This agreeable News was scarce arriv'd at Berlin when they heard of the Death of the King
of Spain, which happen'd the 1st of November, 1700. His Death was notify'd to the Elector by M. Desalleurs, Envoy of France to our Court, as was also the Will whereby the Duke of Anjou was call'd to the Succession of all the late King's Dominions. The Elector had entered into such Engagements with the Emperor, that he could not own him; for which reason the King of France recall'd M. Desalleurs, and likewise refus'd to acknowledge the Elector for King, who in his turn recall'd M. Spanheim, and sent him to England with the Title of Ambassador.
The Elector was so urgent to be crown'd, that he hasten'd to Konigsberg, the capital City of Prussia, without staying for the fine Season of the Year; having fix'd on the 17th of December for his Departure thither with the whole Court. My Mother would also have been one of the Company, but she was too far gone with Child. She was now marry'd to her third Husband, who was the Count de Wesen; and the Nuptials were perform'd at Konigsberg in 1698, when the Elector was there about the Election of the King of Poland. This was a Match, in the making of which, neither Love nor Interest had the least share: M. de Wesen, tho' come of a very good Family in the Duchy of Zell, was Heir but to a very small Estate, and that he was obliged to divide with a great many Brothers; and my Mother before he marry'd her had never so much as spoke to him, nor had she seen him but while he was in the Office of Chief Steward. The Elector himself made the Match at the solicitation of Madame de Wartemberg who had a very great kindness for M. Wesen formerly, and perhaps had so still, and by helping him to a rich Widow, she was willing to make him a recompence for the
Respect he had paid to her. There was no necessity of using powerful Arguments with the Elector, to engage him to bring this Match about. It was his Foible to make Matches, and were they good or bad, provided he saw the Weddings, 'twas all alike to him. Consequently, as soon as Madame de Wartemberg had proposed this Marriage to him, he promis'd to mention it himself to my Mother; nay, more than that, he came to her House and made the Proposal. My Mother desir'd to be excus'd, saying to his Highness, that she had been already married twice, that she had two Sons by her first Husband, and that she did not care to hazard their Interests and her own Peace by engaging herself in Matrimony a third time. The Elector made her answer, that he would have it so, and that her Children, so far from Losers, should be Gainers by it, because he would take care of them. He added that he would allow her twenty-four Hours time to consider of it, and then he left her, forbidding her to stir to the Door, and promising to come and see her again next day, in order to have her Answer. He then went into my Grandmother's Chamber, and said so many fine things to her, in favor of the Son-in-Law he had in his eye for her, that she was for it by all means.
My Mother continued very wavering till next day, when the Elector return'd as he had promis'd: And as 'tis not an easy matter to resist the Orders of one's Sovereign, my Mother, tho' still against a new Engagement in her heart, seemed however to consent to the Marriage, which in a few days after was celebrated, and honour'd with the presence of the Elector, who had the goodness to assure my Brother and me that it should not be the worse for us. Mean time all my
Relations exclaim'd against my Mother, and when she return'd to Berlin not a Soul of them went to see her. My Grandmother by my Father's side was loudest in her Complaint; for her great Age and the Honour she had of attending the late Electoress, Mother to the Elector, made her take the freedom to tell that Prince her mind. She was in a passion with him even to a degree of Childishness, telling him that it griev'd her to the heart that she was not strong enough to twist the neck of the Man that he had given to her Daughter-in-Law for a Husband. The Elector to pacify her, promis'd her that he would be such a friend to M. de Wesen, that this Marriage instead of being a prejudice should be an advantage to us. And as soon as he had left her, he declared him Marshal of his Court.
This Office obliging my Father-in-law to follow the Prince in his Travels, he left my Mother at Berlin, and carry'd me with him to Konigsberg, to shew me the Ceremony of the Elector's Coronation.
His Court was so numerous that upon the Road from Berlin to Konigsberg, which is reckon'd fourscore German Miles, there were no less than thirty thousand Hackney-Horses, besides those belonging to the Stables of the King and Princes. The King, who was excessively fond of Ceremony, omitted nothing that could be an addition to the splendor of his Coronation. This Ceremony cost him immense Sums of Money, and convinc'd Foreigners who came thither from a curiosity to see it, that our Court was inferior to few others for Magnificence.
Tho' one would think the preparations for such a solemn Festival must take up a tedious deal of time, yet the King's Impatience hurry'd
them so fast that every thing was ready by the eighteenth of January, about a Fortnight after the Arrival of the Court. The Proclamation for erecting Prussia into a Kingdom was made two Days before the King's Coronation, with the sound of the Cannon, and all the Bells of the City, by four Heralds at Arms in Mantles of blue Velvet with the Royal Arms thereon embroider'd, and riding upon Horses richly accouter'd, the Housings being of Silver-Brocade, sprinkled with Eagles and Coronets of Gold. They went with a very numerous Train to the chief Quarters of the City, and there made Proclamation in these terms: