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RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. 193
good, when the 1. *e cannot be benefited without it, and thofe who blame this extraor-
dinary difcipline, muft alfo, with Mr. Linguet, find fault with agriculture, as it falls nearly
as hard on the greateft part of the fubjects of every uropean ftate, as the military fer-
vice does on the Pruffian foldier.
The hardfhips too of the fituation, hive been much exaggerated by travellers.— Even
blows, about which fo much has been faid, are only ufed when the man fhews incorrigible
ftupidity, awkwardnels, negligence, or wickednefs. In no armies whatever are recruits
treated withmore gentlenefs than they are in the Pruffian, Their corporals teach them the
exercife, and how to march, with all poflible care and attention; nor do they grudge to re-
peat the way of doing the thing a thouland times, when the man’s [cull is hard of penetra-
tion. But when once he underftands the thing, his teacher takes the itick, and tells him,
that this for the future will be his teacher, if he does not do what he is now able to do.
In the courfe of my travels, I have often had occafion to make a very interefling ob-
fervation. In all the countries belonging to bifhops, and in many of the free ftates, I
met with foldiers who had ferved the King of Prutlia, and who had moft of them de-
ferted from him. As you know it is my way to be more obfervant of men of the lower
orders of fociety, than of thole who have {tars and ftrings; I talked with about twenty of
thefe deferters, and did not meet with one amongit them who did not wifh himfelf back
again with the King of Pruffia. Ihave fometimes purpofely contradicted them, and have
endeavoured to fhew them what far more pleafant days they enjoyed under their bifhop
or magiftrate, and how impoflible I thought it, from all the accounts I had of the Pruf-
fian army, that they fhould be difpleafed with their change of fituation, This did not
fatisfy them. ‘They all {poke of the King’s great achievements with a degree of enthu-
fiafm, which often ftruck me not a little, and the conclufion of what they faid was always
this: ‘It is very true that foldiers are rather roughly treated by the King of Pruffia,
but the pay comes regularly the day it is due, and there is no inftance of any man hay-
ing ever been ftarved to death by him.” When a man does his duty, the officer’s eye
is upon him, and every one knows in what rank he may clafs himfelf; in other places
men are only ha!f foldiers, and derive no credit from it. Notwithftanding they have
the utmott liberty under thefe petty princes, and are oftener in the ale-houfe than under
arms whilft they continue with them, many of them, who are young enough, defert
back again to the King of Pruffia. It is remarkable enough too, that in all thefe places
they confider themfelves as a kind of veterans. In one of the epifcopal refidencies, I
heard an officer {wear ata foldier. ‘The fellow anfwered him with a degree of cold
pride not to be defcribed, ‘‘Sir officer, I have ferved the King of Pruffia.”” And the
officer was filent.
The frequent defertions, are the capital objections which men make to the Pruffian
military eftablifhment. It is very true, that upon marching into an enemy’s country, a
twelfth or fifteenth of the King’s army leaves him; but they come back with intereft
after a fortunate action, and though, after unfortunate actions, fo many of the foreign
troops defert, his own fubjects defert lefs than any foldiers upon earth.
A new inftance of the King’s wifdom and goodnefs in not being willing to expofe the
country to any diftrefs, is {hewn in his willingnefs rather to bear with thefe inconvenien-
ces, than have more of his fubjects under arms. After the battle of Collin, half the ar-
my deferted; and at Rofbach his army was made up almoft entirely of his owh troops ;
but mark, he beat our armies, and the armies of the empire, and the laft ferved him to
compleat his regiments which had fuffered. Thus it always goes. The Germans who
inhabit near the Rhine, Maine, and countries about the upper parts of the Danube, al-
ways join the victorious army. When the Emperor is fortunate, they leave the King for
VOL. VI. ate him
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