At my little domestic theatre I’ll give to-morrow a most extraordinary fête, to which none but ladies of my acquaintance are invited. Every one is to appear in a light airy dress. The performance is to open with an Italian piece, called Hymen’s Wake. Some male and female dancers are to perform, on this occasion, in the usual mode. After the theatrical representation there is to be a grand ball, in such a stile as cannot fail to captivate the senses; after which I have prepared an enchanting grotto for the K—g. I have instructed little Schult, the dancer, how to behave; she is to represent a Venus. There is a fête for you! The K—g, not long ago, said to me, “What a charming woman you are, Minna! You sacrifice your own health to promote mine.”
PYRMONT, IN 1797.
The K—g actually means to purchase Pyrmont in right earnest, and negociations on the subject are carried on with great activity. That little tract of country is incumbered with heavy debts; its produce is about 200,000 dollars a-year. The P——e de —— has made me a serious tender of his hand, and thinks, by that means, to clear his estate. The titles of Princess and your Royal Highness, I must confess, have great charms for me. But then I cannot move in so extensive a circle as formerly, on account of my great distance from Berlin. What would you have me do, A——lang? The French players at Hamburg have been called to this place; they are to have 500 Frederics d’ors for their journey hither, and as many on their return to Hamburg. The K—g suffers a great deal from his pectoral dropsy, that makes us think of such a variety of amusements for him. Between you and me, I am alarmed for his health. Even the English Doctor often shrugs up his shoulders, and gives but very faint hopes. If I can but bring about one thing, he may then depart in peace. My emigrant, Coller, is exactly the man we want; next week I send him to Hamburg with the papers in question, and I hope he will do business properly, and prove useful to us. My brother and Kunassius are to accompany him.
Here follows a Number of Letters addressed to her Mother, out of which the following are selected:
I am quite impatient to write to my dearest mother; I have so much to say that I don’t know when I shall have done, but I must tell my dearest mother every thing, and then my mind will be at ease. I have had some dreadful dreams; pray Heaven that all be right. You must assist me with your advice; you must take care to discover every thing that is said of me; we must do every thing to retain our power and influence; I know the people hate me because I hate them. If there are any lampoons handed about in secret, you must procure them, and find out, if possible, the authors. You know I have every thing to dread from my own sex. Paris is an enchanting city; such a continued round of pleasures, balls, operas, and dances;—and, then, such gallantry. You cannot conceive how my toilet is frequented by persons of the first rank, and how my charms are admired! But, O my dear mother, you cannot conceive how my pride is humbled as often as I think of the lowness of my birth! Sometimes I am like to faint when I think of it, but I banish it from my thoughts as fast as I can. What do titles, and beauty, and splendour, and power, avail? After all, I am but the daughter of a trumpeter; but K——se has been of great service to me in this respect, for he has whispered, under the seal of secrecy, that I am the daughter of Baron de S——ts, by a left-handed marriage. This story must be kept alive, and you must nod assent to it; and if a letter or two could be forged, it would stamp it with credit. Consult L—e on this, but if it is not managed with the greatest address, it will make things worse than ever; let me be the daughter of any one rather than the daughter of a trumpeter. I have sent Krebs purposely with this letter; you may trust him. The French women dress to the highest advantage, and Gleim tells me, that some of the first judges of beauty say that I am ten times handsomer than the Countess du Barry was in her finest days. I send you a portrait of her, that you may judge, for I know my dear mother will not deceive me. Gleim is a charming fellow, but I must not trust him too far, though he thinks he is in full possession of all my secrets; he is a vain fellow, but he is a charming fellow for all that. I am often complimented on my accent, and the Abbé de Lille assured me the other morning, that I might be mistaken for a French woman. In that respect, this was a high compliment, for the French are the vainest creatures on earth. I had some verses sent me a few days ago, but the scribbler deceived me, for I find they were written some years ago by Voltaire, on Madame de Pompadour; you cannot conceive how it mortified me. Then, as to my age, I think I may venture to strike off three