I found the Court of _Berlin_ in the same State as when I left it. The Count _de Wartemberg_ was still in the highest Favor; and the Count _de Barfous_, the only Man who had presum'd for some time to make head against the Minister, had at length been oblig'd to retire to his Estate; but what made his Banishment from Court the more tolerable to him, was a Pension which the King allow'd him of 20,000 Crowns. His Post of Velt-Marshal was given to M. _de Wartensleben_, Lieutenant-General of the Emperor's Troops, and General of those of the Duke of _Saxe Gotha_. This was also a Creature of the Prime Minister; yet he had Honor and Honesty enough to oppose him on Occasions, where he thought the Welfare of the State was concern'd. The Count _de Lottum_, who had been involv'd in the Disgrace of my Father-in-law, and whose Office of Grand Marshal had been conferr'd on the Count _de Witgenstein_, retain'd a certain Air of Favor in his Disgrace, as did also the Count _de Barfous_. The King had given him the Government of _Wesel_, to which he retir'd; and as he could not avoid doing justice to his Merit and Fidelity, he gave him the Command of the Troops design'd for the _Netherlands_. He was charg'd with the Blockade of _Rhinberg_, a Place in the Electorate of _Cologn_, which the _French_ then possess'd, under color of being that Elector's auxiliary Forces. The Town surrendring in a little time, he undertook the Blockade of _Guelders_, which made a part of the _Spanish Netherlands_, and was yielded to us by the Peace of _Utrecht_. The taking of these two important Places in the midst of Winter, and the Behaviour of the Count _de Lottum_, who notwithstanding the Severity of the Season, and the Treatment he had received from Court, took all the Care possible for the Preservation of the King's Troops, made him so much extoll'd at Court, as was mortifying to the Prime Minister.
_France_ endeavor'd to repair the Loss of these two Places by seizing the Principality of _Orange_, which we were not near enough to defend, and he put the Prince of _Conti_ in immediate Possession of it, who had some claim to it through the _Chalons_ Family, of which he call'd himself Heir. But he soon after yielded the said Principality and his Pretensions, to _Lewis_ XIV. who likewise caus'd an Edict to be publish'd there, by which it was put to the choice of all the Inhabitants to turn Catholics, or to sell their Effects and retire out of the Kingdom within the space of three Months. The Generality of those who were not willing to change their Religion, retir'd to our Court, and among others, the Members of the Parliament. The King reliev'd them as far as he could, and caus'd Collections to be made in all the Churches of his Dominions, the Money of which was distributed to those who had the most pressing Occasion for it.