« ILffl8I18L&Igy « Given in memory of NATHANIEL TERRY BACON, '79 S. by his children LEONARD BACON, '09 SUSAN BACON KEITH 1926 SKETCHES O F T H E Natural, Civil, and Politic^ State o F SWISSERLAND; IN A SERIES OF LETTERS T O WILLIAM MEL MOTH, Efqj FROM WILLIAM C O X E, M. A. Fellow of King's College, Cambridge ; and Chaplain to His Grace the Duke of Marlborough. -tA HABITE UN PEUPLE SIMPLE, BIENFAISANT, BRAVE, ENNEMI BU FASTE, AMI DU TRAVAIL, NE CHER,- CHANT POINT D'ESCLAVES, ET NE VOULANT POINT DES MA1TRES. De Mehegan, Tableau del'Hifloire Moderne. LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. DODSLEY, IN PALL MALL. M,DCC,LXXIX. TO T H K COUNTESS O F PEMBROKE and MONTGOMERY, BARONESS HERBERT, &c. &c. &c. MADAM, V THE following letters relat* ingtbSwifferland, naturally claim your Ladyfhip's protection 5 for they were written while I had the honour of accompanying Lord Herbert upon his travels. I feel A 2 myfelf; iv DEDICATION. myfelf highly flattered* therefore, in having the permiffion of in- fcribirig them to your Ladyfhip, and of thus publicly acknowledg ing myfelf, with great refpecl:,< MADAM, Your Ladyfhip's Obedient and obliged humble fervant. WILLIAM COXE, Vienna, June 26th, ADVERTISEMENT. CT'HE following letters were written merely as a private tribute offriendjhip, and without the leafl view of their pafjing from the hands of the gentleman to whom they are addrejfed, into any other but thofe of the Authors mojl intimate connections. To the. latter they were accordingly communicated 'j . and it wasfolely in compliance with their una-> nimous, though perhaps too partial, opiniont that he confented to commit them to theprefs. For that purpofe a revifal of them became ne-„ cejfary ; in the courfe of which he availed him- f elf of every means in his power, to render theni lefs unworthy of public infpeclion : and he feels ajuji pride in acknowledging, that he has re ceived much additional information from fede ral of his literary acquaintance in Swijferland; that by Captain Floyd 's obliging communication of the very accurate journal he kept during their joint tour, he has been enabled to infer t fever al material circumftances which had ei ther flipped his memory, or ejcaped his obfer^ vation -, and that it is owing to the judicious tmimadverjions of fame other of his ingenious friends, that thefejheets do not appear with all thejr original imperfeffipns. a THE [ ri J <*- T H E CONTENTS. Letter. I. T?ROM 'Strafbourg, through part of J? the Black Foreft, to Donefchingen. — Thefource of the Danube Page i II. Arrival in Swifferland — SchafFhaufen The fall of the Rhine — g III. The lakes and the town of Conftance 22 IV. The town and the abbot of Su Gallen— . The canton of Appenzel 31 V. The valley of the Rhine — The lake and town of Wallenftadt -^ 46 VI. The canton of Glaris — « VII. The abbey of Einfidlin — The town of Rapperfchwyl — yS VIII. The town and canton of Zuric 24 IX. The canton of Zug — 10j X, The town and canton of Lucerne m XI. The lake of Lucerne; — The cantons of Uri, Schweitz, and Underwalden 128 XII. The valley and mountain of St. Gothard —The fources of the Reufs and of the Tefin _. _ I55 XIII. Th» C vii ] Letter; XIII. The mountain of the Furca — The fource of the Rhone Page 170 XIV. The Grimfel mountain — The fource of the Aar — — 180 XV. The land of HaQi -- 188 XVI. Grindewald and its Glacier ¦ 201 XVII. The fall of the Staubbach— Lauter- brunnen and its Glacier 209 XVIII. The mountain of the Gemmi— The baths of Leuk — 221 XIX. The republic of the Vallais — The town of Sion — — 233 XX. Martinac — St. Maurice — The fait works near Bex — 247 XXI. The Vallais— Of Goiters and Idiots in , the Vallais — 259 XXII. Of Mont Blanc — 273 XXIII. Expedition acrofs the valley of Ice; in " the Glacier of Montenvert 236 XXIV. Verfoi— The Pays de Vaud— Lau- fanne — Vevay — 303 XXV. The valley of the lake of Joux— Or- be— Yverdun ¦ — 317 XXVI. Neuchatel — Colombier — 325 XXVII. The mountains of Vallengin — Locle — La Chaux de Fond — 331 XXVIII. Government of Neuchatel and Val lengin — 343 ' XXIX. Morat — The war between the Swifs and Charles the Bold duke of Bur gundy is peculiarly ftriking ; and I can trace in all their manners, behaviour, and drefs, fome ftrong outlines, which diftinguifh this happy people from the neighbouring nations, Perhaps it may be prejudice and unreafonable partiality ; but I am the more pleafed, becaufe their firft ap-r pgarance very much reminds me of my own I 7 ] own countrymen, and I could almoft think, for a moment, that I am in England, Schaffhaufen is a neat and tolerably well-built town, fituated upon the northern fhore of the Rhine. It is the capital of the canton of the fame name, and owes its origin to the interruption of the navigation of that river by the cataracl at Lauffen : huts were at firft conftru6led here for the convenience of unloading the merchandize from the boats ; and thefe huts, by degrees, en- creafed to a large town. Schaffhaufen was formerly an imperial city, and was governed by an ariftocracy : it preferved its liberties, which were attacked by the Dukes of Auftria, by entering into an alliance with feveral other imperial towns, and with the Swifs cantons. In 1501, it was admitted a member of the Helvetic confederacy; being the twelfth canton in rank. Of all the cantons, it is the Jeaft in fize, being only five leagues in B 4 length [ 8 I length and three in breadth : its popu^ lation is fuppofed to amount to twenty- five thoufand fouls ; of which, the ca pital contains about fix thoufand. The whole number of citizens or burgeffes (in whom the fupreme power ultimately refides) is, I am informed, about fixteen hundred. They are di vided into twelve tribes : and from thefe are elected eighty-five members, who form the fovereign council, confifting of a great and little council. To thefe two councils combined, the admimftra- tion of affairs is committed ; the fenate* or little council of twenty-five, i>eing entrufted with the executive power ; and the great council, comprifing the fe- nate; finally deciding all appeals, and regulating the more important concerns of government. The revenues of the ftate arife, partly from the tythes, and other articles of the like nature; but principally from the duties laid upon the merchandife, which pafle£ in pafieS from Germany : and I am inform* ed, that thefe cuftoms are nearly fuffi- cient to defray all the public expences. Thefe, indeed, are not very confidera ble, as will appear from the falary of the burgomafter, or chief of the republic j which barely amounts to £. 1 50 per ann. The reformation was introduced here in 1529: the clergy are paid by the ftate, but their income is literally not fufficient for their maintenance ; the beft living being only about £. too, and the worft £. 40 per ann. The pro- feffors of literature alfo, who are taken from the clergy, are paid likewife by government ; and a public fchool is fup- ported at the expence of the fame. Sump tuary laws are in force here, as well as in moft parts of Swifferland; and no dancing is allowed, except upon particular oc- cafions : filk, lace, and feveral other ar ticles of luxury, are prohibited; even the ladies head7dreffes are regulated. How would fuch Gothic ordinances be C 10 1 be received in England? they would ferve at leaft to lower the price of feathers. But what is of ftill greater importance, all games of hazard are ftrictly prohibited ; and in other games the party who lofes above fix florins (about nine fhillings of our money) incurs a confiderable fine. An ex cellent regulation ! and I was inform ed, that thefe laws are not, like ours of the fame kind^ mere cyphers, but are well obferved. The principal article of exportation is wine; of which they make a large quantity, the country abounds ing in vineyards ; and as the canton furnifhes but little corn, they procure it from Suabia in exchange for their wine. In the town there are fome, but not very confiderable, manufactures of Unen, cotton, and filk : their commerce, however, is very flourifhing. It will perhaps give you fome idea of the fecurity of the Swifs cantons, when J tell you, that Schaffhaufen, although a frontier t » ] frontier town, has no garrifon ; and that the fortifications are but flight. The ci tizens mount guard by turns ; and the people of the canton being divided into regular companies of militia, which are exercifed yearly, are always ready and prepared to take up arms in defence of their country. This canton has fome troops in the fervices of France, Sar dinia, and Holland; the only foreign fervices into which the fubje&s of the Proteftant cantons enlift. Before I take my" leave of this city, I muft not omit mentioning the famous bridge over the Rhine ; juftly admired for the beauty and Angularity of its ar chitecture. The river is extremely ra pid, and had already deftroyed feveral bridges of ftone, built upon arches of the ftrongeft conftruction ; when a car penter of Appenzel undertook to throw a wooden one, of a fingle arch, acrofs, the river, which is near three hundred feet wide. The magiftrates, however, infifted^ t 12 ] . infilled, that it mould confift of twd arches, and that he fhould make ufe for that purpofe of the middle pier of the old bridge, which remained entire. Accord ingly, the architect was obliged to obey; but he has contrived it in fuch a manner, that the bridge is not at all fupported by the middle pier : and it would certainly have been equally fafe, and confidera- bly more beautiful, had it confifted folely of one arch. But how fhall I attempt to give you an idea of it ? I, who am totally unfkilled in architecture, and who have not the leaft knowledge of drawing. Take however the following defcription, and excufe its inaccuracy : It is a wooden bridge, of which the fides and top are covered, and the road over it is almoft perfectly level : it is what the Germans call a haengewerk, or hanging bridge ; the road not being carried, as ufual, over the top of the arch ; but, if I may ufe the expreflion, is let down into the middle of it, and there [ i3 1 there fufpended. The middle pier is not abfolutely in a right line with the fide ones, that reft upon the fhore; as it forms with them a very obtufe angle pointing down the ftream, being eight foot out of the linear direction : the diftance of this middle pier from the fhore that lies towards the town, is one hundred and feventy-one feet, and from the other fide, one hundred and ninety- three ; in all, three hundred and fixty- four feet; making in appearance two arches of a furprizing width,; and form ing the moft beautiful perfp eclive imagi nable when viewed at fome diftance. A man of the flighteft weight walking upon it, feels it tremble under himj and yet waggons heavily laden pafs over it without danger : and although in the tatter inftance, the bridge feems almoft to crack with the preffure, it does, not appear to have ever fuffered the leaft damage. It has been compared, and very juftly? to a tight rope, which trembles £ H J trembles when it is ftruck, but ftill pre> ferves its firm and equal tenfion. % went under this bridge, clofe to the" middle pier^ in order to examine its mechanifm; and though not the leaft of a mechanic^ I could not help being ftruck with the elegant fimplicity of the' architecture i I was not capable of de termining whether it refts upon the* middle pier, but moft judges agree that it does not. When one obferves the greatnefs of the plan, and the boldnefs of the eon- ftrudtion, one is aftonifhed that the ar chitect was a common carpenter,- with-s out the $#aft proficiency in learning, totally ignorant of mathematics, and not at all verfed irt the theory of me chanics. The name of this extraordi nary man was Ulric Grubenman, an obfcure drunken fellow of Tuffen, a fmall village in the canton of AppenzeL PoffefTed of uncommon natural abilities,, and a furprifing turn for the practical part t «5 1 part of mechanics, he raifed himfelf to great eminence in his profeffion; and may juftly be confidered as one of the moft ingenious architects of the prefent century. This bridge was finifhed in lefs than three years, and coft ninety thoufand florins *. This * About ,f<86o©fterling< Mr. Andreae, in his Letters upon Swillerland, has given two engrav ings of this bridge, to which he has added a very accurate description of its mechanical eonftruc- fion, communicated to him by Mr. Jetzler of Schaffhaufen. In this defcription he confiders it as confifting of two arches, and reprefents the bridge as refting upon the middle pier ; but I have been aflured by feveral perfons of very re- fpe£rable authority * who faw it foon after it was built, that the bridge, when it was firft con- itxu&ed, did not even touch the pier in queftion ; and fince that time, that there has been a wedge driven in by order of the magiftrates. As a proofs if indeed any ftich proof be wanted, that the architect could have fucceeded in conftrufltng the bridge without the aid of the middle pier ; his brother, John Grubenman, no lefs eminent than the other, built about the fame time, and in the fame [ 16 ] This morning we fe-t out on horfeback, in order to fee the fall of the Rhine at Lauffen, about a league from this place. Our road lay over the hills which form the banks of the Rhine; from whence we had fome fine views of the town and caftle of Schaffhaufen j the environs are pifturefque and agreeable; the river beau tifully winding through the vale. Upon our arrival at Lauffen, a fmall village in the canton of Zuric, we difmount- ed; and advancing to the edge of the fame ftile of architecture, a bridge, over the Rhine at Reichehau, in the Grifons, which is two hundred and forty feet long, and is but of one arch. And what Would have been ftill more ex traordinary, Ulric Grubenman had agreed to throw a bridge of a fingle arch, and of the fame con- ftrudtion, over the river Derry in Ireland. The river is fix hundred feet wide, which, by means of abutments, was to have been reduced to four hundred ; it was to have coft J[. 20,000, but the plan was not carried into execution for want of proper encouragement, Vid. Brlefe aw der Scbweiz noch Hannov$r gefchneben, printed at Zuric, 1776. precipice E *? 1 precipice which overhangs the Rhine, we looked down perpendicularly upon the cataract, and faw the river tumbling over the fides of the rock with amazing violence and precipitation. From hence we defcended till we were fomewhat be low the upper bed of the river, and ftood clofe to the fall ; fo that I could almoft have touched it with my hand. A fcaffolding is erecled in the very fpray of this tremendous cataract, and upon the moft fublime point of view : — the fea of foam tumbling down — the con tinual cloud of fpray fcattered around at a great diftance, and to a confiderable height — in fhort, the magnificence of the whole fcenery far furpaffed my moft fanguine expectations, and exceeds all defcription. Within about an hundred feet, as it appeared to be, of the fcaffold ing, there are two rocks in the middle of the fall, thaf prevent one from feeing its whole breadth from this point : the jieareft of thefe was perforated by the Vol. I. C continual [ 18 ] continual action of the river ; and the water forced itfelf through in an ob lique direction, with inexpreffible fury, and an hollow found. After having continued fome time, contemplating in fileht admiration the awful fublimity of this wonderful landfcape, we defcended; and below the fall we croffed the river, which was exceedingly agitated. Hitherto I had only viewed the cata- ra tejrior, -and Rhodes Interior : it wag ftipulated, that the former mould be appropriated to the refidence of the Pro- teftants, and the latter tp th^t of the Catholics. Accordingly the two partiea .finally feparated, and formed two repub-*- lies i their government, police, finances, &c. being totally independent of each other. Each diftrict fends a deputy to the general diet : the whole canton, however, has but one vote, and lofes its fuffrage if the two parties are not unanimous. In both divifions the fove- reign power is vefted in the people at large ; every male, who is paft fixteen, having a vote in their general affembly, held yearly for the creation of their magistrates [ 39 magiftrates and the purpofes of legisla tion : and each voter is obliged to appear armed on that particular occafion. The Landamman is the firft magiftrate : in each diftrict there are two, who admi- nifter the office alternately, and are confirmed yearly. They have each a permanent council, in which all juris diction in civil and criminal caufes is. lodged, together with the care of the police, the management of the finances, and the general administration of affairs. The Landamman regent prefides ; and the other, during the year in which he is out of office, is banneret or chief of the militia. The Rhodes Exterior is much larger, and more peopled in proportion, than the Interior ; and the Proteftants are in ge neral more commercial and induftrious than the Catholics. — The former are fuppofed to amount to thirty- Seven thoufand; the latter to twelve thoufand: a confiderable number, in a Small canton D 4 of 1* 4° 1 of about fixty fquare leagues, entirely mountainous, and of which a great part confifts of barren and inacceffible rocks. But the induftry of the inhabitants amply compenfates for any difadvantages of foil : for the people are frugal and laborious, their property is affured, and they are exempted from all burdenfome and arbitrary taxes. Thefe circum- ftances, joined to their right of partak ing of the legislation, and of electing their magistrates, infpire them with fuch animated fentiments of their own im portance and independence, as excite the moft active and vigorous induftry : and thoSe neceffaries to which this induftry is not Sufficient, are abundantly Supplied by their neighbours, in exchange for their manufactures and other articles of their domeftic commerce. The chief part of the habitable country confifts in rich paftures ; and of eourfe their principal exports are cattle and hides, together with cheefe and butter : their manufac tures E 4J 1- tures are linen and thread; of both which they make a confiderable quan tity, and for the Support of which the canton furnifh.es flax in great abun dance. There are no inclofed towns in this canton ; it contains only two or three open burghs, as they are called, (of which Appenzel is the largeft in the Catholic, and Herifau in the Pro- teftant, diftrict) together with a few fmall villages : but indeed the whole country, except amongft the barren rocks, is almoft a continued village, co vered thick as it is with excellent cot tages, which have the moft beautiful effect imaginable. Each cottage has its little territory, confifting generally of a field or two of fine pafture ground, and frequently fkirted with trees : of the latter there is great plenty, the moun tains being for the moft part beautifully wooded; and the canton is Supplied with water in fuch exuberance, that we could [ 42 ] could hardly walk two hundred paces without feeing a Spring iffuing^ from the ground, or perhaps a torrent rufhing down the fides of a rock. In our way to Appenzel, we entered feveral of their houfes, which are all built of wood ; neatnefs and convenience be-< ing the principal object of the owners : and Such, a remarkable eleanlineSs pre vailed throughout, as afforded me a moft Striking proof of the general at tention this people pay to that effential article. A continued chain of thefe cultivated mountains, richly cloathed with wood, and Studded all over with hamlets, (which one would almoft ima gine had been placed by the genius of tafte in the very Spots where they would have the moft Striking effect) exhibits a landscape inexpreffibly pleafing : it Seem ed as if they belonged to fo many in dependent clans ; independent, but So cial, and uniting for the great purpofes of legifhuion, and for the general pre- fervation [ 43 ] fervation of their liberties. The Pro- teftant divifion contains about ten thoufand men capable of bearing arms ; and the Catholic about three thou fand. Among the chief part of the inhabi tants, the original Simplicity of the paf- toral life is Still preServed; and I faw feveral venerable figures with long beards, that refembled the old patri archs. I am r much' mortified that I cannot fpeak German, which is their language ; $s that natural franknefs, and particular tone of equality » which arife from a confcioufnefs of their own independence, cpuld not fail of afford ing me very interesting converfation. As to the State of literature, my Stay here has been fo fhort, that I cannot form any accurate idea of it ; I have only been informed in general, -that learning has made its way over thefe mountains ; and that there are feveral men of letters in this canton, who are an [ 44 J an honour to themfelves, and an orna ment to their country. In our way to this place we paffed through Tuffen, the birth-place of Ulric Grubenman, whom I mentioned in a former letter * : he has been dead fome years ; but his abilities and his fkill in practical architecture are, if I may ufe the expreffion, hereditary in his family. We enquired for one of the fame name, who was either his brother or his nephew, whom we found at the ale- houfe; his ufual place of refort when he has no particular employment. He is a heavy, coarfe-looking man, dreffed like a common peafant; has a quick and penetrating eye, and a Surprising readineSs of converfation. We told him that we were Englifhmen, who were mak ing the tour of Swifferland ; and, as we wifhed to view every thing remarkable in the country, we could not paSs through Tuffen without defiring to fee' a man who was fo much celebrated for * See p. 14. his [ -45 ] his fkill in architecture. He ftruck his breaft, and replied in German, " Here *< you fee but a boor." Upon our talking with bim about the bridge of Schaffhaufen, in the building of which he was employed, he affured us, that it does not reft upon the middle pier, but is in effect a fingle arch. Near Appen zel Vve obServed an old man with vene rable white hair hanging down over his moulders, who looked like one of our Substantial farmers : he enquired with a tone of authority, but with perfect civility, who we were ; and upon, our afking the fame queftion respecting him felf,1 Of our guide, we were informed, that he was the Landamman, or chief of the republic. Happy people, the nature of whofe country, and the consti tution of whofe government both equal ly oppofe the Strongest barriers againft the baneful introduction of luxury ! Yours, &c. Appenzel, July 27, LETTER [ 46 J L E T T E R V. Salets-, July 27. WE are this moment arrived at this place; where we propofe pairing the night : while fupper is pre paring, I will continue my journal. We could procure but three horfes at Ap penzel, and as one of them was appro priated to the baggage, I preferred walk ing : accordingly I fet out by myfelf fome time before the cavalcade. After hav ing walked a league in the canton, through the fame kind of country men tioned in my laft (a continued range' of mountains, enriched with beautiful mea dows, and dotted thick with cottages) I arrived at its boundary ; when the fcene Suddenly changed into a wild foreft, con fining chiefly of pines, without the leaST; appearance of any habitation. The road is very Angular. It is in moft parts not more than three feet broad; and is 3 either t 47 ] either paved with large uneven pieces of rock, or formed of thick Stakes laid clofely together : but as the ground is in many parts fofter than in Others, thefe ftakes of eourfe in fome places fink deeper, and by this means form an almoft invariable fucceffion of uneven fteps. The mountain by which we de scended into the plain, is very Steep; which, added to the unevennefs of the ftakes, makes the afeent and defcent ex ceedingly difficult for horfes. Thofe who are pleafed with an uniform view, may continue in the plain; while others, who delight in the grand and the Sub lime, and are ftruck with the wanton- neSs of wild, uncultivated nature, will prefer this road to the fmootheft turn- " pike in Great Britain. I walked flowly on, without envy ing my companions on hor&back : for I could fit down upon an inviting Spot, climb to the edge of a precipice, or trace a torrent by its found. I defcended at [ 48 I at length into the Rheinthal, or valley of the Rhine ; the mountains of Tyrol* which yielded neither in heighth or in craggineSs to thoSe of Appenzel, riling before me. And here I found a re markable difference: for although the afcending and defcending was a work of fome labour ; yet the variety of the feenes had given me fpifits, and I was not fenfible of the leaft fatigue. But in the plain, notwithstanding the Scenery was Still beautiful and picturefque, I Saw at once the whole way ftretehing before me, and had no room for frefh expecta tions : I was not therefore forry when I arrived at Oberried, after a walk of about twelve miles, my coat flung upon my Shoulder like a peripatetic by pro feffion. Here we were lucky enough to procure a narrow open cart ; in which, the roads being rough and Stony, you will, readily believe we were not much at our eafe. The evening however being, fine, and the. moon exceedingly bright, our f 49 I our journey was not altogether unplea- fant; as it led us 'through a delightful country abounding in vines, in fruit- trees, in flax, and excellent pafturages. This Rheinthal is a bailliage belong ing to Appenzel and the eight antient cantons, which alternately appoint a bailiff. ¦ The people are induftrious, and manufacture a confiderable quantity of linen, cotton, muffins plain and em broidered : they confift of both reli gions, but the Proteftants are the moft numerous. Wallenftadt, July 28. We quitted Salets this morning, in the fame narrow open cart in which we arrived : and it would have afforded your curiofity matter of fome fpeculation, to obferve how we contrived to arrange our-- felves, our Servants, a large Newfoundland dog, and the baggage, in fo narrow a Cpmpafs : indeed we were So wedged in together, that it was almoft impoffible Vol.1. E t# C 5° ] to Stir, after we had once fixed our felves in our feveral places. The day was fultry, and the Sun powerful, the road bad, and the cart went barely at the rate of three miles an hour ; but the country ftill continued So pictureSque and mountainous, and our attention was So entirely taken up with the per petual variety of objects it prefented to our view, as to make us forget the in conveniences of our equipage, and the exceffive heat of the weather. From Trivabach, a fmall village upon the Rhine, we walked to Sargans, the ca pital of a bailliage of the fame name, belonging to the eight antient cantons. Let me remark by the way, that in Swifferland there are two Sorts pS bail- liages : the one donfifting of certain dis tricts, into which all the ariftocratical cantons are divided; and over thefe a particular •officer, called a bailiff, is ap^t* pointed by government, to which he i,s accountable for his administration : the 3 other C 5* ] fether Sort are the territories that do hot, make part of the districts of the can tons, but are Subject to two or more of them, who by turns appoint a bailiff. This officer, when hot restrained by the peculiar privilege of certain districts, has the care of the police, jurifdictiort in civil and criminal caufes with fome limitations ; and has a ftated revenue arifihg in different places from different duties and taxes. In caSe of