Muskau, June 20, 1843.—I could write a long account of this household and can say at once that it has an individuality of its own. I left Sagan this morning at about nine o'clock and arrived here at one o'clock. The road is not bad, though near Muskau a sea of sand begins which reduces speed almost to the point of immobility. It is therefore a double surprise to drive through the freshest and greenest of parks, as full of flowers and as carefully tended as can be imagined. It is quite like England, with all its care and comfort expended both without and within the castle. A very noble flight of stairs bordered by fine orange-trees leads to the castle court which would be modern in style if it were not for the towers crowned by belfries, which give it an imposing aspect not to be found in modern edifices. At the foot of the stairs I found Prince Pückler surrounded by footmen, lacqueys, Arabs and negroes, a very strange and motley troop. He immediately conducted me to my room which is most luxurious; a sitting-room full of flowers, a bedroom draped with white muslin, and a dressing-room in a tower; even my servants say they have never been so well lodged. The Prince of Prussia has been detained at Berlin on business and will not arrive until to-morrow. Princess Carolath, step-daughter of Prince Pückler, came to apologise for the absence of her mother, Princess Pückler, who was not quite well and had not yet finished dressing. Shortly afterwards she came in: she is very pleasant, extremely distinguished and talks most admirably upon every subject.
Among the strange inhabitants of this castle is a very tiny little dwarf,[ [99] no taller than a child of four, perfectly proportioned and dressed as a Pole. He is nineteen years of age and is much petted and dressed up; he seems happy, though he made a very sad impression on me.
Muskau, June 21, 1843.—The close of yesterday was spoilt by a cold, sharp and gusty wind which suddenly arose to sadden the country and freeze poor mortal frames after three days warm weather. After dinner I looked over the rest of the house. Everything is very nice, though the proportions within are by no means upon a vast scale: flowers have been very artistically used for decoration and give a special beauty to the rooms; the Princess's room resembles a hothouse and an aviary at the same time. I was especially struck by a portrait of the Prince fastened to the Princess's desk round which laurel branches were artistically placed: they belong to two laurels which stand in pots on either side of the desk; a little vase of forget-me-nots was placed between the portrait and the writing pad. This is one of the thousand details in this union which was broken off and restored and which is quite unparalleled; for though in society one may often meet people who have separated but have not been divorced, it is much more unusual to meet divorced people who have not been separated.[ [100]
In spite of the disagreeable cold and the bitter wind which would have excused a fire, we went for a drive round the park in an open carriage. Prince Pückler sat by my side, to act as showman to this extraordinary estate. In England it would be fine and here it is marvellous. He has created not merely a park but a country: sandy plains, white and dusty hills, have been changed into verdant slopes and fresh green lawns; superb trees rise upon every side, clumps of flowers frame the castle; a pretty stream brightens the whole and the town of Muskau gives interest to the landscape which is rich, diversified and full of beauty; yet, throughout this drive which lasted for two hours, Prince Pückler would talk of nothing but his desire to sell this fair creation. He would like the Prince of Prussia to buy it: he says that as he has finished his work, he feels no more interest in it, and like a painter who has finished his picture, he would like to begin another in a better climate; he tells me he is thinking of South Germany about the Black Forest and the confines of Switzerland. The Princess does not hide her sorrow at this idea and I can understand her feelings, for she has lived here for twenty-five years and the interior of the castle is her work; moreover, she has discovered a mineral spring on the spot, which has suggested the erection of a watering establishment. This idea has been carried out and the building in the park looks charming.
To return to Prince Pückler, he is not what I had expected him to be: he speaks but little, in a low voice, and whether he feels that I am ill-inclined to gossip and scandal, or whether he reserves his own powers in this direction for his writings, his conversation shows no trace of them. He rather gives me the idea of a man who is tired and bored than of a bad character.
