The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume II / Being the Observations He Made in His Late Travels from Prussia Thro' Germany, Italy, France, Flanders, Holland, England, &c. in Letters to His Friend. Discovering Not Only the Present State of the Chief Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts.

by Freiherr von Karl Ludwig Pöllnitz

LETTER LII.

SIR,Helvoetsluys, Feb. 2, 1733.

Being detained in this Port by Winds that have for these six Days obstinately opposed my Passage to England, without any Prospect of their changing, I am at full Leisure to inform you of such Things as I have seen since the last Letter that I had the Honour to write to you from Amsterdam.

I was carried from that City in the Boat in less than three Hours to Harlem, the second of those Towns that have a Right to send Deputies to the Assembly of the States of the Province. It was for a long Time the Rival of Amsterdam, and actually at War with it, but could not hinder its Aggrandisement. While those Provinces fought for their Liberty, Harlem was besieged, taken and plunder’d by the Spaniards, against whom the very

Women bore Arms. In 1559, Pope Paul IV. erected this Town into a Bishoprick, but it never had more than two Bishops. The Splendor of it is owing to its Manufactures, which consist of Silk-Stuffs, Cambrics, strip’d Dimities, and Thread Stockings. Its Whitsters also bring a great Revenue to this Town. The Florists cannot fail of being agreeably amused here, by reason of Flowers of such Beauty, that I have been assured a Tulip-Root has been sold there for fourteen hundred Florins. But the greatest Honour of Harlem is to have given Birth to Laurence Coster, the Inventor of Printing. I am not ignorant that Mentz disputes with Harlem for the Honour of that Invention, but this being a Controversy which ’tis none of my Province to determine, I sincerely believe, when I am at Harlem, that Coster is the Inventor of this wonderful Art, provided I may be at Liberty to believe the contrary when I am at Mentz, and to be uncertain of the Matter everywhere else. Coster’s House is to be seen here with the following Inscription placed Over the Gate, which denotes, that Printing, the Best Art for perpetuating the other Arts, was first invented here about Anno 1440.

Memoriæ Sacrum.
Typographia,
Ars Artium Optima,
Conservatrix,
Hic Primum Inventa
Circa Annum MCCCCXL.

In order to reconcile the two Towns, I believe it might be granted, that Coster invented the Art of Cutting in Wood, which was formerly made use of, and that John Faustus of Mentz invented the Characters of Metal, that are used now. By this Means the two Parties will have equal Share

in the Glory of the Invention, which after all is disputed with them by the Chinese, who prove that the Art of Printing was known to them two thousand Years ago.

As I walked about in Harlem, my Guide bid me look at certain Cambrick Cockades trimm’d with Lace, which were tied to some of the Doors. He told me, that this was to shew that the Woman of the House was in Childbed; which procures the Husband a Protection, so that he cannot be arrested during six Weeks that his Wife is supposed to lye-in. What was the Occasion of the Grant of this Privilege, I could not learn, nor by what Prince it was granted.

The Walks of Harlem, especially that in the Wood, which is at the Gates or the Town, would be charming, if they were not so sandy. On the other Hand, the Canal which leads from this Town to Leyden, is one of the most disagreeable in the Province, there being scarce any Thing upon its Banks but Meadows and Downs.

Leyden is one of the largest and finest Cities in the Country. It has been subject, as all sublunary Things are, to great Revolutions and Misfortunes. The Spaniards besieged it in 1573, and as they despaired of taking it by Force, they intended to reduce it by Famine. The Inhabitants were drove to the utmost Misery, till they pierced the Dykes of the Maese, and the Issel, by which Means all the great Meadows about Leyden became a perfect Sea of Water, and the Spaniards, in Danger of perishing, raised the Siege: And the 3d of October is annually observed with Rejoicings in Memory of the Deliverance of the Town upon that Day of the Month.

The great Church, dedicated to St. Peter, is one of the finest Structures in Holland. The Roof is supported by three Rows of tall Pillars.

All the other Buildings are neat, the Streets broad and airy, and a great many have Canals. ’Tis pity but this Town had a greater Number of Inhabitants, who had Estates to live upon; for it swarms with the meaner Sort of People, all Carders of Wool, or Makers of Cloth, who are not very well to pass, the Manufactures being very much decay’d, since the Importation of Cloth from Holland has been prohibited by some of its neighbouring States.

The University seems to be in a more thriving Way. There are actually three great Men for Professors, Vitriarius for the Civil Law, Boerhaave for Physic, and s’Gravesande for the Mathematics. The first is a Gentleman of so much Learning, and has so happy a Way of expressing himself, that he draws all the young Nobility of Bohemia and Austria to Leyden. Of all the Protestant Universities, those of England excepted, I know of none where the Students are more regular and retir’d than they are at Leyden: Nor is there any Place more proper for Students, who are at the Fountain of Literature, and may live here how they please, without being obliged to Profusion: For the Students here don’t value themselves upon the Richness of their Cloaths, as they do in Germany; and many of them seldom put off their Morning Gowns, which is also the favourite Dress of the Burghers; so that the first time I came thro’ this City, I really thought there had been some epidemical Disease in it: For all the People appearing in the Streets in an Undress, look like so many Patients. The famous Chamber of Anatomy has been so much describ’d, that I forbear to speak of it. The Catholics have Churches here, up one Pair of Stairs, as they have in all the Towns of the Seven Provinces. Some of these are very rich, and of good Families.

The Passage from Leyden to the Hague, whether by Land, or by the Canal, is equally pleasant, on account of the beautiful Country-Seats, and fine Gardens, that are to be seen, which way soever you look; so that these three Leagues seem as nothing at all.

The Hague, which is called a Village, because ’tis not inclosed, and sends no Deputies to the Assembly of the States of the Province, is nevertheless a better Place than many great Cities which have that Privilege, and is certainly one of the finest in Europe. The States General, as well as those of this Province, assemble here, and ’tis the Place of Residence for the foreign Ministers. Heretofore the Counts of Holland lived here. Since the Establishment of the Republic, the Stadtholders have kept their Court here; and the Hague, as much a Village as it is, may be reckoned for the Capital of the whole United Provinces. The Inhabitants are more genteel, more sociable, and in every respect more conversable than in the other Parts of Holland. The Nobility here are esteemed, and Merit does not go for nothing. The Ladies have a good Air, and dress well, and have something more engaging than mere Beauty.

