The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume IV: 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 Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts. — John Shaqi
The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume IV: 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 Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts.Pöllnitz, Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von
History
The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume IV: 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 Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts.
Pöllnitz, Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von
Europe -- Description and travel; Saxony (Germany) -- Court and courtiers
As soon as the Audiences are over, the Empress goes into a Room call’d,
_The Looking-Glass Room_, because ’tis the only one in her Apartment where
there are such Glasses: There her Majesty finds the Ladies, who kiss her
Hand one after the Other, after which the Empress sits down to Play; none
but the Ladies have the Honour to play with her, or have Permission to
enter into that Room, excepting indeed the Emperor, the great
Chamberlain, the great Steward, and the Princes who are related to the
Empress. While they are at Play, the Ladies are seated round the Table,
without observing any Precedence; nor is it even as ’tis in _France_,
where the Honour of the Tabouret or Stool to sit on is paid only to the
Duchesses; for at _Vienna_ those who are call’d Duchesses by way of
Railery, are treated as if they were such in Reality.
There’s another Custom at _Vienna_, very different from the Practice at
other Courts of _Europe_: Here are no Days fix’d for Drawing-Rooms or
Circles, so that the Ladies, when they think proper, send to the Lady of
Honour in waiting, to know of her at what time they may pay their Court to
the Empress; and then they repair to the Palace at the Time appointed.
Towards Supper-time the Emperor goes to see the Empress; when the Company
gives over Play, and the Empress rises, and admits those Ladies that are
not to stay at Supper to kiss her Hand; after which their Majesties seat
themselves at Table, which is serv’d much after the same manner as at
Dinner: Their Majesties always sup in the Empress’s Apartment, where Two
Wax Candles are plac’d upon the Table, which are chang’d Three or Four
Times by one of the Maids of Honour: When she takes off a Candle, to give
it to the Treasurer to snuff it, she makes a profound Curt’sy, and makes
another when she replaces it on the Table. On the _Gala_ or Festival Days,
there is Music during the Repast. After the Bason has been presented to
their Majesties to wash their Hands in, the Governess or Mother of the
Maids presents the Napkin to the Emperor; and a Maid of Honour, who is at
the same time Lady of the Golden Key, presents it to the Empress. When
the Archduchesses sup with their Majesties, the same Bason is presented to
them that the Emperor has wash’d in, and a Maid of Honour presents them
with the Napkin; and when the Emperor is risen from the Table, the Two
first Archduchesses give the Emperor his Hat, and the Empress her Fan and
Gloves; but, in the Absence of the Archduchesses, this is done by a Lady
of Honour and a Maid of Honour, who must also be a Lady of the Golden Key:
After this, the Ladies who waited at Supper kiss the Empress’s Hand, as
her Majesty goes out of the Room, into the Chamber of Looking-Glasses. As
soon as their Majesties are in this Chamber every body retires, to go to
the Assembly, which, when I was at _Vienna_, was held at the House of
_Madame de Rabutin_, whither came all the _Beau Monde_. Prince _Eugene_ of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account