Prince Royal[7]. This young Prince is handsome, charms every one by his Kindness and Good-Nature; and loves Reading, Musick, the Arts, and Magnificence: His Sentiments, his Behaviour, and his Actions, make it probable, that if he comes to the Crown, his Reign will be one of those mild and peaceable Reigns, which procure Kings that Love of their People, wherein consists their true Glory. The Care of the Prince Royal's Education was committed first of all to Madam de Camke, one of the Queen's Ladies of Honour, and Governess of the Children of Prussia. But this Lady left the Charge of the latter to the Sub-Governess, Madam de Rocoule, and her Daughter Madamoiselle de Montbail. Madam de Rocoule had also the honour to be Sub-Governess to the King; so that she was no Novice in the forming of young Princes. As she talks nothing but French, she has taught it to the King's Children; who speak it with as much ease as they do the German Language. At seven Years of Age the Prince Royal was taken out of the Hands of the Women; and the Count de Finck of Finckenstein, Lieutenant-General of the King's Forces, a Knight of his Order, and Colonel of a Regiment of Horse, was appointed his Royal Highness's Governour; and the Baron de Kalestein was made Sub-Governour. The King's Choice of both these Gentlemen was universally applauded.
The eldest of the King's Children is Frederica-Sophia-Wilhelmina, the Princess Royal; who was born in 1709. I was at Berlin at the Ceremony of her Baptism, which was performed in the Chapel of the Castle, in presence of Frederic IV. King of
Denmark, Frederic-Augustus King of Poland, and Frederic I. King of Prussia. The Birth of this Princess, and the Circumstances of three Kings and a Queen attending at her Baptism, gave occasion to a great many Copies of Verses. All the Poets said that the Presence of these three Kings, was a Sign that she wou'd one day have Possession of three Crowns. They had then in view the Crowns of Great Britain, that were to devolve to the Family of Hanover; in which there was a young Prince[8], who, it was then imagin'd, was to be in time the Husband of this Princess. Whether this Match will ever take place, and whether the Princess will be Queen, I can't say; but if she is not, Fortune will not do Justice to her Merit.
The Princess Frederica-Louisa, the King's second Daughter, is lately married to the Margrave of Brandenburgh Anspach. 'Tis said that his Majesty's third Daughter, the Princess Philippina-Charlotte, is promised to[9]Charles, hereditary Prince of Brunswic-Bevern, Nephew to the Empress Regent.
The other Princes and Princesses, the King's Children[10], are as yet too young to furnish any Particulars for their Character. In a word, put them all together, they form a very fine Family.
The Margravine, Dowager of the Margrave
Philip, Brother to the late King, is the first in Rank at Court, next to the King's Children: She was born Princess of Anhalt-Dessau. Her Royal Highness was lately chose Abbess of Herford, a sovereign Abby in Westphalia, (in a Town belonging to the King of Prussia, as part of the Principality of Ravensberg;) whose Canonesses must be all Princesses, or Countesses of the Empire. This Princess, tho' she is past her Bloom, is still the Ornament of the Court; and no Person can be more civil than she is to Foreigners; so that 'tis as much a Pleasure as a Duty to pay one's Court to her. When the King is at Berlin, and the Queen has no Drawing-Room, the whole Court repairs to the Margravine's House, where her Royal Highness daily keeps an elegant Table; to which she admits the Quality of both Sexes. She is the Mother of two Princes and a Princess; the Sons are the Margraves Frederic and Henry, and the Daughter is married to the hereditary Prince of Wirtemberg. The young Margrave Frederic resides at Schwedt upon the Oder, where he has a very fine House; but does not come to Court but when he can't avoid it. The young Margrave Henry resides commonly at Berlin. Both these Princes are handsome, lusty, and well shap'd.
The Margrave Albert, the King's Uncle[11], lives in his Majesty's Palace, tho' he is eight Months of the Year at Frederichsfelde, a Pleasure-House about a League from Berlin. He is the second Son of the Elector Frederic-William, and Dorothy of Holstein
Glucksburg: He is well shap'd, has a noble Air, and has been in his time a very good Dancer: He is fond of Grandeur and Pleasures. At the beginning of the last War he distinguished himself very much at the Siege of Keyserswaert, and other Places, where he commanded the Troops of the King his Brother. His Royal Highness is Governor of Pomerania, Knight of the Black Eagle, and Colonel of a Regiment of Foot, and of another of Horse, in the King's Service: He has also a Regiment of Foot in the Service of the United Provinces; and is Grand Master of the six Commanderies of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, who, at the Alteration of Religion in the time of Luther, withdrew from the Grand Master of Malta, and assum'd to themselves a Right of chusing a Grand Master under the Protection of the Elector of Brandenburgh. The Margrave marry'd a Princess of Courland, Heiress to the Freeholds of her Uncle Duke Ferdinand, the last of her Family. This Princess, tho' not reckon'd a Beauty of the first Rate, has a great Share of Charms and Good-nature, Modesty and Politeness. Their Royal Highnesses are perfectly civil to those who have Access to them; which is the reason, that notwithstanding the little Concern they have in Business, they have always a numerous Court. They have three Princes, and two Princesses. The eldest of the Sons is Charles, a Prince whose Person and Character are very amiable. The eldest of the Daughters is married to the Duke of Saxe-Eysenach.
The last Prince of the Royal Family, is the Margrave Christian-Lewis, third Son of the Elector Frederic-William by the second Marriage. This Prince is Governour of the City and County of Halberstadt; he has a Regiment of Foot, is Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, and Commander of that of St. John. He studied at Leyden; after which, he