LETTER XXI.
SIR,Frankfort, March 21, 1730.
At my Departure from Manheim I pass'd the Rhine over a Bridge of Boats, and in three Hours time arrived at Franckendahl, which was formerly fortified, but after having suffered by the general Conflagration in the Palatinate, was dismantled by the Peace of Nimeguen, and so it has remained ever since. It still bears the Marks of French Fury; and a great many Houses that were burn'd have not been rebuilt.
There's the finest Country in the World between Franckendahl and Worms. I came hither at ten o'clock in the Morning, and spent the rest of the Forenoon in seeing what was most remarkable. Worms is not the Place now that it was before the French burn'd it. Its most wealthy Inhabitants instead of rebuilding their Houses, retir'd to Frankfort and Holland, so that the Chapter of Worms, which is wholly compos'd of Persons of Quality, is now the chief Glory of the Town. The Bishop of it is the Elector[142] of Mentz, who was chose July 12, 1694. This Prince has built a new Episcopal Palace, the Contrivance of
which is beautiful. It joins to the Cathedral which is ancient, and built very substantially. The Lutherans have just built a fine Church, the Roof of which is painted. In several Compartiments there's the History of Luther's pretended Reformation. That Doctor is there represented as appearing before the Dyet of the Empire which met at Worms An. 1521. You know that he was cited to it by the Emperor Charles V. His Friends, to dissuade him from appearing, put him in mind of John Huss, who notwithstanding the Safe-Conduct that had been granted him by the Emperor Sigismond, was burnt by a Decree of the Council of Constance. Luther, without being intimidated, said, that tho' he was sure to be engag'd with as many Devils as there were Tiles upon the Houses of Worms, he was resolv'd to go. He went thither accordingly, and appear'd the 17th of April before the Dyet, where he offer'd, with a Courage deserving a better Cause, to maintain his Doctrine and his Writings against all that should go about to demolish them from the Holy Scriptures.
The City of Worms stands in the middle of a fine spacious Plain, abounding with Corn, Vineyards, and Fruit-Trees. A Wine is produced here which is call'd Lieben-Frauen-Milch, i. e. Our Lady's Milk. The Rhine is about three or four hundred Paces from the Town, but 'tis said it formerly ran close by the Walls of it. Which way soever one comes to Worms, one perceives at a great Distance the four Towers of the Cathedral which are all built of red Freestone. Two drunken Fellows mistook those Towers one day for Capuchin Fryars. Being in the Country at a pretty good Distance from the Town, as the Sun was going down, one of them said to his Comrade, We have no Time to lose, the Gates are going to be shut.—No matter, said the other, pointing to the Towers; Don't you see those Capuchins
there before us? They are of the Town, and are going thither as well as we. You are in the right, reply'd the former, let us drink the good Fryar's Health. They had a Gourd Bottle full of Wine, of which they drank every Drop, so that they did not overtake the imaginary Capuchins till next Day.
There is not a finer Country than that between Worms and Oppenheim, a little Town upon an Eminence, on the left Side of the Rhine, to which we pass over a flying Bridge. The Road from Oppenheim is unpassable for near two Leagues, because 'tis commonly overflown by that River; but afterwards the Way is perfectly good to Frankfort. 'Twas very late when I came to this City, but by good luck the People of Frankfort who formerly shut their Gates at Sun-set have lately chose to keep them open till ten o'clock, so that for paying a Trifle one may enter the Town.
