Our Court was then as splendid as in the time of the late Queen. There was a continual Round of Pleasures, and every day was remarkable for Feasts, Balls, Comedies, &c. These Rejoicings had lasted a good while, when all on a sudden we had a most terrible Alarm. The King fell dangerously ill, and his Physicians began to despair of his Recovery. But God, who always considers the Wants of his People, did us the favor to restore him to us for a while longer. Upon his Recovery he receiv'd the Compliments of the whole Court, and the Congratulations of the Princes his Allies, who acknowledg'd as well as his Subjects how necessary his Preservation was to the Common Cause.
Not long after the King's Recovery, I saw the young Count de Metternich arrive at Berlin, who came to bring the King Advice, That the Swissers had at length recogniz'd his Majesty for Sovereign Prince of Neufchâtel, preferably to the
other Princes his Competitors. The Count de Metternich, who was the King's Ambassador in Swisserland, had the good Fortune to carry this Point, notwithstanding the Menaces of France, who asserted the Interests of several of her Subjects, at the Head of whom was the Prince of Conti. Madame de Nemours, the Sovereign of Neufchâtel, was no sooner dead, but each of the Claimants put in their Plea of Right to this Sovereignty. As soon as the News of her Death was confirm'd, the King sent Orders to M. de Metternich, his Ambassador-Extraordinary and his Plenipotentiary in Swisserland, to repair to Neufchâtel and take care of his Interests. He went thither accordingly on the 30th of June, and caus'd a Memorial to be distributed at his Arrival, containing the King's Right to the said Principality. The French Competitors on their part distributed another, to establish their own Rights, and invalidate the Pretensions of the King. There happen'd to be Disputes between the Prince of Conti and the Prussian Ambassador about Precedency. M. de Puisieux the Ambassador of France, as it was his Duty to do, maintain'd the Interests of the Prince of Conti, and presented to the Council of Neufchâtel a Memorial so haughty and menacing, as if it had come from victorious France in the Time when she was flush'd with Conquests. He said in this Memorial, "That the King his Master cannot look with Indifference upon the Conduct at Neufchâtel, in presuming to be so disrespectful to the Princes of his Family; that it wou'd be the wisest way for the Gentlemen of the Council speedily to take Measures to prevent this Pretension of the Prussian Minister from being carried any further, a Pretension, said
he, which has no Foundation, but in Malice or Ignorance; because even tho' the new Title, which the Elector of Brandenburg has assum'd for some years, were universally recogniz'd, yet this very Pretension of his Ambassador's would be always chimerical." Here M. de Puisieux gave them Warning, "That if they did not soon alter their Conduct, the King of France wou'd take Measures very opposite to the pacific and kind Sentiments which he had entertain'd since the Affair of Neufchâtel was first in agitation." Such, Madame, was the Strain in which the French Minister talk'd. This Memorial was follow'd by several others, which went to the very bottom of the Affair; and M. de Puisieux, in order to engage the Council of Neufchâtel to favour the French Claimants, still continued to talk in such a high Stile, as prejudiced every body against the Side that he espous'd. You may judge of this Ambassador's manner of Negociation, by the last Memorial which he presented towards the close of October 1707. After having establish'd the Right of the French Competitors with continual Invectives, he concluded thus; If it happens contrary to my Expectation, that your Answer is not conformable to what I demand,—I have fresh Orders from his Majesty to assure you, that nothing will be capable to hinder the Effects of his Indignation, or to screen you from that just Vengeance which he proposes to take. Then, as if he affected to speak in a softer Strain, he said to them with an Air of Protection, "That he hop'd while he staid at Neufchâtel, to find favourable Inclinations for the entire Performance of what he wish'd for." 'Tis the only thing you can do (these are the last Words of his Memorial) to merit the Continuance
of his Majesty's Good-will. I wish for my own part, that you wou'd furnish me with Opportunities to help maintain you in it. But all these Menaces of the French Ambassador came to nothing, and only procur'd him sharp Answers from the Ambassadors of Prussia, England, and Holland; for things went on in the same Course in the Council of Neufchâtel, and the whole Affair was determined to the Satisfaction of the King, who was proclaim'd Sovereign thereof on the 3d of November 1707.
As soon as the King had been recogniz'd in that Sovereignty, the Count de Metternich sent his Son to his Majesty with the Sentence of the three Estates, declaring the King lawful Heir of the said Principality, by Louisa of Nassau his Mother, the eldest Daughter of Prince Frederic-Henry, Son of William of Nassau call'd the Belgic, to whom there had been a Transfer of the Rights of the House of Chalons, to which the Sovereignty and Domaine of Neufchâtel originally belong'd.
The News of the Acquisition of this Sovereignty cou'd not but be very acceptable to the King, who gave the young Count a most favorable Reception, made him noble Presents, and amongst others, gave him the Key of Chamberlain.
Not many days after, viz. Nov. 23, 1707, the Court had a fresh Subject of Joy, by the Princess Royal's safe Delivery of a Prince, whom the King immediately declared Prince of Orange, and made him at the same time a Knight of the Grand Order. His Majesty after this dispatch'd Couriers to his Ambassadors at the Courts of the Princes his Allies to acquaint them of the Birth of his Grandson. M. de Spanheim the Ambassador in England received Orders to desire the
Queen to be God-mother to the young Prince;, and M. de Schmettau Ambassador in Holland, and M. de Metternich Ambassador in Swisserland, were charged to invite the States with whom they resided to be God-fathers. Besides these Powers, the King and the Elector of Hanover were God-fathers, and the Electoress of Hanover was God-mother. The Baptism was performed with great Magnificence on the 3d of December in the Church of the Dome. The Joy at Court for the Birth of this Prince was of no long Duration; for in a few Months after, he died: but the Sorrow for the Loss of him was alleviated, by the Hopes that the Prince Royal had Youth and Health enough to give us soon more Heirs. The Incident that was most alarming, was the weakly Condition of the King, who recover'd but slowly from his Grand Ailment; so that his Physicians advis'd him to make use of the Waters ofCarlsbadt in Bohemia; and at the beginning of the fine Season, his Majesty went thither accordingly.
The King's Departure being resolv'd on, I begg'd his Majesty's leave, to make the Campaign in Flanders in quality of a Voluntier. I set out from Berlin with the Gens d'Arms, in which my Brother was a Cornet, and we join'd the Army near Louvain. The Count de Lottum receiv'd me as a Voluntier; and I had the Pleasure to be near him all the Campaign. Not many days after I had reached the Army, the Electoral Prince of Hanover, (now George II. King of England) arrived in the Camp of my Lord Marlborough, and did that General the Honor to serve with him as a Voluntier. The young Prince distinguish'd himself very much in this Campaign, and gave the