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114 RIESBECK’S. TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY.
of all love of his country, all good humour, all.fenfe of honour, all hope of adyance-
ment, and every other feeling. All his occupations bring him back to this idea, and
from his A, B, C, to his logic, all he knows is comprifed in the two little words, thou
mufe.
There cannot be a doubt, but in obedience and ftrong fubordination, the principal
ftrength of an army confifts; but is it impoflible to unite them with any idea of feeling
for felf in the fubaltern and underling ? Are fentiments of perfonal honour, of bravery,
and of patriotifm, entirely prejudicial to an army. Certainly not: and were it only to
meliorate the condition of the poor foldier, were it only to make his hard fate lefs fevere,
it fhould be the policy of princes to promote thofe feelings which can {weeten fo many
bitter hours, and alone enable them to meet death.
With the power which Auftria now pofleffes, it might at one ftroke cut off all the
privileges of the Hungarian nobles, which are contrary to the good of the whole, and
which it has been fo many years endeavouring to undermine. A few hundred families
would murmur for a few years, but the thing would hot go beyond murmurs; the in-
habitants of towns and the peafants would ftand up for the interefts of the court, which
are their own. ‘The religious animofities, which formerly ferved as a pretence for an
infurreétion, no longer blinds the people to their real good; and open, liberal treat-
ment would foon win over the nobility, whom the artifices now in ufe only alienate and
-corrupt. If once that part of Ea Daa which militate again{t the good of the
whole, were well defined and fuppreffed by one fingle a& of authority, they would then,
become fufceptible of patriotic virtues ; whereas, at prefent they look upon the govern:
ment as hoftile to them, and do nothing but what they are compelled to by power or
bribes. In that cafe, the multitude of the nation would not be the moft abject flaves,
nor the great the moft cruel defpots that are known. If, _befides this, the court was
to fpend the fums neceflary on eftablifhments for education, and the priefts of the feve-
ral religions would endeavour to eftablifh them without perfecution or partiality, in the
next century Hungary would be one of the moft flourifhing countries in Europe. ‘The
Hungarian would no longer be poor, in the middle of a country abounding with every
neceflary of life. ‘The poverty of the people, and the exceflive riches of the nobility,
would no longer offend the eyes of the humane by the fhocking difproportion between
them. ‘Then the court alfo would no longer object to the raifing provincial regiments,
as it would be confiftent with its interefts. The lively Croat, or Hungarian, animated
by the love of his country and a fenfe of duty, would no longer refufe to fubmit to pro-
per difcipline 5 all the army would be infpired with a fpirit, which difcipline alone can-
not give, but which united to difcipline is the ftrongeft fecurity for terror abroad and
happinefs at home.
The Hungarians in general are extremely proper for a military life; they want no-
thing to be perfeét foldiers, but the kind of education which a good government might
give them. ‘The Croats particularly have all the requifites for fervice. Their mean
height is fix feet; they are bony, flefhy, quick, and lively, and can bear the extremes
of cold and hunger. In a word there are no better made men in Europe, notwith-
ftanding which they are the moft miferable part of the Imperial army; a fure fign that
government either neglects them, or does not know how to difcipline them properly.
Sometimes it has been propofed to incorporate them with other corps, but this would
only be to take away their natural advantages, and furnifh them with artificial ones in
their ftead. Such a change would put an end to their ufual way of life, to which they
are indebted for their hardinefs. They commonly dwell fix or feven families under the
fame roof. As their frugality enables them to bring up many children, they marry
early
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