I know not whether I need give any Account of the City of Frankfort. It has been so often describ'd, and is so well known to the World, that I fancy every body knows what sort of Town it is, tho' they have not seen it. Frankfort is famous for its two yearly Fairs, viz. at Easter and Michaelmas. It suffer'd much by a great Fire in 1619, but the whole has been since rebuilt, and the Houses are finer than before. There are few Places upon the whole more disagreeable, and few Towns in Germany where the Common People are more unpolish'd. The Burghers are not to be match'd for Affectedness, and their Conversation is insupportable. The Magistrates are all Lutherans; nevertheless the principal Churches belong to the Catholics. The Calvinists may live in the Town, but cannot hold any Employments, and are oblig'd to go for Worship to Bockenheim in the County of Hanau, and to cause their Children to be baptiz'd in the Lutheran Churches. The great Church in which the Ceremony
of the Emperor's Coronation is perform'd is dark, and by no means proper for such an august Solemnity. You know that Aix la Chapelle is properly the Place set apart for the Coronation of our Emperors, and Frankfort for their Election. But since Maximilian I. no Emperor has been crown'd at Aix. Frankfort being situate in the Centre of the Empire is much more commodious for all the Princes, but particularly for the Spiritual Electors and for the Elector Palatine, who may send for their Equipages by Water and return them back by the same Convenience. When Charles VI. was crown'd at Frankfort in 1711, there was an extraordinary Concourse of Princes and Noblemen. Certain speculative Gentlemen made two Remarks on this Occasion, from which they presag'd two Things. The one was, that the Emperor made his Entrance into this City in close Mourning for the Emperor Joseph his Brother; whereupon they said that Charles wore Mourning because he foresaw that he should be the last Emperor of his Family. The second was, that as Charles return'd from the Church invested with all the Marks of Sovereignty, Charlemain's Sword had like to have dropp'd out of the Scabbard; which the Elector of Triers of the Lorrain Family observing, catch'd hold of the Sword, and put it in again before it was quite fallen out of the Scabbard. Upon this, the same Calculators of Nativities said it was an Omen that the Emperor would never have a quiet Reign, and that he would always be in a Situation that would oblige him to draw his Sword for his Defence[143].
As to Persons of great Distinction at Frankfort, they are very few. The Chief are the Princess-Dowager of Nassau-Ousingen, born Princess of Lovestein; the Count de Degenfeldt (Schomberg)[144] Major-General of the King of Prussia's Forces, and a Commander of the Order of the Black Eagle; and finally, Madame la Raugrave[145] Daughter of Charles-Lewis Elector Palatine: She is the last of the Blood of the Protestant Palatine Princes. The Senate of Frankfort, in consideration of her great Age, and in respect to her Birth, has granted her the Liberty of keeping a Calvinist Chaplain to preach in her own House. Sometimes the Prince de la Tour and Taxis[146] Hereditary Post-Master of the Empire resides at Frankfort. His House is a great Relief to Foreigners. His Princess[147] is a Lady of very great Merit, and has the Soul and Sentiments of a Queen. In the Houses of the Persons that I have mention'd there's an Assembly of both Sexes every Evening; but take them one with another they are very thin except at the Fairs, when there's a vast Resort of Nobility and Gentry. Most of the Electors and Princes of the Empire have their Agents at Frankfort, to whom they give the Title of Residents; but those Gentlemen are not a jot the more respected for it, most of them being Merchants of the City of Frankfort it self, who sollicit the Title in order to be exempt from the Authority of the Senate, and from the Payment of the Customs, and to qualify themselves
to place over their Doors the Arms of the Princes to whom they send the News-papers.
The Count de Degenfeldt makes such a Figure here that he deserves a more particular mention. He is a Nobleman of good Extraction. He is a Native of the Palatinate, and spent his Youth in the Service of the Elector Palatine. He was at that Time a Calvinist, but turn'd Catholic. Some Years after, he was reconcil'd to his former Communion, and married in England a Cousin of his, the Daughter of the Duke de Schomberg, with whom he had a very great Estate. He has also a considerable Expectancy from Madame la Raugrave a Palatine, his Aunt[148]. The Relation of M. de Degenfeldt to this Lady, brings to my Mind the History of the Mother of Madame la Raugrave, who as I have observ'd was a Degenfeldt. I have chose to give it you from what was told me by the late Madame of France, and from very good Memoirs that have been put into my hands. I have plac'd this History as a Transaction in the Time of the ancient Germans; and as I design'd to insert it in a Work which I have undertaken, for want of something else to employ my Time, I chuse to do it by way of a Discourse from Madame the late Electress of Hanover to her Daughter-in-law. I herewith send you the entire History, and at the End of it you will find the Key. As I fancy you are quite disengag'd in the Country, I don't apprehend that the reading of it will be Loss of your Time. I rather fear you won't like it; but in either case 'twill be your own Fault; I don't force you to read; you may if you please let Gertrude alone.
