Home1797 Edition

MUNICH

Volume 12 · 573 words · 1797 Edition

a town of Germany, capital of the whole duchy of Bavaria, and the residence of the elector. It stands on the Isar, 70 miles south of Ratibon and 214 west of Vienna, being one of the most pleasant and populous cities of Germany for its size. The number of the inhabitants is said to be about 40,000. Having been built at first on a spot of ground belonging to a convent, it had from thence in German the name of München, i.e., Monk's-town, and a monk for its arms. The elector's palace here is a very grand structure, consisting of several courts, furnished and adorned in the most magnificent manner, with tapestry, gilding, sculpture, statues, and paintings. It contains an amazing collection of jewels, antiquities, and curiosities. The great hall is 118 feet long and 52 broad; and the stair-case leading to it, from top to bottom, of marble and gold. In the hall of antiquities are 354 busts and statues of jasper and porphyry, bracs and marble. In this palace also is a library, containing a vast collection of books, and many valuable manuscripts, in most languages, ancient and modern; and a chamber of rarities, among which is the picture of a bravo or afflatus, who is said to have committed 345 murders with his own hand, and to have been accomplice in or privy to 400 more. The treasury in the chapel contains also a vast number of pictures, precious stones, medals, vessels of gold and silver, &c. Among other curiosities, here is a cherry-stone with 140 heads distinctly engraved upon it. The gardens of the palace are also very fine, and it is said a secret passage leads from it to all the churches and convents in the town. There is a great number of other fine buildings in this city, public and private, particularly the riding-house, town-house, opera-room, the Jesuits college, the large edifice for tournaments, the churches, convents, fountains, &c. Its manufactures are those of silk, particularly velvet, woollen cloths, and tapestry; and it has two annual fairs, at which great quantities of salt, wine, &c., are sold. The streets are broad and regular; and most of the houses well built, and painted on the outside. The market-place is extremely beautiful. Not far from Munich are four other palaces, with fine gardens, belonging to the elector, viz., those of Slesheim, Nymphenburg, Dachau, and Starnberg. The first and last

(Count de), was the favourite of the Czarina Anna, and was concerned in all the events of her reign. Being appointed general of her armies, he gained great advantages over the Crimean Tartars, beat the Turks, A.D. 1739, in an engagement near Chocozim, and took that city together with Jaffa the capital of Moldavia. He was afterwards prime minister to the Czar Ivan VI., but in a short time after he was accused of employing the power which his office conferred on him to gratify his own ambition and private resentment. The Empress Elizabeth brought him to trial, and he was condemned to lose his life A.D. 1742. This sentence was mitigated to banishment into Siberia, whither many of the victims of his power had been exiled. He was recalled by Peter III. A.D. 1762, and declared field-marshal. Upon the death of this prince, the Empress Catharine II. appointed him director-general of the ports of the Baltic. He died on the 8th of October 1767, at the age of 84.