The Duke of Weimar spends very little Time in his Capital, but commonly resides at a Seat which he has caus'd to be built about a League out of Town. He has given it the Name of Belle-Vue, because of the fine Prospect which it commands from the Apartments of the first Story. The House is small and not very commodious, so that the chief Beauty of it is its Situation, which is very charming. The Gardens which are begun upon very good Plans will be beautiful when finish'd, as well as the Pheasant-Walk and Menagerie where there are Turkeys and all sorts of Fowl.
The Duke of Weimar's Name is Ernest-Augustus: He is the eldest of the Ernestine Branch which lost the Electorate when Charles V. was Emperor. He marry'd a Princess of Anhalt-Cothen, who I have been told, was a Lady of distinguish'd Merit. She died and left him a Son and three Daughters.
The young Prince is about ten Years of age[72]. He can neither hear nor pronounce well, and is withal of a very tender Constitution. The Physicians say it signifies nothing, and that as he grows up he will acquire a Freedom of Speech. But I question it, and am apt to think rather that those Disciples of Æsculapius will send him into the other World. The only Hopes of any Male Issue of Weimar are founded upon this Child. The Duke of Saxe-Eysenach who is the next a-kin has no Children; so that the Dominions of Weimar and Eysenach too are ready to devolve to the Family of Saxe-Gotha. The Duke of Weimar's Subjects teaze him very much to marry, but the Prince does not seem to be in a Humour to satisfy them; for I have often heard him say that he can't bear the mention of Marriage.
No body presumes to go to Belle-Vue without being sent for, except only on Mondays when poor People are permitted to go thither with their Petitions which they deliver to the Secretary, and he gives them to the Duke. Persons of Quality, whether Foreigners or others, that have a mind to speak with the Duke, apply for it to the Marshal of the Court, but are seldom admitted to an Audience.
The Duke has rarely any other Company at Belle-Vue but two young Ladies whom he calls his Maids of Honour, and three young Women, Citizens Daughters, who go by the Name of his Chamber-Maids; a Major of his Troops, and the Officer of his Guard, who is a Lieutenant or an Ensign. I had forgot to mention the Baron de Bruhl, who is the Duke's Favourite and his Master of the Horse.
'Tis with these Persons that the Prince passes his Time. He wakes early in the Morning, but makes it late before he rises; for he takes his Tea in Bed, and sometimes plays on the Violin. At other times he sends for his Architects and Gardeners, with whom he amuses himself in drawing of Plans. His Ministers also come to him while he is in Bed to talk upon Business. About Noon he gets up, and as soon as he is dress'd, sees his Guard mount, which consists of 33 Men, commanded by a Lieutenant or an Ensign. He exercises his Soldiers himself, and corrects them too when they commit any Fault. This done he takes the Air, and at two or three o'clock sits down to Table, where the two Maids of Honour, the Master of the Horse, the Major, the Officer of the Guard, and even Foreigners if any happen to be there, are of the Company. The Dinner holds a long while, and 'tis sometimes three, four, and five Hours before they rise from Table. The Glass never stands still hardly, and the Duke talks a great deal, but the Conversation is commonly on Subjects that are not very agreeable. When Dinner is over they drink
Coffee, after which the Duke retires for a few Minutes, and then plays at Quadrille with his two young Ladies and the Major; but sometimes he does nothing but smoak Tobacco, and he often retires to his Chamber where he amuses himself with Drawing or else playing on the Violin till he goes to Bed.
There scarce a Week passes but the Duke gives an Invitation at least once or twice to all the Persons of Quality of the Court, and all the Officers of his Troops, at which time there are two great Tables spread, where they dine, play, sup, and afterwards dance till next Day.