History of GERTRUDE a Marcoman Lady.
The History of Gertrude, of which I propose to give you, my Princess, a Relation, is properly the History of the Extinction of my Family; for the fatal Passion of my Brother King Malcolm for that Lady, is in all appearance the Reason that there are no more left in my Family than three Princesses[149], and my self.
There was such a Harmony in Sentiments betwixt my Brother and me, that it united us in the strictest Friendship. We had been brought up together in Belgium[150], where the King my Father had been oblig'd to take refuge, that he might be nearer at hand to receive Succours from Alfred King of Albion, Father of the Queen my Mother, against the Romans, who after a long and bloody War had turn'd him out of his Dominions. That King amus'd him a long while with fair Promises; but the Misunderstanding which there was at that time between him and the States of his Kingdom, added to a certain Indolence in his natural Temper, hinder'd him from seeing the Effect of them; and the King my Father did not live long enough to be witness of the Peace which the Romans were at length oblig'd by his Allies to conclude. This was not an advantageous Peace for Malcolm my Brother, because in order to obtain it he was oblig'd to yield a part of his Dominions to the Prince of the[151]Boyens, an Ally of the Romans, and upon these Terms he was left in quiet possession of the rest.
When my Brother saw himself establish'd on the Throne, he thought of marrying. His Ministers propos'd the Princess of the Catti as the fittest Match for him, and assur'd him that besides her illustrious Extraction he could not marry a more beautiful Princess, or one of a better Temper. My Brother who only alter'd his Condition for Reasons of State, was willing enough to follow their Advice, and accordingly espous'd her. The Marriage at first prov'd very happy; the Queen his Wife had her share of Beauty, and tho' her Temper was very different from what it had been represented to my Brother, yet she so cunningly disguis'd it for some time that this Prince thought himself very happy in his Choice. But their Agreement was of a short Duration; the Queen's true Humour soon discover'd it self: It appear'd that she was ill-natur'd, and intolerably high-spirited; of an odd sullen Temper, always ready to contradict, and frequently subject to Chagrin, of which she herself knew not the Cause, and which she vented upon all that approach'd her without distinction. The King my Brother was of a Temper quite the reverse: He lov'd Diversions, was civil, affable, naturally gay, beneficent; and I don't speak it out of Partiality in favour of a Brother whose Memory is still dear to me, but I'll be bold to say, that if he had not been quite so choleric, he would have been the most accomplish'd Prince of his Time. Nevertheless he bore with his Wife's ill Humours very patiently at first, and endeavour'd to reclaim her by gentle Usage; but when he saw that all the Pains he took were to no purpose, he resolv'd at length to seek out some other Amusement.
The Beauty of Gertrude, Maid of Honour to the Queen his Wife, had for a long time smitten him, but hitherto he had only discover'd his Passion to her by his Glances, for fear of disgusting the Queen.
Gertrude who perceiv'd that my Brother did not look upon her with Indifference, affected to shun every Opportunity that Prince might take of revealing his Love to her. But Fortune favour'd my Brother, who being one day with his Queen in her Apartment, when the Discourse fell upon Jewels, perceiv'd that the Princess had left off wearing a certain Bracelet of which he had made her a Present, and asking her what she had done with it, the Queen told him that she believ'd she had laid it up in a Casket of which she had the Key in her Pocket. She made one of her Maids fetch it, and open'd it, but the Bracelet was not there, at which she seem'd uneasy. This my Brother observ'd, and taking a Pleasure in making her more uneasy, he said to her, tho' in a manner that shew'd he did not think as he spoke, that she had undoubtedly some Gallant in a Corner, to whom she had either given that Bracelet, or who had stole it from her. These Words, tho' deliver'd in jest, made a deep Impression upon the Queen, and as it was her Nature soon to take fire, she was stung to the quick at what he had said, and forgetting the Respect she ow'd to the King her Husband, was in such a Passion with him that she let fall some Words that were very affronting. My Brother who was naturally mettlesome and fiery, and far from expecting any such Treatment, made her answer, that if she continued to forget herself after that manner, he would find ways and means to humble her. Upon this he went out of the Room abruptly, and passing through the Antichamber, met the fair Gertrude. Such was his Disgust that instead of being upon the reserve as he had been, he had a long Conversation with her, and found her so sprightly and good-natur'd that he was compleatly charm'd with her. He declar'd his Love to her, and she was so artful that
tho' she gave him no Hopes, yet she did not rebuff him.
