After Dinner, I was one at a Match of Quadrille with the Duchess, and at night there was dancing, and I never saw any body dance with a better Grace than this Princess. The Ball held till the Night was far advanced, when there was a grand Supper, which was no sooner over than I took leave of the Duke and Duchess and retir'd to my Quarters, with a design to set out in a few Hours and proceed in my Journey. At my Lodging I found a Gentleman from the Duke, who said to me, 'That as he was passing by he saw my Men packing up my things, and that therefore he came in purely to wish me a good Journey. He assured me that he had a secret Kindness for me; that I might safely take his Word; that he was Sincerity it self; and that he wish'd 500000 Devils might twist his Neck if he was not heartily my Friend:
And to give you proofs of it, said he, I will treat you with some Trifle, such as a Dram of Anniseed, Orange-Water, or Ratasia. Upon my word my Apothecary has what is choice good; he lives but at the end of the Street; Come, I will shew you the way to his House.'
While he harangu'd me in this manner he reel'd, being so drunk that he cou'd not stand. I thank'd him therefore for his Love, and told him that I did not drink Drams, but that if he had a mind to any Liquor of that sort, I would send for some for him; and I bid my Landlord fetch it. The Apothecary, as ill luck would have it, was not yet got up. 'Soho, here, said my new Friend, there is nothing to drink but Aquavitæ; here, Landlord, a Glass of Brandy, Pipes and Tobacco. You must have something, said he, to be doing.' Every thing he call'd for being brought, my Gentleman drank two or three Glasses of Brandy, and smoak'd as many Pipes of Tobacco. I hoped to see him tumble down, and by consequence to get rid of him, when he took it into his head to call for some Dishes of Tea that I had order'd to be made for my self, and which made him so sober that he recover'd his Reason. I laid hold of this happy Interval (for I heard him calling out for Brandy, which I apprehended would occasion a Relapse) and talk'd to him about his Master's Bass-Viols; upon which, without much Intreaty, he said to me, 'You know, Sir, that every Man almost has his particular Whim, Princes as well as private Persons. One is an Admirer of Magnificence, another of Troops, and a third of Mistresses. As for my august Master, his Fancy runs only on Bass-Viols, and whoever sollicits him for an Employment or any other Favour, can't do better than to accommodate his Arsenal with one of these Instruments. That very large one, said he, which you saw in the Room where all his Viols are, was
presented to him by one who wanted to be a Privy-Counsellor; his Petition was granted, and had he ask'd for any thing else he might have had it.' This officious Gentleman told me a great many other Particulars which let me into the very Chronicle of the Court of Mersebourg; but I don't trouble you with it, because the Truth is not to be told at all times.
My Equipage being ready, I set out for Naumbourg, where I arrived at Noon. This City was formerly the See of a Bishop. Its ancient Cathedral is still standing, and tho' Lutheran, has a Chapter and Canons who must prove their Nobility both by the Father's side and Mother's side, by sixteen Descents. When this Bishoprick was seculariz'd it was said that no Catholic Prince could ever be possess'd of this State. Therefore when the last Duke of Saxe-Zeits, Administrator of Naumbourg, turn'd Catholic, the King of Poland as eldest of the Saxon Family and Executor of the Pacta or Conventions made between the Princes of that Family, took possession of Naumbourg. The Duke's being reconciled to the Lutheran Communion was to no purpose, the King did not restore his Dominions to him, but still possesses them, tho' he is more a Catholic than the Duke of Zeits perhaps ever was. You know that this Prince has left a Nephew who wou'd have been his Heir, if he had not been a Catholic and a Priest. This is the Prince who, I acquainted you from Dresden, was Bishop of Konigsgratz in Bohemia. He was born a Lutheran, as are all those of his Family. His Uncle the Cardinal of Saxe, Brother to the Duke of Zeits, made him embrace the Roman Catholic Religion when he was very young, and afterwards persuaded him to enter into Ecclesiastical Orders, by which step he deprived his Nephew of the glorious Prerogative of being a Sovereign Prince, and transferred his
Rights to the King of Poland his distant Cousin.
Naumbourg is famous for its Fairs, which next to those of Leipsic, are the most considerable in Saxony. The Suburbs of this City are almost all Vineyards; but why, I know not, for the Wine is so detestably bad, that they give it away in a manner for nothing.
Finding nothing at Naumbourg which was worth my while to stay there for, I only chang'd Horses and came hither. As one approaches this Place, we meet with Corn-Fields and Hop-Grounds instead of Vines, and the Country rises into Hills, so that one does not see the Town of Weimar till we are just upon it. The City, which is not more considerable than Naumbourg, is the Residence of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar, who has a Palace here which does not want for Magnificence, and tho' unfinish'd, has an air of Grandeur. The Connoisseurs in Architecture highly extol the grand Stair-Case there, which two Persons may ascend and descend at the same time without meeting one another, and yet always keeping each other in view. It consists of two Flights of Stairs upon one Spindle, laid one over the other in the same Well of a square Form. The Curious who have observ'd it, admire it, because there are few such to be seen.
The great Hall which is an oval, is beautiful, but not lightsome enough. There are the Pictures of all the Dukes of Saxe-Weimar at full length, from the first Duke that ever was down to the Father of the present. They are all drawn on Horseback, and done by no mean Hand.
In the same Palace is the Duke's Library, which tho' not very large, consists of sundry scarce Books. 'Tis open twice a week, when the Curious are not only permitted to peruse them, but even to borrow them, upon leaving a Note with the Librarian.