was invited to the best Houses, and treated every Day with grand Feafts, and fresh Parties of Pleafure; and in a Word I pafs'd the little Time I ftay'd at Heidelberg very pleafantly. I was fo charm'd with that Court, that I had a great Mind to put in for fome Employment there; and for that end I engag'd fome Perfons, who I thought could do me moft Service; but notwithftanding the Courtiers feem'd fo fond of me, I found a Cabal in my Way, which was powerful enough to hinder me from obtaining my Wish. These were, to my Misfortune, Perfons of very good Credit, who did not care to fee any body in Place, but fuch, as they knew, would truckle to them. The Great Chamberlain, to whom I plainly faw I was not acceptable, was one of thofe who made the greateft Oppofition to my Advancement. 'Tis true, that I drew his Refentment upon me by my own Rafhness and Folly: For one Day, as I was attending the Elector from the Princefs's Apartment to his own, I went into a Room which, according to the Cuftom of the Court, no body was permitted to enter, except the Great Chamberlain; but this was more than I then knew, and therefore I went boldly into the Room, when a Harbinger of the Court came, and, with a very impertinent Air, bad me turn out I ask'd him, Whether he had his Order for faying fo from the Elector? He faid, No; but from the Great Chamberlain : I then made him an Answer in a Style that furpriz'd him, and bad him tell the Grand Chamberlain fomething that I knew he would not be pleas'd with: At the fame time I talk'd both against the Chamberlain and his Emiffary in fuch a manner as gave. Vent to my Spleen, but excluded me from the Service of one of the best

Princes

Princes in the World. I took Leave afterwards of the Elector, who bad me Farewel, made me a confiderable Prefent, and moreover gave me Letters of Recommendation to Vienna, where I intended to folicit fome Employment.

I fhall now give you a brief Account of the City and Castle of Heidelberg: The City ftands on the Banks of the Neckar, with high Mountains on each Side, and only a narrow Paffage between them, from which however there's a Profpect of the nobleft Plain in Germany. In this City there was formerly a famous Univerfity, founded by Rupert the Ruddy, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria in 1346. Here was to be feen one of the fineft Libraries in Europe, but General Tilly carry'd it off in 1622. and fent it to Rome, where it makes a confiderable Part of the Vatican Library. Lewis the Dauphin of France, Grandfather of Lewis XV. made himfelf Master of Heidelberg by a Capitulation in 1698. nevertheless, all manner of Disorders were committed in it; a Part of the Electoral Palace was blown up, the City was burnt, and the very Corpfes of the Electors, which were in the Coffins with the Ornaments of their Dignity, were dragg'd out of their Graves into the Square: And the French would undoubtedly have committed greater Cruelties, if the Army of the Empire had not advanc'd towards Heidelberg, of which the Germans made themselves Masters; and the Governor was profecuted for Treachery, and fentenc'd to have his Choice, Whether to die by the Sword, or to have his Coat of Arms defac'd, his Sword broke, to be kick'd by the Hangman, and turn'd out of the Army with his Life: But he was fo mean-fpirited, as to prefer Infamy to

Death,

Death, and retir'd to Hildesheim, where he has the Misfortune to be still living.

Some Time after this, the Marfhal de Lorge attack'd Heidelberg, but he could not mafter it, tho' the Place was defencelefs. A Song was made upon him, the Burden of which was, He would have taken Heidelberg, if he had found the Door open. There's no Sign now that Heidelberg was ever ruin'd; 'tis well rebuilt; and if the prefent Elector had continued his Refidence in it, would have been one of the fineft Towns in Germany; but 'twas owing to the Proteftants, that the Elector remov'd to Manheim. What gave Occafion to it was this: The Proteftants of Heidelberg and the Catholics have one Church between them, where the Nave of it belongs to the Proteftants, and the Choir to the Catholics. When the prefent Elector had fix'd his Refidence at Heidelberg, he defir'd that this Church, in which the Electors are interr'd, might be intirely Catholic; and for this end he made a Propofal to the Proteftants, to give up the Nave, and engag'd that another Church fhould be built for them. The Inhabitants were very willing to confent to it, but the Minifters oppos'd it, and represented to the Citizens, that 'twas of dangerous Confequence to refign that Church, which was included in the Treaty of Weftphalia, and in all the Treaties that had been made with the Princes of Neubourgh, on their Acceffion to the Electorate; that, after fuch a Refignation was once made, they could no longer expect the Protection of the Powers of their own Communion; and finally, that even the new Church, which was promis'd to be bnilt for them, might with very great Ease be taken from them. The Elec. tor having declar'd that he would be obey'd, the

Ministers

Minifters apply'd to the Proteftant Body at the Dyet of the Empire. The Affair made a great Noife; and the Elector threaten'd the Inhabitants to abandon them; but they did not seem to be much concern'd at it, because they imagin'd, that if the Court went, the Regency and the Courts of Juftice would remain with them, as they did in the Time of the late Elector. Nevertheless they were out in their Calculation, and the Elector, juftly incens'd at the Disrespect of his Subjects, abandon'd them, and transfer'd his Court and all the Tribunals to Manheim; fo that the Citizens, whofe fole Dependance was on the Court, or the Officers of thofe Tribunals, are now very poor. They were quickly fenfible of the Error they had committed, and went and threw themselves at the Elector's Feet; but the Prince gave no Ear to them, and has caus'd the City and Castle of Manheim to be rebuilt.

The Castle of Heidelberg to this Day fhews the Marks of the Disorder committed there by the French; for there's a great Part of it in Ruins; and out of Four confiderable Manfions, of which it confifted, there was only one that was not damag'd. That which remains of the Palace is in a Stile of Architecture, which I fhould be at a Lofs to explain; 'tis neither Gothic nor Modern, but a Rhapsody of all the Orders heap'd one upon another, without Fancy or Judgment; as if the Architect who conducted the Work, had only defign'd a Building of great Expence, without troubling himself whether it was done well or ill, This Palace ftands upon a very high Hill, with a magnificent Terrafs towards the Town, from whence there's a Profpect of the Plain and of the Country too for feveral Leagues. The Infide of the Palace is fcarce more regular than the OutC

fide,

fide. The Elector's Apartment confifts of a long Suite of Rooms, without Beauty or Proportion. Nor is there any thing agreeable in the whole but its Situation, which is owing to the Profpect that it commands. The other Apartments are very fmall, and of pretty difficult Accefs, becaufe of a great many little Steps that lead up and down

to them.

In the Vaults of this Palace there's the Tun, fo famous for its enormous Size; 'tis faid to contain 26,250 Gallons Paris Measure. The Electors have had frequent Caroufals on the Platform which is over it. I own to you, that I can't comprehend what Pleasure there can be in Tippling-Bouts of this Kind, at a Place where one cannot be at Eafe; fince a Man need not be very tall, for his Head to touch the Roof of the Vault, which befides is very dark.

As I was preparing to fet out for Vienna, where I intended, as I faid, to follicit Employment, I receiv'd a Letter from Paris, with Advice that the Storm I fo much dreaded was difpers'd, and that all my Fears were ill grounded, the Regent having no manner of Sufpicion of me, but on the contrary, more inclin'd than ever to fhew me the Effects of his Protection; whereupon I was earneftly exhorted to return to Paris, which Advice coming from a good Hand, I made no Scruple to comply with it.

At my Arrival there I went to the Royal Palace as before: The Regent gave me a very good Reception, and Madame made me fo welcome, that it confirm'd my Hopes, that I fhould at length obtain fomething at the Court of France. I found People very much divided about the War which had been juft declar'd

against