a Heart full of Gratitude for all the Favours I had receiv’d from the Elector, and the Princes his Children.
I lay the first Night at Wasserbourg[8], and from thence went to Passau, which makes a Part of Lower Bavaria, and is a Bishoprick Suffragan of Saltzbourg.[9]Passau is famous for the Treaty which was concluded there between the Emperor Charles and Mauric Elector of Saxony, whereby the Protestant Religion was establish’d and secur’d in Germany, where before it was only tolerated. This is a very pretty City, has fine Houses, and several Churches. The Cathedral, which is a quite new Structure, is very large, and in the Inside very magnificent, being adorn’d all over with Pilasters, and other Embellishments of Architecture, and the Roof painted in Fresco. I was at Divine Service there on Whitsunday, and as every body then made the best Appearance they could, I observ’d the meanest Women of the Town were dress’d in Gowns of black Velvet, and scarlet Petticoats with Gold Lace, and that some of ’em had Pearl Necklaces of Five or Six Rows; and others Gold Chains with Rings, and Ear Pendants of Diamonds.
From Passau I went down the Danube to Lintz, the Capital of Upper Austria; and from thence to Vienna[10], the Capital of Austria, and the ordinary Residence of the Emperors, ever since Maximilian. This City, which was heretofore but a Bishoprick, was lately erected into an
Archbishoprick, and the Archbishop takes the Title of Prince. The Cathedral Church, which is dedicated to St. Stephen, is an old Building, very magnificent, but dark: The City stands upon the Danube, an Arm of which separates it from the Suburb, which is call’d Leopoldstat: The Turks have made more than one vain Attempt to be Masters of Vienna. Soliman II. besieg’d it Sept. 25, 1529, but on the 14th of October following Charles V. oblig’d him to raise the Siege. In 1693 the Turks made another Attempt, and besieg’d it with an Army of above 200,000 Men, when the Emperor Leopold retir’d with all his Family to the Castle of Lintz, and left the Command of the City to the Count de Staremberg: The Count was forc’d to sustain terrible Attacks from the Turks, who push’d on their Works with Vigor, and the Place could hold out no longer, when John Sobieski King of Poland advanced to relieve it, at the Head of an Army of Poles. He came in Sight of the Enemy on the 11th of September, and next Day gave them Battle, and obtain’d a complete Victory; for the Turks abandon’d both their Camp and their Artillery, and the Conquerors took a prodigious Booty, particularly such a vast Number of black Cattle, that ’tis said they were sold for Five or Six Florins apiece. The Emperor no sooner receiv’d the Tidings that the Siege was rais’d, but he set out from Lintz for Vienna, where he visited the King of Poland in the open Field, and made his grateful Acknowledgments to him for the signal Service he had then done him.
Vienna receiv’d a great deal of Damage at this Siege; Part of the Imperial Palace being reduc’d to Ashes, as well as several other grand Structures.
The Emperor immediately set about repairing those Losses, and the Palace was rebuilt as it was before; and several of the Nobility also caus’d such magnificent Palaces to be erected, that in a short time the Town recover’d its former Splendor.
The Imperial Palace is large, but has nothing else scarce to boast of, for the Apartments are low, dark, and without Ornaments, and the Furniture is very ancient, tho’ scarce any Princes have a finer Treasure in Tapistry; and why ’tis not us’d, I can’t imagine: The Apartments of the Empress Dowager were the only ones fit to lodge in; for that Princess took Care to have them not only rais’d higher, but inlaid and wainscotted, which has given them a certain Air of Majesty they had not before. This Princess’s Apartment is hung with black Velvet, it being the Custom of the Imperial Court, for the Empress Dowagers never to quit their Mourning. The Bedchamber and the Closet call’d la Retirade or the Withdrawing-Room, are the only Two Pieces that are not hung with black, the whole Furniture thereof being grey. For the rest, were a Stranger to see the Palace of Vienna, and to have no Notion of what it is before-hand, he would scarce imagine it to be the Residence of the first Prince of Europe.
The Palace of la Favorita in the Suburb of Vienna, where the Emperor spends the Summer, is even inferior to that in the City. ’Tis a very large House, built upon the Highway, without any Court before it, without Symmetry or Architecture, and which, as to the Outside, looks more like a Convent, than a Royal Palace. The Inside perfectly answers the Outside. There’s an Ascent to the Apartments by a great Stair-case,
all of Timber, that leads to a Guard Chamber, which is a Room of no great Extent, and without any manner of Ornament; and from thence there’s an Entrance into other Apartments but half furnish’d, and very low, which in short is the Fault of all the Apartments. The Gardens of the Palace are as inconsiderable as the Building; they being full of large Fruit-trees, but in very bad Order, and I saw nothing there that can be call’d a fine Prospect.
Mean time the Court Nobility are far from being so ill lodg’d as the Emperor, for they have all stately Houses, both in the City and Suburbs. Prince Eugene of Savoy’s Palace is the most magnificent Building that one shall see; for whether you examine the Outside or the Inside of it, the whole is of the best Contrivance, and the utmost Magnificence. The first Hall, which forms the first Piece of the grand Apartment, is all wainscotted, and adorn’d with large Pictures, representing the chief Battles won by Prince Eugene. From this Hall we enter into a large Antichamber, where we see a Suit of Tapistry Hangings, made by the famous Devos of Brussels, where that skilful Artist has represented the principal Transactions of the War to as great Perfection as possible: Out of this Antichamber we go into the Bedchamber; I never saw any thing so rich as the Furniture is there; the Tapistry is roll’d up in Pilasters of green Velvet, embroider’d with Gold, with Figures in Needle Work so finely drawn, that they seem to be Miniatures. This Piece is intirely furnish’d in all that Taste: The Closet next to the Bedchamber is all over gilt; and every thing in general in this Apartment is superb; the Paintings, Looking-Glasses, Marble Tables, the very Arms and Andirons