a much greater court than that of St James's. The king has
had the goodness to appoint us a lodging in one part of it, without
which we should have been very ill accommodated; for the vast number
of English, crowds the town so much, 'tis very good luck to get one
sorry room in a miserable tavern. I dined to-day with the Portuguese
ambassador, who thinks himself very happy to have two wretched
parlours in an inn. I have now made the tour of Germany, and cannot
help observing a considerable difference between travelling here and
in England. One sees none of those fine seats of noblemen, so common
amongst us, nor any thing like a country gentleman's house, though
they have many situations perfectly fine. But the whole people are
divided into absolute sovereignties, where all the riches and
magnificence are at Court, or into communities of merchants, such as
Nurenburg (sic) and Frankfort, where they live always in town for the
convenience of trade. The king's company of French comedians play
here every night. They are very well dressed, and some of them not
ill actors. His majesty dines and sups constantly in public. The
court is very numerous, and his affability and goodness make it one
of the most agreeable places in the world.

Dear madam, your, &c. &c.

LET. XVIII.

TO THE LADY R----.

_Hanover, Oct_. 1. O. S. 1716.

I AM very glad, my dear lady R----, that you have been so well
pleased, as you tell me, at the report of my returning to England;
though, like other pleasures, I can assure you it has no real
foundation. I hope you know me enough to take my word against any
report concerning me. 'Tis true, as to distance of place, I am much
nearer to London than I was some weeks ago; but, as to the thoughts
of a return, I never was farther off in my life. I own, I could with
great joy indulge the pleasing hopes of seeing you, and the very few
others that share my esteem; but while Mr W---- is determined to
proceed in his design, I am determined to follow him. I am running
on upon my own affairs, that is to say, I am going to write very
dully, as most people do when they write of themselves. I will make
haste to change the disagreeable subject, by telling you, that I am
now got into the region of beauty. All the women have (literally)
rosy cheeks, snowy foreheads and bosoms, jet eye-brows, and scarlet
lips, to which they generally add coal-black hair. Those perfections
never leave them, till the hour