exaction or mal- administration, an appeal al ways lies from the bailiff to the cantons, to which the bailhage belongs : and the piace, the time, and the members who receive the appeal, are all regulated with. the utmoSt exactneSs, With refpect to this of SargaUs, and the others belong ing to the eight antient cantons con* jointly; at the conclusion pf thd ge neral diet held annually at Frauerifield in Thurgovy, the* deputies of thefe can tons refolve themfelves into a Syndicate, examine the accounts of the public re- E 2 Verwies [ 52 ] venues as delivered in by the bailiffs of the respective districts, and receive and judge all appeals ; in Some caSes, finally; but in the more important ones an ap peal lies from this affembly to the fu perior tribunal of each canton. The theory of this institution, has a plaufible appearance of impartiality : but how far the practice accords with the theory, I cannot pretend to determine. Whether a 'bailiff, who is guilty of extortion, is eafily brought to juftice, or more eafily Screened ? how far the members of the Syndicate are liable to influence, or open to corruption ? how far the ex- pence of appeals renders them in many cafes impracticable to the poorer in habitants ? are questions which cannot be anSwered but by a perSon far more informed concerning thefe courts of juf tice than I have had an opportunity to be. We arrived late at the town of Wal- lenftadt: it is incorporated intp the 9 bailliage [ 53 3 bailliage of Sargans, but enjoys feveral distinct privileges. This little town der rives its exiftence from being the paffage of the merchandife transported from Germany through the Grifons to Italy. This communication occafions the fre quent refort hither of Italian mer chants ; and that language is fpoken by many of the inhabitants : a circum ftance of great Satisfaction to me; as from my ignorance of the German I Jiave been frequently much ftreightened in obtaining all the information I want. Our landlord Speaks Italian, and has been very accurate in his anSwers to my questions relating to the number of in habitants, the government of the town, its dependence upon the bailiff, its pri vileges, &c. Nor is this to be wondered at : for the innkeepers in Swifferland are moftly burgejfes, and are frequently members of the fovereign council ; be sides that, from the very nature of their governments, the Swifs in general are E 3 well I 54 1 well informed of every thing relating to their particular constitutions. I have alSo held a long conversation in the Same language , with a burgeSs of Glaris, who has furniShed me with Some information I can depend upon, in rela tion to that canton : which we purpofe vifiting to-morrow. J endeavour to aS- Certain the truth of thefe informations, by procuring as many as I can from diffe rent perfbns of all ranks ; by laying their* together; and then comparing them witl| the written accounts, if there be any. Our Stay is So Short in moft oS the places we paSs through, that I cannot" expect to gain an accurate knowledge of every circumftance I with to be ac quainted with : but, though I may omit many things that are worthy of your curiofity, yet I Shall atteft nothing, of the truth of which I am not perfectly convinced. It is the fault of many tra vellers, to write from what they have read, and not from what they have feen, and, { 55 ] and to exaggerate the relations of others : but I promife you that J will defcribe nothing, of which I have not been an eye-witnefs. The remarks I Shall tranS- mit to you, will be the genuine reSult of my own feelings; and I had even rather be frequently wrong in my fen- timents and reflections, than Servilely follow the observations of others. On this you may therefore depend ; that though the conclusions may perhaps be falfe, the facts will certainly be true : and I flatter myfelf you will readily parr don any error in judgment, when my in tention is neither to exaggerate or to de ceive. Wefen, July 29. The lake of Wallenftadt is about fix- teen miles in length, and two in breadth : it is entirely bounded by exceeding high mountains, except to the eaft and weft. : From this Situation, a breeze ge nerally blows from thofe two quarters, beginning at the break pS day, and con*- » E 4 tinning [ 56 ] tinuing for fome hours; then changes from weft to eaft till Sun-Set : this breeze is very convenient for the transportation of the merchandife. Sometimes how ever a violent north-wind rufhes down from the mountains, and renders the navigation dangerous. We were af fured by the inhabitants, and by the watermen who yowedus from W alien- ftadt to this place, that the breeze above mentioned was generally constant: but we cannot atteft it from our own experience ; as we fet out this morning about eight, and the wind was directly contrary the whole way, blowing from weft to eaft. The weather, 'tis true, was heavy, overcaft, and rainy, which might cauSe perhaps this occasional variation. The lake is uncommonly wild and picturefqu'e, and affords a perpetual va* riety of beautiful and romantic Scenes, On the Side of Glaris, the mountains! which border upon the lake, are chiefly cultivated; enriched with wood; or fine meadows, 4 [ 57 ] meadows ; and Studded with cottages, churches, and Small villages ; the Alps of Claris riling behind ; their tops co vered with Snow. On the other fide, Tor the moft part, the rocks are exceed ingly groteSque, craggy, inacceffible, and perpendicular : but here and there a few cultivated necks of land are formed at the very edge of the lake, and at the bottom of thefe very rocks ; exhibiting a beautiful contraft to the barrenneSs above and around them. Numberlefs water- falls, occasioned by the meltings of die fnows, fall down the fides of thefe rocks from a very confiderable heighth, and with an almoft inconceiv-* able variety ; Some of them feeming to glide gently in circular directions % others forming vaft torrents, and rufh- ing into the lake with noife and vio lence : all of them changing their form and their pofition as we approached or receded from them. The lake is ex« ceedingly clear, deep, and cold, and, ^s we. were informed,, never freezes, There [ 58 ] There is nothing remarkable in this place ; being a fmall village Situated almoft upon the point where the river Linth iffues from the lake of Wallen- ftadt : that little river is joined by the Jjimmat, and falls into the lake of Zuric. I am, &c. LETTER VI, Glaris, July 29. THE canton of Glaris was for merly Subject to the abbefs of the convent of Seckinguen in Suabia: the people however enjoyed very confider able privileges, and a democratical form of government, under the adminiftra^ tion of a mayor, appointed by the abr , beSs, but choSen among the inhabitants. Towards the latter end of the thirteenth century, the emperor Rodolph I. ob- Jtained the, exclufive administration of juftice -$ C 59 ] juftice ; and not long afterwards his fon Albert, having purchaSed the mayoralty, which had infenfibly become hereditary, re-united in his perSon the whole civil and j udicial authority. Accordingly that prince, and his immediate deScendents the dukes of Auftria, oppreffed the people, and ruled over them with an abSolute Sway. In 1350, Schweitz, af- fifted by Zuric, Lucerne, Uri, and Underwalden, expelled the Auftrians from the country of Glaris, re-efta- blifhed the democracy, and reftored li berty to the people. Glaris now en tered into a perpetual alliance with its deliverers, and was received into the Helvetic confederacy with fome restric tions, which were not abolifhed until 1450. At that time it was the Sixth canton, but is now the laft in rank of the eight antient cantons, as they are called ; being fo distinguished, becaufe, from the acceffion of Zug and Berne in I352, more than a century elapSed be fore [ 6o ] fore a new member was admitted. Thefe antient cantons have alfo. feveral privileges fuperior to the five others ; the latter having fubmitted to fome par ticular restrictions, upon their being received into the Helvetic league. The people of Glaris enjoyed their liberties unmolefted till 1388, when the Auftrians made an irruption into the canton, with a force Sufficient, as they arrogantly thought, totally to Subdue it; pillaging the country, and maf- i&cring the inhabitants. It was then that three hundred and fifty troops of -Claris, affifted by thirty Switzers, re futed the whole Strength of the Austrian -army : the former were pofted advan- tggeoufly upon the mountains, and the ittter, to the number of fifteen thou fand, at a village called Nasfels. In -this Situation the Auftrians began the attack ; but were Soon compelled to re- itreat with great precipitation, by a -fliower of Stones poured upon them from [ 61 ] from the heighths : in this moment of confufion, the inhabitants rufhed dowft upon the enemy with Such redoubled fury, that they broke. their ranks ; and, having made an immenfe Slaughter," forced the remainder to retire from the canton. Thefe furprifing victories, gained by a handful of men againft an enemy fo much fuperior in number (in stances of which are by no means rare in the hiftory of Swifferland) render the wonderful combats of Marathon and Platsea, when the Greeks repulfed the numerous hofts of the whole Perfian em- pire, perfectly credible. The fame love of independence, the fame dread of Sla very, and the fame attachment to their country, animated the respective na tions to the Same deeds of heroifm ; and in both instances victory was fol lowed by the fame glorious confequence : for the Swifs, as well as the Greeks, owe the rife and preservation of their liberties to that magnanimous and de termined t 62 j tcrmined valoUr which prefers death to* living under the Servile domination of an arbitrary defpot. The people ftill cele brate the anniverSary oS this victory, which inSured their independence for ever: and I faw near the village of Naefels Several Stones, with no other inscription than 1388: an inscription which no more requires explanation, to an inhabitant of the canton, than the glorious a?ra of 1688, to an Eng- lifhman. In the Sixteenth century, the refor mation was introduced into this canton, but not exclusively: both religions are tolerated, and the two Sects live together in the greateft harmony. This union is the more remarkable, when we con sider the fatal quarrels that have been kindled in Swiflerland on account of religious tenets ; and that in Appenzel the divifion between the two Sects is distinctly marked by their inhabiting different districts, and living under Sepa rate [ 63 ] rate governments. In feveral parts of this canton, the Proteftants and Catho lics perform fervice in the fame church, one after the other; and all the offices of ftate are amicably adminiftered by the two parties. During the preSent and the preceding century, the Protef tants have encreaSed confiderably in number, and their induftry, in every branch of commerce, is greatly Superior : an evident proof how much the bigotry and fuperftition of the church of Rome fetters the genius, and depreffes the powers of exertion. The government is entirely democra- tical : every perfon of the age of fixteen has a vote in the Landfgemeind, or ge neral affembly, which is annually held in an open plain. This affembly rati fies new laws, lays contributions, enters into alliances, declares war, and makes peace. The Landamman is the chief of the republic,, and is chofen alternately from the two Sects; with this difference, that [ H 1 that the Protejant remains three years in office, the Catholic only two. The man ner of election is as follows : five can didates are choSen by the people, and thefe draw lots for the charge. The other great officers of ftate, and the bailiffs, are taken alfo by lot from a certain number of candidates propofed by the people. The executive power is vetted in the council of regency, com posed of forty-eight Proteftants, and fifteen Catholics : each Sect has its par ticular court of juftice ; and, when there is any procefs between ,two perfons of different religions, the cafting voice among the five or nine judges, who are to determine the cauSe, is always of the fame religion as the defendant. • Cattle, cheefe, and butter, constitute the principal commerce of the canton. The cattle are fed in fu'mmer upon the Alps : and it is computed that ten thpuSand head of large cattle, and four thouSand Sheep, are paftured during that SeaSon [ 65 ] feafon upon the mountains belonging to this canton. There are alfo fome manufactures of linen ; and the inha bitants make 3 confiderable quantity of thread, July 30. I am juft returned to Glaris, after having made an excurfion towards the extremity of the canton : it is entirely enclofed by the alps, except towards the north; and there is no other entrance but through this open ing, which lies between the lake of Wallenftadt and the mountains Se parating the canton of Glaris from that of Schweitz. Foot-paffengers in deed may in Summer traverfe thefe alps to the Grifons on one fide, and to Uri on the other: but thefe paths, which even in the midft of fummer are barely paffable, are in winter abfolutely im practicable. At the entrance above- mentioned, the canton reaches, from the banks of the Linth to the fartheft Yol, I, F extremity t 66 ] extremity of its alps, about thirty miles ; forming a valley, which becomes nar rower as you advance, and is fcarcely more than a mufket-fhot in breadth at the burgh of Glaris. It afterwards opens by degrees ; and about a league from the laft-mentioned burgh is divi ded by the Freyberg mountains : at the point of this divifion the two rivers, Limmat and SernSt, unite. We continued through the largeft of thefe vales ; which, though very narrow, is exceedingly populous. You have been at' Matlock in Derbyshire, and I remember yoUr admiration of its beau tiful and romantic Situation : the Scenery of this vale is of the fame eaft, but in finitely more pictureSque, more wild, more varied, and more Sublime. The Limmat is much broader and more ra pid than the Derwent ; and the hillocks oS the Peake (for I may fo call them comparatively) are mere mole-hills to the alps of Glaris. Thefe Stupendous chains [ 67 ] chains of rocks are absolutely perpendi cular, approach one another So near, and are So high, that the Sun may be faid to Set, even in Summer, at four in the afternoon. On each fide are numbers of thofe water-falls we had been fo ftruck with during our paffage over the lake1 of Wallenftadt j 'one in particular, near the village of Ruti, that foamed down the fteep fideis of a mountain, from the midft of a hanging grove of trees. I was fo captivated with thefe enchanting fcenes, that I could not help Stopping every moment, to admire them : as often as I did fo, our guide, not conceiving it poffible that thefe delays could be owing to any other caufe than the lazinefs of his horfe, never failed to Strike the poor beaft; and continually awakened me out of my rapturous contemplations. As I could riot fpeak to be understood in German, it was Some time before I 4P©uld make him comprehend by figns, ; F 2 that [ 68 ] that I Stopped by choice, and wifhed to go my own pace. After having rode about ten miles, we quitted our horfes and walked. Near Leugelbach, a con siderable rivulet is formed at once by two ftreams, burfting Srom the groun4 at the foot of a mountain, which af ter a few paces unite, and fall into the Limmat : befides theSe two principal -branches, there are Several other Smaller ones, together with numberleSs little fountains that gufh from the rock. — The clearnefs, of the Streams; their rapidity and murmuring Sound; the trees that hang over the point from whence they iffue;-the rude rocks above; the rich meadows and the fcattered hamlets around — all together form an affem- blage of the moft lively and pleafing objects that ever entered into a beau tiful landfcape. We croffed the Limmat feveral times, which runs through the valley with all the violence of a torrent; and Came f «9 1 came at length to an amphitheatre of mountains, where the vale ended : on Our right-hand a fall more confiderable than any we had yet Seen, tumbling down perpendicularly a bare rock in a l^rge body of water; the alps on each fide crowned with inacceffible forefts, and covered with everlafting Snow; be fore us a pyramidical mountain, bare and craggy; and the glaciers of Glaris doling the "vievv. Here the vale, and the habitable part of the canton, ter^ minate. We then quitted the plain, and afcendirtg through a wild foreft of beech and pines, continued more than an hour mounting a very fteep and- rugged path; till we came to the Panten-Bruck, a bridge Over the cata ract that forms the Limmat, which is here called the Sand-bach: it roars from the glacier down the fteep mountain in one unbroken fall ; and, a little way be- "fore its arrival under the bridge, works itfelf a Subterraneous paffage through F 3 . the [' 70 1" the rock, where it is loft only to ap pear again dafhing out with increafed violence and precipitation. This bridge is a Single arch of Stone, of about feventy f-eet in length, thrown over a precipicf of above three hundred feet in depth. It Serves as a communication with the upper alps, and is the paffage for the cattle which are fed there during the Summer months : on the other fide fome gPats, came jumping around us, and {gemed to welcome us to their dreary habitations. Thefe -mountains are co-» vered with a vaft variety of rare herbs, and beautiful Sweet -Scented flowers, which made me regret that I had not purSued my botanical Studies. As $ leaned upon the parapet of the bridge, and looked down into the chafm be-,. neath, my head almoft turned giddy with the heighth. The rock, down which the Sand-bach drives, is compoSed of flate, of which there is a great quantity in this canton : the principal mine i* 9 in [ 7i ] in the valley of Sernft, where they make. -large Slabs that ferve for tables, and which form a confiderable article for exportation. After we had continued/ 4bme time admiring the fublime hor ror of the fcenery, we defcended into -the vale, and made a hearty meal upon fome excellent bread, honey, butter, and milk, which a neighbouring cottage Supplied us with. As the canton al moft entirely confifts of rich meadows, the milk and butter are delicious ; and the honey of thefe mountainous coun tries, is moft exquifite. Nothing de lights me So much as the infide of a Swifs cottage : all thofe I have hitherto vifited, convey the liveliest image of clean- linefs, eafe, and fimplicity ; and cannot but ftrongly imprefs upon the obferver ,.a moft pleafing conviction of the pea- fant's happinefs. If I had never Seen thefe little de- mocratical States, I could have formed »40 idea of the general equality and in- F 4 distinction ;;[ 72 1 , distinction that prevails among the in^ ; habitants. All the houfes, like thofe of Appenzel, are built of wood ; large, folid, and compact, with great pent- houfe roofs that hang very low, and extend beyond the area of the founda tion. This peculiar Structure is of ufe to keep off the Show; and, from its . Singularity, accords Surprifingly with the beautiful wildnefs of the country. The houfes of the richer inhabitants in the principal burghs, are of the fame ma terials : the only difference confifts in their being larger. If that fort oS government be cori- feffedly the beft, which constitutes the greateft good of the greateft number in the community ; theSe little States, not withstanding, the natural deSects of a democratical constitution, may juftly claim a large Share of our approbation. General liberty, general independence, and an exemption from arbitrary taxes, are blefjings which amply Compenfate for I 73 ) fbr a .want of thofe refinements that are introduced by opulence and luxury. However, it is only in thefe fmall re publics, and in fuch a ftate of fociety, that this kind of general democracy can haye place ; where there are not any perfons fo rich as to gain an undue afcendency over the people by largeffes ; and where, if they err in their councils, it is an error of the judgment and not of the heart. When a general corruption of the latter prevails, the evil is incurable, . becaufe the laws cannot reachit. ¦ In de mocracies, the machine of government is confiderably indeed clogged by that , variety of wheels required to put it in to motion ; but at the fame time, it is •• not neceffary here that its motions Should be fudden and expeditious, as there is no fear of an invafion from without, and as the people have no con quests either to make or to defend; their principal policy confifting in maintaining their independence, and , .in preferving the public tranquillity. The [ 74 1 The police is well regulated through* out Swifferland ; and even in thefe 4e- mocratical ftates, liberty does not dege nerate into licsntioufnefs : we may ex cept, perhaps, the day of their general afliembHes, when it is impoffible to pre vent fome degree of confufion in a meeting, where there is fcarcely any diftinction of perfons, and where every peafant confiders himfelf as equal to the firft magistrate. Our hoft is an ppen-tiearted, honeft Swifs : .he brings his pint of wine with him, fits down to table with us, and chats without the leaft ceremony. There is a certain SorwardneSs of this kind which I cannot bear, whert it ap parently is the effect of impertinent curiofity, or fawning officioufnefs ; -but the- prefent inftance of frank familiarity, arifing, as it evidently does, from a mind conScious of its natural equality, and unconstrained by arbitrary diftine- tions, is Jiighly pleafing to me ; as I prefer [*7S 1 prefer the fimple demeanour of unso phisticated nature, to all the falfe re finements of artificial manners. I am, &c. LETTER VII. Einfidlin, July 31;. E could not pais through this part of the country, without Making a :pilgrimage to Einfidlin, and paying our xefpects to this celebrated ftirine: an object of much devption among the Catholics. Einfidlin, or Motre .'Bame des Hermites, is a rich, and magnificent abhegf pf Benedictines in the canton of Schweitz, which owes its /-elebrity to the miraculous image, as it is called, of the Virgin Mary. The ridiculous tales they relate of the origin and aggrandifement of this ab bey, are fo many melancholy inftances of flie credulity of the darker ages ; that [ 7« 1- that they are ftill believed in the pTfe-" fent enlightened century, muft be at tributed to the force of habitual preju-* dice; and at the fame time proves, hpw difficult it is for the human mind to Shake off thofe Superstitious errors, which it has early imbibed under the fanctified name of religion. In the, ninth century a certain her mit called Meihrad; was the firft who" retired to this place, where he built a chapel, and was affaffinated by rob bers. But Shall I tell you, or (what is mdre to the purpofe) will you be lieve me if I tell you, that this mur4 der was difcovered by two crows, who followed the affaffins to Zuric$ where they were Seized and executed ? Soon after this the dead body of St. Mem* rad muft of eourfe work miracles ; and all the world pilgrimifes to his bones; The fanctity-of this place being thus teftablifhed, fome one (for whether it were St. Benno or St, Eberhai&, or what [ 77 1 what other faint I cannot precifely de* termine) built another chapel, which he dedicated to the Virgin, and laid the firft foundation of the abbey;, having bequeathed for that purpofe all his fortune : and the pious fund was Soon confiderably augmented by fubfequent donations. Shall I tell you alfo that in 948, Conrad bifhop of Conftance^ as he was going to confecrate the cha pel, heard a voice from heaven, allur ing him, that God himfelf had confe- crated it ? Whatever was its origin, and whoever was its founder; crouds of pilgrims refort hither from all quarters to adore the Virgin, and to prefent their offerings : and it is computed^ that upon the moft moderate calcula^ tion, their number amounts yearly to 100,000. The circumjacent country was formerly one continued foreft, which fince the erection of the abbey has been gradually converted into rich paftures and beautiful meadows : and thjs I 78 ] this is a miracle which the Virgin, in a certain fenfe, may truly be faid to have performed. Auguft 1. I have juft been vifiting the abbey, the chapel of the Virgin, and her im- menfe treafures. The church of the abbey is, a large and magnificent build ing, but exhibits aTemarkable Specimen of falfetafte,by being loaded with bad paint-' ings, and Superfluous ornaments. In the ifle not far from the entrance is a fmall and elegant marble chapel of the Corin thian order : this is the celebrated Shrine of the Virgin, to which the pilgrims refort. On the.outfide an angel Sup ports the following infcription : Hie eft plena remiffio peccatarum omnium a culpa et poena. Over the door is a plate of Silver with five holes, into which I faw feveral per fons thrufting their fingers, and praying at the Same time with great fervour;. upon' - I 79 3 upon enquiry I found, that the credu lous people believed thefe holes to be the marks of God's fingers. In the in- iide of this chapel is the image of the Virgin, which vies with the lady of Lo- retto both in beauty of countenance and fichnefs of apparel; her face, as well as that of the ?child She holds in her arms, being black. She is richly dreff- ed, and every week She changes her gar ment ; her wardrobe confining of fifty- two different Suits. The riches of the treafury are immenfe; containing an infinite number of offerings of gold, filver,andpreciousftones, arrang ed in the moft ridiculous manner imagi nable. There were alfo ffeulls and bones richly ornamented ; whole Skeletons of feints in maSquerade, and of ladies with ruffles, fly-caps, and Splendid apparel as if drafted for a ball. What a wretch ed infult upon poor human nature ! I could not help confidering them with a mixture of pity and indignation, as the [ 8o ] the offerings of ignorance before the Shrine of bigotry and fuperftition. The miracles which the Virgin has wrought in this country are infinite, if we may judge from the prodigious number of figures of ears, eyes, legsy arms, heads, &c. prefented by thofe, who fancied themfelves respectively *cured in. thofe feveral members, by the power of this wonder-working image. | was glad however to find, in the midft of this fuperftitious trumpery, a good library, which contained Some very fine, editions of the claflics. In this place there is a confiderable traffic carried on, of rofaries, croffes, little images, &c. ; and there are rows of Shops, Where nothing is to be pur- chafed but thefe neceffary appendages of the Roman catholic religion : it has all the appearance of a fair. There is alfo a room in the abbey, where the fame kind of merchandife is expofed to Sale ; and one of the friars attends to receive receive your money, arid very gravely allures you, that the feveral articles have touched the facred image. Among other curiofities of this kind^ I pur- chafed two ribands* for two pence each, with the following inscription upon them : Ce Ruban entier, eft la longueur ; jufquau trait eft tepaiffeuri de I'image de notre dame des hermites. II a touchi Y image miraculeufe. Is it credible, that in this enlightened age, the moft notorious Superstition and impofture can appear thus barefaced i 1 muft conSeSs that theSe impofitions raiSe my indignation: and, though it " exceeds ail power of face" to keep One's countenance at their glaring ab surdity; yet every friend to true religion cannot at the fame time but feel fenfi- bly Shocked, to fee the purity or genuine Christianity thus Shamefully diSguiSed and proftituted. This abbey (confifting of fixty Bene dictines that elect the abbot, who is Vol. I. G titular I 82 ] titular prince of the empire) is very rich, and has confiderable revenues in the canton of Zuric. Rapperfchwyl, Auguft 2. The evening, yefterday, being fine; and cool, I walked from Einfidlin to this place. After we had afcended about three miles, a fine view of the lake of Zuric, and of the adjacent country, Opened upon, us at once. The pro- fpect was extenfive and beautiful : the folemn StillneSs of the evening, the calmnefs of the lake, and the tints of the Setting fun, which glowed around the horiSon, very much improved its charms. When we arrived at the lake, the moon began to riSe ; and, throwing its beams acrofs the water, formed another fcene, more mild indeed, but not lefs affecting,. We then croffed the bridge of Rap perfchwyl, built over the narroweft part of the lake : it meafured near 1 700 paces. The town is pleaSantly Situated 3 upon t 83 ] upon a neck of land or promontory, that juts out into the lake. It for merly put itfelf under the protection of Uri, Schweitz, Underwalden, and Gla ris, with a referve of all its privileges : but thefe cantons Shamefully oppreffing the inhabitants, and encroaching Upon their liberties ; Zuric and Berne took poffeffion of the town in 171 2, and re stored to them their antient rights. From that period Rapperfchwyl has been under the protection of Zuric, Berne, and Glaris ; the latter having preferved its right by its neutrality. By this treaty the town recovered its former prerogatives ; and the inhabitants, in teftimony of their gratitude, have placed the following infcription over the gates : Amicis Tutoribus floret libertas. They are all Catholics. Yours, &c. Q 2 LET- [ 84 1 LETTER VIII. Zuric, Auguft ¦}. 