MEMOIRS OF THE Baron de Pollnitz. Vol. III. (continued 6)

The most comical part of this Adventure was, to find R—— quarrelling bitterly with the Duchess for holding a long Parley with a Gentleman in Masquerade at the Ball. He pretended to be jealous, and wrote a thundering Letter to her next day, wherein he told her, that he would have nothing more to do with her. On the other hand Madam de R——, with whom I went to the Ball, and whom I was still passionately fond of, took advantage of the Conference I had with the Duchess, and also pretended Jealousy, (for to be serious, I knew afterwards that 'twas only a Copy of her Countenance.) She expatiated a good deal upon her Uneasiness at the long Conversation that pass'd betwixt us. I was silly enough to believe that she was sincere in what she said, and more Fool still to be transported with the Thought that I had made her jealous. I did all in my power, however, to remove her Suspicions; in a word, I said every thing that a Lover can say, who loves sincerely, and would convince that he does so. She seem'd to be satisfy'd with my Protestations; but yet instead of making a suitable Return to the Respect I had for her, she continu'd to teaze me all the rest of the Winter. Her Behavior was so extremely coquetish, that it gave me a deal of Vexation; and besides, I did not like to see the Marquis de V—— so often at her House.

I had been pester'd with this Marquis for a long time. 'Twas he that took away S—— from me; and no sooner was I got into the Favor of Madame de R——, but he found a way to insinuate himself there too. I was so provok'd to see him always at my Heels, that I quarrel'd with him one day at C——, where we happen'd to meet at the House of the President de N——. We were actually at Daggers-drawing, when M. de C—— came and parted us. V—— assur'd me that he had no manner of Pretence to Madame de R——, and actually promis'd me, that if I did not like his Visits to her, he would not renew them. And he was as good as his Word, so that I was perfectly reconcil'd to him; but I was not at all pleas'd with Madam de R——. I saw plainly that I was betray'd. I had fresh Cause to suspect her every day, and yet I hugged the Chains wherewith she had bound me; in which I sufficiently confuted the vulgar Error of those who assert, that People never love heartily but once. I ought, however, to reflect a little upon this last Amour, which was extremely hurtful to me. Madam de R—— was so extravagant that a Man could not be upon good Terms with her, without being, at an excessive Expence. To support my self I borrow'd Money every where, till e'er long I knew not where to find Lenders. On the other hand my Creditors began to make me frequent Visits, till they were tir'd with my continually putting them off from one time to another, and then truly they resolv'd to proceed against me by Law; and at length took out a Writ to attach my Person. I was very much stunn'd at the News, but because I had put them in an ill Humor, I was willing to avoid the Effects of it, by keeping my Chamber for some days, till M. de N—— had procur'd me an Order to stay Prosecution. This Respite put me upon ways and means to find Money, all my Desire being to satisfy my Creditors. I was aware how difficult it was to get a sufficient Sum to pay them remitted from home; for all my Estate was entail'd upon my Brother and Mademoiselle de Pollnitz; and she never intended to give her Consent to the mortgaging of any part of it. Yet having no other way to bring my self out of Trouble, I got my Friends to intercede with her; which they did so powerfully, that at length they really prevail'd on her to agree to the borrowing of some Money upon the Estate, which was lent accordingly; and by this Means I got happily out of this Scrape. The Difficulties I had been plung'd in made me wiser, and I lessen'd my Expences, which I perceiv'd, indeed, was not the way to preserve the Favor of Madam de R——. But what should I do? To dip my self again over head and ears in Debt, and to run the risque of having another scurvy Action enter'd against me, was what I could not resolve on. At this same time I obtain'd a Pension of 2000 Livres; but as to an Employment, none could I get of the Secretary at War.

This put me so much out of Temper, that notwithstanding my Passion for Madam de R——, and my being so much attach'd to France, I determin'd to try once more for an Establishment elsewhere. For this purpose I wrote to the Prince of H——, a General Officer in the Emperor's Service, and a Colonel of a Regiment of Foot, who return'd me a very obliging Answer, how glad he should be to admit me into his Regiment; but that there was no Company vacant in it, nor none like to be, unless I could strike a Bargain with a certain old Captain who had a Design to retire, and would gladly part with his Company for 2000 Crowns. To find such a round Sum as 2000 Crowns, in the Situation which I was in then, and to find the Philosopher's Stone, was as easy for me one as the other. I resolv'd, however, to treat with the Captain.

I therefore set out for Bruges, where the Prince of H—— was in Garison with his Regiment. I met with a Captain, but he was pretty stiff, and would absolutely hear of no Terms but the Money down, or old Plate for Security. The Prince, who really wish'd me well, and perfectly knew the State of my Affairs, wrote to my Cousin to persuade her to consent to my taking up some more Money upon the Estate. I also indited the most moving Letter I could, to melt her; but 'twas all to no purpose: The Answers she return'd were very sarcastical. She set me off to the Life, and she had the Art to persuade the Prince who had wrote to her, that to give me Leave to borrow more Money, was to put a Sword into the Hands of a Mad-man. For my own part I was in a manner convinc'd that she had Reason on her side. I therefore quitted all Thoughts of the Company which I propos'd to buy, and set out for Paris.

I was not sorry to leave Bruges[52], it being one of the saddest Places in the Netherlands for a Man to live in, who is not a Merchant; yet 'tis a very considerable City. 'Tis said to be very ancient, and that it was encompass'd with Walls in the Year 865. It was formerly dependant on the Bishopric of Tournay; but since the Reign of Philip II. it has been erected into a Bishop's See, which is now Suffragan to the Archbishopric of Mechlin. Its Cathedral, which is dedicated to St. Donat, is a very old and a very fine Structure. The other Churches are also of an elegant Model, especially the Jesuits Church and our Lady's. In the latter there's the Tomb of Charles the Bold the last Duke of Burgundy who was kill'd before Nancy, from whence his Corpse was translated hither, by order of Mary of Austria, his Grandaughter, the Widow of a King of Hungary and Sister to the Emperor Charles V. The Situation of Bruges is very advantagious, it being but three Leagues from the Sea; and for the Ease of its Trade there are several Canals cut in it, on which Vessels pass to and fro as they do in Holland; with this Conveniency moreover, that People dine there as elegantly as in the best Tavern. Tho' all these Canals have a Communication with the Sea, yet their Waters are not fast, by reason of the Sluices and other Machines, which they make use of to prevent it. 'Tis natural to suppose, that Fields in which so many Canals are cut, must be fertile; yet the Trade of Bruges is very much dwindled since the flourishing of that of Amsterdam, which has engross'd it all to it self.

I forgot to tell you, that 'twas at Burges the Order of the Golden Fleece was instituted by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy on the very Day that he consummated his Marriage with Isabel the Daughter of John King of Portugal. 'Twas to this City also that Charles II. King of England came for Refuge, when his Subjects rebell'd against him; and so well was he receiv'd here, that when he was in peaceable Possession of his Throne he shew'd his Gratitude, by permitting the Citizens to send fifty Vessels every year to the Coasts of England, to catch Herrings. So much, Madame, for Bruges.

Just as I was setting out, I heard that the Prince of H—— was going for Newport[53], where there was a Battalion of his Regiment in Garison; and thither I went with him. This, which is a very ancient Town, was heretofore intirely destroy'd by the English, and afterwards rebuilt by Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. The Rebels of Ghent burnt it in 1383, because it continued faithful to its Sovereign. It held out a very sharp Siege by the French, in which the Women display'd a very great share of Valour. During the Revolt of the Netherlands it submitted to the Prince of Parma. In that same War, the Dutch who were besieging it, under Prince Maurice of Orange, gain'd a great Victory over the Spaniards, at the Gates of the Town; and yet they thought fit to raise the Siege. They say, that with some Expence Newport might be made one of the best Harbors in the Ocean; and a Plan for this purpose was given to the Marquis de Priè, Commandant in the Netherlands; but hitherto it has not been approv'd of. Tho' 'tis a Town not very much fortify'd, yet 'tis a strong Place considering the Advantage it has of laying all the Country round it under Water. 'Tis quite encompass'd with Downs and Marshes, the former of which abound with Rabbets. The Prince of H—— gave me the Pleasure of Hunting there, which is the only Diversion that can be taken by Officers who are condemn'd to be in Garison in such a Hole as Newport. We staid there two Days, after which the Prince and Princess of H—— return'd to Bruges. For my own part I accompanied the Prince of Holstein to Ypres, of which he is Governor for the Dutch.

This is one of the best Cities in Europe, and is notable for having suffer'd several Sieges. The Rebels made themselves Masters of it in the Reign of Philip II. when they plundered the Churches and Convents, and drove out the Fryars. The Archduke Leopold retook it from those Furiosos, and it remained in Possession of Spain till 1658, when 'twas taken by the Marshal de Turenne; but by the Pyrenean Treaty it reverted to its lawful Sovereign. In 1678, Lewis XIV. besieg'd it in Person and took it; and by the Treaty of Nimeguen, which was concluded the same year, 'twas yielded to him by Spain. The French caus'd it to be considerably fortify'd; after which they remain'd peaceable Possessors of it till the Peace of Utrecht, when they yielded it to the Allies, in exchange for Lisle which had been taken from the French. Ypres is now a Barrier for the Dutch, who keep a good Garison in it. Nevertheless, Justice is administer'd, and the Taxes raised here, in the Name of the Emperor, as Sovereign of Spanish Flanders.

