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

From Zeitz I went to Hoff, the first Town in the Marquisate of Brandenbourg-Bareith, from whence I proceeded to Bareith, the Capital of the Margraviate of that Name, and from thence to Erlangen: Of both these Towns I shall have occasion to make Mention hereafter: From Erlangen I went to Nuremberg[33], which passes for the best built City in all Germany: The Houses are all very beautiful, lofty, and perfectly lightsome, and most of them are painted on the Outside, like those of Augsbourg: The Town-house, in which the Senate assembles, is a Structure remarkably beautiful, is very large, and completely

well built: The principal Front is adorn’d by Three great Portico’s with Marble Pillars: The Inside is every whit answerable to the Magnificence of the Outside, there being very fine Rooms in it, adorn’d with noble Paintings.

The Territory of Nuremberg is considerable, there being several Towns and Villages depending on it: The Brandenbourg Family have had frequent Disputes with the Republic on account of some Lands, that they claim for their Appurtenances; upon which Blood has been spilt more than once; nay, in the Reign of the Emperor Frederic III. there was actually an open War upon that Occasion: At present Nuremberg is secure against any manner of Insult; it having good Ramparts, an Arsenal well furnish’d, and a numerous Garison.

After I had stay’d Two Days at Nuremberg, I set out for Aichstedt, which is the See of a Bishop, who is Prince of the Empire: I had the Honour of waiting on the then Bishop of the See, who was of the Family of the Barons of Knebel of Katzenellebogen, and a Prelate not only of a noble Extraction, but extraordinary Merit: Having a Letter of Recommendation to him, I desir’d Audience of him, and he granted it to me with great Marks of Distinction; for he sent me one of his Coaches, and gave me the most civil Reception in the World: Being at that time violently afflicted with the Gout, he was seated, and made me sit down likewise; and after a good deal of Discourse, he invited me to Supper: The Supper was attended by a Concert, which his Musicians came to perform in his Chamber: It was a very numerous Band, and perfectly well adapted: I made my Court to him for the Five

or Six Days that I stay’d at Aichstedt, and when I went away, he made me a Present of a Gold Snuffbox, which weigh’d 25 Ducats: He took it out of a Cabinet that he shew’d me, in which I observ’d a great many very valuable Jewels, particularly a Diamond Cross, reckon’d worth between 5 and 600,000 Florins: This Prelate had moreover the Complaisance to defray my Expences at my Inn, so that when I came to call for the Reckoning, I was very much surpriz’d to find that I had been beholden to the Prince to clear it.

At my Departure from Aichstedt I took the direct Road to Ratisbon, which carry’d me thro’ Ingolstadt, a strong Place of Bavaria: It serv’d for the Residence of several Dukes of Bavaria, whose Castle is still to be seen, where lives the Governor, who is always a General Officer of the Elector’s Troops.

From Ingolstadt Half a Day’s Journey brought me to Ratisbon, an Imperial City of Bavaria, and a Suffragan Bishoprick of Saltzbourg: There I found the Cardinal of Saxe, who was come thither to preside at the Dyet, in quality of the Emperor’s Commissary: He had for his Adjunct the Baron de Kirchner, who had the Title of Joint Commissioner at the Dyet, and had the Care of all Affairs: This Post of Commissioner at the Dyet is the most honourable that the Emperor has in his Nomination; insomuch that a Commissioner does not yield Precedence to an Elector; and his very Instructions import, that if a King comes to Ratisbon, he must not yield him the Preference: The Cardinal of Lamberg, who was the Cardinal of Saxe’s Predecessor in the Post of Commissioner at the Dyet, had some Broil with the Electors, and with the Court

of Vienna, because he gave way to the Duke of Lorrain: This Prince passing thro’ Ratisbon to take Possession of his Dominions, after the Treaty of Ryswick, sent Notice to the Cardinal of his Arrival, upon which he went immediately, and pay’d his Royal Highness a Visit, invited him to dine at his House, sent his Coaches for the Duke, and gave him the Right Hand upon all Occasions: Of this the Electors Envoys complain’d; but the Cardinal, not much intoxicated with his Dignity, made them Answer, That he thought it was a Deference which he ow’d to the Duke of Lorrain, not as a Sovereign Prince, but as the Emperor’s Nephew: He made Use of the same Argument at the Court of Vienna, where, tho’ for that one time only, his Conduct was approv’d.

This is not the only Prerogative enjoy’d by the Commissioner to the Dyet: He has a Right to have Guards, and is commonly serv’d by Gentlemen: When an Electoral Minister repairs to the Cardinal for Audience, he is receiv’d as he alights out of his Coach by Four Gentlemen, who conduct him to the Chamber of Audience; There’s a Guard-Room, in which there are 50 Soldiers, always drawn up in a Line with Muskets on their Shoulders: Next to this Room is the Chamber of Audience: When the Minister enters it, the Commissioner advances half way to meet him; They then sit down in Two Chairs of State, under the same Canopy; in such manner that the Commissioner is placed in the middle, and the Envoy’s almost over against him, but a little to one Side, so that it stands partly upon the Carpet, with the Back turn’d half way towards the Door. When the Audience is over, the Commissioner accompanies the Envoy half

way out of the Chamber, from whence Four Gentlemen reconduct him to his Coach: The Envoys of the Princes are only receiv’d by Three Gentlemen. The Commissioner expects them in the Chamber of Audience standing, and leaning upon a Table, which is under a Canopy, with a Chair of State by his Side: When the Envoy is enter’d, the Commissioner sits down, and puts on his Hat, and the Envoy does the same: His Chair of State stands over-against the Commissioner’s, with its Back turn’d towards the Door, and plac’d in such a manner, that the Envoy’s Feet do but barely touch the Commissioner’s Carpet: When the Audience is ended, Three Gentlemen reconduct the Envoy to his Coach: The Deputies of the Free States of the Empire have a Chair with only a Back, and no Arms to it, when they have Audience of the Commissioner, and only one Gentleman receives and reconducts them.