The Furniture of the grand Apartment is very rich; there’s a fine Gallery adorn’d with Pictures, the Cieling of which was painted by one _Peine_, a _Frenchman_, who in divers Compartments has skilfully represented the principal Actions of King _Frederic_ I. At the End of this Gallery there’s a Saloon, which was formerly magnificent to the last degree, being wainscotted, if I may so call it, with Amber: But the late Czar coming on _Berlin_ in his return from _Holland_ and _France_, and not a little admiring this Furniture, which was the only thing of its kind, the King made him a Present of it: so that what had been amass’d with great Care and Cost by several Electors, fell in one Day into the hands of a Nation, which, no longer ago than the beginning of the present Century, was reckon’d Barbarian. The Palace had fine Gardens belonging to it before they were destroy’d, and converted into a Place of Arms, and a Parade for the Guards. Hard by the Palace are the King’s Stables, a very grand Building, facing the great Street. The Architecture without is _Gothic_, but the inside is more magnificent; the Stables are broad and spacious, very lofty, and very lightsome: the Mangers are of Stone, and the Pillars which mark the Stands for the Horses, are of Iron, and adorn’d with the King’s Cypher, gilt: Over the Mangers are several great Pictures of the finest Horses that ever came out of his Majesty’s Studs. The Backside of the Stables projects towards the River _Spree_, to which they can lead the Horses by a Stair-Case without Steps, built in the form of a Horse-Shoe. The Main Body of the House contains grand Lodgings for the Master of the Horse, and the Officers under him. Over the Stables are great Rooms where they keep a deal of fine Furniture, both for the Horse and Mule; magnificent Sleds, with convenient Harness, adorn’d with Bells of Silver, or Silver gilt; a great number of fine Arms; the rich Accoutrements of the Horse which serv’d _Frederic_ I. on the Day of his public Entry; all the Ornaments of the Bridle, the Breast-Leather, and Crupper, as well as the Bits and Stirrups, being of Gold adorn’d with Brilliants. Over the Riding-House is the great Theatre, where, in the late King’s time, Interludes and Comedies us’d to be acted before the whole Court; but the Opera of _Roxana_ and _Alexander_ was the last that was acted on it. It was play’d in 1708, upon the Marriage of King _Frederic_ I. with _Sophia_ of _Mecklemberg_. In 1706, an Interlude was acted there, on account of the Arrival of the Princess Royal, now Queen; intitled, _Beauty triumphing over Heroes_; at which the Markgraves _Frederic-Albert_ and _Christian-Lewis_, the late King’s Brothers, danc’d, with all the young Courtiers.