Lady Mary Wortley Montague - Letters of the Right Honourable Lady M y W y M e

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LET. XIX.

TO THE COUNTESS OF ----.

_Blankenburg, OCT_. 17. O. S. 1716.

I RECEIVED your's, dear sister, the very day I left Hanover. You may
easily imagine I was then in too great a hurry to answer it; but you
see I take the first opportunity of doing myself that pleasure. I
came here the 15th, very late at night, after a terrible journey, in
the worst roads and weather that ever poor traveller suffered. I
have taken this little fatigue merely to oblige the reigning empress,
and carry a message from her imperial majesty to the duchess of
Blankenburg, her mother, who is a princess of great address and
good-breeding, and may be still called a fine woman. It was so late
when I came to this town, I did not think it proper to disturb the
duke and duchess with the news of my arrival; so I took up my
quarters in a miserable inn: but as soon as I had sent my compliments
to their highnesses, they immediately sent me their own coach and six
horses, which had however enough to do to draw us up the very high
hill on which the castle is situated. The duchess is extremely
obliging to me, and this little court is not without its diversions.
The duke taillys (sic) at basset every night; and the duchess tells
me, she is so well pleased with my company, that it makes her play
less than she used to do. I should find it very difficult to steal
time to write, if she was not now at church, where I cannot wait on
her, not understanding the language enough to pay my devotions in it.
You will not forgive me, if I do not say something of Hanover; I
cannot tell you that the town is either large or magnificent. The
opera house, which was built by the late elector, is much finer than
that of Vienna. I was very sorry that the ill weather did not permit
me to see Hernhausen in all its beauty; but in spite of the snow, I
thought the gardens very fine. I was particularly surprised at the
vast number of orange trees, much larger than any I have ever seen in
England, though this climate is certainly colder. But I had more
reason to wonder that night at the king's table, to see a present
from a gentleman of this country, of two large baskets full of ripe
oranges and lemons of different sorts, many of which were quite new
to me; and what I thought worth all the rest, two ripe ananasses
(sic), which, to my taste, are a fruit perfectly delicious. You know
they are naturally the growth of Brazil, and I could not imagine how
they came here, but by enchantment. Upon inquiry, I learnt that they
have brought their stoves to such perfection, they lengthen their
summer as long as they please, giving to every plant the degree of
heat it would receive from the sun in its native soil. The effect is
very near the same; I am surprised we do not practise (sic) in
England so useful an invention. This reflection leads me to consider
our obstinacy in shaking with cold, five months in the year rather
than make use of stoves, which are certainly one of the greatest
conveniencies (sic) of life. Besides, they are so far from spoiling
the form of a room, that they add very much to the magnificence of
it, when they are painted and gilt, as they are at Vienna, or at
Dresden, where they are often in the shapes of china jars, statues,
or fine cabinets, so naturally represented, that they are not to be
distinguished. If ever I return, in defiance to the fashion, you
shall certainly see one in the chamber of, Dear sister, your, &c.

I WILL write often, since you desire it: but I must beg you to be a
little more particular in your's; you fancy me at forty miles
distance, and forget, that, after so long an absence, I can't
understand hints.

LET. XX.

TO THE LADY ----.

