As to Persons of great Distinction at Frankfort, they are very few. The Chief are the Princess-Dowager of Nassau-Ousingen, born Princess of Lovestein; the Count de Degenfeldt (Schomberg)[144] Major-General of the King of Prussia's Forces, and a Commander of the Order of the Black Eagle; and finally, Madame la Raugrave[145] Daughter of Charles-Lewis Elector Palatine: She is the last of the Blood of the Protestant Palatine Princes. The Senate of Frankfort, in consideration of her great Age, and in respect to her Birth, has granted her the Liberty of keeping a Calvinist Chaplain to preach in her own House. Sometimes the Prince de la Tour and Taxis[146] Hereditary Post-Master of the Empire resides at Frankfort. His House is a great Relief to Foreigners. His Princess[147] is a Lady of very great Merit, and has the Soul and Sentiments of a Queen. In the Houses of the Persons that I have mention'd there's an Assembly of both Sexes every Evening; but take them one with another they are very thin except at the Fairs, when there's a vast Resort of Nobility and Gentry. Most of the Electors and Princes of the Empire have their Agents at Frankfort, to whom they give the Title of Residents; but those Gentlemen are not a jot the more respected for it, most of them being Merchants of the City of Frankfort it self, who sollicit the Title in order to be exempt from the Authority of the Senate, and from the Payment of the Customs, and to qualify themselves
to place over their Doors the Arms of the Princes to whom they send the News-papers.
The Count de Degenfeldt makes such a Figure here that he deserves a more particular mention. He is a Nobleman of good Extraction. He is a Native of the Palatinate, and spent his Youth in the Service of the Elector Palatine. He was at that Time a Calvinist, but turn'd Catholic. Some Years after, he was reconcil'd to his former Communion, and married in England a Cousin of his, the Daughter of the Duke de Schomberg, with whom he had a very great Estate. He has also a considerable Expectancy from Madame la Raugrave a Palatine, his Aunt[148]. The Relation of M. de Degenfeldt to this Lady, brings to my Mind the History of the Mother of Madame la Raugrave, who as I have observ'd was a Degenfeldt. I have chose to give it you from what was told me by the late Madame of France, and from very good Memoirs that have been put into my hands. I have plac'd this History as a Transaction in the Time of the ancient Germans; and as I design'd to insert it in a Work which I have undertaken, for want of something else to employ my Time, I chuse to do it by way of a Discourse from Madame the late Electress of Hanover to her Daughter-in-law. I herewith send you the entire History, and at the End of it you will find the Key. As I fancy you are quite disengag'd in the Country, I don't apprehend that the reading of it will be Loss of your Time. I rather fear you won't like it; but in either case 'twill be your own Fault; I don't force you to read; you may if you please let Gertrude alone.
History of GERTRUDE a Marcoman Lady.
The History of Gertrude, of which I propose to give you, my Princess, a Relation, is properly the History of the Extinction of my Family; for the fatal Passion of my Brother King Malcolm for that Lady, is in all appearance the Reason that there are no more left in my Family than three Princesses[149], and my self.
There was such a Harmony in Sentiments betwixt my Brother and me, that it united us in the strictest Friendship. We had been brought up together in Belgium[150], where the King my Father had been oblig'd to take refuge, that he might be nearer at hand to receive Succours from Alfred King of Albion, Father of the Queen my Mother, against the Romans, who after a long and bloody War had turn'd him out of his Dominions. That King amus'd him a long while with fair Promises; but the Misunderstanding which there was at that time between him and the States of his Kingdom, added to a certain Indolence in his natural Temper, hinder'd him from seeing the Effect of them; and the King my Father did not live long enough to be witness of the Peace which the Romans were at length oblig'd by his Allies to conclude. This was not an advantageous Peace for Malcolm my Brother, because in order to obtain it he was oblig'd to yield a part of his Dominions to the Prince of the[151]Boyens, an Ally of the Romans, and upon these Terms he was left in quiet possession of the rest.
When my Brother saw himself establish'd on the Throne, he thought of marrying. His Ministers propos'd the Princess of the Catti as the fittest Match for him, and assur'd him that besides her illustrious Extraction he could not marry a more beautiful Princess, or one of a better Temper. My Brother who only alter'd his Condition for Reasons of State, was willing enough to follow their Advice, and accordingly espous'd her. The Marriage at first prov'd very happy; the Queen his Wife had her share of Beauty, and tho' her Temper was very different from what it had been represented to my Brother, yet she so cunningly disguis'd it for some time that this Prince thought himself very happy in his Choice. But their Agreement was of a short Duration; the Queen's true Humour soon discover'd it self: It appear'd that she was ill-natur'd, and intolerably high-spirited; of an odd sullen Temper, always ready to contradict, and frequently subject to Chagrin, of which she herself knew not the Cause, and which she vented upon all that approach'd her without distinction. The King my Brother was of a Temper quite the reverse: He lov'd Diversions, was civil, affable, naturally gay, beneficent; and I don't speak it out of Partiality in favour of a Brother whose Memory is still dear to me, but I'll be bold to say, that if he had not been quite so choleric, he would have been the most accomplish'd Prince of his Time. Nevertheless he bore with his Wife's ill Humours very patiently at first, and endeavour'd to reclaim her by gentle Usage; but when he saw that all the Pains he took were to no purpose, he resolv'd at length to seek out some other Amusement.
The Beauty of Gertrude, Maid of Honour to the Queen his Wife, had for a long time smitten him, but hitherto he had only discover'd his Passion to her by his Glances, for fear of disgusting the Queen.
Gertrude who perceiv'd that my Brother did not look upon her with Indifference, affected to shun every Opportunity that Prince might take of revealing his Love to her. But Fortune favour'd my Brother, who being one day with his Queen in her Apartment, when the Discourse fell upon Jewels, perceiv'd that the Princess had left off wearing a certain Bracelet of which he had made her a Present, and asking her what she had done with it, the Queen told him that she believ'd she had laid it up in a Casket of which she had the Key in her Pocket. She made one of her Maids fetch it, and open'd it, but the Bracelet was not there, at which she seem'd uneasy. This my Brother observ'd, and taking a Pleasure in making her more uneasy, he said to her, tho' in a manner that shew'd he did not think as he spoke, that she had undoubtedly some Gallant in a Corner, to whom she had either given that Bracelet, or who had stole it from her. These Words, tho' deliver'd in jest, made a deep Impression upon the Queen, and as it was her Nature soon to take fire, she was stung to the quick at what he had said, and forgetting the Respect she ow'd to the King her Husband, was in such a Passion with him that she let fall some Words that were very affronting. My Brother who was naturally mettlesome and fiery, and far from expecting any such Treatment, made her answer, that if she continued to forget herself after that manner, he would find ways and means to humble her. Upon this he went out of the Room abruptly, and passing through the Antichamber, met the fair Gertrude. Such was his Disgust that instead of being upon the reserve as he had been, he had a long Conversation with her, and found her so sprightly and good-natur'd that he was compleatly charm'd with her. He declar'd his Love to her, and she was so artful that