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RIESBECK’S§ TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. 139
out with me for fear of rain, but could not wear on account of the heat) in his waggon
during a three days journey I took on foot, ie the pretty village of Brandeis, was ‘the
drolleft and beft young man in the world. He had nothing on but breeches and ftock-
ings, but fhewed us with a kind of vanity, a fort of linen frock which was in the waggon,
and which had almoft as many holes as threads in it. His fhirt was almoft in pieces,
and yet he aflured me in his broken German, that he cared neither for wind nor wea-
ther: this led me into feveral philofophical refleCtions upon the luxury of my ufelefs
great coat. My young man was all life and fpirits, and his good-looking legs and fun-
burned face had almoft reconciled me to the flavery I had been fo angry with. Thought
Ito myfelf, luxury is generally complained of, and temperance and hardinefs recom.
mended to the farmer; but is it poflible to preferve them from effeminacy and luxury,
if you once open the door of riches to them? On the other hand, the matter is obliged
to furnifh his flave with neceflaries if he does not choofe to ruin himfelf; and though
the latter has no property, he is fure of never being expofed to beg his br ead. No fir eS
no weather, no war can put him in adifferent fituation at the end of the year from what
he was when he began it. In this manner I was going on; but the thoughts that their
hardinefs and frugality is no confequence of their own good will, and that they are no
more in their mafter’s eftimation than the cattle which plough the fields, broke off at once
the contract I was making with flavery.—In the mean time my fellow-traveller accom-
panied my refle€tions with dancing and finging, and in the intervals talked to his two
fine horfes, whofe wonderfully fleek fkins were a {trong contraft to his own miferable
clothing. He feemed to havea great love for the horfes, ftroked and patted them; and
yet they were not his, but belonged toa prelate whofe flave he wae. For my part, brother,
I have no good idea of a prelate who covers his horfes backs with fine trappings, and fuf-
fers his flaves to go naked. But is a man to expect con/i/tency in a prelate? —My good
young peafant gave me a proof of {trength which aftonifhed me. Not far from the village
where I intended to pafs the night, his fpirited horfes attempted to run away, but the
waggon fell into a ditch, loft a wheel, and the horfes were forced to ftand ftill. The
young man lightened the hinder axle- -tree, where the wheel had failed, and thought the
horfes would do the reft, but the ditch was too deep; I would have affifted him, but he
protefted highly againit it, and fetting himfelf with all his force to the waggon, in a mo-
ment it was right again, without the horfes having done any thing.—He refufed the
{mall prefent I would have made him, and as we went along, laughed at me whenever I
talked of his miferable circumftances, and feemed to think it ftrange I fhould imagine
that he wanted any thing : pofflibly his mafter makes up to him in good eating and drinks
ing, what he fuffers him to want in clothes.
I faw every where amongft the peafants excellent horfes. ‘The Emperor and all the
German nobility have furnifhed their ftuds with Moldavian, Tartarian, and Tranfylva-
nian fione horfes, which have much improved the breed. For a guilder any man may
get his mare covered in the Imperial or noble ftuds.
Bohemia furnifhes a great part of the horfes for the dragoons, and the race becomes
every day better and more numerous.
LETTER XL,
Prague.
THIS is a very large town, it is above three miles long, and above two broad, but
the population by no means anfwers to the fize of the place. In feveral parts you ‘feem
as if you were in a village. Near the bridge, which ftands at the upper part of the
T 2 city,
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