ficers and other Domestics are clad in Colours: Yet, as to their Maids of Honour, let the Day of Gala be never fo grand, the Bodies of their Gowns must be a black Ground, embroider'd with Gold and Silver, but their Petticoats may be of what Colour they please. Those Princeffes are never at any Play or Ball: As for the Archducheffes, it being the Custom at Vienna for Sifters to dress alike, they must be drefs'd all in their Hair upon the Days of Ceremony and Gala, as well as their Maids of Honour: They generally wear the Court Dreffes; but on the Days of grand Ceremony they wear Robes, much like Children's Vefts, and very wide Petticoats with great Trains.

Upon the Days of Gala there are commonly Operas and Comedies: Their Imperial Majefties fit in the Pit, the Emperor in the chief Place, and the Emprefs on his Left, and the Archducheffes are in the fame Row. All thofe of the Imperial Family have Arm-Chairs of the fame Size and Height, with a Stand behind, upon which is a Wax Candle. Their Operas are magnificent, as to the Decorations and Habits, and good Judges have affur'd me, that their Mufic is excellent; but for my own Part I think them as fad as most of the Italian Operas, because neither of 'em are accompany'd with Dances, or any agreeable Entertainment.

I think, Madame, that I have related within a Trifle every Thing that is remarkable at Vienna, whether at Court or in the City: I fhall now give you a fhort Account of the Perfons who compos'd that auguft Court at the Time that I stay'd there.

Charles VI. was then upon the Imperial Throne, who is the second Son of the Emperor Leopold:

After

After the Death of Charles II. King of Spain, he was own'd King of that Monarchy by all the Princes of the Grand Alliance, and he then took the Name of Charles III. He went to his Kingdom, and fhew'd the Spanish Nation, that he was worthy of being their Sovereign. The Death of the Emperor Jofeph, his Eldeft Brother, oblig'd him to return to Germany, and when he was at Genoa he heard, that he was chofe Emperor. I have already had the Honour to give you an Account of his Coronation. The Reign of this Monarch has been fignaliz'd by happy Events; the famous Peace concluded with France, reftor'd that Tranquillity to the Empire which it had been for a long time depriv'd of, and that which was concluded fome Years after with the Turks, fecur'd the Happiness of Hungary, and all the hereditary Dominions.

The Name of the Empress is Elizabeth Chriftina of Wolfembuttle Blanckenberg: She is a Princefs, who, befides all the Qualities of the Mind, has the most advantagious Afpect: She is the finest Personage at her Court, and 'tis easy to fee by her majestic Carriage, that fhe was form'd by Nature to wear one of the chief Crowns in the World: She is very magnificent in her Apparel, and especially in Diamonds, of which the has to the Value of feveral Millions, and the Number is daily increafing by confiderable Presents fhe receives from the Emperor. This Prince does Juftice to the Merit of his auguft Spouse, who on her Part makes it her whole Care to give him Proofs of her Affection; 'tis impoffible to find a more perfect Unity than that which is between their Imperial Majefties: There are Three Princeffes by this Marriage; I had the Honour to fee

only

only the Two Eldeft, for the Third was born fome Years after my Journey to Vienna.

She that is first in Rank, next to the Emprefs and the Archducheffes her Daughters, was the Emprefs, Dowager of the Emperor Leopold, Eleonora Magdalena Therefa of Newbourg: She was the Mirrour of the whole Court for Piety; for The spent most of her Time in Prayers at the Altars, or elfe in bestowing Charities, which were always very great. The Greatness of her Birth feem'd to make her uneafy, and she was vex'd to see the Honours which her Rank and Merit had entail'd upon her; fhe dy'd in a very advanc'd Age: She had feveral Princes and Princeffes by the Emperor Leopold, as 1. Joseph-Jacob, who dy'd Emperor at Vienna, the 17th of April 1711. 2. Charles, the prefent Emperor, and Three Archducheffes; the one marry'd to the King of Portugal; another, Governess of the Netherlands; and the Third, who refides at the Court of Vienna.