The Houses are more spacious and better built, tho’ perhaps not so magnificent as those at Amsterdam; and here are some Palaces with Gardens.

The Palace which they call the Court, was anciently the Residence of its Sovereigns, and afterwards of the Stadtholders. This is a great Fabric, consisting of several Structures, which form a very irregular Tower. There meet the States General, the Council of State, the States of Holland, the Council of Nobles, and that of the Gecommitteer de Raden, or Deputy Counsellors of the Province. Their High Mightinesses hold their Conferences in two large magnificent Rooms, one

of which is called the Chamber of the Truce, because the Truce for twelve Years was there concluded with Spain. ’Tis in this Chamber that the States give Audience to the Foreign Ministers. There is also another great Room in the Palace, in which are hung up all the Colours and Standards taken from the Enemies of the Republic. Adjoining to the Court, is the Palace or Hotel for lodging the Ambassadors during the three Days that the State defrays their Expence. It was built by Prince Maurice of Nassau, after he returned from his Government at Brasil, and he adorned it with all the Rarities that are the Production of the Indies. But all these Things, as well as the Palace, were consumed by the Flames in 1707, on the very Day that the Duke of Marlborough set out for the Army. Nevertheless, as only the Timber Work was burnt, some private Persons who had a Mortgage upon this House, afterwards caused it to be rebuilt as it now stands, which tho’ ’tis not very large, yet makes a good Appearance.

The Palace of the Old Court belonging to the King of Prussia, because it fell to Frederic I. by Inheritance from King William III. is a large Pile of Building, at the Bottom of a Court, formed by two advanced Wings, which are supported by high Arches, and joined together by an Iron Balustrade, which separates the Court from the Street. The Apartments are large and commodious, and there’s a very fine Hall, adorned with Paintings by good Hands. To this Palace there is a large Garden, which was very much embellished by the late King of Prussia, who gave Leave for all People of Fashion to see it; but ’tis now neglected. The King’s Minister, and the[104] Count de Hompesch, General of the States Cavalry,

have Lodgings there. I could name several other Houses of Consequence to you, which I pass over in Silence, for fear of swelling my Letter with Things that are needless.

The Situation of the Hague is very different from that of the other Towns of this Province, and in its Neighbourhood there’s every Thing that forms a fine Landskip. Every Inlet into the Place is by fine Avenues paved With Bricks. There is not a better Road than that which leads to Scheveling, a Village on the Sea Shore, a League from the Hague. ’Tis a strait Walk cut out of the Downs, and inclosed by double Rows of Trees interspersed with Pyramids of Yews. The Delft Road, and that which leads to Loosduinen, one or two Leagues from the Hague, are also very beautiful. In short, go which Way one will, we always find charming Walks, and even within the Town there are some that are very agreeable. That called the Voorbout is the most frequented, it being the Ring for the Coaches. There’s a great Walk in the Middle, well gravelled and railed in, where in all the Summer Evenings there’s very fine Company. ’Twas Charles V. that embellished the Hague with this Walk. It has occasioned several Disputes between Ambassadors about Precedence; but the most remarkable that ever happened was that between M. de Thou, the French Ambassador, and M. de Gamarre, the Ambassador of Spain. These two Ministers were taking the Air, each in his Coach and Six, when they met full Butt, and neither would give Way, so that their Domestics were just going to Boxing; when some Gentlemen of the Assembly of the States, who saw what gave Occasion to the Dispute, offered the Ambassadors their Mediation, and proposed to both of ’em to return back at that very Instant by the same

Way they came. M. de Gamarre was very ready to comply with any Proposal; but M. de Thou refused every one, and would by no means admit of an Equality betwixt himself and the Ambassador of Spain. The Gentlemen of the Assembly of the States being by this Time reinforced by several others, all equally desirous to pacify the Disputants, M. de Beverwert, the first of the Nobles of the Province of Holland, after having spent no less than four Hours in Debates and Conferences to no purpose, seeing M. de Thou obstinately bent in demanding a free Passage, proposed at last to M. de Gamarre, to drive off across the Ring; and for doing this with the better Grace, he offered that there should be two Openings made in the Ring; by which Means, said he, his Excellency would have the Rail opened to him, and the Honour of the Right-hand. The Spanish Ambassador accepted of the Proposal, and thereby ended the Dispute; which, had it not been for the Wisdom and Care of the States, might have been attended with fatal Consequences. Both Parties pleased themselves with the Fancy, that they had gained the vain Honours of Precedency; a trifling Advantage indeed, tho’ in short, if there were any Advantage to boast of, it was with the Ambassador of France, because he obtained the Liberty of his Passage, which was all he demanded; and he finished his Carrier, while the Spaniard returned home, perhaps because they had disputed so long till Night overtook them.

The French, who were always very jealous of Precedency, have had the most Disputes about this Matter. The Count d’Estrades, the Embassador of Lewis XIV. had one in this same Voorbout, with the Prince of Orange, afterwards King of Great Britain. Their Coaches happened to meet, and each of ’em aiming at the Post of Honour,

they stopped over-against one another. The Ambassador’s Servants ran from his Lodgings, and were joined by all his Friends; but he forbad them to proceed to Violence, for fear of the Misfortune which would infallibly have happened, and would have been very great, by reason of the Concourse of People that flock’d together for the Prince. The Pensionary, being informed of it, hastened to the Spot, to prevent any Disorder; and the Ambassador, seeing him coming, said to him, I know not what the Prince’s People mean; I was ignorant till now, that the High and Mighty States had a Sovereign (implying that the Ambassadors only give Way to Sovereigns). He sent at the same Time to the Princess Dowager of Orange, to know whether the Prince’s Governor was not more to blame for this Misconduct, than the Prince himself? She answered, That ’twas the King of England’s Business to concern himself in the Affair; for she imagin’d, that his Britannic Majesty was bound in Interest to support the Dignity of his Nephew’s Rank. Nevertheless, she follow’d the Advice of the Pensionary, and went into the Walk that was between the Rails. The Prince her Son alighted to shew his Respect for her, and made his Coach turn about, so that the Ambassador’s passed into the Rank which he claimed to be due to him. This Minister pretended, that the Prince’s Ancestors never had Precedence of the Ambassadors; that on the contrary, they went a League from the Hague to receive them, on the Part of the States; insomuch that Frederic-Henry the Prince’s Grandfather, tho’ upon Pretence of the Gout he excused himself from the Ceremony, yet he did not take the first Place. Charles II. might perhaps murmur at it; but being sold to France, he did not stand up for his Nephew’s interests.

