glassy; the face had lengthened, the hair was silvered; in short, time had been at work. The expression, the mind were there, but the fire was quenched. He embraced Lord L., and kissed my hand. "Enchanté de vous revoir, Miladi, après vingt ans."

"Eighteen," I replied.

"Ah, ce n'était pas la peine de me corriger pour si peu de chose." In answer to our observation that he was not grown old, he observed,

"Non, on ne change pas,'on ne vieillit plus, et je vais vous prouver cela. J'ai fait dernièrement ce raisonnement sur ce chapitre à la princesse, qui ne veut pas vieillir; c'est la sa manie; car elle est très vieille, et tout en le disant, elle n'en convient pas. Tenez, je lui ai dit. Vous ne changez pas. Mais oui.'-Et bien, je vous prouverai logiquement que non. La vie se compose d'heures; le temps et l'existence sont composés de moments; donc a dix heures prenez votre glace, regardez y; a dix heures et demie regardez y encore; vous ne trouvez point de changement; encore un quart d'heure, pas de changement ;donc dans quel moment changez vous? dans aucun or donc vous ne changez pas. Il y a 26 ans depuis le congrès: que de changemens! que de monde est mort! Le Roi de Prusse était le seul souverain qui existait; à present il est mort; moi, je suis le seul ministre qui existe."

"Nesselrode," interrupted Lord L.

-

Non, il n'était que secrétaire. Beaucoup de monde existait il y a 26 ans ; mais il fallait dejà être vieux pour etre ministre, ou chef. Et Wellington était le seul général-en-chef de ce temps là. Et pour les plenipotentiaires, ils sont tous mort aussi. Vous," turning to Lord L., "graces au ciel, vous voila !-le pauvre Castlereagh, que je regretterai toujours-Talleyrand est mort-Cathcart, il est mort."

"Non, il existe toujours," said Lord L.

"Eh bien, dans ce cas la, celui-la n'est pas mort; mais Wrède, Gentz, &c., enfin, tout le monde est mort."

Talking of affairs, he said,

"On revient toujours à la même chose; il n'y a rien de nouveau, et si je voulois le trouver, je chercherois dans mes cahiers et mes cartons du passé. Au reste, si l'on veut bien, et qu'on a la ferme détermination de bien vouloir, l'on est comme le centre d'une roue-tout tourne autour de vous, et l'on revient ou on etait. Et comment vont les charbons, milord? Bien? Ah, tant mieux; mais ils alloient mal il y a quelque temps: pourquoi est ce qu'ils alloient mal? Les railways et les steamers devroient les faire aller bien."

"C'est une longue histoire," said Lord L., "pour expliquer." "Bien, si elle est longue ne la racontez pas. Qu'est ce que vous faites demain ? Voulez vous diner ici à 5 heures?" We then took our leave, and drove to our new habitation at Maria Hülf, a charming house most kindly lent us by Prince Esterhazy, and doubly delightful after four days' residence at a comfortless inn.

The following day was spent in receiving visits, and settling ourselves in our new abode.

The five o'clock dinners are to me very disagreeable; they entirely cut up and destroy the day, and are extremely inconvenient to persons who like a long morning.

We drove to Prince Metternich's garden, a lovely residence in the town, with all the quiet and charm of the country. The building is large, and has been augmented in size at different times, and as the prince said," Mes gens ont une maison, mes enfans ont une maison, et ma femme et moi nous sommes seuls dans celle ci."

There was a profusion of flowers, and the beds were laid out in the English fashion. The reception-rooms are lovely, and being only divided by large sheets of plate-glass, the whole is transparent; the decorations are beautiful, and in the best possible taste. I particularly admired a fine Malachite vase, and another of jaspar marble, both presents from the Emperor of Russia.

The dinner was, as is usual in Germany, very long; a parterre of flowers rose out of the middle of the table. I sat between Prince Metternich (who took me in to dinner) and Prince Jablonowsky, a former acquaintance.

Some conversation arose respecting Pasta and David, then at Vienna, and as to good masters, Prince Metternich observed:

"Quant a moi, c'est comme la recette pour faire la soupe au lièvre; premièrement il faut attraper votre lièvre; premièrement, pour chanter, il faut une belle voix."

Talking of Cerito, he asked me what success she had had in London. I said a comparison had been made between her and Taglioni, "et c'est déjà beaucoup," I added.

66

Beaucoup trop, selon moi," he said; "mais si elle vole comme cela on dira d'elle ce que le vieux Vestris disait de son fils: ‘Oh, pour lui, il s'ennuie en l'air.'"

