worffiipping
them wherever they found them ready
made, Statues

MANNERS IN FRANCE, kc. 425
Statues and pidures of Saints, which have
been long in particularfamilies, are generally
kept with great care and attention; the pro
prietors often have the fame kind of attach
ment to them, that the ancient heathens had
to their Dii Penates. — They are confidered
as tutelary and domeftic divinities, from
whom the family exped protedion. When
a feries of unfortunate events happens in a
family, it fometimes creates a fufpiclon that
the family ftatues have loft their Influence.
This alfo Is a very ancient fentiment. Sue
tonius informs us, that the fleet of Auguftus
having been difperfed by a ftorm, and many
of the ffiips loft, the Emperor gave orders
that the ftatue of Neptune ffiould not be
carried In proceffion with thofe of the other
Gods, frpm an opinion that the God of the
Sea was unwilling or unable to proted his
navy; and in either cafe he deemed him not
worthy of any public mark of diftinc-
tipn. The

426 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
Thegenuine tenets of the Roman Ca
tholic church certainly do not authorife
any of tfie fuperftitions above mentioned^
which ^re generally confined to the credu
lous and illiterate in the lower ranks of
life.— Yet inftances are fpmetimes tp be met
with In a higher fphere. A Frenchman in
a creditable way pf life had a fmall figure
pf our Saviour on the Crofs, of very cu
rious wprkmanffiip ; he offered It for fale
to an Engliffi gentleman of my acquaint
ance : after expatiating pn the excellency
of the workmanffiip, he told him that he
had long kept this crucifix with the moft
pious care, that he had always addreffed It
in his private devotion, and that in return
he had expeded fome degree of protedion
and favour ; inftead of which he had of
late been remarkably unfortunate : that all
the tickets he had in the lottery had proved
blanks : and having had a great ffiare in
the cargo of a ffiip coming from the Weft-
Indies, he had recommended it in the moft
fervent

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 427
fervept manner in his prayers tp the cruci
fix ; and, that he might give no offence by
^ny appearance pf want of faith, he had
not infured the goods— notwithftanding all
which the veffel had been ffiipwrecked,
^nd the cargo totally loft, though the
fallors, in whofe ptefervation he had no
concern, had been all faved^— Enfin, Mon
fieur, cried he, with an accent of indigna
tion mingled with regret, and raifing his
ffioulders above his ears, Enfin, Monfieur,
il m'a manque, et je vends mon Chrift.
Happy for Chriftians of every denomina
tion, could they abide by the plain, rational,
benevolent precepts of the Chriftian reli
gion ; rejeding all the conceits of fuperfti
tlon, whicji never fail to deform its original
beauty, and to corrupt its intrinfic purity !

42S VIEW OF SOCIETY AND

LETTER XCVL Vienna.
/^UR difputes with the colonies have
^^^ been a prevailing topic of converfation
wherever we have been fince we left Eng
land. The warmth with which this fubjed
is handled, increafes every day. -r At prefent,
the inhabitants of the continent feem as im
patient as thofe of Great Britain, for news
from the other fide of the Atlantic; but
with this difference, that here they are al^
of one mind :— -all praying for fuccefs to
the Americans, and rejoicing in every
piece of bad fortune which happens to our
army. '
That the French 'ffiould be pleafed with
commotions which muft diftrefs and weaken
iQreat Britain, and may transfer to them ap
equal

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 429
equal right to every advantage we gained by
the laft war, is not furprifing ; but why the
inhabitants of every other country ffiould
take part againft England, and become
partizans of America, is not fo apparent.
I ffiould forgive them, and even join In
fentiment with them, as far as my regard
for the honour and happinefs of my coun
try would permit. If this proceeded from an
attachment to liberty, and a generous par
tiality for men who repel oppreffion, and
ftruggle for independency. — But this is not
the cafe. — Thofe who can reap no poffible
advantage from the revolt of America ;
thofe who have not an Idea of civil liberty,
and would even be forry to fee it eftabliffied
In their own country ; thofe who have
no other knowledge of the difpute, than
that It is ruining England ; all join as allies
to the Americans, not from love to them,
but evidendy from diflike tP us.
When

