ardins anglais,_ the garden of Ostenwald for instance; and should you
wish to extend your walk further, there is Nymphenburg, a royal Palace and
gardens, just one league distant from the city.
The _Residenz-schloss_ or Palace of the King is a solid building. The
interior is well worth seeing. There is a superb saloon with a vast number
of valuable miniatures appended to the wainscoating. An enormously heavy
bed, groaning with gold and silver embroidery and pearls and which is said
to weigh a ton, is to be seen here. There is a very good collection of
pictures, chiefly portraits, of the Electoral, now Royal family. There is a
fine chapel too belonging to this palace; a superb staircase of marble, and
some fine old tapestry representing the actions of Otto von Wittelsbach.
There is likewise a curious miniature copy of Trajan's column in gold and
incrusted with precious stones, besides a variety of other things of value.
There are two theatres in Munich; one called the Hof or Court theatre,
where there is a company of comedians for tragedy and comedy, the expences
of which are defrayed principally by the King. The boxes are generally let
to the nobility and the _parterre_ is open to every body on payment. I
witnessed the representation of Mozart's _Nozze di Figaro._ The King was
present and was greeted with much affection. He has a very benignant
expression of countenance. He is much beloved by his subjects, for he has
governed them paternally. He has given to them a constitution _unasked;_
for they were so contented with the old Government, that they desired no
change; but he, with his usual good sense, saw the propriety of consulting
and complying with the spirit of the age. A German writer of some eminence
at the time of the French Revolution, when the aristocrats and alarmists of
all countries were crying out against it, and proposing harsh measures to
arrest its progress, said: "Sovereigns of Europe, do you wish to set bounds
to the progress of French principles? Nothing can be more simple; you have
only to govern your people like Maximilian of Bavaria and Frederick of
Saxony, and your subjects will never desire a change."
At the German (national) theatre which is a fair sized one, I saw a tragedy
performed called _Der Wald bey Herman-stadt_ (the Forest near
Hermanstadt),[122] It was an interesting piece taken from a feudal legend.
The part of Elisene was performed by Mlle Vohs, a very good actress. I
missed very m
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