Berlin, June 29, 1843.—Yesterday M. de Valençay and myself travelled to Potsdam by the railway, and the King's carriage took us to Sans Souci. The King came in for dinner after a Council which had lasted five hours and was concerned with the increasing difficulties in the states of the Rhine provinces. Apparently the King could not agree with his Ministers upon the policy to be adopted; in any case he must have been greatly pre-occupied, for he was by no means in his natural humour. Besides M. de Valençay and myself the guests included the Ministers, the officers on duty, an old gentleman, one Pourtalès of Neuchâtel, Humboldt and Rönne, but the dinner was very slow. The King has grown stout, which was not necessary in his case; he is also changed by age and his colour is too high; I did not think he was looking by any means so well as I could wish. After dinner all the guests returned to Berlin except my son, Humboldt and myself. We were asked to stay for a drive. I was given a room which the King has just fitted up and which looks as though it belonged to a novel of the date of Frederick II. The strange feature of the room is that in 1807 when the King was a child at Memel he dreamt one night of a room in this style, and as he remembered his dream he has realised it. The wood is painted in very light green: all the mouldings, which are in the style of Louis XV., are gilded, as also are the frames of the mirrors and pictures; the bureau and the curtains are red; the table and wardrobe are of rosewood, inlaid and decorated with beautiful Saxony porcelain, as also is the mantelpiece of black marble. At seven o'clock I went out with the Queen in her carriage, while the King entered the phaeton with his favourite Minister, Count Stolberg, who is a very pleasant man; my son was in the third carriage with Humboldt. The King led the way and we followed him over very beautiful roads carried through a forest which he has added to the great park of Potsdam; he was then kind enough to drive us back to the railway, and the last train brought us to Berlin where I was anxious to appear at the house of Frau von Savigny, who had arranged a musical evening for us. This was a very pleasant entertainment; her nieces, her son and two other gentlemen sang delightfully, and a certain Passini played the violin infinitely better than I have ever heard any violinist play. I thought him far superior to Paganini and Bériot.
Berlin, July 1, 1843.—This new month really should bring us summer, but it does not look like doing so. The weather is cold, damp and abominable. However, I went yesterday with the Radziwills, my son and Herr von Olfers to see the frescoes which are being executed in the museum under the direction of Cornelius. They are very beautiful compositions in point both of design and idea. I also went to the Kunstverein to see the portrait of Tieck by Styler, who is at present the most famous portrait painter in Germany and I think deserves his reputation.
Berlin, July 3, 1843.—Yesterday we went to Potsdam to a military fête to which the Emperor of Russia had sent a deputation; in consequence all the Russians in residence here were invited. The whole of the royal family and several of the chief noblemen of the country were there; Princess Adalbert, who has returned from Silesia, was also there. She has grown much older, is greatly changed, and in my opinion is extremely ugly; she seemed to be in no way conscious of the fact. Dinner was given in a large gallery, after which we went to see the troops dining in the open air. They were continuously exposed to a fine and very unpleasant rain which entirely spoilt the sight. After dinner came the theatre, then supper and then the railway.
Königsbruck, July 6, 1843.—I arrived here yesterday at the house of my nieces. The castle is almost full, but only relations are there: the Count and Countess of Hohenthal, Madame de Lazareff, and her three children, Fanny Biron, her two young brothers, Pierre and Calixte, the two daughters and the little boy of poor Count Maltzan, who are cousins-german of my nieces, and then a number of governesses, &c. Every one seemed very happy and welcomed me warmly.
Carlsbad, July 11, 1843.—On the 7th we had a terrible storm at Königsbruck with hail, a waterspout and a flood. A child in the village was drowned, and everybody was terror-stricken. My poor nephew Hohenthal lost his hay and his harvest. I started on the 8th in good time to dine at Pillnitz, where their Majesties received me most kindly. On the 9th I heard mass at Dresden in the early morning and started after lunch for Teplitz. Yesterday I made a start in stormy weather, the horses were frightened and inclined to shy; on one occasion they started to one side of the road, and if they had not stuck in some heavy earth we should have been upset. It was an unpleasant experience, for the danger was real. However, as it is over, one can but thank God for safety and think of it no more. I found my sisters very kind and affectionate, but the second is much changed, yellow and withered.
Carlsbad, July 13, 1843.—Yesterday I had several callers: Prince Paul Esterhazy came in first and we talked of many old memories. Then the Ambassador Pahlen came; he knows as little of his future career as Barante knows of his. Afterwards I and my son went to dinner with Prince Paul Esterhazy: among the guests were Princesse Gabrielle Auersberg, lady-in-waiting to the Emperor Alexander during the Vienna Congress; Princess Veriand of Windisch-Graetz, a pretty woman of the same period, and her daughter, the Ambassador Pahlen, Herr von Liebermann and Count Woronzoff-Daschkoff. After dinner I made several calls and went to tea with my sisters; several people came in, including the Count of Brandenburg, son of the stout William and of Countess Doenhoff. We had met long ago at Berlin and were glad to meet again.
Carlsbad, July 15, 1843.—I spend almost the whole of my days with my sisters. Here people live in the street, wander about and spend their money in the shops, in which they are constantly looking. I was asked to tea yesterday with the Countess Strogonoff whom I had met at London at dinner with Madame de Lieven. I stayed for half an hour, but it was a meeting of St. Petersburg society, and I was quite lost. I saw Marshal Paskewitch who is known, I think, as the Prince of Warsaw; his manner is by no means pleasant, and certainly not distinguished.
Breslau, July 24, 1843.—I am making only a flying visit here as I wish to dine with my nephew Biron at Polnisch-Wartenberg, and I have no time to lose. I saw nothing striking on the road from Dresden here, and Breslau is an old town which is rather stolid than interesting.
Polnisch-Wartenberg, July 26, 1843.—I found a regular family meeting here the day before yesterday and a pressing invitation to dine the next day with the Radziwills. I therefore accompanied my nephew yesterday morning to Antonin, a shooting-box of the Radziwills in the grand duchy of Posen. The weather was abominable and the Polish roads extremely bad. Six horses harnessed to a light carriage dragged us through dark forests, over deep sand through which we jolted over the roots of trees. The grand duchy of Posen which begins two leagues from here, has a generally depressing appearance; the population, the houses and the cultivation are all in a poor state. I was received very kindly by the good Radziwills, who are living in a curious castle which is rather original than comfortable. Near this castle their parents are buried; I was taken to the family vault to pray over the tomb of their late mother, Princess Louise of Prussia, who was my godmother, and what is more, was a really motherly friend to me.
Polnisch-Wartenberg, July 27, 1843.—My nephew took me for a drive yesterday morning to see part of his estate. We spent the rest of the time examining old family papers and memorials of our grandparents which are collected here. Prince Radziwill dined here in the course of a round of inspection which he was making.