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36 RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY,
quarts of beer at a fitting, and be always ready to fight, right or wrong, with the offi-
cers of the garrifon that is quartered there. You may fuppofe that this does not tend:
to raife the reputation of the univerfity, which is, indeed, but thinly vifited, though the
profeflors are able men, and do their duty, although a proclamation came out fome years
fince to forbid any Bavarian from ftudying out of the country.
No pen can defcribe the ridiculous mixtures of debauchery and devotion which every
day happen. The moft notorious is that which took place in the church of St. Mary,,
Oettingen, a few years fince, when a prie(t aétually deflowered a girl whom he had
long purfued, and could only make a prize of there before the altar of the Virgin.
The country people join to their indolence and deyotion a certain ferocity of temper,
which often gives rife to bloody fcenes. When they mean to praife a church holiday,
or fome public feftival which has lately been kept, they fay,—fuch a one was a
charming affair; there were fix or eight people killed or made cripples at it. If no-
thing of this kind has been done, it is called a mere nothing, a fiddle-faddle bufinefs..
In the laft century, and the beginning of this, the Bavarian troops maintained the firft
reputation among the German forces. At the battle of Hock{tedt, they kept their
ground and imagined themfelves vitors, till the elector who led them was informed
that the French had given way in the other wing. Under ‘Tilly and Mercy they like-
wile did wonders; but fince the time of thefe generals, military difcipline has fo far re-
laxed among{t them, that they are no longer foldiers. Indeed no people can fhew more
abhorrence to every thing which is called difcipline and order, than the Bavarians do.
They might, however, ftill be ufeful as free-booters, whofe robberies and all irregula-
rities are more pardonable than thefe of regular troops. There are bands of robbers
about, which are one thoufand men ftrong, and would undoubtedly make good ra-
vaging parties in time of war. There have been inftances of their fighting again{t the
military, under bold leaders, to the very laft man. But the pooreft peafant confiders.
it as a hardthip to be draited into the regular troops of his prince.
The inhabitants of the capital, on the other hand, are the moft weak, timid, and
fubfervient people in the world. They have no quicknefs of parts at all, and you will
feek in vain in the town for that liberty, which fometimes indeed degenerates into coarfe-
nefs of manners, but is ftill the moft agreeable trait in the charaéter of the country
people. Under the laft government, while the people of Munich were crouching under
a defpotic minifter, and only ventured to murmur in fecret, the country people difco-
vered their difcontent with a freedom which threatened dangerous confequences. At
the fame time, an unbounded and inexpreflible love for their prince prevailed on them
to pull down the inclofures of their fields at the command of the matter of the hounds,
in order that the game might pafture there. They fpake with raptures of the amiable
qualities of their lord ; indeed they did not pafs over his faults, but tried to excufe him
for them, and loaded his fervants, without referve, with their heavieft curfes, and thus
gave every ftranger a juft idea of the court, while the inhabitants of the town, in the
dedicatory addrefles of books and poems, extolled. the tyrants of the land to heaven.
The country people judge as impartially of the prefent government. I fhould not,
however, have ebtained any account of the prince or his fervants, if I had not got ac-
quainted with fome foreign artifts belonging to the court, who were more interefted in
the ftate of them both than the natives, who are infatuated with their beer pots. Every
fhoe-black in Paris knows all the great people of the court, pries into their private life
as well as their politics, and- condemns or approves at difcretion; but here you meet
with many court-counfellors and fecretaries, who know nothing of the great people ex-
cept their names. To conclude, the unadulterated Bavarian peafant is gruff, fat, diy.
aZy,
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