Read Ebook: The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis Baron de Pollnitz Volume II 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 by P Llnitz Karl Ludwig Freiherr Von

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De tant de disputes fameuses, Let us the dang'rous Tracks avoid O? nous embarque notre orgueil, Of those Disputes but too well known, Fuyons les Routes dangereuse: In which our Pride engageth us: L'Homme ? Lui-m?me est un ?cueil; Man's to himself a fatal Rock; Dans le petis Monde sensible, For in this little World of ours Est un D?dale imperceptible, There is a Dadalus unseen, Dont nous ignorons les D?tours. Whose Windings are to us unknown. La Foi de notre sort decide: 'Tis Faith our Fortune doth decide, Elle tient le fil qui nous guide; She holds the Thread which Sans elle, nous errons toujours. is our Guide; Or else we always go astray.

Heureux le coeur simple Happy that honest docile Heart, et docile, Qui sans raisonner sur la Foi, Which without reas'ning about Faith Respecte dans nos Saints Conciles Our Holy Councils venerates, Le sacr? d?p?t de la Foi; The Sacred Guardians of that Faith; Ne franchissant point la Barriere, And dares not climb o'er that Barrier. Que le Pere de la lumiere Fix'd by the Father of all Light Met aux vains efforts de l'esprit. Against proud Reason's vain Efforts. A quoi nos soins doivent-ils tendre? To what shou'd our Endeavours tend? Est-ce ? pratiquer, ou comprendre Is it to practice, or comprise Ce que le Ciel nous a prescrit? The Things which Heaven has prescrib'd?

Laissons la Sagesse ?ternalle Let's to Eternal Wisdom leave Disposer des coeurs ? son gr?: The sole Disposal of all Hearts: Il suffit ? l'Homme fidelle, The true Believer is content, Que par lui Dieu soit ador?. That God by him shou'd be ador'd. Qu'importe ? ces Docteurs habiles, What do these cunning Doctors gain, Que par des Raisons trop subtiles Who by too subtle Arguments Un Syst?me soit combattu? A System strive to overthrow? Que produit leur haute science, What does their Knowledge great avail, Si Dieu ne met dans la Balance If God but in the Balance cast Que l'Innocence & la Vertu? Virtue and Innocence to turn the Scale?

A Couplet has lately been made upon the Abb?'s Exile: I don't remember the Beginning of it, but it ends thus;

In searching among the Ruins of the Palace, most of the Archduchess's Jewels were found again, and only some Ear-pendants of great Value, and a Gold Toilet, were missing.

The Bishop is Lord of the whole Country: He has, however, his States, who are not always of the Prince's Opinion. In this Country are reckon'd fifty Baronies, a great Number of Abbies, above twenty wall'd Towns, and near fifteen hundred Villages. This Principality is subject to the Empire.

At the first RELIQUE.

We shall shew you the Linen, the sacred Raiment, in which the Holy Virgin +Mary+, Mother of God, was drest the Night of the Holy Nativity of Our Lord, when she brought forth +Jesus Christ+, Very God and Very Man. Therefore let us beseech God, that we may look upon this sacred Relique in such a Manner, that the Honour and Glory of God may be thereby advanced, and that we may obtain his Grace, and his sacred Benediction.

The other Proclamations are in the same Taste: But so much for Reliques.

I shall say nothing to you of the Revenues of this City, because I have seen nobody that could give me the least Insight into that Matter. It maintains some Companies of very sorry Soldiers, who keep Guard at the Gates, at the Town-house, and very insolently search the Luggage of all Comers; which is, certainly, of all Inconveniencies the greatest; because when one is not above two hundred Steps from our Quarters, we are obliged to unloose our Portmanteaus, which are then search'd, and every thing turn'd topsy-turvy; after which, one is obliged to be at the Trouble of putting every thing to rights again, while the very Fellows, that have put all in Confusion, have also the Impudence to ask for a Spill of Money to drink. In other Towns, an Officer goes with you to your Quarters, and you shew him what you have. But the Imperial Cities always affect to differ from others in certain Particularities, which are generally in direct Opposition to their own Interest, and constantly so to the Convenience of the Public.

The Elector's Palace would be a magnificent Pile, if the Whole was answerable to the new main Body of the Building, whose Apartments are commodious and grand, and enjoy one of the finest Prospects in the World.

LETTER L.

I shall not undertake to give you the Particulars of all these Rooms, not only because it would carry me too far, but because I observed nothing in them, except some Paintings, that is worth your Notice. The Arsenal takes up one intire Floor over these Chambers, but is only considerable for the prodigious Quantity of Arms of the modern Fashion, especially Muskets, which are the Manufacture of this City, and a Part of its Commerce.

The ground Floor is very low, but consists of fine great Arches. Here are contained the Offices of the Bank, and the Prisons, from which no body ever yet escaped, and it is humanly impossible they should; for besides that the Walls are very thick, the whole is strongly barricaded both within and without, by iron Bars, the very Appearance of which is frightful. But if 'tis possible for Prisons to be agreeable, these would certainly be such, for they are all lightsome; the Prisoners are not so ill used as they are elsewhere, but are allowed proper Nourishment, and not suffered to Wallow in their Nastiness.