years; how do I tremble at the idea of wrinkled cheeks! Give me youth, beauty, and birth; these are all I ask, and then I will hold my lover as long as I please, or, if I should lose him, I can soon replace him. O dear mother! I have one question to ask, and I tremble when I ask it. Are you sure I had the small-pox? Surely I hope I had. I have luckily got acquainted with a woman who excels in all kinds of cosmetics, and other secrets of great importance. I must purchase them all, cost what they will. You cannot conceive how I am putting your lessons in practice, and successfully too; sometimes I affect silence, lost in thought, and counterfeit indisposition, that I may read the effects in the eyes of certain persons. The French excel in all kinds of intrigue; every man is a lover, and talks of sentiment, but be assured, my dear mother, that real passion never yet found its way into the heart of a Frenchman. I have seen the handsome Ferson twice; he passes for the richest man in Sweden; he lives in great splendour, but, at the same time, with the greatest œconomy. Pougent has promised to give me some lessons in music; he is natural son to the Prince of Conti. Would that I could say I was natural daughter to some prince, or any person that could boast of noble blood! and yet I think there is some in my veins; it is impossible I can be the daughter of a trumpeter; you know I bear no resemblance to him. You see how this sits on my heart; I can say any thing to you. I do not know how long I shall remain in Paris. I have bought a number of pictures; one day they shall adorn my Chateau. They have been chosen by an Italian, who is said to be a great connoisseur in that line, but the Italians are great cheats. Do not detain Krebs long; send him to me with good news. I wish you could see me, I never looked so charming in my life. Pray tell me if poor Elmenbent is alive; if she is, you must give her some money; she knows my age, and she may blab it with other secrets. As to....
Krebs will tell you how I am adored. You must not let him be near my sister, for the Count might ask him some questions, and you know how aukward he is in his answers. I have not time to finish this letter; I must dress for the opera. Write, write all, and send Krebs back on the wings of impatience....
O my dear angelic mother! I read your letter over with such joy, that I thought I should faint at every line. You know, you may say, you got acquainted with the Baron at Eldagsen; he passed a couple of years there, and, if the story is well managed, who is to contradict it. I am more afraid of Pastor Besler than any, but he must be bribed or flattered with the hopes of preferment. I think we will contrive to manage this matter to our satisfaction. I am forming a little party here, but it is hard to trust the French, for, notwithstanding all the appearance of levity which they assume, they are full of design, and, though they are always speaking, yet they are always thinking. For all that, I have purchased the secret of the cosmetic; its divine! I cannot tell you the enchanting effect of it; but this is the only secret I must keep from my dear mother and sister. By the bye, you must not let her see one of my letters; you know she could never keep a secret since she was born. Above all, how does my heart rejoice when you tell me I had the frightful small-pox! You are quite sure of it, you must not deceive; but you did not tell me when, because I would strive to recollect. You must get Candidate Bang to write some verses on me; the Prince reads every thing that he writes; tell him that I never looked so lovely in my life; do not let him forget my teeth, and eyes, and fine hair, and, above all, my smile; but, if he should speak of my mind, let that be artless and innocent; but, above all, let him praise my constancy in love; let him draw me in the midst of a circle of dying lovers, with my eyes fixed on one only. Do not let him know that I desired this, for he is one of those that cannot keep a secret either, but we must make use of such persons at times; he is a fool with all his learning, but we will keep that to ourselves. Only three lampoons, dear mother; I think I know their author, and, instead of being paid, he shall pay for them. They seem to be at a loss what to say of me here; but I am afraid, though they bow in my presence, that they sneer behind my back. I have got acquainted with Count Beincourt; he has got an immense estate in Normandy, and one of the oldest families in that country. Oh! what it is to be descended of an old family! There are some that affect to despise it, but I know that they wish for it in secret. I have met with two or three Rosicrusians, but not one Swedenborgian. Do you know that I go by the name of the handsome Swedenborgian? I had a frightful dream this morning; I dreamed that....