The Empress Dowager of the Emperor Jofeph refides alfo at the Court of Vienna, and her Name is Wilhelmina-Amelia: She is the Daughter of the late Duke of Hanover, Uncle to the King of England, After the Death of her Father, who left no Male Iffue, this Princefs went and stay'd fome time in France, and her Sifter having marry'd the Prince of Modena, the accompany'd her into that Country, where the stay'd till her Marriage, which was concluded at Modena with the Emperor Jofeph, then King of the Romans; for whom the Duke her Brother-in-Law marry'd her as Proxy: She went afterwards to Vienna, where fhe was the Admiration of the whole Court, not only for the Luftre of her Perfon, but for the other Qualities with which Nature has endow'd

her:

her: She took Care to cultivate her Mind with much Reading, and especially by the Study of the Languages, to which fhe gave great Application with Succefs, and fhe understands French and Italian as well as her native Language. This Princefs had feveral Children by the Emperor her Husband, of whom there are but Two Princeffes living; the one call'd Maria-Josepha, marry'd to the Electoral Prince of Suxony, now King of Poland; and the other call'd Maria - Amelia, marry'd to the Electoral Prince, now the Elector, of Bavaria.

Thefe, Madame, were the Perfons of whom the Imperial Family then confifted: I had the Honour in a few Days after my Arrival to kiss the Hands of all this auguft Family, and was afterwards introduc'd to the Minifters; fo that in a very little time I was known by the whole Court, and was fo happy, as to acquire fome Friends of Diftinction, who gave me Marks of their good Will, without putting me to the Trouble of dancing Attendance, and defir'd Prince Eugene to give me an Employment: I had the Honour to wait on that Prince with particular Letters of Recommendation, that I brought from the Elector Palatine. The Prince, who receiv'd me very kindly, told me, that he could not infure me a Place, because the Colonels difpos'd of all the Employments in their Regiments; but that he would oblige me to the utmost of his Power and indeed fome time after, he was fa good as to speak for me to the Count Max of S-, who gave me a Company in his Regiment, which was then in Sicily. I was mightily charm'd with this Prefent, and imagin'd that Fortune was at length weary of having fo long thwarted me: Yet when I began to think coolly

of

of the Matter, I had fome Reflections which made me relapfe into my former Melancholy: I was not in Cafh, and I faw that I could not avoid being at a confiderable Expence. Befides, I had contracted fome dribbling Debts, which I wanted to clear before I left Vienna: My Equipage was fo much out of Repair, that it would coft fome Money to remount it; and finally, there was a Neceffity for my going to Sicily; all which Things were not to be done with a trifling Expence Upon this Occafion I receiv'd fresh Proofs of the Affection of my Friends, who all interested themselves for me effectually: Madamofeille de K, Maid of Honour to the Emprefs Dowager, procur'd me a Gratuity from her Imperial Majefty; and the Countess of W

at whofe House I was every Day, advanc'd me a Thousand Ducats, faying, That I should pay her when I was able, or rather, when I was preferr'd to be a Lieutenant-General. She accompany'd her Generofity too with fome Advice, that was truly wife and christian, and feem'd to come rather from the Lips of a Mother than a Friend. This Lady was heartily glad that I had chang'd my Religion, and was the more willing to affift me in making an End of my Affairs, for Fear that 1 should be overcome by the Temptation of turning Proteftant again, for the Sake of getting Employment in my own Country.

You fee, Madame, by what I have just had the Honour to mention to you, that I was now in a Condition to quit Vienna with Credit, and indeed my Stay there was no longer than to be a Spectator of Two great Solemnities, of which I am next to give you a Defcription: The first was the Entry of a Turkish Ambassador, and the second the Marriage of the Archduchess Maria

Jofepha