When my Brother was retir'd, Gertrude went into the Apartment of the Queen her Mistress, who plac'd her whole Confidence in her. That Princess no sooner saw her but she made a thousand Complaints of the King's Treatment of her. Gertrude seem'd to sympathize in her Resentment, and believing that the Queen could not fail to know that the King had talk'd with her in the Antichamber, she told her that the Prince having met her in her Passage gave her an angry Account of what had passed; and that she had done all she could to pacify him, but to no purpose: At the same time she blam'd the King's Proceeding; and encourag'd by the Liberty which the Queen gave her, told her that if she who was but a private Gentlewoman was so treated by any Husband, she would never pardon him tho' he were a King. She added several other Sayings which instead of pacifying this silly Queen, did but exasperate her the more.
In the mean time, Malcolm, who was impatient to know the Success of his Amour, wrote a Letter to Gertrude which he sent her by one of his chief Domestics, together with a rich Diamond Equipage. But the artful Gertrude whose Aim was to draw on his Passion, rather than to gratify it, was far from yielding to his first Attacks, and sent him back the Diamonds, tho' with a modest and respectful Answer, wherein she desir'd him to talk no more to her of Love. My Brother was too deeply smitten to be repuls'd; he doubled his Presents, was assiduous, and eager in his Courtship; and as 'tis very rare for a King of his amiable Personage to meet with long Resistance, Gertrude abated of her Shyness by degrees, and at length discovered that she was not insensible of Love. Their Correspondence which did not exceed the Bounds of Honour, was
kept secret for a considerable time, but made the greater Blaze when it was known. Malcolm being one day with his Wife, happen'd, without perceiving it, to drop a Letter which the Queen took up, and found to be the Hand-writing of Gertrude. The Letter being written in Latin made the Queen the more curious to know what was in it; and she gave it to her Cousin, Prince Valamir, desiring him to unfold the Contents of it to her. This Prince was so unwise as to satisfy her Curiosity, and acquainted her that Gertrude by this Letter assur'd the King that he had gain'd her Heart. You will easily imagine how much the Queen was ruffled when she heard of this Intrigue: She could not contain herself; and without giving ear to the Arguments made use of by Valamir, she ran immediately to Gertrude's Apartment in the Palace, who by good luck was gone abroad. The Queen thinking her Casket was in Gertrude's Closet caused it to be broke open, and finding it there, open'd it, and took out all the Letters, of which several that appear'd to be from the King her Husband left her no room to doubt of that Prince's extraordinary Passion for Gertrude, and of the Intimacy there was between them. My Brother was quickly inform'd of what the Queen had been doing, but conceal'd his Uneasiness, shew'd his Wife no manner of Resentment, and only sent a Caution to Gertrude not to return to the Palace. Malcolm's Silence deceiv'd the Queen, who indeed was not a Lady of very great Penetration, so that she flatter'd herself the King might possibly be ignorant of the Outrage she had committed; and upon this Supposition she thought it her best way to dissemble her Hatred and Wrath against Gertrude. She pretended therefore to be very uneasy for fear of what had happen'd to her, caus'd a Search to be made for her several days, and seem'd very much dejected at her
Absence. She hoped by all these Demonstrations of Friendship to decoy her back to the Palace, in order then to be compleatly reveng'd of her.
