to see his Funeral pass by, cou'd not refrain Tears; which undoubtedly was the greatest Character that he cou'd give of his Minister.
Next to the Count de Wartemberg's Tomb, is that of Henrietta de Pollnitz, Wife to Francis Count de Duhamel, the Venetians Generalissimo. Her Husband dying in the Morea, this Lady return'd to Venice, proposing to go and end her Days at Berlin, where she was born; but while she was performing her Quarantain she died, after desiring her Body to be carry'd to Berlin; which was accordingly done by two of her Nephews, and one of her Nieces, whom she made her Heirs. There is also the Tomb of the Count de Denhoff, Lieutenant-General of the King's Armies, Knight of his Order of the Black Eagle, Minister of State, Governour of Memel, and Ambassador at the Treaty of Utrecht, where he acquired a high Reputation among the foreign Ministers. The Marshal de Villars, who had known him at Vienna, when he the Marshal resided there in the quality of Minister, to take care of the Affairs of France, said to me one day, speaking of the Count de Denhoff, that the King of Prussia cou'd not do enough to reward the Count's great Merit. If he wou'd have been rul'd by me, added he, he wou'd have been in the Service of the King my Master.
The second Street that crosses the Street Royale, is the Jews Street, which runs into the Square Molcke-Marck; where the Hotel de Schwerin makes a fine Appearance. Within a few Houses lower down, there's a Manufactory of Gold and Silver Lace, which one Schindler has established with good success: This House belong'd to the Wife of M. de Wensen, Marshal of the Court to King Frederic I. but she resign'd it as part of Payment of a Fine, to which her Husband had been condemn'd by the Count de Wartemberg, then prime Minister;
who confin'd M. Wensen in Custrin Castle, because he had presum'd to represent to the King that the Table of the prime Minister, which was served by his Majesty's Cooks and Butlers, was more expensive than his Majesty's own Table. Wensen however, upon the Payment of this Fine, obtain'd his Liberty, and was banish'd to his Lands in the Dutchy of Zell.
In the middle of Molcke-Marck is the Statue of Frederic I. Father to the present King, with a Crown on his Head, and a royal Mantle on his Shoulders. The Statue was cast by order of Frederic I. himself, who intended to have it plac'd in the Court of the Arsenal; but dying before it cou'd be brought about, the King his Son caus'd it to be set up where it now stands, which is indeed a much better Place for it.
The Spandau Street, which is the third that crosses the Street Royale, contains the Town-House, and other fine Buildings: The Street St. Esprit is altogether as beautiful, as is the Kay, which fronts the Castle or Palace of the King. Upon this Kay we see the House of the Baron de Vernesobre, whose Ancestors being French Protestant Merchants, settled at Koningsberg in Prussia. He was in France at the time of the Mississippy Plague, which, tho' so fatal to others, prov'd so fortunate to him, that he gain'd several Millions of Livres, with which he came and set up at Berlin, where he has taken to building, having purchas'd the Estate of Hohensihn from Monsieur de Borstel, one of the best Gentlemen of the Country, procur'd himself the Title of Counsellor of State, and cuts a Figure now among Persons of Quality.
The Churches of St. Mary, St. Nicholas, and that belonging to the Garrison, are as magnificent as any of the Protestant Churches. St. Mary's has a beautiful Spire. When Frederic I. made his royal Entry here, at his return from his Coronation, a Man ascended to the Globe of this Spire, and saluted
the new King by flourishing a pair of Colours. The Church of the Garrison was founded by the late King, but was very much damag'd some Years ago by the blowing up of a Magazine of Gun-Powder in the Neighbourhood, just as they were removing it to a safer Place. King Frederic William has caus'd it to be rebuilt with more Magnificence than before. The Organs are very fine, and the Galleries very well contriv'd.
That Ward of Berlin which I have now run through, is separated from that of Coln or Cologne by the River Spree, over which there are four Bridges, whereof there is one of Stone, call'd the Pont-neuf. Frederic I. in imitation of the Pont-neuf at Paris, famous for the Statue of Henry IV. caused the Equestrian Statue of his Father, the Elector Frederic-William, to be erected upon this Bridge, with very great Pomp and Splendor; for no Prince in Germany strove more than he did to copy Lewis XIV. in Magnificence and every thing else. When this Statue was dedicated, the Count de Lottum, who was then Grand Marshal of the Court, accompanied by most of the Courtiers on horseback, and by the City Companies, assisted at the Ceremony, which was performed with an Apparatus, till then unknown in Germany upon the like Occasions; but had been practised at Paris, when the Statue of Lewis le Grand was erected in that City.
This entire Monument was design'd by one Jacobi, who after several Years Labour and constant Application to it, has brought it to its present State. This skilful Operator has represented the Elector in a Roman Dress, and in an heroic Stature; that is to say, above the natural Size. The Statue is placed on a magnificent Pedestal of white Marble. At the four Corners of the Base, are placed as many Slaves in Brass, who seem as if they were chain'd to it.