.LETTERS FROM A TRAVELLER AT BERLIN. l$f 



more happily exprefled. — To the reformed and thelu- 

 theran churches, which Hand in the market of the gens 

 d'armes, the king has caufed to be built two towers ; that 

 is, to each of them one, with three large portals, in a 

 good tafte and with much efFedl ; the entrance by fteps 

 and columns, and the difpofition over their frontons 

 are really fine, though one cannot help wifhing that the 

 towers were not quite io maffive. However, if we fhould 

 be inclined, for the fake of the towers, to let thefe 

 ugly churches pafs, which feem rather to be built for 

 them, and not them for thefe ; yet they muft be allow- 

 ed to be again another inftance of that tawdry architec- 

 ture of which I have fpoken before. A multitude of 

 images are placed about them, thofe on one tower re- 

 presenting the heroes of the old teftament, and thofe 

 on the other the perfonages of the new, and in the roofs, 

 which are painted green, gilt medallions are introduced. 

 The art difplayed in the images, does not certainly de- 

 mand our admiration ; the king has indeed from time 

 to time had fkilful people to work for him, but they 

 mull always do every thing in too great a hurry, for 

 allowing them to take any pains. This is difcernible at 

 tirft fight in almoft all the ftatues we find here and there 

 in the public places : even two of the marble iigures 

 that fxand in the Wilhelmfplatz, are by no means ex- 

 traordinary. Schwerin has a mantle about him, of 

 which perfons that do not profefs to be judges of fculp- 

 ture, admire the folds that are. indeed wrought with 

 much labour, but they are all ftifF and formal. Both 

 his attitude and exprellion are bad, and the whole figure, 

 is too fmall and meagre. Nor is Winterfeld more en- 

 titled tQ any confidcrable praife. Tins fide of Wil- 



helmfplatz 