From Ypres I went to Lisle, of which I have already had the Honor to give you some Account; and from Lisle in a very short time I proceeded to Paris. Who should I see there, but the famous Countess of Wartemberg? The Chevalier de B——, who being at Utrecht during the Congress, had there sign'd a Contract to marry her, returning to France as soon as the Peace was concluded, the Countess follow'd him and came to Versailles, where she had the Honor of waiting on the King. She wore the Pictures of three Kings as a Bracelet on her Arm, which she shew'd to the King, telling him at the same time, That after she had seen three Monarchs at her Feet, she was now come from the Heart of Germany to throw her self at the Feet of his Majesty. The King, who was surpriz'd at the Compliment, star'd at her, but said not a Word. Some days after this she appear'd at the Play-house, stuck all over with Diamonds; and those so large, that she was call'd, The Lady of precious Stones. All the young Fellows combin'd to have a Pluck at her, and every younger Brother of a Family thought those Diamonds would look as well upon him as they did upon the Countess. When they had pilfer'd some from her, she was more cautious how she paraded with 'em for the future. Yet notwithstanding all her Care, the Chevalier de B—— dextrously stripp'd her of all she had in one day. He had been for some time wishing that he could revoke the Marriage-Contract which he had sign'd with the Countess; his Family also press'd him to break off his Engagement with her; and in fine, not knowing what Course to take to recover the Contract, which the Lady refus'd to restore, he made use of this very singular Expedient. One day when he was at Versailles, he set out Post from thence to find out the Countess of Wartemberg, and told her that the King had just receiv'd an Express from Berlin, by which the King of Prussia desir'd him to put her under an Arrest, and to seize her Diamonds, and other Effects, as having been stole from the King his Father. I just had the News, said the Chevalier to her, from M. de T——, who knowing the Respect I have for you, was willing to give me an Opportunity of doing you Service, by guarding you from the Misfortune that threatens you. The Countess being thunder-struck at this News, said to the Chevalier in a Fright, O my God! What shall we do? Your only way, said he, is to give me Charge of all your Diamonds; your Interests and mine are the same; I don't believe you suspect me; I will carry them all to my Father's House, where they will be safe: And as for your Person, you may be very easy; for M. de T—— has assur'd me, that 'tis your Effects they want, and not your Person. Madame de Wartemberg believ'd every Tittle of what he said, and esteeming the Chevalier as her Guardian Angel, she deliver'd up all her Diamonds to him, with every thing besides of most Value. B—— having all this Booty, took his Leave of her. The Countess thought she had play'd a very cunning Part in thus securing her Effects; but 'twas not long before she was sensible that she had play'd a foolish one. B—— was not to be seen for four or five days. The Countess, startled at his absenting himself, wrote Letter after Letter to him, but could not obtain so much as one Answer. At last, on the fifth day, B—— made his Appearance, and gave the good Lady some Encouragement. He told her that her Jewels were all safe; and that she might have them whenever she pleas'd, upon this trifling Condition only; namely, that she would restore him the Contract he had sign'd to marry her. The Countess extremely surpriz'd at this Compliment, made Answer to the Chevalier, That Princesses of the Empire were not to be thus treated; that she was come to Paris upon his Engagement to marry her; and that she knew how to oblige him to it. B——, who was resolv'd to break with her at any rate, told her, that she was at her full Liberty to chuse either of these two Proposals that he made to her, viz. To go to Law, and thereby to be certain of losing her Effects; or else, to recover them, by restoring that Paper to him which he demanded. He made her sensible, that by going to Law, he might naturally hope to get the better of her, not only from the Justice of his Cause, but from the Interest of his Relations; and that as to her Effects, since there was no Witness that saw her deliver them into his Hands, he should take a Course which she would think pretty hard, viz. Deny that he had ever receiv'd them, and in the mean time sell one part of the Jewels to enable him to find Law to keep the rest. The Countess perceiving that the Chevalier was resolv'd to be as good as his Word, and that she had no Chance to get any thing, determin'd to give up the Contract; and B—— thereupon brought back her Diamonds; which was such an honest Action on his part, that it engag'd Madam de Wartemberg to make him a Present of a noble Ring, valu'd at 20,000 Livres. And thus ended her Correspondence with B——.

The Countess, to make her self easy for the Loss of her Lover, resolv'd to look out for others; but she was not happy in the Variety of her Choice. They were all, said she, insincere; and for the most part knavishly inclin'd. In short, she renounc'd all manner of Society with Frenchmen; she thought them too volatile and nimble for her, and upon this Occasion she extol'd the Germans for the honestest Souls in the World; yet she soon found the contrary, to her Cost: For having made an Acquaintance with a clever handsome young German, they both promis'd each other Marriage, as soon as they came to a Protestant Country, and a Contract was actually sign'd between them for that purpose; but the Spark thought that after they had sign'd and seal'd, the Nuptial Benediction was only an insignificant Ceremony to admit them into a Partnership in their worldly Goods; and that his Right ought to commence from the very day that the Articles were agreed to. Upon this Principle he thought fit to march off with all the precious Stones of his Spouse that was to be, and set out with them from Paris, designing to elope to Lorrain. The Countess, who was soon inform'd of his Departure, was mortally uneasy at the Treachery of her Lover, tho' the Danger she was in of losing her Diamonds stuck most to her Heart. By good Luck she had Intelligence what Road her dear Thief went, and sent a Messenger after him, who found him at Meaux, where he was so unwise as to make a Halt for some days. He was brought back to Paris, where the Countess, who denied that she had ever made the least Proposal of Marriage to the Stripling, was preparing to swinge him; but the Electoral Prince of Saxony, by whom he was protected, put a stop to all further Prosecution, and caus'd the Jewels to be restor'd to Madam de Wartemberg, who did not insist upon his Promise of Marriage; for being of a Temper that did not permit her to be idle, she had already contracted a clandestine Marriage with F——. These various Intrigues happening so soon one after another, were so much talk'd of, that the Countess did not think fit to stay any longer in France, but set out for Holland, where she remains to this day[54].

Towards the Close of the Year, viz. on the 1st of September 1715, France lost Lewis XIV. He died a Death truly Christian, for which he had been some time before preparing himself; so that when Notice was given him, that he must make ready to go out of this World, he was not at all surpriz'd. He took his last Farewel of his Family with a Courage worthy of Admiration. He gave his Blessing to the young Dauphin, the Heir of his Crown; which he accompanied with several important Advices and Exhortations, especially not to go to War without a just Cause, and not to be so fond of it as he had been. Then he ordered what Mourning the young Monarch should wear, adding, that what he prescrib'd to him was the same that he wore at the Death of the King his Father. This Monarch express'd a vast Affection for the Princes of his Family, and strongly recommended his Successor to the Duke of Orleans. They say that he stretch'd forth his Hand to the Marshal de Villeroy, and said to him, Adieu, my Friend, we must part. Madame de Maintenon staid with the King all the Time of his Illness, because he desir'd it, except one Day, when the King being so ill that they thought he could not recover it, she return'd to St. Cyr; but as soon as the Monarch came to himself, and found Madame de Maintenon gone, he sent for her, and begg'd her not to forsake him. Accordingly she continu'd with him till his Death, upon which she went back to St. Cyr, where she liv'd mightily retir'd till 1719, when she died.

'Tis astonishing to think what a Change there was at Court upon the Death of Lewis XIV. The Courtiers stuck fast to him, to the very last Moment of his Life, not at all minding the Princes; no, not even the Duke of Orleans: but the very Moment that the King died, the Face of every thing was alter'd; and all the Court was made to the Duke of Orleans, as the sole Dispenser of Favors, who went, accompanied by all the Princes and Courtiers, to the young Monarch, and paid him the due Homage.

Lewis XIV. had appointed the Duke of Orleans Regent of the Kingdom by his last Will; but at the same time he nominated several Noblemen for Associates in the Government, without whom he could conclude nothing. He also depriv'd him of the Guardianship of the young King, and gave it to the Duke de Maine; in a word, he bound his Hands in such a manner, that this Prince had nothing but the Shadow of the Regency. The Duke, however, artfully procur'd that Honor to be paid to him, which he claim'd as his due. He conducted the young King to Parliament with a great Train. The French and Swiss Guards being drawn up in a Line in the Streets, to the very Gates of the Palais or Parliament-House, the Gens d'Arms, Musketeers, Light-Horse and Life-Guards attended his Majesty to the Palais, where he was receiv'd with the usual Ceremonies, and conducted to the Court, which they call his Bed of Justice. When every body had taken their Seats, the Duke of Orleans broke silence and said, That tho' the Regency belonged to him by Birth-right, yet he was very glad he could produce the Codicil of the late King to them in proof of it; which having caus'd to be read, together with the Will, he shew'd the Inconveniencies that might arise from the little Authority which was given to him; and that his Rank and Birth had always intitled him to hope for more. And having said this, he demanded of the Parliament, Whether they did not own him for the Sovereign Administrator of the Kingdom. He added, That whatever Authority should be given him, he should be glad to follow the Advice of the Parliament; that he would share his Authority with the Grandees of the Kingdom; and that if there should happen to be a Failure of Justice in his Administration, it would then be a Pleasure to him to bear their Remonstrances. He clos'd all with saying, That he should like well enough to have his Hands restrained from doing wrong, but that he wish'd they might be at entire Liberty to do good. The Votes ran in his Favor; the late King's Will was annull'd, the Duke of Orleans declared Regent of the Kingdom, and Guardian of the King; and the Superintendancy of his Majesty's Education was given to the Duke of Maine. The Regent return'd his Thanks to the Parliament; and at the same time told them, that he was for pursuing a Plan of Government that was found among the Papers of the Duke of Burgundy, Father to the present King; according to which Plan it appeared that the said Prince had a Design to establish Councils for every Province, whether of the Finances, War, Admiralty, &c. and to be governed entirely by what the Majority of the Voices therein should determine.