'ESTERDAY we dined luxurioufly with the Capuchin friars at Rap perfchwyl, who feldom regale their guefts in So Sumptuous a manner. It was one of their great feaft-days; and accordingly -they gave us every poffible variety of frefh- water fifh, with which the lake and the neighbouring rivers abound. The convent is built upon the edge of the water, and commands from Some of the apartments a very agreeable profpect: the library is by far the pleaSanteft room, though not the moft frequented. The cells of the monks are fmall, and yet not inconvenient; but cleanlinefs does not feem to constitute any part of their mo ral or religious observances. Indeed the very habit of the order is ill calculated for that purpofe, as they wear no Shirt or Stockings, and are clothed in a coarSe . -T > kind t «5 ] kind of , brown drugget robe, which trails upon the ground. Strange idea of Sanctity ! as if dirt could be accept able to the Deity. I reflected with par ticular Satisfaction, that I was not born a member of the Roman Catholic: church ; as perhaps the commands of a parent, a fudden difappointment, or a momentary fit of enthufiafm, might have fent me to a convent of Ca puchins, and have wedded me to dirt ' and fuperftition for liSe. After dinner we took leave of our holts, and departed for Zuric by wa-: ter : the lake is near ten leagues in length, and one in breadth. This body of water is not near fo large as that of Con ftance ; but the borders are Studded thicker withvillages and towns : and as we approached Zuric, the edges of the lake were fkirted with a continued range of villas, which being intermixed among vineyards and pafture-grounds, produced a moft pleafing effect.. The ad jacent country is finely cultivated arid welj; G 3 peopled i C 86 ] peopled ; and the fouthern part of the lake appears at fpme little diftance bounded with the high ftupendous mountains of Schweitz and Glaris : the fcenery all to gether is picturefque, lively, and diver- iified. Zuric was formerly an imperial city* and obtained from the emperor Frederic II. very confiderable privileges; which were acknowledged and augmented by feveral of his fucceffors. The civil war between the magistrates and the people, in 1335, was very near reducing the city to ruins ; but the former being ba- nifhed, the citizens, in 1337, established: a new form of government, which wass confirmed by the emperor Louis of Ba-* varia. The exiles, after feveral fruitlefs attempts, were at length re-admitted j but it being difcovered that they had^ engaged in a conspiracy againft the citi zens, they were all of them put to death. In confequence of this tranfaction, the nobles in- the neighbourhood took up Arms againft the town ; the latter, after having [ 87 J having applied ineffectually for afllftance to the' emperor Charles IV. entered into an alliance with the four cantons Lu cerne, Uri, Schweitz, and Underwalden, and was admitted a member of their confederacy. This event happened in the year 1351. The four cantons yielded the pre-eminence to Zuric : which privilege it enjoys at prefent; be ing the firft- canton in rank, and the moft confiderable in extent both of ter ritory and power next to Berne. The fame year in which Zuric entered into this alliance, fhe was affifted by the four cantons above-mentioned, againft Albert duke of Auftria, who befieged the town, and was repulSed with great loSs. Zuric was the firft town in Swiffer- land, that Separated Srom the church of Rome; being converted by the argu ments of Zuingle *. That celebrated reformer * Of all the reformers (the mild and. elegant -Melan&hon alone excepted) Zuingle feems tp me- G 4 nt [ 88 ] reformer was born Jan. i, 1484, afc Vildehaufen, a fmall village in the Tpcr kenbpiirg ; and when very young, was, appointed curate pf Glaris. Even be fore the publication of the fale of indulr* gences by Lep X. which was the more, immediate caufe of the reformation,' Zuingle had expofed at Glaris. feVeral fuperftitions of the church pf Rome ; and he gained additional credit, by ri£ peculiar efteem : he pofleffed, to a great de gree, that fpirit of meeknefs, moderation/and cha rity, which are the charadteriftiqs of true chriftia- nity j and, amidft all: the, difputes between the Lu therans and the reformed churches, was a conftant Advocate for peace and reconciliation. He appears' indeed to have beep perfectly free, as well from that narrow bigotry which makes no diftin&ion between : points of the mereft indifference, and objects of the greateft importance ; as from that overbearing pride, . which, while it violently condemns the opinions of others, affumes to itfelf infallibility with refpeft to its own. In a word, it was his perfuafibn, that, provided chriftians agree in^the moft effential arti cles ; they ought meekly to. bear with any differ ence upon fubje&s lefs uncontrovertible ; and which, do not neceffarily influence morals, preaching [ 8o ] preaching at Einfidlin againft vows, pilgrimages, and offerings. After the publication of the fale of indulgences; while Luther was undermining the fa bric of papal authority in Germany, Zuingle was no lefs fuccefsful in Swif- ferland. By his zeal and intrepidity, and by the irrefiftible force of truth, he gained fb many converts at Zuric (where he had been invited to preach) that in 1524 the magiftrates abolifhed the maSs, and other Catholic ceremonies, and introduced the reformed religion. The disputes between the two Sects were parried on with more temper and mo deration than is uSual in religious con troversies. The change, which had been Some time in agitation, was finally determined by a plurality of voices in the Sovereign council : and the people readily and ehearfully obeyed the decir fion of their magiftrates. The exam ple of Zuric was foon followed by feerne, Schaffhaufen, Bafil, with part of Glaris. [ 9° ] Glaris and Appenzel ; the other cantons continuing to adhere to the religion of their anceftors. From this .period the two religions have been eftablifhed in Swifferland ; but that harmony, which had hitherto been preServed between them, has occasionally been interrupted. Indeed even So early as the year 1551, religious diSputes broke out with So much violence and animofity, as to oc cafion the firft civil war among the can tons; in which the Proteftants were defeated, and Zuingle loft his life at the battle of Cappel*. Since that period * It has been urged againft Zuingle, as a proof of his perfecuting principles, that he was per- fonally engaged in this war againft the Catho lics. To this it may be anfwered, That he had ufed every argument in his power to bring about a reconciliation between the contending par ties j that he even openly arraigned the impa tient and turbulent zeal of his fellow-citizens ; that he adted in obedience to one of the funda mental laws of the republic ; and that he' accom panied the army by the exprefs command of the magiftrates. two [ 9i 1 two other religious wars have been l?indled; one in 1656, in which the, Catholics gained the advantage ^ and the other in 17 12, when the Proteftants proved victorious. The peace of Araw, which put an end to thefe unhappy dis putes, has, it is to be hoped, finally fettled all religious differences. By that treaty, which may be c^nfidered as a fort of code of toleration among the Swifs ; the treatment of the Proteftants and Catholics in the common baUliages, is regulated. The firft article ftipur lates, that in, all the provinces, which. are Subject to cantons of different reli gion, there fhall be a perfect equality between the two fects, and that they fhall both enjoy the fame privileges : to which is added an exprefs prohibition to each party not to make ufe of any terms of raillery or contempt, in fpeak« ing of their refpective worships. This canton abounds in corn,wine,and excellent pastures : it is 40 miles by 30, t^and [ 92 ] and exceedingly populous ; containing about an hundred and fifty thoufand fouls; of which there are upwards of twelve thoufand in the capital. The Sovereignty refides exclusively in the burgeffes of the town, confifting in all of about two thoufand ; which peculiar restriction arifes from the following cir cumftance : — During the earlier ages of the republic, the town being in poflb'f* fion of but a fmall extent of territory, the citizens of eourfe exercifed the pOwers of Sovereignty; and when they afterwards gradually obtained confider able acquisitions, either by conqueft or purchaSe, they ftill reServed to them- Selves this pre-eminence ; all their new Subjects being excluded from any fhare in the government. This remark will hold good with refpect to. the feven ariftocratical cantons. I cannot but add, that a very narrow fpirit of po licy reigns throughout moft of the ftates pf Swifferland; as they feldom or ner ve? [ 93 1 ver make a new citizen. This rule however in fome of the republics is lefs fcrupuloufly observed than in others. In Zuric indeed the citizens are So te nacious Of their privileges, that (as I was informed by one of their magis trates) it is now an hundred and fifty years firice they have admitted a new citizen. The burgeffes, befides the ad vantage of electing their magiftrates, and of afpiririg to the adminiftration of affairs, enjoy the Sole right of com merce ; all ftrangers, and even fubjects of the canton, being excluded from car rying on any trade in the city. The citizens or burgeffes of Zuric, are divided into thirteen tribes": one of thefe confifts of perfons who do not profefs any trade, and are called the nobles. It is Somewhat extraordinary; that in a repub lic absolutely commercial, Such a distinc tion Should be made; and that commerce mould in any reSpect be confidered as a degradation. All the other citizens following C 94 1 following commerce, or exercifing any trade, are distributed among the twelve remaining clafles. The legislative authority is vefted by the burgeffes in the Sovereign council of two hundred; confifting however of two hundred and twelve members drawn from the thirteen tribes, and comprifing the fenate or little council. The latter is compofed of twenty-four tribunes taken equally from twelve of the tribes, and four counfellors chofen by the tribe of the nobles : to thefe are added", twenty counfellors elected by the fove- reign council; and all thefe with the two burgomafters make fifty members. Half of this little council administer the office during fix months ; at the end of which they are fucceeded by the other half: the prefident of each divifion is one of the burgomafters, who are both choSen by the Sovereign council and confirmed annually. They have jurisdiction in all cauSes civil and criminal : I 95 ] criminal: in the former, when the d^v mand is of a certain importance, an appeal lies from the fenate to the coun* cil of two hundred ; but in criminal^ their Sentence is final, and, when once paffed, there is no poSfibility of obtain^ ing any reverfal or mitigation. An-< excellent maxim ! provided the judges are cautious and circumfpect, and the Jaws mild : for there is no greater en couragement to the commifllon of crimes, than the frequency of pardons. Such an institution however ought ne- ceffarily to exclude Severity oS punish ment; and could never be admitted in a ftate, where by the letter oS the law the Same punifhment is inflicted upon him who Steals a Sheep, as upon the man who murders his father. Great therefore is the power of the fenate, considered in their collective ca pacity; being abSolute judges in all criminal cauSes, guardians of the po lice, and the Select body of men from whom t 96 J whom the principal magiftrates are ch©"£ fen. But, as too great a power of in* dividuals is dangerous in a republic j the feveral members of this affembly are liable to be changed : and a revi sion or confirmation is annually made, in Some inftances by the fovereign coun cil, in others by the particular tribes, f/o which the Senators belong. This an* nual revision is a great check to mal administration ; and at the fame time prevents the fenate from gaining fo great an influence, as to be detrimental to the liberties of the people. A burgefs is qualified to vote at twenty; is eligi ble into the fovereign council at thirty; and into the Senate at thirty-five. By theSe wiSe regulations, a man muft have had Some experience in public affairs beSore he is capable of holding a charge of any confequence. The revenues of government are more than proportion ate to the expences ; which are regu lated with the Strictest ceconomy. The ftate £ n 1 ftate is not only without debts, but a Saving is yearly made, and depofited in the public treasury* Sot a retort upon any Sudden emergency, It was from this fund that the government fupport- ed the whole expence Of the War in 1 7 12, againft the Catholic cantons, without impofing any additional tax. ' Sumptuary laws,' as well as thoSe againft immorality, are here well ob served. The Sorrrier indeed may exift, and be carried into execution even a-' mong a people much Corrupted ; for it may be the policy of government to en force their observance;. But the Severest penalties will not be Sufficient to pre vent crimes of an immoral tendency, amidft a general diffoluterieSs of man ners : it is the popular principles that can alone invigorate fuch laws^ and give them their full operation. Among the Romans, the laws againft adultery were fevere ; and yet where was adultery more practised than at Rome ? In Zuric it Vol.L H is [ 98 J is rigoroufly punifhed, without any dife tin<5tion of rank, by fine, by expulfion: from office, and by imprisonment : but the frequency of this crime is not fo much restrained by the penalty annexed to it, as from the general good morals of the inhabitants. Secret crimes can not be prevented ; but it is an evident- proof of public virtue,, when open breaches of immorality are discounte nanced. Among their Sumptuary laws* the uSe of a carriage in the town is pro hibited to all fprts of perfons except ftrangers : and it is almoft inconceiv able that, in a place fo very commercials and wealthy, luxury Should So little pre- vaiL At Zuric there is more of the ori ginal Swifs Spirit oS independence, than* in any of the large towns of this coun try. The magiftrates, lefS influenced} by foreign courts, and above corruption, confult always the real advantage of their canton*, and of the Helvetic con federacy- C 99 ] ¦ ¦ federacy. Zuric Still preferves in the general diet a very confiderable Sway; which She derives more from the opinion entertained of her integrity, than from her power : fhe is looked up to as one" of the moft independent and upright of the thirteen cantons. The city of Zuric Stands upon a gentle eminence on the northern extre mity of the lake : a beautiful fituation, . and advantageous for commerce. For, by means of the river Limmat, which iSTues from the lake, and dividing the town, falls into the Aarj there is a communication with the Rhine. And this advantage has not been neglected ; as the trade of the town is very exten- five. The inhabitants are exceedingly induftrious, arid carry on with SucceSs feveral different branches of manufac ture ; the principal is that of crape. Their chief traffic is with France, Ruf- fia, Italy, and Holland. §mee the reformation many perfons H 2 have [ IOO ] have flourifhed here eminent fortheif learning, in all branches of literature : and there is no town in SwhTerland, where letters are more encouraged, or where they are cultivated with greater' fuccefs. I waited this morning upon the celebrated Gefner, author of the death of Abel, and of feveral idyls, which for their delicate and elegant Sim plicity are juftly efteemed. They a- bound with thoSe nice touches of ex- quifite Senfibility, which diScover a mind warmed with the fineft Sentiments ; and love is represented in the chafteft co louring of innocence, virtue, and bene volence. ' Nor has he confined his fub jects merely to the tender paffioh : paternal affection, and filial reverence ; gratitude, humanity, in fhort every mo ral duty is exhibited and inculcated in the moft pleafing and affecting manner. He has for Some time renounced poetry in order to take up the pencil ; and painting is at preSent his favourite a- muSement. [ ioi ] mufement. A treatife which he has, published on landScape-painting, Shews the elegance of his, tafte and the versa tility of his genius ; while his compofi-, tions in both kinds prove the refem- blance of the two arts ;.„and that the conceptions of the poet and of the painter are congenial. I prefer his drawings in black and whit^, to his paintings; for although the ideas in both are equally beautiful or Sublime, his colouring is inferior to his defign. He is preparing an handfpme edition of his writings in quarto, in which every part of the work is carried on by him felf : he prints them at his own pri vate prefs ; and is at once both the drawer and engraver of his plates. It is to be lamented that he has renounced poetry ; for, while ordinary writers Spring up in great plenty; authors of real genius are rare and uncommon. His drawings are feen .only by a few, gnd will fcarcely be known to posterity : H 3 but t I©2 ] but his writings are difperfed abroad, tranflated into every language, and will be admired by future ages, as long as there remains any relifh for true pafto- ral Simplicity, or any tafte for original compofition. .He is plain in his man ners; open, affable, and obliging in his addreSsj. and of Singular modefty : he has nothing of the poet in his appear ance except in his eye, which is full of fenfe, fire, and expreflion. We waited alfo on Mr. Lavater, a clergyman of Zuric, and celebrated phy- fiognomift, who has published a famous treatife on that fanciful Subject. He expreffed himfelf badly in French ; but there was an agreeable warmth and vi vacity in his countenance and manner, .while he converfed upon his favourite fubject. That particular paSfions have a certain effect upon particular features, is evident to the moft common obferver ; and it may. be conceived, that an ha bitual indulgence of thefe paffions may poflibly, [ *°3 ]' poffibly, in Tome cafes, imprefs a dif- tinguifhing mark upon the counte nance : but that a certain eaft of fea tures constantly denotes certain paf- flons ; and that by contemplating the former we can infallibly difcover alfo the mental qualities of the owner, is an hypomefrs liable {I Should think) to So many exceptions^ that no general and uniform fyftem could be juftly formed upon it. NeVertheiefs Mr. Lavater, like a true enthufiaft, carries his theory much farther : for he not only pretends to difcover the characters and paffions by the Seatures, by the complexion, by the ibrm of the head, and by the motion of the arms ; but he alfo draws fome inferences of the fame kind even from one's hand-writing. Arid indeed his fyftem is formed upon Such univerSal principles, that he applies the fame rules to all animated nature, extending them not only to brutes, but even to infects. That the temper of a horfe may be dif- H 4 covered [ IQ/r 1 covered by his countenance, will not ftrike you, as any thing abfurd: but did you ever hear before that ariy quality could be inferred from the phyfiognomy pf a Bee, or of an Ant ? While I give you my opinion thus freely concerning Mr. Lavater's notions, you will readily perceive that I am not one of thofe, who are initiated into the myfteries of his art. Nor do I mean to cenfure indiscri minately the Syftem of that celebrated, writer : for, notwithstanding the extra vagance of fome of his tenets, the fe-> yereft critics allow, that there is a fund of good SenSe and a variety of fine obser vations diSperSed throughout his treatifej and that it is one of thofe works, which, to be admiredj needs only to be read, with attention,, . The clergy of Zuric are in general better paid than in the other Proteftant cantons ; and among that body there are fome, who are very decently pro vided for : a circumftance rather un-i cpmmon in the Reformed or Prefbyte- rian churches. The [ ^5 ] The public granary, on account of its admirable inftitution, deterves to be particularly mentioned. Corn is pur chased by government, and given out to thoSe who chooSe to buy it, at the common prize ; but in SeaSons of fear- city it is fold confiderably cheaper, than it can be bought at the market. The uSe of this inftitution appeared in the late dearth ; when bread, from the dearnefs of corn, was fold at ten pence the pound, government delivered the fame quantity for four pence. The arfenal is well Supplied with cannon, arms, and ammunition; and contains a referve of mufkets for thirty thoufand men. We faw there, and ad mired, fome of the two-handed Swords and weighty armour of the old Swifs warriors; as alfo the bow and arrow with which William Tell is faid to have Shot the apple off the head oS his Son. This canton has a regiment and Some companies jn France, a regiment in Holland, t «o6 ) Holland, and fome companies in the fervke of the King of Sardinia. It has lorig been a queftion how far SwiA ferland has been benefited by enlisting her fubjects in foreign armies. But, withoutentering into that enquiry, I fhall Only obferve, that Zuingle violently de claimed againft this practice, as intrO-, ducing a corruption of morals : and he had intereft fufficient to prevent Zuric from joining in the general alliance, which all the Swifs cantons entered into with Francis I. Since that period, Zuric continued firm in her refufals until the reign of Henry IV. when this canton finally acceded to the treaty with that monarch. I am, &c. LETTER [ i°7 I LETTER IX. Zug, Auguft 5. WE walked yefterday to Albis, a Small village about three leagues from Zuric, fituated upon the Summit of a fteep mountain, which commands a fine view of that town, the lake, and its environs. We were lucky in efcap- ing a violent fnower of rain, accom^ panied with a Storm of thunder and lightning; which had threatened for fome time, and began immediately upon our arrival : but we were well houfed, and our hoft gave us a good Supper and an excellent bottle of Mufcat wine. We were abroad this morning by five, and had a very agreeable walk to this place ; the weather, which had of. late been very fultry, being cooled by the lightning and rain. We paffed over the field of battle at Cappel, where Zuingle [ io8 ] Zuingle was killed ; and continued our way along the fields through a pleafant country, fo thickly planted with fruit- trees, that I could hardly diftinguifh any other Sort. Indeed we had before remarked the prodigious number of thofe trees in feveral other parts of Swifier- land, the country being in many places almoft one continued orchard. Zug, the capital of this canton (and the only walled town among all the po pular ones) Stands delightSully upon the edge of a beautiful lake, in a fertile valley, abounding with corn, pafture-ground, and fruit-trees. This canton formerly belonged to the Houfe of Auftria ; and it continued faithful to that family when the other neighbouring States had SormeS themSelves into independent republics. As it lies between Zuric and Schweitz, the communication between thoSe two Cantons was kept up with difficulty; and by this means frequent opportuni ties were afforded to the houfe of Auftria Of [ iog, ] of invading and harraffing the Swifs. Under theSe circumstances, the fix allied cantons,'in 1 3*5 1 , laid Siege to Zug, which was reSolutely defended by the inhabi tants; but as Albert duke of Auftria was in no condition to Send them any affiftarice, the town at length Surren dered upon the moft: honourable con ditions. The generofity of the con querors was equal to the courage and magnanimity of the vanquished : for, in confequence of this Submiffion, the inhabitants of the canton of Zug ."were delivered from the yoke of a foreign mafter, obtained the moft affured liberty and independence, and were admitted into the Helvetic confederacy upon equal terms. The government of this little canton is exceedingly complicated ; and the in habitants of this town have fome what- more influence, and enjoy a greater Share in the adminiftration of affairs, than thofe of the capital burghs in the five [ no ] five other democratical cantons. The Supreme power refides in the inhabitants of the four districts of Zug, Bar, Egeri, and MeUtzingen; who affemble yearly (like thofe of Glaris and Appenzel) to enact laws, and to choofe their magis trates. The Landamman is elected by the fuffrages of the whole collective dis tricts, but is taken alternately Srom each of the four communities above-men-< tiorted : he continues three years in of fice, when taken from the diftrict of Zug, and but two years when chofen Srom each of the three others. And there is this peculiar difference between the five other cantons and that of Zug ; that, whereas in the former the Landamman; upon the expiration of his office, always retains a confiderable pre-eminence in the council of regency; in the latter, when he quits his charge, he has not the leaft distinction above any other coun sellor, The general adminiftration of affairs is entrusted to the council of re gency, t *II ] igcricy, compofed of forty members : of which the diftrict of Zug furnifhes thir* teen, and the others are taken equally from the three remaining communities . This council, as well as. the Landamman, refides always in the capital town. OSwald, one of our old Britifh kings, is the titular Saint of .this place ; and in the church is his Statue, with the follow ing infcription : SanEtm Ofwaldus Rex Anglia Fatronus hujus Ec- clejia. This OSwald was (if I remember right) a king of Northumberland in the Se venth century ;. and is much renowned among