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RIESBECK’s TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. 273
corps. The magiftracy knew its men, who on a former occafion had huftled fome of
them in the church-yard ; and admonifhed by the precedent, they made this fpirited
decrée : ‘eiThat whereas the audacious baker had taken upon him to bake bread,
fuch as the reft of the corporation’ did not bake, he fhould build up his oven again at his
own expence, and, for the future, be cautious only to bake fuch bread as the town had
been wont to feed upon.”
The obftinacy with which the feveral corporations of the place defend their privileges,
the rudenefs of the common people, which fome love to decorate with the name of li-
‘berty, and the immoderate and unreftrained licentioufnefs which obtains univerfally,
render Cologne very deferving of the name of Little London, by which fome of its in-
habitants love to diftinguifh it. Like the great London, it is remarkable for the pride
of the common people, and the infolence with which they treat ftrangers. Having be-
haved rather impertinently to their neighbours, the Elector of Cologne, and the Elec-
tor Palatine, an attempt was made to reform them in the moft effectual way, by cut-
ting off their provifions. ‘The magiftracy immediately difpatched meflengers to the Em-
peror, to acquaint him that they were upon the point of being {tarved to death ; and in
the mean time the burghers rubbed up their old fwords, and aflembling in crowds in
the alehoufes, and other public places of the city, denounced death and vengeance on
the Elector. ‘The Emperor, out of. pity, had the interdict taken off; and ever fince,
the populace have exclaimed,—‘* We have brought the Eleétor to reafon : he was ap-
prized of our intended march, and has acted very wifely in not allowing matters to come
to extremities !’? Precifely in the ftyle of the canaille of London.
A governing burgomalter of Cologne (there are fix of them, two of which govern
every year) holds nearly the fame ftate as the Lord Mayor of London. He wears a
Roman toga, half black, half purple, a large Spanifh hat, Spanifh breeches, wailtcoat,
&c. He has alfo his li€tors, who carry the fafces before him, when he appears in his
public character. In the laft war, one of our regiments defired to march through the
city ; but it was oppofed, on pretence that the King of Pruffia was their liege lord, in
his capacity of Duke of Cleves, and Count of the Mark; and they told the Colonel,
who defired to have the gate opened to him, that they were determined to obferve a
ftrict neutrality. It was in vain for him to remonftrate that he was conducting auxili-
ary troops to the fervice of the Emperor, their fovereign lord. The gates were kept
fhut, and nothing lefs than the pleafure of having their houfes burned about their ears
would content the mob of the place. However, when the cannon was planted, and
ready to fire, the council thought better of it, and, to the great mortification of the po-
pulace, determined to permit the paflage. ‘The Commandant, as foon as he had got in,
immediately made the belt of his way to the hall, to remonftrate with the Mayor, whom
he found, in all ihe infignia of majefty, on his throne, encompaffed with his lictors.
As thefe, however, did not prevent a few remarks from being made, the Magiltrate
immediately drew up, and ordering the lictors to raife the fafces, afked the Colonel,
‘* Whether he had a proper conception of the dignity of a Roman Burgomatter? Or
whether he knew that he reprefented the majefty of the Roman Czefars, and had only
opened the door to him out of good will ?”’ ‘The officer, who had drawn up Ais troops,
with their bayonets fixed and firelocks primed, inthe grand fquare, and was in full pof-
feflion of the city, could not abftain from laughing 5 but as he already had the door in
his hand, the only anfwer he made was, “ You are not quite right in your head!”
The want of all police, a want which in this town conftitutes the effence of liberty,
brings hither from the Upper Rhine, Weftphalia, the Imperial Netherlands, France,
and Holland, vaft numbers of people who chaofe to live incognito. ‘There are very
VOL. VI. NN good.
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