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RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. 49
The court has nothing to fear from a revolt. In the beginning of the laft century,
indeed, the proteftants made a little flir; but all was foon quiet again. Indeed, the
Viennois is too enervate for an infurreétion. On the other hand, he feels nothing of
the warm glow which fills the breait of a French or Englifhman for the fuccefles of his
country. ‘The feveral provinces of France have frequently made great prefents to their
kings in time of war, and we have often feen collections made in coffee-houfes for build-
ing fhips of the line. Here there are very few, if any inftances of this kind. Subordi-
nation is the only charatteriftic feature of this people; nor have I ever feen a {park here
either of the Englifhman’s love of liberty, or the Frenchman’s feeling for the honour of
the grand monarch. The pride even of the army is too perfonal, ever to admit of any
fenfibility for the honour of the ftate. The fongs of the French foldier are, as you well
know, poems which infpirit and lead him on to glory, by reminding him of what his
anceftors have done and fuffered for their country ; but here I feldom hear the foldier
fing at-all, and when he does, it is mere ribaldry. Not, however, that I doubt but that,
in fpite of their bad finging, an Au(trian army would put a French one to the route 5
but that is owing to another caufe. I only difcufs this fubject en paffant, and fhall referve
myfelf to fpeak more fully to it, when I come to Berlin.
The individuals of a country which exits only by fubordination, will of courfe be weak
and feeble charaéters. It is true that the molt illimited obedience did Sparta no harm;
but the reafon was, becaufe it was not the reigning feature of the people, but only a
means of fecuring the freedom after which the nation thirfted, The Britifh laws are
fome of them very fevere, and the difcipline of their navy as {trict as that of the Pruflian
army ; but as thefe feverities do not run through the whole of their government, they
do not deftroy the feelings of the people. ‘Fhough no nation has fo much checked the
power of their kings at different periods as the Britith has done, yet the hiftory of no
nation affords more inftances of the devotion of individuals to the fovereign. ‘The fame
love which the Englifhman has for liberty extends to the perfon of the prince, when-
ever the prince leaves the conftitution unimpaired and manifefts a love for it-—The
upfhot is that the Briton will preferve {trength of character as.long as thé conftitution
of his country lafts ; whereas the fubjects of defpotic princes will be weak and grovelling
in fpirit.
‘The great, whofe firft paffion is the love of power, will of courfe confider ftrength of
charaéter in their fubje€ts or dependants, as a natural enemy whom they muft feek to
fubdue. Confequently their object will be to make the ftate to which they belong a ma-
chine in the ftriéte(t fenfe of the word, a machine of which their will is to be the only
foul. Such machines at this day are even armies become, and it isa true-remark, made
by feveral writers both of thefe and other great machines of {tate, that the weaker every
individual member is, the more durable and the ftronger the whole willbe. 1 know it, I
confefs it; all I defire is notto be the member of fuch acorps. The government of
this place endeavours to make fome amends for the univerfal {ubjetion under which the
people are held, by a moft exact: adminiftration. of juftice, by taking meafures for uni-
verfal fecurity, and by the free admiffion and encouragement of every pleafure (the fin-
gle one of lawlefs love alone excepted) that can delight the human mind. Whilft in
France a country gentleman may be thrown in prifon by a governor of a province, and
continue there all his life, the loweft footman here is aflured of having the ftricteft juf-
tice done him, if ke has occafion to complain of his lord, even though he were the lord
high chamberlain. The police is fo vigilant and acute, that the moft fubtle thefts are
commonly difcovered, and the owner gets his goods again. Almoft all the Imperial
houfes and gardens are almoft conftantly open to the public. The players are under ts
peculiar
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