Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY, 9
This defpicable policy takes its origin in the general corruption of the countryr
Nine-tenths of the inhabitants are the moft infamous rafcals imaginable, fellows, who, on
the leaft fignal, are ready to cut one another’s throats on account of religion; who
{pend their week’s wages every Sunday in ale-houfes, and never refle& on the greatnefs
of their predeceffors, but when the liquor is fermenting in their brain. I have told you
‘already, that the government is partly catholic, and partly proteftant. Upon the whole,
the catholics may, I believe, be more numerous than the proteftants. It is quite impof-
fible to give any idea of all the ridiculous incidents occafioned by the religious difputes.
Every day produces fome unexpected occurrence, which makes one both laugh and
complain. ‘They never brufh a cobweb from a public building, without mingling reli-
gion in the bufinefs. The catholics, who are more zealous than the proteftants, fup-
port acontroverfial preacher here, as they do in all the towns, where the religion is of
the mixed kind. This man, at certain times, fets one half of Augifburg a laughing, the
other a raving. He who fills this part at prefent, is an ex-jefuit; whe is of one the beft
comedians of the kind I have feen. ‘The exceilive poverty and indolence of the people,
make them regardlefs of their own rights. ‘he ariftocracy would not be fo powerful
if the people had more underftanding and attachment to their conftitution. But liber-
ty is no dearer to them than the chaftity of their daughters, whom their canons, whofe
icomes are about 2ool. per annum, purchafe every year by dozens.
The other tenth of the inhabitants confifts of fome patrician families, amongft whom
there are fome very polite people, of the merchants, artifts and clergy. But there is too
much idle extravagance among{t even the moft prudent, and too many jealoufies about
them all for true patriotifm to take root amongft them. ‘This town, which is nine miles
and a half in circumference, contains hardly thirty thoufand people*, and their colle€tive
capital fearcely excects 1,500,0col. fo that their yearly decreafe becomes more
and more apparent. If fome fortunate circumftances do not arife, another century will
fee them reduced to abfolute beggary.
The more modern part of this town is truly beautiful; and the fenate houfe is one of
the handfomeft buildings that I have feen in all my travels. One would believe, that
in proportion as the internal refources had diminifhed, the magiltracy had become more
attentive to external decoration. But it is as with the falfe bloom on a courtezan’s
cheek, it may beguile the paffing ftranger, but whoever fees her at her toilet will foon be
undeceived. A {hort time fince, on the publication of an order for the water fpouts,
which ufed to {pout the water upon the {ftreets, and injure the pavement, to be in future
carried through their houfes, a company of merchants entered a proteft, beginning with
thefe words: ‘‘‘The Romans were not arrived at the pinnacle of their greatnefs when the
Appian way was made.” I know not whether the writer of the remonftrance was in jeft ;
but, as the common proverb fays, ‘ that every comparifon is lame,” this is fo indeed.
The city has its drinking water from the river Lech, which runs at fome diftance
from it. The aqueduéts which convey the water are much to be admired. As the court
of Bavaria has it in its power to cut off this indifpenfible neceffary 3 by threatening the
town with doing fo, it often lays it under contribution. But as it has, befides this, other
means of keeping the high council in a {tate of dependance, to fecure itfelf from this
opprefiion, the city feeks the emperor’s proteftion, upon whom it makes itfelf as de-
pendant on the other fide, fo as to be indeed only a ball, which both courts play with.
The emperor’s minifter to the circle of Suabia, generally refides here, and by fo doing
fecures to hiscourt a perpetual influence. There are always Auftrian and Pruflian re-
cruiting parties quartered here, and the partiality of the government to the former is very
* Mr. Nicholai makes them 34 or 35,000. and fays there are 28,0co houfes,
D2
“eg
o
a
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