Since I am upon the Article of Ambassadors, I will now give an Account of such Foreign Ministers as reside at the Hague.

M. de Fenelon, Brigadier of the French King’s Armies, is his most Christian Majesty’s Ambassador to the States General. This Minister is Nephew to the Great Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambray. He is esteemed for his Modesty, his Candour, and for the Order he keeps in his Family. His Expence is not very considerable, and appears much less than it is to the Inhabitants of the Hague, who have not forgot what was spent among them by my Lord Chesterfield, Ambassador from Great Britain, one of the most sumptuous Noblemen in England, who was perfectly adored by the common People, and whose Absence is regretted by all Persons of Distinction.

The Count de Sinzendorff, the Emperor’s Plenipotentiary, has a great Estate in the Hereditary Dominions. He is Son-in-Law to the Great Sinzendorff, Chancellor of the Imperial Court, which is the Reason that he began very young to display his Talents for Business. He has been so successful as to re-establish the good Harmony between the Republic and the Emperor, which was violated by the Establishment of the Ostend Company, and to get the Pragmatic Sanction guaranteed by their[105] High Mightinesses.

The Count de Golofskin is Plenipotentiary Minister of Russia, which Employment he fills with the general Approbation of all that know him. He is as civil and courteous as the Climate in which he was born is sharp. He passed his Youth at Berlin, and performed his Exercises at the Academy founded by the late King Frederic I. He was afterwards several Years Envoy Extraordinary from the late Czar Peter the Great, and from the late Empress Catharine to the Court of Prussia; from which Court the present Empress Anne sent him in Quality of her Ambassador to that of France: And now he has the Management of his Sovereign’s Affairs with the States General. He is esteemed for his Sagacity and good Nature. While he resided at Berlin, he there married the Daughter of the late Count Ferassier de Dhona, who unhappily lost his Life in the Affair of Denain, where he acted as Lieutenant-General of the Infantry in the Service of the States. She is a Lady whose Virtue commands Respect, and she has the most charming Family that is to be seen.

M. de Masch, Envoy from the King of Prussia, is a very fit Person to manage the Interests of the King his Master in this Country, where a Minister ought to be civil and popular. The late King appointed him Governor to the Princes of Brandenbourg Culmbach, the eldest of whom is actually the Prince Regent of Bareith. M. de Masch has inspired those Princes with such Sentiments as do him Honour. He was a Privy Counsellor of the Regency of Cleves, when the King sent him into this Country, where he has been so happy as to put an End to the long Disputes that had subsisted[106] between

his Prussian Majesty, and the Prince of Nassau Orange, concerning the Succession to the Estate of the late King William III.

M. de Brosse, a Frenchman by Birth, manages Affairs here for the[107]King of Poland, in whose Service he is a Major General. He has acquired very great Esteem, owing to his Talents, his Politeness, and his fine Understanding. He observes great Decorum in his Family; nevertheless, he makes a grand Appearance.

M. de Sporck, Minister here from the King of Great Britain, as Elector of Brunswic-Lunenbourg, is a Gentleman of good Extraction. He came very young into Business; and as he is on the Spot to take for his Pattern his Father-in-Law, the Grand Pensionary of Holland, one of the wisest Ministers of his Time, ’tis to be presumed he will make a great Progress. He lives as grand as most Envoys. His Lady is very well behaved, and does the Honours of her Family to Perfection.

I am not acquainted with the Envoys of[108]Sweden and[109]Denmark. M. d’Ayrolles takes care of the Interests of the King of Great Britain, and acquits himself like a Gentleman of long Experience in Business.

Don Lewis d’Acunha, the Plenipotentiary Minister of the King of Portugal, has been for a long Time trusted with the most important Embassies. He was his Majesty’s second Ambassador at the Congress of Utrecht, which Employment he afterwards had in England, then in France, and now again here, where he makes a Figure worthy of his Character. He has the Reputation of being an able Negotiator, and a crafty Politician. He is very polite, is fond of Grandeur, and when he was younger, was no Enemy to Gallantry.

Thus, Sir, have I given you an Account of most of the Foreign Ministers who reside at the Hague. Those of the States are not many. M. de Slingeland the Grand Pensionary is at the Head of ’em. The consummate Wisdom of this Minister, who is grown grey in the Direction of the Secrets of this State, is acknowledged universally. The Republic deems him as one of its principal Pillars, and Europe ranks him amongst its greatest Ministers. He was heretofore Secretary of the Council of State, when the Hague was what Rome was formerly under a Sixtus V. the Centre of Politics. He succeeded the late M. Hoornbeck in the Office which he now holds, and exercises this painful Employment with universal Approbation. Tho’ he is well stricken in Years, and very much troubled with the Gout, he gives Application to Business[110].

His Second is the Gressier Fagel, one of the greatest Genius’s of the State, who is to be reverenced for his great Age, and respected for his Virtue, for his Learning, his Candour, and for that noble Freedom which accompanies his Words and his Actions. Being a Lover of Learning, he has a Library, which is a most learned Collection;

and a Cabinet of Medals, and of the most rare antique Stones. His House is adorned with Pictures, done by the most able Masters, with Vessels, Urns, and all the most precious Things which Antiquity has left, of which there is nothing but what he takes a Pleasure to shew to the curious Connoisseurs. ’Tis pity that this Minister, who has every Quality for which the greatest Men are reverenced, cannot live for ever.

’Tis certain that the Hague contains a vast Number of worthy Persons of both Sexes, and this State may boast of having as great a Number of Subjects of known Probity, as any other Country perhaps in the World. Were I to name them all to you, Sir, it would be attempting a Work above my Capacity, and require a Volume. I may hereafter give you an Account of such only as make the greatest Figure at the Hague, either on Account of their Employments, or their Birth.

