him the more, because at that time he thought very seriously of the Union of the Protestant Churches.
Mean time the Pestilence, which had discover'd it self in some of our Provinces, frighten'd us very much. The King upon this occasion acted like a true Father of his People, by sending Money and Provisions to those that were afflicted with it, and by causing a Day of solemn Fasting and Prayers to be celebrated in all the Churches of his Dominions to beg of God that he wou'd please to avert this Scourge from our Country. Moreover he caused Lazarets or Pest-Houses to be erected at the Gates of all the Towns where those who came from any suspected Place were to perform Quarantain. As the whole time was now spent in Sermons and Prayers for removing the Pestilence, the detail of which would not be very pleasing, I think it will not be amiss here to tell you how the Service was perform'd before the King and Queen. I will begin by giving you some Account of[11]Berlin, and of his Majesty's[12]Palace.
The City of Berlin[13] wou'd not have been what it is at this day, had it not been for the French Protestants. They had been kindly receiv'd by the Elector Frederic-William: And the King, every whit as generous as his Father, prolong'd and even augmented the Franchises granted to the French, and in order to convince those Exiles that he was dispos'd to be a Father
to them, he had a mind that they should be no longer distinguish'd from his natural-born Subjects; but caus'd Churches to be built for them of which he maintain'd the Ministers, gave them a very fine College for the Education of their Children, and also chose a Company of Musketeers out of them in which none but French were admitted.
These Refugees were so sensible of the King's Goodness to them, that they had an Emulation to shew their Gratitude to him by making Trade to flourish. They were equally zealous for the embellishing and aggrandizing of the City, and caus'd a great many Houses to be built there which were both neat and commodious. They added to the City all that Quarter call'd the New Town, which is certainly the most beautiful part of Berlin. Of the Streets which run in a strait Line, the principal is adorn'd with six Rows of Lime-Trees that form as many Walks, the middlemost of which is lin'd with a Balustrade to keep off Coaches and Carriages. These Walks terminate in a Wood, thro' which there's an Avenue of a League, which leads to Charlottenbourg, a Royal Palace.
At the Entrance of the New Town there's the Arsenal[14], a Structure which may pass for one of the finest in Europe: 'Tis a Quadrangle with a large Square in the middle. The four outward Fronts are almost exactly alike. The principal is divided into three Buildings, of which that in the middle projects a little forwards. The Grand Floor consists of Arches charged with Rustics, which support Pilasters of the Ionic Order. The part which projects from the middle
is adorn'd with four Columns, and has a large Pediment at the end of it. The grand or principal Gate is in the middle. On the two sides there are four great fine Statues representing the Cardinal Virtues on Pedestals. These seem to look towards the King's Picture, which is represented in a great Medal of Brass gilt in the coping of the Gate. Over this Picture, there's his Majesty's Cypher in the middle of a Cartridge crown'd, supported by Fame and Victory. The Cartridge is fill'd up with an Entablature upon which there's a Latin Inscription in Letters of Gold, to the Honor of the King. Finally, over this Entablature there's a great Pediment in Basso-Relievo perfectly beautiful, representing a Mars which seems to rest upon a Trophy, and to look upon a couple of Slaves chain'd at his Feet. The whole is compleated by a Balustrade which rests upon the Pedestals that support the Trophies. This stately Edifice is encompass'd with Spurs of Iron in the form of Cannon, upon which there's the King's Cypher gilt; and these Spurs serve for a Support to the Iron Chains which are hung in Festoons from one to the other.
The Inside of this Structure is as magnificent as the Outside. Two Rows of Pillars support the lowermost Arch-Roof and form three Walks, of which the middlemost is the narrowest, but the only one that serves for the Passage; those on the sides being full of noble Brass-Guns. The King had a Design to have a Cannon of a hundred Pounder plac'd at each Corner; but there is only one finish'd which is call'd Asia, a terrible Machine fitter to adorn an Arsenal than for any other use. The Ascent to it is by a Step, because they were oblig'd to build the Carriage in proportion to the piece that it bears. This
Cannon is adorn'd all over with Eagles and Crowns; and the King's-Arms are represented on it under a Royal Pavilion, as are also those of the Margrave Philip the King's Brother, as Grand Master of the Artillery. This is all that is remarkable on the side of the New Town.
The King's Palace is also very magnificent; and the whole is so majestic, that it appears at the first sight to be the Residence of some great Monarch. Yet there's one fault in it, which is, that Uniformity has not been nicely observ'd in it, because it has been carry'd on by Fits and Girds, and every Architect has followed his particular Plan.