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RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. I49
people here difplay in every thing a nice acquaintance with whatever regards good man-
ners, and the conduct of focial life. In the fouthern parts of the country, excepting
only a fimall {trip of Suabia, a common citizen is a {tranger in his‘own circle, and thinks
of nothing in the courfe of the week but how to guttle on the Sunday.
The contraft betwixt the women of the two countries is equally flriking. Thofe of
the fouthern parts of Germany have nothing but their beauty, but thefe have beauty
and animation tog. ‘They appear, however, foon to fade, and I faw few women pait
thirty, in whom the marks of old age were not apparent. Poffibly this may be owing
in fome degree to their extreme vivacity ; but I fhould rather think it owing to the flen-
der nourifhment, joined to their greatJabour and the weight of their domettic cares.
The Bavarian women perhaps excel thofe of Drefden in complexion, but the latter are
much better made, and their countenances are much more interelting.
‘The’ theatres here are in the fame ftate as all other public amufements which require
expence. ‘The inhabitants are too ceconomical to pay for an entertainment, which the
court formerly gave them for nothing, and the lofs of which is eafily made up for by the
charms of their private focieties. A few years ago, there was one of the belt company
of comedians in all Germany here; the manager, Mr. Seiler, had no fettled abode, but
ufed to vifit. the fair of Leipfick, and the other neighbouring cities, where he got toge-
ther all the actors he could pick up from different parts of the world, fo that his com-
pany was at one time feventy-feven perfons {trong. He gave uncommon falaries for
the matter of a {trolling company to give. Madam Helmett, one of the belt fingers in
Germany, and now firft finger to the court of Mentz, had 2000 thalers, near 20ol. a
year from him; at that time, however, he could eafily afford to do thefe things, as no
people in Germany were more attached to theatrical amufements than the people of
Leipfick and thofe of Drefden. But thefe times are gone by, and their being fo con-
vinces me that the people of this place have founder heads than thofe of Vienna, Mu-
nich, and other places. Mr. Seiler has latterly met with fo little encouragement here,
that after having contracted debt upon debt, and tried his fortune on the Rhine, in the
end he is become a bankrupt. At prefent the court has a national theatre on the fame
plan with that of Vienna; that is, it pays the expences and takes the receipts; thefe
laft, however, are not very confiderable, owing to the frugality of the people, fo that it
is probable this theatre will ceafe as the court theatre did at the beginning of the Bava-
rian war. Private theatres, efpecially thofe where children are the a¢tors, flourifh much
more here than the national one does.
One of the moft honourable and beautiful characteriftics which diftinguifhes the Sax-
ons from the inhabitants of the fouth of Germany, is their warm attachment for their
native country, and the intereft they take in every thing that relates to it; even far down
in the middling ranks, every body here feems acquainted with the circumftances of both
court and country: it was here that I heard, for the firft time, the words my country pro-
nounced with energy, and a kind of intelligent and honourable pride. The ladies of the
place ufe their gallantry as ours do, as a fpur to make the men do their duty ;_ they bear
a fhare in converfation on war, treaties, and every bufinefs of ftate ; they love their of-
ficers and foldiers, and fpeak with pleafure of the actions in which they have diltinguifh-
ed themfelves. [he younger officers recommend themfelves to them by afluming a
military air, which in my opinion is unbecoming. Whenever they happen to mention
the minilters who betrayed their country, it is always with contempt and abhorrence.—
Though the King of Pruffia has not done much to gain their affections, they {peak with
wonder of his great actions, and think with all mankind, that it would have been better
for all parties it they had attached themfelves to him, inftead of uniting with the Auitri-
ans,
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