The Duke du Maine had no reason to be satisfy'd with this Assembly; for besides being depriv'd of the Guardianship of the King, he had much ado to preserve the Prerogatives which the late King had annex'd to the Quality of a legitimated Prince of the Blood. The Dukes and Peers declared immediately against the Precedency that had been granted to those Princes, and carried their Complaints to the Bed of Justice, where they demanded that they might only be considered as a Part of their Body; and that they might be allow'd no other Rank than what they deriv'd from their Peerages. Hereafter we shall also find the Princes of the Blood declaring against those Princes that had been legitimated.

This Demand of the Dukes did not take place at that time, no more than another which they also made upon the same Day, viz. that the first President, when he ask'd their Opinion in Parliament, should veil the Bonnet to them, in the same manner as to the Princes of the Blood. The Duke of Orleans desir'd them to permit the Usages of Parliament to be observ'd on that Day, and assured them that he would decide that Affair very shortly. The President de Novion, afterwards the first President, then spoke, and answered the Regent, that his Royal Highness had no Right to make a Decision in an Affair which related directly to the Person of the King, whom the Parliament had the Honor of representing in his Majesty's Absence; and that consequently nothing could be alter'd in the Usage of Parliament, but by the King himself when he came of Age.

After the Court of Justice broke up, the King return'd to Vincennes, where he resided after the Death of the late King, till the Palace of the Thuilleries was made fit for his Reception. The Regent and the Princes accompanied the King, and they afterwards went back to Paris, each Man to his own House. They say that the Duke of Maine was no sooner return'd home, but the Duchess his Wife, impatient to know what had pass'd in the Bed of Justice, came that very instant to ask him what News he brought; and when he told her, that the Regent was the sole Master of the King and Kingdom, she reproach'd him bitterly.

As soon as the Louvre was in a readiness the King set out thither from Vincennes, where Lodgings were laid out for the Princes and Princesses of the Blood. The Palace of Luxemburg was given to the Duchess of Berry, who made great Alterations in the Apartments. This Princess had a mighty Ascendant over her Father the Duke of Orleans, and she made such a use of it that there was not a day but she obtain'd new Favors. As she was the first Princess in the Kingdom, there being at that time no Queen, she desir'd to have a Captain of the Guards to attend her; a Privilege which none had ever enjoy'd before but the Queens. The Duke of Orleans could not deny her, and the Person invested with this Character was the Marquis de la Rochefoucault. Madame no sooner heard of this Augmentation of Officers in the Houshold of the Duchess her Daughter, but she presently appointed M. de Harling to be Captain of her Guards, who was a German Gentleman that had been her Page. The Duchess of Berry wanted also to be stil'd Madame as well as the Princess her Mother; yet to prevent Confusion she signify'd, that when they made mention of her they should not call her Madame la Duchesse de Berry, but Madame, Duchesse de Berry. Moreover, she pretended to the Right of having Kettle-Drums and Trumpets sounded before her when she went abroad in Ceremony, tho' this was never observ'd to any body but the Queen. In short, this Princess enter'd once into Paris with all this Attendance, as she return'd from la Muette. When she pass'd before the Palace of the Thuilleries, the Officers of the Guards were very much astonish'd to hear the Trumpets, and represented that no body but the King and Queen ought to march with such Pomp; upon which Madame de Berry wav'd her Privilege for the future, tho' with regard only to Paris.

Some will imagine, perhaps, that this Princess, who was so fond of Grandeur, must naturally be difficult of Access and of very stiff Behavior to Persons that had the Honor of approaching her. Yet she was quite the Reverse. I was acquainted with several Ladies that had the Honor of some Familiarity with her; and they all assur'd me, that she was the best-natur'd Princess in the World. She never stood upon Formalities in point of Ceremonial with the Generality of the Ladies, but freely permitted them to come and visit her in a Scarf. 'Tis true indeed that she did not affect Dress herself, and consequently it would not have been good Manners for the Princesses and Court-Ladies to appear in a formal Dress, which she was scarce ever seen in her self. Madame, as I have already had the Honor to tell you, was much more precise. She was always in the Court-Dress, and never suffer'd any but Ladies that were advanc'd in years, or such as were not in Health, to appear before her in any other.

The Duke Regent, according to the Promise he had made to the Parliament, when he held the Bed of Justice, establish'd several Councils. There was one which was call'd The Council of the Regency, others for War, the Finances, the Marine, and for Affairs Foreign. All the Ministers of the late King were dismiss'd, except the Chancellor Voisin, who kept his Post. M. Desmaretz and M. de Pontchartrain, one the Minister of the Finances, the other of Affairs Marine, were both destitute of Employment. M. Desmaretz was put to some trouble in a Chamber which the Regent establish'd at the Grand Augustins, for calling to account those who had had the Management of the public Money. 'Twas called the Chamber of Justice; and the President Portail, who is now the first President, was at the Head of it. Great Advantages were expected from this Establishment, which would, they said, not only pay off the King's Debts, but also bring considerable Sums into his Coffers; nevertheless it all came to nothing. There was a Fine laid indeed, and 'twas a general one; but as most of the Financiers had married their Daughters to the Great Men of the Kingdom, they came off for a Trifle; the Unfortunate paid for all: Some were condemn'd to the Galleys, and others to perpetual Imprisonment, after having been set in the Pillory, where the People had the Pleasure of insulting them; and that was all they got by it. As for the King, he was not a Penny the richer for it; and no body got more by it than the Ladies who sollicited for the lowering of the Fines, and ran away with almost all the Profit. The Public, in general, was very much perplex'd by it: Most People, afraid of being fin'd, hid their Silver, which Metal so necessary, became so scarce in but six Months time, that it look'd as if Lewis XIV. had carried it all out of the Kingdom with him to the other World. They began to lament the Loss of that Prince, and the Love of the Public for the Regent vanish'd very fast, 'Twas not long before, that every one thought they had reason to curse the late King; and the Frenchman, who is naturally fickle, imagin'd without knowing why or wherefore, that the Death of Lewis XIV. would be the beginning of a more happy Century. The Prince who was at the Head of the Administration was loaded with Blessings, tho' he had not yet done any thing to win their Hearts; and in a very short time this same Prince, who was so much ador'd, found himself the Subject of the most stinging Satire. He soon took care to be inform'd how the Public stood affected to him. I happen'd to be one day at Madame's, when this Prince declared aloud, Six Months ago, said he, I was perfectly ador'd in Paris, tho' I had done nothing to deserve it; and I am now as much hated, but for what reason I should be glad to know. He knew perhaps, or at least he ought to have known it. The Scarcity of Silver was the only Cause of it; and it appeared by the Regent's Conduct, that the King's Coffers were so far from being full, that Payments were made, not in Silver, but in Paper; a Money always fluctuating, and with which the French began to be tir'd. They had so often seen Bills, with various Denominations; and the Fare of the last sort call'd Mint-Bills, in particular, was so fresh in their Memory, that it was almost impossible they should entertain a better Opinion of those that were created at the beginning of the Regency, by the Name of Government-Bills: Yet these were admitted notwithstanding the great Clamor against them; and by and by we shall find that the French, who are always doom'd to be bubbled, gave into a new Paper-Scheme, more specious perhaps to view, but more ruinous in the Event, than those which had appear'd before it.

Another thing which put the People out of conceit with the Government, was the Fluctuation of Measures at the Royal Palace, where nothing was fix'd; and what was done one day, was cancell'd the next. The Regent, who was really a good-natur'd and very affable Prince, seem'd to put himself into the hands of too many People: No body that had a Favor to ask was turn'd away; it often happen'd that the same Thing was promis'd to two Persons, and a third obtain'd it. Pensions, Gratuities and Employments were promis'd, but the Promise seldom kept: So far from it, that several Pensions were suppress'd, and mine, which cost me so much Pains in the Sollicitation, was of that number. I made some Bustle to be put upon the List again; yet all that I could obtain was a Promise that my Pension should be renew'd very soon: But the Performance is still to come.

