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

hinder them however from working for their Livelihood. The great Trade of Marseilles and the Wealth of its Inhabitants give this City an Air of Opulence, which is seldom to be found elsewhere: There is hardly a Place where one meets with better Chear, and where ’tis easier to be accommodated with every thing that a Gentleman can desire to pass his Time agreeably. Comedies, Concerts, Gaming, Taking the Air, in short, Pleasures of all Sorts make this a most charming Place to live in, even for People that are ever so opposite to one another in Characters and Temper.

The Suburbs of Marseilles are magnificent: They contain above 20,000 little Houses, call’d by the Country-people Bastides, and all encompass’d with very fine Vineyards and Gardens, which render these Habitations very charming in the fine Weather. ’Twas to these Houses that most of the Inhabitants retir’d during the last Plague with which Provence was afflicted, and which held so long as to carry off a great Part of the Citizens. This Desolation would have been much greater, and would perhaps have penetrated into the Heart of France, had it not been for the great Care taken by the Regent, that no Correspondence should be kept with the People of Marseilles.

Provence in general is a fine Country, and a very pleasant Place to live in at all times, but especially in the Winter. At that time too the Sky is clearest, and there are then some Days, which naturally ought rather to be plac’d to the Account of Summer. I remember I was walking on the Harbour of Marseilles one Day in this Season at 2 or 3 o’Clock in the Afternoon, and that I was forc’d to withdraw, the Weather was

so hot. Yet I observ’d that not many Days after a Wind arose, (that the People of the Country call Mistral) which was extremely cold, and the more disagreeable to me, because ’tis not easy to get warm in this Country, here being no Wood but some Roots or Branches of Olive-trees, which do not make a very good Fire. Besides, most of the Rooms, especially in the Inns, are without Chimneys, so that one is oblig’d to make Use of a Pan of Coals, which is very inconvenient, to such especially as are not us’d to this Method of warming themselves.

After having for a few Days saunter’d in and about Marseilles, I thought it proper to inquire what Ship was bound to Sicily; but with all my Inquiry, I could not find out any, and was under a Necessity of going either to Genoa or Leghorn. I was assur’d that ’twas but a little way, and that I should be there in a very few Days, so that I agreed for my Passage with a Merchant that was bound to Leghorn. The contrary Wind kept us a Fortnight in the Harbour, and then we sail’d; but were forc’d to put into La Cienta, a little Town and Port of Provence. There I stayed Three Days for a fair Wind, to proceed in my Voyage, and at last finding ’twas to no Purpose, I resolv’d to leave my Trunks and Servants aboard the Ship, and to go by Land.

The first Day I went and lay at Toulon a City of Provence, and one of the best Harbours in Europe. In this Harbour lie the King’s Ships, and here is the great Arsenal of the Admiralty of France, where Lewis XIV. caus’d Works to be made worthy of so great a Monarch. The Road of Toulon is as considerable as

the Harbour, and Ships ride there perfectly safe. They say, ’tis large enough to contain all the Ships in the Mediterranean. The City of itself is but small, and were it not for the Sea-Officers, ’twould be a melancholy Place to live in. These Gentlemen have caused a House to be erected here, which serves for their Assemblies, it being composed of several Rooms very well adorn’d. Here are the Pictures of the Count de Tholouse great Admiral, the Marshals de Tesse and de Etrees, and several Generals and naval Officers; together with noble Sea-Charts. Here one is always sure to find Company enough, and that which is select. At Night they meet in these Rooms, where is all manner of Play: The Sea-Officers make the Entertainments, in which they acquit themselves with all possible Grace and Politeness; and a Foreigner is always so heartily welcome there, that they strive who shall treat him with most Civility.

You know, Madame, that the Allies attempted to make themselves Masters of Toulon, during the last War. The Duke of Savoy came first before the Place, but was soon oblig’d to raise the Siege, for Want of being supported by the English Fleet, which was kept back by contrary Winds. Others impute the Raising of this Siege to the Menaces of Charles XII. of Sweden, who was at that time in Saxony, to declare for France, if the Duke of Savoy’s Army stay’d any longer before Toulon. Be this as it will, the Duke’s Forces retir’d, after having lost some of their principal Officers, among others the brave Prince of Saxe-Gotha, Brother to the Reigning Duke, who was kill’d as he went to take a View of the Place.

From Toulon I went to Frejus, a Town upon the Sea; ’tis very ancient, and the Citizens pretend that most of its old Monuments were built by the Romans: Such are the Ruins of a Causey, that reach’d as far as Arles, near the Mouth of the Rhone, and the Remains of an ancient Circus, which seems to have been a very spacious one. ’Tis said that a great Aqueduct in the Neighbourhood brought as much Water to it from the Distance of 10 Leagues, as was sufficient to support a Naval Combat within the Circumference of this Circus. Going out of Frejus there’s a long Mole or Causey cut by several small Canals, over which there are Bridges, said to have been made by the Romans.