BRUNSWICK
A most gracious invitation from the Court immediately on our arrival being known; we dined there the next day. The Duke is a worthy nephew of the great Frederick’s; but for the unfortunate invasion of France, he would have been in addition to the best general of his time the most successful.[144] His countenance marks a man of great talent. He is reckoned reserved, but his good breeding prevents it from falling into coldness. The Dss. is a most excellent, prating, good-hearted woman, very like her brother the King, full as talkative and inquisitive, but much less discreet. She rattled away upon all subjects. She put many distressing questions to me about the P. and Pss., especially as to the renewal of the amour with Mrs. Fitzherbert, about which I expressed the most profound ignorance. She could not conceal her dislike of the Queen, whom she called haughty and proud of her station, as she was but the daughter of an inferior Prince of Mecklenburg, an appanage of the family.
After dinner the Dss. desired I would join her to pass the eve. at Mde. Deodati’s, a dull card assembly. The weather was very hot. Poor Drew fell ill, and kept his bed; a fever and spasms. On Thursday we dined again at Court. In the evening went to the French comedy: a very pretty theatre; afterwards to Mr. Des Arte, merely to please Mr. Kinnaird, who is living with him. Mr. Ridley, a good-humoured young man, K.’s fellow-traveller. On Friday received another invitation to dine at Court; I wrote a letter of acknowledgment and apology to the good Duchess. Drew was better, and we set off to Helmstadt. On the right-hand side of the road a building with four painted towers, which belies its warlike appearance, as it is nominally the seat of peace and bliss—a convent; tho’ in fact hatred and discord sojourn chiefly within such walls, and Ariosto was scarcely satiric when he makes the angel seek discord in a monastery. Upon second thoughts I believe he sought indolence, not discord. He might, however, have named both; one is suspended only by the other.
The first night was spent at Helmstadt, the second at Magdeburg. ‘Magdeburg is the frontier town on Prussian territory. It was sacked by the barbarous Tilly at the beginning of the bloody wars under Gustavus Adolphus, and it has since afforded a prison to La Fayette, who lived a year in the citadel, before he was transferred to a more rigorous jailor, the Emperor.’
Zefur, their next halt. ‘We went to the worst inn, where we were abominably cheated and abominably lodged.’ They reached Potsdam at one o’clock the next night.
We went to the Palaces. I saw them about four years ago, but as they are very fine I did not dislike another visit to them. The Great Palace contains rooms as superb as any in Versailles, and may vie with those at Rome and Genoa. Sans Souci, the retreat of Frederick, is a delightful habitation. His apartment is entire: his private library (consisting solely of French books) is untouched. In his bedroom the only picture is a portrait of Gustavus Adolphus; in an adjoining room a bronze bust of Charles XII. of Sweden. I paid my homage to the apartment of Voltaire. He occupied it many years, until he capriciously quarrelled with his Royal patron.
SANS SOUCI
Close by the windows of Frederick’s private apartments are the monuments of his dogs—large flat stones with their names simply inscribed upon them. Near is a space he allotted to himself, as he desired to be interred amidst these barking favourites; but his successor wisely disobeyed the injunction, and gave the atheistical Monarch Christian burial. Marsh was furious. I thought the profanation of giving the form of tombstone was the provocation, or the marked contempt of sacred rites in desiring to be buried in the centre of his dogs, but I suspect his anger proceeded from some other cause, his marked preference for those animals above his fellow creatures.
Wednesday, 6th August.—Road to Berlin excellent; arrived to dinner at ½ past one. When I was there four years ago I only stayed a couple of days, but barely sufficient to see the public buildings. Ld. Carysfort,[145] the English Minister, and family were just arrived. It is a new career for him, and one he enters into to repair the derangement of a small fortune and owes to the interest of his wife, who is Ld. Grenville’s sister. Mr. Garlike, poor Spencer’s friend, had been Chargé d’Affaires. He is a mild, gentlemanlike man; he remains on as Secretary to the Legation. Ld. H. had formerly been a good deal in the Berlin society, particularly at Prince Ferdinand’s,[146] to whom he made himself known, and we went there one evening to supper. The Pss. is very talkative, and seems cross and clever.
I sent my card to Ly. C. as wife to the protector of the English, a respect usual and due to the office; she did not return hers. It seemed an unnecessary rudeness, but I presume she did as I did, viz., what we each thought right to be done. Ld. C. invited the gentlemen to dinner; Ld. H. refused civilly. I was confined to my bed and to the house for a few days with a sharp fever and sore throat, ill enough to take James’s powders and bark. I went to the German play, not a word of which could I comprehend.