The Austrians are naturally proud and haughty, and expect all Mankind should stoop to them. As their Sovereign is in the first Rank among the Christian Princes, so they think theirs to be the chief Nation in the World. Nothing is more vain nor more insupportable than a young Austrian, whose Father is in any Rank at Court. They are intoxicated with Pride and Presumption; and as they know themselves to be rich, and their Fathers to be great Lords, they think they may despise all the World, and lay aside that courteous and polite Behaviour which would so well become their Birth. Yet what I here observe to you concerning the young People is not so universally true as not to admit of great Exceptions, which is the Case of every thing asserted in the general.
The Court is not without Ladies who are much to be valued. The Empress Regent honours with her Confidence Madame the Countess de Fuchs, whose Husband was Minister of State to the Emperor, and his Plenipotentiary at Hambourg, where he died. This Countess is Sister to the Count de
Molard, Steward of the Emperor's Kitchens. She is a very polite Lady, and is so far from being envy'd for being a Favourite that all Persons of Distinction agree she deserves it, because she supports it with Modesty, and makes no other Use of it but to do good.
Madamoiselle de Klenck has a very great share in the Favour of the Empress Dowager, which I take to be a Reward due to her long Services, and to her Merit. She is chief Maid of Honour to that Princess, and has been engag'd to her ever since she has been at Vienna. If the Character of a thorough Gentlewoman may be attributed to any of the Sex, Madamoiselle de Klenck deserves it more than any other, it being impossible for a Person to have more Integrity, and more Generosity.
The Countess Dowager of Altheim, of the Pignatelli Family, in regard to whose Rank I ought to have mention'd her first, if I observ'd a very strict Order in my Writings, is a Native of Spain. The Count d'Altheim married her at Barcelona. Her Beauty was the more admir'd in Spain because she was fair. This Lady has a noble Air, and has a Genius capable for Affairs of the greatest Consequence. Their Imperial Majesties pay her great Distinction, and all the Courtiers honour and respect her, so that now in her Widowhood she continues in good Credit, and almost as much Authority as she had when that great Favourite her Husband was living.
The Gentry of Austria, and of all the Emperor's Hereditary Dominions, are so fond of the Title of Count, that the Gentlemen buy and sollicit it as eagerly as if it was a great Estate. 'Tis well for them that the Dispatch of their Patents does not cost much; for the greatest Privilege which this brings them is all a Chimæra. These Counts may be said to hold the same Rank among the ancient Counts
of the Empire as the King's Secretaries in France do among the Gentlemen of good Families.
As for Gentlemen, they are so common here that there are scarce any others to be seen. All the Agents of the Court, and all the Referendaries procure themselves a Title, tho' I know not why; for neither they nor their Wives dare to rank themselves among the Prime Nobility. This Madness of theirs to be enobled is so common, and so easy to be gratified, that I have known a Man, who was formerly Messenger to the Emperor Joseph, purchase the Title of Baron; and his Children begin to mix with the Grand Monde.
These, Sir, were all the Remarks that I made upon the Austrians. I must give you a few Particulars concerning the Emperor's Person. I have already said something to you of his Character: What follows is to shew you how grateful he is, and how friendly, Virtues which are the more to be esteem'd in him because they are not the most familiar to great Men.
The Emperor shows all possible Marks of Gratitude to those Spaniards who adher'd to him while he was at Barcelona. He has loaded them with Wealth and Honours; and if it's possible for one's native Country to be forgot, he has put them in a Situation to forget theirs. This particular Goodness of the Emperor extends to all that followed his Fortunes in Spain; whom he distinguishes upon all Occasions, and does them good preferably to his other Subjects. As to Friendship, no Monarch ever had more for any Favourite than Charles had for the late Count d'Altheim, his Master of the Horse. This Nobleman was the Emperor's Page, when he was only Arch-Duke; and he attended that Prince to Spain, where his Care, his Services, his Assiduity, and above all his Honesty and his Integrity, won him the intire Confidence of the young