The Hague is the best Place in Europe for a Foreigner to make a good Acquaintance with the greatest Ease, because of the many Societies or Assemblies, public Spectacles and Walks. If a Person appears ever so little in public, he is presently known. The Houses that are most open to Company, and where the most distinguished Persons of both Sexes at this Place are to be seen, are those of my Lady Albemarle, M. de Keppel, and the Count de Welderen. My Lady is Dowager to the Earl of Albemarle, General of the Dutch Infantry, Colonel of the Swiss, Governor of Tournay, and Knight of the Order of the Garter. He was of the Keppel Family, which has for a long time been distinguished in these Provinces. He had been Page to the Prince of Orange, who, when he came to be King of Great Britain, created him a Peer of England, with the Title of an Earl. He heaped Wealth and Honours

upon him, and it may be said, that my Lord Albemarle, and my Lord Portland, were two Noblemen for whom William III. always professed the highest Esteem. My Lord Albemarle maintained himself in Favour by his Assiduity, his Complacency, by a Fund of real Merit, and by his Care not to ask any Thing, but to leave every thing to the King’s voluntary Grace and Favour. This Nobleman has left a Son, who has a Regiment in England. The Lady his Dowager is the Sister of Messieurs Vander Duin, Nobles of this Province. She lives in a very decent Manner, and is always considered as the first Lady of the Hague.

M. de Keppel[111], the Brother of the late Earl of Albemarle, is a Lieutenant-General in the Service of the State, and Colonel of a Regiment of Horse. He was for some time Envoy Extraordinary from their High Mightinesses to the Court of Prussia. He lives very grand at the Hague, his Behaviour is extremely noble, and his Family will always bear a good Character in all the Countries of the World. Madame de Keppel, heretofore Welderen, does the Honours of it with all the Care possible, and she is extremely valued and esteemed. Her Son the Count de Welderen, Deputy of the Province of Guelderland, to the States General, is not inferior to her in Politeness. He was very young when he was admitted a Member of the State in the room of his Father, and was soon after appointed Ambassador to England, in order to congratulate

their Britannic Majesties on their Accession to the Throne. His Expence in England was very splendid, but the English did not so much mind the young Ambassador’s Magnificence, as his prudent Conduct. He brought back with him the Applauses of their Majesties, and the Court of England, the Esteem of honest Men, and the Affection of the Citizens of London. At his Return to the Hague, the Count de Welderen resumed his Seat in the Assembly of the States General. He lives still in a grand Manner, and his House is one of the gayest in the Country. He has a younger Brother a Member of the Council of State, (they call him the Waldgrave) who is a young Gentleman of great Merit.

My Lady Cadogan, the Dowager of my Lord Cadogan, a trusty Friend of the late Duke of Marlborough, and his Successor in his Employments, keeps an Assembly every Sunday Night. She is Mother to the Duchess of Richmond, who is look’d upon at the Court of England, as one of its Ornaments; and she has another Daughter, viz. my Lady Margaret, one of the most amiable Ladies at the Hague.

The Countess de Wartemberg, the Dowager of the Prime Minister of Frederic I. King of Prussia, lives retired at the Hague, much after the same Manner as the Duchess of Mazarine did at London. She turns Night into Day, and Day into Night. Her House is open to all Foreigners, and there is very great[112]Play. But she is not so

fond as the Duchess of Mazarine was, of Pieces of Wit, and Men of Learning. If a St. Evremond wrote or said ever such good Things, I believe she would always give the Preference to a young Alcides.

By the Account I have now given you of the Families, you perceive, Sir, that here are so many, that a Man cannot be at a Loss where to go. There is not a Day but some Assembly is held here at one House or another alternatively. There are no Plays performed here for the present, they being, as I think I have told you, prohibited by the States, by reason of the Worms that infest the Dykes upon the Sea Coasts of this Province. The Comedians continue here nevertheless, and there is an Opera which an Hebrew Anti-Comedian has sent for from Paris, on Purpose to ruin the Comedy, when the Theatres are open. On the other hand, an Anabaptist, a zealous Man for

the Comedy, rather than that the Opera and its Protector should triumph, stands up stifly for the Comedy. All the People at the Hague are Parties in this great Quarrel; but ’tis my Opinion, that in order to reconcile them, the States will permit neither the one nor the other. This Schism would be a very copious Subject for exercising the Pens of the Writers of Comedy; and I am surprised that some Wit or other does not regale the Public with their Thoughts upon it, the rather because they are not here in any Danger of Persecution from the Lieutenant of the Police[113].

You will, no doubt, think it a Phænomenon, to find that a Hebrew, whom in Germany we treat with a sort of Disdain, which perhaps is neither very Generous, nor very Christian, should concern himself in the Spectacles, and presume to force an intire Town to conform to his Taste: But you are to know, Sir, that the Jews are treated in this Government upon quite another Footing than they are elsewhere; and really, as for the Portugueze Jews, they deserve it; for a Texeyra, a Schwartzo, a Dulis, have done such generous Actions as are worthy of the most virtuous Christians. They live like Noblemen, and indeed such you would take them to be. They are admitted into all Assemblies, and even their Wives appear there: They treat and receive all Persons of Distinction at their Houses: They relieve our Poor, contribute to our Churches, and differ in nothing from us, but in frequenting the Synagogue.

The Nobles of the greatest Distinction in the Province, are the Wassenaars, and the Boetselaars.[114] The former are divided into several Branches, whereof that of Obdam is the eldest. The Emperor Charles III. raised this Branch to the Dignity of Count of the Empire. The present Count d’Obdam is Grandson to the famous Admiral of that Name, who delivered Copenhagen, and in Gratitude for whose Services, the King of Denmark conferred the Order of the Elephant upon him, which no Foreigner had been honour’d with before, unless he were a Prince. After this Admiral’s Death, the same Order descended to his Son, who died a Lieutenant-General, and Colonel of a Regiment of Horse in the Service of the Republic. The present Count d’Obdam is Knight of the Order of St. John, and, together with his[115] Brother, is of distinguish’d Rank in this Government. He spent Part of his Youth at the Court of Berlin, where his Father was Envoy Extraordinary. At that Time nobody was so brisk and gay; but he is thoroughly changed, and lives now very much retired, and applies himself wholly to Devotion and Business.

Of the Blood of Nassau Orange, those Princes, Founders of the Republic, there remains no more than one young Prince, besides the Counts d’Auverquerque, Zeist and Laleck, who are by the Left Venter. The Prince is Hereditary Stadtholder of Frieseland, Stadtholder of Groningen, Stadtholder and Captain General of the Province of

Guelderland, and the Country of Drente. He bids fair some Day or other to be a worthy Possessor of the Station of the Princes whose Name he bears[116].