All this striking off of Pensions, together with a considerable Reduction of the Army, reduc'd a great many People to Beggary. I saw several Knights of St. Lewis at that very time, waiting with Impatience for the Dusk of the Evening, that they might go out, and beg Alms in the public Places. This extreme Misery was attended, as may be easily imagin'd, by Robberies and Murders; so that all this while Paris had a great Resemblance to a Wood. My Apprehension that I should be a Sharer in the common Desolation, engag'd me to pay my Court to Madame with more Assiduity than ever, and I earnestly intreated her to honor me with her Recommendation to the Regent. The Princess return'd me for Answer, That she was resolv'd not to meddle or make; that however I had no reason to be uneasy; that there was no Necessity for her speaking in my Behalf to the Prince her Son, since he was naturally inclined to serve me; but that for the present he was so over-burdened with Affairs and Sollicitations, that I must have patience for a while longer. I made her Answer, That I was very willing to wait as long as her Royal Highness pleas'd; but that I was sadly afraid I was not in a Situation to stay long. Madame reply'd to me, There is a Remedy for all Things: Be you to-morrow at my Closet as soon as I have din'd. I was there punctually according to her Orders, and found her all alone. As soon as she saw me she said, I am a poor Widow that can't do great Matters for you, but I have a mind to oblige you. She then gave me the Key of her Bureau, and bid me open it, and take a Bag out of one Corner of it, in which there was Gold to the Tune of three thousand Livres. I receiv'd it with all the Gratitude possible; and this fresh Token of her Royal Highness's Goodness attach'd me to her more than ever.

The Dukes and Peers at this very time renew'd a Demand which they had already made in the Parliament, touching the Obeisance they expected to be made to them by the first President when he call'd for their Opinion: They also claim'd several Prerogatives over the[55] Nobility, and wanted to establish themselves as a Middle State between the Princes of the Blood and those call'd Gentlemen. The Regent made them Answer, That for his part he had never acknowledg'd more than three Orders, the Clergy, the Nobility, and the third Estate; and that 'twas their Business to choose which Class they would be of, without aiming at a chimerical Establishment which was intirely unprecedented. The Dukes demanded moreover, to be excus'd from drawing their Swords in any Quarrel with a private Gentleman; but the Duke de la Feuillade refus'd to sign this Petition, because he said, He would not be expos'd to an Affront from any Gentleman, and he restrain'd from resenting it.

The Parliament did not vouchsafe to answer the Memorial of the Dukes, and only confirm'd what the President de Novion had advanc'd, that it was the King's sole Right to determine Claims of that sort, and that therefore they must wait till his Majesty was of Age. The Nobility did not treat the Demand of the Dukes with the same Indifference as the Parliament, and met to consider how they should behave; but there came an Order forbidding them to continue their Assemblies. Yet for all this Prohibition they drew up a Memorial between themselves, which was presented to the King. This Conduct of theirs so disgusted the Court, that several of the Nobles who were known to have the greatest Hand in the Memorial were taken up and committed to the Bastile. The Dukes met at the same time at the House of the Archbishop of Rheims, who was afterwards the Cardinal de Mailly. In fine, the Result of all these Motions on both sides, was a Declaration issued by his Majesty, requiring that every thing should remain in the same State as in the late King's Life-time, without prejudice to the Rights of either Party. A zealous Parliamentarian, who, 'tis like, could not brook that Pretensions so frivolous as that of the Dukes should remain unanswer'd, publish'd a very long Tract to prove, that several of the Dukes were not Gentlemen; and that the Generality of the Members of Parliament were indisputably of better Extraction than those who were grac'd with the Title of Dukes. I question if Henry IV. who very often did the Nobility the Honor to call himself a Gentleman, would have left the Claim of the Dukes undetermin'd.

At this very time the Princes of the Blood presented a Petition to his Majesty against the Legitimated Princes. The former were uneasy to see the latter in possession of Rank equal to theirs, and pretending to an equal Share with them in the Right of Succession to the Crown; and therefore demanded that the Legitimated Princes, viz. the Duke du Maine and the Count de Toulouse, and their Descendants, should be declar'd to have forfeited the Rank of Princes of the Blood; and that the Act by which the late King declared those Princes capable of succeeding to the Crown, should be struck out of the Registers of the Parliament.

The Legitimated Princes presented a Memorial to the King on their part, whereby they represented to his Majesty, that the Demand of the Princes of the Blood was contrary to his Authority; that the Sovereigns had always the Liberty of granting such Honors as they thought fit, either to the Court or the Parliament; and that moreover, the late King, when he declar'd them Princes of the Blood, did it in the most authentic Manner, the Declaration which gave them that Dignity, being register'd in Parliament, in the Presence, and even with the Advice of the Princes of the Blood, and of the Dukes and Peers.

Several Writings were publish'd at that time on both sides of the Question, to prove the Justice of the Cause which each maintain'd. The Amount of what the Legitimated Princes pleaded was, That Kings were the absolute Dispensers of Favors; and that the Kings who were Lewis XIVth's Predecessors, formerly granted those very Privileges, which they now aim'd to deprive them of, without Opposition. They quoted for Example the Longueville Family, whose Descendants had always the Rank of Princes of the Blood. They also instanc'd in several Bastards who had succeeded to the Crown, in the first and second Race of the Kings of France; and observ'd, that the Case would have been the same in the third Race, if the same Fact had happen'd.

The Princes of the Blood gave an ample and solid Reply to the Memorial of the Legitimated Princes. They advanc'd, that the King as great as his Authority was, could not grant Prerogatives that were peculiar only to Birth-right; that a Bastard was one without Father, without Mother, without Kindred, &c. and by consequence incapable of holding any Rank which Blood alone can give; that moreover, the Claim of the Legitimated Princes would deprive the Nation of its Right of calling such Family to the Crown as they thought fit, in case the Royal Family should happen to be extinct.

This Memorial was confuted by another, and to the latter there was a Reply. In fine, both sides grew so warm, that to put an end to the Quarrel, the King was oblig'd to speak. He declared solemnly, That the Legitimated Princes should enjoy the Rank of Princes of the Blood during their Lives, but that they could not succeed to the Crown. This Declaration was very well receiv'd, in appearance, by both Parties; but perhaps too it was the Cause of some Events, which in the Consequence gave the Regent no little Uneasiness, whereof I shall soon have occasion to make mention.

During these Transactions in France, there were Commotions of much greater Consequence in England, where a Revolution was expected in favor of the Chevalier de St. George, who having spent some time at the Prince de Vaudemont's House at Commercy in Lorrain, was just set out for Scotland. He embark'd between Ostend and Dunkirk, and had a happy Passage. As soon as he arriv'd he found a considerable Party which declar'd for him. Every thing seem'd at first to favor him: A great many Persons came to own him for King, and he was serv'd in that Quality. But his Happiness was of no long Duration, and he was oblig'd to retire with Precipitancy from a Country where he was in danger of being ill us'd.

'Twas the Opinion of many People that this Undertaking would have succeeded, if the Prince had not discover'd so much Zeal for the Catholic Religion; for 'twas only desired of him to promise to preserve the Privileges of Scotland in Religious Matters, but he would not hear of it. Moreover, he rose one day from Table without eating a Morsel, because a Clergyman of the Church of England had said the Grace; and upon this Occasion he protested, that he would never eat a Bit of what a Heretic pretended to give a Blessing to. This great Zeal for Religion, a Zeal perhaps too flaming in Circumstances where he might, without any Crime, have smother'd it, was the reason that all the Protestants in Scotland, many of whom had already declared in his Favor, turn'd their backs on him. I happen'd to be present when all this was told to the Duke of Orleans. He made Answer, If all this be true, 'tis no wonder that he has not succeeded; and I look upon him as an undone Prince. At the same time I observ'd such an Air of Satisfaction in his and Madame's Countenances, as convinc'd me that they were not ill pleas'd to see the Elector of Hanover establish'd on the Throne of England.

The Chevalier de St. George return'd to France, and having pass'd thro' the whole Kingdom incog. he went for Refuge to Avignon. The English did all they could with the Regent to engage him to arrest the Chevalier, and demanded likewise that he would cashier all the English and Irish Officers in the Service of France, that were the Pretender's Adherents. The Regent satisfy'd them but in part, for he only cashier'd the Officers. The Chevalier de St. George was hotly pursu'd, and 'tis even said that a certain Lord was a good while in chace of him, with a Design to have killed him; but the Chevalier escap'd the Danger by the Haste that he made to Avignon. When he quitted Scotland he was oblig'd to leave several Lords that had follow'd him in the Lurch, particularly the Duke of Lirie, Son to the Marshal de Berwic, Natural Son of James II. who had so much Difficulty to get to France again, that 'twas even reported for a long while that he had been taken Prisoner and beheaded, as Lord Derwentwater was at London.

The French were sorry to see that Fortune always cross'd the Chevalier de St. George, and could not help pitying the Queen his Mother, whose Sorrows were by this Disaster increas'd; for she had, by the Miscarriage of this Expedition, ruin'd several of her Friends, who had made their utmost Efforts to support the Charges of it.

