The Town is not airy, the Streets being narrow and crooked. There are some fine Houses here, particularly those of the Barons de Dalberg, Ingelheim and Rolling; but ’tis pity they are not in a better Situation.
The Metropolitan Church is an ancient Structure, which has nothing remarkable but its Treasury, one of the richest in Germany. I remember to have read in an old Chronicle of Bishop Conrade, that in his Time there was in this Treasury a Cross of Gold of six hundred Weight, adorned with Diamonds; and that at the Foot of the Cross, these Latin Words were engraved;
Auri sexcentas habet hæc crux aurea libras.
Whether there ever was such a Cross here, I know not; but I can assure you, there is none here now. The Chapter of this Church consists intirely of Persons of Quality, but they don’t admit Princes to it.
The Elector’s Palace would be a magnificent Pile, if the Whole was answerable to the new main Body of the Building, whose Apartments are commodious and grand, and enjoy one of the finest Prospects in the World.
That which most deserves a Traveller’s View in this City, is the Carthusians-house, one of the finest in Europe, as well for its Buildings, as its Situation. The Church belonging to it is small, but very neat; and the Pews of the Friers are most nicely carved in Wood. The Joiner’s Work is adorned with Sculpture, very well executed; which represents the Passages of the New Testament. The main Body of this Fabric fronts the Rhine, and there are Apartments commodious enough to lodge a Sovereign, and his Retinue. The Cloister is very spacious, and forms a perfect Square, with the Cells of the Carthusians round it, each of which, consists of four or five rooms, all upon one Floor; plainly, but neatly furnished. The Carthusians, after the Hours are over which they devote to spiritual Exercises, cultivate their own little Gardens, or employ themselves in the Work of Joiners, Turners, and the like useful and industrious Occupations.
It may be said, to the Praise of the Carthusians in general, that they always keep clear from the Intrigues of the World, the Converse of Women, and the Ambition of aspiring to Prelacies. They live in a manner, so as that tho’ they are not very serviceable to the Public, they cannot do it any Prejudice; which is what can scarce be said of the other Orders.
At the Foot of the Carthusians-house, which stands on a very high Hill, is the Palace and Garden of the Favorita, belonging to the Elector. Francis-Lotharius de Schonborn, caused this House to be erected; the Gardens of which are not extraordinary large, and may be call’d a Labyrinth of Grottos, Cascades, Summer-houses and Statues; but the Whole are heap’d, as it were, one upon another, and ranged with very little Fancy. There’s a Salon, accompanied with six Pavilions, detach’d
from it, disposed in such a manner, that from each Pavilion there’s a Prospect of the Rhine, the Main, and of all the fine Scenes of the Country on the other Side of those Rivers.
For the rest, ’tis a very dull City, as are almost all the Cities subject to the Ecclesiastical Princes. Nevertheless, there’s a great Number of Gentry here, but they scarce ever visit one another, except in Ceremony. The Men rarely visit the Ladies, and seem, to my Mind, to be fondest of the Bottle. One of the chief Diversions of the Inhabitants of Mentz is to go all the Summer long to some neighbouring Places where they use the Waters; such as Wisbade, Schwalbach and Schlangenbadt. And while these Waters are in Season, Mentz, Francfort, Darmstadt, and all the neighbouring Towns, look as if they were quite forsaken.