Maurice, Count d’Auverquerque, is the Son of a Peer of Great Britain, who was promoted to that Dignity by King William III.[117] He is a Major General, and Colonel of a Regiment of Dragoons. He is a Nobleman of distinguished Merit, and signalized himself very much in the last War.

M. de Zeist, one of the richest Nobles of this Province, is Deputy of the Province of Utrecht, in which he has a great Estate.

The Count de Laleck is the oldest Lieutenant General of Horse in the Service of the States. He has a Regiment, and is Governor of Menin, one of the Barrier Towns. The three last-mentioned Counts are Cousins, and form three Branches. They are descended from Prince Maurice of Orange, and Anne of Mechlin. My Grandmother was a Daughter of that Prince.

I am still to give you an Account of M. Hogendorp, Receiver General of the State, an Office which in this Country, as well as elsewhere, is liable to Envy, and exposes him that exercises it, to the Censure of the Public. M. Hogendorp has had his Share of both, for several Years: And tho’ his Enemies have not been wanting in any Thing to ruin him, yet he stands his Ground, and the States approve of his Conduct. He lives with as great Magnificence and Splendor almost as any Subject of the Republic.

In one of my former, I gave you an Account of two living Preachers at Amsterdam; and here I

cannot refrain the mention of a certain Minister lately dead, whose Name is illustrious among those of his own Communion, and ours too. The Person I mean, is M. Saurin, who was always reckoned here, and in all the Provinces, one of the most eloquent Preachers, since the Repeal of the Edict of Nantes.

A great Number of Epitaphs have been made for this famous Preacher; but as they are all good for nothing, I content myself with sending you an Epitaph on those very Epitaphs.

EPITAPHE.
On the EPITAPHS made for
M. SAURIN.

Sous ces tisons, sans titres, sans paraphes,
Incognito gisent vingt Epitaphes,
Qu’ont arraché de leurs maigres cerveaux,
Incognito vingt chétifs Pôetereaux;
Difaut vouloir par detestable rime
Loiier encor certain Esprit sublime,
Dont rien ne dis, savon qu’à ses talens,
Vivant trouva force contradisans.
Chantres grossiers du bourbeux Marecage,
Pour Dieu, cessez votre maudit ramage!
Si noblement chanter n’est votre fort,
Dires tont court, Le grand Saurin est mort.

It may be thus Engslish’d:
i. e.

Under these Firebrands
lie incognito, no less than a
Score of Epitaphs, without
Title or Subscription, rack’d
incognito from the sterile Brains
of as many paltry Poetasters,
pretending by detestable Doggrel
to extol a certain sublime
Genius, of which I say nothing,
but that whilst he was
alive, he met with a great
many who contradicted his
Talents. But, for God’s sake,
ye stupid Bards of the muddy
Fens, leave off your cursed
croaking! And as you have
not the Gift of noble Poetry,
say nothing more, than that the.
Great Saurin is dead.

During my Stay at the Hague, I heard much Talk of one Armand a Frenchman, whose extraordinary Adventures were at that Time the Discourse of all Companies. He did not want Understanding, but he was one of the oddest and most extravagant Mortals breathing. His Passions, which sometimes rose to a Degree of Fury,

were the Cause of all his Misfortunes. I have been promised the History of him, and if my Friend keep his Word with me, I will not fail to send it to you[118].

The History of John Barre, called ARMAND.

JOHN BARRE, a Native of the Province of Burgundy, appeared at Amsterdam in 1720, by the Name of Armand. He was a handsome Man, in the Prime of his Age, and seemed to have had a good Education. He said he was come from France, because he had killed a Man in a Duel. Any other Man besides himself, in a Case of the like Nature, would have been at a terrible Nonplus to find himself pursued by Justice, and forced to fly from his native Country, and his Friends, without Money, into a strange Land, of which he understood not the Language, and thrown into a great City, in the midst of a numerous People, where a poor Man is so hard put to it to make an Acquaintance. But Armand was never at a Loss for Stratagems to relieve him. Being a bold intriguing Man, an excellent Tongue-pad, and a Poet into the Bargain, or at least very ready of making Verses, he quickly found Means to get Acquaintance. He might even have passed for a Man of Quality, if Necessity had not forced him to make use of a Talent which was a plain Discovery of the contrary; for he shewed himself a complete Writing-Master, and made excellent Scholars in a very little Time.

With this Resource, Armand might have lived very happy; but the Violence of his Temper, and his satirical Humour, made him quickly lose

his Patrons and best Friends. Besides these Defects, of which he was beyond all measure guilty, he was suspicious, haughty, self-will’d beyond Comparison, fantastical in every Part of his Behaviour, and an extravagant Admirer of his own Productions; so that a Person was sure of being thought the worst Enemy he had, if he did not applaud every thing he did; and ’twas enough to put him into a Fury, if one did not think as well of his Verses, as he did himself. Two or three Passages only are sufficient to demonstrate this to be true.

He lodged at the House of a Burgher, who had so great an Opinion of him, that he thought himself happy in having such Opportunities of Familiarity with a Man who had won his Heart by his Wit and his Behaviour. As they often eat and drank together, Armand invited his Landlord one Day with all his Family and some Relations to a Supper, when, according to his usual Way, he had provided a magnificent Repast. When they were seated at Table, a Lady of the Company thought fit to call for a particular Sort of Bread, which she had been used to eat; whereupon the Landlord immediately sent out of the Room for some; which Armand perceiving, and mistrusting that they thought he had not provided Bread enough, he rose nastily from Table, and went out, but came back again in a Moment, with a Basket full of Bread, which he turned topsy-turvy upon the Table: And as if this Piece of Rudeness was not enough, he ran out of the House like a Madman, and spent the rest of the Evening in walking up and down, at a great Rate, before his Door.

Having heard, that M. P——, Agent for the Naval Affairs of France at Rotterdam, made Verses in a very pretty Manner; he went by the Inspiration

of Apollo, to pay him a Visit; and after having made him a Compliment on his Quality of Poet, he presented him some Verses of his own making, of which he earnestly desired that he would give him his Opinion. M. P——, who was not so fond of Flattery as Armand, made him Answer, That he had been misinformed; that he was far from being a good Judge of Poetry, and therefore hoped he would not look upon him in that Light. Armand took his Answer for a downright Affront, and retired bluntly from him, not without abusing him. Nor did Mr. C——r, to whom he paid a Visit for the same Purpose, fare a whit better; and to be revenged of both those Gentlemen, he wrote an Epigram against them, which he pasted up one Sunday at the Door of the French Church.

