only for Curiosity or Business. The Way of these Gentlemen is to return no Visits: but they invite People to their Tables, which being always well fill'd, a Man soon gets a great deal of Acquaintance.
'Tis a very easy matter to be admitted to kiss the Hands of their Imperial Majesties, and even to obtain a private Audience of 'em; for there needs nothing more than to give in your Name to the Emperor's Great Chamberlain and the Empress's Great Master of the Houshold. When you kiss their Hands you bend one Knee to the Ground, and the Time for it is generally when their Majesties pass by to Dinner. But private Audiences are attended with more Ceremonies. The Great Chamberlain having appointed the Hour of meeting in his Antichamber, which is commonly five o'clock in the Evening, he repairs thither at that Time, and introduces to the Audience; and if he be absent, 'tis done by the Chamberlain in Waiting. The Ceremony observ'd is this: The Emperor stands up under a Canopy, leaning with his Back against a Table, and an Arm-Chair by his Side, A Screen of red Velvet with Gold Fringe is plac'd at the Entrance of the Room, so that the Emperor is not perceiv'd at the opening of the Door. Behind this Screen near the Door, stands the Great Chamberlain. As soon as the Person comes in sight of the Emperor he bends the Knee, which he repeats as he advances a little farther, and again when he comes near to his Imperial Majesty. To these Genuflexions the Emperor gives a Nod of the Head, hearkens very attentively to the Person who addresses him, and returns a succinct and gracious Answer. Then the Person kneeling with one Knee on the Ground kisses his Majesty's Hand, after which he retires, going backwards and making three Genuflexions as he did at Entrance. The same Ceremonies are observ'd at an Audience of the
Empress, who gives it standing just as the Emperor does, with this Difference only that the Emperor is all alone, and the Empress is attended with one of her Ladies of Honour, who nevertheless stands off at such a Distance that she can't hear what is said.
The Emperor commonly eats with the Empress and the Arch-Duchesses. But there are particular Days, such as the Installation of the Knights of the Golden Fleece, when the Empress herself is not allow'd to sit down at Table with his Imperial Majesty. The Dinner is commonly in the Emperor's Apartment, and the Supper at the Empress's. At Dinner two Chamberlains hold the Ewer for their Majesties to wash, and the Steward, or in his absence the Great Chamberlain presents them the Napkin, which is done after the manner of Spain, with one Knee on the Ground. The Number of Dishes at the Emperor's Table is forty eight, and the same at the Empress's; but tho' their Majesties eat together they are each serv'd by their own Officers and Cooks. They commonly drink both together at the first Time; and till they have drank, the Ambassadors, Courtiers, and Ladies all wait at Dinner. After the Emperor has drank, the Steward, the Master of the Horse, the Great Chamberlain, and the Captain of the Guards receive his Orders: The Lady of Honour in Waiting and the Empress's Steward receive her Orders in like manner. None remain in the Room but the Officers necessary for the Service, and some curious People who are not us'd to see Sovereigns eat. On Sundays, Saints Days, and Days of Gala, which is the Name they give here to Days of Festival and Ceremony, the Dinner is attended with Music. I forgot to acquaint you that the Emperor is always cover'd at Table, and that when he puts his Hat on the Ambassadors put on theirs.
At Supper the Lady of Honour who is in waiting presents the Napkin, and the Ladies of the Bed-Chamber not only carve and hand the Victuals, but taste both the Meat and the Wine. The Pages carry the Dishes and Plates, and fetch the Wine from the Beaufet which they give to the Ladies, and they to their Majesties. During the Supper as well as at Dinner all the Gentlemen and Ladies stand up, so that here neither Princes nor Princesses have any Distinction shew'd them, but all Ranks are levell'd and confounded, and no body sits down in presence of the Sovereign.
On the Days of Gala the Court is extremely gay, and nothing is to be seen but Gold and Diamonds. The Days of this kind that are celebrated with most Splendor are those of St. Charles and St. Elizabeth, the Name Days of the Emperor and Empress. The Emperor, who commonly dresses very plain, is cover'd all over with Diamonds upon St. Elizabeth's Day. And as for the Empress, her Apparel is commonly rich, and so loaded with Jewels upon St. Charles's Day that she can scarce stand under it. Except on these Days of Gala the Court dresses very plain. 'Tis true that these Days are very frequent, and that consequently plain Clothes are not very much wore, for if it be a Holiday, or the Birth-Day of some Minister, or if some Lady of Distinction sends but for a Surgeon to bleed her, 'tis enough to put the whole City in Gala. These Gala's may be divided into three Classes; the Court Gala which is universal both for the Nobles and Plebeians; the Grand Gala which is kept in the City is for the Festival of some Minister; and the third and last is the Little Gala, which is when the Ladies are let blood. A Husband makes a Gala here for his Wife, the Wife for her Husband, the Children for their Parents, and Brothers and Sisters for one another; so that to be sure two Thirds of Vienna are
always in Gala; which made a French Jester say, 'twould take up a great deal of Brimstone to cure the Austrians of the Gale[93]. However, they take care not to appear in this domestic Gala before the Emperor and Empress, because it would be reckon'd a Disrespect to them.
On the great Festival-Days the Emperor goes with a grand Retinue to St. Stephen's Cathedral: He takes up one whole Side of the Coach, and the Empress sits fronting him. Their Majesties are preceded by the Chamberlains and Knights of the Golden Fleece on horseback: The Pages and Footmen walk bare-headed immediately after the Coach of the Master of the Horse, and their Imperial Majesties Coach is guarded on each side by a File of Archers, and attended by the Coaches of the Arch-Duchesses and the Ladies. Then the Horse-Guards appear with their Kettle-Drums and Trumpets, and the March is clos'd by the Pope's Nuncio and the Ambassadors with their Train, which consists of three magnificent Coaches and six Horses each.
On Corpus Christi Day the Emperor accompanies the Holy Sacrament, when the Streets thro' which the Procession passes are cover'd with Planks. Their Imperial Majesties repair in the Morning with great Attendance to St. Stephen's Cathedral, and after assisting at Divine Service join in the Procession. The Emperor is immediately follow'd by the Empress, who is accompany'd by all the Ladies in rich Dresses, which renders this one of the most magnificent Processions in the World.