The manner of living in this City is different from that of all the Hanse Towns. Here is a tolerable Opera all the Year round[20]; charming Walks, choice Company, much Visiting and hearty Cheer. There are several good Houses of the Nobility, where Foreigners are well receiv'd. The Merchants are affable and civil; most of them in their youth travel to the most remarkable Countries of Europe, where they then pass for Gentlemen of Holstein. As they are rich, they can easily afford to make a good Appearance where-ever they come. There they learn that polite Air, and that Behaviour which one would wish to see in all Gentlemen of good Families. The only thing for which I find fault with them, is, that they treat their Wives too much like the Levant People, where the Women are only suffer'd to go to the Mosques; so here, the Women scarce go any where but to Church, or if they at any time take the Air, 'tis in company with
their Husbands: and a Foreigner is so seldom admitted to their Assemblies, that when he is, those poor Women are as much astonish'd at the sight of him, as a Sultana would be to see a Capuchin enter the Seraglio.
There's a great many worthy People here. I have made an Acquaintance with M. de Brocks, one of the Magistrates, who has acquir'd a Reputation for his Skill in Poetry, by such Compositions as cannot but convince Foreigners, who understand the High-Dutch, that as good things may be said in that Language, as in any other[21]. This M. de Brocks is of an amiable Character, civil, and complaisant, and has acquir'd the Love and Esteem of all that know him.
Most of the European Princes have Residents here, for which reason here are several Chappels of the Roman Catholicks, who otherwise would be obliged to go to the Church at Altena, as the Calvinists are forc'd to do, the Lutheran being the Religion that is uppermost at Hamburgh; but the Jews have their Synagogues here. What an odd Establishment is this in a Christian Country![22] how uncharitable, and even nonsensical! and how must it make the Turks laugh! We grant Synagogues to the Jews, the Enemies of Jesus Christ, who would crucify him again, if they had not done it already; and we refuse Churches and Temples
to those that believe as we do in Jesus Christ! No, were you to call me Heretic a thousand times, I would say, Holland for ever! where 'tis a Maxim, to leave every Man to his Conscience; and where they think it would be a Contradiction to admit People to be their Fellow-Citizens, and to deny them the Liberty of worshipping God in their own way.
The Emperor's Minister, who has the Title of His Imperial Majesty's Plenipotentiary to the Circle of Lower Saxony, commonly resides at Hamburgh. The last Gentleman that had this Employment was the Count de Metsch[23]; and since his being made Vice-President of the Emperor's Aulic Council, it has not been fill'd up[24].
The Populace of Hamburgh, just such another ungovernable Herd as the Amsterdam Mobs, having taken it into their heads some years ago, out of a mad sort of Zeal for Religion, to plunder the House and Chapel of the Emperor's Resident; the City in order to make Satisfaction for the Insult, was condemned to build a House which was to be the Residence of the Emperor's Minister always for the future. For this end, the City bought the Palace of the late Baron de Gortz, a Man of great Fame in the History of Charles XII. King of Sweden; and whose Fortune and Catastrophe are worthy your notice.
Henry Baron de Gortz was born of an independent Family in Franconia, which is a Province that abounds with Nobility of Distinction. He enter'd young into the Service of the Duke of Holstein-Schleswic, and rose to be his Minister. He was a Man generous,
noble, and magnificent, even to Profusion; vigilant, full of Projects and Stratagems; a Man whom nothing could surprize, nothing dissuade from a Design that he had once form'd; whose Ambition was boundless, and who always aim'd to do something to be talk'd of. In the North there was no Intrigue in which he had not a hand, and into which he did not likewise draw his Master, whom he push'd upon Enterprizes so far above his Power to execute, that he thereby lost his Dominions. The Baron de Gortz thought Holstein too narrow a Sphere for him to move in, and therefore he attach'd himself to Charles XII. King of Sweden, after that Prince return'd from his long Stay at Bender. Charles was just such a Master as the Baron wanted, and he just such a Minister as was necessary for the King of Sweden; nor was there ever in the World a greater Sympathy between two Men. Gortz was born to form great Designs, Charles to put them in execution; and the constant Design of both was only to throw Europe into a Ferment.
The Baron, besides other happy Gifts of Nature, had the Talent of insinuating and pleasing. He soon got an Ascendant over Charles, to such a degree that tho' this Prince was never to be advis'd by his Ministers, yet the Baron's Opinion was a Law to him. Gortz frighten'd Europe, and made Sweden tremble; being as much fear'd and dreaded there as the King himself. The Swedes were uneasy to see so great a Share of Authority vested in a Foreigner; and therefore form'd Parties and Cabals to strip him of it; but they durst not discover their Designs. The Minister knew all the while they envy'd him, but was in no manner of Concern about it; for being sure of the Favour of the King, he despised the Hatred,