The fourth, Dorothy of Neubourg was married to the Duke of Parma, by whom she had among other Children Princess Elizabeth Farnese, the second Wife of Philip V. King of Spain.
The fifth and last of these Princesses, Hedwiga-Elizabeth of Neubourg, was married to James-Lewis Sobieski, by whom she had Clementina Sobieski, Wife to the Chevalier de St. George. The Mother died at Olaw the 10th of August 1722, aged 50.
After having pass'd some time at the Palatine Court, I set out about the middle of August for Francfort on the Main, where I arriv'd a few days before the opening of the Conferences for the Election of an Emperor.
Francfort[34] is one of the most considerable Towns of all Germany, has the Title of an Imperial City, and is a part of the Diocese of Mentz. 'Tis divided into two parts by the Main, over which there is a fine Stone Bridge. The frequent Fires which this City has suffer'd, and especially that of 1719, have contributed not a little to its Embellishment, all the Houses being re-built in a better Taste than before; yet most of the Buildings are still of Timber and fac'd with Plaister that is color'd, few private Men having been at the Expence of building with Stone. Francfort may thank the Jews for most of those Fires; for the Jews who are very numerous here, live in a Quarter by themselves, which is shut up every Night; and being so narrow, that they are straiten'd for Room, they are oblig'd to lie in Heaps as it were upon one another, in very high Houses, which being moreover of Timber, easily catch Fire. They have seen their whole Quarter in Ashes twice successively, because they refus'd the Assistance they might have had to extinguish the Flames; for they never wou'd open their Gates for fear of being robb'd,
unless when they saw that the People were going to break them open by Force. Notwithstanding all the Reasons for not suffering them at Francfort, they have a better Toleration than the Calvinists, and have fine Synagogues; whereas the Calvinists do not enjoy the free Exercise of their Religion, the Magistrates and most of the Inhabitants being Lutherans.
The City of Francfort is one of the first that embrac'd the Opinions of Luther, which presently occasion'd a Revolt: For the Inhabitants demanding the free Exercise of Lutheranism, and the Clergy and Senate vigorously opposing it, there was an Insurrection, in which the Inhabitants having the Advantage, they depos'd the Senate, and establish'd a sort of Magistracy compos'd of twenty-four, taken from the Body of the Populace. These Acts of Violence had such fatal Consequences, that at last in 1530 the City embrac'd the Confession of Augsbourg, enter'd into the League of Smalcald, and had a share in the other Calamities which afflicted the Empire. 'Twas besieg'd twice in 1552, by Maurice Elector of Saxony, and by Albert Margrave of Brandenburg, surnam'd the Alcibiades of Germany, who made himself Master of it; but it soon after recover'd its Liberty, and since that time has increas'd very much. The Elections and Coronations of the Emperors render it a very considerable Place. These two Grand Ceremonies are perform'd in the Church of St. Bartholomew, which is a vile, little, dark Building, very improper, in short, for Solemnities of that sort. The Imperial Feast is kept on the very Day of the Coronation, in the Great Hall of the Town-house, which is indeed a very wide but irregular Room. The Town-house is called Romer:
They say 'twas anciently the House of a private Gentleman, who made a Present of it to the City. If that be true, it may be said the Gentleman liv'd at large.
This City has considerable Fairs, which draw a great Number of Merchants to it and People of Quality. The River Main which falls into the Rhine near Mentz, is a great Advantage to its Commerce. This, Madame, is within a Trifle all that can be said of Francfort. I am now to have the Honor of giving you a particular Account of the chief Circumstances that attended the Election and Coronation of the Emperor.
The Conferences for the Election were open'd on the 25th of August, and held from nine o'clock in the Morning till Noon. The Plenipotentiaries of the absent Electors therein communicated their full Powers, and referr'd them to the Elector of Mentz, who afterwards made a Speech upon what had given occasion to that August Assembly. In this first Session it was resolv'd, that every thing there treated of shou'd be kept secret; and then they adjourn'd.