side. The new King accompany'd the Convoy, and when the Corpse was deposited in the Royal Vault he went out of the Church, and mounting on horseback put himself at the Head of the Troops which made three Discharges of small Arms, and at the same time the Cannon were fir'd from the Ramparts. Thus, Madame, were the last Devoirs paid to Frederic our First King.
As to the Queen, the Physicians were of Opinion that her Native Air would be of service to her, and therefore she was carry'd to her Mother's Seat at Grabau in Mecklemburg, where she still remains, but without any Hopes as yet of her Recovery.
After the Death of Frederic I. the King his Son dismiss'd the whole Court, the three Companies of Life-Guards were broke, and the Guard of the hundred Swiss sent home to their own Country: In short, every thing assum'd a new Face. I saw, and was really mortify'd to see, that there was nothing more for me to hope for in my own Country. Nevertheless, tho' I thought I should have broke my Heart the first Moment that I receiv'd the melancholy News, my Sorrow was of no long duration. I had not, indeed, a very splendid Fortune to be my Comfort, but I was so young that I presum'd to think I should never come to want. Besides, my Birth was some Relief to my Mind; and to tell you the plain truth of the matter, as Things stood with me at that time, I was quite in love with Paris, which was reason good enough why I should not devote myself long to Melancholy.
Happening to be at the Fair of St. Germain, I there contracted Love for another Mistress. I had no reason to be asham'd of the choice I then made, because I might have hop'd to have been
possess'd of every thing that was capable of fixing a Man of Gallantry. I abandon'd my self intirely to this new Amour, and as I was naturally fond of Expence, I laid out such a Sum that all my Friends were startled at it. My Equipages, Clothes, Liveries, &c. were all of the utmost Magnificence, and the frequent Presents that I made were very rich. But I was soon reduc'd to a Necessity of making very serious Reflections upon my past Conduct; tho' I had no body to blame but myself; for as to Mademoiselle de S—— (which was the Name of the Angel I ador'd) she would certainly have been well enough pleas'd with a Lover less profuse, so that with a little Oeconomy I might have made a gay Figure at Paris: But my new Passion would not suffer me to think so close of my Finances, which were now so much disorder'd that I saw no Remedy, except to return to my own Country: But I was so uneasy to think of going away, that I was very loth to fix on a day for my Departure. Mean time my dear Mistress and her Mother both press'd me with Tears in abundance to undertake a Journey so necessary; the one wishing it for my own sake, and the other for the sake of her Daughter; for the good Mother was as eager after Money, as the Daughter was disinterested. At length the melancholy Day being come, I set out from Paris without bidding Farewel to any one Friend whatsoever except Madame, and the Duke of Orleans, because I hop'd to be back again speedily. I left all my Servants behind, except only one Domestic who was privy to all my Affairs.
The Day that I set out I arriv'd about five o'clock in the Evening at Roye in Picardy, where I was told I could not proceed farther
for want of Post-Horses, the Duke of Ossuna who was gone Ambassador of Spain to the Treaty at Utrecht, having taken them all up. I resolv'd therefore to go on with those that brought me to Roye. I halted at very sad Quarters, at a place betwixt Roye and Peronne. The first thing I did was to go to Bed, and really need enough I had of Rest; for my Head was so confus'd with a thousand different Thoughts, that I felt my Brains work almost as if I had been light-headed. But when I was in Bed 'twas much worse with me, I still indulg'd Melancholy. One while I wanted to go back again to Paris, whither my Love call'd me strongly. On the other hand, I was sensible of the sad Necessity of pursuing my Journey. In short, Swarms of different Inclinations succeeded each other; but at last, after a long debate with my self, I resolv'd to return to Paris. The time when I made this noble Resolution was about two o'clock in the Morning. I got up that Moment, and call'd for my Valet. As he lay in another part of the House which was separate from my Apartment, I thought 'twas better to go my self and awake him, than to lose my time in calling for him. I went out of my Chamber accordingly, but as ill luck would have it, I had not observ'd, or rather the confusion I was in made me forget that my Chamber-Door open'd into a Gallery that run round the House. This Gallery was so lately built that they had not time to put Rails to it, so that before I had gone two steps I had the finest tumble that ever I made in my Life. I fell from the Gallery into the Yard, and by good luck upon a heap of Dung, otherwise I might have been wounded, if not kill'd; so that all the harm I had was the surprize to find my self
