12 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.
To Stepney Lord Raby sends the following account of the great Duke's entertainment at Berlin : —
" 1704. Nov. 29. The Prince Royal set out last Thursday morning early towards Hanover as he had proposed, but the Duke of Marlborough could not get away from hence till yesterday towards the evening, but hopes to be at Hanover on Monday next ; and after two or three days' stay there to make all possible haste to the Hague. The Duke has been regaled in an extraordinary manner here, the King, his court and ministers and people of all degrees striving to express the great satisfaction they had in seeing his Grace at Berlin, His Majesty besides lodging and entertaining the Duke and his attendants in the Hotel des Ambassadeurs gave his Grace very noble presents, as a hat with diamond button and loop, and a diamond hatband valued at between 20 and 30,000 crowns and two fine saddle horses out of his stables, with very rich furniture, besides several other marks of his bounty and generosity. Mr. Cardonnel had a present of about 740 ducats. Col. Durel one of about 350, and Col. Parks who came along with his Grace had likewise a purse of about 200 ducats. The Duke while here was generally entertained by the King, Queen, and Prince Royal and chief ministers, unless when he did me the favour of eating with me, where at the last supper I gave, the Duke, the King, and his brother did me the honour to come. His Grace has given great satisfaction here with that affable obliging be- haviour which answers all his other extraordinary qualifica- tions, and he is extremely contented with this court, and the success he has had in his negociations which will appear to be much for the advantage of the common cause .... I am proud that my letter to the Secretary brought the Duke hither and he succeeded according as I had sent word he would ; being a young envoy I must let my brethren know when I hit right. The honours they did him at Spandau had like to have thrown him and me into the water, for it being night when we passed that fortress the light of the cannon frightened my young horses and they had like to
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