Tho' the Orleans Family was not very much afflicted at the Misfortune of the Chevalier de St. George, yet it did not hinder Madame from going to Chaillot to condole with the Queen upon her late Misfortunes. I was at the Royal Palace when Madame return'd from the Visit; and she did me the Honor to tell me, That she had been almost crying her Eyes out. I pretended to be ignorant of the Cause of her Tears, and took the Freedom to ask her, What was the matter? The poor Queen of England! said she, I pity her heartily. I have been weeping with her. I could not help letting Madame know how much I was surpriz'd at this Grief of her's, because I imagin'd she was more in the Interest of the Family that govern'd England, than of a Prince who was a Stranger to her; and one, moreover, that was always out of Fortune's Favor. You are in the right, said Madame, all the Relations of my late Aunt are dear to me, and I with 'em well. But this poor Queen takes it as much to heart as if it was but to-day that she left the Crown. But what can she do? The only way for her is to make her self easy. 'Tis not her Doom to be happy; and since one of 'em must be unfortunate, I had rather she was so than the King of England. But, added she, this must not be told. Madam de D—— coming in just after these Words, Madame told her, That she had been to see the Queen of England, but that she thought she had been with the Nymph Arethusa all the while. Madam de D—— made Answer to her, That it was not surprizing to see Tears shed by Persons so much afflicted as the Queen was. What then, said Madame, are not thirty Tears Misfortunes enough to inure her to them? Thus did this Princess wipe away the Tears which lately fell from her in such a Torrent.

The fine Season being come, Madame went to St. Cloud, and took with her Mademoiselle de Chartres now the Abbess of Chelles, and Mademoiselle de Valois now Princess of Modena. Madame spent all the Summer at St. Cloud, so that I made several Trips thither. I told her my Case, and desir'd that she would please to intercede for me with the Duke her Son. She always promis'd me she would, but never did; and yet she said to every body who talk'd of me to her, That she wish'd me well; while, on the other hand, tho' this Princess mortally hated S—— a Prussian Gentleman, she earnestly importun'd the Duke her Son to serve him; and I was present one day when she sollicited for him. After the Duke of Orleans retir'd, she call'd me to her, and said, You heard how I espous'd the Interests of S——, yet I can assure you he does not deserve it. Then Madame told me strange Stories to the disadvantage of S——, upon which I took the Freedom to defend his Cause, and to assure her Royal Highness that he had been misrepresented to her. What! said Madame, will you offer to deny that he had his Hand cut off for counterfeiting the Sign-Manual of the King of Denmark? As I knew the Adventure of S—— at the Danish Court, and that his was not a Crime of such a nature; and as, moreover, I knew that the Loss of his Right Arm was owing to a Fall that he had receiv'd, I represented to Madame, that I should have thought the cutting off of his Hand Punishment enough in all reason for the Crime of which she suspected S——; but that nevertheless, his Arm was cut off near the Shoulder. Alas! said the Princess, that's because it was cut a second time. But, Madame, I instantly reply'd, How could your Royal Highness favor a Man that was capable of such a Fraud? I have my Reasons for it, said she. I did not venture to indulge my Curiosity further. But in fine, this M. de S—— who was to the last degree abhorr'd, obtain'd what he desir'd; whereas, for my part, as well as I was wish'd, I could not possibly obtain so much as a positive Denial, which would at least have serv'd to undeceive me, and to make me look out for Preferment from another Quarter.

While Madame was at St. Cloud, the Duchess of Berry resided at Meudon, tho' sometimes she came to Paris. I had the Honor of paying my Compliments to this Princess very often. She was good-natur'd and generous, and very free to ask Favors of the Regent her Father, who seldom deny'd her; so that whoever had her Protection, was in a sure way to be advanc'd. The Count de R——, a young Man of Quality, and who was just enter'd as a Lieutenant in that Princess's Guards, knew better than any body how to gain his Mistress's Favor. I knew him some time before this Preferment of his, when he was a Lieutenant in the King's Regiment, very much out at heels, and by consequence not in a Condition to keep a certain Sett of Company; at least, in the manner that he would have desir'd: But by meer Chance he was quarter'd upon the Duchess of Berry, who wanted a Man of a good Family to be Lieutenant of her Guards; for till then those who officiated in that Post were only Persons of a common Extraction, for which reason few there were that strove to get it. R—— thought very prudently, that in his present Circumstances he was not oblig'd to mind such Scruples; and he spoke to his Sister, who was a Lady of the Bed-Chamber to the Duchess, of the Design he had to offer his Service. He actually did so, and was admitted. He perform'd the Duty of it a good while, and the Princess took no more Notice of him than she did of any of her other Officers. What began to make him known was this. One day as the Princess was going out she observ'd that R—— was not on horseback by the side of her Coach, as his Duty demanded of him; and she complain'd of it to the Duke de la Rochefoucault the Captain of her Guards. This Officer, who was fond of R——, and was, moreover, naturally inclin'd to do him Service, said to the Princess that R—— was not well; but setting his Indisposition aside, as he had the Honor to be a Gentleman, he thought it hard to ride like a Stable-Boy by the side of her Coach, while several Officers of the Houshold, who were not equal to him, rode in the Coach that follow'd. The Duchess of Berry, who was a kind Mistress, immediately gave Orders, that the Lieutenant of her Guards should ride in the Waiting-Coach. R—— return'd her Thanks, and was more assiduous than ever in his Attendance on her. Madame de M—— spoke afterwards so much in Commendation of R——, that the Princess her self talk'd with him several times, and was convinc'd that Madame de M—— had told her the Truth, and that R—— deserv'd her Favor. He was quickly Master of a splendid Fortune, gay Furniture, Clothes and Equipage; and she also preferr'd him to several Regiments, which he always dispos'd of to his advantage. To the Honor of R—— be it said, that his Prosperity did not make him a jot the vainer; he was still as good-natur'd and civil as ever, his old Friends always found him the same, and very often he did them important Services. He had afterwards a Quarrel with the Regent, who caus'd him to be banish'd from his Regiment; and during his Exile the Duchess of Berry died at la Muette, the 20th of July, 1719, aged only 24.

Mean time the King who had been at Paris ever since his Return from Vincennes, was removed out of the hands of the Women into those of the Men, and the Person appointed for his Governor was the Marshal de Villeroy. The Choice of him was the more applauded, because he was one of the old experienced Courtiers, and a Man whose Zeal and Attachment to the King's Person no body question'd. The Constitution of this young Prince was so tender, that they could not be too careful of it. The Marshal, as old as he was, fully answer'd what was expected of him: He gave extraordinary Application to the discharge of his Duty, and was never out of his Majesty's sight. This Nobleman's Post being the most honorable that can be desir'd in France, there quickly arose envious Persons, who strove, tho' in vain, to depreciate him in the Esteem of the Public. They confess'd that he was a very proper Person to teach the young Monarch to walk and make his Salute like a King, to put his Hat on with a Grace, to accost a Lady in the politest manner, and other things of that nature; but that he was by no means fit to inspire him with Ideas suitable to his Rank, and that he could never make him think like a King. But the consequence shew'd what the Marshal was capable of, and the young Prince quickly gave Proofs that he had learnt of the Marshal not only to walk, but to think like a King. I remember one Passage, which is a very plain Indication of his being fully persuaded that he was the sole Master in his Kingdom, and that there was no Person above him. When Madame came to the Thuilleries, she made but a very short Visit at Court, because she went to hear Mass; and she said to the King as she retired, That she was going to wait on a greater Lord than he. The young Prince seem'd a little surpriz'd at first, but after a Moment's Reflexion he made her Answer, Undoubtedly, Madame, you are going to pray to God. Another day the French Comedians having play'd the Tragedy of Athalia before his Majesty, 'tis said the Prince could not bear with any Patience to see young Joas seated on the Throne, for he had a Fancy that he was a second King; nor would he so much as applaud the Lad who so perfectly well play'd the Part of Joas. These Passages are a sufficient Demonstration, that he had been inspir'd with Sentiments suitable to his Dignity; and that in time, perhaps, he will not be inferior in any respect to his August Great-Grandfather.

As to my own Affairs, I had the Mortification to find them still in the same Situation. 'Tis certain that no Sollicitation was wanting on my part, nor Promises on the part of the Regent; but after all, nothing was concluded, and I was then not a whit forwarder than when I arriv'd in France, tho' I had not near so much Money. Mean time I was too earnest for entring into the Service to be disheartened, and shutting my Eyes against the Improbability of Success, I renew'd my Sollicitation. My Residence at Paris being extremely ruinous to me, my particular Acquaintance could not conceive how I was able to support my self. Mademoiselle de Pollnitz soon heard that I had not yet obtain'd any thing in France, and that nevertheless I was obstinately bent on staying there: She could not bear the Thoughts of the Expence, which she was sensible I was oblig'd to be at; and as my Estate was entail'd upon her, she imagin'd that the Money I spent in France was so much taken out of her Pocket. She resolv'd therefore to make me quit Paris, knowing very well that 'twas cheaper to live elsewhere. For this end she desir'd the Princess de G——, who corresponded by Letters with Madame, to write to her Royal Highness, and to intreat her to protect me no longer, because I did not deserve her Favors. The Letter was accordingly written and sent to Madame, who told me the whole Contents of it. 'Twas so well cook'd up, that my Cousin might boast of having a good Secretary. But her Royal Highness assur'd me, that this Letter should make no Impression upon her, and that she would always be my Friend. I most humbly thank'd the Princess, withdrew in a terrible Pet with my Cousin; and in the first transport of my Passion I wrote her a Letter, in which I did not spare her. As she was really a Woman of very good Sense, she answer'd me in the same Style. I replied; she did the same; and thus we carried on a Literary Correspondence, in which there were very pretty Sayings on both sides.

