The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume I / 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

but as for the rest, their Way of living is different; here being more Freedom, and more Diversion.

The Elector Charles-Albert delights in Pleasures and bodily Exercise, and acquits himself therein with a Grace. He is a comely Personage, and has a grave, noble, and majestic Air, so that he is taken for a proud Man; yet few Princes are more gracious and more civil to Strangers, and to his Subjects also he is easy of Access. He was full of Life and Spirit when he was a Prince, and now that he is a Sovereign is become sedate and moderate. He is genteel, talks French, Italian, and Latin well, is Master of History, and perfectly acquainted with the Interest of Princes in general, and that of his own Family in particular. He sticks to Business, and above all seems to be very earnest in redressing his Finances which he found in great Disorder when he acceded to the Electorate. The Elector was born the 6th of August, 1697. He is Son of Maximilian-Emanuel famous for his Victories and for his Disgrace, and of Theresa-Cunegunda-Sobieski, Daughter of John Sobieski King of Poland. When Charles came into the World he had a Brother living who was born of the Arch-Duchess Mary-Maximilian, Emanuel's first Wife. This young Prince who all Europe expected wou'd be the Successor of Charles II. King of Spain, dying at Brussels the 6th of February, 1699, Charles thereby became the Electoral Prince: He was bred up at Munich with four of his Brothers, but both he and his Brothers surrender'd Prisoners to the Emperor Joseph after the Battle of Hochstet, which subjected all Bavaria to his Imperial Majesty. That Monarch had the young Princes remov'd to Gratz, where he caus'd them to be treated in a manner not so suitable to their high Birth as to their decay'd Fortune. When Joseph died, his Successor Charles VI. used the Princes

with less Severity, caus'd them to be honourably attended, and sent them Masters to instruct them; and upon the Peace of Rastadt which reinstated the Elector Maximilian-Emanuel in his Dominions, the Princes his Children were restor'd to him. They finish'd their Studies at Munich, after which the Elector sent the four eldest to Rome, where the second, whose Name was Duke Philip, died not long after he had been chose Bishop of Munster and Paderborn. Charles returning from Italy went to Vienna, made the Campaign of Belgrade, and some Years after that, he marry'd Mary-Amelia-Anne of Austria, the late Emperor Joseph's second Daughter. In 1725, Charles and his three Brothers were at Fontainbleau, at the Marriage of Lewis XV. and next Year he succeeded his Father who died at Munich lamented as he was ador'd by his Courtiers.

The Electoress who is a little Woman, very much resembles the Empress her Mother, and has more Vivacity than is common to the Princes of the House of Austria. She prefers Hunting to all other Pleasures, and there are few Days but she partakes of that Diversion with the Elector, who, as well as the Princes his Brothers, is fond of it.

The Elector has by his Marriage two[113] Princes and two Princesses. The eldest of the Sons who has the Title of the Electoral Prince is call'd Maximilian-Joseph, and was born the 28th of March, 1727. His most serene Electoral Highness's three Brothers are Duke Ferdinand, the Elector of Cologn, and the Bishop of Freisingen and Ratisbon. Of these Princes Duke Ferdinand is the only one who resides at Munich. His most serene Highness is a Lieutenant-General, and has a Regiment of Cuirassiers in the Emperor's Service. He is also a Knight of the Golden Fleece, and Grand Prior of the Order of St. George. He marry'd Mary-Ann-Caroline of

Newbourg, by whom he has two Sons and one Daughter. I have already told you that he was educated with the Elector his Brother, with whom he made the Campaign of Belgrade, travell'd several times to Italy, and last of all to France, where those Princes were admir'd for their Splendor, their Politeness, their good Taste, and their fine Understanding. One shan't find a Man more affable than Duke Ferdinand who is even ador'd at Munich, and is dearly belov'd by the Elector his Brother. The Duchess his Wife who is the best-natur'd Princess in the World makes grand Entertainments, and is particularly civil to Strangers.

The Bishop of Freisingen and Ratisbon spends more of his Time at Munich than in his Diocese. He is a Prince of great Penetration, Spirit and Vivacity, is generous, liberal, and charitable, extremely civil, and 'tis impossible to be acquainted with him without adding Love to that Respect and Veneration which are due to his Birth and Character. He enter'd very young into Orders, and was consecrated Bishop by his Brother the Elector of Cologn. 'Twas thought at first that he wou'd have made but an indifferent Ecclesiastic, but he has demonstrated that he knows how to reconcile the Gravity of a Prelate with the Magnanimity of a Temporal Prince.

The Court of Bavaria is without dispute the most gallant, and the politest in Germany. We have a French Comedy here together with Balls and Gaming every Day, and a Concert of Music three Times a Week, at which all the Company is mask'd; and after the Concert there's Gaming and Dancing. These public Assemblies, at which the Elector and the whole Court are present, bring in a great Revenue to the Elector's Valets de Chambre; for besides the Money which every one pays at Entrance, they are also paid for the Cards, and are

concern'd in almost all the Banks; so that those Domestics have almost all the Cash of the Nobility, with whom they don't scruple neither to rank themselves. Besides these noisy Pleasures we have others that are more tranquil, I mean those of civil Society. Of this kind there's more here than in the other Towns of Germany; but more still among the Foreigners that are in the Elector's Service than among the Bavarians; for these are generally proud, tho' 'tis certainly more owing to their Opinion that it gives them a good Air to be so than to their Temper; and they actually become more sociable when they are made sensible that their grand Airs are not astonishing.

The Title of Count is as common here as at Vienna, and the Bavarian Counts have no greater Privileges than those of Austria, for they are as much Subjects as the meanest Gentlemen. I find that those in Places, and who bear any Rank at Court are much more polite than others. The Counts de Thirheim, Torring, and Preising who have the chief Employments are so civil that I believe there's few Foreigners but will give them their Encomium.