Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY, "9
Her warm love, however, made her hufband pafs many a weary hour.’ It was ims
poflible or jealoufy not to have great power over a heart, the violence of whofe motions
was only kept in by a fenfe of religion, It is not very certain whether fhe had ever real:
grounds for ful/picion; but every body at Vienna remembers that-a certain lady was
obliged to leave it,, becaufe the Emperor, who was very courteous towards every body,
but particularly fo to the ladies, had made her fome common place, unmeaning com~
pliments.
‘The Emprefs’s benevolence, of which religion is the principle, approaches almoft to
profufion. She refufes relief to none of thole who ftand in need of her afliftance;. and
the meaneft of her fubjects finds the way to make his diftrefles known to her.. Her
{teward has hardly any thing to lay before her, but accounts of charities. Her liberality
particularly fhews itfelf towards widows, efpecially fuch as are of high birth. Many
perfons, amon{t whom are widows of minifters of flate, receive penfions of 6000 guil-
ders (300l.) from her. Her partiality to high birth roakes her defirous that every per-
fon fhould live up to hisor her rank. With ‘refpect to the public foundations of charity,
fhe behaves as an Emprefs fhould do. ‘The library, fchools, hofpitals, and poor-houfes,
coft her immenfe fums. Iam aflured, that the debts fhe has contracted by this liberality:
amount to pypwards of twenty millions of guilders; and one of my friends informed me,
that fhe gives away three millions per annum in private charity.
Who now would imagine that, under fo worthy a character, merit often ftarves, whilft
large fums are lavifhed upon the worthlefs? Who would imagine, that the prejudices.
of religion could have fo far gotten the better of her natural difpofition, as to make her
refufe afiifting an officer who had been crippled in her fervice, unlefs he embraced the
Roman Catholic religion? After feveral converfations with the prieft fent to him by the
Emprefs, this gentleman plainly perceived that he muft turn fcoundrel, to be relieved,
He determined therefore to quit Vienna; which he did, and went to Holland, where he
died a general officer. Since the prefent Emperor has.begun to have any influence in
bufinefs, merit has no longer any {uch oppreffion to fear, but it muft {till make ufe of
all its weight to break through this fpecies of ob{tacles, which however at all times are
more the work of the priefts than of the Emprefs.
Her impetuous temper often breaks out into grofs gufts of paflion and anger; but as
foon as the ftorm is paft, fhe endeavours to make amends for the mifchief or injury fhe
may have done whilft it raged. I was told an anecdote, which if not entirely true, yet
gives a great infight into this part of her character. An officer, who had a favour to
afk, had his name written down in the lift of thofe who wanted audiences. He waited
a long time, till his turn (which is religioufly obferved) came to be introduced. At
length he was called in, but he had hardly made his obedience to the Emprefs, according
to the Spanifh etiquette, when fhe broke out into fuch a ftorm of opprobious abufe, as
almoft made him fink tothe ground. Her vivacity made her eyes roll with fire, and
the motion of her arms was rendered fo quick by it, that the man was afraid fhe might
do a /ittle execution upon him, with her own /igh hand. ‘Twice or thrice he attempted
to put in a word, but the ftorm of the monarch’s indignation was too {trong to be con-
trolled, and he was forced to wait till fhe was fairly out of breath. He then muttered
up all his courage and faid, “Surely Your Majefty mult have forgotten lam N. N.”
As foon.as fhe found that fhe had been miftaken in the perfon, fhe made him a formal
excufe, and her defire to fet all things right again carried her fo far another way, that
fhe fettled an handfome penfion on him. She is by no means proof again{t pride, but
is proud of the dignity and the greatnefs of her houfe. She weeps tears of joy as often.
as fhe hears how her children, particularly the Emperor and the Queen of France are.
15 beloved.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
