As to the Margrave's Revenues, I cannot be positive what they are, because I found that People who ought to know best, vary in their Calculations not a little; some assur'd me they were 400,000, some 500,000 Florins, and others much more. Be it as it will, 'tis certain that the Margrave lives nobly, that every body is well paid, and that the Subjects are not over-burthen'd. Farewell, Sir, I set out to-morrow for Rastadt, and shall write to you as soon as I can, &c.
LETTER XVIII.
SIR,Strasbourg, Feb. 28, 1730.
It took me up no more than four Hours to go from Carlsrouhe to Rastadt. As soon as I alighted there I notified my Arrival to the Grand Marshal, with a Request that he wou'd procure me the Honour of paying my Compliments to their Highnesses of Baden-Baden. I had for answer, that the Margrave was out a Hunting, and that therefore I cou'd not have an Audience before next day. I had patience to stay; and having by Good luck some Books at hand, I spent all that day in Reading, and the next day too, but did not hear a Word from the Grand Marshal. Mean time as I did not come to Rastadt purely to read, and as 'tis a Town does not afford much Amusement, since a quarter of an hour is enough to know all the Streets, I was very chagrin. I sent a second Message to the Grand Marshal, but had the same Answer as before. I thought it improper to insist any farther, and gave over all hopes of seeing the Court of Rastadt. However I went to see the Margrave's Palace, which his Father the late Prince Lewis of Baden built from the ground. It is very much like to the Palace of St. Cloud near Paris, and seems to be a Building conducted with more Regularity than I observ'd in several new Houses in Germany left solely to the Direction of ignorant Masons, who without a Taste for Building have the Assurance to call themselves Architects.
The principal Stair-Case is large and lightsome. The Apartments have all the Conveniences they can admit of. Those which are contiguous to the grand Stair-Case are distributed into several Partitions, for Shew and for Convenience. They are painted, gilt, and gaily furnish'd. The Margravine Dowager to Prince Lewis put them in this Condition against the Marriage of her Daughter to the Duke of Orleans; and the Furniture is indeed rich and well fancy'd. The Keeper shewed me the Closet in which Prince Eugene of Savoy and Marshal Villars sign'd the Peace in 1714. 'Tis pity that this truly magnificent Palace has no Gardens to it. There's Ground mark'd out for that purpose, and if Prince Lewis had liv'd they wou'd have been finish'd.
After having seen the Apartments and the Chapel, which is small, but exceedingly adorn'd, not knowing what to do with myself I went to a Billiard-Table fronting the Palace, where I found some Gentlemen of the Court as idle as myself. They treated me as a Foreigner, and were complaisant to me. A young Fellow of a good Appearance, and who seem'd to have an Air of Politeness, having refus'd as well as myself to play, enter'd into a Conversation with me: And by degrees that Sympathy of our Tempers, which was a Stranger to the Laws of Reason, made us talk to one another with as much Freedom as if we had been old Acquaintance. I complain'd to him that tho' I had been three days at Rastadt I cou'd not get an Opportunity of paying my Duty to their Highnesses of Baden. He told me that I need not be surpriz'd at it; that since the Death of the late Prince Lewis, the Margravine his Dowager, who was hereditary Princess of Saxe-Lawenbourg, had introduc'd into her Court the Ceremonial of the Eastern Princes; that she never appear'd but in a full Divan,