the monkifh writers for his chaS- tity, piety, and power of working mi racles. I have, been endeavouring to make out, what connection a Britifh l^ing, under the heptarchy, could have had with a fmall canton of SwifTerland ; without reflecting how fruitlefs is the attempt to give any. reafon for abfurd, ,_. , cuftoms,. [ 112 ] cuftoms. In the church of Rome, faints; are eafily transplanted into ariy foil; and caprice, as well as fuperftition, may have inclined the inhabitants of Zug to adore a faint, whofe name is barely known in his own country. I am, &c. LETTER X. Lucerne, Auguft 6. WE took boat at Zug, and being rowed acrofs the lake (which is about three leagues long, and one broad) were landed at a fmall village in the canton of Schweitz. From thence we walked to Kuffnacht; and in our way paffed by a -fmall chapel Sacred to William Tell, erected on the fpot where,- it is faid, he Shot the Auftrian governor. At Kuffnacht, we embarked upon the lake of Lucerne ; . and were much ftruck upon I "3 1 Tlpori our approach with the fine view of that town, which we thought Superior even to Zuric in the beauty of its fituation. Lucerne, "originally fubject to the houfe of Auftria, was continually ex- poSed to the inroads of Uri, Schweitz, and Uhderwalden, after thofe cantons had Secured their own liberty and inde pendence. All her commerce to Italy, was : by this means interrupted ; her fairs unfrequented ; and her citizens compelled to be ever in arms, in order to protect "their territory from inceSfant depredations. Under theSe circumstances, the houSe of Auftria, iriftead of giving the citizens any effectual affiftance, im prudently loaded them with additional taxes, as exorbitant as they were un- juft. The conSequence was, that Lu cerne made her peace with the confe derate cantons ; and, having Soon after driven out the Auftrian party, entered into a perpetual alliance with Uri, Schweitz, Vol. I. I and [ H4 ] and Underwalden, and became a memv her of the Helvetic confederacy. The acceffion of Lucerne gave addi-* tional credit and power to the confe-* deracy ; and enabled it, in 1386, to re- fift all the efforts of a great and im placable enemy. In that year, Leopold cluke of Auftria invaded the canton with a numerous army ; when the com bined troops gained a bloody victory at Sempach, in which Leopold loft his life. In the accounts of this battle, an inftance of private valour in an individual is recorded, which would have done; honour to a Grecian or a Roman name, and only wants the pen of a Thucydides; or a Livy to be equalled in fame to the exploits of the moft admired heroes of antiquity, The Auftrian army, far fu perior in number, was drawn up' in firm battalion, accoutred in heavy ar mour, and furnifhed with long pikesr which they prefented before them. The Swifs troops were led on to the attack 1 in t uS J 1ft the form of a wedge* in order to open their way irito the ranks of the' enemy, and to break the folidity of the* battalion. The latter, neverthelefs, con tinuing for fome time impenetrable; Arnold de Winkelried^ a native of Uri- derwalden, rufhed alone upon the ene my to certain death; and, Seizing as many pikes as he could grafp, endea- votired to force through the ranks : but Ke* was killed in the attempt. His pa triotic valour, however, was riot exerted ifi vain : it inflamed the Swifs with new c and drowned himfelf in a lake, which is [ 128 J is at the top of this mountain. This corruption of a word, and this abfurd legend Sabricated from its alteration,/ will naturally remind you of feveral Others of fimilar abfurdity, which are ferioufly related by the Greek writers : a circumftance which my very worthy and learned friend Mr. Bryant,, has fo amply and ably diScuffed, in his Analyfit of ancient Mythology* I am, &c. LETTER XL Altdorf, Auguft7. THE Waldftaer See, or the lake oS the four cantons, is by far the moft beautiful and diversified body of water of this kind I have yet feen,. The upper branch, or the lake of Lu cerne, is in the form of a crofs ; the fides of which Stretch Srom Kuffnacht to Dallenwal, a Small village near Stantz, the ( 120 ] the capital of the canton of Urider- walden. It is bounded towards the town of Lucerne (which forms a fine object upon its north-weftern extremity) by cultivated hills floping gradually to the water, contrasted On the oppofite fide by an enormous mafs of barren and eraggy rocks. Mount Pilate rifes bold ly Srom the lake, and is perhaps one of the higheft mountains inSwiflerland^ iS estimated Srom its baSe, and not Srom the level oS the Sea. According to ge neral Pfiffer, its elevation above the lake is more than fix thouSand Seet : never theless its heighth above the Mediterrar neari, is nothing in comparison with that of the alps we are going to vifit; nOr indeed, does the fnow continue all the year upon its Summits It is a Single inSulated mountain ; arid is divided at its top into two rugged points; which; when not covered with clouds, Sorm a moft majeftic appearance; Towards the end of this branch, the Vol. I. K mountains [ 13° 1 mountains that border the lake, ap proach, and form an exceeding narrow creek Scarcely a mile acrofs; fbon after, the lake widens again, and we entered the Second branch, or the lake of Schweitz : on the weftern fide the canton of Un- derwalden, on the eaftern that of Schweitz. Here the mountains are more lofty, and infinitely varied : fome covered to their very Summits with the moft lively verdure ; others perpendicu-. lar and craggy ; here forming vaft am phitheatres of wood; there jutting into the water in bold promontories. On the eaftern fide of this branch, is the fmall village or town of Gerfaw, fituated at the foot of the Rugi : it is the fmalleft republic in Europe. Its territory is about a league in breadth, and two in length ; confifting partly of a fmall neck of land at the edge of the lake, and the remainder lying upon the rapid declivity of the Rugi. In the vil lage and fcattered cottages there may perhaps [ ±3i 3 perhaps be about a thoufand inhabitants i they have their general affembly of bur geffes, their Landamman, their council of regency, their courts of juftice, and their militia. I was told, (though I will not absolutely anSwer for the truth of it.) that there is not a Single horfe in the whole territory of the republic; as indeed one might well fuppofe : for, the only way of getting to the town is by water, except ing a narrow path down the Steep fides of the mountain, which is almoft im- paffable. This little republic, is under the protection of the four cantons, Lu cerne, Uri, Schweitz, and Underwalden j and in cafe of war furnifhes its quota of men. To the ambitious politician, who judges of governments by extent of dominion and power; fuch a diminutive republic thrown into an obScure corner, and Scarcely known out of its own con tracted territory, muft appear unworthy of notice ; but the Smalleft Spot of earth K 2 on [ 132 ] on which civil freedom is cultivated and flourifhes, cannot fail of being inter7 efting to thoSe who know the true value oS liberty and independence ; and are convinced, that political happineSs does not confift in great riches and extenfive empire. Towards the end oS this branch the lake forms a considerable bay ; in the midft of which lies the village of Brun- nen, celebrated for the Signing of the treaty, in 1 3 1 5, between Uri, Schweitz, and Underwalden^ From this point we had a glimpfe of Schweitz, the capital burgh of the canton, about two miles from Brunnen : it Stands Sar- ther within the land, at the bottom of two very high, Sharp, and rugged rocks. Here we turned fhort to our right- hand and entered the third branch, or the lake of Uri ; the fcenery of which is fo amazingly grand and fublime, that the impreffion it made upon me will never be [ 133 1 be erafed from my mind. Imagine to your- felf a deep and narrow lake about nine miles in length, bordered on both fides with rocks uncommonly wild and ro mantic, and, for the moft part, per pendicular ; with fofefts pf beech and pine growing down their fides to the vtery edge of the water : indeed the rocks are fo entirely fteep and overhanging, that it was with difficulty we could ob- . Serve more than four or five Spots, where we could have landed. On the right- hand, upon our firft entrance, a detach ed piece of rock, at a fmall distance Srom the Shpre, engaged our attention. It riSes to about Sixty Seet in heighth ; is covered with brufhwood and Shrubs ; and reminded me in Some degree of thofe that fhoot up in the middle of the fall of the Rhine near Schaffhaufen : but here the lake was as fmooth as chryftal ; and the Silent, folemn gloom which reigned in this place, was not lefs awful and affecting than the tremendous K 3 roaring [ i34 ] roaring of the cataract in the other, Somewhat farther, upon the higheft point of the Seelifberg, we obServed a. Small chapel that Seemed inacceSfible ; and below it, the little village of Gratis, near which 'the three herpes of thefe cantons are faid to have met, and tq have taken reciprocal oaths of fidelity, when they planned the Samous revplu*; tion *. On the oppofite fide, but farther on, appears the chapel of William Tell^ prected in honour of that hero, and upon the very fpot where (it is faid) he leaped from the boat, in which he was carrying prifoner to Kuffnacht. It is built upon a rock that juts out into the lake under a hanging wood : a Situation amid Scenes So Strikingly awful, as can not fail of Strongly affecting even the moft dull and torpid imagination ! On the infide pf this chapel, the feveral ac tions of William Tell are badly painted, While we were viewing them, we pb- * See page 142, Served, [ ^35 ] Served the countenances oS our water men gliftened with exultation, and they related to us with much Spirit and Senfi- bility the cruelties and tyranny oS Gef- ler, governor of Uri, and the intrepid behaviour of their glorious deliverer. Indeed I have frequently remarked with pleafure, the national enthufiafin which So generally prevails in this country ; and have greatly admired the fire and animation .with which the people dif- courSe oS thoSe famous men among their anceftors, to whom they are in debted for that happy ftate of indepen dence which they now enjoy. This laudable fpirit is continually kept up and encouraged by the number of Sta tues, and other memorials, of the an tient Swifs heroes, which are fo com mon in every town and village through out Swifferland. Among thefe, Tell is the moft distinguished; and he Seems to be the peculiar favourite of the common people : the reafon is obvious ; for, his K 4 ftory [ 136 ] Story partakes greatly of the marvel. lous. A man of letters at Berne has written a treatife, entitled Fable Danoife,m which he calls in queftion the hiftory of Wil liam Tell. His arguments in general are by no means conclusive ; he mentions, however, two circumftances, which, if true, are convincing proofs, that mUch fiction is interwoven with the whole account : Sor, the author afferts that the incident of Tell's fhooting the apple off the head of his fon, is not recorded in any of the contemporary historians, al though they give the minuteft accounts of the governor's tyranny ; and that the firft writer who takes notice of it, is Petermann Etterlin of Lucerne, who lived in the latter end of the fifteenth century, near two hundred years after the fact is fuppoSed to have happened. Befides, a Story of the fame kind is re^ lated in. the Danifh annals of Saxo Grammaticus, with no other difference than, I ^37 1 than that of names ; Herald king of Den mark fupplying the place of the governor of Uri; and Tocco that of William Tell: and this event, which is faid to have hap pened in 965, is attended alfo with near ly the fame incidents, as thofe recorded in the Swifs accounts *. Neverthelefs, it is far from being a neceffary confe- quence, that, becaufe the authenticity of the Story concerning the apple is liable to fome doubts ; therefore the whole tradition relating to Tell is fabulous. Neither is it a proof againft the reality of a fact, that it is not mentioned by any 'contemporary historians. The ge neral hiftory of William Tell is re peatedly celebrated in Several old Ger man Songs, So remarkable for their an tient dialect and Simplicity, as almoft * As Saxo Grammaticus is an author but little , known, and the paffage in queftion being exceed ingly curious ; the reader will find it inferred in the Appendix. to [ i*8 ] to raife the deeds they celebrate above all reafonable fufpicion : add to this, the conftant tradition of the country, to gether with two chapels erected Some centuries ago, in memory of his ex ploits. The three cantons were fo much of fended with the author for throwing any doubt upon the actions of their antient hero, that they prefented a re monstrance to the Sovereign council of Berne: in confequence of which, the pamphlet in queftion was publicly burnt at Uri. In _ this inftance their national prejudices (if they really deferve that name) become, in fome fort, me ritorious and refpectable. The crofs bow is ftill much uSed in theSe parts, as I had an opportunity of obferving upon our landing at Fluellen, where I faw Several very young boys, each with a croSs bow in his hand. There happened to be a butt at a Small , distance Srom the place ; and I gave them to [ J39: 3 to understand, that thofe who hit the mark mould receive a penny for their dexterity. Upon this intimation, three boys took aim fucceffively, two of whom. hit the very centre of the butt, and ob tained the prize accordingly : but, the third miffing, I made hirn Shoot till he touched the mark ; which, after two or three trials, he at length performed. From Fluellen we walked to. Altdorf, the capital burgh of the canton of Uri, fituated, in a narrow vale almoft intirely furrounded by Stupendous mountains. It contains Several neat houSes ; the tops whereof are covered with large de tached Stones, placed there in order to prevent the roofs being carried away by thofe violent Storms, that frequently rufh down from the neighbouring moun tains into this valley. When the greateft part of Helvetia was fubject to the empire ; the inhabi tants of Uri, Schweitz, and Under- walden, had lpng enjoyed the moft confi derable [ H° ] derable privileges, particularly the right of being governed by their own magif trates : the clergy and many of the nobles, indeed, had fiefs and fubjects in thofe respective territories ; but the bulk of the people formed feveral commu nities almoft totally independent. Dur ing the twelSth century, various disputes which theSe three cantons had with the emperors, united them more firmly than ever ; and they were accuftomed every ten years to renew formally their al liance with each other. Such was their Situation at the death of Frederic II. in 1250. From this period, or foon afterwards, commences the interregnum in the empire : during which time of anarchy and confufion, the nobles and bifhops endeavouring to extend their power, and to encroach upon the pri vileges of the people ; Uri, Schweitz, and Underwalden, put themfelves under the proteaion of Rhodolph of Habf- bourg, who, in 1270, being choSen emperor,, f 141 ] emperor, terminated the interregnum. Rhodolph had a revenue affigned to him by thefe cantons ; and he appointed a governor, who had cognizance in all criminal caufes : the rights, however, and privileges of the people were ex- prefsly referved. Rhodolph, fome time after his ac- ceflion to the throne of the empire, liftened to the ambitious Schemes of his fon Albert duke of Auftria, who was , defirous to form Helvetia into a dutchy. For this purpoSe the emperor purchaSed the domains oS Several abbeys, and other confiderable fiefs in Swifferland, as well in the canton of Schweitz as in the neighbouring territories. The great in- creaSe of power, which the emperor gained by this acquisition, induced the three cantons to renew their alliance, and to demand a confirmation of their privileges : and their demands were granted. Upon the death of Rhodolph, Adolphus of Naffau fucceeded him, from whom [ 142 ] whom they obtained the fame confir mation. But when Albert was after wards chofen emperor, he refufed to ratify it : and, in order totally to fub- due the people, he placed over themtwb governors, who were guilty of many 'flagitious acts of tyranny and oppref- Sion. Under theSe circumftances Werner de Staffach of Schweitz, Walther Furft of Uri, and Arnold de Melchtall of Under- walden, planned the famous revolution, which took place January 13, 1308, and reftored liberty to the three cantons. Albert, while he was preparing to attack them, was * affaffinated by his nephevv' John oS Habfbourg. In 131 5, Leor pold * The occafion of this aflafllnation, and the cir cumftances attending it, were as follow :— Albert, as guardian to his nephew John of Habfbourg, had taken poffeffidn of his hereditary dominions in Suabia, and refufed to deliver them up to him under various pretences. At length, wearied with repeated 9 [ H3 ] pold duke of Auftria marched againft the confederate cantons with an army of twenty repeated folicitations to no purpofe, John entered into a confpiracy againft his uncle with Rhodolph de Warth, Ulric de Palme, Walther d'Efchen- bach, and Conrad de Tagerfeld. The emperor dined at Baden, in his way to Rheinfelds, a town in the circle of Suabia, where was the emprefs his wife with a confiderable body of troops, with which he propofed attacking the. three cantons. Contemporary hiftorians,who have recorded the minuteft circumftances of this affafll- nation, relate, that Albert was in very high fpirits during the repaft ; and that upon his nephew again entreating to be put into poffefiion of his heredi tary dominions, the emperor, with an air of banter, placed a garland of flowers upon his head, adding, at the fame time, " This will be more agreeable " to you, for the prefent, than the cares of a trou- " blefome government." This taunt had fuch an effedt upon the young man, that he burft into tears, flung away the flowers, and could* not be prevailed upon to fit down to the table. After dinner Albert continued, his journey on horfeback, accompanied by his fon Leopold, the confpirators, and the reft of his ufual attendants ; and [ 144 1 twenty thoufand men ; and, endeavour ing to force his way into the canton of Schweitz and came, near the town of Windifch, in the canton of Berne, to the Reufs. Over this river, there was no bridge, but paffengers were ufually ferried upon a raft. The confpirators palled over firft ; and immediately after them Albert, who rode gentjy on, waiting for his fon Leopold, and the remainder of his fuite. As he was riding through a field, not far from the caftle of Habf bourg, and oppofite to the town of Brugg, which lies on the other fide of the Aar, the affaffins fud- denly befet him.- One of them feizing his horfe's bridle, John of Habfbourg reproached him for his Injuftice in detaining his dominions ; and, without waiting for an anfwer, ftruck him on the neck with his fword : Rhodolph de Warth wounded. him in the fide; and Ulric de Palme clove his head with his fabre. In this condition they left him expiring upon the ground. This affaffination was committed the ift of May 1308, in the open day, -and in the fight of his fon . Leopold and the reft of his court, who had not as yet • palled the river ; and , though they were w i tneffes to the murder, it was not in their power to give the emperor any affiftance. The field lies between the Aar and the Reufs, not far from the junction' of thofe two rivers j £ '45 1 Schweitz at the Streights of Morgartenj received a total defeat from thirteen hundred fivers ; and the very fpot, where he was maflacred, is marked by a convent, erected by his wife Eli- fabeth, and his daughter-in-law Agnes, the widow of his fon Rhodolph king of Bohemia : the place was called Konigsfeld, or King's field ; a name it retains to this day. The remains of the emperor were buried in the convent of Witterling, from whence they were afterwards tranfported to Spiol, and there interred. The affaflins efcaped without being purfued ; and retired into the cantons of Uri, Schweitz, and Underwalden, expecting to find a fure afylum in a nation, which Albert was preparing to invade. But thofe, generous people, detefting a crime of fo atrocious a nature, although committed upon the perfon of their greateft and moft formidable enemy, refufed to give the murderers any protection. D'Efchenbach concealed himfelf in the difguife of a common labourer during thirty years ; nor was his rank difcovered till he confeffed it upon his death-bed; De Palme, deftitute of common ne- ceffaries, died of extreme poverty ; and De Warth, tied to a horfe's tail, like a common male-. factor, and dragged to the place of execution, was broken upon the wheel. Some hiftorians relate, Vol. I, L that [ *46 ] hundred Swifs, who were pofted upon the mountains. If we may believe contemporary hiftorians, the confederate that he was the firft perfon who ever fiiffered that fpecies of torture ; that he remained three days in the moft dreadful agonies ; and that his wife (fuch was the ftrange proof fhe 'gave of her affection ! ) attended him to the place of execution, nor could be prevailed upon to withdraw herfelf till he ex pired. John of Habfbourg, commonly diftin- guifhed by the appellation of parricide from this affaffination, did not reap the benefit from his crime that he expected : for, by order of the emperor Henry VII. he retired into a monaftery of Auguftin friars at Pifa, where he died in 131 3. The widow, of Albert turned her whole thoughts towards revenging the death of her hufband ; and, in this purfuit, involved the innocent no lefs than the guilty : for, all who had any connection with the affaffins, fuffered the fame punifhment, and were facrificed with undiftinguifhing cruelty to the manes of the deceafed emperor. Mean while the three cantons were left, for a fhort time, to the undif- ¦ turbed enjoyment of their liberties, and toftrengthen themfelves againft any future attack : and thus they innocently reaped the fole advantage which Was derived from this affaffination. troops t H7 ] troops loft but fourteen men in this memorable engagement, which infured their independence for ever. This fame year the three cantons entered into a perpetual alliance, which was ratified at Brunnen: and this alliance is the grand foundatipn of the Helvetic con federacy. Such were the feeble begin nings of a league, which has fince be come fo formidable by the acceffion of ten more cantons, and by the additional Strength of its numerous allies : and it is remarkable, that Swifferland is the only country which, on the one fde3 has confined the limits of the German empire; and, on the other, has fet bounds to the French monarchy, which it has never dared to tranfgrefs. Schweitzerland, or, as we term it, Swiflerland, originally comprehended only the three cantons of Uri, Schweitz, and Underwalden, but that name was af-n terwards extended to all Helvetia. It deri ved that appellation either from the can- L 2 ton [ 14* 1 ton of Schweitz, as having particularly distinguished itSelf in the revolution of 1308, and alfo at the battle of Morgar- ten ; or from the Auftrians calling all thofe who inhabited theSe mountainous parts, by the general denomination of Schweitzers. Swifferland was the rock which the* houfe of Auftria Split upon, during more than a century. Blinded with reSent- ment againft their former Subjects, and anxious to recover their loft domains in theSe parts ; the feveral dukes led on in perSon confiderable armies to Subdue a nation, whoSe Spirit was unconquera ble ; and to get poffeSfion of a country, which, from its fituation, was eafily defended by an handful of men againft the moft numerous troops. Within the period- above mentioned, Auftria neglected Several opportunities of ag grandizing herfelf in other parts ; and, flighting what was more feafible, bent her whole efforts to obtain what in its • .;.- . very [ 149 1 very nature was unattainable. The confequence of this mistaken policy, was1, a continued , Succeffion of defeats, at tended with a prodigious expence, and the lofs of their braveft troops : until at length, convinced of their error, they totally relinquifhed an attempt, which had coft them So much Sruitlefs blood and treafure. But although feveral em perors of that houfe occasionally made alliances with the Swifs cantons ; yet it was not till the treaty of Weftphalia that their independence was fully and finally acknowledged by Ferdinand III. and the whole empire. The government of thefe three can tons js entirely democratical, and near ly the fame. The fuprdme power re fides in the people at large, who are, in each of thefe cantons, divided into Several communities, Srom which are chofen equally the councils of regency. In the general affembly the Landam man, and the principal magiftrates, are L 3 elected; [ *5° 1 elected : and every burgher, at the age of fourteen in the canton of Uri ; and 'of fifteen in Schweitz and Underwalden, has a right to vote. The councils of regency of Uri and Schweitz confift each of fixty members, and refide at the capital burghs. In this council the executive power is vetted, and from this body the principal magiftrates are choSen. Underwalden is divided into the inferior and Superior valley ; and each of thefe divisions has its own pe culiar government and adminiftration. Formerly the whole canton was under the Same administration ; but the two districts Separated upon Some diSpute, and have Since formed two diftinfr go vernments ; which have each their ge neral affembly, their Landamman, and their council of regency : but for the ma< nagement of external affairs, there is a ' joint council formed of the two divifions. Thefe three cantons contain about eighty thoufand fouls, and in cafe of neceffity [ i5« ] neceffity could furnifh above twenty thou fand militia. All the Catholic cantonsi enjoy considerable Subsidies from France. Every burgher, of the age of fourteen, receives fix livres (five Shillings of our money) annually ; the Landamman and the magiftrates more in proportion. The canton of Schweitz has had fpr fome time a quarrel with France ; and accordingly withdrew its troops from that fervice : but this year the -matter has been accommodated ; and the king pays every male child of a burgher, four livres annually, reckoning from the time of his birth. I cannot help thinking, that the acceptance of thefe fubfidies derogates in Some meaSure from that fpirit of abfolute indepen dence, which the cantons of Swiffer land profefs ; and that it would be far niore honourable to enter into an al liance with France upon terms of the moft perfect equality, than to receive froni that kingdom paltry Subfidies, L 4 which [ *5* 1 which give an air of venality to their feveral treaties. The fame kind of foil, and the fame fort of productions, are common to the three cantons : the whole country being rugged and mountainous, confifts chiefly of excellent pafture, but raiSes little corn, and has no vines. One cannot but obServe with aftoniShment to what a degree of fertility they have improved a land, naturally the moft barren, and for which they fought with as much zeal and intrepidity, as if they had been contending for the richeft plains of Sicily or Afia Minor. In thefe little democratical States Sumptuary laws are not neceffary ; for, they Scarcely know, even in idea, what luxury is. Such indeed is the purity, or (as fome perhaps would call it) the aufterity of morals, which ftill prevails among theSe people, as cannot eafily be" imagined by the inhabitants of great and opulent cities : and I cannot reflect on that af fectionate [ 153 ] fectionate patriotifm which fo ftrongly. attaches them to their country, with out calling to mind that beautiSul de scription of the Swifs peafant, in Gold- Smith's Traveller : ,s Dear is that Jhed to which his foul conforms, .