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258 RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY,
workman of whom you befpeak a piece of work, if you do not put down your agree-
ment in black and white.
With refpeé to their bodies, they, and the Saxons, are the moft like the Germans
defcribed by Tacitus : their bodies are of a very unwieldy make, and ad smpetum valida.
What, too, Tacitus fays of the old Germans, that they can bear neither hunger, nor
thirft, nor heat, nor cold, nor yet any long work, is true of them. In the imperial
armies they are accounted good partifans, but are never put to regular fervice without
extreme neceflity. They havean extreme abhorrence of difcipline, and look upon it as
a fevere punifhment to be fubjeé to the rules of the fervice. If their robberies and ma-
raudings are not overlooked they do not laft a campaign. In fhort, it is.only in action
that they fhew themfelves at a!l foldiers.
Spain, Italy, and Portugal excepted, there is no country fo overloaded with monks
as the Aufirian Netherlands: there are in many towns forty or fifty convents; feveral
prelatures are worth 200,000 guilders, 20001. per ann. If you divide the income of
the country into four parts, one will be found to belong to the priellhood, one to the
nobility, one to the fovereign, and one to the people. ‘The bigotry and intolerance of
the inhabitants is beyond all defcription, and is a marvellous contra{t to the corruption
of their manners.
The nobility of this country are extremely rich, and live ina very high ftyle. Bruf-
felsis one of the moft beautiful and moft brilliant cities in Europe. It has loft a great
deal by the death of Prince Charles, who {pent 7¢0,000 guilders a year in the city, and
whofe lofs has not-been made up for, by the ceconomical Duke of Saxe-Vefchen. I,
have not feen any where a finer place than the large market-place of this city ; all the
houfes in it are built in a ftyle and with a degree of magnificence that you. hardly fee
any where out of Italy. You meet here with excellent company, who are not difficult
of accefs to a ftranger. ‘There are feveral clubs, after the manner of the Englifh,
where you find the greateft freedom and good humour. One of the belt of thele con-
fifts of the Duke of Arenberg, Mr. Hopp, the Dutch minifter, (a man in general efteem
on account of his knowledge and good qualities) our minifter, fome of the nobility of
the place, and fome Englifh, No man can become a member but by ballot. The
room in which they meet commands a very fine view of the public walks, on one fide
of which it ftands. The club meets twice a week: a member has the privilege of in-
troducing ftrangers, almoft without any difficulty. Linguet was a member of this club.
The fubicription is four louis-d’ors each member, for five months.; for this they have
a fumptuous table ; the wine is paid for feparate. ‘There are feveral other lefler aflocia-
tions of this kind in Bruffels; nor have I met with a place in which this appendage of
refined life and matiners was better underftood than it ishere. Since the Englith have
come fo much to Oftend, andthe court of Vienna has flattered them with the hopes of
making a peace for them, every thing in Bruffels is become Englih ; they ride, play,
hunt, and eat, a’ ? “ngloife, and all the focicties are become clubs. The town at leaft
has loft nothing by this.
The Duke of Saxe-‘Tefchen, the governor, lives very quietly with his wife ; he fhews
himfelf not to be a lover of large companies or expence, notwithitanding that he has an
income of 4,000,000 imperial guilders, or 40,0001. per annum. The Archduchefs fel-
dom fhews herfelf with the externals of imperial magnificence; her principles on this
point are much the fame as thofe of her hufband; her favourite amufement is hunting ; |
there are few perfons that are bétter hands at fhooting flying than the is; fhe has had a
wonderful education, as well as her other fifters. | Her hufband too does honour to the
imperial court by his principles of government.
5 ‘ There
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