The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume I / Being the Observations He Made in His Late Travels from Prussia thro' Germany, Italy, France, Flanders, Holland, England, &C. in Letters to His Friend. Discovering Not Only the Present State of the Chief Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts.

by Freiherr von Karl Ludwig Pöllnitz

[70] In October 1736, he return'd to Dresden.

[71] The Duke of Mersebourg died in 1731, and was succeeded by his Uncle, the Duke de Sprinberg.

[72] This Prince died in 1732.

[73] The chief Trade of this Town is in Woad, of which they have three sorts. The first they sow about Christmas, the next in the Spring, Summer, and Harvest, of which they have three Crops, and the third grows wild. This Herb is such a sovereign Balsamic, that it cures Wounds almost with a touch, if taken in time. It resembles Plantain, but has a longer Leaf. The Roots fatten and improve barren Ground exceedingly, and being brought over to England, with Clover, Cinque-Foil, &c. grows with good Success in Northamptonshire, and other Places. In the Duke's Palace there is a Chamber of valuable Rarities, and a noble Library, of which the late Duke caus'd a Catalogue to be publish'd of the MSS. that the Learned might know where to have recourse to them. The Person he imployed to form it, was Dr. Cyprianus Ecclesiastical Counsellor and Assessor in the Consistory of Gotha. They are for the most part the MSS. of Ecclesiastical Authors, Ancient and Modern, especially the latter. There is a great Number of Papers and Letters in the Latin and German Languages, concerning Luther's Reformation, and several MSS. of the vulgar Translation of the Bible. There is a correcter Copy than that at Leipsic, of the Works of Lactantius; another of St. Austin's Treatise of the City of God, which belonged to Willigise Archbishop of Mentz, about the year 1000; another of the ancient Capitularies of the Kings of France, with the Salic Laws, and the Laws of the Lombards, Almains, &c. There are thirty one MS. Volumes containing the Abridgments of the Lives of the Emperors of the West, and of the East, their Pictures and Medals, and those of their Families, the whole collected in 1550, by James de Strada of Mantua. The Medals are very well design'd, and Occo the famous Antiquary affirms in a Letter quoted by M. Patin, that every Figure on them cost a Crown the engraving. There is a particular MS. which contains a Collection of Tracts by certain Greek Chymists concerning the desirable Art of making Gold. For the rest the Curious are referred to the Catalogue it self.

[74] This Prince, who was Frederic II. died in 1732, March 12.

[75] He had ten Sons and six Daughters by her. The Hereditary Prince who succeeds him is Frederic III. born April 4, 1699. He has a Brother named William born March 12, 1701, and some time an Officer in the Dutch Service.

[76] She was born August 10, 1710.

[77] Since these Letters were written the Face of the Court of Gotha is very much altered. The Duke therein mentioned is dead. The Hereditary Prince Frederic has succeeded him, and his Mother the Duchess Dowager retired to Altenbourg, with the Princesses her Daughters, who are Frederica born July 6, 1715, O. S. and Augusta born Nov. 18, 1719, and married April 27, 1736, to his Royal Highness Frederic Prince of Wales. The Duke's Brothers, who are William, John-Augustus, Christian-William, Lewis-Ernest, Maurice and John-Adolphus, are gone into the Service of the Emperor, the King of Poland, and the Prince of Hesse-Cassel. As to the Government, the Duke treads in the very Steps of his late Father. M. Backover is his Chancellor, and the First Man in his Council. M. de Hering, formerly in the service of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar, is Vice-Chancellor. The Count de Ronaw is now Envoy at the Dyet of Ratisbon, M. de Damnitz, heretofore in the Service of the Prince de Rudelstad, is Grand Marshal; and seems to have a Share in the new Duke's Confidence. This Gentleman is also a Major-General, and the Camp seems to be a fitter Element for him than the Court.—The Office of Master of the Horse is not yet fill'd up. M. de Wurm, a Person of Quality and Merit, was in possession of that Office in the late Duke's time, but he lately resigned it of his own accord. M. de Stotterheim, is to be appointed Great Cup-Bearer, who is as yet, I think, in the Service of some Foreign Prince.

[78] John William Duke of Saxe-Eysenach, died at sixty-one Years of Age, soon after having married to his fourth Wife Mary Christina Felicite Countess of Linange, the Widow of Christian Margrave of Baden-Dourlach.

[79] Ann Sophia Charlotte of Prussia Daughter of the late Margrave Albert, and Wife to William Henry the present Duke of Saxe-Eysenach.