Letters of the Right Honourable Lady M-y W-y M-e | Page 5

COUNTESS OF B----.
Nuremberg, Aug. 22. O. S. 1716.
AFTER five days travelling post, I could not sit down to write on any
other occasion, than to tell my dear lady, that I have not forgot her
obliging command, of sending her some account of my travels. I have
already passed a large part of Germany, have seen all that is remarkable
in Cologn, Frankfort, Wurtsburg, and this place. 'Tis impossible not to
observe the difference between the free towns and those under the
government of absolute princes, as all the little sovereigns of Germany
are. In the first, there appears an air of commerce and plenty. The
streets are well-built, and full of people, neatly and plainly dressed. The
shops are loaded with merchandise, and the commonalty are clean and
cheerful. In the other you see a sort of shabby finery, a number of dirty
people of quality tawdered (sic) out; narrow nasty streets out of repair,
wretchedly thin of inhabitants, and above half of the common sort
asking alms. I cannot help fancying one under the figure of a clean
Dutch citizen's wife, and the other like a poor town lady of pleasure,
painted and ribboned out in her head-dress, with tarnished silver-laced
shoes, a ragged under-petticoat, a miserable mixture of vice and
poverty.--They have sumptuary laws in this town, which distinguish
their rank by their dress, prevent the excess which ruins so many other

cities, and has a more agreeable effect to the eye of a stranger, than our
fashions. I need not be ashamed to own, that I wish these laws were in
force in other parts of the world. When one considers impartially, the
merit of a rich suit of clothes in most places, the respect and the smiles
of favour it procures, not to speak of the envy and the sighs it occasions
(which is very often the principal charm to the wearer), one is forced to
confess, that there is need of an uncommon understanding to resift the
temptation of pleasing friends and mortifying rivals; and that it is
natural to young people to fall into a folly, which betrays them to that
want of money which is the source of a thousand basenesses (sic).
What numbers of men have begun the world with generous inclinations,
that have afterwards been the instruments of bringing misery on a
whole people, being led by vain expence (sic) into debts that they could
clear no other way but by the forfeit of their honour, and which they
never could have contracted, if the respect the multitude pays to habits,
was fixed by law, only to a particular colour or cut of plain cloth! These
reflections draw after them others that are too melancholy. I will make
haste to put them out of your head by the farce of relicks, with which I
have been entertained in all Romish churches.
THE Lutherans are not quite free from these follies. I have seen here, in
the principal church, a large piece of the cross set in jewels, and the
point of the spear, which they told me very gravely, was the same that
pierced the side of our Saviour. But I was particularly diverted in a
little Roman Catholic church which is permitted here, where the
professors of that religion are not very rich, and consequently cannot
adorn their images in so rich a manner as their neighbour. For, not to be
quite destitute of all finery, they have dressed up an image of our
Saviour over the altar, in a fair full-bottomed wig very well powdered. I
imagine I see your lady ship stare at this article, of which you very
much doubt the veracity; but, upon my word, I have not yet made use
of the privilege of a traveller; and my whole account is written with the
same plain sincerity of heart, with which I assure you that I am, dear
Madam, yours, &c. &c.
LET. VI.

To MRS P----.
Ratisbon, Aug. 30 O. S. 1716.
I HAD the pleasure of receiving yours, but the day before I left London.
I give you a thousand thanks 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,