Chapter III: Preface: ,

By the TRANSLATOR.

The Author of these _Memoirs_, who is a Person of an honourable Family in _Prussia_, and confess'd by all that know him to be a Gentleman of extraordinary Talents, is one that may be truly said to have seen the World; he having not only travell'd twice thro' the principal Parts of _Europe_, but by his Acquaintance with People of the first Rank, and a diligent Inquiry and nice Inspection into Men and Things, attained to that Knowledge of Both, which is of such Service and Entertainment to Mankind in the general, and so particularly necessary for All who attend to what is doing in high Life.

He has succeeded very happily in the right Narrative Stile; and the _French_ Language, in which he wrote the following Letters, seems to be as natural to him as if it was his Mother-Tongue. But the Thing which has most contributed to the Demand for these Memoirs, is the Multitude of Characters that the Baron has interspers'd, not only of the Deceas'd, but even of Persons that are still living, and distinguish'd by the exalted Spheres in which they move.

That every one of those Characters is equally just, or that every Circumstance relating to them is told with the utmost Exactness, is not to be imagin'd: For supposing the Author to have been ever so circumspect and impartial, how was it possible for him to take the true Likeness of every one, in such a Variety of Personages of both Sexes, and to be perfectly sure of every Particular that he mentions; since he could not be Eye-Witness of every thing, and must be oblig'd for many to Information from other Persons, of whom, 'tis no wonder if some were prejudic'd? But to do the Baron Justice, it must be allow'd, that he no where fails in that Respect and Decorum to Princes which are their due; and that he has not discover'd a predominant Passion for Satire: because where he has painted in the strongest Colours, and represented his Subjects in the most disadvantageous Light, they were such whose Follies or whose Vices were too flagrant and notorious to be either conceal'd or disguis'd: And, considering the Groupe of Courtiers whom he has crouded into his Canvass, the Reader will rather be surpris'd to meet with so few Imperfections in his Characters, and so many excellent Qualities. By this means, his Memoirs have, upon the whole, done Honour to his Understanding, without offending his Conscience, or hurting his Fortune; he being, at this very time, upon a handsome Establishment at the Court of _Prussia_.

It cannot possibly escape the Observation of the Reader, that the Baron, when he wrote these Letters to his noble Friend, was a profess'd Member of the Church of _Rome_; but that nevertheless, he was not such a Bigot to its Constitution, nor such a Believer in the Legends of its Writers, or the pretended Miracles of its Saints, as to incur the Character of a blind and furious Zealot; it appearing on the contrary, from several Declarations of his Mind in the following Pages, that he did not want Charity either in his Nature or Principles for those from whom he differ'd in religious Sentiments. Such a Catholic Spirit, assisted by his good Sense, made it, no doubt, much easier for him, after reflecting upon the Fopperies and Impostures which he had seen in that Church during his Travels, to abjure the _Romish_ and to embrace the _Protestant_ Religion, which he did accordingly with great Devotion last Summer, at _Berlin_; after which, his _Prussian_ Majesty was pleas'd to distinguish him with peculiar Marks of his Favour and Esteem, by declaring him one of the Gentlemen of his Bed-Chamber, and Chief Cup-Bearer of his Court; and he has very lately given him a considerable Prebend.

To the new Edition of his Memoirs, from which the following Sheets are translated, there's not only a great number of material Additions in the Body of the Work, as is observ'd by the Editor of it, _Amsterdam_, but several new Notes: In this Translation, these Notes are likewise considerably augmented, for the sake of continuing the Thread of the History to the present Time, by the Notice taken of certain remarkable Alterations, or other curious Particulars that have happen'd to the Persons or the Places mentioned, since 1734, when the said Edition was publish'd.

One great Defect for which the foreign Editor has been very much blam'd, was the want of a Table to these Memoirs; which, if not absolutely necessary in a Work of this kind, wherein so many Persons and Facts are mentioned, cannot be necessary for any Book whatsoever that comes from the Press. To supply this Defect, the Translator has added an Alphabetical Index to each of the two Volumes; which Indexes are the more copious, that the Reader might know where to turn in an Instant for some Account of the Characters, Conduct, or Familys of those public Personages, whose Names so often occur in the News-Papers.

THE

AUTHOR's PREFACE

TO THE

FIRST EDITION.

