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a4 RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY,
them who may pafs for handfome. They are fomething lefs rofy cheeked than the
Suabians, a difference probably-arifing from their drinking beer inftead of wine, asthe
others do. 130
‘The chara€teriftic of a Bavarian is a very round head, a little peaked chin, a large bel-
Jy, anda pale complexion. Many of them look like caricatures of man. They have
great fat bellies, fhort clubbed feet, narrow fhoulders,’ a thick round head, and fhort
necks. They are heavy and aukward in their carriage, and their {mall eyes betray a
great deal of roguery. ‘Che women, in general, are fome of the moft beautiful crea-
tures in the world. ‘They are, indeed, fomething grofs, but their fkin furpaffes all the
carnation ever ufed by painters; the pureft lily white is foftly tinged with purple, as if
by the hands of the graces. I faw fome peafant girls with fuch clear complexions,
that they appeared quite tranfparent. ‘They are well fhaped, and more lively and
graceful in their geftures than the men,
In the capital they drefs in the French ftyle, or at leaft imagine that‘they do fo, for
the men are {till too fond of gold and mixed colours. ‘The country people drefs with-
out any tafte at all. The chief ornament of the men isa long broad waiftcoat, ftrange-
ly embroidered, from which their breeches hang very low and loofe, probably to give
free play to their bellies, which is the chief part of a Bavarian. ‘The women difguife
themfelves with a fort of {tays in the fhape of a funnel, which cover the breaft and
fhoulders, fo as to hide the whole neck. This {tiff drefs is covered with filver beads,
and thickly overlaid with filver chains. In many places the houfewife has a bunch of
keys and a knife appendant to a girdle, which reach almoft to the ground.
As to the characters and manners of the Bavarians, the inhabitants of the capital na-
turally differ very much from the country people. The character of the inhabitants of
Munich is a riddle to me, and would remain fo if I were to ftay.here many years. I be-
lieve, indeed, that it may be truly faid, that they have no character at all. Their man-
ners are corrupt, as mu{t be the cafe with forty thoufand men who depend entirely on
acourt, and, for the moft part, go idle at its expence,
Amongett the great nobles, you meet here, as well as elfewhere, with very well bred
and polite people ; but the people, taking the word ‘in its full extent, are, in an emi-
nent degree, deftitute of any fenfe of honour, without education, without any activity
for the ftate, attachment to the country, or generous feeling whatever. The fortunes
of this place are from 1500 to 3 or 4,oool. per annum; but the poffeflors know no
other ufe of their money than to {pend it in fenfual gratifications. Many good houfes
have been entirely ruined by play. The fafhionable game at the court was formerly
called zwicken, or pinch; but fince Hombefch, the minifter of finance, has pinched
their falaries fo confoundedly, they call it Hombefch. Many of the court ladies know
of no other employment than playing with their parrots, their dogs, or their cats.
One of the principal ladies whom I am acquainted with, keeps a hall full of cats, and
two or three maids to attend them: fhe converfes half the day long with them, often
ferves them herfelf with coffee and fugar, and drefles them according to her fancy dif-
ferently every day. :
The {mall nobles and fervants of the court, have a pitiable paffion for titles. _ Before
the prefent elector came here, the place {warmed with excellencies, honourable, and
right honourable. As this was not the cuftom at Manheim, an order was made to af-
certain the different ranks of nobleffe. All thofe whom it deprived of excellency, ho-
nourable, &c. and particularly (would you think it?) the women, were funk in defpair 5
and for the firft time complaints were made of tyranny, of which none before feemed
to have any conception. .
8 The
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