_Vienna, Jan_. 1. O. S. 1717

I HAVE just received here at Vienna, your ladyship's compliments on
my return to England, sent me from Hanover. You see, madam, all
things that are asserted with confidence are not absolutely true; and
that you have no sort of reason to complain of me for making my
designed return a mystery to you, when you say, all the world are
informed of it. You may tell all the world in my name, that they are
never so well informed of my affairs as I am myself; that I am very
positive I am at this time at Vienna, where the carnival is begun,
and all sorts of diversions are carried to the greatest height,
except that of masquing (sic), which is never permitted during a war
with the Turks. The balls are in public places, where the men pay a
gold ducat at entrance, but the ladies nothing. I am told, that
these houses get sometimes a thousand ducats in a night. They are
very magnificently furnished, and the music good, if they had not
that detestible (sic) custom of mixing hunting horns with it, that
almost deafen the company. But that noise is so agreeable here, they
never make a concert without them. The ball always concludes with
English country dances, to the number of thirty or forty couple, and
so ill danced, that there is very little pleasure in them. They know
but half a dozen, and they have danced them over and over these fifty
years: I would fain have taught them some new ones, but I found it
would be some months labour to make them comprehend them. Last night
there was an Italian comedy acted at court. The scenes were pretty,
but the comedy itself such intolerable low farce, without either wit
or humour, that I was surprised how all the court could sit there
attentively for four hours together. No women are suffered to act on
the stage, and the men dressed like them, were such awkward figures,
they very much added to the ridicule of the spectacle. What
completed the diversion, was the excessive cold, which was so great,
I thought I should have died there. It is now the very extremity of
the winter here; the Danube is entirely frozen, and the weather not
to be supported without stoves and furs; but, however, the air so
clear, almost every body is well, and colds not half so common as in
England. I am persuaded there cannot be a purer air, nor more
wholesome, than that of Vienna. The plenty and excellence of all
sorts of provisions are greater here than in any place I ever was
before, and 'tis not very expensive to keep a splendid table. 'Tis
really a pleasure to pass through the markets, and see the abundance
of what we should think rarities, of fowls and venison, that are
daily brought in from Hungary and Bohemia. They want nothing but
shell-fish, and are so fond of oysters, that they have them sent from
Venice, and eat them very greedily, stink or not stink. Thus I obey
your commands, madam, in giving you an account of Vienna, though I
know you will not be satisfied with it. You chide me for my
laziness, in not telling you a thousand agreeable and surprising
things, that you say you are sure I have seen and heard. Upon my
Word, madam, 'tis my regard to truth, and not laziness, that I do not
entertain you with as many prodigies as other travellers use to
divert their readers with. I might easily pick up wonders in every
town I pass through, or tell you a long series of popish miracles;
but I cannot fancy, that there is any thing new in letting you know
that priests will lie, and the mob believe, all the world over. Then
as for news, that you are so inquisitive about, how can it be
entertaining to you (that don't know the people) that the prince
of ---- has forsaken the countess of ----? or that the prince such a
one, has an intrigue with the countess such a one? Would you have me
write novels like the countess of D'----? and is it not better to
tell you a plain truth, That I am, &c.

LET. XXI.

To THE COUNTESS OF ----.

_Vienna, Jan_. 16. O. S. 1717.

I AM now, dear sister, to take leave of you for a long time, and of
Vienna for ever; designing to-morrow, to begin my journey through
Hungary, in spite of the excessive cold, and deep snows, which are
enough to damp a greater courage than I am mistress of. But my
principles of _passive obedience_, carries me through every thing. I
have had my audience of leave of the empress. His imperial majesty
was pleased to be present, when I waited on the reigning empress;
and, after a very obliging conversation, both their imperial
majesties invited me to take Vienna in my road back; but I have no
thoughts of enduring, over again, so great a fatigue. I delivered a
letter from the duchess of Blankenburg. I stayed but a few days at
that court, though her highness pressed me very much to stay; and
when I left her, engaged me to write to her. I wrote you a long
letter from thence, which I hope you have received, though you don't
mention it; but I believe I forgot to tell you one curiosity in all
the German courts, which I cannot forbear taking notice of: All the
princes keep favourite dwarfs. The emperor and empress have two of
these little monsters, as ugly as devils, especially the female; but
they are all bedaubed with diamonds, and stand at her majesty's
elbow, in all public places. The duke of Wolfenbuttle has one, and
the duchess of Blankenburg is not without hers, but indeed the most
proportionable I ever saw. I am told the king of Denmark has so far
improved upon this fashion, that his dwarf is his chief minister. I
can assign no reason for their fondness for these pieces of
deformity, but the opinion all the absolute princes have, that it is
below them to converse with the rest of mankind; and not to be quite
alone, they are forced to seek their companions among the refuse of
human nature, these creatures being the only part of their court
privileged to talk freely to them. I am at present confined to my
chamber by a sore throat; and am really glad of the excuse, to avoid
seeing people, that I love well enough, to be very much mortified
when I think I am going to part with them for ever. 'Tis true, the
Austrians are not commonly the most polite people in the world, nor
the most agreeable. But Vienna is inhabited by all nations, and I
had formed to myself a little society of such as were perfectly to my
own taste. And though the number was not very great, I could never
pick up, in any other place, such a number of reasonable, agreeable
people. We were almost always together, and you know I have ever
been of opinion, that a chosen conversation, composed of a few that
one esteems, is the greatest happiness of life. Here are some
Spaniards of both sexes, that have all the vivacity and generosity of
sentiments anciently ascribed to their nation; and could I believe
that the whole kingdom were like them, I would with nothing more
than to end my days there. The ladies of my acquaintance have so
much goodness for me, they cry whenever they see me, since I have
determined to undertake this journey. And, indeed, I am not very
easy when I reflect on what I am going to suffer. Almost every body
I see frights me with some new difficulty. Prince Eugene has been so
good as to say all the things he could, to persuade me to stay till
the Danube is thawed, that I may have the conveniency of going by
water; assuring me, that the houses in Hungary are such, as are no
defence against the weather; and that I shall be obliged to travel
three or four days between Buda and Essek, without finding any house
at all, through desert plains covered with snow; where the cold is so
violent, many have been killed by it. I own these terrors have made
a very deep impression on my mind, because I believe he tells me
things truly as they are, and no body can be better informed of them.

