From this House I went to Dusseldorff, the Capital of the Duchy of Berg, belonging to the Elector Palatine. This City stands in the midst of a fine fruitful Plain, five Leagues from Cologne. The Rhine washes its Walls, and runs at the Town with such Violence, that they have been obliged to make great Works to break the Current. Dusseldorff is but a small Place. The late Elector John-William, who resided in it, had undertaken to aggrandize it with an additional Quarter, which they call the New-Town; but that Prince’s Death, and the Absence of the Court, put a Stop to the Buildings. The present Elector is fortifying this Place; but ’tis carried on so slowly, that ’twill take up a great deal of Time to finish it.
The Elector’s Castle or Palace is ancient, and has nothing remarkable, but a Gallery of Pictures; which Gallery consists of five great Divisions or Salons, three whereof are much bigger than the other two. The Pictures in the first Room are all by the Hand of Rubens. That of the Last Day of Judgment is an admirable Piece, and one of the best that was ever done by that excellent Painter. They say he painted it for the Duke
Wolffgang de Neubourg, in Acknowledgment for that Prince’s having taken him out of Spain, where Rubens was going to be arrested by the Holy Office. The Pictures in the second Room are all done by several Flemish Masters, but most of ’em by Van Dyck. The third Room, which is the biggest, contains Pictures by the most skilful Italian Masters. The fourth is adorned with the Works of the Chevalier Van der Werf, a Dutch Painter, who died lately at the Hague, having had the Honour to see some of his Pictures sold for a thousand gold Ducats the Piece. The Elector John-William gave him a Pension of six thousand Florins, besides paying him two thousand Florins for each Picture. No Flemish Painter excelled him in Designing, or had a better Hand at mixing of Colours. His Painting is so fine, and the Colouring so lively, and so well fansied, that no Enamel is more beautiful. Among his Works, the Connoisseurs admire the Life and Passion of our Saviour; Diana in the Bath, a Piece for which the Elector John-William paid twenty thousand Florins; and the Picture of Mary-Anne of Medicis, that Elector’s Wife, which Princess is represented with her Court-Ladies in the Habit of the Vestal Virgins. The fifth and last Room, which is the most magnificent, contains select Pieces by Masters of the first Rank; as Raphael, Julius Romain, Peter di Cortona, Guido, Titian, Paul Veronese, Tintoret, Correggio, Albano, the Caracchis, Joseph Pin, Paul Rubens, Van Dyck, Reimbrants, and many others. But that which no less attracts the Curious in another Taste, is the Abundance and Variety of other Things that are distributed up and down the several Rooms; as Figures of Brass, of the utmost Perfection, copy’d, for most part, from the finest Antiques, placed upon beautiful Tables of Florence; portable Cabinets, adorned with excellent
Miniature, or inlaid Work; and, in short, an infinite Number of other Things, that are very much to be admired, and render this Gallery truly magnificent.
Under these Rooms there’s another Gallery, full of Statues of Marble and Plaister, according to the Model of all the celebrated Statues of Rome and Florence; the Moulds of which were collected by the Elector John-William, with very great Care and Expence.
In the Market-place opposite to the Palace, is that Elector’s Equestrian Statue, who is represented in Armour on Horseback, with the Electoral Bonnet on his Head. But this Monument, which is of Brass, is not answerable to the Cost of it: For the Horse is represented in a walking Pace, with his Tail dragging nine Inches on the Ground, which makes a very wretched Figure; tho’ ’tis said, that the Man who cast this Statue, took a Horse which the Elector had for his Model. Possibly he might have a fine Mane and Tail, but this is what does not appear in Brass. The whole Monument is erected on a Pedestal of grey Marble, very solid, and even without any Inscription or Ornaments. Nevertheless, John-William of Neubourg, the Elector Palatine, deserved as much as any Prince in the World, to have his Virtues transmitted to Posterity by some Inscription. He was magnificent, generous, liberal, a Protector of the Arts and Sciences: His Court and his Disbursements were like those of a King; his Good-nature render’d him amiable; he was the Delight of his Courtiers, and the Darling of his Subjects.
This great Prince lived at a Time when Germany had four other Princes, who were as great Patrons of the Arts and Sciences as himself; viz. Frederic-Augustus King of Poland, Frederic King
of Prussia, Antony-Ulric Duke of Brunswic-Lunenbourg, and Charles Landgrave of Hesse Cassel; of all which Princes, the only one that survives is the King of[99] Poland, the rest having no Life but in History, where they are sure of Immortality; for, besides the Monuments they have left of their Grandeur, Men of Learning will not fail to transmit their Glory to the latest Posterity.
The present Elector Palatine having fixed his Residence at Manheim, there’s a Regency at Dusseldorff, of which the Count de Schasberg is the President. The Country of Berg, and that of Juliers, depending on it, are governed by States, without whose Consent the Sovereign cannot lay any Taxes. These Countries bring in a Million of Crowns to the Elector. All Religions are tolerated here, and every Communion has its particular Churches; but the Catholics only are admitted to the Civil Employments. The Reverend Fathers the Jesuits have a fine Church, and a beautiful Convent here. There’s a Chapel without the Cologne Gate, which is worth seeing. ’Tis built after the Model of the Santa Casa of Loretto, and adorned with very fine Paintings. ’Twas founded by the Electress, Wife of John-William, to the Honour of the most Holy Virgin.
Tho’ the Court is no longer at Dusseldorff, yet here is very good Company, and the Gentry are very sociable and friendly to Foreigners. There are amiable and deserving Ladies here, particularly Madame de Speik, whose Husband is a Major-General. She would be very fit to adorn a Court.