sinking in a Matrass as offensive as 'tis possible to conceive. My greatest perplexity was then to contrive how to get out of it, and to find the way back to my Chamber: But the Night was so dark, and I was so little acquainted with the House where I lodg'd, that I despair'd of getting out without Help; I began then to call out lustily for my Valet. But the Rascal never heard me, and indeed I was inform'd soon after, that he had been drunk, so that his Liquor had plung'd him into a profound Sleep. Seeing that I had to do with one that was as deaf as a Post, I thought fit to call out aloud for Mary, Catherine, Joan, and other Names, hoping that there was some Servant-Maid in the House, whom one at least of these Names would fit: Nor was I deceiv'd, for one of the Maids came to my Assistance, but the Wench taking me for a Spirit ran away in an instant, with a great Cry of Jesu-Maria. I was then terribly mortify'd: At this rate I plainly saw I should be forc'd to spend the rest of the Night in the Dunghill, and to wait with patience till the whole Family was risen. What made me the more apprehensive of the Consequences of this Disaster was, that tho' we were got into the Summer Season, yet the Nights were cold, and I had nothing over my Shirt but a Taffeta Night-Gown. I began again therefore to call and baul so loud, that at length some of the Family ran out to see what was the matter; but like the Servant-Maid they all took me for a Ghost come to haunt the House, and were afraid to come near me. At length, all this Noise awak'd my Valet, who ran out in his Shirt. He imagin'd at first that there had been a Design to murder me, but when I bid him put the Horses in my Chaise, he thought I was crazy; and indeed, I
was pretty far gone that way. I repeated my Order to get my Chaise ready, that I might be gone that instant. My Valet, who had scarce recover'd from the Surprize he was in at my giving such an Order, said, Alas, Sir, be easy; 'tis but two o'clock in the Morning yet, at five you shall be gone. I told him, that he was a Fool, and that go I would. But he, like other Skipkennels who are apt to be fancy if their Masters treat them with any degree of Familiarity, refus'd point-blank to obey me. He said that I had no Consideration, that because I could not sleep my self I hinder'd others from sleeping; that I roll'd along the Day in an easy Chaise, whereas he rode generally upon very sorry Horses; that in short he wanted Rest, and that he would not set out till he had two Hours more Sleep, and had a good Breakfast. I was like to have been in a Passion, but saw 'twas to no purpose, and therefore we split the Difference; he compounded with me not to go to Bed again, and I gave him leave to take his Breakfast. When he thought fit to make an end, I got into my Chaise, and order'd the Postillion to strike into the Road for Paris. Then my Valet imagin'd indeed that I was crack-brain'd; he said I was wrong, and that we must turn into the Road to the Netherlands. I order'd him to hold his tongue, and go on. The poor Boy being confirm'd more and more in his Notion that I was Kite-headed, was wonderful uneasy, and at every Stage came with a sorrowful Countenance to the side of my Chaise to know how I did, and if I wanted any thing. At length I arriv'd at Paris, where all that knew of my Departure were startled to see me return'd so soon. I feign'd my self very much out of order, and that I came back again for fear of a Fit of
Sickness, in which case I chose to be at Paris rather than any where else. But no body would believe me, for they thought that some Love-Affair at heart was the sole cause of my returning in such a hurry. I stay'd three Days at Paris, but did not go once to Versailles for fear of Madame, who was a Princess that did not love such Frolics, and I for my part did not love Reprimands, and therefore I thought it best to keep out of her way. Mean time the very same reason that determined me the first time to take a Journey to my own Country still subsisted, and at last I quitted Paris in good earnest, tho' I was resolv'd to be absent as little a while as possible.