NOW I have named that great man, I am sure you expect I should say
Something particular of him, having the advantage of seeing him very
often; but I am as unwilling to speak of him at Vienna, as I should
be to talk of Hercules in the court of Omphale, if I had seen him
there. I don't know what comfort other people find in considering
the weakness of great men, (because, perhaps, it brings them nearer
to their level) but 'tis always a mortification to me, to observe
that there is no perfection in humanity. The young prince of
Portugal is the admiration of the whole court; he is handsome and
polite, with a great vivacity. All the officers tell wonders of his
gallantry the last campaign. He is lodged at court with all the
honours due to his rank.--Adieu, dear sister: this is the last
account you will have from me of Vienna. If I survive my journey,
you shall hear from me again. I can say, with great truth, in the
words of Moneses (sic), _I have long learnt to hold myself as
nothing_; but when I think of the fatigue my poor infant must suffer,
I have all a mother's fondness in my eyes, and all her tender
passions in my heart.

_P. S._ I have written a letter to my lady ----, that I believe she
won't like; and, upon cooler reflection, I think I had done better to
have let it alone; but I was downright peevish at all her questions,
and her ridiculous imagination, that I have certainly seen abundance
of wonders which I keep to myself out of mere malice. She is very
angry that I won't lie like other travellers. I verily believe she
expects I should tell her of the _Anthropophagi_, men whose heads
grow below their shoulders; however, pray say Something to pacify
her.

LET. XXII.

TO MR POPE.

_Vienna, Jan_. 16. O. S. 1717.

I HAVE not time to answer your letter, being in the hurry of
preparing for my journey; but, I think, I ought to bid adieu to my
friends with the same solemnity as if I was going to mount a breach,
at least, if I am to believe the information of the people here, who
denounce all sorts of terrors to me; and, indeed, the weather is at
present such, as very few ever set out in. I am threatened at the
same time, with being frozen to death, buried in the snow, and taken
by the Tartars, who ravage that part of Hungary I am to pass. 'Tis
true, we shall have a considerable _escorte_ (sic), so that possibly
I may be diverted with a new scene, by finding myself in the midst of
a battle. How my adventures will conclude, I leave entirely to
Providence; if comically, you shall hear of them.--Pray be so good as
to tell Mr ---- I have received his letter. Make him my adieus; if I
live, I will answer it. The same compliment to my lady R----.

LET. XXIII.

TO THE COUNTESS OF ----.

_Peterwaradin, Jan_. 30. O. S. 1717.

