se Gottsched had
before she died. She saw Maria Theresa at Vienna. If the following
extracts seem somewhat servile, it must be remembered that the letter
was written in an age in which royalty worship was a part of life. In
fact, Luise Gottsched's delighted description is mainly valuable as a
true reflection of the popular feeling about royalty in the eighteenth
century. The glimpse it gives of that noble woman, Maria Theresa
(1740-1780), is also interesting. The good empress's simple, friendly
reception of the husband and wife, her divination of what this visit to
Vienna meant in their narrow lives, her kindly desire that they should
see all there was to see of interest these things are charmingly
illuminative. They make one understand the enthusiastic shout of her
Hungarian subjects: "We will die for our King, Maria Theresa." This is
what Luise Gottsched wrote:

"To Fraulein Thomasius, of Troschenreuth and Widersberg, at Nuernberg.

"VIENNA, September 28, 1749.

"MY ANGEL:

"First, embrace me. I believe all good things should be shared with
one's friends. Hence must I tell you that never, in all my life, have I
had such cause to be joyfully proud as on this day. You will guess at
once, I know, that I have seen the Empress. Yes, I have seen her, the
greatest among women. She who, in herself, is higher than her throne. I
have not only seen her, but I have spoken with her. Not merely seen her,
but talked with her three quarters of an hour in her family circle.
Forgive me if this letter is chaotic and my handwriting uneven. Both
faults spring from the overwhelming joy I feel in the two delights of
this day the privilege of meeting the Empress and the pleasure of
telling your Highness of the honor.

"This morning at ten we went to the palace. We took our places where
Baron Esterhazy, who procured us admission, told us to stand. He
supposed, as we did, that we, with the hundreds of others who were
waiting, might be permitted to see her Majesty as she passed through the
apartment on her way to the Royal chapel. After half an hour we had the
happiness of seeing the three Princesses go by. They asked the
Court-mistress who we were. Then, on being told our names, they turned
and extended their hands for us to kiss. The eldest Princess is about
ten years old. As I kissed her hand, she paid me a compliment. She said
she had often heard me highly spoken of. I was pleased, of course, and
very grateful for her remarkable conde