The Situation of the Hague is very different from that of the other Towns of this Province, and in its Neighbourhood there’s every Thing that forms a fine Landskip. Every Inlet into the Place is by fine Avenues paved With Bricks. There is not a better Road than that which leads to Scheveling, a Village on the Sea Shore, a League from the Hague. ’Tis a strait Walk cut out of the Downs, and inclosed by double Rows of Trees interspersed with Pyramids of Yews. The Delft Road, and that which leads to Loosduinen, one or two Leagues from the Hague, are also very beautiful. In short, go which Way one will, we always find charming Walks, and even within the Town there are some that are very agreeable. That called the Voorbout is the most frequented, it being the Ring for the Coaches. There’s a great Walk in the Middle, well gravelled and railed in, where in all the Summer Evenings there’s very fine Company. ’Twas Charles V. that embellished the Hague with this Walk. It has occasioned several Disputes between Ambassadors about Precedence; but the most remarkable that ever happened was that between M. de Thou, the French Ambassador, and M. de Gamarre, the Ambassador of Spain. These two Ministers were taking the Air, each in his Coach and Six, when they met full Butt, and neither would give Way, so that their Domestics were just going to Boxing; when some Gentlemen of the Assembly of the States, who saw what gave Occasion to the Dispute, offered the Ambassadors their Mediation, and proposed to both of ’em to return back at that very Instant by the same
Way they came. M. de Gamarre was very ready to comply with any Proposal; but M. de Thou refused every one, and would by no means admit of an Equality betwixt himself and the Ambassador of Spain. The Gentlemen of the Assembly of the States being by this Time reinforced by several others, all equally desirous to pacify the Disputants, M. de Beverwert, the first of the Nobles of the Province of Holland, after having spent no less than four Hours in Debates and Conferences to no purpose, seeing M. de Thou obstinately bent in demanding a free Passage, proposed at last to M. de Gamarre, to drive off across the Ring; and for doing this with the better Grace, he offered that there should be two Openings made in the Ring; by which Means, said he, his Excellency would have the Rail opened to him, and the Honour of the Right-hand. The Spanish Ambassador accepted of the Proposal, and thereby ended the Dispute; which, had it not been for the Wisdom and Care of the States, might have been attended with fatal Consequences. Both Parties pleased themselves with the Fancy, that they had gained the vain Honours of Precedency; a trifling Advantage indeed, tho’ in short, if there were any Advantage to boast of, it was with the Ambassador of France, because he obtained the Liberty of his Passage, which was all he demanded; and he finished his Carrier, while the Spaniard returned home, perhaps because they had disputed so long till Night overtook them.
The French, who were always very jealous of Precedency, have had the most Disputes about this Matter. The Count d’Estrades, the Embassador of Lewis XIV. had one in this same Voorbout, with the Prince of Orange, afterwards King of Great Britain. Their Coaches happened to meet, and each of ’em aiming at the Post of Honour,
they stopped over-against one another. The Ambassador’s Servants ran from his Lodgings, and were joined by all his Friends; but he forbad them to proceed to Violence, for fear of the Misfortune which would infallibly have happened, and would have been very great, by reason of the Concourse of People that flock’d together for the Prince. The Pensionary, being informed of it, hastened to the Spot, to prevent any Disorder; and the Ambassador, seeing him coming, said to him, I know not what the Prince’s People mean; I was ignorant till now, that the High and Mighty States had a Sovereign (implying that the Ambassadors only give Way to Sovereigns). He sent at the same Time to the Princess Dowager of Orange, to know whether the Prince’s Governor was not more to blame for this Misconduct, than the Prince himself? She answered, That ’twas the King of England’s Business to concern himself in the Affair; for she imagin’d, that his Britannic Majesty was bound in Interest to support the Dignity of his Nephew’s Rank. Nevertheless, she follow’d the Advice of the Pensionary, and went into the Walk that was between the Rails. The Prince her Son alighted to shew his Respect for her, and made his Coach turn about, so that the Ambassador’s passed into the Rank which he claimed to be due to him. This Minister pretended, that the Prince’s Ancestors never had Precedence of the Ambassadors; that on the contrary, they went a League from the Hague to receive them, on the Part of the States; insomuch that Frederic-Henry the Prince’s Grandfather, tho’ upon Pretence of the Gout he excused himself from the Ceremony, yet he did not take the first Place. Charles II. might perhaps murmur at it; but being sold to France, he did not stand up for his Nephew’s interests.
Since I am upon the Article of Ambassadors, I will now give an Account of such Foreign Ministers as reside at the Hague.
M. de Fenelon, Brigadier of the French King’s Armies, is his most Christian Majesty’s Ambassador to the States General. This Minister is Nephew to the Great Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambray. He is esteemed for his Modesty, his Candour, and for the Order he keeps in his Family. His Expence is not very considerable, and appears much less than it is to the Inhabitants of the Hague, who have not forgot what was spent among them by my Lord Chesterfield, Ambassador from Great Britain, one of the most sumptuous Noblemen in England, who was perfectly adored by the common People, and whose Absence is regretted by all Persons of Distinction.
The Count de Sinzendorff, the Emperor’s Plenipotentiary, has a great Estate in the Hereditary Dominions. He is Son-in-Law to the Great Sinzendorff, Chancellor of the Imperial Court, which is the Reason that he began very young to display his Talents for Business. He has been so successful as to re-establish the good Harmony between the Republic and the Emperor, which was violated by the Establishment of the Ostend Company, and to get the Pragmatic Sanction guaranteed by their[105] High Mightinesses.
The Count de Golofskin is Plenipotentiary Minister of Russia, which Employment he fills with the general Approbation of all that know him. He is as civil and courteous as the Climate in which he was born is sharp. He passed his Youth at Berlin, and performed his Exercises at the Academy founded by the late King Frederic I. He was afterwards several Years Envoy Extraordinary from the late Czar Peter the Great, and from the late Empress Catharine to the Court of Prussia; from which Court the present Empress Anne sent him in Quality of her Ambassador to that of France: And now he has the Management of his Sovereign’s Affairs with the States General. He is esteemed for his Sagacity and good Nature. While he resided at Berlin, he there married the Daughter of the late Count Ferassier de Dhona, who unhappily lost his Life in the Affair of Denain, where he acted as Lieutenant-General of the Infantry in the Service of the States. She is a Lady whose Virtue commands Respect, and she has the most charming Family that is to be seen.