300 Life of Count Rumford. 



he was unfeignedly attached to him. Indeed, I presume the 

 Elector was a really good, excellent character. An anecdote is 

 related of him in connection with my father, which shows him 

 to be such, besides indulgent. In some transaction, my father 

 being blamed, the Elector took his part. My father afterwards, 

 finding that he had really been to blame, went not only to thank 

 the Elector, but to own his fault. The Elector replied, c lf 

 you had been in the wrong ten times, I would have insisted on 

 the contrary ! ' 



" From a change of times and politics, the poorhouse, with 

 some other institutions, I presume, have not been kept up. 

 But the Duke of Deux Fonts, successor to the Elector, he 

 who afterwards, much against his inclinations, esteeming much 

 more the title of Elector, was made King by Bonaparte, 

 was so kind as not to suffer my father's English Garden, or, 

 rather, the one built under his care, to fall into dilapidation. 

 This garden, about seven and a half miles in circumference, has 

 two branches of the Iser running through it, over which are 

 some fancifully constructed bridges. The walks and drives are 

 serpentine, in the English style. A Chinese tower, a cafe, 

 with other edifices, were placed to afford entertainment. At 

 the entrance a monument was erected to my father, with a 

 pretty inscription, before his death. English ladies' riding was 

 to be introduced, a reform, so-called, of high importance. Not 

 but what the German method for ladies was infinitely safer. 

 The two side-saddles brought from England by my father were 

 now to be put to use, in an exhibition of the English manner of 

 riding. 



" It was the month of September, as is well known in most 

 northern latitudes, a fine month. The sun had lost his fiery 

 hue, was shining with the mild, pale lustre of declining life, or, 

 in other words, as denotes a change from the brilliant, capti- 

 vating season of the year, where smiling nature affords pleasure 

 with utility, instead of calm resignation. There was visible in 

 the court a clump of horses, with three of General Thompson's 

 people to tend them, the groom, the huntsman, and the 

 ostler j but the huntsman, possibly, as called in German, the 



