to Hanover. The first of these Towns is small, and has nothing remarkable. It was formerly the common Residence of the Dukes of Zell, who had a very commodious Castle in it; but since that Country devolv'd by Inheritance to the House of Hanover, there's nothing remaining here but the Courts of Justice and the Regency.
Hanover[23] is the Capital of the Electorate, and the Seat of the Electors. This Court was always one of the politest in Germany, especially during the Life of the late Princess Sophia, the Electoress Dowager and Mother. This August Princess, who was descended from the most illustrious Blood in Europe, was the Daughter of the unhappy Frederic, the Elector Palatine, and of the Princess of England, Daughter of K. James I. by whom the Right of Succession to the Crown of England devolv'd to the House of Hanover. This Princess, tho' she was full Fourscore when I was at Hanover, labour'd under none of those Infirmities, which one would think to be inseparable from so great an Age: She was really a Prodigy for Vivacity and Memory; she spoke French, English and Italian as well as her Mother-Tongue, and had moreover a wonderful just way of Thinking, which she had taken the pains to cultivate by great Reading. This Princess had been the Mother of several Children, of whom there were then but three Princes surviving, viz. the eldest, who was then the Elector, and afterwards King of Great Britain; the second whose Name was Duke Maximilian; and
the third the Duke Ernest Augustus, afterwards Bishop of Osnabrug and Duke of York.
Of the Electoress's three Sons, none but the Elector had any Children; and these are the Electoral Prince, now King of England, and the Princess Royal, now our Queen.
The Electoral Prince's Family was more numerous. He has had a Son and several Daughters by the Princess of Brandenburg-Anspach. I had the Honor of waiting on the Princes and Princesses the very next day after my Arrival, and was received very graciously, especially by the Electoress Mother, who all the Time that I staid at Court, honor'd me with her special Protection.
I spent all the Carnival time at this Court, where 'twas open'd on the 2d day of January by a French Comedy, after which there was Play and a Drawing-Room at the Electoress's Apartment till ten o'clock at Night. Next day there was a Ridotto in imitation of that of Venice, that is to say, a public Ball, to which every body was admitted that had a Mask, but not with Arms. This Ball was held at the Town-House, every other day during the whole Carnival. In the same Room where the Ridotto was perform'd, they play'd at Ombre and Picquet, and in another at Basset; there was a third Room in which the Tables were cover'd with a cold Treat; and next to this third Room there was a fourth, in which were distributed Coffee, Chocolate, Liquors, &c.
I had a very great Share in all the Diversions of the Carnival, being then at an Age when nothing is so much minded as Pleasures; especially when a Person has Money enough to keep him from the Uneasiness, which is the necessary
consequence of the want of that precious Metal. Of this I was now furnish'd with a handsome Stock, and therewith cut a very gay Figure; but was soon oblig'd to lessen my Expences, because nothing would serve me but I must try a fatal Experiment, in which I was bit. I had a mind to try Fortune at Gaming; and play'd at first with pretty good Luck; but afterwards the Chance turn'd, and I was soon in a very great Quandary what to do with my Person, being neither able to proceed in my Journey, nor return from whence I came; and much less to stay at Hanover, where I had always made some Figure. I then did what young Fellows us'd to do in such a Situation; that is to say, made several Bargains, but none to my Advantage. At last I was oblig'd to expose my Circumstances to my Mother, who was still my Guardian. I had much ado to get the Money of her that I wanted; but I wrote such moving Letters to her, that she was sensible at last that she was my Mother, and after having made me wait a little while, she was so good as to send me the necessary Sums.
This little Disorder in my Affairs happen'd at a very unseasonable Time: for the Electoress had been so kind as to get a Passport for me to go to Paris, by means of the late Madame of France; but as the same was only granted for two Months, 'twas impossible for me to make use of it, having been oblig'd to spend almost all that time in contriving Expedients to retrieve my Finances.
The Money that my Mother was so kind as to send me, put me again into a Condition of travelling. The Emperor Joseph's Death happening at that time, I resolv'd to go and see the Election