had Lodgings in the Palace. All her Aim was to insult the Duchess, in hopes of provoking her to commit something so outragious as might embroil her with the Duke, and make him resolve never to forgive her; but this Princess equally virtuous and prudent, and always patient, bore all this Mortification without murmuring. The Mistress, who could not endure to see her in the Palace, obtain'd an Order from the Duke for her Retirement to the Estate which was settled on her for her Jointure; but the Duchess would never comply to it, saying, that if she had not been unfortunate enough in the Loss of her Husband she would not retire to her Jointure. This Refusal, how reasonable soever it was, affronted the Duke, who acquainted the Duchess that he did not look upon her any longer as his Wife, and gave orders that she should be treated no longer as a Sovereign. During this, Madam de Wurben became a Widow; whereupon all the Hopes reviv'd that she had presumed to entertain when a Maid. She persuaded the Duke to leave Stutgard, and to found Ludwigsbourg. As soon as this House was in a Condition to be occupy'd, the Duke and his Mistress came and liv'd in it. There's no sort of Intrigue which this Favourite has not try'd to put herself in the Duchess's Rank, but hitherto she has not been able to succeed. Mean-while she enjoys all the Honours of a Sovereign. 'Tis at her Apartments that the Court is kept. Whenever the Duke plays 'tis there, and there it is he diets. In short she is treated in every thing upon a par with her Royal Highness. Her Excellency (which is the only Title given to this imperious Favourite since the Death of her Husband) is drawing on to fifty Years of Age, and yet carries a mighty Sway. She employs all the Remedies imaginable to cancel the Injuries which Time has done to her Complexion, and also to conceal her natural Temper; for Artifice
and Dissimulation are the Compounds of her Character. She is so eager in amassing of Riches that she makes it her chief Business. While she pretends a mighty Respect for the Duke, she expects like another Astarte that every Knee should bend and tremble before her. As she is the Reservoir of Favour, greater Court is made to her than to the Duke himself, and Woe be to those that dare to disoblige her! I must own however that she knows how to behave as well as any Woman in Germany, when she has a mind to shew her Politeness. The worst on't is, that she is not always so inclin'd; for she has been so long us'd to give herself great Airs that they are become habitual to her. The principal Offices of the Court are distributed among her Kindred or Creatures. Her Brother the Count de Gravenitz is Grand Marshal and Prime Minister. I hardly ever saw a handsomer Man: I must also do him the justice to declare that he is as civil as his Sister is haughty. Some Years ago the Duke obtain'd for him the Dignity of a Count of the Empire, in which Quality he was admitted also at the Dyet, and he has a Seat there on the Bench of the Counts of Swabia. His Authority is never oppos'd but by his Sister, to whom he will not always be obedient. 'Tis said their Divisions have sometimes gone so far that the Favourite has done all in her power to turn out her Brother, and he has try'd all Ways in his turn to remove his Sister, but the Duke has always been so good as to reconcile them. The Prime Minister and his eldest Son are honour'd with the Order of Prussia. There is no Court in Europe where there's such a Variety of Orders and Ribbons. The Duke bears alternatively the Danish Order of the Elephant, the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle, and his own Order which is that of St. Hubert.
The Hereditary Prince has the Order of Prussia and that of the Duke his Father.
The Prince Charles-Alexander wears the Fleece, and the Order of Wirtemberg[120]. Prince Lewis his Brother wears the Polish Order of the White Eagle.
The Baron de Schunck heretofore the Duke's Minister of State, and at present Great Bailiff of a Bailywic, is Knight of the Order of Dannebrog.
I should never have done were I to give you the Names of all the Knights of the Order of St. Hubert, and the many petty Sovereigns that have been the Grand Masters.
The Duke's particular or Cabinet-Council is compos'd of the Hereditary Prince and the Counts de Gravenitz, Father and Son, the Baron de Schutz, and M. de Pollnitz[121]. There are many other Counsellors of State, but not being admitted to the Cabinet-Council they are not in so much Esteem as the others.
His most Serene Highness keeps the Estimate of his Forces to himself. I think that he has now 4000 Men without reckoning his Life-Guards, which are two Companies, the finest of all the Guards in Germany. One of these Companies is commanded by the Lieutenant-General Baron de Phul, and the other by a Count of Witgenstein. They are dress'd in yellow, and are only distinguish'd by the Facing of their Clothes and their Bandeliers,
one of which is Black and the other Red. Their Regimental Clothes are Yellow with Silver Lace. The Duke has also a Company of Cadets on Horseback, all Gentlemen. They are dress'd in Red, with black Velvet Facings and Silver Lace. They mount Guard at the Duke's Apartment only. Two of them always stand Centry before his Highness's Chamber-Door.