*' And dear that hill which lifts him to thejiorms; " And as a child, when fearing founds moleji, 11 Clings clofe and clofer to the mother's breajl ; " So the loud torrent, and the whirlwind' s roar, " But bind him to his native mountains more." Every ftep we now advance is tread ing, as it were, upon Sacred ground; as monuments continually occur oS thoSe memorable battles, by which the SwiSs reScued themSelves from oppreffion, and Secured the enjoyment of their invalu able freedom. I am now indeed in the very center of civil liberty ; would I could add of religious too ! but the church of Rome, exclusively, is estab lished here ; and the people are in ge neral bigotted, fuperftitious, and into lerant. It muft be acknowledged, how ever, [ 154 ] •ever, that this ^intolerant fpirit is not wholly confined to the Catholic can tons ; for, in thofe where the Proteftants prevail, Calvinifm is alone admitted : and thus a nation, who - prides her- felf upon her freedom, denies the free exercife of religion to every other feet except that which predominates. Is hot this Striking at the firft principle, and moft valuable privilege, of genuine li berty ? Long as my letter already is, I can not forbear mentioning, before I con clude it, a peculiar cuftom obServed in Some of thefe democratical States : every perSon who is chofen for a bailliage, or any office in the leaft lucrative, is obliged to pay a certain Stipulated Sum into the public' fund. This practice is attended with one ill confequence at leaft ; as the SucceSsful candidate is in fome mea- fure authorised to Stretch his preroga tives, in order to make the moft of the profits of his charge. * Accordingly it [ *ss ] it is a general remark, that in the com mon bailliages the bailiffs appointed by the popular cantons are more apt to be guilty of exactions than thofe of the ariftocratical, I am, &c. LETTER XII. .* St. Gothard, Auguft g. SW I S S E R LAN D is a moft delight- Sul country, and merits the parti cular observation of the traveller, as well for the diverfity of the feveral go vernments, as for the wonderful beau ties of nature : but the impofitions of the innkeepers, the difficulty of procur ing horfes, and the exorbitant price one is obliged to pay Sor the hire oS them, are the taxes one muft inevitably be fubject to, for the enjoyment of thefe its delights. Thefe little inconvenien ces i 156 j ces however Should be borne with pa tience and good-humour; and I will not trouble you with any Splenetic com plaints pf thofe unpleafant circumftances which all travellers muft neceffarily meet with. We quitted Altdorf after dinner, hav ing with difficulty hired two horfes, be^- fides one for the baggage ; we procured, however, another upon the road : fo that what with riding and tying we got on very well. About nine miles from Altdorf, we began afcending. The road winds continually along the fteep fides of the mountains ; and the Reufs in many places entirely fills up the bottom of the valley, which is very narrow : that river fometimes appeared feveral hundred yards below us ; here rufhing a confiderable way through a foreft of pines ; there falling down in cafcades, and lofing itfelf in the valley. We paffed it feveral times over bridges of a fingfe arch, and beheld it tumbling under our 9 fee t *S7 1 feet in channels which it had forced through the folid rock; innumerable torrents roaring down the fides of the mountains ; which were fometimes bare, Sometimes finely wooded, with here and there fome Santaftic beeches hanging on the fides oS the precipice, and half ob- Scuring the river from our view. The darknefs and folitude of the forefts ; the occasional liveliness and variety of the verdure ; immenfe fragments of rock blended with enormous maffes of ice, that had tumbled from the mountains above ; rocks of an aftonifhing heighth piled up on one another, and Shutting in the vale ;¦ — Such are the Sublime and mag nificent Scenes with which this romantic country abounds, and which enchanted us beyond expreffion. We Set out this morning early from Wafen, a fmall village where we paffed the night ; and continued advancing for Some way on a rugged afcent, through the fame wild and beautiful tract of country, [ 158 ] Country, which I have juft mentioned. We could Scarce walk an hundred yards without crofling Some of thofe torrents, that precipitated with violence from the tops of the mountains in different forms; the water clearer than chryftal. The road, exceedingly fteep and craggy, is chiefly paved : in many places it is caiv ried upon arches under a high moun tain, and overhangs a deep precipice ; the river roaring and foaming below. This being one of the great paffages into Italy, we met a confiderable number of pack- horfes laden with merchandise : and as .the road in particular parts is very narrow, it required Some dexterity in the horfes to pafs one another without joft- ling. TheSe roads, hanging as they do over the precipice, cannot fail of in spiring terror to thpSe travellers, who are unaccustomed to them ; and more par ticularly as the mules and horSes have a Singular method of going on. They do not keep in the middle of the track, 5 but [ 159 ]" but continue croffing from the fide of the mountain towards the edge of the precipice, then turn aflant abruptly ; and thus form, if I may fo exprefs my felf, a conftant zig-zag. Thus far the valley of St. Gothard appeared to be well peopled ; and we paffed through feveral villages fituated towards the bottom and leSs narrow part of the valley : ,the fides of the mountains were occasionally Strewed thick with cottages ; covered with fo refts ; or enriched with paftures. Still continuing to aScend, the country a lit tle beyond Wafen Suddenly changed. It now became more wild and perfectly deSert : there were no traces of any trees, except here and there a Stubbed pine ; the rocks were more bare, craggy, and impending; not the leaft Sign of any habitation; and fcarce a blade of grafs to be feen. We then came to a bridge thrown acrofs a very deep chafin over the Reufs, which here forms a confiderable C 160 ] confiderable cataract down the Shaggeel fides of the mountain, and over im- menfe fragments of rock which it has undermined in its eourfe. This bridge is called Teufels-bruck, or the devil's bridge ; the common people always at tributing works of any difficulty to the devil. As we ftood upon the bridge admiring the cataract, we were covered with a kind of drizzling rain ; the river throwing up the fpray to a confiderable heighth. TheSe are Sublime Scenes of horror, of which thofe who have not been Spectators, can form no idea : nei ther the powers of painting nor poe try can give an adequate image of them. ' Not far from this wonderful land- feape (the country ftill continuing Soli tary and deSolate) the road led us into a Subterraneous paflage, of about eighty paces in length, cut through a rock of granite, which opened at the oppo- fite entrance into the ferene and culti vated t l«t .1 vated valley of UrSeren : the objects that preSented themfelves to us were; a village backed by an high mountain; on the fides of which was a wood of pines ; peafants at Work in the fields ; cattle feeding in the meadows ; and the river, which, when we laft faw it, loudly dafhed over rude fragments of rock in a continual cataract, now flowed Silently and Smoothly along; while the Sun, which had been hidden from us when we were in the deep valley, here Shone forth in its full fplendor. In general we had hi therto always found a gradual advance from extreme wildnefs to high cultiva tion ; but in the prefent inftance, the change was So abrupt and inltantaneous, that it Seemed like a Sudden enchant ment. In this valley are four villages, Urfe- ren, Hopital, Realp, and Zundorf ; forming a fmall republic under the pro tection of the canton of Uri. The ter ritory of this little commonwealth is • Vol. I. M about C 16* 3 about nine miles in length and two in breadth, and contains thirteen hundred fouls. The people elect in their gene ral affembly, their Talamman or chief, as alfo fome other magiftrates : and there , is a permanent council of fifteen mem bers, Who meet alternately in the differ ent diftricts. The inhabitants oS this valley enjoy very great privileges ; but the republic is not ahfolutely indepen dent : for in civil caufes an appeal lies from their courts of juftice to Altdorf; and in criminal ones, although the trial is in the courts of the valley, and before the judges of the country; yet two deputies from the government of Uri are prefent at the decision, and deliyer in to the judges the opinion of the council of Altdorf. Notwithstanding the confiderable ele vation of this valley, and the coldnefs of the air even at this feafon of the year, it produces excellent pafture and fome barley. The only wood they have C 163 } have is the fmall plantation of pines I juft now mentioned, rifing behind the village of Urferen, and which is preServed with uncommon care and re verence ; in Some parts indeed, along the banks, of the Reufs, there is here and there a fmall quantity of brufh-wood and Stubbed willows ; but theSe do not Supply the inhabitants with a thou sandth part of the fuel neceffary for confumption in this climate. In the ad jacent country there are feveral mines of chryftal; of which a confiderable quan tity is exported to Milan, as well from hence as from Altdorf. The language pf the country Still continues a kind of SwiSs-German, but almoft every perfon foeaks Italian. The valley of Urferen is a fmall plain entirely Surrounded on all fides by higb and barren rocks, the tops whereof are' Covered with Show. This plain is com monly Said to form the bafe of the mountain of St. Gothard; though the M 2 latter [ 164 J latter is more properly an enormous mountain, piled upon the Shoulders of other mountains which rife rapidly from the lake of Lucerne. Near the mid dle of this beautiful plain we turned to the left, and again entered a valley filled with the ruins of broken moun tains ; the Reufs burfting through it with a moft rapid and vehement tor rent ; on each fide, immenfe < Shattered blocks of granite, of a beautiful greyifh colour (and of which the fummits of thefe alps are compofed) confufedly piled together. It is about three leagues from Urferen to this place; and the afcent all the way as Steep as a horSe can well mount : but the road, consider ing the ruggedneSs of the rocks, is not fo incommodious as one might expect. We are now lodged at a houfe in habited by two Italian friars from the convent of Capuchins at Milan ; who receive all ftrangers that paSs through^ thefe inhoSpitable regions ; where there is [ i65 1 is no other houfe for a confiderable way. One of the friars is abfent, fo that I am in poffeffion of his bedchamber : it is a fnug little room, where a man may Sleep very well without being an an chorite ; and which, after the fatigues of our journey, I enjoy with a fatisfac- tion much too Senfible to envy the lux ury of a palace. Our hoft has juft given us a dinner, confifting oS delicious trout, (with which Some of the lakes and the neighbouring torrents abound) eggs and milk, together with a defert compofed of excellent -butter and cheefe; both which were made' in this dreary fpot ; the paf- ture being peculiarly exquifite. Upon our arrival we were rejoiced to find a good fire; the weather being So exceedingly cold, that I, who wks only clad in a thin camlet coat, came into the convent half frozen. It is lingular to find, at the diftance of only a day's journey, the climate fo different from what it was at Altdorf : the air is ab^ M 3 folutely [ 1 66 ] folutely in a freezing State; and I juft now p&ffed by a boy at work, who was blowing his fingers to warm them. If the cold be fuch in the midft of fum- mer, how intolerably piercing muft it prove in December ? The Snow begins to fall here the latter end of September'; and the lakes about this fpot are frozen during nine months in the year. I am juft returned from vifiting the Sources of the Tefin and the ReuSs ; which riSe within two miles oS each other. The former, in the ftate I Saw it, flowed Srom under a maSs of ice; but the friar who accompanied us, told me, that, when the ice is melted, it is Seen burfting Srom the rock : from thence it takes its eourfe towards the fouth ; is joined in its paffage by feveral torrents; traverfes the lake of Locarno, and part of the Milanefe, and at length unites with the Po. The latter river iffues from the lake Loacendro, which is about two mjles in circumference; flows tpwards the $ [' 167 1 the north into the lake of Lucerne, and from thence throws itfelf into the Aar and the Rhine. It was from the dif ferent courfes of thefe two rivers, that Mr. de Boufflers faid, that upon the top of the St. Gothard, a man might fpit into the Ocean and the Mediterra nean. Thefe lakes (of which kind there are a confiderable number in thefe parts) are equally deep in winter and fummer, and always preferve the Same level. They are probably formed by the melting of the Snows, with which the circumjacent mountains are covered ; although in Se veral there is no appearance of their being Supplied by any torrent. For, the Snows thus melted, Sorce themfelves channels in the rocks ; and, flowing through Subterra neous paffages, iffue out at Some diftance: and by this means the true Sources of theSe great bodies of water lie conceal ed. Within a day's journey is the fource pf the Rhine in the Grifons ; and about the diftance. of three leagues, that of the M 4 Rhone [ i68 ] Rhone in the Furca : which- mountain we Shall paSs to-morrow. We are Still furrounded \by very high, rugged rocks, and inacceffible glaciers ; So that our view is much confined : and though I walked above a league towards Italy, in hopes of 'having an extenfive profpect. of part of that delightful country, yet I could See nothing but rocks, precipices, 3,nd torrents. I am at this inftant near * Seven thouSand Seet perpendicular above the level of the fea : no inconfiderable heighth, moft certainly. Nevertheless, -if I were to give credit to thofe, who affert, that this mountain is the higheft point of Europe, I Should raiSe mySelf in idea above twice as .high. But, as I have reafon to think, that this opinion is founded upon falfe calculations ; I will jiot flatter -myfelf, that I am more exalted * According to Mr. de Sauffure, the fpot upon "tyhich the houfe of the Capuchin friars is built, :js i?o6r French toifes above the fea. : above. i 1.69 ] above the reft of mankind than I really am. Mikeli,.who meafured the principal mountains of Swifferland (but who is very inaccurate in his calculations) confi- ders this as the higheft of all ;' and he eftimates its elevation above the fea as equal to 17,600 feet. But the truth is, St. Gothard, fo far from being of that elevation, is by no means the higheft mountain of Swifferland ; and there is probably not one mountain, either in Europe, Afia, or Africa, of that heighth. According to general Pfiffer, the moft .elevated part oS the St. Gothard rifes above the Sea 9,075 feet : an heighth confiderably leSs than that of ./Etna and of Teneriff; and ftill more inferior to that of feveral in this great chain pf alps, which feparate Italy from Swifferland. lam, &c. LETTER t 17° ] LETTER XIII. Munfter in the Vallais, Auguft 11. I Arrived here late yefterday evening; and So fatigued that I could not have written a line for any consideration whatfoever : but I am this morning quite refrefhed with a comfortable Sleep, and in Spirits to continue my journal. I took leave of our hoft of St. Gothard, after having wifhed him a plea- Sant winter in that dreary Situation ; and walked on alone, for about two leagues, down the vale of St. Gothard. Indeed I frequently quit my company, and either go on before, or ftay behind, that I may enjoy uninterrupted, and with a fort of melancholy pleafure, thefe Sublime exhibitions of Nature in her moft awSul and tremendous forms. I •entered the valley of Urferen at Hopi- tal; and was again ftruck with the Strong contraft between that cultivated vale . I 171 ] vale and the defolate country I had juft quitted. We paffed through the fmall village of Zundorf ; and Stopt at that of Realp, to get fome refrefhment, and bait our horfes. From thence we Soon arrived at the extremity of the valley of Urferen ; where we began afcending a path fo narrow, fteep, and rugged, that I could not forbear fufpecting we had miffed our way, as it Seemed almoft impracticable for horfes : upon their arrival however I mounted, being a lit tle fatigued with my walk from St. Gothard to Realp, It was a fingle , path, up a fteep mountain, where an horSe, with Some dexterity, could juft put one leg before the other : and this path fometimes lay upon the edge of a precipice, very craggy and Stony ; where, if my fteed had happened to Stumble, we muft both inevitably have perifhed. But as I knew he had no more fancy than myfelf to take a roll down the precipice, I had nothing to do but to truft [ *7* 1 truft entirely to his difcretion, fling the bridle upon his mane, and let him pick out his own road. Nor had I any rea fon to repent of my confidence : for, in the bad and dangerous parts of the roads, he never once tripped ; where it was fmoother and fafer indeed, he knew he had a licence to be more care- lefs. We came at length to a torrent, which we paffed by means of a plank that was thrown acrofs, after having got our horfes over with fome difficulty : a little way farther we arrived at another, deeper and more violent than the former, over which there was no bridge ; not the leaft appearance of any track on the other fide ; a confiderable diftance from any habitation ; ' and our guide unac quainted with the road. After fome obfervation however we difcovered, that the mountain had lately fallen down, and had carried away the path ; leaving only a very faint narrow track, that was broken t 173 ] broken off on the fide of the precipice i along which my companions fcram bled as well as they could upon their hands and knees. While I was croffing on horfe- back the torrent (which was filled with Shattered fragments of rock) I heard a Scream; and turning round, Saw one of our fervants feized with a panic on the very edge of the precipice, and vehemently ex claiming, that he could neither get back wards or forwards. Neverthelefs, with Some affiftance, he got Safe over; de claring, at the fame time, that he would take care never to put himfelf again in a fimilar Situation. We now regained a kind of path, but fo extremely difficult and dangerous, that we thought it moft prudent to diSmount, and leave the horfes to make their way as well as they Could. With much difficulty, and af ter having croffed feveral large drifts of ice and fnow, the torrents at the Same time rumbling* under our feet; we reached, by a very fteep aScent, the 6 Summit [ 174 1 fummit of the valley. A number of rugged and forked rocks, piled one above another, have occasioned, ,it is Said, this chain to be called the Mount Furca. The country immediately around us was more dreary and deSolate than any we had yet Seen, not excepting even the valley of St. Gothard; all vege tation feemed to have* ceafed : lower down, the mountains were covered with herbage and Sweet-Scented flowers; near us, but higher, on the left, lay a large body of ice, from which iffued a torrent (probably one of the firft Sources oS the Rhone) rufhing towards the Vallais. In a word, the Several majeftic objects that preSented themSelves to pur view, formed a fcene inconceivably afto- nifhing and Sublime. From hence we deScended, Scram bling down broken rocks and craggy precipices for a confiderable way. By this time I was Sufficiently tired, to be glad to fit down, and take Some refrefh ment, t l7S ] ment, confifting oS bread, cheeSe, and j hard eggs ; the only provision we could procure at Realp. We were Seated by a ftream of clear water gliding along the fide of the mountain ; which indeed was fo exceedingly fteep, that our hum ble repaft would have rolled away from us if it not had been well fupported. In full view before us was the glacier of the Furca ; an immenfe mafs of ice, ex tending in the form of an amphitheatre between two rocks, more fhagged, if poffible, than any of the neighbouring mountains : it ftretches from their feet, fills up the chafm between them, and reaches almoft even with their fummits. The fun fhone directly upon it, and made it gliften like chryftal ; while the blue tints, that were occasionally diS- perfed over the ice, appeared inexpref- fibly beautiful. The ice feemed to break in feveral parts, as we heard fome loud and deep cracks ; the torrent of the Rhone at the fame time roaring beneath. That [ i7* 1 That river is chiefly formed by this gh* cier: the fmall torrent, I mentioned above, which burfts out from the up per body of ice, is joined by feveral others ; then lofes itfelf under the vaft arch of ice that forms the bottom of the glacier of the Furca ; iffues from thence confiderably augmented, and is the great and principal fource from whence this famous river takes its rife. The range of mountains on which we were Sitting, were Spread over with bruth-wood and herbage; and Some cat tle were Seeding along the heighths s a fine contraft to the Sterility of the oppofite chain; which appeared for fome extent nothing but bare and rugged rock, except where it was covered with ice , and frozen fnow. After we had finifhed our banquet, and repoSed ourfelves for a fhort time, con templating the Singularity of the fcene before us ; we defcended clofe to the bottom of the glacier, where we ' ad mired C i77 J mired the Rhone breaking forth with violence from the bed of ice, near the tre mendous fragments of a fallen rock. We now followed the eourfe of that river, and, proceeded down a mountain fo ex-* eeedingly fteep, that the Several parts of the road (which was there paved) winding along its Sides, were frequently parallel to each other. The fcenery of the vale, which we now entered, was of the fame kind, but more Sublime, if poffible, than that of St.- Gothard ; the Rhone foaming along with amazing rapidity, as it falls in a continual cataract at the foot of fome irregular alps of an im-* meafurable heighth. Indeed this cataract is the moft confiderable of any we have yet feen, except that of Schaffhaufen. We travelled through this vale above two leagues, perpetually afcending or defcending the rugged fides of rocks ; one moment clofe to the river, and the next fome hundred yards above it. . The grandeur of thefe fcenes con- Vol I. N tinued [ *78 ] tinued with infinite variety for a confi derable way ; and (which added greatly to the magnificence and livelinef* of the landfcape) I counted* in lefs thai* a quarter of a mile, twenty torrents at leaft; which we croffed. At firft the rocks were either bare, or ftudded Here and there with Some Straggling pines; but as we advanced, they be came more and more cloathed with wood and rich verdure : ftill no traces of any habitation; and we had now gone at leaSt fifteen miles, from our firft quitting the valley of Urferen, without having feett even a fhed. I was here fo ftruck with the beauty of the forefts through which we paffed; and the luxuriance of the pafture, that I could not help expreffitfg my aftonifhment that I Saw no appear ance of any habitation in thefe delightful Spots. I had fcarce made the remark, when four or five hamlets, fituated on the other fide of the Rhone, upon a beautiful declivity, announced our ap- i proach. t m ] proach to tfoe Vallais. Not long aft$r* Wards,we unexpectedly came to an open* Ing which gave us an extenfive view of that rich and fertile country, with feveral villages here and there difperfedw In this Very Spot fome peaSant, either by a lucky" hit of mere chance, or the happy choice of inftinctive tafte, has built his cottage. Here we quitted the bad road, and de.