_There are very few Books without a +Preface+; and that there are so, is in a great measure owing to the Fancy of the +Booksellers+, who think them to be absolutely necessary, and too often judge of the merit of a Copy by the Flights of its Preface, and the insinuating Tone of the +Author's+ Voice in reading it. I had the misfortune to fall into the hands of one of these Booksellers, so fond of Prefaces, whom nothing would serve but he must have one at the Head of my +Memoirs+. My telling him that I did not know what to put into a Preface, signify'd no more than if I had been talking to a Post; for he threaten'd to get a Preface compos'd by an Author who wrote for Wages. This startled me, and I trembled for the fate of my Book, not doubting that a Preface written by a Man of Letters, who made it his profession to compose such marvellous Pieces, would altogether eclipse the few Excellencies in this Work of mine. What, said I to myself, the Sale of my Book then must depend only on the Goodness of the Preface, which, when the Readers compare with the Book it self, they will say, O! what a wonderful Man is the Author of the +Preface+! What a pitiful Writer, the Compiler of the +Memoirs+! No, said I again to my self, I am resolv'd that the Preface and the Book shall run the same risk; and since Chance has enter'd me an Author, I'll play out the whole part of one._

_I am told, that the Design of a Preface is to give the Publick an account, in the first place, of the Reasons that have engag'd the Author to compose his Work; that then he is to inform the Publick, that 'tis in meer Complaisance to his Friends, and because there are mangled Copies of his Manuscript abroad, that he has been determined to put it to the Press; and finally, that he is to conclude with a sort of Petition, wherein he is to beg the Reader's Indulgence for his Productions. This, I have been assured, is the Plan of a Preface; let us now see how well I can execute it._

_As to the first Article, +viz.+ what Motives I had to write, I sincerely own that when I set Pen to Paper, I meant nothing more than to amuse myself. I was the farthest in the World from thinking that I should one day be overtaken with the Temptation of setting up for an Author. I wrote Letters to a Friend of mine, purely to divert him with an Account of such things as came in my way; the Minutes of which Letters I preserved till I had insensibly formed a Volume of 'em; and having nothing else to do, I augmented and digested them in the manner that I now give them to the Publick. The truth is, that my Friends have not used the least Importunity with me to commit my Manuscript to the Press, nor was it possible for any spurious Copies of it to get abroad, because no body ever saw it till I put it into the hands of the Bookseller._

_But I shall be ask'd, what possess'd me to commence Author, and how came I to be so idle as to put my Name at the Head of a sorry book? I must answer again, that it was downright Indolence. As to my Name, it would have been very difficult to have concealed it from Persons to whom I have the greatest Obligations. I should have been suspected to have been the Author of these Memoirs at certain Courts, for which I have a Respect both by Inclination and Duty; and perhaps, if I had left this Copy to the wide World, as some do those Foundlings which they are asham'd to own, such Passages might have been foisted into it, as would have been father'd upon me, in spite of all Protestations of my Innocence._

_As to the Book itself, I am apt to think there is nothing in it that any Person whatsoever ought to take offence at. When I speak of Sovereign Princes, 'tis with the Reverence due to the +Lord's Anointed+; and I also endeavour to honour them in their Ministers, being taught by my Religion that I ought to honour God in his Saints. I have done my utmost to paint the true Characters of People in Place, and can safely say, that my Authorities are not meer hear-says or scraps out of News-Papers; for, thank to God, my Birth and Fortune have put me in a capacity to see, hear, and judge for myself._