430 View of society AN5
When I firft obferved this hoftile difpo
fition, I thought it might proceed from their
being offended at that preference which the
Engliffi give to their own country and
countrymen, above aU others : but this con
ceit we have in common with every other
nation on the globe, all of whom cheriffi
the fame favourable opinion of themfelves.
It affuredly prevails in France in an eminent
degree.— There is hardly one fceptic or un-^
believer In the whole nation. — It is the
univerfal creed, that France is the fineft
country In the world ; the French the moft
Ingenious and moft amiable people, ex
celling in all the arts of peace and war J
and that Paris is the capital of politenefs,
and the centre of learning, genius, and
tafte. This fatisfadion at the misfortunes of
Great Britain cannot therefore arife from a
caufe which is applicable tO every other
country. It may indeed, in fome mea-
. 5 - fure»

Manners iN France, ^^ci 431
fure, proceed from envy of the riches, and
jealoufy of the power, of the Engliffi nation j
but, I believe, ftifl mote from our taking no
trouble to conciliate the affedions of fo
reigners, and to diminiffi that envy and ill-
will which great profperity often creates.
The French, though perhaps the valneft
people on earth of their own advantages^
have fome degree of confideration for the
feelings and felf-love of their neighbours. A
Frenchman endeavours to draw from them
an acknowledgment of the fuperiority of his
country, by making an eloglum on whatever
is excellent in theirs. But we are apt to build
our panegyric of Old England, on the ruin
and wretchednefs of all other countries.
— Italy Is too hot, the inns miferable, and
the whole country fwarms with monks and
other vermin. — In France, the people are
flaves and coxcombs, the mufic execrable ;
—they boil their meat to rags, and there Is
no

432 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
no porter, and very'little ftrong ale, in the
country. — In Germany, fome of their Prin
ces have little more to fpend than an Eng
liffi. gentleman :— They ufe ftoves inflead of
grates; — they eat four crout, and fpeak
High Dutch. — The Danes and Swedes are
reminded, that they are rather at too great
a diftance from the equator ; and many fly
hints are given concerning the Inconve
niencies of a cold climate, — Of all things,
I ffiould think it moft prudent to be filent
on this laft topic, as fo many paltry ftates
will take precedency of Old England, when
ever it is the eftabliffied etiquette that rank
ffiall be determined by climate.
But this confideration has no effed on
toy honeft friend John Bull. When he is
in a choleric, humour, he wfll not fpare his
beft friends and neareft neighbours, even
When he has moft need of their affiftance,
8 and

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 433
and when thofe at a diftance feem to h^ive
plotted his ruin.— If his own fifter Peg
ffiould fliow a difpofition to forget old
fquabbles, to live in friendffiip with her
brother, and ffiauld declare that all who
renounced his friendffiip were her enemies,
and refolve to conquer by his fide, or If that
ffiould fail, to die hard along with him —
No! d — n ye, fays John, none of your
coaxing :— You be d — d ! you are farther
North than I— Keep your diftance.——
And fo he fafls a pelting Peg with her own
fnow-bafls ; and then turning from her, he
attacks Lewis Baboon, Lord Strut, Lord
Peter, and daffies their foup maigre, olio's,
and maccaroni, full in their teeth.
But to drop allegory; the unrvterfal fatif-
fadion which appears all over Europe, at
the Idea of England's' being ftript of her
colonies, certainly does not intirely origi-*-
nate from political fentiments ; but in a
great degree from that referve which keeps
Vol. II. F f Engliffimen

434 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
Engliffimen from cultivating the friendffiip
of foreigners ; that pride which hinders
them from ftooping to humour prejudices ;
that indifference which makes them dif
regard the approbation of others, and be
tray the contempt* the;y are too ready tp
entertain fpr cuftoms orfentjmepts different
from. their own.
Thefe are things not eafily forgiven, and
for which no fuperiority of genius, niagna-
nimlty, or Integrity, can compenfate. The
fame caufes which have made foreigners
take part againft us in the difpute with
America, induce thofe of them who are
rich, and can fpend their revenues out of
their own country, to prefer France to Eng
land for that purpofe. The difference be
tween London and Paris in point of climate
Is very fmall. The winter amufements of
the former are more magnificent ; and per
haps every conveniency, and hioft of the
luxuries of life are to be found' there In
greater

