The Council Chamber is a handsome apartment, and contains two marble figures of Silence and Meditation.  The Council Table is long and narrow, which would not meet with Lord Bacon’s approbation, as, if I recollect right, he gives the preference to a round table, where all may take a part, instead of a long one, where those at the top chiefly decide.  We next visited the royal stables, which contain a vast number of fine horses, the King being very fond of the chase.

I was informed, that in his Private Stables here and at Ludwigsburg, there were from 700 to 800 horses, a number which exceeds that of most princes in Europe.  The garrison of Stutgard consists of about 3000 men.  We saw some of the troops go through their evolutions; and I have seldom seen a finer body of men.  The band was remarkably fine.  On the parade were two little boys, sons of Prince Paul, who were decorated with stars.  Having sufficiently satisfied our curiosity at Stutgard, we proceeded to Ludwigsburg, one stage distant, where there is a handsome royal palace adorned with extensive gardens, and many enclosures for game, of great extent.  The town is not large, but is regularly built; and the houses, as at Stutgard and many other places in Germany, are remarkable for having a vast number of windows.  After some delay about passports, we were suffered to proceed, as they sometimes will not give post horses without examining the passports.  Beyond the town we met several waggons, one of them I remarked was drawn by fourteen horses.  There is much more traffic on this road than on any I had yet travelled.

We passed through but one great town, Heilbron, formerly an imperial free city, but which, together with Ulm and many others, was given by Buonaparte to the King of Wurtemberg.  It is a tolerably well built place; and from the number of vessels in the river, I conclude it has a share of trade.  The country round it is unenclosed, and for a great distance we saw no pastures, to that they must support their cattle on artificial crops.  At Furfeld we could procure no accommodation, it being full of company; we were therefore, notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, obliged to go on to Sinzheim.  We parried the rain tolerably well (the carriages are but partly covered) with our umbrellas; and escaped narrowly a more serious disaster, having been nearly overturned by a waggon, which broke one side of our carriage.

We found the inn small, but the people particularly obliging.  I perceived that they expected some personage of great importance, as the landlady questioned our driver repeatedly whether Der Cossack had arrived at the last stage.  It was not, however, until we had retired to rest, that the expected guest arrived; and if importance is to be measured by noise, his must have been great indeed.