when they write of themfelves. I will make. hafte to change the disagreeable fubject, by telling you, that I am now got into the region of beauty. All the women have, literally, rofy cheeks, fnowy foreheads and bofoms, jet eyebrows, and fcarlet lips, to which they generally add coal-black hair. Those perfections never leave them, till the hour of their deaths, and have a very fine effect by candle-light; but I could wish they were handfome with a little more variety. They resemble one another as much as Mrs. Salmon's court of Great-Britain, and are in as much danger of melting away, by too near approaching the fire, which they, for that reason, carefully avoid, though 'tis now fuch exceffive cold weather, that I believe they fuffer extremely by that piece of felf-denial. The fnow is already very deep, and the people begin to flide about in their Traineaux. This is a favourite diverfion all over Germany. They are little machines fixed upon a fledge, that hold a lady and a gentleman,

and

and are drawn by one horfe. The gentleman has the honour of driving, and they move with a prodigious swiftnefs. The lady, the horse and the Traineau, are all as fine as they can be made, and when there are many of them together, 'tis a very agreeable show. At Vienna, where all pieces of magnificence are carried to excefs, there are sometimes machines of this kind, that coft five or fix hundred pounds English. The Duke of Wolfenbuttle is now at this court;

you know he is nearly related to our King, and uncle to the reigning Emprefs, who is, I believe, the most beautiful princess upon earth. She is now with child, which is all the confolation of the Imperial Court for the lofs of the Archduke. I took my leave of her the day before I left Vienna, and fhe begun to speak to me, with fo much grief and tenderness of the death of that young prince, I had much ado to withhold my tears. You know that I am not at all partial to people for their titles; but I own, that I love that charming Princess (if I may use so familiar an expreffion) and if I had not, I fhould

I fhould have been very much moved at the tragical end of an only fon, born, after being fo long defired, and at length killed by want of good management, weaning him in the beginning of the winter. Adieu, dear Lady R-, continue to write to me, and believe none of your goodness is loft upon

LETTER

To the Countess of

XIX.

Blankenburg, Oct. 17, O.S. 1716.

I RECEIVED yours, dear fif

ter, the very day I left Hanover. You may eafily imagine I was then in too great a hurry to answer it; but you fee I take the first opportunity of doing myself that pleasure. I came here the 15th, very late at night, after a terrible journey, in the worst roads and weather that ever poor traveller fuffered. I have taken this little fatigue, merely to oblige the reigning Emprefs, and carry a meffage from her Imperial Majefty to the Duchefs of Blankenburg, her mother, who is a Princess of great address and good breeding, and may be ftill called a fine woman. It was fo late when I came to this town, I did not think it proper to disturb the Duke and Duchefs with the news of my

arrival;

arrival; fo I took up my quarters in a miserable inn; but as foon as I had fent my compliments to their Highneffes, they immediately fent me their own coach and fix horses, which had however enough to do to draw us up the very high hill on which the caftle is fituated. The Duchefs is extremely obliging to me, and this little court is not without its diverfions. The Duke taillys at Baffet every night, and the Duchefs tells me, fhe is fo well pleased with my company, that it makes her play less than she used to do. I fhould find it very difficult to fteal time to write, if she was not now at church, where I cannot wait on her, not understanding the language enough to pay my devotions in it. You will not forgive me, if I do not say something of Hanover; I cannot tell you that the town is either large or magnificent. The opera-house, which was built by the late elector, is much finer than that of ViI was very forry that the ill weather did not permit me to fee Hernhaufen in all its beauty; but in fpite of the fnow, I thought

enna.