To compleat my Happiness I was afflicted with a Redundancy of Choler, which was follow'd with the Jaundice, a Distemper that brought me to the very Brink of the Grave. My Friends did not forsake me; and among others I may say, that I had more than ordinary Obligation to the Abbé d'Asfeldt, who desir'd me to reflect on my State; and as he knew that I was not a Roman Catholic, and that the Prejudices in which I had been bred up, gave me great Prejudice to the contrary Party, he conjur'd me to permit him to discourse me about Religion, only one Hour in a Day; to which I consented with pleasure. Every body knows with what an Energy he speaks, and with what a winning Grace. He continued his Visits all the time of my Sickness, which by degrees went quite off. I was so affected with what he said to me, that I promised him I would receive Instruction when I was recover'd; and as soon as I got abroad, I was as good as my Word. He brought me acquainted with Father Denis, a barefooted Carmelite, who in some Conferences with me finish'd what the Abbé d'Asfeldt had begun; so that in a little time after, I made public Profession of my Faith to Father Denis[56], in presence of an infinite number of Persons of Quality. The Marquis d'Asfeldt and the Abbé his Brother were my Witnesses, and sign'd my Confession of Faith along with me. When the Ceremony was ended, I was accosted on all sides with Embraces from abundance of People, of whom three parts in four were quite unknown to me; yet their Zeal for Religion made them fond of expressing how glad they were to see me admitted into the Bosom of the Church. I receiv'd the Communion the same Week, upon the Festival of All-Saints: And at length I waited on the Cardinal de Noailles, who made a very fine Speech to me, exhorting me to continue stedfast in the Religion that I had embrac'd.

The News of my Conversion was soon spread in Germany, and Luther and Calvin themselves could not have exclaim'd against it more than my good Cousin did. The same Princess who had formerly recommended me so heartily to Madame, wrote to her again to tell her, That she ought not to be surprised at my changing my Religion, and that 'twas nothing but a Ceremony which I had perform'd two or three times before. But tho' she gave it this Turn, it made little or no Impression upon Madame. And for my own part I did not give much heed to what my Enemies said; and that I might not be in the way of hearing it, I left off going to the Royal Palace, where Madame resided after she quitted St. Cloud.

I spent the Winter of 1717 very disagreeably, that is to say, I wanted Money; and without that current Metal, a Man may live as well in the remotest Desert as in Paris. I was quickly oblig'd to by down my Equipage, and at last to sell some of my Clothes to satisfy my clamorous Debtors: Yet for all this I could not stave off an Affront from one of them, who to be sure was more hungry than the rest; for tho' he had promis'd to give me a Month longer, he caus'd me to be arrested in the little Market of the Suburb of St. Germain, and all at once was I hurried to the Abbey. This might have prov'd a very fatal Misfortune to me, if I had not been assisted that very day by M. de N—— a Counsellor of Parliament, to whom I sent word of it the very Moment I was in Hold; upon which he came immediately, and offer'd his Bond for the Debt: But my Creditor would hear of no Terms except the Money down, and refus'd to take his Security. M. de N—— was so exasperated at this Denial, that he wrote a Line to the First President desiring him to set me at liberty, which I obtain'd accordingly upon the Spot, without Money, or so much as giving the Creditor any manner of Security. M. de N—— too, in order to oblige me to all Intents and Purposes, was so good as to get a Writ of Protection for me, after which my Creditors could not touch me: And indeed, considering the Situation I was then in, that was the greatest piece of Service that could be done for me.

I was no sooner got out of this Scrape but I fell into another, not altogether so vexatious indeed, yet very perplexing. In my Visits to the President de P——'s Lady, I became acquainted at her House with a Widow, who tho' old, ugly, covetous and silly, and to crown all, terribly fond of Law, was so rich, that all those amiable Qualities were over-look'd by a number of pleasant Companions, who strove to make Love to her, in hopes of contracting a Marriage which seem'd so likely to make their Fortunes. The Widow could not tell how to fix her Choice; not that she was averse to Matrimony, but the Conditions she requir'd were so extraordinary, that the very mention of them made her Gallants take their Leave of her. The President de P——'s Wife, who knew the Lady very well, and my Circumstances even better, advis'd me to try my Luck; and for my Encouragement she promis'd to serve me: and serve me she did so effectually, that the Lady was not displeas'd with the Pains which she perceiv'd I took to make my self acceptable to her. She offer'd me an Apartment in her House; in short, she made me to understand that I need not despair of any thing. I had some Reluctance to accept of that Offer, altho' it was so advantagious; and for this Reason chiefly, the Want of Money, because I did not care to be at her House without being better equip'd. By good Luck my Landlady, who was one of those intriguing Dames with which Paris swarms, help'd me out of this Difficulty. She discover'd all in an Instant what was the matter, and in concert with an Italian Valet de Chambre, who had liv'd with me for some time, she help'd me without any Difficulty to every thing that was necessary for my Appearance with Splendor. I then hir'd more Servants, bought very fine Liveries; in short, all my Equipage was in a few days more gay than ever. 'Tis true it was all upon Tick; but our old Lady, as covetous as she was, would not let me suffer upon that score. In the mean time I had a very difficult Game to play; for I was oblig'd to counterfeit being over head and ears in Love with the most disagreeable Woman upon the Face of the Earth; and at the very time too when I was still courting Madame de R——, who without dispute was as handsome a Woman as any whatsoever. Nor was this all; for the old Lady, to be like the fine Women forsooth, affected to be jealous; and whenever I ventur'd to leave her, which was but very seldom, she was sure to set on a Spy to watch me. We generally went abroad together. By eight o'clock in the Morning we us'd to be at the Palais importuning the Judges, or else provoking the Attorneys and Sollicitors to scold like Madmen. When we had done there, the good Lady return'd home and sat down to her Toilet, and I us'd to sit by her in an Arm-chair till I was quite tir'd. At first indeed I had some Pleasure in being so near a Spectator of the Art by which a very disagreeable Face may be sometimes made tolerable. My old Lady's was all artificial from the Forehead to the Chin; and I question whether a Picture takes up more Colours than she made use of to dawb her Features with? Her Apparel was rich, but as much dy'd and daub'd as all the rest. A Correspondence so tiresome as this was, gave me a horrid Disgust; but yet when I reflected what a Pass I had reduc'd my self to by my Extravagance, I thought it was not my Interest to break it off. I continu'd therefore to play the Part of an amorous Suitor. And at last, fearing that I should sink under the Fatigue, I began to talk strenuously of Marriage; but the good Lady still said it was yet too soon, and that she was willing to have further Tryal of me. She resolv'd at length to consent to it; but 'twas upon such extraordinary Terms, that really I should have renounc'd any other Match upon that score, if it had been twenty times more advantagious. I resolv'd therefore to have no more to say to the silly Woman, and to retire. I thought of making another Tour to Berlin to settle my Affairs, and to sell my Land if Mademoiselle de Pollnitz would give her Consent; but I put off my Departure for a little time in hopes of seeing the Czar of Muscovy, who was shortly expected at Paris.

This Monarch, from no other Motive but Curiosity, came from one of the Extremities of Europe to see the Court of France. They would have had him make a public Entry; but he desir'd to be receiv'd without Ceremony. Verton the King's Chief Steward met him on the Frontier, and conducted him to Amiens, where the Marquis de Nesle complimented him in the Name of the King, and then went with him half way to Paris. The Marshal de Tesse, who was charged to accompany the Prince all the time he was to stay in France, went also to meet him. The Czar arriv'd at the Louvre by ten o'clock at Night, and was conducted to the Queen Mother's Apartment, which had been sumptuously furnish'd for his Reception. Some Moments after his Arrival the Marshal de Villeroy came from the King to make his Excuses that he was not at the Louvre to receive him, by reason his Majesty's tender Years and Constitution did not permit him to sit up so late. They laid that the Czar was not satisfy'd with this Excuse, nor with the Regent for not coming to meet him. 'Tis certain that he appeared to be very much out of Temper all the Evening, would eat no Supper, and took but one Glass of Beer: Nor would he stay at the Louvre, saying, That the Furniture of his Apartment was too rich; and that his Attendants, who were not the most cleanly, might happen to spoil it. 'Twas one o'clock in the Morning when the Czar was pleas'd to shift his Lodging, and the Marshal de Tesse would have been sadly put to it, had he not caus'd the Palace of Lesdiguieres to be furnish'd by way of Precaution. The Czar thought this House also too richly furnish'd, and notwithstanding all they could say he would not lie in a magnificent Bed which was put up in the Apartment that was to be his, but caus'd a little Bed to be set up for himself in the Wardrobe. Next day the Regent came and paid him a Visit, when the Prince de Kourakin the Czar's Ambassador to Holland serv'd for their Interpreter. The Visit lasted near an Hour, and there all the Ceremonial was settled that was to be observ'd to the Russian Monarch.

