6 C 26 Anecdotes of German Courts. [JUNE, 



man each ! The whole extent of their territory might have been ranged by 

 an eighteen pounder. On the formation of the confederation of the Rhine, 

 eighty de ces Messieurs were mediatised at one coup de plume, an arrange- 

 ment which was confirmed by the congress of Vienna in 1815, who I 

 believe would fain have extended to a few more this mediatising principle; 

 an act that would have gained for that assembly the eternal gratitude of 

 the subjects of these petty sovereigns, who are borne to the earth by the 

 weight of taxes to support their beggarly pride and ridiculous pretensions. 

 "To give you an idea," continued the Baron, " shortly after Holland was 

 overrun by the French, I was in garrison at Breda." Now at the words 

 "J'etais en garnison" I filled out a bumper of Rhudesheimer, for I expected 

 the relation of a whole campaign at least, and I foresaw it would be far past 

 midnight ere we got into winter quarters ; but for once I was mistaken. 



" Tired of the monotony of a garrison life, I resolved to make an ex- 

 cursion into some of the little states of the right bank of the Rhine ; they 

 were crowded at the time with French emigrants, and 1 need not tell you 

 there was no lack of amusement. I directed my steps to the nearest of 

 these, the dominions of the Hereditary Prince of Bentheim Steinfurth, and 

 took up my quarters at the Hotel de la Cour, immediately opposite the 

 parade. This was fortunate, for it afforded me an opportunity of reviewing 

 the standing army of the state, which consisted of six hussars and twenty 

 grenadiers. 



" On the second day of my arrival I waited upon the Grand Chamberlain, 

 in order to make le premier pas towards an introduction at court. Letters 

 of nobility proving three descents at least, were indispensable to procure 

 the honour of an entree^. " I am a Baron born 5" said I in reply to the 

 chamberlain, " but the revolution a change tout celu." I had, however, 

 brought with me some old musty parchments, though not without the ' 

 apprehensions of compromising myself with my own government by 

 figuring away under my old title. These I handed to him. Never shall 

 I forget the satisfaction he displayed ; he capered about the room, singing 

 the old romance 



" Aux bons temps de la clievalerie," 



and darted off to lay them before his Highness in person. 



" On the following Sunday I was invited to the grand convert du 

 prince. On being ushered into the banquetting hall, I was rather sur- 

 prised to observe that all the lacqueys wore enormous mustaches. It 

 was," said the Baron, " a decoration de lacquai which I had never before 



seen, and I accordingly testified my astonishment to the Prince deB i, 



who sat next to me. " If you look more attentively at them," said the 

 Prince, smiling at my observation, " you will perceive que ces droles la 

 are the grenadiers of the guard, who on these occasions throw off the uni- 

 form of the soldiers to assume the livery of the footman. To be serious, 

 this little state plays the part of an Italian buffoon, and affords food for 

 merriment from morning to night. To begin with the Prince himself. 

 He is one of the most worthy men of his estate, dominions, I should say, 

 but a perfect imbecile on the subject of his nobility, which he pretends 

 has descended to him in a direct line from Charlemagne. The court 

 genealogist goes farther, and pretends that without difficulty it might be 

 proved that the blood of Arminius 



" tout pur ainsi que sa noblesse, 



Est descendu jusqu 'a lui de Lucrece en Lucrece." 



