anks for your good wishes, and have
such an opinion of their efficacy that, I am persuaded, I owe in
part, to them, the good luck of having proceeded so far on my long
journey without any ill accident. For I don't reckon it any, to have
been stopped a few days in this town by a cold, since it has not only
given me an opportunity of seeing all that is curious in it, but of
making some acquaintance with the ladies, who have all been to see me
with great civility, particularly _Madame_ ----, the wife of our
king's envoy from Hanover. She has carried me to all the assemblies,
and I have been magnificently entertained at her house, which is one
of the finest here. You know, that all the nobility of this place
are envoys from different states. Here are a great number of them,
and they might pass their time agreeably enough, if they were less
delicate on the point of ceremony. But instead of joining in the
design of making the town as pleasant to one another as they can, and
improving their little societies, they amuse themselves no other way
than with perpetual quarrels, which they take care to eternize (sic),
by leaving them to their successors; and an envoy to Ratisbon
receives, regularly, half a dozen quarrels, among the perquisites of
his employment. You may be sure the ladies are not wanting, on their
side, in cherishing and improving these important _picques_, which
divide the town almost into as many parties, as there are families.
They chuse rather to suffer the mortification of sitting almost alone
on their assembly nights, than to recede one jot from their
pretensions. I have not been here above a week, and yet I have heard
from almost every one of them the whole history of their wrongs, and
dreadful complaint of the injustice of their neighbours, in hopes to
draw me to their party. But I think it very prudent to remain
neuter, though, if I was to stay amongst them, there would be no
possibility of continuing so, their quarrels running so high, that
they will not be civil to those that visit their adversaries. The
foundation of these everlasting disputes, turns entirely upon rank,
place, and the title of Excellency, which they all pretend to; and,
what is very hard, will give it to no body. For my part, I could not
forbear advising them, (for the public good) to give the title of
Excellency to every body; which would include the receiving it from
every body; but the very mention of such a dishonourable pea