After this the King went to see him first, being accompanied from the Palace of the Thuilleries, with the chief Lords and Officers of the Crown. The Czar receiv'd his Majesty as he alighted from the Coach, and took him in his Arms with a Transport of Fondness; at which the young Monarch seem'd a little surpriz'd. He said to the Czar, That he was very glad to see him safe arrived at Paris; that he wish'd him Pleasure as long as he staid in his Dominions; that he should have the same Respect paid to him as to himself, and that he had given Orders for the Court-Service always to give way to his. Then the two Monarchs went hand in hand into a Chamber where two Chairs of State were plac'd. The Czar being the Stranger sate on the Right Hand. The Duke du Maine and the Marshal de Villeroy stood behind the King's Chair of State, and answer'd the Questions which the Czar ask'd his Majesty. After a short Visit the King rose first, and was accompanied to his Coach by the Czar, who at taking Leave of his Majesty caught him up again in his Arms, and hoisting him higher than his Head, said, He wish'd that his Grandeur and Power might surpass that of the late King Lewis XIV. He help'd the King into his Coach, and did not return till it mov'd off.

Next day the Czar went to the Thuilleries with the same Train as the King has when he goes abroad, and rode in the King's Coach attended by the chief Lords of his Court, who sat over-against him, and at the Coach-Doors. As soon as he enter'd the Court, the King went to the Gate of the Castle, receiv'd him at his landing, and then conducted him to his Apartment, always giving the Czar the Right Hand. I never saw more People at the Thuilleries than there were on that day, insomuch that the two Monarchs had scarce room to pass. The Czar shew'd a prodigious Care of the King, kept him up by one Hand, and wav'd the other to keep off such as were apt to croud too near him. After a Visit no longer than that which the King made to the Prince, his Majesty reconducted him to the Coach, and the Czar return'd to his House with the same Train that had accompanied him. When that Prince return'd to his Apartment, he told the Marshal, That he was very much surpriz'd at the infinite Croud of People in the way. To which the Marshal made Answer, That the French had so great a Veneration for his Person, and so high an Idea of his illustrious Qualities, that no wonder they were so eager to see a Prince, who they knew beforehand was deserving of their Admiration. The Czar seem'd very well pleas'd with this Answer, yet he desir'd, That for the future, when he went abroad, the People might be oblig'd to keep out of his way. He paid a Visit next day to the Regent and to Madame. The latter talk'd to him for two Hours in High-Dutch, and the Czar answer'd the Princess in Low-Dutch. When he was withdrawn he said to M. de S——, That Madame was extremely inquisitive; that she wanted to knew every thing; and that she had ask'd him too many Questions; but that after all, he told her no more than what he was willing she should know.

The Czar was very curious to see every thing that was worth seeing in and about Paris. He inform'd himself of every thing, and took care to write every thing in his Pocket-book that he thought remarkable. He rose at Day-break, and rambled about from one Place to another till Night. To prevent all manner of Incumbrance he chose to make use of none but the Marshal de Tesse's Coaches, tho' that Nobleman would have been well enough contented without such Preference, because he kill'd several of his Horses; and the poor Marshal himself must have sunk under the Fatigue of the perpetual Motion that he was oblig'd to, if the Czar had staid much longer; but this Monarch lost no time, and examin'd every thing with equal Nicety and Dispatch, because he intended to be gone as soon as he had satisfy'd his Curiosity.

The Court spar'd nothing to pay this Prince all due Honors. The Regent for this purpose order'd a general Review of all the King's Houshold Troops, and of the French and Swiss Guards in the Walks of Roule and in the Elysian Fields. The Czar repair'd thither on horseback, and 'twas expected he would have staid out the whole Review; but he only rode briskly in the Front of the first Line, without casting his Eyes on the Troops, and then clapping Spurs to his Horse, without paying any Compliment to the Regent, he return'd full Gallop to Paris. From thence he went directly to St. Ouen, where the Duke de Tresmes, First Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber, and Governor of Paris, gave him an Entertainment, with which he seem'd better pleas'd than with the Review. He was loth to consent to the Admission of the Ladies into the Orangery where the Table was spread, and only spoke to Madame de Bethune, Daughter of the Duke de Tresmes, for which Distinction she was oblig'd to M. de Bethune, who having been a good while in Poland, talk'd the Polish Language very well, which procur'd him the Honor of being able to converse with his Czarish Majesty. The chief Noblemen, after the Example of the Duke de Tresmes, made Entertainments for the Russian Monarch. The Duke Regent also prepar'd a Grand Feast for him at St. Cloud; but just as the Czar was setting out from Paris, he was seiz'd with a violent Fit of the Cholic, which hinder'd his going abroad; nor do I know that he had a Sight of the Castle of St. Cloud at all. He seem'd to be more delighted with Versailles than any other Place, insomuch that he caus'd a Plan of it to be taken, and said, He would have a Building something like to it erected in his own Country. With this View he engag'd Workmen of all sorts, and promis'd them great Advantages to encourage them to go to Muscovy. A great number suffer'd themselves to be taken in, and the Regent consented to let them go out of the Kingdom; but we are assur'd that the Promises made to them were not perform'd, and the Generality thought themselves very happy when they were return'd to France. This Prince was not liberal; and what Presents he made were only valuable as they came from so great a Prince. I saw a poor Soldier of the Invalids make him a Present of a Plan of that Hospital, which had cost him ten Years Labor; but tho' the Prince seem'd to think it a fine Piece, yet the Soldier had a very small Reward. The King of France, however, made him a noble Present, and thereby convinc'd him how different the Temper of the French was from that of the Muscovites. The Czar, in short, return'd towards his Dominions very well satisfy'd with France, and went first to Holland where the Czarina staid for him; and from thence he proceeded by Land to Petersbourg.

The Czar's Residence in France had brought such a vast Number of Foreigners to Paris, that the City being more populous than ever, new Pleasures were thought of to divert them. A private Gentleman made a Proposal to me, which if I could have succeeded in, would have been of very great Service to me at that Juncture; for it was to put a considerable Sum of Money in my Pocket, if I could obtain a Patent for licensing Balls and Plays in the Elysian Fields, where the Projector wou'd have erected Booths for that purpose. I spoke of this to the Regent, who, according to his Custom, promis'd me the Grant at the first Word; but M. d'Argenson, who was then only Lieutenant of the Police, made him soon alter his Mind; for he represented to his Royal Highness, that such Balls would infallibly be attended with great Disorders. The Objection was specious, and like enough to be true; but after all, such a Licence would not have increas'd the Disorder very much, especially at a Place where 'twas for a long time the Fashion to take the Air in the Night, so that there were often more Coaches in the Course or Ring after Midnight, than in the Day-time. Besides, a way might be found to avoid all the Disorders that could possibly be foreseen. But M. d'Argenson was a Man that neither lov'd Novelties, nor Opportunities of obliging. I was the better pleas'd with this Project, because if it had taken, I saw that I should be in a Condition to stay some time longer at Paris, and to live in a genteel manner. But at last, when I saw it defeated, I thought of nothing but returning to Berlin. While I was putting every thing in order for my Journey, I saw the Count de Rothenbourg at Paris, who was come from Berlin, and to return thither shortly with a Commission on some Affairs of France. This Gentleman, who encourag'd me in my Design to go thither, assur'd me that it would be the easiest matter in the World for me to sell my Lands; that the King had just erected Fiefs; and that he gave every Man leave to dispose of his Estate; nay more, he offer'd to carry me along with him, and to advance me what Money I wanted. I thought all these to be very advantagious Proposals; but they were Words without Deeds. 'Tis true he lent me Money, that is to say, Government-Bills; but taking an advantage of the Necessity he found me in, oblig'd me to conclude one of the most fatal Bargains I ever made in my Life. I discounted my Bills, that is to say, I lost considerably by them, and with the residue of the Money I set out from Paris to Strasbourg, where M. de Rothenbourg had appointed to meet me: But for his part he went by the way of Burgundy, where he had an Estate; so that I staid for him near a Month, which surely I should not have done if I had been in Cash. When he came he told me, That 'twas impossible for him to carry me with him to Berlin, because he had no room in his Coach. 'Tis true that it was full, but there were some People in it, whom it would have better become to have got up behind. I was by this means under an indispensable Necessity to stay at Strasbourg, till I had a sufficient Remittance from Berlin, to enable me to continue my Journey, without being beholden to any body.

I did not repent my Stay at Strasbourg; for tho' I had been at it before, yet I never was there long enough to make any Observation upon the Remarkables of the Place. Strasbourg[57] is one of the best Cities in Europe. 'Tis the Capital of Alsace, and was conquer'd by Lewis XIV. in 1682, without any Expence but of Menaces and Money. That Monarch fortify'd it considerably, and caus'd a Citadel and Arsenal to be built there, which are Monuments worthy of a Great King. The Cathedral Church has not its equal for its Bulk and Grandeur. The Doors are of Brass, and very well wrought. There's a Pyramidal Spire 574 Foot high, which is a very noble Piece of Work. The Great Clock is also worth seeing. I was surpriz'd to see the great number of Wheels and Machines that give Motion to all the Constellations, and turn the Needles, which upon Dials of several sorts mark the Hours of the Day and Night, with the Course of the Moon and the other Planets. In the Vestry of this Church, which is very rich, are most sumptuous Altar-Ornaments and Copes. The Episcopal Palace which joins to the Church is indeed a very commodious, but not a magnificent Building, tho' it stands upon a considerable Spot of Ground, whereon a fine Structure might be erected; but there's no Appearance that such a thing will be undertaken yet a while, because the Cardinal de Rohan now Bishop of Strasbourg, who would be the properest Person for it in the whole World, resides but little at Strasbourg, and justly prefers Saverne to it, where he has a most stately Palace.

