The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume IV / Being the Observations He Made in His Late Travels from Prussia thro' Germany, Italy, France, Flanders, Holland, England, &C. in Letters to His Friend. Discovering Not Only the Present State of the Chief Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts.

by Freiherr von Karl Ludwig Pöllnitz

The Empresses Dowagers are serv’d at Table with the same Ceremonies as the Empress Regent, and they commonly eat alone, with only the Archduchesses their Daughters. The Empress Mother always ate in private, but on Sundays and Days of Festival or Gala, the Empress Dowager din’d in public.

I had the Honour to acquaint you before, when I was mentioning the Empresses Dowagers, that they never quit their Mourning; but this must be only understood of their Persons, for their Officers

and other Domestics are clad in Colours: Yet, as to their Maids of Honour, let the Day of Gala be never so grand, the Bodies of their Gowns must be a black Ground, embroider’d with Gold and Silver, but their Petticoats may be of what Colour they please. Those Princesses are never at any Play or Ball: As for the Archduchesses, it being the Custom at Vienna for Sisters to dress alike, they must be dress’d all in their Hair upon the Days of Ceremony and Gala, as well as their Maids of Honour: They generally wear the Court Dresses; but on the Days of grand Ceremony they wear Robes, much like Children’s Vests, and very wide Petticoats with great Trains.

Upon the Days of Gala there are commonly Operas and Comedies: Their Imperial Majesties sit in the Pit, the Emperor in the chief Place, and the Empress on his Left, and the Archduchesses are in the same Row. All those of the Imperial Family have Arm-Chairs of the same Size and Height, with a Stand behind, upon which is a Wax Candle. Their Operas are magnificent, as to the Decorations and Habits, and good Judges have assur’d me, that their Music is excellent; but for my own Part I think them as sad as most of the Italian Operas, because neither of ’em are accompany’d with Dances, or any agreeable Entertainment.

I think, Madame, that I have related within a Trifle every Thing that is remarkable at Vienna, whether at Court or in the City: I shall now give you a short Account of the Persons who compos’d that august Court at the Time that I stay’d there.

Charles VI. was then upon the Imperial Throne, who is the second Son of the Emperor Leopold:

After the Death of Charles II. King of Spain, he was own’d King of that Monarchy by all the Princes of the Grand Alliance, and he then took the Name of Charles III. He went to his Kingdom, and shew’d the Spanish Nation, that he was worthy of being their Sovereign. The Death of the Emperor Joseph, his Eldest Brother, oblig’d him to return to Germany, and when he was at Genoa he heard, that he was chose Emperor. I have already had the Honour to give you an Account of his Coronation. The Reign of this Monarch has been signaliz’d by happy Events; the famous Peace concluded with France, restor’d that Tranquillity to the Empire which it had been for a long time depriv’d of, and that which was concluded some Years after with the Turks, secur’d the Happiness of Hungary, and all the hereditary Dominions.

The Name of the Empress is Elizabeth Christina of Wolfembuttle Blanckenberg: She is a Princess, who, besides all the Qualities of the Mind, has the most advantagious Aspect: She is the finest Personage at her Court, and ’tis easy to see by her majestic Carriage, that she was form’d by Nature to wear one of the chief Crowns in the World: She is very magnificent in her Apparel, and especially in Diamonds, of which she has to the Value of several Millions, and the Number is daily increasing by considerable Presents she receives from the Emperor. This Prince does Justice to the Merit of his august Spouse, who on her Part makes it her whole Care to give him Proofs of her Affection; ’tis impossible to find a more perfect Unity than that which is between their Imperial Majesties: There are Three Princesses by this Marriage; I had the Honour to see

only the Two Eldest, for the Third was born some Years after my Journey to Vienna.

She that is first in Rank, next to the Empress and the Archduchesses her Daughters, was the Empress, Dowager of the Emperor Leopold, Eleonora Magdalena Theresa of Newbourg: She was the Mirrour of the whole Court for Piety; for she spent most of her Time in Prayers at the Altars, or else in bestowing Charities, which were always very great. The Greatness of her Birth seem’d to make her uneasy, and she was vex’d to see the Honours which her Rank and Merit had entail’d upon her; she dy’d in a very advanc’d Age: She had several Princes and Princesses by the Emperor Leopold, as 1. Joseph-Jacob, who dy’d Emperor at Vienna, the 17th of April 1711. 2. Charles, the present Emperor, and Three Archduchesses; the one marry’d to the King of Portugal; another, Governess of the Netherlands; and the Third, who resides at the Court of Vienna.