- fcended into the Vallais, We had propofed palling the night at Oberwaldi and I was very glad to arrive there, after the fatigues of the day: but, upon enquiry, we found it could Supply us with no refrefhment. The mafter of a little hovel, which was called an inn, pointed to a large cheeSe^ and told us That was all the provision he had $ it was his bread, his fifh, and his meat. Meeting with no better re* ception at Obergeftlen, we continued on to Munfter; where we did not arrive till late: here we found however an excellent inn for this country, whicrj N 2 afforded [ i8o ] afforded us fome good bread, and even fome meat; but what was far more comfortable to me, a quiet room, and a clean bed. As we are going to quit this country immediately, and propofe returning into it by the Gemmi; I will defer giving you any account of the government •until I fhall be better informed. I am, &c. LETTER XIV. Spital upon the Grimfel, Auguft it. TH E Vallaifans are remarkably attached to their liberty. Upon' our quitting Munfter, this morning, we walked on, and joined company with a peaSant, with whom we had a long conversation. The countryman afked us how we liked the country; and, pointing to the mountains, Said : "TheSe " are E 181 ] " are our bulwarks, and they are ftrong. " ones too ; Conftantinople is not fo " ftrongly fortified." This upper part of the Vallais, I fhould imagine, is not much frequented by travellers, if we may judge from the curiofity of. the people, who all came out to gaze upon us; and when they difcovered that we were Englifhmen, they obferved us with ftill more attention. But what particularly SurpriSed us was, that the peafant above - mentioned, afked us, ¦'* How our war with the Americans '* went on ?" It feemed indeed Somewhat extraordinary, that a common peafant of the Vallais, fhould know there was Such a place as Conftantinople ; but it was more Surprising Still, that he Should ever have heard of the prefent conteft between Great Britain and her American Cplonies. , After returning about a league the fame way we came yefterday, through $iis fertile and well-cultivated country.; N 3 we, I I** ] we left the plain, and afcended the Grimfei : one of thofe alps which feparate the Vallais from the canton of Berne. We Were near four hours climbing up a Steep and craggy road to the Summit $ and we fhould have considered the at tempt to gain it as Scarcely poffible to fucceed, had we not been encouraged by the experience of yefterday. We Croffed the feveral fhades of vegetation ; in the valley, and the lower parts of the mountain, corn and rich meadows ; then forefts of larch and pine; next, fhort graSs, together with Several Species of herbs, that afford exquifite pafture to the cattle ; to theSe Succeeded the various tribe of moffes ; and then bare rock and fnow. It would be curious to construct, or at leaft to imagine, a Scale of vegetation, according to the idea of a French writer, whofe name I have forgotten. It would appear from thence, that exceffive cold and exceffive heat are eqiially pernicious. The tops of thefe t 183 ] high mountains are barren, and pro duce no plants ; and at certain heighths nothing but mofles will vegetate : the fame is obferved in climates where the heat is intolerable ; as no other vege table productions are feen in the burn ing fands of Africa. The moffes then, which fupport the cold better than other plants, would form the firft de gree of a fcale adjufted to determine how far vegetation accords with the temperature of the atmofphere. The fame family of plants, as it Supports alfo the heat much better than any other, would occupy the laft degree in the Scale above-mentioned. Thus the two extremes touch one another fur- prifingly. From the top of the Grimfei we de scended about two miles, and arrived at a fmall plain or hollow in the midft of the mountains ; containing one foli- tary hovel : and from this hovel I am now writing to you. It made fo bad N 4 an [ iH I an appearance at firft fight, that we concluded we Should get nothing to eat : we were, however, very agreeably difappointed ; as we have found in this defart fpot all the accommodations we could wifh for, except beds ; and thefe are the lefs neceffary, after the found fleep we had laft night. Not to mention excellent cheefe, butter, and milk (our ordinary fare) we got fome good wine, a Small portion of kid, and a boiled marmote, which we Jiave juft devoured ; although at another time we fhould have revolted at the very idea. The landlord is Stationed in this for lorn region by the cantpn of Berne* and he refides in it about four months ; the "roads being almoft impaffable the remaining eight : his bufineSs is to re<- ceive all travellers; but upon condir tion, however, that they pay for their accommodations. When he quits the place, he leaves a certain quantity of cheefe, hard bread, falted provision, and fuel, [ i»S ] fuel, in cafe any unfortunate wanderer mould happen to come this way, when the winter has fet in : and we obferved long poles fixed on both fides of the track, at fmall distances from each other, in order to point, out the path to paffengers, who may chance to pafs this mountain, after the fnows have begun to fall. Near the houfe, upon the top of a fmall rock, our hoft has made a kind of little garden, by bringing fome earth from the neighbouring paftures : and this fmall bit of ground fuppfi.es him tolerably well with turnips, cab bages, and fome other vegetables; al though, on account of the heighth of the circumjacent mountains, it does not long enjoy the warmth of the fun. > Numerous herds of goats are kept, during the fummer months, upon thefe mountains : they are let out every morning to feed upon the rich paf tures ; and return every evening be fore fun-fet to be milked and houfed. It [ 1 86 ] It was a pleafing fight to obferve them all marching homeward in the fame herd ; and following one another down the broken precipices, and along the rugged fides of the rocks : their milk is delicious. This hovel (befides the ftore-houSes for the cheefes, of which tihey make here a large quantity, and of a moft excellent fort) contains only a fmall iitchen, and one room, in which we are now fitting. We occupy nearly one fide of it ; the other is taken up by our fervants, the landlord and his. -wife, and half a dozen honeft labourers : the latter are eating their homely Supper, with all the relifh that well-earned hunger can give; and are enjoying a Short reSpite from their toil, with that noify mirth which characterifes the gaiety of this clafs of people. The fources of the river Aar are in thefe mountains. Near our hovel are two lakes ; and farther on a larger one: i i«7 3 one : from each of thefe flow cafcades, that fall into the Aar, which rolls dowrt jn an impetuous torrent from the neigh* bourmg glaciers. I walked by the fide of that river while dinner was getting ready, fearching for chryftals ; which are very common in thefe parts : we picked up pieces of divers colours, -white, black, yellow, and green. Not far from hence are feveral very curious mines of chryftal : I regretted much that! had not time to viiit them. Thefe moun tains certainly abound alfo in rich veins of gold, and other metals ; a eon- iiderable quantity of gold-duft being found in fhe bed of the Aar, and in the various torrents, I can conceive nothing more fatal to the interefts of Swifferland, nor more repugnant to the liberties of the people, than to "have thefe mines of gold or Silver traced and opened. A Sudden overflow of riches would effectually change and corrupt their manners ; and it is an incontes table [ 188 ] table truth, that the real power of a country, not ambitious of making con quests, is derived leSs from the wealth than from the induftry of its fubjects ; the happinefs of a people, as well as of an individual, confifting in being contented. What a chaos of mountains are here heaped upon one another ! a dreary, defolate, but fublime appearance : it looks like the ruins and Wreck of a World. I am, &;c, LETTER XV. Meyringen, Augufti2. , , I Found the cold upon the Grimfei more piercing than I had experi-r enced upon the top of St. Gothard ; and laft night I Suffered So much from it, as Scarcely to fleep one minute. But then circumftances were fpmewjiat different in [ i89 ] in the two lodgings : for at the Capu chin's J* had a comfortable bed ; where as laft iigl:t I lay in the hay-loft, and could not get any covering : I declare my blood has hardly yet recovered its circulation.' Take notice, this is the 1 2th of Auguft. We are now in the diftrict of Hafli, which makes a part of the canton of Berne: it is enclofed on all fides by the mountains Grimfei, Wetterhorn, Shereckhorn, Brunig, &c. the higheft alps of Swifferland; and of thefe the Shereckhorn is the moft elevated. We paffed through an uninterrupted chain of alps, following the eourfe of the Aar : all around us, for fome way, was wild, and uninhabitable. The whole Surface of what little vale there was between the ranges of mountains, was ftrewed thick with vaft fragments of rock ; while thofe, which ftill hung on the fides of the '. mountains, feemed threatning to tumble upon our heads ; 3 the t *9° 1 the river, the whole way, thundering along in a continual fall. This valley exhibits the fame kind of fcenes we have been long accuftomed to j except that the Aar rufhes with more impetuous f age even than the Rhone or the Reufs j and is frequently fo Swelled with the torrents it receives in its eourfe, as to ravage all the adjacent country: we few many marks oS thefe terrible de valuations. We croffed it in Several places ; m one of which the landfcape was very much of the fame dreary kind as that of the Devil's' Bridge *. Near the fmall village of Hurideek, about three leagues from Spital, we had a glimpfe, through the trees, of the Aar falling from a confiderable heighth. In order to gain a nearer view of it, we climbed along the fides of a rock, which happened very luckily to be well covered with mofs, otherwife, from its fteepnefs, it would not have * See page ,r6o; been t m ] Ibeett practicable: I leaned againft a tree that hung over the precipice, and faw the river rufhing all at once as if from a crevice of the rock, and then fpreading into a kind of femicircular expanfion in its defcent. It fell with fury into a deep and narrow channel^ and then loft itfelf in the midft of the foreft. The river was very full; and its perpendicular fall, as far as I could judge by the eye, might be about 150 feet. The fcenery alfo was fblemnly majeftic ; the rocks on each fide iifing perpendicularly, and totally bare, ex cept their tops, which were erowned with pines. Great part of this land of Hafli is extremely fertile, and well wooded : we: traverfed in our way to Meyiingen large forefts of beech and pines, the Aar roaring along the vale ; and the road, which was as craggy and as rugged as ufual, inceffantly afcending and defcdrid- ing. We now paffed through feveral fmall [ 192 ] fmall villages, which afforded us a pleaf. ing fight, after the defolated countiy we had fo lately been accustomed to ; and came into a beautiful little vale of a moft lively verdure, and delightfully planted. All here was calrhnefs and repofe : neither rapid river nor roaring torrent to interrupt the unufual StillneSs and tranquillity oS the Scene. This Short interval of Silence, made us the more fenfibly affected by the turbulence of the Aar and the loud clamour of the cataracts. We have now feen the three greateft rivers in Swifferland (the Rhine excepted) ifluing from their respective fburces ; and have traced them in all their vio lence through a tract of country in which Nature has exhibited Some, of the grandeft and moft auguft of her works . But how imppffible have I found it to convey to you an adequate idea of thefe hermajeftic,variegated, and aftonifh- ing Scenes ! They muft all of them upon paper neceffarily appear much the fame : yet, [ 193 1 yet; in fact; every river and eatafact, every rock, mountain, and precipice, are respectively distinguished from each other by an infinite diversity oS modifications, and by all the poffible Sorms of beau-; ty, or magnificence; of fublimity, or horror. But thefe difcriminating va riations, though too vifibly marked to efcape even the leaft obferving eye, elude every kind of reprefentation, and defy the ftrongeft powers both of the pen and the pencil. In a word,- you muft not judge of the beauties of this ro mantic country, from the faint fketches I have attempted to delineate: for; upon the whole, they can no more con vey to you a complete and perfect idea of thefe wonderful fcenes, than if I were to aim at giving you fome notion of the pictures of Raphael and Corregio, by telling you, they are compofed of paint and canvas < Meyringett is a large neat village; being the Gapital burgh of this land of Vol. I. O Hafli : t m ] Hafli ! a diftrict which enjoys confider able privileges. There- is no bailiff appointed by the government of Berne over any part of this territory, but the people are governed by their own ma giftrates : the former, however, as well as the latter, are obliged to take oaths of fidelity to the fovereign council of Berne. All the authority, which the bailiffs in the other parts of this canton enjoy, is poffeffed in a great meafure by the Landamman ; with this referve however, that he is fubject to the in spection of the bailiff of Interlaken, to whom he delivers in his accounts. He refides here, and is appointed by the fovereign council from among the in habitants : he continues in charge fix years. All the other magistrates (ex cept the judge and the Secretary) are elected by the people, who affemble every four years. Thefe privileges are the more remarkable in an aristocracy, like that of Berne, where the council of two hundred t 105 ] hundred are in poffeffion oS Sovereign and unlimited power. In this diftrict there are about 6,000 men capable of bearing arms, and about 20,000 fouls. The inhabitants are a very fine race of people : the men in general re markably Strong, lufty, and well made ; the women tall and handSome. The latter have an elegant manner of wear ing their hair, which is commonly of a beautiful colour : it is parted from the top of the forehead, from thence brought rouna. and joined to the locks behind ; which either hang down their back in long treffes, braided with rib band,, or are woven round the head in a Simple plait. But the other part of the drefs does no*t in the leaft correspond with this elegance ; as their Shapes, na turally fine, are Spoiled by an abSurd fafhion of wearing their petticoats fb high, that they all appear as if they were round-fhouldered and big-bellied. Meyringen is fituated near the Aar, O 2 in [ 196 ] in a very romantic valley ; furrounded by meadows of a moft luxuriant ver dure, Sprinkled with cottages, which are occafionally Separated Srom each other by huge intervening ftones and deep channels, the remaining effects of Storms and torrents. Clofe to the village, the Alp-bach, a torrent So called, falls from the mountain Houfli, in two beautiful perpendicular cafcades, but with fo much violence, and in fo large a body of water, as to caufe frequent inunda tions : indeed the burgh itfelf has been in danger of being overwhelmed and deftroyed by its repeated ravages; againft which, however, it is now protected, by a wall of a confiderable heighth and fo- tidity. Near this torrent is another fall of water/ that glides gently down the bare rock, which is there more floping; and, farther on, a third glistened as it deScended through a hanging grove of pines, that feather the fides of the moun tain. The [ 197 1 The following is the ordinary price of provifions throughout the moun tainous parts of Swifferland : I have reduced the price to the value of pur mpney. s. d. Butcher's meat, per pound Bread Butter Cheefe Salt Milk, per quart - Worft wine, per D° Pays de Vaud wine By this you will perceive, that, in pro portion, bread is much dearer than the other articles ; and the reaSon is obvious : for, all thefe mountainous parts confift almoft entirely of pafturages, and pro duce little corn. The peaSants of Swif ferland (I mean thofe who inhabit the mountainous districts) live chiefly upon milk, and what refults from it, together with potatoes, which are here much Q 3 cultivated. ouna - O 2^ D° - - 0 ii D° ¦*» O 2J. D° - O 2x D° - o I|. - O It* - ¦» 0 n - - 0 6 [ I9§ 1 cultivated. According to the price of provisions in England, the above lift will appear exceedingly cheap : but then it ought at the Same time to be consi dered, that money is very Scarce in theSe parts. -Nor indee'd is it So much ne-- ceffary in a country, where there is no luxury ; where all the peaSantry have, within themSelves, more than Sufficient for their own consumption; and are tolerably well provided with every ne ceffary of life from their own little demefnes. I had, to-day, a long con- verfation with one of the lads, who came with us from Altdorf, and takes care of the horfes. He lives upon the moun tains of Uri ; and, as their winter lafts near eight months of the year, during fome part of which time there can be, little communication between the feveral. cottages, every family is of eourfe obliged to lay in their provifion for the whole winter. His own, it feems, confifts of {even perfons, and is provided with the following C L99 1 following ftores ; feven cheefes, each^ weighing twenty-five pounds ; an hun-* dred and eight pounds of hard bread, twenty-five bafkets of potatoes, each, weighing about forty pounds ; feven goats, and three cows, one of which they kill. The cows and horfes (if they keep any) are fed with hay, and the goats with the boughs of firs ; which, in a fcarcity of hay, they give alfo to their othejr, cattle, Dufing this dreary feafon the family are employed in mak ing linen, Shirts, &c. Sufficient for their own ufe : and, for this purpofe, a fmall patch of the little piece- pf ground be^, longing to every cottage, is generally Sown with flax. The cultivation of the 1 latter has been much attended to, anq with increafing fuccefs, in theJs inoun- tainous part? of Swifferland, The houfes (as I obferved to you be fore, in my letters relating to Appenzel and , Glaris) are generally builf of wood ; and it was a natural remark of one of O 4 pur [ 200 ] /' pur Servants, as we paffed through fuch a continued chain of rocks ; that as there was ftone enough to build all the cottages in the country, it was wonder ful they fhould uSe nothing' but wood for that purpofe : a remark that has been made by many travellers. But it Should Seem, that theSe wooden houfes are much Sooner constructed, and are eafily repaired ; that they are built in lb folid and compact a manner (the rooms fmall, and the ceilings low) as to be fufficiently warm even for fo cold a cli mate. The chief objection to them arifes from the danger of fire ; as the flames muft rage with great rapidity, and communicate eafily from one to the other. This inconvenience, however, is in a great meafure obviated by the me thod of building their cottages apart; all their villages confifting of detached and fcattered hamlets. This obferva tion, however, does not hold with re-: fpect to fome of their largeft burghs: [ 201 ] puid thefe muft confequently be exppfed, fo the ravages of this moft dreadful of all calamities. J am, &c. W LETTER XVI. Grindelwald, Auguft 13, E left Meyringen this morning, croffed the Aar, and mounted the Scheideck through a beautiful foreft of beech, poplars, mountain-afh, ah4 pines: in our way we paffed by the Reichenbach, a torrent celebrated for the beauty and impetuofity of its fall: it glides for fome way down the fides of the mpuntain ; then rufhes perpendicu larly into a deep gulph, it has Scooped for itfelf in a quarry of black marble | and from thence, after forming in its eourfe feveral fmaller cafcades, flows intcy fhe Aar. After; I 3°* } After afcending about three hours, we refrefhed ourfelves and our horfes in a delightful vale ftrewed with ham lets; a Sloping hill, adorned with varie gated verdure, on one fide ; vaft impend ing rocks lifting their heads into the clouds, oh the other; and a beautiful pyramidical mountain covered with fnow, rifing before us. As we were taking pur repaft, we were fuddenly ftartled by a, noife, like the found of thunder ; we fpon found tha| it was oecafioned by the falling of a large body of fnpiy from the top of the mountain, which, in its precipitate defcent had very much the appearance pf a torrent of water re* dfuced ah?jofJ;' into fpray. Thefe fa- vanges (as, they are called) are fbmetimes attended with the moft. fatal, confe rences : for^ when they confift: pf enormous maffes, they deftrpy every thjngi in their courSe ; and there have been instances of their overwhelming even a whole village. The one we faw ".<';'.¦ was [ 2°3 1 was very trifling; but it was Sufficient however to give us Some idea of thofe, which are more confiderable. The beft preservative againft the effects of thefe lavanges being the forefts, with which the alps of Swifferland fo remarkably a- bound ; there is fcarce a village, if fitu ated at the foot of a mountain, but what is fheltered by one of them : and the inhabitants preferve them with pe culiar reverence, a.s their comrnpn, pro tector. Thus, what constitutes one of the principal beauties of, the country, affords alfo tlje greateft Security to the people, The defcent from, hence to Grindel- wald was long ajid tedious : that village, confifting of a number of cottages, Scattered over the plain and upon the rifing hills, exhibits a Scene wonderfully agreeable and pictureSque, heightened, at the fame time by a view of the gla cier. The latter, Stretching from, the fummit pf the mountain to the extra* mjty [ 204 J mity of the plain in a regular curve, is beautifully fkirted with wood ; and within a few paces of it, on each fide, are fields of oats, barley, and rich mea dows — but I am going to anticipate the defcription I purpofe to give you upon, a nearer view ; and fo good night. Auguft 14. Dare I confefs to you, that I am Somewhat difappointed, and that a nearer view of the glacier has not Sufficiently compenfated for the fatigue and trouble of the expedition ? But I have promifed to write from my own feelings, and not to fend you an ac count taken from the exaggerated de scriptions of others. — We fallied out this morning full of impatience and expectation ; and arrived at the bottom of the glacier, forming a vaft majeftic arch of ice ; from whence iffued a moft loud torrent of fnow-water juft melted. This glacier is compoSed of an infinite number; [ 205 ] number of pyramids riling from the bed of ice, which are more elevated towards the plain ; being from about 40 to 60 feet high, and fhortening as you afcend, until they terminate in a broad Surface broken into deep and wide clefts. We were above two hours in mounting a very difficult path at the edge of the frozen region, occafionally paffing over the fteep and craggy parts oS rock almoft perpendicular, along the very fides of the precipice : the danger of which makes me fhudder even now. This glacier, as we were informed, joins to a very extenfive valley of ice, about 1 2 leagues in length, and fituat ed between two chains of elevated alps. After having afcended thus far, we were Stopped by almoft impaflable moun tains and a riling hill of ice ; our guide (who by the way was very Stupid, and did not Seem to understand his profef fion) affuring us at the fame time, that it was impoffible to proceed any farther. Of [ 206 ] Of this we were by no means convince ed ; but not having any conductor with us who could lead us the way, and not daring to explore thefe unknown re gions by ourfelves, we defcended with heavy hearts ; much chagrined, that what we had feen (though certainly a Very curious and fublime fight) did not come up to what we had been taught to expect : and yet every one here, as well as our guide, affures'us, that no travel lers have penetrated farther. One rea fon, I believe, why this glacier is more particularly fpoken of than others, is, that a very good view may be had of it without the trouble of afcending. In that part between the mountains, now occupied by this glacier, there was for merly a road which cPmmUnicated with the Vallais, but is at prefent impaffable ; and We were Shewn a Spot, now covered With ice, where Some years ago there ftood a Small chapel. What peculiarly distinguishes the 5 glacier [ 207 ] glacier I have been mentioning from that of the Furca, is* that the latter lies amidft barren and craggy rocks, in a moft defolate, dreary, and uninhabited country; whereas this joins to a very' fertile plain, and borders Upon cultiva tion : in other refpects the Furca, con sidered independently of its fituation, was a more Striking object. Not far from this glacier, pihes, willows, afh, and oaks, grow and come to perfection : potatoes alfo, together with beans, beet root, and turnips are h'ere produced; and near the borders of the ice I gather ed fome Strawberries and wild cherries, and obServed hazel - nuts, barberries, and mulberry trees. The valley of Grindelwald is extremely fertile; it pro duces barley, rye, hay, hemp, and fruit- trees in great abundance : above 2,000 head of large cattle, and near 3^000 of fmall are here fed. It has frequently been obferved, that on confiderable elevations, and more particularly [ 208 ] particularly upon the glaciers, one find's a difficulty of breathing : a circumftance which has been imputed to the rare faction pf the air. This however was fo far from being confirmed by our own experience, that I can venture to deny the fact. For in all our expeditions upon the Swifs alps, as well as in this of to-day upon the glacier, neither I nor any of the company ever felt the leaft difficulty of breathing ; but on the contrary feemed to enjoy a more eafy reSpiration : we all appeared more free in our motions, more light, and not in the leaft Senfible of any inconvenience, except what arofe from the piercing cold. Indeed in mounting the fides of a Steep and craggy rock, the fatigue is fo great that one is foon exhausted, and obliged to Stop occasionally in order to take breath : but this is only the effect of violent exertion; and fo far from being caufed by the elevation, that we found the higher we afcended, the more we t 2°9 1 We became refrefhed. It is certain,' that were this pretended difficulty of respira tion produced by any Subtlety of the air ; that caufe would at leaft act uni formly, and occafion the fame effects on all confiderable heighths. But as we did not experience thefe effects ; we may fairly conclude it to be an error ad vanced haftily by fome travellers* and adopted by others who had never been put of the plain i I am, &c. LETTER XVIL 4 , Lautef brunnen, Auguft 15. THE road from Grindelwald to this place is fingularly good,\ and we met, what to us is become a remarkable object, a cart in our way; as we have not feen any thing that moves upon wheels fince we left Lucerne. The country was Vol. I. P moft [ 21° J moft Supremely delightful : beautiful hanging woods, immenfe rocks, deep precipices, and violent torrents. But I fuppofe you are by this time as much accuftomed to rocks, precipices, and torrents, as the readers of Fingal to blue mifts and hollow winds. This vale of Lauterbrunnen, is in- cloSed between two chains oS high per pendicular alps ; the higheft oS which, is called the fungfrau-,horn, or the vir gin's horn. The etymology uSually given of this word, is, that it takes its name of virgin, from its top being in- acceffible : but this circumftance is by no means peculiar to this particular mountain ; and I much SuSpect that its appellation is derived from very high antiquity. For, it is a well-known fact, that mountains and promontories pre serve their original names, while towns, and even tracts of country, frequently change theirs with new inhabitants. It is therefore from the former, as well as i 2n ] &s from the latter, that the antiquarian fhould endeavour to trace the antiquity of any country. It muft however be confeffed, that if thefe etymologies are not in fome meafure corroborated by collateral historical evidence, they are generally vague and uncertain ; more calculated to display the ingenuity of the etymologist, than to throw any Satis factory light upon his reSearches. In Short, it is only when hiftory and ety mology go hand in hand, that they Serve to Strengthen and Support each other. It is thus that my very learned and worthy friend Mr. Bryant, in his late admirable performance, has rendered his etymological enquiries fubfervient to, and corroborated by, hiftory; and with So much clearneSs, as to. carry the fiilleft conviction to his reader. Were he now with me, I am perfuaded he would give me a much better etymology of the names of the Swifs mountains, than thofe which I have hitherto met with : P 2 Such [ 212 ] Such as the Jungfrau-horn above-men tioned ; or that of the Gemmi, which is generally deduced from Gemo, to groan, becaufe from its SteepneSs -the travel ler groans as he aScends ; or from Gemini, becaufe there are two rocks iri that chain -of mountains, which refem^ ble each other. Whereas it is more probable, that the mountain in quef- tion was thus called, long before the existence of the Latin language. We are now lodged at the houfe of the clergyman of Lauterbrunnen ; a little village, or rather collection of cot tages fprinkled, like thofe of GrindeS- wald, about the valley and acceffible parts of the hills. Near the houfe, is the celebrated fall of the StaubbaS, which I am juft returned from viewing! This torrent precipitates perpendicu larly from a confiderable heighth, and refolves itfelf into fine Spray : the great eft part of it falls clear of the over^ hanging mountain, during its whole defcent; [ 2I3 ] defcent ; but the remainder dafhes a- bout half way againft a projection from the rock, and flies off with inconceiv able violence. The clergyman meafur- ed, a fhort time ago, the perpendicular heighth of this fall, and found it 930 feet. The fun fhining full upon it, formed towards the bottom of the fall a miniature rainbow extremely bright : while I ftood at fome diftance, the rain bow affumed a femicircular figure ; as I approached, the extreme points gra dually coincided, and formed a com plete circle of the moft lively and brilliant colours. In order to have a ftill finer view, I ventured nearer and nearer ; the circle at the Same time becoming Smaller and Smaller ; and as I Stood quite under the fall, it Suddenly difappeared. When I looked up to the torrent, in this Situa tion, it reSembled a cloud of duft : and from this circumftance indeed it takes its name ; Staubbach Signifying, in the