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RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. 245
The regency of Mentz were not, however, guilty of a lefs fault in their adoption of
Mr. Bolongaro, than that of Francfort in their perfecution of him. ‘The poffeffors of
millions are not always beneficial inhabitants to a {mall ftate; on the contrary, a couple
of dozen of weavers’ looms, which fupport an indu{trious man in a creditable manner,
are at all times of more value than ever fo many palaces of this Bolongaro kind. ‘Vhe
court of Mentz has paid very dearly for the honour of having this rich man for its fub-
ject, by entering into contraéts very advantageous to him, but much otherwile to the
itate. Mr. Bolongaro engaged to fpend a certain fum, I believe 20,000 guilders *, every
year, during twenty years, in building at Hochft. For this the government of Mentz
granted him an exemption of all cuftoms for twenty years, an illimited freedom of trade,
as much ftoneas he chofe to take from the ruins of an old caftle, and four horfes free
from taxes for hisown ufe. ‘The exemption of cuftoms alone, and the liberty to leave
Francfort, are more than an equivalent for the promifed buildings of twenty years; but
even thefe laft he has contrived to turn entirely to his own advantage. He had made
the regency of Mentz believe, in his boafting and magnificent manner, that in the courfe
of the twenty years, he would build them a fuperb new town, which he propofed to call
Emmerick{tadt, in honour of the dead elector; but all he did was to build- fome houfes
adjoining to his palace, which no doubt Mr. Moore took for the wings of it. It is
certain that Mr. Bolongaro fcarce expended half the yearly fum he had covenanted to
do; and that for many years the whole town of Emmerickftadt, from whence he dated
his letters to all the world, was occupied by his own compting-houfe only.
Still, however, might the regency of Mentz have been excufable for laying out fo
much in the acquifition of this rich citizen, had fome part of his money at leaft been
devoted to the employment of ufeful hands, or fome part of his fubftance fpent for the
benefit of the ftate; but excepting a few plaifterers and carpenters, no fubject of Mentz
has feen a penny of Mr. Bolongaro’s money. Almoft all his tobacco is prepared out
of the country, and even the greateft part of it exported from Francfort, where his prin-
cipal warehoufes and magazines {till are. He only removed that part of his trade to
Hochft, which he could not carry on fo well at Francfort, and availed himfelf of the
privileges of a citizen of Mentz, to hurt the former city, without being of the leaft ufe
to the latter: nay, it is ftill free for him or his heirs to leave Hoc{t whenever they
pleafe, and make it up with Francfort. In the mean time he has built himfelf a palace
for the fummer in the cheapeft manner, and furrounded it with common houfes, the
rents of which will richly pay him for the fums he has laid out upon them.
This, however, was only a political error inthe regency of Mentz; but the univerfal
liberty of trade granted to Mr. Bolongaro is an unpardonable offence, both again{ft mo-
rals and politics: ‘This man, who originally was lower than the dirt in the {treets, be-
came a miracle of popular infolence. ‘There are examples of his niggardlinefs, which
almoft furpafs all conception, and they are the more {trong from being a fingular contralt
to the brutal and offenfive magnificence that is peculiar to him. The pride of doing
nifchief, has led him to make his fellow-citzens feel the weight of his money in every
tranfaction by which a penny is to be got. There were eight or nine retail merchants
in the little town of Hochft, who contrived to live honourably, and carry on a fall
trade. Mr. Bolongaro could not reft contented with the great advantage his own com-
merce enjoyed from the exclufive privilege given him, but he mult make ufe of it, if
not to the total ruin, to the manifeft oppreflion of thefe poor people. He therefore
opened a druggift’s fhop for the fale of his goods in the retail way. The regency of
* 2000,
Mentzs
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