Armand being disgusted with the Reception he met with from the Wits at Rotterdam, had recourse to the Merchants. He went to see M. C——t, a Person of known Probity, either to present his Verses to him, or to offer him his Service, in Quality of a Writing-Master. As M. C——t was a little hard of Hearing, he thought it proper to apprize our Poet of it in the first Place; but he, imagining that ’twas only a Pretence to dismiss him, turned his Back upon him, and went away very much incensed at the Affront which he thought he had received. He had even the Rashness to fix up a very offensive Paper some Days after, at the Exchange, to tarnish the honest Man’s Reputation; and the same being immediately torn down by M. C——t’s Friends, Armand, as soon as he heard of it, put up another, even more insulting than the former. M. C——t, to prevent his being again exposed to such Insults, carried his Complaints to the chief Magistrate of Rotterdam, who summoned the Author

of the Advertisement to appear before him. Armand obeyed the Writ, and pleaded in his own Defence, that being a Foreigner, he did not know he had done any thing that was prohibited by the Laws of the Country; but that having been lately informed of the contrary, he was willing to make the Person injured any Amends that should be thought proper, and promised at the same Time to depart the City forthwith. The Magistrate put up with his Reasons, and only insisted, on the Performance of his Promise. Therefore he left the City, and set out to his former Quarters at Amsterdam.

The ill Success of his Verses was so far from abating his versifying Humour, that his Passion for Poetry was only become the stronger. At his Return to Amsterdam, he began to write Satires against his Enemies at Rotterdam, whom he accused of having ruined all his Projects. Then he undertook to turn the tender Amours of Abelard and Eloisa into Burlesque Verse. This Piece, full of Obscenities, and of satirical Lashes of his Enemies, quickly ran thro’ all the Coffee-houses; and when he thought he had put the finishing Stroke to it, he met with a Bookseller, who was willing to undertake the Printing of it, tho’ it had been despised by all good Judges.

While this Work was printing, Armand contracted a Friendship with the Count de Bucquoy, so well known for his Adventures and Extravagances. This Count too pretended to write Verses, and was as great a Rattle as Armand. Their Resemblance of each other so much in Temper, was judged at first to be such a Cement as would have consolidated their Friendship for a long Time: But a too great Freedom taken by the Count embroiled them implacably, and gave Rise to a Scene which had like to have been tragical. The Count,

who was not yet perfectly acquainted with his Friend’s Blind-side, took it into his Head one Day, as he was in Armand’s Chamber, to make a Criticism upon his Poetry, which was a little too severe. Armand, to whom nobody had ever presumed before to talk at that Rate, was in a furious Passion, and called his Censor an impudent Fool, and a Fortune-Hunter. At last the two Poets fell to Blows; but Armand being the strongest Man, he forced the Count out of his Chamber, kick’d him down Stairs, and so drove him into the Street.

We proceed now to that fatal Accident of Armand’s Life, which was the Cause of all his Misfortunes, and brought him at last to the Scaffold. Armand had contracted a Friendship of a long standing, with a Person of Bayonne, one B——, a young Fellow, who tho’ destitute of a Fortune, had been so lucky as to marry a very rich Heiress. At the Time when the Public believed there was the strictest Union subsisting betwixt them, they were strangely surprized to hear that B—— had informed against his Friend, for a horrible Outrage; and that upon this Accusation Armand was arrested, and committed to Prison. B—— pretended that being one Day in Armand’s Chamber, Armand shut the Door upon him, and forced him, with a Dagger at his Throat, to sign a Bond for a thousand Ducats. Armand’s general Character was enough to condemn him; whereas B——, on the contrary, passed for a young Man of an unblameable Behaviour; but, to his Misfortune, the Affair was so circumstanced, that it could not be duly prov’d; for, instead of calling out for Help, at least, as he went out of the Room, he retired without saying one Word, and did not so much as go and make his Complaint till two Days after: But for want of direct Evidence against

the Prisoner, he caused Inquiry to be made into his Life and Conversation, and discovered, that Armand was but a borrowed Name, and that his true one was John Barré; that he had a Wife and four Children; that he had been Receiver of the Salt-Office at Vezelay in Burgundy; in short, that he had kill’d his Brother-in-Law in the Country, with a Fowling-Piece; and that having fled for it, he was outlaw’d and condemn’d to be hang’d.

When Armand appear’d before the Judges, he fairly own’d what his Accusers had alledg’d against him, with regard to his Name, the Place of his Residence, and the Cause of his Flight; but he deny’d his having murder’d his Brother-in-Law, tho’ he confessed that he had kill’d him in his own Defence. As what he had done in France, was quite out of the Question; the Judges were only for adhering to the Point in hand. Armand said, that B—— had of his own Accord given him a Bond for a thousand Ducats, in Acknowledgment for the Service he had done him, in lending him some Money, and promoting his Marriage. He pleaded his own Cause very courageously, without the least Trembling or Self-Contradiction. B——, on the contrary, seemed to falter in every thing that he said, which made it suspected by some, that he had only charg’d Armand, in order to have a Pretext for not paying the Sum that he had promised him. Yet others, with more Probability, ascribed B——’s Faint-heartedness upon this Occasion to his natural Timorousness, and to the Confusion into which an Accusation of this Nature, laid without any Proofs to support it, must needs cast him.

Armand being very urgent for an Issue of the Affair, the Judges, who found nothing that could support B——’s Pretensions, passed a Sentence, Whereby the latter was to pay the thousand Ducats,

and the Defendant was to be set at Liberty, after giving Security for the said Sum, in case of an Appeal to the Court of Holland, saving to himself the Liberty of prosecuting his Adversary for Costs, Damages, Interest, and Reparation of Honour. B—— did not fail to appeal from that Sentence to the Court, as did like wise Armand, who having given the Security required, and received the thousand Ducats, shews himself thro’ the whole Town, with a long Beard, which he suffered to grow in Prison, and which he swore should not be taken off till he had carried his Cause at the Court.