Strasbourg was formerly an Imperial City, the Magistrates whereof were Lutherans, but now the Catholics are the Masters, and have excluded the Lutherans from all manner of Employment. The King of France keeps a strong Garison in it, and the Commandant here for the King is the Marshal de Bourg. This Nobleman lives more retir'd than is usual for People that are in Power. The Officers go to him very often in the Morning, when the Marshal makes them sit down in a Circle, where I have seen such a Silence observ'd, that if Foreigners were Witnesses of it, they would not twit the French with having too much Clack. This Levee us'd to hold about half an Hour, after which every one went to dinner where he pleas'd, the Marshal only keeping a Table for Grand Festivals, or when any Person of Distinction arriv'd from the Court of France, which is very rare, except when the Cardinal de Rohan is at Strasbourg. When his Eminency is there, a great deal of Company follows him, and he lives with an Air of Grandeur suitable to his Birth and Dignity. Add to this, that there is not any Nobleman, perhaps, that is of a more courteous and polite Deportment. When this Prelate is not at Strasbourg the Place is very melancholy, especially for such as don't run into the common Debaucheries of Youth; for the latter indeed always find wherewith to amuse themselves: and indeed I have observ'd with my own Eyes that the young Fellows of Strasbourg are very debauch'd, and the Ladies very gentle.

After I had staid a while at Strasbourg, I receiv'd News at last from Berlin, together with Money to proceed in my Journey. I made haste thro' the Cities of Heidelberg[58], Darmstad and Francfort, and stopt at Hanau, where I had the Honor of paying my Compliments to the Count of that Name, who commonly resides there. He married a Princess of Brandenbourg-Anspach, Sister to the Princess of Wales, by whom he has had but one Daughter, married to the Hereditary Prince of Hesse-Darmstad, so that the Family of Hanau is like to be extinct in the Person of this Count. A part of his Territories, viz. those which are Fiefs of the Empire, will revert to the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, according to Conventions which this Prince has made with the King of Poland, who was Heir to a good Part of the County of Hanau as Elector of Saxony; but the latter sold all his Pretensions to the Landgrave.

The City of Hanau[59] stands near the Maine, and is distinguish'd into the Old and New Towns. The new Town owes its Foundation to the Walloon Protestants, who came to settle in this County during the Religious Wars in the Netherlands. The Streets of this Quarter, which is the finest of the two, are broad, and as strait as a Line, and the Architecture of the Houses on both sides is almost the same. A very exact Police is observ'd in it, as well for the Neatness of the Streets, as for the Security of the Inhabitants. This Count's Predecessors establish'd several Manufactures at Hanau; and here is a considerable Trade in Snuff and Woollen Stuffs. The French Refugees have contributed not a little to render this City much more considerable than it was before.

The Castle or Palace of the Count is in the Old Town; and he has another House at the Gates of the Town call'd Philip's-Ruhe[60], the Apartments of which are very fine and nobly furnish'd, and the Gardens are of a grand Taste, and a very advantagious Situation.

From Hanau I went to Fulde, an Abbat's Town of the Empire, in which stands the famous Abbey of Fulde of the Order of St. Benedict. The Fryars are all Gentlemen by sixteen Descents. The Abbat is elected by his Fryars, and has the Title of Primat of the Abbats, Prince of the Empire, and Hereditary Chancellor of the Empress. The Person who is now vested with that Dignity is of the Family of Butler. He maintains a great Court and several Regiments; so that he lives absolutely like a Temporal Prince. I should have lik'd his Reception of me very well, if he had not made me drink so hard, that if I had staid there longer, my next Journey might probably have been a vast way beyond Berlin. 'Tis my Opinion, Things duly consider'd, that there's no need of any extraordinary Vocation to be a Fryar at Fulde; for those Gentlemen enjoy every thing that a Man would wish for in a genteel Life. The House they dwell in is more like the Palace of a great King than a Convent; and the Abbey-Church, and another lately built without the Town, may be reckon'd among the noblest Buildings in Germany.

From Fulde I went to Eisenach[61], thro' the most detestable Roads that I ever travell'd. Eisenach stands upon the River Nese, at the feet of horrible Mountains. 'Tis the Seat of the Duke of Saxe-Eisenach of the Weimar-Branch, who being absent at that time, I had not the Honor to see him.

I proceeded from Eisenach to Gotha[62], the Residence of the Duke of Saxe-Gotha, who is the most powerful Prince of Saxony, next to the Elector. He is descended from the unfortunate John-Frederic Elector of Saxony, who was put under the Ban of the Empire, and depriv'd of his Electorate by Charles V. The Town is well built, and the Duke's Palace, which is separate from it, is surrounded with Ramparts.

From Gotha I went to Erfurt[63], a City which formerly was dependent on the Family of Saxony, who by a solemn Treaty yielded it to the Elector of Mentz in 1665; and it now belongs to the present Elector of that Name. The Inhabitants have made several Attempts to shake off their Dependency upon that Elector, who on his part has not been wanting in Measures to make them easy; and has made considerable Fortifications to the Castle, in which he maintains a good Garison. The Town is large, and contains fine Churches, of which the Cathedral is remarkable for its Bulk: This Church had formerly a most magnificent Steeple; but some years ago the Spire was entirely consumed by Lightning.

From Erfurt I went to Leipsic[64] one of the most considerable Cities in the Electorate of Saxony, and of special Note for its University and its Fairs. The former, which was founded in 1408, by Frederic the Warrior, has always supported it self with Reputation, notwithstanding the Neighbourhood of the University of Hall. The Situation of Leipsic is charming, and which way soever one enters it, there are beautiful Houses and Gardens kept in excellent Order. The Boses and Appel, Merchants of Leipsic have Gardens at the Gates of the Town, in which they have laid out surprizing Sums of Money: Appel especially has a Garden which a Prince need not be asham'd of. Besides these Gardens here are Walks, which are not the less agreeable for being natural. Here is a remarkable Wood, which is called in the Language of the Country Rosendahl, i. e. the Vale of Roses. It consists of fourteen Walks, with a great Meadow in the Middle. Each Walk has a noble Point of View, and they are all agreeably diversify'd. The Inside of Leipsic is perfectly answerable to the Out-parts: The Streets are very even, and the Houses large and well built. The only fault I found with them is, that they are too much charg'd with Sculpture, and not duly proportion'd: They are all very lofty, and for the Generality five or six Stories high. The Rents of them are very dear, and at the time of the Fairs there's such a Resort of Merchants hither from all parts, that 'tis very difficult to get a Lodging. When I came thither 'twas Michaelmas Fair; at which time the King of Poland was there. This Prince when he comes to Leipsic does not lodge in the Castle, tho' it has very commodious Apartments, but resides in the House of Appel, the Merchant whom I just now mention'd, who is Proprietor of one of the finest Gardens thereabouts. That King gives the Preference to his House, because 'tis near the Place where the Fair is kept. So much, Madame, for what is chiefly remarkable at Leipsic.

I made no long stay there, because I was impatient to return to Berlin. At my first Arrival there I liv'd very retir'd. I foresaw the little Satisfaction I had to expect at that Court, which made me resolve not to be seen there. Nevertheless I could not conceal my self long; for the Favors with which the Margravine-Dowager had always honor'd me, obliged me to pay my Respects to that Princess, who receiv'd me very kindly, and soon after spoke of me to his Majesty in so favorable a Manner, that he was desirous to see me; and he sent M. de Grumkau to bid me wait on him at Charlottenbourg, and to send in my Name to him by Ast, one of his Valets de Chambre. I could have been very glad to have been excused from paying Obedience to that Order; but it was too punctual, his Majesty having actually appointed the Hour that I was to appear before him. On the Day fix'd I therefore went to Charlottenbourg, and sent for Ast, who came and conducted me to a Gallery, where he bade me wait a little time; but I had not been there a Quarter of an Hour when the King enter'd it, attended by la Fourcade, Major-General and Commandant of Berlin. His Majesty came up directly to me, and ask'd me, with a good deal of Vivacity, From whence I came, and what was the Cause of my Return to Berlin? I made answer, That I was come last from France, and that my domestic Concerns had brought me back to Berlin. His Majesty, who proceeded to enquire into my Affairs, seem'd well enough pleas'd with the Answers I had the Honor of making to him, and turning towards la Fourcade, said to him, That he should never have known me, if he had not been appriz'd who I was beforehand: And then he said to me, That he should hereafter look on me no other than as a Frenchman. I made answer, That I should think my self very unfortunate if his Majesty should look on me in that Light; and that let me be at ever such a Distance from his Person and his Dominions, I should always be ambitious of calling my self his Subject; and that I should constantly preserve the same Sentiments of Respect and Loyalty to my King and Country, in which I had been educated. The King then ask'd me, Whether I had any Intention to sell my Estate? I confess'd to him, That I had no other Remedy left to enable me to satisfy my Creditors; and I actually entreated him to interpose his Authority to procure the Consent of Mademoiselle de Pollnitz to the Sale of it. The King said to me, That he would give his Orders to M. de C——, to engage her to hearken to Reason; and then he very graciously dismiss'd me.