not easy
for the society of even the larger cities to keep up a stationary
theatre. At Berlin the French theatre was changed to a German one, with
the proud title of National Theatre; but this, the only one in the
capital, was, in 1790, little visited, although Fleck and both the
Unzelmanns played there. The Italian Opera was, indeed, better
attended, but it was given at the King's expense; every magistrate had
his own box; the King still sat, with his court, in the parterre behind
the orchestra; and throughout the whole winter there were only six
representations--one new and one old, each performed three times. Then,
undoubtedly, the public thronged there, to see the splendour of this
court festival, and were astounded at the great procession of elephants
and lions in "Darius." It is mentioned that at Dresden, also, the
children's theatricals in families were far more in request than the
great theatre; and in Berlin, which was considered so particularly
frivolous and pleasure-seeking, this same winter, at the great
masquerade, of which there was so much talk in the country, there was
only one person dressed in character; the others were all spiritless
dominoes, and the whole was very dull to strangers.[24] All this does
not look much like lavish expenditure.

The usual social enjoyment, also, was very moderate in character; it
was a visit to a public coffee-garden. Nobles, officers, officials, and
merchants, all thronged there for the sake of some unpretending music
and coloured lamps. This kind of entertainment had been first
introduced at Leipzig and Vienna about 1700; the great delights of this
coffee-drinking in the shade were celebrated in prose and verse, and
the more frivolous boasted how convenient such assemblages were for
carrying on tender liaisons. These coffee-gardens have continued
characteristic of German social intercourse for nearly 150 years.
Families sat at different tables, but could be seen and observed; the
children were constrained to behave themselves properly, and careful
housewives carried with them from home coffee and cakes in cornets.

With the well-educated citizen, hospitality had become more liberal,
and entertainments more sumptuous; but in their family life they
retained much of the strict discipline of their ancestors. The power of
the husband and father was predominant; both the master and mistress of
the house required prompt obedience; the distinction between those who
were to co