Four German miles from hence bring us to Schweka, a neat village near Eberstorff; where is a palace of the Emperor, and a large park, enclosed by the Danube and the Schweka.
June xxiii.
By three in the afternoon his Excellency moves from hence, and in an hour and a half, at the distance of two German miles, happily arrives at Vienna; where he is lodged in the suburbs, betwixt the Caristhian gate and the Favorita, in a palace of Count Sterembergh. After the repose of a day or two his Excellency had a separate audience of the Emperor, and Empress, the Archduke Carlo, and the four Archdutchesses. And being visited by most of the nobility, courtiers, and ministers of the place, he afterwards took occasion of returning their respective visits.
Vienna is seated on a point of land, made by the confluence of the river Wien and a branch of the Danube, which latter here enlarges itself about a thousand paces from its main chanel. The city is of a moderate circumference, scarce containing more than four thousand paces within the circuit of the walls; but round these, at a large distance, are extended many diffused suburbs, by means of which it may be placed among the larger cities of Europe. The fortifications are effective, regular, and intire; a large uninterrupted glacis, a strong pale, a deep and wide foss, a substantial curtain lined with brick, thirteen bastions, and as many ravelins, with six well defended gates. Answerable to these there are two arsenals within the city; one for ammunition and artillery belonging to the Emperor, and the other for small arms belonging to the citizens. The streets, tho few of them broad, are yet all of them fair and moderately straight, ranged on each side with lofty houses of four or five stories high, built with a good appearance, tho not really magnificent; for they shew a regularity of architecture in their windows, cornishes, and water tables, but the materials are only brick walls incrusted in imitation of freestone. Among the buildings of the city are interspersed several oblong piazzas, adorned with fountains, tho of no great art or curiosity. Yet there are two squares, each of which exhibits a considerable public monument; one being the pillar of the Blessed Virgin, and the other that of the most Holy Trinity. The former of these is a brass column, adorned round the four corners of the basis with as many figures of angels, and on the chapiter bearing a noble statue of the Madonna, with her feet resting on a dragon. It was begun by the last Emperor, and finished by the present; and exhibits four religious or superstitious inscriptions, the chief of which is a triumphant declaration of the immaculate conception, as now confirmed by a papal verdict, and hence forward to be received as an article of faith. The latter pillar, called that of the Holy Trinity, is a magnificent column of marble and freestone rising sixty six feet high, almost in the form of a pyramid. It was the work of ten years, finished in 1692, at the expence of a hundred thousand florins, and erected by the present Emperor in commemoration of this city, and the dukedom of Austria, being delivered from the plague in the year 1679. It is adorned in three corners with these inscriptions, Deo Patri Creatori, Deo Filio Redemptori, Deo Spiritui Sanctificatori; and in three other places with larger devotions and dedications, composed by his Imperial Majesty. From the basis it rises in continual orbs and protuberances of clouds, surrounded with several intire angelic figures, out of which are seen the wings and heads of others. But on the top is represented in gilt brass the Most Holy Trinity: the Holy Ghost, as a dove, irradiated; the Son in an human figure, holding a cross; and the Father at his left hand, with no marks of majesty, but clothed in a loose gown, like an old man, bearing a globe in his right hand. At the bottom is the Emperor himself, kneeling indeed in a posture of devotion, but otherwise represented with more marks of honour and majesty, than the Divine Being which he adores. The figure of God the Father is very frequent in Austria, and variously expressed, some times in a nightgown and cap, and at other times with a papal crown.
The cathedral church of this place is dedicated to St. Stephen, and is a stately antient building, having an high tower adorned throughout with crotchets so strong, that it withstood several canon shot in the late siege. It is now repaired, and bears in the work the date of that year, which was 1683. On the spire it has a cross rising from between the wings of the Roman eagle, instead of the half moon, which stood there before by compact with Solymán the Magnificent. The inside of the church is divided into three isles, at the upper end of which are many magnificent altars, with at least thirty more dispersed about the pillars and other corners of the church. Near the principal of these the walls are almost covered with pictures and sculpture, superstitiously dedicated on occasion of so many vows there made; which I call therefore, in the words of that ingenious heathen poet, Tabulis sacer votivis paries. Over the great altar is placed the picture of the Madonna, by the name of Sta. Maria de Boes, brought not long since from Hungary on occasion of its having shed tears; of which, I saw one at Sancta Margarita, who pretended to be an eye witness. The anniversary of the day it was brought to Vienna, and of that, on which it wept, are celebrated by a public feast, when the Emperor likewise hears mass on the occasion. There is likewise another miraculous image of the Virgin at the lower north door of the cathedral, which is daily so thronged with worshipers on their knees, that it gives offence to the bishop of this city, who is endeavouring to suppress the picture, as well as the abuse. In this door is a white stone, worn considerably by the touch of all that enter there, as being thought to be one of those, with which St. Stephen was martyred. Round the body of the church are frequent monuments well carved, and some sculptures of the History of the Gospel, which can scarce any where be exceeded. There is likewise a new saint, whose statue of stone has been lately erected on all the bridges of Vienna. He is styled under his picture, S. Joannes Mepomienus, Martyr, who was drowned by a King of Bohemia for not discovering a confession of the Queen.