In order to hasten the Decision of the Affair, he repaired to the Hague, where the Court at length passed a Sentence, which confirmed that of Amsterdam; and then he sued for Repair of Honour, and for Damages and Interests. B—— finding himself by this Means cast in all his Demands, and fearing the Consequences of the Law-Suit, thought fit to set his Affairs in Order, and withdrew to France. The Court immediately clapp’d a Seal upon his Effects, summon’d him three times to appear, and ’tis probable that he would have been condemned upon an Outlawry, if Armand’s Misbehaviour had not put a sudden Stop to the Courte of Justice. The Occasion of this Incident was as follows:

Armand was so impatient for the Issue of his Process, that he went every Day to teaze his Judges, who sometimes were not at Leisure to grant him Audience. Upon a certain Day, as he came to the Door of the Attorney-General, one of the Domestics told him, his Master was not at home; and the Man was going to shut the Door against him, when Armand said, I know the contrary, and must needs speak with him. Upon this they fell to abusing one another, when Armand,

losing all Patience, struck the Domestic several Blows, and put the whole House in an Alarm, for which he was carried to Prison; from whence however he might have had a speedy Deliverance, if he would but have confessed his Fault, and made the Attorney-General proper Satisfaction: But instead of doing this, he behaved to Mr. Attorney in a strange Manner, and threatened to be revenged of him. But he paid dear for his Insolence, and was sentenced to lie in Prison twelve Years. He remained there till 1734, when the Court thought fit to remove him to another Town, till the Expiration of the Term mentioned in the Sentence. Armand being acquainted with this Resolution, imagined, no doubt, that he was now to be treated with more Severity than ever, and perhaps that he should be privately dispatched; and from that Time he had no Command of himself. He formed a Design to murder the Archers when they came to meddle with him, or at least to prevent their seizing him; and for this Purpose he had taken one of the Bed-posts, which he not only armed with Nails, but fastened the Blade of a Penknife at one End of it. Being thus prepared for his Defence, on the Day appointed for his Removal; two Archers came to take him, of whom he ripp’d up the Guts of one, and broke two Ribs of the other. After this, none of the Archers durst venture to come near him, till the following Stratagem was thought of, by which they effectually quelled him. Two Archers were ordered to make each a Hole in the Wall of the Prison, and at the very Instant when Armand was peeping through one of them, to examine the Cause of it, a Pistol was discharg’d in his Face, loaded with Sand, which put his Eyes, Tongue and Face into such an Agony, that he was not able to defend himself, but surrendered,

and begged Quarter. At the same Time he was seized, and clapped in Irons. When he was under Examination, he confessed, that his Design was to murder any one that offered to remove him; and that he would do it again, if it were in his Power; which Circumstance was such an Aggravation of his Crime, that he was condemned to lose his Head.

The View of approaching Death was so far from being shocking to him, that he seemed perfectly unconcerned. But what was very observable in this unaccountable Man, was that the dreadful Prospect of the infamous Death he had so justly deserved, was so far from engrossing his Thoughts, that it did not in the least abate the Fondness he had always discovered for his Verses; so that at the very Time when a Minister was preparing him for Eternity, he interrupted him short, by telling him, Sir, Here are some Verses of my own composing; I desire you would let me read them to you. I always loved to divert myself with Works of this Sort. An Attorney, who was present at the same Time, performing the Office of a Comforter, seemed to be shock’d at the Reading of a Composition so unsuitable to one in such Circumstances; but Armand, looking on him with a very angry Countenance, told him in plain Terms, That he was an Ass; and that he wondered how a Man of his Profession, an Attorney, at constant Variance with Heaven, and for ever and ever accursed, should take it into his Head to turn Comforter, and pretend to make Peace between God and Man.

The Day of Execution being[119] come, he was carried before the Judges to hear Sentence of Death passed upon him: But they had scarce begun to

pronounce it, when he grew strangely outrageous, and said, ’twas unjust to read his Sentence to him in a Language which he did not understand. It was to no Purpose that they told him, it should be explained to him in French; for he still rav’d on in the same Strain; so that they were obliged to stop his Mouth with a Handkerchief, which they held tight behind, by both Ends. However, upon his making a Sign that it strain’d him too much, they slacken’d it, and then he promised, that if they would take it quite off, he would keep a profound Silence. He was attended to the Place of Execution by a Minister, and saluted such of his Acquaintance as he saw mixed in the Crowd, with a Smile. When he was on the Scaffold, and fixed his Eyes on the Gallows, he turned pale, saying, that he had been promised different Treatment, and that he did not think he should be turned out of the World in the Manner for which he saw that Preparation. They encouraged him, by telling him, that he should only have his Head cut off, if he did not use Violence; but that if he did, he should be hanged, and hoisted up to the Gallows by a Pully, there for that Purpose. He made Answer, that he did not care to swing out of the World by a Halter. He then asked the Executioner, if he was perfect in his Business; to which he answered in the Affirmative, adding, That he had by his Dexterity made sixteen Heads leap already, with very good Success, and that he hoped his would be the seventeenth to do him Honour. Then Armand demanded where the Sword was, and the Executioner told him, that it should be ready at the Time. At last the fatal Moment being come, he fell on his Knees, and as soon as his Eyes were blinded, he had his Head struck off at one Blow.

I have nothing particular to tell you of the Palace at Honslaerdyck, and of the[120] House in the Wood, which belong to the King of Prussia, because they are neither of ’em what they were formerly. They are running so to Decay, that shortly they will not deserve the Mention. As I passed to Honslaerdyck, I went thro’ the Village of Loosduinen, where I saw in a Church, the Basin, in which, ’tis said, were baptized the three hundred and sixty-five Children, of which a Countess of Holland was delivered at one[121] Birth, in Pursuance of the Wish, or rather Curse of a poor Woman, who having a Charge of Children, and coming to beg Alms of her, was not only denied, but rebuked for having so many Children; whereupon she wished, that the Countess, who was then pregnant, might be brought to Bed of as many Children as there were Days in the Year; which happened accordingly. This remarkable Event is set forth in a Picture carefully preserved in the Church.

