Page:The Wentworth Papers 1715-1739.djvu/26

 10 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.

he had his promotion in the army as it present, and he should have the nomination of all officers' appointments that should become vacant in his regiment, and that my Lord Marlborough would see her promise performed."

That the appointment was gratifying to the King of Prussia is plainly shown by the letter he himself addresses in French to Lord Raby on February 28, 1703, wherein he expresses the great pleasure with which he has learnt that his sister, the Queen of England, has chosen him for envoy at the court of Berlin, and signs himself " Votre tres affec- tionne, Frederick, R."

Lord Raby reached the Hague on his way to Berlin on May 8. From Cologne on May 19 he writes to Hedges that he had dined with the Duke of Marlborough at Bonn, and had discussed the affairs of Prussia with him ; he appears at Hanover on May 29, and reached Berlin about June 9.

From Lord Raby's private letters during his residence at Berlin we get many glimpses of life at the newly-fledged royal court. The following extracts from them may be given :* —

To George Stepney, minister at Vienna, he writes in September, 1703: —

"With much ado we persuaded the Electress to a very pretty entertainment, prepared by Madlle. Pelnitz last night in the gardens of Lutzenburg. It was very prettily con- trived, with a noble representation of clouds for Apollo, with fine music ; ill verses made by the Abbd Morow, and dances by the Margrave, the two young princesses and all the court. I think the Electress begins to recover her looks since the loss of her son, which had extremely altered her."

1703. — Nov. 3. "We have had a great deal of diversion this week, especially your humble servant, who, besides the king's dining with me, have had some fine, and some of the prettiest, ladies in town, invited themselves to sup and dance

served by Lord Raby, not from the originals, the speUing of many words has been modernised.
 * As most of the extracts are printed from copies of the letters pre-

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