_It will be thought perhaps, that when I speak of Nations in general, I judge too rashly. It may be so; this being an Article especially in which all Men do not think alike. The +French+ have a quite different Idea of the +Germans+ from what the +English+ have, and the +English+ do not pass the same Verdict on the +French+ as the +Swedes+ do. 'Tis the same in private Life. Every one makes his own Condition the Standard of his Judgment. The Man of Quality, the Citizen, the Soldier, the Merchant, have all different Ideas. The Traveller judges of the Nation where he is, by the Company he keeps. A +Frenchman+ who in +Germany+ converses with none but those of the second Class, will say that the +Germans+ are honest People, but clownish; whereas another, who keeps company with Persons of Quality, or those in Offices, will agree, that the +Germans+ are more polite than they have been painted by certain +French+ Writers, who have been transplanted to +Germany+ either by their Distresses, or by meer Chance. So, a +German+, who, when he is at +Paris+, sees no better Company than the Marchionesses of the Suburb of +St. Germain+, imagines that all the Women both at Court and in the City are like them. In fine, a Foreigner who takes up his Residence in the City of +London+, will entertain a different Idea of the +English+ from what another shall do who lodges at +St. James+'s end of the town. They are, as one may say, so many different Nations in one and the same State, which stand in little relation to one another; and sometimes attribute Virtues and Vices to each other without due Consideration. A Foreigner therefore can form a solid Judgment of none but those with whom he is conversant; and if he has the good luck to pitch his Tent well, he entertains an advantageous Opinion of the Nation in general. Let Foreigners, when they return home, after having kept such various sorts of Company, sit down to draw the Characters of the Nations they have seen, I do but think what a strange difference would appear in their Descriptions! The Judgment therefore which I make of People, is founded upon the Company I kept, and upon what I heard from such Inhabitants of the Country as appear'd to me to be altogether unprejudiced, and were pleased to honour me with their Information. I do not say but, after all, I may have been mistaken; for I do not pretend to have painted things in any other light than as they appear'd to me. If, nevertheless, any particular Person thinks himself particularly intended when I speak of the Inhabitants of any Province or Town in general, I beg him to remember, that I confess in my Memoirs there are worthy People in all parts of the World, and 'tis not my fault if his Conscience does not permit him to rank himself in that number._

_No doubt I shall be reproach'd for relating too many Trifles, and passing too lightly over things of greater Importance. To speak freely again, I will make no difficulty to own, that, if when I began these Memoirs, I had ever thought of printing them, the desire of promoting their Sale might perhaps have put upon inserting a great many Nothings which I omitted, as not thinking it worth while to charge my Memory with 'em. The far greatest part of what the World reads is Trifles, and a History will make its fortune not by the instructive Facts that are in it, but by the Romantic Turn the Author gives it. Besides, I am not so vain as to write with a design of Instructing; for what could I relate in my Travels which others have not done before me in better Terms? To talk of Learned Men, to make a Catalogue of Books and MSS. that are to be met with in Libraries, to ransack the Cabinet of the Curious, to publish Inscriptions, to treat of antique Medals, to affirm that I have seen an +Otho+ of Brass, which is known to be but of Silver, what a Posse of Men of Learning would rise up against me! Whereas, now I fear nothing; the Learned don't read Trifles, or if they do, they scorn to criticise them. I shall to them remain unknown, or at least, my Meanness will be my Protection against their Indignation._

_I would fain be as secure against the Criticism of those, who reading for the sake of their amusement, require an exact, elegant Stile in trifles, that is, adorn'd with the Flowers and Garlands of Rhetorick. But how shall I gain their Indulgence? If I own to them that I could do no better, they will say to me, and justly enough, +Alas! then what made you write?+ To which I shall answer, as I said before, that it was meerly for want of something else to do. If they will but forgive me this time, I assure them that I not only will never relapse into the same error, but that I shall not be sorry if they disdain to take Notice of my Book: And if the reading of these Memoirs inclines them to sleep, I shall think my self very well rewarded for having contributed to their Repose._

_After all, I am more particularly obliged to ask pardon of the +French+ than any other Nation: 'Tis in their Language I have presumed to write, and they are my proper Judges. Such is their Politeness and their Readiness to assist Foreigners, that I doubt not of Mercy. And in return, I promise them, that if a +Frenchman+ ever vouchsafes to write in the +German+ Language, I will forgive him any Errors that he may commit._

ADVERTISEMENT by the EDITOR.

N. B. "These Memoirs went off so quick, that before they had been out scarce six Months, the _French_ Bookseller was oblig'd to prepare for this _Second Edition_; to which, there are considerable Additions both in the Body of the Work and in the Notes, of curious and interesting Facts and Characters, and the principal Alterations that have happen'd at the several Courts, since the first Edition.

"There is added in particular, a very circumstantial Account of the present Elector of _Saxony_'s Family, his Ministers, and Officers; and in short, of the Chief Persons of both Sexes belonging to his Court and Houshold. This is prefix'd in the Original, at the Head of the Memoirs; but the Translator thought it more regular as well as more consistent with the Method observ'd every where else by the Author, to place it at the End of his Description of the City of _Dresden_. The Baron has dedicated that Account to the present Elector (_Augustus_, King of _Poland_) and introduc'd it with the following Preface."