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LETTERS FROM 



decayed, and even in the very audience chamber, the 

 coverings of the chairs and fophas are all ragged and 

 torn. In fome of thefe rooms one fees enormous 

 tables, frames of looking-glaffes, and girandoles all of 

 marly filver, and what, is called the knight's hall, is 

 entirely filled with them. In this hall ftands a fopha 

 of filver, and a very large cupboard fuch as is in fafhion 

 with the old german drinkers, in which all the veffels 

 are of filver gilt. The workmanfhip of all thefe ar- 

 ticles is in general very coarfe and not at all to be ad- 

 mired, though we cannot behold without fome degree 

 of pleafure the artificial arrangement of the plate in the 

 cupboard. The luftres and girandoles of filver which 

 abound in all parts of this palace I fhall take no far- 

 ther notice of. Thefe treafures were fomewhat dimi- 

 nifhed by the Ruffians, when they found themfelves 

 mailers of Berlin ; however, by good fortune they had 

 taken the precaution, at the breaking out of the war, 

 to fend the moil material to Magdeburg. The pidlure- 

 gallery contains pieces of very different value ; among 

 the moffc beautiful we likewife difcern fome of inferior 

 excellence, and the befl would probably not be there, 

 if the king had not a peculiar tafle in paintings. For ex- 

 ample, he cannot endure fruit pieces, nor battles, mar- 

 tyrdoms, and other pictures which reprefent fhocking 

 and inhuman, tranfaclions ; accordingly, he has filled 

 his gallery at Potfdam with none but agreeable objects, 

 and the bell pieces of that fort are taken from hence, 

 while thofe that come under the former description are 

 left behind ; fo that in this collection there are flill a 

 great number of very excellent pieces, among which 

 arc feveral of Van Dyck's. But we cannot help hi- 

 9 menting 