AT length, dear sister I am safely arrived, with all my family, in
good health, at Peterwaradin; having suffered so little from the
rigour of the season, (against which we were well provided by furs)
and found such tolerable accommodation every where, by the care of
sending before, that I can hardly forbear laughing, when I recollect
all the frightful ideas that were given me of this journey. These, I
see, were wholly owing to the tenderness of my Vienna friends, and
their desire of keeping me with them for this winter. Perhaps it
will not be disagreeable to you, to give a short journal of my
journey, being through a country entirely unknown to you, and very
little passed, even by the Hungarians themselves, who generally chuse
to take the conveniency of going down the Danube. We have had the
blessing of being favoured with finer weather than is common at this
time of the year; though the snow was so deep, we were obliged to
have our own coaches fixed upon traineaus, which move so swift and so
easily, 'tis by far the most agreeable manner of travelling post. We
came to Raab (the second day from Vienna) on the seventeenth instant,
where Mr W---- sending word of our arrival to the governor, the best
house in the town was provided for us, the garrison put under arms, a
guard ordered at our door, and all other honours paid to us. The
governor, and all other officers immediately waited on Mr W----, to
know if there was any thing to be done for his service. The bishop
of Temeswar came to visit us, with great civility, earnestly pressing
us to dine with him next day; which we refusing, as being resolved to
pursue our journey, he sent us several baskets of winter fruit, and a
great variety of Hungarian wines, with a young hind just killed.
This is a prelate of great power in this country, of the ancient
family of Nadasti, so considerable for many ages, in this kingdom.
He is a very polite, agreeable, cheerful old man, wearing the
Hungarian habit, with a venerable white beard down to his
girdle.--Raab is a strong town, well garrisoned and fortified, and
was a long time the frontier town between the Turkish and German
empires. It has its name from the River Rab, on which it is
situated, just on its meeting with the Danube, in an open champaign
(sic) country. It was first taken by the Turks, under the command of
bassa Sinan, in the reign of sultan Amurath III. in the year fifteen
hundred and ninety-four. The governor, being supposed to have
betrayed it, was afterwards beheaded by the emperor's command. The
counts of Swartzenburg; and Palsi retook it by surprise, 1598; since
which time it has remained in the hands of the Germans, though the
Turks once more attempted to gain it by stratagem in 1642. The
cathedral is large and well built, which is all I saw remarkable in
the town. Leaving Comora on the other side the river, we went the
eighteenth to Nosmuhl, a small village, where however, we made shift
to find tolerable accommodation. We continued two days travelling
between this place and Buda, through the finest plains in the world,
as even as if they were paved, and extremely fruitful; but for the
most part desert and uncultivated, laid waste by the long wars
between the Turk and the Emperor; and the more cruel civil war,
occasioned by the barbarous persecution of the protestant religion by
the emperor Leopold. That prince has left behind him the character
of an extraordinary piety, and was naturally of a mild merciful
temper; but, putting his conscience into the hands of a Jesuit, he
was more cruel and treacherous to his poor Hungarian subjects, than
ever the Turk has been to the Christians; breaking, without scruple
his coronation oath, and his faith, solemnly given in many public
treaties. Indeed, nothing can be more melancholy than in travelling
through Hungary, to reflect on the former flourishing state of that
kingdom, and to see such a noble spot of earth almost uninhabited.
Such are also the present circumstances of Buda (where we arrived
very early the twenty-second) once the royal seat of the Hungarian
kings, whose palace was reckoned one of the most beautiful buildings
of the age, now wholly destroyed, no part of the town having been
repaired since the last siege, but the fortifications and the castle,
which is the present residence of the governor general Ragule, an
officer of great merit. He came immediately to see us, and carried
us in his coach to his house, where I was received by his lady with
all possible civility, and magnificently entertained. This city is
situated upon a little hill on the south side of the Danube. The
castle is much higher than the town, and from it the prospect is very
noble. Without the walls ly (sic) a vast number of little houses, or
rather huts, that they call the Rascian town, being altogether
inhabited by that people. The governor assured me, it would furnish
twelve thousand fighting men. These towns look very odd; their
houses stand in rows, many thousands of them so close together, that
they appear, at a little distance, like old-fashioned thatched tents.
They consist, every one of them, of one hovel above, and another
under ground; these are their summer and winter apartments. Buda was
first taken by Solyman the Magnificent, in 1526, and lost the
following year to Ferdinand I, king of Bohemia. Solyman regained it
by the treachery of the garrison, and voluntarily gave it into the
hands of king John of Hungary; after whose death, his son being an
infant, Ferdinand laid siege to it, and the queen mother was forced
to call Solyman to her aid. He indeed raised the siege, but left a
Turkish garrison in the town, and commanded her to remove her court
from thence, which she was forced to submit to, in 1541. It resisted
afterwards the sieges laid to it by the marquis of Brandenburg, in
the year 1542; count Schwartzenburg, in 1598; General Rosworm, in
1602; and the duke of Lorrain, commander of the emperor's
forces, in 1684, to whom it yielded, in 1686, after an obstinate
defence, Apti Bassa, the governor, being killed, fighting in the
breach with a Roman bravery. The loss of this town was so important,
and so much resented by the Turks, that it occasioned the deposing of
their emperor Mahomet IV. the year following.