Prince Jablonowsky said, "Il disait aussi qu'il ne touchait terre que par procédé pour ses camarades."

Prince Metternich replied,

"Oui, mais ceci c'est beaucoup plus fort-il s'ennuie en l'air-donc, il n'y a plus d'effort pour lui! On ne peut dépasser cela. Dans l'année 1806," continued the prince, "j'étais ambassadeur à Paris; le lendemain de mon arrivée je vais au spectacle; on me donne une loge au milieu de la salle, et devant cette loge se trouve un vieillard très grand, poudré, coiffé, aile de pigeon. Il se lève, se retourne, me salue, et me fait une grande reverence. Je demande ce que cela veut dire, et on me répond que c'est le vieux Vestris, qui fait toujours les honneurs aux ambassadeurs."

Prince Jablonowski said, "J'ai vu danser à la fois, dans la Dansomanie, Vestris, son fils, et son petit fils."

After dinner the princess showed us a most interesting collection of pictures. In four years she had filled five large books with the likenesses of all the sovereigns, ministers, heroes, and great men, or public characters of different countries, of the day. As Prince Metternich said.

"Cela a commencé par les connaissances du salon, et puis, cela s'est generalisé."

The pictures are well painted, and strikingly like; they are mostly done in Vienna, by an artist named Doffinger; some, however, have been sent out from other countries. This collection will become invaluable in time, as it is unique, for few are in the situation to have the opportunity and power of obtaining these pictures, even if they had the

courage or the will to lay such an embargo on their friends and acquaintances, by making a request, or rather giving a command, that cannot be disputed.

I was surprised to find the lovely Prater abandoned and deserted. No capital possesses so fine a park; none can boast of a wild forest in the heart of a great city; but because it is not the fashion no one goes there. The autumn tint was on the leaves, the wind whistled through the long allées, and the whole scene was so changed from my remeinbrances of it in the month of May, when four rows of carriages could hardly move, when music and dancing were going on on all sides, cafés open, and crowds of smart, gay people, that I only went there once. They now flock to Hitzing and Schönbrunn, a short way from the town, and in the evening Strauss's band generally plays there, or in the Volksgarten.

With all their apathy and slowness, the Germans are a very gay, junketing nation, always dressing, dancing, and seeking amusement, and, as a Russian lady said to me,

"C'est le pays des chapeaux ; jusqu'à la cuisinière on est couvert de fleurs."

This passion for dress in the women adds to the brightness of the

scene.

The inconvenience of walking in Vienna is great, because all are confounded together, there are no trottoirs, and the carriages frequently drive close to the houses, without any warning or apology, beyond a prolonged and mournful" Oh!"-something between a howl and a

scream.

Saturday, Oct. 3.-We started for Pottendorf, on a visit to Prince Esterhazy. This residence is about thirty miles from Vienna, and prettily situated. The grounds are laid out à l'Anglaise, and a piece of water runs through them. A profusion of flowers decorate the balustrades and the various little bridges; the house is old, but has been altered and made very comfortable by the present possessor. It is not very large; about six good lodging-rooms besides the suite we occupied. The party was small; Princess Leopoldine Lichtenstein, sister to Prince Esterhazy, Prince Nicholas his son, Count Szecheny, and ourselves, sat down to dinner at six o'clock.

Next morning, at nine o'clock, we set out in an open carriage and four, followed by a chariot in case of bad weather, to Forchenstein, a curious old fortress belonging to the prince, about twenty-seven miles off. A little river near Pottendorf divides Austria from Hungary. We passed through several villages, that were clean and whitewashed. The houses are placed rather distant from each other, on account of the frequent fires, and the streets are wide. The appearance of the peasantry was respectable-all comfortably and well clothed, and their manner respectful.

Our road lay through a wild steppe or plain, only inhabited by shepherds tending their flocks. A large portion of the prince's income is derived from the produce of the wool, which, as he said, is like the coals to us coal-owners. He has bought all the adjoining posts and posthorses, and carries on the traffic as the government does. We found our relays in readiness elsewhere, and really the Hungarian driving was more in the Russian than the Austrian style.

We had already changed horses once, when on arriving at the foot of the mountain, on the top of which the castle stands, we were met by the people of the village, when small strong horses, belonging to the peasantry, were attached to our carriage, and we commenced the winding ascent. Formerly the steep passage up was performed by oxen, but stout ponies are now considered as effective. The rocky heights, the background of the mountains, and the forests of chestnut-trees, are all very picturesque.

As we passed onward, cannons were fired from the old fortress, the echoes repeated the sound, and the effect was like thunder. A military guard saluted us, and we entered this fine old château, which, though in perfect preservation, is not habitable. The view from the windows was enchanting; the walls were covered with unframed portraits of all the ancestors of the family.