Muskau, June 22, 1843.—I had proposed to start this morning, but the Prince of Prussia told me so graciously that he could not allow me to leave Muskau before himself, that a refusal would have been churlish, the more so as Princess Pückler seemed very anxious that I should stay. Here one is allowed to remain in one's room in sloth until midday, which suits my habits excellently. When I went downstairs yesterday to the drawing-room, the Prince of Prussia, who had arrived at nine o'clock in the morning, was already coming in from a walk. After lunch the Princess displayed many curiosities which her husband had brought home; books, frames, models of the Holy Sepulchre, rosaries and crosses in mother of pearl beautifully worked in Palestine, Arab paintings, arms and instruments of all kinds. In the library we were shown a manuscript on vellum with painted vignettes of Froissart's Chronicle. Something of everything is to be found in this curious house, which is full of contrasts. In the afternoon the men went out again for a long excursion and the ladies walked about the gardens, which well deserve to be examined in detail, so marvellous is the labour expended upon them, though attention to detail has in no way destroyed the general effect. Afterwards we entered a carriage and reaching a large field covered with people, we stopped to see the Arab and Egyptian horses of Prince Pückler parading, curvetting and galloping. They were ridden by men in Oriental dress, and it was a bright and pretty spectacle. Tea was served in one of the lounge rooms of the bathing establishment.
Berlin, June 24, 1843.—On arriving here I found letters which will further modify my movements. My sister Acerenza is ill, and her doctor has insisted so strongly upon Carlsbad that she is going there with my other sister on July 1; so, on leaving here I shall go to Carlsbad, together with my son, who has been ordered to take the waters.
I must say another word concerning the conclusion of my stay in the fairyland of Muskau. On Thursday, the 22nd, after lunch, every one went up to see Prince Pückler's rooms: there are four of them, full of pictures, sculptures, engravings, books, manuscripts, heathen and Christian curiosities, curiosities from Asia, Barbary and Egypt; a pretty model of the foot of his Abyssinian woman[ [101] is on his desk by the side of his wife's portrait; a model of the Holy Sepulchre hangs by a stuffed crocodile; a portrait of Frederick the Great is confronted by that of Napoleon, and the picture of M. de Talleyrand is side by side with one of Pius VII. There are inscriptions on all the doors in the style of Jean Paul. Amid all this miscellany there seems to be some attempt at order, in which the hand of the master of the rooms is apparent; in any case they contain interest of every kind. After this inspection we went to tea in a shooting-box in the midst of a most beautiful forest. The Prince of Prussia had a shot at a stag, which he killed. We returned after nightfall, and after supper the Prince of Prussia was present at a torchlight parade of the military reserves. This was followed by a walk through the park, which was illuminated by Bengal lights, so cleverly placed behind the trees and the clumps of flowers, that the fires could only be inferred from the effect which they produced; these effects were really magical, and I had never seen anything of the kind. The Prince of Prussia left Muskau the night before last at two o'clock, and I followed him yesterday morning.
Berlin, June 25, 1843.—Yesterday I went to an evening party given by the Radziwills. There I met Humboldt who had just returned from the island of Rügen, concerning which he was most enthusiastic: he also spoke very warmly of the residence of Prince Putbus, who was able to receive the two Kings of Prussia and Denmark without any necessity for himself or his wife to change their usual mode of life.[ [102] The King of Denmark seems to be greatly disturbed as to what will become of his kingdom after his death. His son is such a bad and even insane character that his succession is practically impossible; moreover, he ill-treats his wife dreadfully and has no children. Hence there is an idea that Denmark will be divided; that the islands and Jutland will go to a Prince of Hesse-Cassel, and that claims for Holstein and Schleswig will be raised from very different quarters; Russia will raise claims, and as Germany is especially anxious to see that Russia gains no footing there, the two Kings have apparently been trying to avoid any invasion of the kind. An attempt will be made to overthrow all claims by marrying a Prince of Holstein-Glücksburg with one of the Grand Duchesses of Russia.
Berlin, June 26, 1843.—Yesterday I dined with the Russian Minister together with M. de Valençay, and saw in full detail my old house,[ [103] which is much improved; but it was very pretty in its original form, and if I had it now nothing would induce me to sell it.