They say that the Revenues of this City amount to fifty thousand Livres a Day, which I am apt to believe is true; for really the Taxes here are very considerable, the Subjects of this State paying more than those of any Crown whatsoever: All the Difference consists in the Distribution of the Taxes, and the Manner of raising them: Here they are laid equally upon the Rich and upon the poor, upon Citizens and upon Foreigners.

The Assemblies, or Societies, as they are here called, have nothing that is engaging. You see very fine Faces there, but not a Tongue moves, at least to a Foreigner, the very Sight of whom seems to frighten them. Here they drink Tea, or play a Game at Ombre, or Quadrille, and afterwards go in quest of a Supper.

A great Number of Epitaphs have been made for this famous Preacher; but as they are all good for nothing, I content myself with sending you an Epitaph on those very Epitaphs.

On the EPITAPHS made for M. SAURIN.

Be these People as much as they will for their own Interest, they are charitable, and would have every one live. They have not perhaps that gay Wit, which is of all Things so taking; but then they have good Sense. I have often taken a Place in the Boats, on purpose to hear what was said there; and have been surprised to find the common People talk of Trade, of the Interests of the State, and of other Countries, of the Manners of different People, of the History of their own Country, and in short, of a thousand other Things, with more Justness, perhaps, than a great many Epigrammatists, Stanza-makers, and Rhymesters could do elsewhere.

'Tis wrong also for some Foreigners to cry out, as they do, against Justice, which I find more impartial here than elsewhere. But it does not always act with the Vivacity which a Foreigner would wish for, who often has neither the Time, nor the Means, nor the Inclination to wait for it. He then finds fault with Justice, when he ought rather to blame the Situation of his Affairs.

I fear that you will be angry with me for having abused your Attention by this long Letter, which I now conclude, by assuring you, that nobody can be more intirely than I am, &c.

'Tis not possible for me to be insensible how greatly I am obliged to you for that Uneasiness which you seem to be under, till you can hear of my Arrival in some safe Harbour of this Kingdom, tho' 'tis no more than what I expected from such a Friend as you. I should have prevented your Anxiety upon this Score, if I had not thought it proper to take a little View of this Country, before I wrote one Word to you about it; and now I flatter myself that I am able to satisfy your Curiosity.

With these Characters of the Royal Family I shall conclude my Letter, which is already long enough: I shall give you the rest of my Remarks without Delay. In the mean time be assured, that I am always with an inviolable Attachment, &c.

The last brought us to the Royal Family, and what relates to the Court. The latter is more numerous than brilliant, if it be certain that Pleasures form the Splendor of a Court. Of these their Majesties don't seem to be fond, at least of those noisy Pleasures, that instead of unbending the Mind, which ought to be the Aim of all Pleasures, only serve to fatigue it.

The Execution of Criminals here is a perfect Shew to the People, by Reason of the Courage with which most of 'em go to the fatal Tree. I lately saw five carried to the Gallows, who were dressed, and seemed to be as well pleased, as if they were going to a Feast. The Executions here are not performed with that terrible Apparatus as they are elsewhere. There is not that Number of Halbardiers, nor all that Gravity, which sometimes strikes a greater Awe than the Execution itself. A Criminal goes to the Gallows here in a Cart. When he is directly under it, he is fastened to the Top of it, when a Smack of a Whip makes the Horses draw away the Cart, and the Criminal remains hanging. I am told, that his Friends or Neighbours pull him by the Feet, in order to dispatch him the sooner. They who die without Fainting, are always extolled to the Skies by the Populace, and the least of their Characters are, that they died like brave Gentlemen.

The Assemblies here are so throng'd, that there's hardly any stirring. Nevertheless, there are seldom more than three or four Gaming-Tables. Almost every body is standing. They are in perpetual Motion, like a Swarm of Ants; they jostle and squeeze by one another, then ask Pardon, pass mutual Compliments, and just inquire after one another's Health; but 'tis in a manner impossible to hold a Conversation.

One of the most agreeable Prospects in the Country here, is to see the happy Condition of the Peasants, who are all well lodged, well clad, and well fed. Their Lot is happier than that of many Gentlemen in certain Provinces that I know. Here is nothing of that excessive Subordination which is demanded by the Grandees of other Countries. A Gentleman who makes a Visit to a Lord, is receiv'd by him as his Equal, without being made sensible of the Difference that has happened betwixt them on the Score of Birth. Nevertheless, the great Men are very much honoured here; for while they are civil, every body strives to pay them all Sorts of Deference, but nobody thinks he is born to be insulted by them.

These, Sir, are the few Remarks that I have made upon this Country, and I wish they may entertain you. As I propose to make some longer Stay here, I may hereafter send you farther Observations on what occurs. In the mean time, continue me in the Honour of your Remembrance, and be thoroughly persuaded, that no Person in the World is more particularly than I am, &c.

An Alphabetical INDEX

TO THE

SECOND VOLUME.

FONTAINEBLEAU, Palace and Town, 184, 188.

MARPURG, t. 336.

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