When the King was awaked, the Chamberlain and the Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber enter'd his Majesty's Closet, where sometimes the Queen paid him a Visit, and at other times the Prime Minister came and talk'd with him about Business. In the Summer-time the King went abroad for the Air, or the Pleasure of Fishing or Hunting, especially the Heron, in which he took great delight. About six o'clock in the Evening his Majesty went to the Queen's Apartment, and stay'd there about an Hour, after which he return'd to his own, to that call'd la Tabagie or the Tobacco-Room, because there he smoak'd his Pipe, and several of the Nobility had the Honour of smoaking there with him. The King never supp'd unless it was in extraordinary cases, but amus'd himself with a Game at Chess. When he had done playing he conversed very familiarly with the Chamberlain, the Gentlemen of the Bed-Chamber, and some privileg'd Courtiers; and when he had a mind to put an end to the Conversation, he gave his Orders to the Grand
Master of the Wardrobe what Clothes to equip him with next day, and then every body retir'd, and the Valets de Chambre and the Grooms of the Wardrobe went and put his Majesty to bed. This, Madame, was the manner how the Service was perform'd at our Court. Never was there any Interruption in the Hours prescrib'd for his Majesty's Exercises, unless he labor'd under some Ailment. I thought that this Detail, tho' perhaps a little tedious, wou'd not be quite so unpleasant as the Recital of all the Litanies and other Prayers, in which the Queen was constant for the remainder of the Year.
In the beginning of the Year following, that is to say the 19th of January 1710, the Count de Lottum presented the King with eleven Pieces of Cannon, and several Colors and Standards that fell to his Majesty's share in the distribution that was made of those that were taken from the French, during the Campaign.
At the same time we lost the Duke of Courland for ever. This young Prince was the King's Nephew by his Mother, who was his Majesty's Sister by the same Father, but not by the same Mother. He was but an Infant when he lost his Father the Duke of Courland, whose death was to him the greatest of all Misfortunes, because of the Misunderstanding which the Guardianship of this young Prince created between those who aspir'd to it. The Duchess his Mother asserted that she was the rightful Guardian of the Prince, her Son. His Uncle also pretended 'twas his Right. In short, the Nobility of Courland disputed it with them both. During these Domestic Troubles, the several Parties, not watchful of their Neighbours Motions, quickly found they had powerful Enemies to cope with. The Saxons
being the nearest, were the most forward to take possession of their Country. The Muscovites were soon at their heels, and in concert with the Saxons rush'd upon what they thought most convenient. But they were both soon oblig'd to abandon that Duchy to the King of Sweden, who came at the head of his Troops, and without much difficulty sent them going. But after all, Fortune being weary of seconding the Arms of the Swedish Monarch, he was oblig'd not long after his Entrance into Courland, to yield the said Duchy to the Muscovites, who remain'd the sole Possessors of it.
All these Troubles had oblig'd the Duchess, with the Prince her Son, to retire. She came to Berlin where she was present at the King's Coronation, and afterwards, as I have already had the Honor to tell you, she marry'd the Margrave of Brandenburg Bareith. This Princess followed the Margrave her Husband into his Dominions, and took the Duke of Courland her Son along with her. There did this young Prince stay with the Margrave his Father-in-law, till after the King of Sweden's Defeat at Pultowa by the Muscovite Army. When the latter were become Masters of Courland, the Duke flatter'd himself that he should be able to prevail on the Czar to restore him to his Dominions: nor was he deceiv'd in his Expectation; for the Czar was very ready to consent to it, on condition nevertheless that he should marry his Niece, the Daughter of the late Czar, his Brother. The Match was truly illustrious, for the Princess was both the Daughter and Niece of a potent Monarch; but her Education had been very different from that of the young Prince, and there was all the Reason in the World to think, that they would
not like one another long. The Duke for his part could have wish'd to be restor'd to his Duchy upon other Terms; but at length, thinking he could not do better than to accept of those, and to put himself again at the head of his Subjects, who had for several Years wish'd for his Presence; he set out for the Czar's Court, and there married the Princess. This Marriage, which was concluded with some Reluctance on the part of the young Duke, seem'd to portend him none but unhappy Days; and in short, he was scarce married, but he fell dangerously sick, and in a few days after died, which Illness they said was owing to his having been forc'd to drink to excess on his Wedding-Day. This occasion'd a general Desolation throughout the Duchy of Courland, the poor People having entertain'd some Hopes that the Presence of their lawful Sovereign would make them forget the Evils they had suffer'd by several years continual Wars.
Towards the Conclusion of this Year, the famous Count de Wartemberg, Prime Minister and Great Chamberlain was disgrac'd; which, tho' it had been long wish'd for, was surprizing to all Mankind, who thought the Credit of that Minister too well establish'd, the chief Places of the Kingdom being in the hands of his Creatures, from whose Gratitude there was nothing that he might not promise himself; besides, they did not think any Person would be so daring, as to cast the first Stone; the then recent Instance of the Count de Wesen being a sufficient Warning to deter any Persons from entring into so dangerous a Combination. Nevertheless there were two Persons at Court who were not terrify'd by the Peril, to which an Enterprize of this nature expos'd them. The Name of both these Courtiers
was Kamcke, and being Cousins into the bargain, they were only distinguish'd by the Appellations of Great and Little.
The Great Kamcke had been successively Page to the King, Page of the Bed-chamber, afterwards a declar'd Favorite, and at last Great Master of the Wardrobe, which Post he held at the time of the Prime Minister's Disgrace. The Favor with which the King honor'd him, was what made him esteem'd more than any thing else; for setting that aside, he was not remarkable for either the Virtues or the Vices which contribute almost in the same measure to the forming of Great Men. He was reckoned a Man of fine Parts, because he was fortunate enough to gain, and to preserve the King's Favor; and he had the Reputation of being good-natur'd, because having a place in which he might have done a great deal of Mischief, he did none at all. 'Tis true too on the other hand, that he did no body any Service; the Lethargy of his Temperament not permitting him to put himself upon those Motions, which are equally necessary to serve a Friend, and to ruin an Enemy.