Letters of the Right Honourable Lady M-y W-y M-e | Page 7

palace, stoves in the chambers, kitchens, &c.
They are rowed by twelve men each, and move with such incredible
swiftness, that in the same day you have the pleasure of a vast variety
of prospects; and, within the space of a few hours, you have the
pleasure of seeing a populous city adorned with magnificent palaces,
and the most romantic solitudes, which appear distant from the
commerce of mankind, the banks of the Danube being charmingly
diversified with woods, rocks, mountains covered with vines, fields of
corn, large cities, and ruins of ancient castles. I saw the great towns of
Passau and Lintz, famous for the retreat of the imperial court, when
Vienna was besieged. This town, which has the honour of being the
emperor's residence, did not at all answer my expectation, nor ideas of
it, being much less than I expected to find it; the streets are very close,
and so narrow, one cannot observe the fine fronts of the palaces, though
many of them very well deserve observation, being truly magnificent.
They are built of fine white stone, and are excessive high. For as the
town is too little for the number of the people that desire to live in it,
the builders seem to have projected to repair that misfortune, by
clapping one town on the top of another, most of the houses being of
five, and some of them six stories. You may easily imagine, that the
streets being so narrow, the rooms are extremely dark; and, what is an
inconveniency much more intolerable, in my opinion, there is no house
has so few as five or six families in it. The apartments of the greatest
ladies, and even of the ministers of state, are divided, but by a partition,
from that of a taylor (sic) or shoemaker; and I know no body that has
above two floors in any house, one for their own use, and one higher
for their servants. Those that have houses of their own, let Out the rest
of them to whoever will take them; and thus the great stairs, (which are
all of stone) are as common and as dirty as the street. 'Tis true, when
you have once travelled through them, nothing can be more

surprisingly magnificent than the apartments. They are commonly a
suite of eight or ten large rooms, all inlaid, the doors and windows
richly carved and gilt, and the furniture, such as is seldom seen in the
palaces of sovereign princes in other countries. Their apartments are
adorned with hangings of the finest tapestry of Brussels, prodigious
large looking glasses in silver frames, fine japan tables, beds, chairs,
canopies, and window curtains of the richest Genoa damask or velvet,
almost covered with gold lace or embroidery. All this is made gay by
pictures, and vast jars of japan china, and large lustres of rock crystal. I
have already had the honour of being invited to dinner by several of the
first people of quality; and I must do them the justice to say, the good
taste and magnificence of their tables, very well answered to that of
their furniture. I have been more than once entertained with fifty dishes
of meat all served in silver, and well dressed; the desert (sic)
proportionable, served in the finest china. But the variety and richness
of their wines, is what appears the most surprising. The constant way is,
to lay a list of their names upon the plates of the guests, along with the
napkins; and I have counted several times to the number of eighteen
different sorts, all exquisite in their kinds. I was yesterday at Count
Schoonbourn, the vice-chancellor's garden, where I was invited to
dinner. I must own, I never saw a place so perfectly delightful as the
Fauxburg (sic) of Vienna. It is very large, and almost wholly composed
of delicious palaces. If the emperor found it proper to permit the gates
of the town to be laid open, that the Fauxburg might be joined to it, he
would have one of the largest and best built cities in Europe. Count
Schoonbourn's villa is one of the most magnificent; the furniture all
rich brocades, so well fancied and fitted up, nothing can look more gay
and splendid; not to speak of a gallery, full of rarities of coral, mother
of pearl, and, throughout the whole house, a profusion of gilding,
carving, fine paintings, the most beautiful porcelain, statues of alabaster
and ivory, and vast orange and lemon trees in gilt pots. The dinner was
perfectly fine and well ordered, and made still more agreeable by the
good humour of the Count. I have not yet been at court, being forced to
stay for my gown, without which there is no waiting on the empress;