Year. The upper Rooms serve for the Arms, of which I was assur’d there were enough for 40,000 Men, Horse and Foot, all rang’d in such Order, that ’tis a Pleasure to see them: The hollow Spaces are full of Flints and Balls: The Court of this Arsenal, and all the Bastions of the Castle are full of Bombs and Bullets: In short, to examine this Castle well, one would take it for the Temple of Mars, rather than for the Palace of a Minister of Peace.
The new Castle which the Bishop was building when I went into his Capital stands in the Town itself, near the Gate that leads to Nuremberg: ’Twill be one of the finest in Europe, if the Model I have seen of it be exactly pursued: All the Foundations were already finish’d, and about a Fourth Part of the Castle carry’d up to the first Story: But tho’ there was no Want of Labour, yet it requires a good deal of Time to bring to Perfection a Structure which is 360 and odd Feet in Front, and forms Five great Courts: The Bishop’s Design was to make the principal Stair-case of Marble, and to line the Chapel, the Guard-Chamber, the great Rooms of the Palace, and all the Chimneys and Doors with the same: The Gardens were to be answerable to the Magnificence of the Building, and the Bishop had actually demolish’d the Ramparts, and fill’d up the Ditches; but Death stopp’d him in the midst of his Undertaking, and he has left his Successor to take care, that the Work be finish’d according to the Plan of it, which has been admir’d by those who are good Judges.
After I had seen the Two Castles, I went to visit the great Hospital, which is a very fine Establishment: This Building is compos’d of a great Pavilion in the middle of Two very large
Wings: The principal Entrance is thro’ the Pavilion, to which there is an Ascent by Two Steps; and on the Right and Left are Two fine Galleries in Form of Arches, which serve as Corridors to lead to the necessary Offices for maintaining the poor Pensioners of the Hospital: At the Top of the Stair-case of the Pavilion is an Entry, which leads to a couple of close Galleries, in which are the Chambers of the Pensioners, and to a large fine Room, all over carv’d, painted and gilt: On the Left Hand are Two great Closets, in which the Bishops retire during the Holy Week. The second Story is like the first; there’s a Room like to that I have been speaking of, wherein the Bishop, assisted by his Chapter, washes the Feet of the Poor upon Holy-Thursday, and afterwards regales, and serves them at Table, accompany’d by the Canons of his Chapter, who, when all is over, dine with him in the Room below Stairs: Behind this Hospital is a very fine Garden, adorn’d with Fountains, Grotto’s, and a fine Orangery, kept in very good Order; which is for the Pensioners to walk in when they please: The late Bishop, who was in every thing magnificent, design’d to enlarge this Building with Four Pavilions, like to that subsisting, which would have form’d a fine Court in the middle: There are other Hospitals also at Wurtzbourg to the Number of 15 or 16, all so well endow’d, as fully proves the Good-nature and Wealth of the People of this Country.
After I had stay’d at Wurtzbourg, I embark’d on the Maine, in which is most pleasant Sailing betwixt Vineyards and fine Plains, that form a Prospect as agreeably diversify’d as can be wish’d: When I arriv’d at Francfort I heard of the Death of Madamoiselle de Pollnitz, to whose Estate in
Holland I was joint Heir with my Brother, but her other Estates went to her Mother, who was still living.
From Francfort I went to Dusseldorp, where I found my Brother, who was still in an ill Humour with the Judges, for having made us lose our Cause: For my Part, as I was more inur’d to Disappointments, I endeavour’d to comfort him, and advis’d him to go to Berlin, and sell what Estate we had there: The Death of my dear Cousin set us at Liberty to proceed to this Sale; for now the Entail was only between my Brother and me: My Brother set out therefore for Berlin, and I went to Hambourg, to wait the Issue of the Sale: I stay’d there from November to Easter, and spent the Winter very happily: I have already had the Honour to acquaint you, speaking of this City, that here was generally good Company: But this Winter there was more than usual, most of the People of Quality that had Houses in the Neighbourhood coming thither to pass the Season, and there were moreover several Ministers sent to the Circle of Lower Saxony, who were for most Part charming good Company: Such a one was M. Poussin, the Envoy of France, who was really a Minister of great Parts and uncommon Merit: The other Envoys were all likewise choice Companions: Besides these Ministers there were several other Families at Hambourg where Foreigners of any tolerable Rank were perfectly well entertain’d: The Count de Nat, a Lieutenant-General in the Emperor’s Service, and formerly Minister of State to the Duke of Holstein, and General of his Forces, kept a grand House there, which was noted for one of the best in Hambourg, where was
a great Resort of Company every Day without the least Confusion: And there was a charming Air of Liberty throughout, which receiv’d additional Lustre from the noble and gracious Deportment of the Countess, that Minister’s Wife, to all Strangers that came to her: I need not give you a more particular Account of this Lady; for I remember to have heard you speak of her, as a Person of distinguish’d Merit, and who, with a great Share of Wit, was to the utmost degree polite. The Count de Guldenstein made a considerable Figure also at Hambourg; his Table was delicate, and always furnish’d with the best of Company; judge, Madame, whether I could think the time tedious in a City, where from Morning till Night there was a continual Round of Pleasure: We din’d to Day at one House, To-morrow at another; and in the Afternoons there was Play, which was sometimes interrupted by Adjournments to the Opera, with which I was very well pleas’d: I found the Orchestre excellent, the Decorations noble, the Dances very well executed, the Actors richly dress’d, and such as endeavour’d to play their Parts for the best.
I set out from Hambourg with a numerous Company to go to the Fair of Kiel, which begins the next Day after Epiphany, and holds Three Weeks: All this time Hambourg is a perfect Desert, for every body hurries to this Fair, because ’tis there that they are commonly paid their Rents, that Leases are renew’d with the Farmers, and that Money is let out to Advantage: Tho’ I had no Business of this nature to transact there, yet I was determin’d not to stay behind so much good Company as went from Hambourg.