The electoral congress was fixed at last for the 3d of March.  New formalities again set the city in motion, and the alternate visits of ceremony on the part of the ambassadors kept us always on our legs.  We were, moreover, compelled to watch closely; as we were not only to gape about, but to note every thing well, in order to give a proper report at home, and even to make out many little memoirs, on which my father and Herr von Koenigsthal had deliberated, partly for our exercise and partly for their own information.  And certainly this was of peculiar advantage to me; as I was enabled very tolerably to keep a living election and coronation diary, as far as regarded externals.

The person who first of all made a durable impression upon me was the chief ambassador from the electorate of Mentz, Baron von Erthal, afterwards elector.  Without having any thing striking in his figure, he was always highly pleasing to me in his black gown trimmed with lace.  The second ambassador, Baron von Groschlag, was a well-formed man of the world, easy in his exterior, but conducting himself with great decorum.  He everywhere produced a very agreeable impression.  Prince Esterhazy, the Bohemian envoy, was not tall, though well formed, lively, and at the same time eminently decorous, without pride or coldness.  I had a special liking for him, because he reminded me of Marshal de Broglio.  Yet the form and dignity of these excellent persons vanished, in a certain degree, before the prejudice that was entertained in favor of Baron von Plotho, the Brandenburg ambassador.  This man, who was distinguished by a certain parsimony, both in his own clothes and in his liveries and equipages, had been greatly renowned, from the time of the Seven Years’ War, as a diplomatic hero.  At Ratisbon, when the Notary April thought, in the presence of witnesses, to serve him with the declaration of outlawry which had been issued against his king, he had, with the laconic exclamation, “What! you serve?” thrown him, or caused him to be thrown, down stairs.  We believed the first, because it pleased us best; and we could readily believe it of the little compact man, with his black, fiery eyes glancing here and there.  All eyes were directed towards him, particularly when he alighted.  There arose every time a sort of joyous whispering; and but little was wanting to a regular explosion, or a shout of Vivat!  Bravo! So high did the king, and all who were devoted to him, body and soul, stand in favor with the crowd, among whom, besides the Frankforters, were Germans from all parts.

On the one hand these things gave me much pleasure; as all that took place, no matter of what nature it might be, concealed a certain meaning, indicated some internal relation:  and such symbolic ceremonies again, for a moment, represented as living the old Empire of Germany, almost choked to death by so many parchments, papers, and books.  But, on the other hand, I could not suppress a secret displeasure, when