German language, a fpring of duft. P. 3 I paid C 214 ] I paid for my curiofity, by getting wet to the fkin ; but then I had the Jtn- gular Satisfaction, at the fame time, of feeing a rainbow in miniature : no uncommon phaenomenon, you know, as it may be obferved in any cafcade, upon which the fun Shines directly in a certain pofition. In the preSent in stance, however, it was Some conSola- tion to me, under my dripping circum ftances, that the object happened to be peculiarly Striking. We are this in- ftant going to Set out Sor the Lauter> brunnen glaciers, Auguft 16. We rode yefterday morning to the extremity of the vale, in which there are fome points of view as fine as any I have yet feen in Swifferland. In our way we had a glimpfe of a fuperior fall of the Staubbach, divided into two ftreams ; which, afterwards uniting, form the fecond perpendicular cafcade juft mentioned. In this valley there ar§. ' E 215 ] are feveral fountains of the cleareft water, that gufh from the earth, and' numberlefs, torrents which precipitate themfelves from the mountains ; two in particular which fall from a greater heighth than even the Staubbach, but as their defcent is not fo direct, they are lefs beautiful. The afcent to thefe glaciers is not altogether fp dangerous as that at Grin- delwald ; though upon the whole, it is more Steep and more fatiguing. After mounting above three hours, we ar rived at a fmall hut, which in Sum- mer is inhabited by herdfmen, who make there moft excellent cheefes, and have numerous herds of cows, goats, and fwine. Here we Seafted upon cold chamois, which our hoft had pro vided, for us, not to mention a de licious defert, of admirable cream and cheefe. From hence we afcended ftill farther, with confiderable difficulty, un til we were Surrounded by mountains, P 4 which [ 2I^ ] which we were told were absolutely im-« paffable/ We. wifhed to proceed; but our hoft affured us, we had but juft time to return before night ; and that no ftrangers, except four of our country,- men, had ever gone fo far. Here then we fat down clofe to the ice, and en-* joyed a fine view of the glacier and mountains before us, One of thefe mountains, the Grofs- horn, is pyramidical, and covered with frozen fnow ; another, the Breit-horn, is conical, of a ftupendous heighth, and Crowned with an enormous maSs of pure transparent ice, from which the reflec tion of the fun's beams was inexpref- fibly beautiful. The hollows between thefe mountains were filled with a large body of ice, broken , into the greateft variety of Shapes imaginable : and feve-, ral torrents (of which the Schmadi- brunnen is the moft confiderable). burft-? "ing from the fnow, and uniting in their eourfe, form the Gletcher ,- a river which 9 ftows. C 2i7 3 flows through the vale of Lauterhrun- nen, receives the Staubbach, and falls into the Aar. The whole fcenery was exceedingly magnificent ; and exhibited a moft cu rious and Singular picture, eSpecially to one not aceuftomed to See ice and Snow in the midft oS Summer, bordering upon verdant groves and rich meadows. But yet the ideas we had conceived of this wonderful landfcape, from the ex aggerated defcriptions of others, have not been Sufficiently anSwered; nor was it much worth the trouble of climbing fo, far, as we had almoft as perfect a view of the glacier from the hut above- mentioned. Every thing in Swiffer land has more than gratified our ex pectations, except the glaciers ; and yet thefe are certainly the moft Sublime and the moft interesting natural phsenomena |n the whole country. The truth is, Srom the accounts we had heard and read of them, our imaginations had been raifed too [ ai« ] too high : and we were led to fuppofe, that what we had Seen in the Furca was much inSerior in extent or magni tude, to what we fhould See in theSe parts ; whereas in fact the latter was in all refpects equal to whatever of the fame kind we have fince vifited. I am apt, however, to believe, that our dis appointment, in Some meaSure, arofe from the ignorance of our guides : and indeed I have no doubt, if it had been pur good fortune to have been better conducted, we might, with fome per- feverance, have penetrated farther into the upper regions of thefe mountains ; and have found our moft Sanguine ex pectations in no reSpeet disappointed. The higher and more inacceffible parts of thefe alps, are inhabited by the bouquetin and the chamois ; whofe activity in Scouring along the fteep and craggy rocks, and in leaping over the precipices, is by all accounts Scarcely conceivable. The [ 2i9 1 The blood of both thefe animals is of fo hot a nature, that the inhabitants of thefe mountains, who are all of them fubject to pleurifies, take a few drops pf it, mixed with water, as a remedy for that diforder. The flefh of the chamois is much efteemed here; and to us it appeared delicious, feafoned as it was with hunger. Thefe mountains are covered to a confiderable heighth with a rich and de lightful verdure ; and we faw upon their tops, at fome diftance, Several Jittle villages, the acceSs to which muft have been almoft as difficult as to thefe glaciers. Upon our return from our expedi tion, our hoft Seafted us with a moft excellent Supper : among other articles, there was the beft , ham I ever tafted. The Swine in thefe parts are uncom monly fat; in fummer they feed en tirely upon the grafs and wild herbs they find on the mountains, and never tafte any milk, ' The { 22° ] The clergyman and his wife, with whom we are lodged, are very fingular characters : both of them immoderate talkers, but each ftrongly marked with good-nature and benevolence ; and So very defirous to oblige, and to Surnifh us with every poffible convenience, that their civility is absolutely embarrafling. Indeed we were much concerned upon being informed, that the good woman, who is big with child, had fat up all night to make , bread and cakes, and to prepare fome other provision to carry with us in our excursion to the gla cier : and, what was ftill more diftreff- ing, fhe would wait upon us at fupper, notwithstanding all our entreaties to the contrary. This good couple have Several children ; and their circumftances cannot be very eafy, as the livings in the canton of Berne are extremely mo derate ; and this is not one of the beft. From this consideration, thofe travellers who are Ipdged in their houfe, [ 221 ] houfe, always make them a handfome prefent, as a recompence for the trouble they have been the occafion of giving them. I am now going to take a laft look at the Staubbach, before I bid farewell to our honeft hofts, and the vale of Lauterbrunnen. I am, &c. LETTER XVIII. Baths of Leuk, Auguft i& WHEN we were upon the Lau terbrunnen glaciers, we were within three leagues of this place ; but the mountains being, as we were in formed, impaffable, we were obliged to make a circuit of forty miles: I 'have no objection, however, tp thefe rounds about ways, as by that means we have an opportunity of feeing more q£ the Sub lime Scenery oSthis wonderful country. We [ 222 ] We had quitted the Aar at Mey* ringen, and now joined it again about two leagues from Lauterbrunnen, flow ing through a fertile plain, which lies between the two lakes of Brientz and Thun, and iffuing from the former. We followed its eourfe until it entered the lake of Thun, fo called from a town of that name, fituated upon its north-weftern extremity. This lake is about Sour leagues long and one broad ; and, if we may judge from the fteep- nefs of the mountains with which it is bounded, muft be very deep : the bor ders are richly variegated ; and prefent feveral fine points of view, greatly heightened by fome pyramidical rocks rifing boldly from the edge of the water. We coafted this lake, through a de- . lightful country, to the fmall village of Leifingen ; mounted up to another called iESchi, Srom whence we looked down upon the whole lake of Thun, and part of the lake of Brientz, at a fmall [ 223 ] fmall diftance : then entered the rich vale of Frutigen, parallel to that of Lauterbrunnen, and enjoyed, for a con fiderable way, a profpect of thofe gla ciers we had vifited the day beSore. This vale ends at the town of Fru tigen : from thence commences that of Kander, with a river of the fame name running, through it towards the lake of Thun, and bounded by an exceed ing high mountain called Kanderfteg, In all theSe vales, the rudeneSs and heighth of the mountains, which almoft Shut in upon them, contrasted with the beauty and fruitfulnefs of the plains, which are always watered by fome lively torrent, form a thoufand pic- turefque Scenes, ever changing, and im- poffible to be deScribed : and they are ftill farther embelliflied by the number of ruined caftles perched upon points feemingly inacceffible. The road continued good as far as the fmall village of Kanderfteg; and Srom [ 224 ] from thence delicate travellers, who do not chufe to mount a rugged afcent, either on foot or on horfe back, are carried in a kind of arm-chair placed by means of poles upon men's fhoulders. We proceeded, however, on horfeback, having before rode up Steeper and more difficult paths. After having afcended above two hours, we came to a fingle houfe, not far from the top of the mountain, where we got fome refrefhment : here we faw no thing but immenfe rocks piled upon one another, with no appearance of vege tation ; and the weather was exceed ingly cold. We then paffed over* a large drift of fnow, and came to a lake called the Dauben See; about a league in circumference;, fupplied by a confiderable torrent Srom a neighbour ing glacier. This lake has no vifible outlet ; but it evidently finds a paf- Sage under ground into the Vallais, about Six' leagues off, as that current ceaSes to flow when the lake is frozen. This t 225 ] This chain of nxountams, which fe- parates -the canton of Berne from the Vallais, is called the Gemmi : from the point pf which, over-looking and al moft over-hanging the Vallais, ,we had $t pnce a molt extenfive proSpect of that cpuntry, and pf the Savoy gla ciers ; jbujt what principally attracted ,our admiration, was the Afont Blanc,' jrifing above the reft in the moft Stately .gnd majeftic form. Jt is a conical ;mpuntain, qf jftupendous heighth; and feemed to have a glittering crown of pure ice upon its fummit. The moun tain which we deScended, is in many ,places almpft abfolutely perpendicular j and yet a hprfe-road has been cut out of the hard rock down this very for midable defcent. This road was begun jn 1736, and finifhed in 1741, at the joint expence of the Vallais, and the ,C£mtpn of .Berne : an aftonifhing work ! .and proves that nothing is impracti cable to human indjjftry. More than a Vol. I. Q^ league [ 226 ) league of the hard rock has been blown up with gunpowder, and a way formed which feems dangerous to thofe who are unuSed to mountainous countries, or whoSe heads are apt to turn giddy. It is about nine feet broad, and quite hangs over the precipice : in fome parts, for, a confiderable fpace, it is a hollow way, open only at one fide, the rock above projecting over it, of the fame breadth, and in the fame direction. The appearance is peculiarly fingular : Sor as the road winds continually, the Scene alfo Continually changes ; fo that one moment we commanded an exten five view, and the next were totally incloSed ' with barren rock. From the beginning of the fteep defcent we all dismounted, and the horSes were left to themfelves : it was fomewhat curious to fee them picking out their way, and frequently venturing to the very edge of the precipice to crop a Strag gling blade of grafs. The '[ 227 J The defcent from the top to the plain, is about two leagues ; when you are "arrived at the bottom, and look up, you cannot fee the fmalleft trace's of a road ; fo that a Stranger would hardly believe it poffible that there really is one, until convinced by his own ex perience. This place is famous for its hot me dicinal fprings ; and accordingly is much frequented by invalids of various kinds during this feafon of the year : the pa tients either bathe or drink the waters. As far as I can judge from the accounts which I have received concerning their warmth, their analyfis, the method of ufing them, and their efficacy in curing the , gout, rheumatifin, obstructions, cutaneous diforders, &c. ; -they Seem nearly to reSemble thofe of Bath. There are feveral Springs, of different warmth and of different qualities : according to the moft accurate experiments, the Mer cury in Reaumur's thermometer Stands 0^2 at t 2^8 ] at 42 degrees; when plunged intd the warmeft fource : and it is foma- what remarkable, that a Stream 'of cold 'Water iffues from the ground within a few yards of this la'ft-mehf ioned Spring. The accommodations for the company" are very bad i "each ' perfon "having for his own ufe a fmall apartment not more than a few feet Square ; in which, there is juft room for a bed, a table, and two chairs. The public dining-rroom is, as you may fuppofe, upon rather a larger Tcale, as is alfo a kind of affembly-room, where the company, who are very facia- hie, meet occafionally. Formerly the accommodations were tolerably good/ but unfortunately, in 171 9, a lavangd fell with fuch impetuofity from one of the neighbouring glaciers upon the village, as to overwhelm the greateft part of the houSes' and the baths, and to deftroy a Confiderable number of the inhabitants, Theeompany here, confifting of a large collection of perfons from different quarters [ 229 J quarters of Swifferland,, are exceedingly affable and, obliging : infomuch that . feveral of them have invited us to thejr refpective hpufes zt Berne, Neuchatel, &c. ; an4 thistnvitatipn was niade with all fhat ppennefs an 4 unaffected frank- nefs fo peculiarly .chgra&erifijc of the Swifs. Accordingly we propofe profit ing of their hofpitable offers, fully per- Suaded, that by fo doing, we Shall give them an unfeigned pleafure : and in? deed jt is not difficult to diftingujfh an unmeaning invitation of mere formal civility, |rpm one which is tendered with a real defire of being accepted. We dined jhis morning at eleven -? the bell for Supper is now ringing, and it is fcarce (Seven. Thefe are prirhitive hours ; but we have travelling appetites ; and, provided we can but meet with refrefh* ment, it matters littje at what hour, or in what place. You are now probably drinking tea jn ypur withdrawing-room,from whence %3 7°^ [ 230 ] you are enjoying that beautiful proSpe^ I have fo often admired. The Situation of this fpot is far more romantic than that of Bath, and the waters perhaps are full as efficacious : yet this village contains only a few miferable houSes, while Bath is one of the fineft towns in Europe. I had a conversation to-day upon this topic, among others, with a Very ingenious and weil-informed gen tleman of this country. I Obferved to him, that, considering the great credit and efficacy of thefe waters, I could not forbear wondering that the chiefs of the republic had not thought the im provement pf the accommodations an object worthy of their attention ; as the rendering them more convenient for the reception of invalids, would undoubtedly be the means of drawing hither a great number of ftrangers ; and consequently could not Sail of being highly beneficial to the country. He affured me, it had more than once been in their contem plation ; £ 23I ] plation : but that there were fome per fons of great credit and authority, who oppofed it, upon a principle fimilar to the policy of Lycurgus ; as they thought. that a cpncpurfe of ftrangers would only ferve to introduce luxury among the inhabitants, and infenfibly deftroy that fimplicity of manners, for which, the Vallaifans are fo remarkably diftin- How far the ignorance pf a people contributes to their true felicity ? or bow far a fimplicity of manners may be corrupted, by national improvement ? are questions, which have been much agi tated; and will never be decided, fo long as it Shall be held juft reaSoning to argue Srom the ahuSe to the uSe. But I Should think, it will readily be al lowed, that Superftition is ever the com panion, of ignorance ; and that a peo ple who are both ignorant and Super stitious, muft neceffarily be benefited by zx\ intercourse with nations more Q 4 improved [ 232 ] improved and enlightened thart tliemw Selves. Not faf from hence, a communica tion has been made between this place and the village of Alpen, down a Steep rock. Where the mountain inclines ever So little towards a Slope, a Soot- path has been cut; but in thoSe parts where the rock is directly perpendicular, ladders are placed, not unlike thoSe by which ohe goes down into miries ; and upori theSe the peafants afcertd and de scend with heaVy burdens upon their moulders. I mention Such circum ftances as theSe, not as being objects in themfelves So remarkable, perhaps, as they are ireprefented by Some travellers ; but as they will give you a Stronger idea of the extreme ruggednefs 'and Singula rity pf the country. I am, &c. LET T E R [ 233 ] LETTER XIX. Sion, Auguft ig. I BEGIN now to feel myfelf much lefs conftrained in conversation than I have lately been ; as the people in this part of the Vallais all talk a kind of French patois : for, this town being nearly the point, where the German patois terminates, and where the French begins; the inhabitants confequently fpeak both languages. Nothing is more curious or interesting to thofe, who have entered into inquiries of this nature, than to ObServe the gradations of lan guage : but as I own my ignorance in this branch of literature, I can only mention the Simple fact. We fet out this morning at five, and came down a very fteep valley to Leuk, a Small town built upon an eminence near the Rhone : that river is here very rapid ; [ 234 ] rapid; and, if we may judge by the breadth of its channel, often overflows its banks. We croffed it at this place, and continued for fome way through a foreft of firs, till we again paffed the river., to Sider: from thence along, its banks to Sion, the capital of this dizain, and of the whole Vallais, This tract of country, called the Vallais, Stretches, from eaft to weft about an hundred miles ; and is divided into the upper and lower Vallais. The former reaches from the eaftern extremity to the river Mprge, below Sion; and the letter from that river to St. Gingol, fituated upon the lake of Geneva : the whole containing about 100,000 fouls, all Catholics. The upper diftrict is Sovereign. of the lower, and is divided into feven. inde pendent dizains, or commonwealths; fix * of which are democratical, and that pf Sion ariftocratical. The bifhop of \ ' * The names bf thefe fix dizains are, Corns. Brieg, Raren, Vifp, Leuk, and Sider. Sion I 235 ] Sion was formerly abfolute fovereign pver the greateft part of the Vallais : at prefent his authority is extremely li mited, and he is little more than a kind pf nominal prince. However, all the public acts are iffued out in his name ; he has the power of pardoning crimi nals ; and the money is coined in his name, and with the arms of the re public, He.is ftyled prince of trie Ger man empire, and count or praefect of the Vallais. • , '.' . The feven dizains orcommunfties above- mentioned, form, conjointly witifi the bi fhop, one republic ; and all the .general affairs are regulated in an affembly' called Landfrath, or council of the country , which meetstwiee every year at Sion. This affem bly cPnfifts of nine voices ; namely; the bifhop, who has but one vote, the lands - hauptmann, or chief of the republic, and each of the feven communities : and ajl their refolutions are decided by the ma jority. In this affembly the bifhop pre- fides, [ 23P ] fides, and the lands-*hauptm,ann collects, the votes. The latter is chofen or can* firmed by this affembly every two years : and, upon the death oS the bifhop, the chapter of Sion choofe four candidates from their own body, and out of thefe the affembly nominates. Each dizain^ although it has but one vote, fends tp this diet as many deputies as jt pleafes : they generally confift pf four ;-— a j^dge,' a banneret, a captain, and a lieutenant, The judge and the lieutenant are ap pointed every two years; the two, others are for life, The -dernocratical d,izains are exceedingly jealous of fcheir liberties, and very vigilant tp prevent the deputies from gaining top great .311 influence, Accordingly, in each commonwealth, before the meeting of the diet, a ge neral affembly of the people is Summoned, in which every one of the age of four teen has a vote : and instructions con cerning all affairs of importance are by them .given to their feveral deputies, which C 237 | to gether with the bridge over the Rhon4 which ftill SubSiSts entire, ane the only vifible marks remaining off the anti quity of this town. This is the chief entrance into the Vallais ; and fo won* derfully is this country fortified by na ture, that a handful of men might defend it againft a very confiderable' army; - To-day we made an excursion into1 the canton of Berne, in order to fee the Salt-works near Bex. We croffed the Rhone over the ahtie'rtt aftd beatU tiful ftOne*bridge; I have juft mention ed, Confifting of a Single arch, and eS- teemed by the moft judicious and'beft- informed t 255 3 informed antiquarians to be undoubt edly Roman . Half of this bridge belongs to the Vallais, and the remainder to the canton of Berne. From hence com mences the bailliage of Aigle, which reaches to the Pays de Vaud, and was formerly, when under the dominion of the houfe of Savoy, comprifed withmt that diftrict : at prefent it is claffed- under the German divifion of the canton, although the inhabitants talk French. Up®n our arrival at the Salt-Springs, I put on a workman's jacket, and went into the' mountain about 3*000 feet, almoft horizontally. The gallery is about eight feet high, and" fix broad, and is as nicely hollowed as if it: had been cut with a duffel : it is by far the moft commodious Subterranean paf~ fags I ever entered. The Salt is pro-» cured from- Some , Springs, which >, are. found within a Solid rock, perforated. at a great expence : the richeft Source yields 4 t 256 ] yields twelve pound of fait in an huti-s dred weight of water, and the pooreft but one pound in the Same quantity^ Near theSe are Several warm Springs, ftrongly impregnated with' Sulphur; fome of which contain alfo a mixture of fait; and will flame if a lighted candle be put into the pipe through which they flow. Not far from the1 richeft of the falt-fprings, Some pieces* of rock-dalt, in cubical forms, have been found ; but the quantity hitherto difcovered is fo very inconsiderable^ that no advantage arifes from it. The water is conveyed by pipes to Bevieux, where the fait is extracted. If the whole quantity of the impreg nated water which contains fo fmall a proportion of fait, were to be boiled immediately, and at once ; the Confump tion of wood requifite for that pur pofe, would amount to a great ex- pence. In order to Save this coft,they make uSe of what is called a graduation* houfe, % t 257 3 0oufe, constructed in the following man ner : — It is a long building, open at the fides ; within are ranged layers of fag gots, piled up to a confiderable heighth. The water in queftion is conveyed by pumps into reServoirs above, Srom whence it falls down upon the faggots, after having been refolved into rain by the current of air : in filtering through thefe faggots, it depofes a certain por tion of its earthy and felenitical par ticles, and is received at bottom into other refervoirs ; from whence it is pumped up again. This procefs is re peated as oSteri as, is found neceffary: after which it is then boiled, and the Salt chryftaliSes upon the fides and at the bottom oS the cauldron. TheSe Salt-works, and thoSe of Aigle, are the only ones in Swifferland : and they are of great confequence to this country; as it muft otherwife depend en tirely upon foreign nations for a fupply of fo effential an article. TheSe works ¦ Vol. I. S are [ 2S8 3 are foppofed to bring in jointly a neat yearly - profit to government, of ahoipje feventeen thoufand pounds Sterling : and -they furnifh nearly one third of the whole annual confumption of the can ton. The remainder is procured chief ly from France, which is obliged by treaty to provide the SwiSs States with this commodity at a moderate price: and indeed So high is the tax- upon Salt in that, kingdorn, that even the French Salt is Sold two thirds cheaper in Swifferland, than in many parts of France *. The ordinary price of com mon fait throughout the canton, is at the rate of three half-pence per pound. In our excurfion to thefe mines, we paffed through a moft delightful coun- * At Paris, where it is the deareft, a pound ef fait is fold for about 13 fols, or about fix-pence of our money : in fome other parts of France, for inftance in Franche Comte, a pound cofts only 4 or 5 fols ; but it is furnifhed to the Swifs at th» tatepf 2 £ fols. tryf t w ) try, richly variegated, and abounding in hanging groves of Spanifh chefnUts, inexpreffibly beautiful. I am, &c* LETTER XXI. Trient, Aiiguft 22. " I AM now writing to you from the1 little village of Trient in the Val lais, on my Way to the glaciers of Savoy. From the mountain of the Furca, its 'eaftern boundary, two vaft ranges of alps enclofe the Vallais : the fouthern chain Separates it from the Milanefe, Piedmont, and part of Savoy ; the northern divides it from the canton of Berne. Thefe two chains, in their various windings, form feveral fmall valleys, through which a number of torrents rufh into the Rhone, as it traverSes the whole country from the S 2 Furca [ 20-0 ] Furca to St. Maurice. A country thuf entirely enclofed within high alps, and confifting of plains, elevated valleys, and lofty mountains, muft neceffarily exhi bit a great variety of Situations, climates, and productions. Accordingly, the Val lais preSents to the curious traveller a quick Succeffion of profpects, as beau tiful as they are diversified. Number- leSs vineyards, rich paSture-grounds co vered with cattle, com, flax, fruit- trees, and wild forefts : and theSe occa sionally bordered by naked rocks, whoSe Summits are crowned with everlafting fnow, and inacceffible glaciers. This Strong and Striking contraft between the paftoral and the fublime ; the cul tivated and the wild ; cannot but affect the mind of an obferver with the moft pleating emotions. As to the productions of the Vallais; they muft evidently vary in different parts, according to the great diverfity of climates, by which this country is fo 3 peculiarly [ 26,1 3 peculiarly distinguished. It Supplies more than Sufficient wine and corn for the interior confumption ; and indeed a confiderable quantity of both are yearly * exported; the foil in the midland' and lower parts being exceedingly rich and fertile. In the plain, where the heat is collected and confined between the mountains, the harveft is fo very for ward, that it has already for fome time been carried in: whereas, in the more elevated parts, barley is the only grain that can be cultivated with any fuccefs ; and the crop is feldom cut before No vember. About Sion, the fig, the me lon, and all the other fruits of Italy, ripen to perfection : in confequence pf this fingular variety of jdimates, I tafte4 in the fame day (what is ufually tp be had only in gradual fucceffion) fc Strawberries, cherries, plumbs, pears, and grapes ; each of them the natural growth of the country. With refpect to manufactures; there S 3 are [ .262 3 are none of any confequence : and in- , deed the general