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140 RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY,
city, the number of people is very great, but the further you go on from hence the more
defolate you find every place. ‘The number of inhabitants is about feventy thoufand, and
there is about five thoufand houfes.—The bridge over the Moldau is feven hundred
feet long; itis built of large free-{tone, and ornamented on both fides with ftone ftatues
as large as life, but not more than three of thefe are worth feeing. ‘There are very few
good buildings in this place, and almoft every thing looks very dirty. ‘The royal caftle
is a very large irregular building, but it is built on a hill which commands a very fine
profpeét over the whole city and country round. Not far from hence ftands the arch-
bifhop’s houfe, (a pretty modern building, ) and the old cathedral, in which there are fome
pieces of architecture which deferve to be feen ; they are the work of a celebrated Ger-
man or Bohemian artift, whofe name! have forgotten.
Though the city is in general ill built, the fituation of it is extremely fine. There is
a better profpeét from the bridge than I have feen in larger cities. ‘The mafs of houfes
rife like an amphitheatre to a confiderable height. ‘To the right the hill rifes above
them as far as the Imperial palace, majettically fituated on thetop. To the left it is co-
vered as far as the middle with beautiful gardens aud pleafure houfes, which have a fine
effeét, and form a moft extenfive and moit magnificent amphitheatre.
From thefe gardens you command a very fine profpect over the oppofite part of the
city. In the midft of the broad, but dry Moldau, there are two {mall iflands, called
Great and Little Venice, in which the inhabitants make parties of pleafure.
The people of this place enjoy fenfual pleafures more than thofe of Vienna, becaufe
they know better how to connect mental enjoyments with them. The fociety L have
lived in here, has proved fo good as to detain me a full fortnight longer than I intended.
Free-mafonry flourifhes extremely here, and fome perfons, among{t whom Count R——
is one, doat on it to enthufiafm. .The free-mafons in general do fo much good, parti-
cularly by their eftablifhments for education, that it is impoffible the Emperor fhould be
difpleafed with them. It is time to have done with illiberal prejudices againit an inftitu-
tion which has done no harm to mankind, and has done it a great deal of good.
The Bohemians, who addict themfelves to the purfuit of the arts and {ciences, gene-
rally fpeaking, are very fuccefsful in them. They do not want genius, and have uncom-
mon induftry. Their fondnefs for mufic is aftonifhing. I have heard feveral orcheftras
here which equalled thofe of Paris in brilltancy of execution, and furpaffed them in accu-
racy and exa¢tnefs of harmony. Bohemian players on the horn and harp are to be met
with throughout all Germany. As they always bring home great fums of money, you
feldom fee a mufician of this kind who has not travelled. This paflion for mufic is ge-
nerally attributed to the number of monafteries and cathedrals; but the cathedrals of
Auftria and Bavaria, which are no lefs numerous, have no fuch effect upon the public
tafte of thofe countries. I fhould therefore fuppofe, that the true reafon is to be fought
for in the cuftoms and natural genius of the people. Moft of the ftudents of the place
are muficians, and begin very early in life to give ferenades and concerts in the fquares
and public places of the city.
The numerous garrifon which is conftantly kept here, contributes not a little to the
livelinefs of this place; there are about nine thoufand men con{tantly quartered here.
The fix regiments of grenadiers are the fineft body of infantry I have ever feen. ‘The
officers are excellent companions, and quite free from thofe prejudices from which other
bodies of men are not yet totally exempt.
The Jews make a confiderable part of the inhabitants of this place; there are at leaft
nine or ten thoufand of them; they have artifts and mechanics of their own religion,
who live in the part of the town appropriated to them, which is called the Jews city.
12 it
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