Besides this cathedral there are four or five parochial churches, of which the most remarkable is that of St. Michael; but among such a multitude of conventual churches, and each of these furnished with a large number of altars, the parochial are in a great measure obscured. The most splendid convents of the place are first, that of the Dominicans; after this the Benedictines, formerly belonging to the Scotch; then two belonging to the Jesuits, of which one is called the Domus professa, the other the college; next the Minorite Franciscans, then the Angustines, and lastly the Capuchines. Of these the Minorite Franciscans have in their chapel a pattern of the Scala sancta; the Augustines the Capella aulica, and the pattern of the Temple of Loretto; the Capuchines a small but pretty chapel in one side of their church, wherein are buried the deceased of the Imperial family. The roof of the church belonging to the college of Jesuits is now newly painted in perspective, that is inimitable, by P. Pozzo of that society; who likewise did the celebrated perspective in the church of that society at Rome.
Vienna was made the seat of the Imperial family by Ferdinand the second, who translated it from Gratz. The imperial and royal palaces belonging to this place are, one old one in the city, usually called the Bourg; another in the suburb opposite to the Corinthian gate, called the Favorite; a third at Eberstorff, two hours distant from the city; and a fourth at Luxemburg, at the distance of two hours and a half. All these are plain, but capacious and convenient buildings; and the Emperor divides his residence betwixt them, according to the different seasons of the year. But at Schonbran, about two English miles distant from Vienna, is a new palace as yet in some measure unfinished; which is built for the King of the Romans after the Italian mode, adorned in the pinacles with statues, a gentle ascent and spatious stairs up to the entrance, beautified with a regular garden behind, and on the front two ranges of stables and offices, that form a regular square court. The rooms and apartments within are stately and well proportioned, and the doors and chimney pieces richly built with Polonian marble. Besides these, in the way to Eberstorff are to be seen the stately remains of the palace, called Neugebac; which was destroyed by the Turks in the late siege, and is not yet repaired. However there appears a regular front, consisting of proper pillars; and in some apartments of this ruined house are kept several wild beasts of great curiosity. These, with some others at Schonbran, I took an opportunity of viewing, and shall here give a brief account of them. At Neugebac are two lions, one of which is about five years old, but the most stately and majestic as can well be seen. Three cassawares, a species of bird without wings, the body of the size and shape of a sheep, the legs long and thick in proportion, the neck tall with a blue but blunt crest, the feathers black and exactly resembling those of an ostrich. Three tigers, one of a large and unusual size. Two leopards well spotted, their ears short, their head like that of a cat, but their body more approaching to a mongrel greyhound; they are swift, and hunt hares, or other creatures, which are thrown into their walk. Several lynces, nothing different (as I am informed) from the panther; they are spotted with larger circles than a tiger or leopard, and much resemble a wild cat, but exceed it in size. An hyaena, much resembling a mastif, but the nose more round and contracted, a large belly, and a brindled spotted skin. A beaver, which is a little amphibious animal, of a flat figure, with a short neck and legs, a soft and thick fur, and a bare tail. These which follow, are at Schonbran. Several wild goats, the males with large horns, and therefore by the antients called aegoceros. Two ostriches, the one five, the other fifteen years old, the head higher than the ordinary stature of a man, the feathers black, except on the tail and tip of the wings, where they are milk white, the thighs perfectly bare, the legs long and substantial, the feet divided into two broad pulpy claws, which are thought poisonous, and in figure somewhat resembling those of a camel, whence they are called in Latin camelostruthi. Two antilopes. A she elk, a timerous animal, which is made much like an hind, with a broad excrescent mouth. Three uri, in the figure of a bull, but a thicker and shorter neck, with the appearance of prodigious strength, and one of them, very large. But concerning these two last species a fuller account may be seen in Caesar, De B. Gall. Lib. vi. cap. 5.
There are three libraries in this place. One is called Bibliotheca Windhagiana, which belongs to the Dominican convent. Another is at the college of Jesuits, which is larger and better collected. But the third, which exceeds them both, and perhaps all others in these parts of the world, is that, which belongs to the Emperor at his palace in this city. In the Dominican library I saw a monstrous human foetus kept in spirits of wine; with another dried and stuffed, which is double in all its parts, as having two heads, four hands, four legs, and two trunks as far as the navel, where they unite into one body. But what I observed in the Caesarian library will deserve a more distinct relation, which I shall give in the following particulars.
The most eminent Greek Mss. in the Catalogue of Nesselius, with other curiosities by him mentioned, and particularly the pictures belonging to the res vestiaria of the antients; all which may be seen in the catalogue which I had there with me.
Besides what occurs in the Nesselian Catalogue, the antient Ambrosian Ms. of part of Livy, which is clear and legible; tho the contrary is asserted by Dr. Brown[134]. It is the oldest copy now extant of that author, and tho it ends with Lib. XLV; yet there is added at the bottom of the page, Liber XLVI incipit feliciter, as if it was extant at that time, which is conceived by Lambecius to be about a thousand years since.