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65 RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY.
one hundred writers of differtations, bad verfes, fermons, and miferable comedies.
But the place abounds in fuch authors, whole knowledge of the world does not ex-
ceed that of a common footman. In Paris you would be furprifed to fiud a man of
letters not acquainted with the hiftory of his own country, that of Eurepe, and fo
forth. Here it is a prodigy to meet with one who knows any of thefe things.
Many of the Emperor’s officers, with whoin I am acquainted, deferve the title of
fearned men much more than the miferable wretches to whom it is given. Befides
profefional knowledge, moft of the former pofl-fs a certain knowledge of the world,
and the habits of converfation ; and I know feveral of them who may be called philo-
fophers, which is not the cafe with four of the other clafs.
The.Italians and French are generally reproached with having worn themfelves out.
This may be true, but it did not happen before we had produced mafler-pieces in every
branch of fcience; whereas thefe peaple, as has indeed been acknowledged-by their
own writers, have gone ftraight from barbarity into barrennefs; nor has philofophy
ever had her day here. ‘Whe reafon of this may be eafily afligned. Hitherto the
demon of monkery has held the national fpirit in its claws; and though attempts
have been made to fet it free, the damon has only allowed it liberty enough to play,
and has hitherto been both powerful and provident enough to prevent its flave from
beconting its mafter. It is Jofeph who muft break thefe chains.
After what I have been telling you of the {tate of things, you will not be furprized
when you are told that moft of the men of merit here are foreigners. Lacy, Laudohn
and Wurmier, in the army, were not born here; and as to the reft, Storck is a Sua-
bian; Denis, the great Au(trian poet, a Bavarian; and Hell, the mathematician,
a Silefian; nay, though the higher pofts of the ftate are occupied by natives, yet are
the Emperor’s confidential fecretaries foreigners. What is more, all the new enter-
prizes have alfo been fet on foot by foreigners, who have been but indifferently re-
warded. Theinventor of that moft ufeful of inftitutions, the penny poft, was obliged
to run away for’debt; a French officer who had been called in to make fome improve-
ments in the artillery, had his work made fo uneafy to him, that he was obliged to
look for more gratitude at Naples; and an Englifhman who had taught them the art
of gelding horfes fafely, being paid only in great promifes, and negleCted when the
bufinefs was done, was made fo unhappy by it, that he fhot himfelf through the head,
and left a note upon his table, purporting that he died becaufe he had been led into
contraéting debts, a thing he was not accuftomed to. This negleé of merit is not to be
charged to the court. ‘Thofe who can come into the Prince’s fight are no where more
{plendidly rewarded than they are here; but then it muft be confeffed too, that there
is no place where the minions of a court fo well underftand the art of Keeping ta
Jents out of fight. The Emperor indeed ftrives to break thefe intrigues as much as
he can, and to meet merit half way ; but itis impoflible for a great monarch to do every
thing.
pwe little to fay of what concerns the arts, though I faw the academy’s annual ex-
hibition of painting and fculpture. The former confifted merely of portraits. In fta-
tuary there were only two bufts, one of the Emperor, the other of the Emprefs, which
gave meany pleafure; but you know I am no great connoifleur. The great triumph
of the arts is the theatre, of which therefore I fhall give you an account in my next
letter.
YETTER
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