The Palace of[122] Ryswic, where the Peace was signed in 1697, being in no better Condition than that of Honslaerdyck, I did not think fit to strike out of the fine Road to Delft, to go and see it. This Town, which is a League from the Hague, has nothing remarkable to be view’d, besides the Tomb of William I. Prince of Orange, who was assassinated at Delft, in 1584, by Balthasar Gerard, of the Franche Comté. The Republic which caused this Mausoleum to be erected, spar’d no Cost to leave Posterity a Monument worthy of its Founders,

and of their Gratitude for the signal Services which had been done them by that Hero. The Arsenal for the Land Service of this State, is at Delft, and there are few in Europe that are better furnished, or kept more in Order. This Town drives a great Trade in earthen Ware. As it is at the same Distance from Ryswic as the Hague, the Ambassadors of France resided here during the Congress. ’Tis now inhabited by several People, who either from being weary of the World, or by Reason of Misfortunes, have chose Retirement. From hence you will imagine, ’tis not a very gay Place, so that I made no Stay here, nor no Acquaintance.

Rotterdam, three Leagues from Delft, is by much the most populous Place, and is only inferior to Amsterdam, on Account of its Commerce. Its Situation on the Maese, six Leagues from the Sea, gives it a Communication with all the Towns of Holland, and the neighbouring Provinces, both by means of that River, and several Canals and Rivers that fall into it. Its greatest Trade is with England and France, and here are three English Churches, viz. One that is Episcopal, or of the Church of England by Law establish’d, one Presbyterian, and one Scots. As to us Catholics, we have several Churches here in Chambers, and the Jews have a neat Synagogue.

The Statue of Erasmus, the Restorer of the Latin Tongue, which is placed in the Market-place, is altogether plain. This learned Man is represented in the Habit of a Doctor, holding a Book in his Hand. The Pedestal is plainly decorated with a Latin Inscription, as is the House where he was born, which is preserved just as it was then, and is a very small and mean Building. ’Tis said, that on the same Square where Erasmus’s Statue stands, the Magistrates intend to

erect a Stadthouse, of which they are really in great Need, that which they have being a very sorry one. If this Project takes, it were to be wished that they may employ a more able Architect, and a more diligent one than they have made use of in building an Exchange, which has been a long Time begun, and is but half finish’d yet. ’Tis true, that as it is, ’tis too large for the Number of Merchants that meet in it; but after all, ’tis amazing that a City, which has the Reputation of being wealthy, should let one of its principal Edifices stand unfinish’d.

There are some magnificent Houses in this Town, but its greatest Ornament is its Canals, broad and deep enough for the Entrance of Shipping, which is a great Convenience to its Trade. I know not how sociable the People are at Rotterdam; for tho’ I have gone through it several times, I never stay’d long enough there to make any Acquaintance in it. I always took the Air for most part upon the fine Kay that runs along the Maese, which is beautified with a pleasant Row of Trees on one Side, and noble Houses on the other.

From Rotterdam I went thro’ Maeslandsluys to the Brille, a well fortified Town upon the Maese, near the Mouth of that River. This Town is famous in the History of the Netherlands, because in the Year 1572, William de Lumai, Count de la Marck, and some of his Confederates, who went out to Sea, to avoid falling into the Hands of the Duke of Alva, took it by Surprize, and there laid the first Foundations of the Liberty of the United Provinces.

When I left the Brille, I came to Helvoetsluys, the saddest Place in all Holland. The Winds, which have been boisterous for some Days, hinder the Packet-Boat and me from setting out

for England. In the mean time, I am very ill here. I am cramm’d twice a Day with boil’d Ducks, roasted Ducks, and others tossed up with a high Ragoû, and yet I am ask’d if I will not please to have more Seasoning. Perhaps it was this Town only that a certain Frenchman had seen, when he said that he had taken Notice of but three Things in Holland, and they began all three with the Syllable Ca, viz. Canals, Canards (Ducks), and Canaille, i. e. Mob; for certainly there are other Things to be seen in the rest of Holland, where there are as many genteel People as in any Country in the World. Nay, I dare affirm, that a certain Candour prevails here, which is perhaps not so general elsewhere. ’Tis rare for a Dutchman to know the Arts of Tricking and Cheating, and he is of a friendly Disposition, if his Purse be out of the Question. If they were not so much in Love with their Money, there would be as few Faults to find with this Nation as any. I could like to live with ’em very well. When one treats them with Civility, one may do any thing with ’em. And it was a Saying of the Emperor Charles V. You must give the Dutch good Words, leave ’em the Shadow of Liberty, but make them pay well for it.

Be these People as much as they will for their own Interest, they are charitable, and would have every one live. They have not perhaps that gay Wit, which is of all Things so taking; but then they have good Sense. I have often taken a Place in the Boats, on purpose to hear what was said there; and have been surprised to find the common People talk of Trade, of the Interests of the State, and of other Countries, of the Manners of different People, of the History of their own Country, and in short, of a thousand other Things, with more Justness, perhaps, than a great many

Epigrammatists, Stanza-makers, and Rhymesters could do elsewhere.

For the rest, this Country is as charming in some Things, as it is disagreeable in others. ’Tis certain, that the People are now and then too insolent; yet a Dutchman does not care to be the first to give an Affront; and unless a Foreigner provokes him by his Pride, or his Pertness, he will indulge himself in his Phlegm.

I can’t imagine why Foreigners take a Pleasure to run down Holland, as a Country where they have been skinn’d. This might have been the Case with ’em in such a Hole as Helvoetsluys, or else at Rotterdam, when one Carpentier, a French Refugee, kept the Sign there of the Marshal de Turenne; but ’tis not so in a good Town, where every Foreigner, I mean such as are willing to be sociable, and to eat at the Landlord’s Table, know what they have for their Money. The Ordinary is settled, Wine, Lodging, and every Thing at a certain Price. Suppers are the only Meals that plunge deep in a Man’s Purse, of which a Foreigner must be cautious. As to Carriages, either by Land or Water, the Fare is fixed; and ’tis impossible for a Man to be cheated, unless it be in frosty Weather, when ’tis certain one is at the Mercy both of the Watermen and Coachmen.

’Tis wrong also for some Foreigners to cry out, as they do, against Justice, which I find more impartial here than elsewhere. But it does not always act with the Vivacity which a Foreigner would wish for, who often has neither the Time, nor the Means, nor the Inclination to wait for it. He then finds fault with Justice, when he ought rather to blame the Situation of his Affairs.

I fear that you will be angry with me for having abused your Attention by this long Letter,

which I now conclude, by assuring you, that nobody can be more intirely than I am, &c.

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