the greatest ladies, and even of the ministers of state, are divided,
but by a partition, from that of a taylor (sic) or shoemaker; and I
know no body that has above two floors in any house, one for their
own use, and one higher for their servants. Those that have houses
of their own, let Out the rest of them to whoever will take them; and
thus the great stairs, (which are all of stone) are as common and as
dirty as the street. 'Tis true, when you have once travelled through
them, nothing can be more surprisingly magnificent than the
apartments. They are commonly a _suite_ of eight or ten large rooms,
all inlaid, the doors and windows richly carved and gilt, and the
furniture, such as is seldom seen in the palaces of sovereign princes
in other countries. Their apartments are adorned with hangings of
the finest tapestry of Brussels, prodigious large looking glasses in
silver frames, fine japan tables, beds, chairs, canopies, and window
curtains of the richest Genoa damask or velvet, almost covered with
gold lace or embroidery. All this is made gay by pictures, and vast
jars of japan china, and large lustres of rock crystal. I have
already had the honour of being invited to dinner by several of the
first people of quality; and I must do them the justice to say, the
good taste and magnificence of their tables, very well answered to
that of their furniture. I have been more than once entertained with
fifty dishes of meat all served in silver, and well dressed; the
desert (sic) proportionable, served in the finest china. But the
variety and richness of their wines, is what appears the most
surprising. The constant way is, to lay a list of their names upon
the plates of the guests, along with the napkins; and I have counted
several times to the number of eighteen different sorts, all
exquisite in their kinds. I was yesterday at Count Schoonbourn, the
vice-chancellor's garden, where I was invited to dinner. I must own,
I never saw a place so perfectly delightful as the Fauxburg (sic) of