HINTS of OCCURRENCES, &c.

9

ftrength; it borders on the palatinate of the Rhine, and the pofleftion of it has been confidered by both parties, in thewars between France and the empire, as an obje£l of great importance. The French were mailers of it in the year1688, when they defolated the palatinate, plundered and dellroyed its ancient and venerable cities; and either mafia-cred the wretched inhabitants, or drove them out of the country: and they made it the repofitory of the immenfeplunder they had colle£led; but as if Providence difapproved the deed, the whole was confumed in the next year byan accidental lire. The horrid fequel of the revocation of the edi£l of Nantz was not more Ihocking to humanitythan the cruelties pra< 5 lifed by the French during that war, in almoft every part of the palatinate; and there are fewof its cities, towns, or even villages, that do not retain fuch marks of their fury, as will be lalling memorials ofthe execrable ambition, and inhuman policy of Lewis the Fourteenth.

Our next ftage from Landau was Spire; which again brought us to the banks of the Rhine. The fortifications of

this city contribute very little to its fecurity; it pofielfes indeed no advantages at prefent to make it of much confider-

ation among the cities of the empire. This is a confequence of its total deftru&ion by the French in 1689, for till

then it was the feat of the imperial chamber, or fovereign court of judicature, to which appeals were carried from the

various courts of the princes of the empire; and to which the princes themfelves were amenable. This occafioned fo

great a refort of Ilrangers, that the city of Spire was refpe< 5 lable and important. From Spire we proceeded to Manheim,

which fhared in the common fate of the cities of the palatinate; being entirely dellroyed by the French in the invafion

of 1688. Very little can be faid at prefent of the grandeur or magnificence of Manheim; but it excels any other place

we had feen, except Paris, in beauty and elegance. The Ilreets are well built, and though not perfedlly regular,

appear to great advantage, from their being fo difpofed, as to interfe£l each other at right angles. The fortifications

are very handfome, and I apprehend, of fufiicient ftrength to be an effectual defence in cafe of attack. But they feem to

me to require more troops to man them, than could conveniently be detached for that purpofe from the army of the

palatinate, at the higheft Hate of its war eftablilhment. The electoral palace, which now makes a fine appearance, if

finifhed according to the original defign, would have no rival in that of any prince in chriftendom. But the extent

of the plan, and the expence neceflary to the execution of it, having been too little attended to before the building was

fo far advanced as to admit of no alteration, it has remained for many years in an unfinifhed Hate; and, for the fame

reafon, there is very little probability it will ever be completed. The removal of the court from hence to Munich on the

acceflion of the prince palatine to the dukedom of Bavaria, fpread a gloom over the fplendor of Manheim, which

nothing but the ele£lor’s return can enliven. The number of the votaries and dependents of the court, who of courfe

%

followed the prince, was fo confiderable, that the lofs of them would have been feverely felt in a much more populousand extenfive city. I was informed on good authority, that they amounted to fome thoufands ; confiding of the principalinhabitants, which, added to the almoft total defertion of the nobility of the palatinate, as well as other Ilrangers of

E diftin&ion,