Thus Matters stood when the King of the Suevi, the Brother-in-law of the Queen my Sister-in-law, came to Court with the Queen his Wife. This Prince having observ'd the Queen's Melancholy on several occasions, ask'd her the reason of it one day as they sate at Table. 'You must not be surpriz'd, said Malcolm, to see the Queen my Wife out of temper; 'tis her common Infirmity, and very often she her self knows not the cause of it. My Ailment is but too real (reply'd the Queen in a great Pet;) and (then addressing herself to her Husband) said she, it does not at all become you whose dishonourable Amours have been the only Cause of my Disorder, to insinuate as if it were but imaginary.' This Answer made in so public a manner, so nettled my Brother that he turn'd pale for meer Vexation, and not being able to curb his Passion, forgot his Dignity so far as to strike her; upon which the unfortunate Princess rose from Table, and retir'd in Tears to her own Apartment. My Brother, whose Passion was always as soon over as it was easily kindled, was sorry in a very few moments after for what he had done, made his Excuses to the King and Queen of the Suevi, and rising from Table, went with them to his Wife's Apartment, where he ask'd her pardon for what had pass'd. This Atonement, which the Queen did not expect so soon, touch'd her to the quick: The King and she embrac'd each other, and exchang'd their Promises to forget as well as to forgive every Offence. But would you believe it? that fickle, fantastical Creature my Sister-in-law chang'd her mind all on a sudden, and when her Husband came in the Evening with an intention to spend the Night with her, she absolutely refus'd to let him bed with her unless he
would resolve to deliver up Gertrude to her. Malcolm, who was still asham'd at what he had done in his last Fury, receiv'd so violent a Proposition with more Patience than he would have done upon another Occasion. He endeavour'd by fair Words to pacify his Wife, assuring her that nothing criminal had ever pass'd between him and Gertrude, and that tho' he had corresponded with the Girl by Letters, it was not out of any Love he had for her, so much as to know whether it was true that she wrote as good Latin as he had been told she did. Tho' this Speech of his was not very probable, yet as People are easily inclin'd to believe what they wish to be true, the Queen suffer'd herself to be at last persuaded, and was reconciled to her Husband without insisting any farther on the Sacrifice she at first demanded.
The Emperor being come to spend some Time at Pluibourg, summon'd an Assembly thither of the Princes of the Empire. My Brother went thither with the Queen his Wife; but the Consequence was that they were more embroil'd than ever; and my Sister-in-law was so unadvised as to let Cæsar and his Court be Witnesses of certain Brawls, which for her own Interest as well as her Husband's, she ought to have carefully confin'd within the Limits of her own Houshold. 'Tis true that my Brother had no very great Respect for her, and he lov'd Gertrude more than ever. Being hindred by a slight Indisposition from going to Montpayen where he kept her at one of his Houses, not a Day pass'd but he sent an Express to know how she did, and the Queen's ill Temper, who no doubt had better have try'd good-natur'd Methods to reclaim him, only incens'd him against her, and made him the fonder of Gertrude.
The Assembly of the Princes of Germany being over, and the Emperor return'd to Rome, my Brother
set out for Montpayen the Capital of his Kingdom, and gave orders for his Queen to follow him next Day. But for a Reason which I never could dive into, the Princess instead of obeying him stay'd a Month longer at Pluibourg, without vouchsafing to let the King her Husband know the Reason of her delay; and not only so, but when she came to Montpayen, she had the Assurance to go with a bold Face to her Husband's Apartment, without knowing how he would take it: But the Prince who had just Reason to be angry, foreseeing that she was like enough to take such a step, had given orders to refuse her Entrance; wherefore she was oblig'd to retire to her Apartment, whither a Captain of the Guards came in a Moment after, to tell her from the King that she was a Prisoner.
