knows no Gallantry, and does not easily pardon it in his Officers. He is so true to his Consort the Queen, that he wishes all Men would follow his Example, and that every Husband would live only with the Woman whom God has allotted him. His Diversion is Hunting; and for this reason, he resides commonly at Potzdam or Wusterhausen, which are Pleasure-Houses four Miles from Berlin. Yet he generally goes on Saturdays into his Capital, where he holds a Council on Sunday, and returns on Monday. In the Winter he makes a longer stay at Berlin: but let him be either here or there, he is on the Parade every Day at ten o'clock, when his Soldiers mount the Guard; after which he gives Audience to his Ministers, and holds a Council, or goes abroad for the Air. At Noon the King appears in a great Saloon, where are all the Generals and Officers, the Foreign Ministers, and all the Court in general: There he converses a few Moments, and then goes into another Room, where he dines with the Queen, the Princes and Princesses of his Family, and any other Persons whom he has caused to be invited. His Table is commonly spread for eighteen Guests. After he has sate about an Hour and half at Table, he retires to his Closet till six at Night, when he appears again in the Room where he held his Levee: There his Majesty gives Orders to the Marshal Wartensleben Governor of Berlin, and to the Marshal Natzmer Commandant of the Gendarmery. After this, he talks a while with those that are present, and then passes into a Room at some distance from his Apartment, to which the Queen repairs sometimes with one or two Ladies in company. There are ten or a dozen Officers whom the King honours with his Confidence, who play here at Picquet, Ombre, and Backgammon. Here they also smoak, and to this Place the King sends for such as he has a mind to
talk with about special Affairs. I have been there twice upon such an account. Here there is no manner of Restraint, but every body sits down, the King dispensing with all the Respect that is due to him, and at eleven o'clock he dismisses the Company and retires.
The King hunts when he is at Potzdam and Wusterhausen; but in other respects he leads the same Life there as he does at Berlin. At Potzdam he hunts the Stag, having for that end caused a great Forest to be paled in, where he has made noble Roads.
The Castle at Potzdam, which is very convenient, was built by the Elector Frederic-William, who commonly resided at it; and after having run his glorious Race, died here the 29th of April, 1688. King Frederic I. made considerable Embellishments to it, particularly the great Gate opening into the main Court of the Castle, which is an admirable Piece of Architecture that was design'd by M. Bot, my Hero for Buildings. But all that the late King did, does not come up to the Works that have been added to it of late Years. The Town of Potzdam has been augmented two Thirds; the Streets are as strait as a Line, with Trees planted, and Canals cut in them after the manner of Holland; the Houses are uniform and built with Bricks. Besides a great Hospital, which the King has founded here for his Soldiers' Orphans, here is a considerable Fabric for Armourers, who make all those Arms for the Forces and Arsenals, which were formerly made at Liege.
This Town is the Garrison for the first Battalion of those Tall Grenadiers, so much talk'd of in Europe. I protest to you that they exceed the common Report, being the compleatest, the finest, and best-disciplin'd Body that can be imagin'd. The Men are of all Nations, there being scarce a Prince in Europe but takes a pleasure in sending Recruits
to it. Some of these Grenadiers have had 1500 Crowns List-Money; and several receive two Florins per diem: Some of them are very rich; others there are who trade, and have good Houses at Potzdam. The tallest and the best Man among them all was one call'd Jonas, (lately dead) who work'd heretofore in the Mines of Norway. The famous Huguetan, whom Frederic IV. King of Denmark created Count de Guldenstein, took him from the Mines, and presented him to the King. He then stoop'd in the Shoulders, and hobbled in walking; but by tricking him up, they gave him that good Air which he wanted.
'Tis certain, there are no Troops in the World where the Peasant sooner shakes off the clownish Air, and more easily assumes the military one. This gigantic Regiment has requir'd great Pains, and considerable Sums to establish it; and I am assured it has cost the King more than six other Regiments. But 'tis all his Majesty takes delight in; and surely this Prince cannot but be commended for giving into a Pleasure so noble, and so innocent.
Having given you some Account of Potzdam, I must also mention Charlottenbourg, another Royal House, a Mile from Berlin. This Castle stands on the Spree, so that one may go to it by Water: but the common Way is thro' the Park which is at the end of the great Walk from the new Town.
In the late King's time, whenever he was at Charlottenbourg, all the Road from Berlin to this Palace was lighted by Lanthorns erected on both sides.
Charlottenbourg was formerly call'd Lutzenbourg. It was a small Village belonging to M. Doberginsky, Steward of the Houshold to the Queen, (the King's Mother.) He had built a trifling House there, and that Queen taking the Air there one day, lik'd the Situation of the Place so well, that she bought it, and set about building there; but she died before all the