The same Piazza leads also to the Riding-House, which is one of the finest I ever saw. ’Tis 366 Feet in Length, and 76 in Breadth. It has 80 great Windows, and all round within there runs a fine Corridor or Gallery to hold the Spectators, when there are any Carrousels or Tournaments. This Corridor is parted by the Elector’s Box, which is big enough to contain all the Electoral Family, and adorn’d with very rich Sculptures. The Gallery of the Palace, which reaches to the grand Piazza of the Garden, leads also to the Opera Room, which is very large, and very high. The Stage is answerable to the Grandeur and Magnificence of the Room, and the Decorations are superb, and very numerous. As the Electoral Prince is very fond of Music, he prefers the Opera to any other Performance, and gives Orders himself for what may serve to render it most splendid. You will judge that no Cost is spar’d, the Decorations, Machines, Habits and every Thing being equally noble, and well contriv’d. Upon the Days that any Feast is celebrated at Court, as Birth-days and the like, when there’s an Opera, at the Overture there descends from the Top of the Stage a Lustre of extraordinary Grandeur and Structure, which rises up again immediately after the first Act; a Custom, for which I never could yet hear of any good Reason. This Lustre surprizes the more, because it comes unexpected. The Ceiling opens to let it down, as well as to take it up again. ’Tis said, that when the Great _Gustavus Adolphus_, King of _Sweden_, made his victorious Entry at _Munich_, one of that great Monarch’s Generals advis’d him to burn the Palace of the Electors, but he refus’d to do it, in which he was Greater than the Great _Alexander_, who reduc’d the superb Palace of _Darius_ to a Heap of Ashes. The only Thing that made the _Swedish_ Monarch uneasy was, that he could not carry to _Sweden_ the fine Chimney-piece in the great Hall, that I mention’d to you. I will next treat of the Princes that compose the August Family of _Bavaria_, which is one of the most Illustrious in _Europe_. The Elector’s Name was _Maximilian Emanuel Mary_: No Man could have a grander Air, or a better Shape than this Prince had; and with those external Qualities, he had others, without which the former are of little or no Value. He was generous, affable, compassionate, and in Consequence ador’d by his Subjects: He knew how to support his Dignity with Grandeur: His Expence was great, but well-judg’d: He marry’d to his first Wife the Archduchess, Daughter of the Emperor _Leopold_, by whom he had a Son, who was snatch’d from him by Death, when the young Prince was become Heir to one of the chief Crowns in the World, after the Death of _Charles_ II. King of _Spain_, by Right of Succession from his Grandmother, who was the Daughter of _Philip_ IV.