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 435
greater perfedion; During the fummer
months, by fuperior fkill in agriculture and
a better tafte In gardening, England difplays
fuch fcenes of cultivation,- of verdure and
fertility, as no country on earth can equal.
To thefe are added the bleffings of liberty ;
yet few or no foreigners refide in England,
except thofe ffie maintains entirely at her
own expence ; all the wealthy, after a ffiort
vifit to London, returning to fpend their
fortunes at Paris,
Exclufive of pecuniary advantages, it
flatters the natural vanity of the French to
iind their fociety preferred to that of all other
people, and particularly to that of their
proud rivals.— Let them enjoy this advan
tage; let them draw to their capital the
jidle, the diffipated, and the effeminate- of
every .country In l^prope : — but for heaven's
¦fake>; do you and your friends in parliament
fall on fome meafure to prevent them froqi
Ff2 engaging

^36 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
epgaging the affedions pf our induftrious
brethren of America.

Such an event would be attended with
fevere cpnfequences tP Great Britain, and
probably to America. There are, however,
fo many repelling points in the American
and French charaders, that I cannot ima
gine the adhefion between them could be
©f long duration, ffiould it take place.
You may naturally fuppofe, from fome
things in this letter, that the people here are
in a particular manner Inveterate againft
England, in her difpute with America. But
(n reality this is not the cafe : for although
in general they favour America, I have not
feen fo much moderation on that queftion
.any where as at Vienna, The Emperor,
when fome perfon afked which fide he
favoured, replied very Ingenioufly, Je fuis
par me'tier royallfte. i I wiflv

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 437
IS
I wiffi thofe of our countryrpeoj who by
your account feem to be carrying their zeal
for America too far, would remember qu'ils
font par nalfance Anglois.
Juft as I was concluding the above I re
ceived yours. Informing me that your young
friend was in a ffiort time to fet out on the
ufual tour through Europe. I ffiall take;
another opportunity of writing to him on
the fubjed you defire, at prefent I muft con
fine myfelf to the few following hints.
I hope he will always remember that vir
tue and good fenfe are not confined to any
particular place, and that one end of tra
velling is to free the niind from' vulgar pre
judices — he ought therefore to form con
nedions, and live on a focial footing with
the inhabitants of the different countries
through which he paffes ; let him at leaft
feem pleafed while he remains among them;
this is the tnoft effedual method of making themi

438 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND
them pleafed with him, and of his accom-
pliffiing every objed he can have in vlfiting
their country.
•
/ There are inftances of Engliffimen, who,
while on their travels, ffiock foreigners
by an oftentatious preference of England to
all the reft of the world, and ridicule the
manners, cuftoms, and opinions of every
other nation ; yet on their return to their
own country. Immediately affume foreign
manners, and continue during the remainder
of their lives to exprefs the higheft con
tempt for every thing that is Engliffi. — -—
I hope he will entirely avoid fuch perverfe
and ridiculous affedatiop.
The tafte for letters which he has ac
quired at the univerfity, I da^reTay virill pot
be dipilniffied on claffic ground, o.r his
mind be diverted, by a frivolous enthufiafm
for muficj or any other paffiop^ from the
manly

MANNERS IN FRANCE, &c. 439
manly ftudies and purfuits which become
an Engliffi gentleman.
As he regards the confidence of hh
friends, the prefervation of his charader,
and the tranqulfllty of his mind, let no ex
ample, however high, lead him Into the
pradice of deep play. By avoiding gaming
he wfll fecure one kind of Independence,
and at the fame time keep poffeffion of
another, by continuing the habit of ftudy,
till the acquifitlon of knowledge has become
one of his moft pleafing amufements. — Un
like thofe wretched mortals, who, to drag
through the dreary hours of life, are con
tinually obliged to have recourfe to the
affiftance of others, this fortunate turn of
mind will add to his own happinefs, while
It renders him more ufeful to, and lefs de
pendent on, fociety.
The preceding fermon, if you think pro
per, you may deliver to the young traveller,
with my beft wiflies. 3 Flaving

440 VIEW OF SOCIETY, &c.
Having delayed our journey feveral weeks
longer than was Intended, merely from a
reludance of leaving a place which we have
found fo very agreeable, we have at length
determined to fet out for Italy — and are to
go by the Duchies of Stiria and Carlnthia,
¦which is a fhorter route than that by the
Tirol. As the time we are to remain at
Vienna will be entirely employed In the ne
ceffary arrangements for the journey, and
the painful ceremony of taking leave of
friends, you wfll not hear again from me
till we arrive at Venice.— — IVIean while, I
am, &c.

THE END.

YALE UNIVERSITY L