This brilliant night I purposed celebrating in a right hearty way; for I had agreed with Gretchen, and Pylades and his mistress, that we should meet somewhere at nightfall.  The city was already resplendent at every end and corner when I met my beloved.  I offered Gretchen my arm:  we went from one quarter to another, and found ourselves very happy in each other’s society.  The cousins at first were also of our party, but were afterwards lost in the multitude of people.  Before the houses of some of the ambassadors, where magnificent illuminations were exhibited,—­those of the Elector-Palatine were pre-eminently distinguished,—­it was as clear as day.  Lest I should be recognized, I had disguised myself to a certain extent; and Gretchen did not find it amiss.  We admired the various brilliant representations and the fairy-like structures of flame by which each ambassador strove to outshine the others.  But Prince Esterhazy’s arrangements surpassed all the rest.  Our little company were enraptured, both with the invention and the execution; and we were just about to enjoy this in detail, when the cousins again met us, and spoke to us of the glorious illumination with which the Brandenburg ambassador had adorned his quarters.  We were not displeased at taking the long way from the Ross-markt (Horse-market) to the Saalhof, but found that we had been vlllanously hoaxed.

The Saalhof is, towards the Main, a regular and handsome structure; but the part in the direction of the city is exceedingly old, irregular, and unsightly.  Small windows, agreeing neither in form nor size, neither in a line nor placed at equal distances; gates and doors arranged without symmetry; a ground-floor mostly turned into shops,—­it forms a confused outside, which is never observed by any one.  Now, here this accidental, irregular, unconnected architecture had been followed; and every window, every door, every opening, was surrounded by lamps,—­as indeed can be done with a well-built house; but here the most wretched and ill-formed of all facades was thus quite incredibly placed in the clearest light.  Did one amuse one’s self with this as with the jests of the pagliasso, [Footnote:  A sort of buffoon.] though not without scruple, since everybody must recognize something intentional in it,—­ just as people had before glossed on the previous external deportment of Von Plotho, so much prized in other respects, and, when once inclined towards him, had admired him as a wag, who, like his king, would place himself above all ceremonies,—­one nevertheless gladly returned to the fairy kingdom of Esterhazy.

This eminent envoy, to honor the day, had quite passed over his own unfavorably situated quarters, and in their stead had caused the great esplanade of linden-trees in the Horse-market to be decorated in the front with a portal illuminated with colors, and at the back with a still more magnificent prospect.  The entire enclosure was marked by lamps.  Between the trees, stood pyramids and spheres of light upon transparent pedestals; from one tree to another were stretched glittering garlands, on which floated suspended lights.  In several places bread and sausages were distributed among the people, and there was no want of wine.