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
not stir from thence till I had fully satisfy’d him who and what I was.
Then I happen’d to hit upon an Expedient which prov’d a lucky one; I told
him, That I was very willing to remain in Custody till I had receiv’d an
Answer from the Landlady of the Inn where my Master dy’d, who would make
good what I had affirm’d. Upon this he order’d Paper to be given me; and I
wrote in short to my Landlady at _Paris_, by the Name of a _Valet de
Chambre_, whom I left there when I came away. As she was a Woman of quick
Apprehension, and knew my Hand-Writing, I persuaded myself that she would
easily comprehend the Meaning of it. When my Letter was finish’d, I shew’d
it to the King’s Lieutenant, who read it, and told me, That he would
undertake both for its Delivery, and an Answer to it. In the mean Time he
remanded me back to my Inn, and in Two Hours after, sent to tell me, that
I might pursue my Journey. You will naturally imagine, that I took him at
the first Word. I accordingly walk’d out of _Toul_ on Foot, but I hir’d a
Horse at a Village belonging to the Principality of _Elbœuf_, and went to
_Nancy_, where I had the Precaution to provide myself with a Passport,
which the Innkeeper, where I lay, procur’d me, by the Name of a certain
Merchant of that City. I did not think fit to go to _Strasbourg_, where
perhaps I might have been known; but went to _Haguenau_; from thence to
_Fort Louis_, where I pass’d the _Rhine_; and at last arriv’d at
_Heidelberg_ in the Beginning of the Year 1719.
* * * * *
The Palatine Court resided at _Heidelberg_[2], but ’twas not the same
Elector that I had the Honour to mention to you before, for he was dead,
and was succeeded by his Brother Prince _Charles_, who kept a numerous and
magnificent Court, and was the Darling of all his Family. He was so good
to his Domestics, that there are few such to be found among Princes; and
yet without debasing his Rank, of which he understood every Part of its
Dignity, and perfectly knew how to have the Respect paid that was due to
him: Being withal generous, good-natur’d, affable and charitable; he lov’d
People should speak to him with Freedom. He was very regular in his
Conduct, even to a Degree of Devotion, yet in no respect an Enemy to
Pleasures; on the contrary, he often procured them for his Court; and he
was especially fond of Dancing, which he perform’d indeed too well for a
Prince.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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