I am, &c.
LETTER XVI.
SIR,Ludwigsbourg, Feb. 2, 1730.
The Duke of Wirtemberg is a Prince of a middling Size, and before he grew so fat was very well shap'd. He is genteel, affable, and well-belov'd, and few Princes treat their Courtiers with more Familiarity. He has been one of the best Dancers of his Time. He also sits perfectly well on horseback, and performs all bodily Exercises with infinite Gracefulness, and incomparable Dexterity. He takes pleasure sometimes in driving his own Coaches, and I have seen him drive eight Horses without a Postilion, and manage them with as much Ease as if there was but one Horse in the Harness. He is a Prince that loves Magnificence, is generous, gallant, and amorous. Tho' 'tis above twenty Years that he has kept one and the same Mistress, he is as passionately fond of her, and gives as shining Proofs of it as ever. During the last War his most Serene Highness commanded the army of the Empire on the Upper Rhine. He has
an only Son marry'd to Henrietta of Prussia, Daughter of the Margrave Philip, Brother to Frederic I. King of Prussia. This young Prince is called the hereditary Prince. He is short of Stature, but handsome. He has one of the best Tempers that can be desir'd in a Sovereign, being humane, good-natur'd, affable, and civil. It may be said that the Father and the Son are the two politest Men at the Court of Wirtemberg. The Father has spent several Years in Holland, Lorrain, Geneva, Turin, Italy and France. When he return'd from his Travels he went and marry'd at Berlin. He has an only Daughter who is very amiable. The hereditary Prince is vastly fond of Grandeur, Dancing, Plays and Music: He fatigues himself very much, and commonly rides seven or eight Horses in a Morning. His tender Constitution and the little Care he takes of it make me apprehensive he will not live to be an old Man[119].
The hereditary Princess has an Air of Grandeur and Majesty suitable to her Rank. She is tall and handsome, has a noble Mien, and tho' she is not a regular Beauty, 'tis certain that she has a very good Look. She is extremely grave, and does not seem to take a great share in the Pleasures of the Court. She seems to be most of all taken with Dress, and her Apparel is not only splendid but well-fancy'd. Her Royal Highness, which is a Title given her because she is the Daughter of a King's Brother, is extremely gracious and civil to all Mankind, but particularly to those whom she knew at the Court of Prussia. She does me the honour to discourse with me sometimes. I find she thinks very justly, and that her Sentiments are very agreeable to her Birth. This Princess is of the Calvinist Religion, and she keeps a Chaplain who preaches to her in her own Apartment; so that now while the Prince
Alexander de Wirtemberg is here, there are three Chapels in the Castles of as many different Religions.
The Countess de Wurben is the first Lady at Court next to her Royal Highness. She has been the Duke's sole Favourite for a long time. She is Gravenitz by Name, and is descended of a noble Family in Mecklembourg. The Duke first fell in love with her when she was but a Girl. She had the Assurance after she had been some Years in Favour to insist that the Duke should get a Divorce from the Duchess his Wife, by whom he had a Son, and marry her. When the Duchess was inform'd of her Rival's Demand she sued for the Emperor's Protection, and obtain'd it. That Monarch signified to the Duke that he would do well to remove his Favourite, who was therefore oblig'd to retire to Swisserland. The Duke who could not bear her out of his sight, followed her thither and stay'd there with her for some time, but at last being oblig'd to return to his Dominions, and not being able to take Madamoiselle de Gravenitz to him without reviving the just Suspicions of the Duchess, he look'd out for a Husband for his Mistress. The Count de Wurben a Gentleman of a good Family, and in mean Circumstances, but a very eager Stickler for the Favours of Fortune at any rate whatsoever, made an offer to marry Madamoiselle de Gravenitz. She was bestowed upon him with a Pension of 24000 Florins, and the Character of the Duke's Envoy Extraordinary to the Imperial Court. He engag'd never to make use of the Husband's Prerogative and never to require of his Wife to leave the Court. Upon this Condition he obtain'd even before he set out for Vienna the Office of Landthoffmeister or Lord Lieutenant of Wirtemberg, which is the highest Dignity in the Country. When the Marriage was concluded, Madam de Wurben returned to Stutgard, where she