This unhappy Princess bore her Disgrace very weakly. She repented, but too late, of having been so imprudent as to contravene the Orders of the King her Husband; and hoping to work upon his Good-nature, she wrote him a most submissive Letter, begging his pardon for her Disobedience, and intreating him to restore her to her Liberty. My Brother sent her an Answer, wherein he only gave her the Title of the Princess of Cattia. He told her, 'that having consider'd the Disagreement there was betwixt his Temper and her's, he resolved to be divorc'd from her, and that she would do well herself to give her Consent to it; which if she did with a good Grace, he would restore her to her Liberty and settle a Revenue on her suitable to her Rank.'
This Answer was a Thunder-stroke to my Sister-in-law; she rav'd and tore like a mad Woman. She was for a long while like one out of her Senses, but recovering them at length by the help of her Women, and consulting with those that had the greatest share of her Confidence, she sent the King
word that he was Master, and might make use of his Authority, but that she would never consent to the Divorce.
My Brother who had fix'd his Resolution, and saw no other way to get possession of Gertrude than by marrying that Girl who had presum'd to set so high a Price upon her Favours, took off the Mask, notify'd his Design to the Court, and in a few days after, the Marriage was perform'd in the manner that you know is practis'd in Germany by Princes who marry beneath themselves, which excludes the Children by such Venter from succeeding to the Father's Estate. As soon as he was marry'd, he restor'd the Queen to her Liberty, and acquainted her, 'That by the Advice and Consent of the Priests of his Kingdom whom he had caused to be assembled, he had marry'd Gertrude. That the Thing being done and past remedy, he hoped she would resolve to make her self easy. That however, he would always treat her as a Princess; that she should be welcome to continue in her Apartment at the Palace; that she should have her Guards to attend her, and that he had set apart a sufficient Fund for her Maintenance; but that he expected she would be so complaisant as to acknowledge Gertrude hereafter for the lawful Queen.'
My Sister-in-law who then saw that her Disgrace was infallible, gave her self up to Complaints and Tears, wrote to the King her Husband in the most moving Language, and implor'd the assistance of the King her Brother: But all was to no purpose; she was oblig'd to submit to her Misfortune, and to be patient under an Affliction which she had partly brought upon her self by her Folly.
While all this pass'd, my Brother was at one of his Seats not far[152] from his Capital, where he caus'd
Gertrude to be treated as a Queen, and not long after carried her to Montpayen where the sight of her Royalty was a fresh Mortification to the Queen my Sister-in-law. However, the unfortunate Princess not yet despairing of the means of reclaiming her Husband, was resolv'd to make the last Attempt to turn that Prince's Heart. She dress'd herself in the most gay and rich Apparel that she could get, and taking her Children along with her, went to meet the King her Husband in the Room next to the Hall where he was at Table with Gertrude, and thro' which he must necessarily return. When he appear'd, she threw herself with her Children at his Feet, clasp'd his Knees, conjur'd him with Tears in her Eyes to look with Pity on an unhappy Princess whom he had formerly thought fit to make his Wife, and to consider that the Affront he put upon her by divorcing her, would be a Reproach to those very Children of whom he had been so fond. My Brother seem'd to be melted at so moving a Spectacle, look'd for some Moments on his Wife and Children with Tears in his Eyes, and he was just ready to raise her from the Ground, when Gertrude who was at his Heels, fearing what might be the Consequence of the Confusion that she saw him in, talk'd earnestly to him in the Tuscan Language, saying, Remember, my Lord, what you promis'd me. These few Words wrought so much on the unsteady Mind of my Brother that he only lifted up his Hands to Heaven and went on, shewing by the Trouble he was under, how little he was Master of his Reason upon this Occasion. The Queen my Sister-in-law remain'd for a while speechless, but Fury and Despair quickly seiz'd her Soul. She rose up and ran into her Closet, where snatching up a Dagger[153] she came back again with an Intention
to stick it into her Rival's Heart. But the Rage she was in having so confounded her that she had not a Thought of concealing that Instrument of her Revenge, it was perceiv'd by one of the chief Courtiers who pluck'd it from her just as she was going into the Closet where my Brother was with Gertrude. That Prince hearing a Noise so near him ran out, and demanded what was the matter. 'Tis I, (said the Queen very couragiously) 'who was coming to revenge my self and you too on the Monster which disunites us; but that Traytor there (said she, pointing to the Man that had wrested the Dagger out of her Hands) has depriv'd me of the only Opportunity that I could call a Pleasure.—Princess, (said the King to her very calmly) don't indulge your self any longer in such extravagant Passions, if you are unwilling that I should use you roughly.' Then he retir'd with Gertrude, and my Sister-in-law return'd to her Apartment in a Temper which you may easily imagine.
