I had such a grateful Sense of his Majesty's kind Intentions towards me, that as soon as he was return'd to Berlin, I did not fail to go and thank him. His Majesty was so good as to say, That the Trifle he had now granted me was not worth Thanks. I thought, Madame, that this was a very hopeful Beginning for a Man not us'd to see his Undertakings crown'd with Success. The Courtiers strove who should be most complaisant to me; and I receiv'd Compliments from all hands, which fully persuaded me, that I was in high Favor: But my Stars did not indulge me long with this Calm; and a Storm soon arose, which drove me farther out of Port than I was before. It was owing to the following Accident.
In the beginning of the Year 1718, the King recall'd M. de Kniphausen his Envoy in France, with a design to nominate another in his room.
Several Persons sollicited for this Post; but I thought my self as well qualify'd for it as the best; and to pave the way for it, I propos'd to save the Government a great deal of Charge, by contenting myself with an Abatement of two hundred Crowns per Month less than the usual Salary. This Proposal was so well relish'd by M. de Grumkau the Minister of State, that he protected me, and undertook to recommend me to the King. I also spoke of it my self to M. d'Ilgen, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, whose Daughter was married to the said M. de Kniphausen. I gave this Minister to understand, that I should never have had a Thought of asking for this Place, if I had not been satisfy'd, that M. de Kniphausen himself had desired to be recalled. M. d'Ilgen received me with the utmost Civility, and promis'd with an Oath to serve me upon this Occasion; adding, that he could not express his Happiness in having such an Opportunity to discover the Respect and Veneration which he had for my Family. Such extraordinary Complaisance in a Courtier made me suspect the Sincerity of his Intentions, and I was quickly convinc'd that my Jealousy was but too well founded. When my Audience was over, this Minister would needs wait on me to the Door: I oppos'd it as much as I could, but when I saw it was to no purpose I gave him his way, and he attended me to the very Door of my Coach. I us'd many words with him upon his own Threshold, and begg'd him not to go a Step farther, especially as it rain'd very hard, which you'll say was Reason enough of it self to have engaged him to retire: Yet it all signify'd nothing, he would not abate an Ace of his Complaisance, but stiffly stood it out by the side of my Coach, till
it mov'd off. This, however, was all the Service he did me; for instead of serving me with the King, I knew from good Hands, that he acted the Reverse. I was told that he was not pleas'd with me for desiring less Salary than his Son-in-law had, who, when he was at Paris, was continually writing to Berlin, that his Allowance was not sufficient to maintain him.
To compleat my Happiness, the King receiv'd an anonymous Letter, assuring him that I was a true Catholic; and to inforce the Belief of it, there was added to the Letter an authentic Certificate from Father Denis, before whom I had made the Confession of my Faith. The King express'd his Resentment against me, and complain'd that I had impos'd upon him. Several People alarm'd me with more Danger than there was in reality; however, I was not frighten'd at first, for I suspected that the only Aim of the general Talk was to hinder me from going to Court, and did not think that the King was so angry as they gave out, till at last I was appriz'd that his Majesty had some Thoughts of putting me under an Arrest. The Person who came to bring me this Intelligence was H——, who was very well with M—— the King's Favorite; and I gave the more Credit to it, because I did not think that he could be so dishonorable as to attempt to do me an ill Office. This H—— was a poor Wretch, who after having spent a handsome Fortune, had a very small Pension, which the King gave him, for having executed a Commission at Stralsund with the King of Sweden, which few but himself would have accepted. As his Pension was too pitiful to subsist him, several Persons reliev'd him; and I will venture to say, That tho' I was not in very
easy Circumstances my self, yet I was some Support to him. Nevertheless, I can with Truth declare it, that he requited me with Ingratitude. He came to me with an Aggravation of that piece of Intelligence, which when all was said and done, was not of such a Nature as to drive me from the Court; but his manner of divulging it, made me believe I was ruin'd past Recovery, if I persisted in staying at Berlin. He came one day into my Chamber with a most dejected Air, and told me, That he had been just inform'd by M. de M——, that as soon as the King was return'd, I should infallibly be arrested; and at the same time he put on such an external Appearance of Concern to see me oblig'd to fly, that I took all he said for Gospel. I resolv'd therefore to be gone; but the Difficulty was to raise Money, which I had no means of doing but by making a great many disadvantagious Contracts, whereby I was a very great Sufferer in the Sequel.
After I had made Money of every thing I set out in the Night from Berlin, leaving word at home that I was bound to Hanover; but as soon as I was got out of Town I steer'd my Course for Leipsic, where I staid a few days, and then went to Mentz, where I had a Cousin in the Elector's Service, who entertain'd me as a good Kinsman would do, and introduc'd me to his Master, who gave me a most gracious Reception. I have already had the Honor to tell you of the Prerogatives of the Elector of Mentz at the Coronation of an Emperor. It only remains for me to speak to you of his Person. He was Francis-Lotharius of Schonborn, of the Illustrious Family of the Counts of Schonborn. Besides the Archbishopric of Mentz, he had also the Bishopric of
Bamberg. He had then two Coadjutors, the Elector of Triers Count Palatine of the Rhine for Mentz; and the Count de Schonborn, Vice-Chancellor of the Empire, for Bamberg. He might then be about seventy Years of Age. He was a Prince of a noble Aspect, affable, ador'd by both his Domestics and his Subjects, and very hearty for every thing that might contribute to the Tranquillity and Honor of the Empire. The City of Mentz is obliged to him for the noble Works with which he has caus'd it to be fortify'd; for it may be said he has spar'd no Cost to put his Capital in such a State as to have nothing to fear from Foreigners.
Mentz[65] stands upon a rising Ground along the Rhine, in one of the finest Parts of Germany. 'Twas formerly no more than a Bishopric Suffragan to Triers, but Pope Zachary, or as some say Gregory III. erected it into an Archbishopric, and granted him at the same time the Primacy of the Churches of Germany. 'Tis said that the first Bishop of Mentz, who was honor'd with the Dignity of Elector, was nam'd Willigise, and that he was the Son of a Cartwright, or, as others say, a Carman of the Village of Schoningen in the Country of Brunswic. He advanc'd himself purely by his own Merit to the Dignity of Chancellor to the Emperors Otho III. and Henry II. and finally to that of Archbishop of Mentz. But in all the height of his Fortune this Prelate continued in such an humble Frame of Mind that he caus'd Wheels to be painted every where about his Palace, that he might have the Badges of the Meanness of his Extraction always in his Eyes: And we are assur'd this is the Reason why the
Electors of Mentz always bear in their Arms a Wheel Argent in a Field Gules.