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98 RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY.
laver and St. Jorger. The day was fine, and the ladies in good humour, fo that I do
not know whether we might not a little prophane the entrance to the holy place. This
pilgrimage was undertaken in the firft days of my arrival here, but I have often been at
the place fince, and have found pleafure there, even in bad weather.
There are feveral other public places, among{t which you may reckon Mount Calvarie,
and other places of devotion, which are vifited by the young people of both fexes,
ss C much from motives of piety, as becaufe they are protected from the infpeCtion of
the police.
LETTER XXVIII.
Vienna.
THE prefent court poffeffes feveral valuable collections, all of which are as much as
poflible open to the public. The imperial cabinet of medals hath fcarce its equal in the
world ; there are twenty-two thoufand ancient coins ; the modern coins’are extremely
valuable ;_ likewife a very valuable, and to thofe who with to ftudy the hiftory of the
middle ages, a very precious part of this collection, is that which confifts of all the coins
and medals from Charlemaine to this time. The thought was Charles the Vith’s, but
the colleétion owes its exiftence to the Emperor Francis, who laid out great fums upon,
it. I fay nothing to you of the feveral other rich colle@tions of natural hiftory, mathe-
matical inftruments, &c. &c. but, that like every thing the court poffeffes, they are
open to every body, without the leaft trouble. But the library is one of the moft pre-
cious in the world. It confilts of more than three hundred thoufand volumes, twelve
thoufand of which are valuable manufcripts. _The building in which they are preferved
is one of the handfomeft in the town. — It is open every morning till twelve o’clock,
for all perfons who choofe to come. T hey are furnifhed with tables, chairs, pen, ink,
and paper ; a fecretary looks in the catalogue for the books wanted, which are imme-
diately taken down from the fhelves by fome livery fervants belonging to the court.
There are fires in the room all the winter. None of the fervants are allowed to take
any thing. When once you are acquainted with the librarians, one of whom is always
in a room adjoining, it is not fo difficult to obtain prohibited books as has been pre-
tended. Mr, Pilati, indeed, in his travels, fays, that you cannot havea good book with-
out the archbifhop’s permiflion ; but I myfelf read the Hiftory of the Council of Trent,
and all Machiavel’s works through, without any leave.
Exclufive of the court library, there are feveral other publie places where people may
read. The bookfeller Trattnern once took it into his head to have a learned coffee-
houfe in his great palace. He promifed to provide the fubfcribers with all the newf-
papers, periodical publications, and pamphlets, in all the living languages. If this pro-
ject had been properly followed, it might have proved the foundation of an academy, or
learned foeiety ; but the fubfcribers foon faw that Trattnern had no view but what re-
garded his own pocket. This Mr. Trattnern compels the profeffors to fell him their
manufcripts, and pays them not a farthing for them. He conceives himfelf to have this
privilege as bookfeller to the court, and exercifes an intolerable tyranny over all the
bookfellers and Jiterati of the place. Notwithftanding the high tone he affects, he does
not fcruple to defcend to the loweft meannefles. He prints over again, with the impe-
rial privilege, works which have been already printed with this privilege in the other
parts of Germany. They fay he has perfuaded the Emprefs, that let a book be ever fo
fuccefsful, the bookfeller gets nothing by it, if he pays the expence of printing; fo that
befide giving him the copy, fhe often pays the whole expence of printing the books oe
ni fs Ss
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