relating to the Government. The Ceiling, which exceeds all the reft for its Beauty, has Compartments, the Squares and Pannels whereof are inrich'd with Sculptures, very finely gilt, and full of beautiful Pictures and other Ornaments. The Cathedral is large and fpacious, with a moft remarkable great Gate, all of Brafs, over which there are feveral Scripture Paffages, reprefented in Baffo-Relievo of very nice Workmanship. The Epifcopal Palace has nothing extraordinary. The prefent Bishop is of the Family of Newbourg, and Brother to the Elector of Triers, and the Elector Palatine. The Dignity of Prince of the Empire is annex'd to that of Bishop of Augsbourg, in the fame manner as it is to all the Bishopricks of Germany. He is chofe by the Chapter, which is compos'd of Canons, who are noble by Sixteen Defcents. The Bishop's Sovereignty extends over almost all the Territory of Augsbourg.

I am now going to give you an Account of one of the most splendid Courts in all Germany, I mean that of Bavaria, which I had the Honour to fee at MUNICH, whither I went at my Departure from Augsbourg. + Munich, which is the Capital of Bavaria, ftands upon the River Ifer, that falls into the Danube, for which Reafon the Neighbourhood is almost all Meadow Land. The Town is not large, but very well built, fo that I have scarce feen any that makes fo gay an Appearance. Munich contains feveral stately Buildings, both facred and profane. Among the former, the Two fineft, that I took Notice of, are, our Lady's Church, and that of the Jefuits.

In our Lady's Church there's a magnificent Tomb of the Emperor Lewis IV. adorn'd with + See Vol. I. p. 258. Figures

Figures of Marble and Brafs. There's one Thing remarkable in this Church, and that is, at the Entrance of the great Gate there's a particular Place, from whence, as one ftands, we obferve fuch a Regularity in the Difpofition of the Pillars which fupport the Roof, that there is not a Window to be perceiv'd in it, tho' there are a great many.

The Jefuits Church is alfo extremely magnificent. It confifts intirely of one Nave, very lofty and fpacious, the Roof of which is very noble, and adorn'd all over with Sculpture. The Veftry contains a great deal of Wealth in Relics, and in Veffels of Gold and Silver.

Their College is as magnificent as their Church, there can be nothing finer; and I could not help thinking the Outfide of it exceeded the Electoral Palace. In the Infide there are great Rooms, which ferve as Claffes for the Scholars that come to study with them.

The Elector's Palace deferves a diligent View, for it may compare with the Palaces of the moft powerful Sovereigns; and I think that, excepting the Palace of the Tuilleries, there's none fo big. Yet for all this it has one Defect, common to the Palaces of all Sovereigns, it having been built at feveral Times, and being by Confequence irregular. The firft Time I faw it, I own to you that I was difgufted at this Irregularity; and that it fell vaftly fhort of the Idea I had conceiv'd of the Building from what I had read of it in the Relations publifh'd by TravelJers.

Of all the Parts of the Electoral Palace, there's not one that is more magnificent than that which is commonly call'd the Emperor's Apartment: The principal Room in it is a Hall, which is

118 Feet long, and 52 broad, and may be reckon❜d a complete Piece of Work; 'tis adorn'd with fine Paintings, reprefenting facred and profane History, which are rang'd in exact Order, one over-against the other; and under each of the historical Paffages there are Latin Verfes explaining the Subject: The Chimney-piece is as magnificent as the reft of the Apartment; on the Top of it there's the Statue of Porphyry, of admirable Workmanship, reprefenting Virtue, holding a Spear in her Right Hand, and a Branch of gilt Palm in her Left. The Ceiling is adorn'd with gilt Compartments, and with Paintings of a noble Design.

Going out of the great Hall, we pass thro' a very fpacious Antichamber into the Hall of Audience, which is very much ornamented, as is all the reft. 'Tis there that the Electors give Audience to the foreign Minifters, and there are Eight great Compartments, fhewing the different manners after which the foreign Princes give Audience to Ambaffadors. There are other Pictures reprefenting the Hiftories of feveral Judgments pafs'd by Sovereigns, that have adminifter'd Juftice in Perfon; and these Pictures are accompany'd with Hieroglyphics, Emblems and Devices fuitable to the Subject.

The long Gallery is very magnificent, both for its Extent and for the Pieces it contains. "Tis adorn'd with Baffo Relievo's of a noble Defign, and with coftly Pictures, among which are the Effigies and Names of 36 Princes, the Predeceffors of the present Elector. There are alfo very fine Maps of the feveral Provinces, Cities and Appendages of his Electoral Highness's Dominions. There's another Gallery not quite fo big indeed, but as finely adorn'd, and especially

with very large Pictures, which reprefent the Hiftories of the Princes and Princeffes of the Family of Bavaria. The Stair-cafe which leads to the grand Apartment I juft now mention'd, is anfwerable to all the reft in Magnificence, there being nothing to be feen all about it but Marble and Gold.

The Apartment which the Elector commonly refides in is very fpacious, but irregular. I thought the Chambers and Closets a little too dark. The whole is adorn'd with rich Ceilings and magnificent Tapestries. The Electorefs's Apartment communicates with the Elector's by a private Gallery. All the Princes and Princeffes are equally well lodg'd, tho' the Chambers of the Apartments are a little too fmall.

The great Chapel is very fine, and would be much more fo, if it was more lightfome. The Electorefs has one, which joins to her Apartment, but is not near fo large as the former, and has the fame Fault; tho' otherwife 'tis a notable Piece of Building, and contains extraordinary Wealth.

The Garden of the Electoral Palace is not of the modern Tafte. Round the one half of it there's a grand Piazza, adorn'd with Pictures, reprefenting the feveral Hiftories of the Princes of the Bavarian Family, which Pictures, I am told, were the Model for the Hangings in the Elector's Wardrobe. At the End of this Piazza

there's a very fine Houfe, the lower Parts of which ferve as a Greenhoufe for the Orange Trees. In the upper Part there are very commodious Apartments; where, in the Summertime, the Elector has a Drawing-Room. Near this Orangery there's a Sort of Menagery, in which are kept Lyons and other wild Beafts.

The

The fame Piazza leads alfo to the Riding. Houfe, which is one of the fineft I ever faw. "Tis 366 Feet in Length, and 76 in Breadth. It has 80 great Windows, and all round within there runs a fine Corridor or Gallery to hold the Spectators, when there are any Carroufels or Tournaments. This Corridor is parted by the Elector's Box, which is big enough to contain all the Electoral Family, and adorn'd with very rich Sculptures. The Gallery of the Palace, which reaches to the grand Piazza of the Garden, leads alfo to the Opera Room, which is very large, and very high. The Stage is anfwerable to the Grandeur and Magnificence of the Room, and the Decorations are fuperb, and very numerous. As the Electoral Prince is very fond of Mufic, he prefers the Opera to any other Performance, and gives Orders himself for what may ferve to render it moft fplendid. You will judge that no Coft is fpar'd, the Decorations, Machines, Habits and every Thing being equally noble, and well contriv'd.

Upon the Days that any Feaft is celebrated at Court, as Birth-days and the like, when there's an Opera, at the Overture there defcends from the Top of the Stage a Luftre of extraordinary Grandeur and Structure, which rifes up again immediately after the firft At; a Cuftom, for which I never could yet hear of any good Reafon. This Luftre furprizes the more, because it comes unexpected. The Ceiling opens to let it down, as well as to take it up again.

'Tis faid, that when the Great Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, made his victorious Entry at Munich, one of that great Monarch's Generals advis'd him to burn the Palace of the Electors, but he refus'd to do it, in which he was