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RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY, 291
bours that the intereft of princes and their fubjects are the fame ; he began to take of
the veil which was thrown over adminiftration; finally, he fubdued the little tyrants
amongtt the priefts and nobility, who fattened on the fubftance of the citizen and _pea-
fant. Military as his government may appear to you fuperficial obfervers, it is to this
military government, and the imitations of it in other countries, that Germany is in-
debted fora peace of twenty years, which fhe had not known for many centuries be-
fore, and in the courfe of which fhe firft began to feel what fhe really was. Perfeét legif-
lation, without a doubt, is the fummit of all human attainments; fhe alone can make
us happy 3 fhe alone produces fociable men, and eftimates the value of them ; and how
proud ought not Germany to be of Frederick, Jofeph and Catharine, three leciflative
geniufes exifting together at the fame period, the like to whom many centuries fel-
dom produce one. ;
The peculiar turn of the Germans feems to be for philofophy ; they are diftinguifhed
from all the nations in Europe, for cool and juft judgments, united with extreme in-
duftry ; they were the firlt who threw a light on mathematics and general phyfics ;
next they darted through theology, then hiftory, and finally legiflation, with the fame
philofophical {pirit.—They will do well to leave to other nations the prize of wit, for
which they will always contend in vain.
If Germany could make itfelf one great people ; if it was united under one gover-
nor; if the interefts of a fingle prince were not often in oppofition to the good of the
whole; if all the members were fo well compacted into one body, that the fuperfluous
fap of the one could circulate and invigorate the reft, what much greater {teps towards
cultivation would the empire then make! But then Germany would give laws to all
Europe. How powerful, as things even now are, are the two houfes of Auftria and
Brandenburg, the greatnefs of whofe {trength confifts in their German poffeflions, and
who yet neither poffefs the half nor even the beft parts of the country. Conceive this
country in fuch a fituation as that no burthenfome excife fhould opprefs the internal
commerce of the different provinces; no cuftoms fhould prohibit exports all over
the world; in fuch a fituation as that the immenfe fums that it gives for outlandifh
commodities, which itfelf can furnith, fhould be fpared—or that it could become a na-
val power, for which it has fuch ports and fuch plenty of provifions, that it could itfelf
employ the numerous colonies it fends out to the reit of Europe :—conceive this—
what country in the world could then cope with Germany?
The character of men depends for the moft part on their government. The charac-
ter of the Germans has in general as little brilliancy in it as the conflitution of the em-
pire ; they have none of the national pride and patriotifm by which the Britons, Spa-
niards, and our own countrymen are diftinguifhed, fond as their poets have been, for
fome time paft, of afcribing thefe qualities to them. Their pride and patriotic fenti-
ments only extend to the part of Germany in which they are born; to the reft of their
countrymen they are ftrange as to any ftrangers, nay, in feveral parts of Germany,
they are much fonder of {trangers than they are of their own countrymen.. It is the
fenfe of weaknefs of the lefler powers of Germany which damps their national pride ;
it is only becaufe Germany cannot ule its power altogether, and that other nations feel
their ftrength, that it has been defpifed by the inhabitants of other countries, who yet
have nothing to boaft above it, fave a falter bond of union among themfelves, or a ris
diculous pride. We feldom judge of men from their inner worth, fo much as from
the external appearance they make in the world. We eftimate the Ruifians, Englith,
&c. according to the idea we have taken up of the whole nation ; and though the in-
PP 2 dividual
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