After walking through the rooms, and examining the pictures (including one, where, as some one observed, "L'arbre généalogique de la famille Esterhazy sortait de l'estomac d'Adam,") we descended to some vaults, in one of which are preserved the papers, parchments, swords, horse-trappings, &c., taken from the Turks in various wars.

The third vault, a long, low gallery, lined with glass armoires, is filled with a most curious collection of antiquities. There are twentysix clocks, all of different kinds; some are silver and enamel, with music and mechanism. There are also numbers of sabres and daggers, studded with turquoises, and some with rubies and emeralds. Among other things I was particularly struck with two large mirrors, in solid frames of old embossed silver. There are besides, medals, coins, strings of old rings, &c. : in short, no description can convey an adequate impression of the beauty and richness of this collection. After viewing the château we partook of an excellent luncheon, and returned to Pottendorf.

The

Next morning, Monday, was very unpropitious for our projected expedition to Esterhazy. The rain came down in torrents, and the princess, having suffered all night from spasms, was too ill to move. prince, however, insisted on our going, as all the preparations had been made, and the people were in readiness to receive us. He therefore set out en calèche, accompanied by his secretary, and Lord L. and I followed in a small chariot.

After four or five hours' shaking, we arrived, about two o'clock, at Esterhazy, an old palace or château in the Louis XIV. style. The great grandfather of the prince had been ambassador at Paris during the reign of that monarch, and on his return he determined to build this luxurious and magnificent abode, and make himself independent of Vienna. The woods and alleys are very beautiful, but the situation is low and damp, and I should fear unwholesome. A great lake is on one side, and the Raab and Danube flow on the other. The prince's secretary told me that 200,000 acres of the estate required to be drained; and 50,000 were about being commenced. The building is of vast size; and has a great façade, offices, stables, an orangery, and a theatre, where the founder, a singular old man, used to have an Italian opera, Haydn leading the orchestra. Having his own private society, he never saw or invited any one, but the more company came, and the longer they stayed, the better he was pleased. They were lodged and

served, carriages placed at their orders, to drive about in the day, and go to the theatre at night. In order to fill the latter, the peasants were made to attend, instead of being required to work.

An exterior flight of steps leads to the first or principal floor of the château, where are two large and lofty saloons, beautifully painted and magnificently gilt, in the most perfect taste of the age in which the château was built. On one side are five or six rooms which used to be inhabited by Marie Thérèse, whenever she paid a visit here; and on the other side, a similar apartment for the Emperor Joseph. The gilding, the carving, the paintings, the ornaments, and the old chairs and sofas, are all in the style that is now so much copied, and so universally admired. The parquets are all fine. The silk is worn and faded, but very little would make the house habitable and extremely enjoyable.

Below is a curious old hall, where fountains played, and on each side are the apartments of the prince and princess. These rooms, with windows down to the ground, open into an old French garden, and in fine weather must have been delightful. They are panelled en vieux lac, richly gilt, and fitted up with pea-green silk, embroidered in gold.

I never heard such musical clocks as were placed in every room, and in the prince's apartment is one with a canary, that sung every night, and this was the signal for his highness to go to the theatre.

The accommodation for strangers is endless, and the rooms are really very comfortable; the whole is in perfect taste, and might easily be made a charming abode.

In an old garde meuble are some curious things, and a great quantity of the finest old Dresden porcelain. I remained by the drawing-room fire while the prince showed Lord L. his large stud of horses. Monsieur Mayer, the secretary, meanwhile related to me a marvellous but true story, of a wild boy having been found in the woods here. He could not speak, was perfectly savage, and ate raw fish. They kept him a year, and tried every means to tame him, but all in vain. He tore off the clothes that were put on him, refused to taste boiled meat, and finally escaped by jumping into the lake, and was never heard of afterwards.

At four o'clock we left Esterhazy, and set out for Seckendorf, the residence of Count Stephan Szecheny, a Hungarian noble. It was arranged that we should dine here. We had formerly known him intimately, and he had been several times in England, having quite an Anglomania. He used to vow that nothing should ever induce him to marry; but seven years ago he broke his resolution, and was united to a Countess Zichy, to whom he had been long attached. She had five children of her own, and some of her husband's by a former wife, and they have now two little ones, with beautiful eyes; so that there is a large family party.

The count has built an odd but comfortable house, very much in the English fashion, and fitted it up with various chintzes. The great dining-room was lighted as for a ball; the side-boards were covered with cups, &c., won at the Presburg, Pesth, and Vienna races.

There