take in the rainy Season; for in fine Weather they go through a Plain, the Soil of which is extremely clayish, and by consequence, not passable when it has rain’d.
As disagreeable as the Country is, through which I passed, yet there are several fine Country Houses, of which that belonging to the Earls of Athlone, whose Ancestor was General of the Dutch Infantry, and made a Peer of Great Britain by King William III. is one of the most considerable: But it is inferior to Zeist, a Palace belonging to the Count of Nassau, Son of the late Mons. d’Odyck, distinguished in the Republic for his Birth and Employments, his Ability in Business, and his Magnificence. This House is, in my Opinion, one of the finest in the Seven Provinces, and has most of the Air of a Nobleman’s Palace. It has fine Gardens, and stately Avenues. Lewis XIV. resided in it at the Time when that Monarch, like an impetuous Torrent, came to ravage the Republic. The Count de Nassau-Zeist had afterwards the Honour to see at the same Place Frederic I. King of Prussia, whose Presence Was undoubtedly more agreeable to him, because it was accompanied with the Peace, and because that Prince only drew his Sword for the Defence of the Republic, and its Allies.
The Country Houses in general, which are situate in the Provinces of Utrecht, Guelderland and Over-yssel, have much more the Appearance of Palaces than those in Holland; where Land is so dear, that they can only make Models of Houses and Gardens; which, if they were executed, would not want for Magnificence.
The Neighbourhood of Utrecht is charming: A large fine Avenue leads to the City, at the Entrance of which, on the Left-hand, is the Mall, which Lewis XIV. so admir’d upon Account of
its Walks, that he wish’d he could transport them to Versailles, and ordered his Troops not to cut down the Trees.
Utrecht, as to its Outside, seems very ancient. I fansy that the Walls of Jericho, which fell at the Sound of the dreadful Trumpets of Israel, were not unlike the Walls of this City; and its Inhabitants, probably, did not think them a whit stronger, because they were so much in haste to carry their Keys to the King of France, notwithstanding the Offers made to them by the Prince of Orange, to defend the Place. Lewis XIV. entered this City with all the Pomp of a Conqueror; but he made a very short Stay here, which, they say, was owing to a Remark made to him, That in a great Part of the Town, the meaner Sort of People lived under Ground; and that it would be an easy Matter for those subterraneous Inhabitants to place Gunpowder in those Cellars, and blow them up at the time that his Majesty came by. If this Circumstance is true, they who possessed the King with this Jealousy were unacquainted with the Dutch, who, ’tis possible, might have had no Respect for the Person of the King, in a Tumult, or in a Battle; but when they had received him into their Town, he had nothing to fear, because Treachery and Dissimulation are no Parts of their Character.
The Streets of Utrecht are spacious and very airy, its Houses pleasant and well built. A great many Houses have been built here since the Congress for that Peace, which put an End to the War for the Succession to Charles II. King of Spain. This City, next to the Hague, is the most agreeable for Persons of Quality, of whom here’s a great Number, as well as of other Persons, who having got Fortunes by Trade, retire hither for the peaceable Enjoyment of what they have acquir’d.
The great Church which was formerly the Metropolis, still preserves its Chapter, into which Persons need no other Proofs nor Vocation for Admittance than Money, these Prebends being bought and sold like Companies of Dragoons. The Court of Rome always nominates the Archbishop, who commonly resides at Amsterdam. I think the Person who enjoys this[101]Dignity now, is a Native of this City, but ’tis probable he has no View to a Cardinal’s Cap, he being a declared Jansenist. The Carthusians who retired from France under the specious Pretext of securing their Consciences from Oppression, are settled in his Diocese, where they live in two separate Convents not very far from Utrecht, and are very zealous Distributers of the Writings published in France, about the Religious Differences. They had acquired the Esteem of the Protestants, who did not think they differ’d very widely from their Communion; but since they endeavour to make the Sieur Paris pass for a Saint, I know not whether they will not lose the good Opinion that has been conceiv’d of ’em. For in this Country, they have no great Value for these Favourites of the Court of Heaven, and much less for those who increase the Number of ’em. Be this as it will, ’tis allow’d by every body, even by the most zealous Roman Catholics, that setting aside their Religious Sentiments, there’s no Fault to be found with
their Morals and Behaviour, and that they live as regularly as they did perhaps in the Convent which they have abandoned.