The Princess Mary-Josepha was born the 4th of November 1731. Heaven has been pleas'd to grant her a share of Beauty with all the Princes and Princesses her Brothers and Sisters.
I should make some mention of all the Princes and Princesses of the Blood, viz. all the most serene Dukes, Princes and Princesses of the Family of Saxony, particularly those who are deriv'd from the Albertine Branch, as descending with the King from the Elector John-George I. who form'd the four Branches, viz. the Electoral Branch, and those of Weissenfels, Mersbourg, and Zeits. But as this is only an Epitome of Augustus III's Court, I shall only take notice of those Princes who reside there; viz. John-Adolphus Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels, and the Princess Christina of Saxe-Weissenfels.
The Duke, who was born September 4, 1685, is of a good Stature. His Air, Behaviour, and way of thinking, denote his Birth; and never was Prince more worthy of being so. He is beneficent, generous; and all the Qualities which attract Love and Esteem are united in his Person. After having spent his early Days in the Service of Hesse-Cassel, he enter'd into that of the late King; and in the several Campaigns which he made in Germany, Italy, Flanders, and Poland, he always signaliz'd his Valour; and particularly not long ago, when he supported the Reputation of the King's Arms before Dantzic in a conspicuous manner. His Goodness, his Modesty, and his Care to distinguish true Merit, gain him the Love and Veneration both of the Officers and Soldiers. This Prince is actually a Lieutenant-General in the Emperor's Army, General of the Saxon Horse and Foot, Colonel of the Life-Guards, and of a Regiment of Foot, and Knight of the Order of the White Eagle. He
is the Widower of Caroline Princess of Saxe-Eysenach, and professes the Lutheran Religion.
The Princess Christina of Saxe-Weissenfels, who was born the 27th of July 1690, adheres to the Roman Catholic Doctrine, Prince Albert her Father being a Convert to that Communion. She is of a good Stature, has a grand Majestic Air, and her Behaviour is graceful and polite. Her most serene Highness receives all that draw near to her with Respect and Kindness, and demonstrates her high Birth only by discharging the Obligations of it. She is so firmly attach'd to the Queen by the Bands of Love and Virtue that she is caress'd and distinguish'd by her; and all the Court honours and respects her more out of Inclination than Duty.
You will not perhaps be sorry to know the Names, &c. of the late King's legitimated Natural Issue, who are rank'd immediately after the Princes of the Blood. They are four Sons and three Daughters, of whom I shall now give you an Account, and who were their Mothers.
1. Count Maurice of Saxony is the eldest of the late King's Natural Children, by Aurora Countess of Koningsmark, the most worthy of her Sex in Europe to be the Mistress of a great King; and of all the King's Favourite Ladies, she kept longest in his Favour, so that after her Retirement she acquitted her self so well that she continued in the possession of his Majesty's Esteem and Regard. She is still living, and after having been a Prioress of the Imperial Lutheran Abbey Quedlinbourg she rose to be the Abbess. The Count is a Lieutenant-General, and Colonel of a Regiment of Foot in France.
2. The next is the Count Rotofski or Rutowski, Lieutenant-General, and Colonel of the Crown-Guards, who owes his Birth to the King's tender Passion for Fatima a Turkish Lady who was taken Prisoner very
young, and fell to the share of M. Schoning, a Lieutenant-General in the Service of the Elector of Brandenbourg, who carried her to Berlin, and had her baptiz'd without altering her Name, tho' she afterwards went by that of Madame de Spiegel. Madamoiselle de Flemming, known by the Name of Brebentau, having married the Palatine of that Name, took a fancy to her, obtain'd her of M. de Schoning, and carried her with her into Poland, where from a Slave she became the King's Mistress, tho' Madame Brebentau did not perceive it till Fatima's Waist betray'd her. She had as much Wit as Beauty, and every body said she deserv'd her Fortune. Nevertheless, she did not enjoy it long; for Madame de Lubomirski, who was Wife to the Great Chamberlain of the Crown, stole away the King's Heart from her. The Count Rutowski is a Major-General of the King's Forces, Colonel of the Life-Guards, and of a Regiment of Foot, and Knight of the Order of the White Eagle. This Nobleman very much resembles the late King his Father, having his Strength, Dexterity, Valour and Politeness. He had his Education in France, and from thence went into the Service of Victor Amadeus the late King of Sardinia. Then he enter'd for a little while into the Service of the King of Prussia, and at length fix'd himself in that of Saxony, when he signaliz'd his Valour at the Siege of Dantzic, and afterwards made the Campaign as a Voluntier in the Imperial Army on the Rhine. As for his Religion, he professes the Roman Catholic.