A German dinner is still more tedious than a French one, and it is perhaps yet more foreign to our taste.  The custom of sleeping between feather beds, as it may be altered by the traveller, if unpleasant to him, cannot be considered as a grievance; but all who have been accustomed to the social and companionable cheerfulness of a fire, must regret that custom, which here substitutes for it, the dull and unenlivening heat of a stove.

That fire-place, which is so essential to the comfort of our apartments, is by German taste placed in the passage and shut up, whilst heat is conveyed into their rooms by flues.

We arrived at Stutgard without the occurrence of any thing worthy of mention, and were much pleased with its general appearance; its streets are spacious, and the houses mostly well built.  The city has increased considerably in size, since it has become the constant residence of its sovereign.  Its population is estimated at 24,000.  It is an open place, but although there are no fortifications there are gates, the only use of which are to detain the traveller whilst his passport is under examination.  The reformed religion is here established, but the churches have nothing to boast of in appearance.  The palace is a handsome building of Italian architecture, surrounding three sides of a square.  It is built of hewn stone, and over the centre entrance is placed a large gilt crown.  Not far from the modern palace is the ancient Chateau, surrounded by a deep ditch, and flanked by gloomy bastions, formerly the requisites to a prince’s residence, but incompatible with the luxury sought for in a modern palace.

Wishing to judge of the taste of a German palace, we procured a Valet de Place to conduct us over this; we found it fitted up in a manner which corresponded in many points to that usual in great houses in England.  The suites of rooms are very numerous, but they are mostly of small dimensions.  Every apartment is provided with a musical clock.  The marbles, carpets, china, and glass lustres, are generally the production of Wurtemberg.  Many of these productions display much taste, and seem to deserve the encouragement they receive.

A few of the rooms had fire-places, and almost all of them had to boast of some specimens of the industry and ingenuity of the Queen, either in painting or embroidery.  There is a museum of considerable extent, which opens into the King’s Private Library, where the books are all concealed behind large mirrors, so that we could not judge of either the value or taste of the selection.  In a building near the palace, is the King’s Public Library, but we were told there was nothing in it particularly worthy of notice.  There are but very few paintings by the great masters in this palace; but we were particularly struck by a portrait of Frederick the Great, by a German artist.  I have forgotten his name; but this portrait proves his skill.