lly ruining Baireuth," says Wilhelmina; "Baireuth, and
Courland as well, where her first wedlock was;"--perhaps Meiningen was
done to her hand? Here is the Portrait of "my Grand-Aunt;" dashed off in
very high colors, not by a flattering pencil:--

"It is said she was very fond of pleasing, in her youth; one saw as much
still by her affected manners. She would have made an excellent actress,
to play fantastic parts of that kind. Her flaming red countenance, her
shape, of such monstrous extent that she could hardly walk, gave her the
air of a Female Bacchus. She took care to expose to view her"--a part
of her person, large but no longer beautiful,--"and continually kept
patting it with her hands, to attract attention thither. Though sixty
gone,"--fifty-seven in point of fact,--"she was tricked out like a
girl; hair done in ribbon-locks (MARRONNES), all filled with gewgaws of
rose-pink color, which was the prevailing tint in her complexion, and so
loaded with colored jewels, you would have taken her for the rainbow."
[Wilhelmina, i. 375.]

This charming old Lady, daughter of the GROSSE KURFURST, and so very fat
and rubicund, had a Son once: he too is mentionable in his way,--as a
milestone (parish milestone) in the obscure Chronology of those parts.
Her first husband was the Duke of Courland; to him she brought an
heir, who became Duke in his turn,--and was the final Duke, LAST of the
"Kettler" or native Line of Dukes there. The Kettlers had been Teutsch
Ritters, Commandants in Courland; they picked up that Country, for their
own behoof, when the Ritterdom went down; and this was the last of them.
He married Anne of Russia with the big cheek (Czar Peter's Niece, who
is since become Czarina); and died shortly after, twenty years ago; with
tears doubtless from the poor rose-pink Mother, far away in Baireuth
and childless otherwise; and also in a sense to the sorrow of Courland,
which was hereby left vacant, a prey to enterprising neighbors. And on
those terms it was that Saxons Moritz (our dissolute friend, who will be
MARECHAL DE SAXE one day) made his clutch at Courland, backed by moneys
of the French actress; rumor of which still floats vaguely about. Moritz
might have succeeded, could he have done the first part of the feat,
fallen in love with Swoln-cheeked Anne, Dowager there; but he could not;
could only pretend it: Courland therefore (now that the Swoln-cheek is
become Czarina) falls to one Bieren, a born Courlander,