Clodius, who now governs the Empire, being at that time proclaim'd Emperor, this Princess made her Complaints to him, and desir'd him to reconcile Malcolm to her. But Cæsar having excus'd himself, my Sister-in-law who could no longer bear the Presence of her Rival, retir'd to the King her Brother, there to wait the End of her Misfortunes. My Brother liv'd afterwards very lovingly with his new Spouse, and had by her four Sons and as many Daughters. But Death having at last robb'd him of a Person so dear to him, the Prince was so afflicted for the Loss of her, that he spent two Years in continual Sorrow, and at length himself paid the same Tribute to Nature.
He left but one Son and a Daughter by his lawful Spouse who surviv'd him some Years. The King my Nephew was marry'd, but he was of such a melancholy Temper, his Humour was so different from the Queen's, and there was so little Love betwixt them, that he died without Issue. With him I have seen my Family utterly extinct, its Dominions transferr'd to the Power of a Prince who is hardly related to us, and my Country abandon'd to the most dismal Desolation. For my Niece having marry'd Meroveus, Brother to Ariovisto King of the Gauls, the latter who is an ambitious Prince and goes to War upon every the least Pretence, asserted the Rights of his Sister-in-law without Delay, and pleading that she ought to succeed to the Inheritance of the King her Brother, notwithstanding the Salic Law establish'd in Germany, he sent a formidable Army into the Dominions of my deceased Nephew, where the Gauls at first meeting with no Resistance, committed enormous Cruelties, and extended their Fury even to the Violation of the Tomb of the Kings my Ancestors, whose dead Bodies were stripp'd and exposed to the Caprice of the unruly Soldiers: Calamities, which perhaps would never have happen'd, had it not been for my Brother's fatal Passion for Gertrude; because in all Appearance if he had liv'd in a good Understanding with his lawful Spouse; he would have had more Children by her, and I would not have had the Vexation to see the Throne of my Fathers posses'd by a foreign Family.
KEY to the History of GERTRUDE.
Albion, England.
Alfrede I. James I. King of England.
Ariovisto, Lewis XIV.
Belgium, Holland.
Boyens, (Prince of) the Elector of Bavaria.
Catti, (Princess of) the Princess of Hesse-Cassel.
Cæsar, the Emperor.
Clodius, the Emperor Leopold.
Germania, Germany.
Gertrude, the Baroness of Degenfeldt.
Malcolm, Charles-Lewis Elector Palatine.
Meroveus, Philip of France, Duke of Orleans, Brother to Lewis XIV.
Montpayen, Heidelberg.
Pluibourg, Ratisbon.
Romans, the Imperialists.
Rome, Vienna.
Suevi, (King of) the Margrave of Baden-Dourlach.
End of the History of Gertrude.
I have not scrupled to give you this History, because all the Persons who are Subjects of it are dead. I wrote it very much in haste, for the Diversion of the Princess d'A——, so that you must not be surpriz'd if you don't meet with all that Exactness which there ought to be in this little Narrative; tho' I must tell you again that every Tittle of it is true, so that you may read it as a History, and not as a Romance.
I have fix'd my Resolution, and now am setting out for Rome; therefore please to direct to me at Venice. I go to-morrow to a great Hunting-Match that is to be at Darmstadt, where I shall stay two Days: From thence I shall go and spend two more with the Count de Hanau; and then will I begin my Pilgrimage to the Holy Places. I am most entirely, &c.