WE did not proceed on our journey till the twenty-third, when we
passed through Adam and Todowar, both considerable towns, when in the
hands of the Turks, but now quite ruined. The remains, however, of
some Turkish towns, shew something of what they have been. This part
of the country is very much overgrown with wood, and little
frequented. 'Tis incredible what vast numbers of wild-fowl we saw,
which often live here to a good old age,--and _undisturb'd by guns,
in quiet sleep_.--We came the five and twentieth, to Mohatch, and
were shewed the field near it, where Lewis, the young king of Hungary
lost his army and his life, being drowned in a ditch, trying to fly
from Balybeus, general of Solyman the Magnificent. This battle
opened the first passage for the Turks into the heart of Hungary.--I
don't name to you the little villages, of which I can say nothing
remarkable; but I'll assure you, I have always found a warm stove,
and great plenty, particularly of wild boar, venison, and all kinds
of _gibier_. The few people that inhabit Hungary, live easily
enough; they have no money, but the woods and plains afford them
provision in great abundance; they were ordered to give us all things
necessary, even what horses we pleased to demand, _gratis_; but Mr
W----y would not oppress the poor country people, by making use of
this order, and always paid them to the full worth of what we had.
They were so surprised at this unexpected generosity, which they are
very little used to, that they always pressed upon us, at parting, a
dozen of fat pheasants, or something of that sort, for a present.
Their dress is very primitive, being only a plain sheep's skin, and a
cap and boots of the same stuff. You may easily imagine this lasts
them many winters; and thus they have very little occasion for money.
The twenty-sixth, we passed over the frozen Danube, with all our
equipage and carriages. We met on the other side general Veterani,
who invited us, with great civility, to pass the night at a little
castle of his, a few miles off, assuring us we should have a very
hard day's journey to reach Essek. This we found but too true, the
woods being very dangerous, and scarce passable, from the vast
quantity of wolves that hoard in them. We came, however, safe,
though late to Essek, where we stayed a day, to dispatch a courier
with letters to the bassa of Belgrade; and I took that opportunity of
seeing the town, which is not very large, but fair built, and well
fortified. This was a town of great trade, very rich and populous,
when in the hands of the Turks. It is situated on the Drave, which
runs into the Danube. The bridge was esteemed one of the most
extraordinary in the world, being eight thousand paces long, and all
built of oak. It was burnt, and the city laid in ashes by count
Lesly, 1685, but was again repaired and fortified by the Turks, who,
however, abandoned it in 1687. General Dunnewalt then took
possession of it for the emperor, in whose hands it has remained ever
since, and is esteemed one of the bulwarks of Hungary. The
twenty-eighth, we went to Bocorwar, a very large Rascian town, all
built after the manner I have described to you. We were met there by
colonel ----, who would not suffer us to go any where but to his
quarters, where I found his wife, a very agreeable Hungarian lady,
and his niece and daughter, two pretty young women, crowded into
three or four Rascian houses, cast into one, and made as neat and
convenient as those places are capable of being made. The Hungarian
ladies are much handsomer than those of Austria. All the Vienna
beauties are of that country; they are generally very fair and
well-shaped, and their dress, I think, is extremely becoming. This
lady was in a gown of scarlet velvet, lined and faced with sables,
made exact to her shape, and the skirt falling to her feet. The
sleeves are strait to their arms, and the stays buttoned before, with
two rows of little buttons of gold, pearl, or diamonds. On their
heads they wear a tassel of gold, that hangs low on one side, lined
with sable, or some other fine fur.---They gave us a handsome dinner,
and I thought the conversation very polite and agreeable. They would
accompany us part of our way. The twenty-ninth, we arrived here,
where we were met by the commanding officer, at the head of all the
officers of the garrison. We are lodged in the best apartment of the
governor's house, and entertained in a very splendid manner by the
emperor's order. We wait here till all points are adjusted,
concerning our reception on the Turkish frontiers. Mr W----'s
courier, which he sent from Essek, returned this morning, with the
bassa's answer in a purse of scarlet satin, which the interpreter
here has translated. 'Tis to promise him to be honourably received.
I desired him to appoint where he would be met by the Turkish
convoy.--He has dispatched the courier back, naming Betsko, a village
in the midway between Peterwaradin and Belgrade. We shall stay here
till we receive his answer.--Thus, dear sister, I have given you a
very particular, and (I am afraid you'll think) a tedious account of
this part of my travels. It was not an affectation of shewing my
reading that has made me tell you some little scraps of the history
of the towns I have passed through; I have always avoided any thing
of that kind, when I spoke Of places that I believe you knew the
story of as well as myself. But Hungary being a part of the world,
which I believe quite new to you, I thought you might read with some
pleasure an account of it, which I have been very solicitous to get
from the best hands. However, if you don't like it, 'tis in your
power to forbear reading it. I am, dear sister, &c.

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