ignorance of the peor pie is no lefs remarkable than their in dolence; fo that they maybe considered* in regard to knowledge and improver* ments, as fome centuries behind the Swifs, who are certainly a very enlight* ened nation. - The peafants feldom en^> deavour to meliorate thofe lands where. the foil is originally bad; nor to make the. moft of thofe, which are uncommonly fertile : having few wants, and being Satisfied with the Spontaneous gifts of nature, they enjoy her bleffings without much confidering in what manner ta improve them. The beauties and varieties of this country you will find amply and Saith- fully delineated in that elegant letter of the Nouvelle Heloife, where St. Preux relates his excurfion into the upper Val lais. As to the truth of the description he gives, in the fame letter, of the man, ners of the people ; I can hardly be fuppoSe4 [ 263 3 fuppofed to be a competent judge, from the little time I have paffed among them. But, as far as I have had an. opportunity toobferve and inquire; the picture, although in fome parts not en tirely* devoid of refemblance, is,, upon the whole, confiderably heightened. Before I take leave of the Vallais, you will probably expect, that, according to my pi'omife, I fhould Send you Some informations concerning the caufes, which are fuppofed to occafion, or to contri bute to render, goitrous perfons and idiots, fo remarkably common in many parts of this country. I have indeed made all poffible refearches in order to gain fome fatisfactory intelligence upon' So curious a Subject; but I have the mortification to add, that the very faint lights I have been able to obtain, have left me almoft as much in the dark as I- was before: you m-iift reft contented therefore with mere conjectures, I fhall begin however with undoubted fact. The VaJlaiSans are not all equally S 4 fubje& [ 264 ] Subject to the above infirmities; but thofe chiefly who live in or near the lower parts of the Vallais, as about Sider, 'Sion, Martinac, &c. The peo ple in general are a robuft and hardy race, as ' well thofe who dwell in the places laft-mentioned, as thofe who in habit the more mountainous parts of this country. It is a' common notion, that fnow-?' water occasions goiters : but I have fome reaSon to think the contrary. For, I have been at Several places, where the inhabitants drink no other water than what they procure from thofe rivers and torrents, which defcend from the gla ciers ; and yet are not fubject to this. malady : indeed I have been affured, though I will not venture to anfwer for the truth of the affertion, that fnow- Water, fo far from being a caufe, is efteemed even a preventive. The air, of the mountains is alfo a Strong pre servative againft them ; and goiters have been known to diminish upon elevated Situations : C 265 3 situations ; whereas, in the lower parts pf the Vallais, if this excrefcence once begins to Shew itfelf, it always continues to encreafe *. Some districts are more particularly remarkable for this disorder than others : thus, in a little village, near Sion, almoft all the inhabitants are goitrous. From thefe facts it feems reafbnable to conclude, that goiters are derived from certain local circumftances; and that Several eauSes, both phyfieal and moral, may jointly contribute to their production. Among the phyfieal ; bad water, and bad air, may, perhaps, be juftly affigned, but chiefly the former ; which, near the particular districts above- mentioned, is Stagnant, and loaded with particles of tufa. The torrents alSo, which are formed by the melting of the fnows, diffolve this Subftance, pr fimilar ones, in their paffage: and probably * This difference, however, may be occafioned by the different quality of the water, as well as fey the fuperior purity of the air. this [ 266 } this circumftance has given rife to the notion, that fhow-water, Amply in it felf,- occafions thefe goiters; but where-- ever it has that effect, it is ftrongly im pregnated with certain Stony particles. - I was Shewn Several pools of thefe Stag nant waters, which' I fhould have Sup- poSed no human being to have been capable of drinking. Among the moral caufes, which may be fuppofed to con cur in occasioning theSe guttural protu berances ; the inconceivable lazineSs and negligence of thefe people, may be men tioned. For, they rarely take the leaft precaution to guard againft,: or to re medy, the ill effects of their unwhole* fome water : indolently acquiefcing in its confequences, they ufe no fort of means either to prevent or remove them. The fame eauSes, which Seem to! pro duce the goiters, probably operate in the caSe- pf idiots : for, wherever in this country the former abound, the latter are alfo in great numbers. Such in deed [ 267 3 deed is the nice and inexplicable con nection between our bodies and, out minds, that the one ever fympathifes with the other: we fee that the body Suffers, whenever the mind is deeply af* fected by any Strong impreffion of me lancholy and diftreSs; and, in return;, that whenever the corporeal frame is im paired and Shattered by long pain and fiekneSs, the underftanding alfo is equally out of order. Hence it is by no means an ill-. grounded conjecture, that in the cafe before us, the fame caufes which affect the body fhould alfo affect the mind; or, in other words, that the fame waters, &c. which create obstruc tions, and goiters, fhould alfo occafion mental imbecillity and disarrangement. But, in conjunction with eauSes of a phyfieal nature, there is a moral one Jikewife to be taken into the account : for the children of the common people are totally neglected by their parents ; m&, with no more education than the -meaneft [ 268 3 meaneft brutes, are, like thofe, fuffered to wallow in the dirt, and to eat and drink whatever comes in their way. I faw , feveral idiots with goiters ; but I do not mean to draw any certain con clusion Srom that circumftance. For, though in general they are the children of goitrous parents, and have frequently thofe Swellings themfelves ; yet the con trary often happens : and they are Some times the offspring even of healthy pa rents, whofe other children are all properly organized. So that, it feems, the caufes above-mentioned operate more or lefs upon fome constitutions than Upon Others; as indeed is obServable in all epidemical diSprders whatsoever *. J was * I was told by a phyficlan of #ie Vallais^ that children are fometimes born with goiters ; and I faw feveral, fcarce ten years old, who had very. large ones. Thefe fwellings, when they encreafe to a confiderable .magnitude, check refpiration, and render thofe who have them exceedingly lan guid and indolent. During my expedition through [ 269 3 i was informed at. Sion, that the number, both of goitrous perfons, and of idiots, have confiderably decreafed within thefe few years; and two reafons were affigned : one is, the laudable care which the magiftrates have taken to dry up the Stagnant waters in the neighbour hood ; and the other, the cuftom which now generally prevails of fending the children to the mountains; by which .means they efcape the bad effects of the unwholefome air and water. It is to be prefumed, that a people accuftomed to See theSe excreScences daily, the Vallais, I obferved fome of all proportions, from the fize of a walnut to the bignefs of a peck loaf. The fpecies of idiots I have mentioned above, and who are deemed by many authors as peculiar to the Vallais, are called cretins. Among thefe I alfo obferved a kind of fenfible gradation : name ly, from thofe who, being totally deaf and dumb, and incapable of helping themfelves, give no .proof of their exiftence, but the mere animal fen- fations ; to others, who are a little, more animated, and poffefs fome faint dawnings of reafon. will I 270 3 will not be at all fhocked at their defor* mity ; but I do not find, as fome writers affert, that they confider them as beau ties : I cannot believe that a Vallaifan poet would venture to addrefs a ropy of verfes to his miftreSs in praife of her goiter. To judge by the accounts of fome travellers, one might fuppofe, that all thefe people, without exception, were gifted with the above appendage : where as, in fact, as I have before remarked, the Vallaifans, in general, are a robuft hardy race of people ; and all that with truth can be affirmed, is, that goitrous perfons, and idiots, are more abundant here than perhaps in any other part of the globe. It has been afferted alfo by fome, that the people very much refpect thefe idiots, and even confider them as blef- fings from Heaven; an affertion which is as ftrongly contradicted by others. I made many inquiries in order to get at the truth of this matter. Upon my quef- 9 tioning [ 271 3 tioning fpme gentlemen of this country, whom I met at the baths of Leuk, they treated the notion as abfurd and falfe : but whether they Spoke their real Sen timents, or were unwilling to confirm what they thought might lower their countrymen in the opinion of a Stranger, wjll admit perhaps oS Some doubt. For I have, Since that time, repeatedly en quired among the lower Sort, and am convinced, that the common people esteem them as bleffings. They call them " Souls of God, without fin :" and there are many parents who prefer thefe idipt-children to thpfe whofe under- ftandings are perfect ; becaufe, as they are incapable of intentional criminality, they confider them as more certain than the others of happinefs in a future ftate. Nor is this opinion entirely without fome good effect ; as it difpofes the pa rents to \ pay the greater attention to thpfe unhappy beings, whp are inca pable of taking care of themfelves . Thefe idiots t 272 3 idiots are Suffered to marry, as we$ among themSelves as with others ; and thus the breed is, in Some meaSure, pre vented Srom becoming extinct *. I am, &c. * Since I wrote the above letter, I have met with an account of thefe Cretins in the " Re- cherches Philofophiques furies Americains." The ingenious author compares them with the blafards of the ifthmus of Darien ; a fpecies of beings who refemble the white negroes. He refers td a memoir written exprefsly upon thefe Cretirts, by the count of Mogiron, and read to the Royal So ciety of Lyons: I am forry that I have jiot. been able to procure this memoir ; becaufe, from the character given of it by the author of the Recher- ches Philofophiques, it muft contain fome very cu rious remarks. I fhall here fubjoin his account of the Cretins, as being, in many refpe&s, more ample than mine; premifing, at the fame time, that it by no means appears thefe Cretins are uni- verfally goitres. " On ne fauroit mieux comparer les Blafards quant a leurs facultes, £ leur degeneration, et a leur etat, qu'aux Cretins qu'on yoit en affez grand nombre dans le Valais, et principaleme.nt a Sion capitals [ 273 ) LETTER XXIL .Geneva, Auguft 28. UPON quitting Trient, we went along fome narrow vallies through forefts of pines by the fide oS the torrent of Trient ; and foon afterwards entered the capitale de ce pays : ils font fourds, muets, prefque infenfibles aux coups, et portent des goitres pro- digieux qui leur defcendent jufqu' a la ceinture: ils font ni furieux ni malfaifants, quoiqu'abfo- lument ineptes et incapables de penfer ; ils n'ont qu'une forte d'attrait affez violent pour leurs be- foins phyfiques, et s'abahdonnent aux plaifirs de fens de toute efpece fans y foupconner aucune crime, aucune indecence. Les habitans du Val lais regardent ces Cretins comme les anges tute lages des families, comme des faints: on ne les contrarie jamais, on les foigne avec affiduite, on n'oublie rien pour les amufer, et pour fatisfaire leurs gouts et leurs appetits ; les- enfants n'ofent les infulter, et les vieillards les refpedtent. lis ont la peau tres livide et naifTent Cretins, c'eft-a- dire aufli ftupides, "auffi fimples qu'il eft poffible de l'etre ; les -annees n'apportent aucun change- VoL. L T ment [ 274 ] the valley of Orfina, which led us to the fmall village of that name : a little way ment a leur etat d'abrutifTement: ils y perfiftenr jufqu' a la mort, et on ne connoit point de remede capable de les tirer de cet affoupifTement de la raifon, et de cette defaillance du corps et de l'ef- prit. II y en a des deux fexes, et on les honors egalerhent, foit qu'ils foient hommes o'u femme's. ' Le refpeft qu'cn porte a ces perfonnes atteintes du Cretinage, eft fonde fur leur innocence et leur foibleffe : ils ne faurdient pecher, parce qu'ils rie diftinguent le vice de la vertu ; ils ne fauroient rtuire, parce qu'ils manquent de force, de vail- lance, ou d'envie ; et c'eft juftement le cas des Blafards, dont la ftupidite eft auffi grande que cells des Cretins." In another part he fays, " Mr. De Maugi'ron attribue les caufes du Cretinage des Vallaifarts a la malproprete, a 1'education, aux chaleurs exceffives des vallees, aux eaux, et aux goitres qui font communs a tous les enfans de ce pays ; mais il y exifte probablement une autre caufe fpecifique, que Ton fera plus a portee de connoitre quand on fera parvenu a obtehir la permiffion de diffequer tin de ces Cretins." See Recherches Philofophiques fur les Americains, &c. Par Mr. De P— ¦¦ , §>uatrienie Partie. Seclion I. from '[ *7$ 1 from Trient we entered the dutchy of Faucigny; which belongs to the king of Sardinia. Our road was very rugged, till we arrived at the vale of Chamounyj the great mountains and glaciers of Savoy rifirtg majeftically "before us. There are five glaciers, which extend almoft to the plain of the vale of Cha- mouny, and are feparated by wild forefts, corn-fields, and rich meadows : So that immenSe tracts of ice are blended with the higheft cultivation, and perpetually fiicceed to each other in the moft Singu lar and Striking viciffitude. All theSe Several vallies of ice, which lie chiefly in the hollows pf the mountains, and are fome leagues in length, unite together at the foot of Mont Blanc ; the higheft mountain in Europe, and probably of the antient world. According to the calculations oS Mr. De Luc, (by whoSe improvement of the barometer, elevations are taken with a degree of accuracy before unattainable,.) T 2 the C 276 3 the heighth of this mountain above the level of the fea is 23914. French toifes. Mr. de Sauffure, profeffor of natural philofophy at Geneva, has made ufe of the above barometer in meafuring the elevation of feveral very confiderable mountains. This great improvement of the barometer marks a distinguished sera in the hiftory of natural philofo phy ; as, before it was rectified by that ingenious naturalist, Mr. de Luc, its uncertainty was So great, that there was no relying upon the menSurations, which had been taken by that instru ment *. I am * It was by this means that Mr. de Luc found the altitude of the glacier of Buet ; and from thence he took geometrically the elevation of Mont Blanc above the Buet. The labours of this celebrated naturaUft, and his rules for computing heighths by the barometer, are to be found in his very valuable treatife " Sur les Modifications de V Atmofphere" Thefe rules are explained, and his tables reduced ' to Englifh meafure, by Dr. Mafkeiyne, R. A. ; and ftill more fully by Dr. Horfley, fecretary to the Royal I 277 3 I am convinced, from the fituation of Mont Blanc ; from the heighths of the mountains Royal Society ; both thefe treatifes are publifhed in the Philofophical Tranfa&ions for the year 1774. The accuracy of the barometrical meafurements jnade by Mr; de Luc, was verified by Sir George Schuckborough, in a number of ingenious experi ments towards afcertaining the elevation of fome of the mountains of Savoy, a fhort time before I ar rived at Geneva. He followed Mr. de Luc's me thod ; took the heighths of feveral mountains, reci procally, by barometrical and geometrical obferva- tions ; and he perceived that the former coincided almoft exadtly with the latter. Having found the elevation of the fummit of the Mole, a neighbouring mountain, above the furface of the lake of Geneva; he took from thence the geometrical altitude of Mont Blanc. During the eourfe of thefe experiments, he was enabled to corredt fome trifling errors that had crept into Mr. de Luc's computations ; to improve ftill farther the dlfcoveries of the latter ; and has facilitated the means of taking elevations, by Am plifying the tables and rules neceflVy for that pur pofe; ''•¦ \ To The [ 2?£ ] mountains around it ; from its fuperior elevation above them ; and its being feen at a great diftance from all fides ; that it is higher than any mountain in Swifferland ; which, beyond a doubt, is, next to Mont Blanc, the higheft ground Jn Europe. That it is more elevated {han any part of Afia and Africa, is an affertion that can only be made good by comparing the judicious calculations of modern travellers, with the exaggerated, Recounts pf former pnes ; and by Shew ing that there is no mountain in thofe two quarters of the globe,, the altitude The heighth of Mont Blanc, according to Sir George Schuckborough, is 15,662 feet perpendi cular above the level of the fea ; according to Mr. de Luc 2391 j French toifes : which, reduced to our meafure, gives 15,303 feet ; if the proportion of the French to the Englifh foot be nearly as 15 to 16, without confidering the fraction. The difference js only 359 feet. [See Sir George Schuckborough' s Obfervatiom made in Savoy.] ' # whereof, [ 279 3 whereof, when accurately taken, amounts to 2,400 toifes *. Perhaps in no inftance has the ima gination of man been more creative, or more given to amplification, than in afcertaining the heighths of mountains. I have been considerably amufed to-day with considering this article in Gruner's description of the Swifs glaciers. In one of the chapters, he has giv£n the altitude of fome of the moft remarkable * General Pfiffer indeed computes the heighth of the Schereckhorn (the moft elevated of the alps in the canton of Berne) as equal to 2,400 toifes above the leyel of the fea : a calculation, however, which is probably fbmewhat exaggerated. For although, as I am informed, his method of taking elevations is in itfelf- exa£t ; yet as he does not correct the difference' occafioned by the refrac tions of the atmofphere ; he confequently affigns too great an heighth. Neverthelefs, as he accu- rarely preferves the different proportions, this 'exaggeration may be eafily reduced to the true ftandard. Probably the Shereckhorn will be found to be the higheft mountain of the old world, ex cepting Mon( Blanc. T 4 mountains [ 28o 3 mountains of the globe, agreeably to the calculations of feveral famous geographers and travellers, both antient and modern. According to Strabo, the high- j Toifes.1 eft mountain of the antient > 3,4*1 world was about - -* - J According to Riccioli - - 58,21$ According to Father Kircher, who took the elevations of mountains by the uncertain method of meafuring their Shadows, .rEtna is - •* - - - 4,000 The Pike of Teneriff - * 10,006 Mount Athos - - - - 20,000, Lariffa in Egypt -r -. * 28,000 But thefe feveral calculations are evi dently fo extravagant, that their exag geration cannot but ftrike the moft commpn obferver. If we confult the more * modern and rational accounts, it * In order to determine with abfolute certainty {hat Mont Blanc is the higheft point of the old worjd, [ 28i 3 it appears that the Pike of Teneriff and iEtna have been frequently SuppoSed to be the higheft mountains of the globe, The former is eftimated by fome natural philofophers, to be 3,000 toifes above the level of the fea ; but according to Feuillee, this elevation is world, it would be neceffary to eftimate, by the fame mode of menfuration, Mont Blanc, the Schereckhorn, the Pike of Teneriff, the moun tains of the Moon in Africa, the Taurus, and the Caucafus. The latter have long been deemed the higheft mountains of Afia ; and fome philofophers, upon confidering the great fuperiority, which the eaftern rivers have over the European, both in depth and breadth, have drawn from, thence a preemp tive argument, that the Afiatic mountains are much more elevated than thofe of Europe. But con jectures are now banifhed from natural philofophy : and, till fome perfon of fufficient ability fhall fhew from undoubted calculations, that the higheft part of the Caucafus rifes more than 15,000 feet above the level of the fea, Mont Blanc may be fairly confidered as more elevated. N. B. Throughout the text I have made ufe #f the French toife, confifting of fix French feet. reduced [ 282 ) reduced to 2,070 toifes (and this mea surement too is probably fomewhat be yond the truth) whereas iEtna, by the accurate computations of Mr. De Sauf* fure, rifes only * 1672 toifes above the fea.' * About 10,660 Englifh feet. According to Sir George Schuckborough 10,954 : who fays, *' I have ventured to compute the heighth of P this celebrated mountain from my own tables, *' though from an obfervation of Mr. De Sauf- " fure, in 1773, which that gentleman obligingly *' communicated to me. It will ferve to fhew *c that this volcano is by no means the higheft " mquntain of the old world ; and that Vefu- " vius, placed upon mount JEtna., would not be " equal to the heighth of Mont Blanc, which *' I take to be the moft elevated point in Europe, " Afia, and Africa." I am happy to find my conje&ures corroborated by that ingenious and accurate obferver. Heighth of iEtna, according to Sir? Feet- ' George ----____ J IO>954 Of Vefuvius, according to Mr. De7 Sauffure - - . . f 3,900 Of both together - - - - 1 _ 14,854 Heighth [ 28-3 I fea. So that from thefe obfervations, as well as from thofe which have been made by other travellers, whofe (kill may be depended upon, it will appear that there are few mountains, except thofe in America, (the elevation where of reaches, according to Condamine, to above 3, pop toifes) which are equal in heighth to Mont Blanc. The accefs to Mont Blanc has been hitherto found impracticable. About - two months ago four inhabitants of Chamouny attempted to reach ft; and fet out from that village at ten in the evening. After above fourteenhours moft violent fatigue, employed in mount ing rugged and dangerous afcents, in croffing feveral v allies of ice, and large plains pf fnpw, which was in fpme parts Heighth ' of Mont Blanc, according ? Feet- to Sir George ------ $^662 Difference, — or the heighth of Mont"! Blanc above that of JEtpa and > 8og yefuyius taken together - - - J fQ [ 284 3 fo loofe, that they funk in it down to the waift; they found themfelves upon the fummit next to Mont Blanc. At firft fight it appeared Scarce a league diftant : however, they Soon discovered that the clearnefs'of the air, the extra ordinary whitenefs of the fnow, and the heighth of that mountain, made it Seem nearer than it was in reality ; and, they perceived with regret, that it would require at leaft four hours more to ar rive at it, even fuppofing it were prac ticable. But as the day was now far' advanced, and the vapours towards the fummit of Mont Blanc began to gather into clouds ; they were obliged to return without having accomplifhed their en- terprife. They had no time to lofe: and as they were returning \in grea^ hafte, one of. the party flipped down in attempting to leap over a chafm of ice. He had in his hand a long pole, Spiked with iron, which he had ftruck into the ice on the other fide of the 6 opening; [ 285 3 opening ; and- upon this he hung dreadfully fufpended for a few moments, until he was taken out by his com panions. The danger he had juft eScaped, made Such an impreffion upon him, that he fainted away, and continued for fome time in that fituation : he was" at length, however, brought to himSelf, and, though confiderably bruiSed, he Sufficiently recovered to be able to go on. They did not arrive at Chamouny till eight that evening, after having paffed two and twenty hours of inconceivable fatigue, and being more than once in danger of lofing their lives in thoSe de- Solate regions; but, as Some Sort of recompence for fo much danger and fatigue, they have the Satisfaction, at ieaft, to boaft of having approached nearer to Mont Blanc than, any former adventurers *. I am, &c. LET- * According to Sir George Schuckborough, the fummit to which they arrived, is more than 13,000 feet t 286 3 LETTER XXIII. Geneva, Auguft 30. UGUST 23d, (the day of our arrival at Chamouny) we mounted by the fide of the glacier of Boffon,< in order to fee les Murailles de glace, fo called from their refemblance to walls : they confift oS large ranges of ice of prodigious thicknfefs and folidity, rifing abruptly from their bafe, and parallel to each other. Some of thefe ranges ap peared tb us about an hundred and fifty feet high > but if we may believe our guides, feet. above the Mediterranean. Thefe perfons how ever do not feem to have taken fufEcient precau tions for fo perilous an enterprize : for the expe^ dition was not only hazardous to a great degree, but it was alfo too fatiguing and too difficult to be accomplifhed within twenty-four hours. They ought to have fet out in the morning, have taken • furs with them, and, if poffible, have found fome proper place in which to have paffed the night* If that could have been accomplifhed, and if by any [ 287 3 guides, they are four hundred feet above their real bafe. Near them were py ramids and cones of ice of all forms and Sizes, and Shooting up to a very Confiderable heighth, in the moft beauti ful and fantastic Shapes imaginable. From this glacier, which we croffed without much difficulty, we had a fine view of the vale of Chamouny. The 24th. We had propofed fallying forth this morning very early, in order to go to the valley of ice, in the glacier of Montenvert, and to penetrate as far any means they could have guarded themfelves againft the piercing cold, they would have been fufficiently refrefhed the next morning to have purfued their expedition; and would not have found themfelves, after having advanced within four hours of Mont Blanc, fo fatigued and ter rified as to be unable to proceed ; nor the day fQ far advanced, that, had they gone on, they muft. have been overtaken by darknefs, and would pro bably have either fallen down one of the precipices, or have perifhed with cold. See an account of this expedition in Defcription 'des afpeils du Mont Blanc, by Mr, Bourrlt. .3 as i 288 3 as the time would admit ; but the wea ther proving cloudy, and likely to raih, we deferred fetting out till nine, when appearances gave us the hope of its clearing up. Accordingly we procured three excellent guides, and afcended on horfeback Some part of the way over the mountain which leads to the gla cier above-mentioned : we were then obliged to difmount, and Scrambled up the reft of the mountains (chiefly co vered with pines) along a fteep and rugged path, called " the road of the chryftal-hunters." From the fummit of the Montenvert we defcended a little to the edge of the glacier; and made a refreshing meal upon fome cold provifion which- we brought with us. A large block of granite, called " La pterre des " Anglois," ferved us for a table ; and near us was a miferable hovel, where thofe, who make expeditions towards Mont Blanc, frequently pafs the night. The fcene around us was magnificent ahd C 289 3 "and Sublime; numberleSs rocks rifing boldly above the clouds, (Some of whofe tops were bare, others covered with fnow. ) Many of thefe gradually dimi- nifhing. towards their fummits, end in Sharp points.: and from this circumftance they are called the Needles *. Between thefe rocks the valley of ice Stretches feveral leagues in length, and is nearly a mile broad; extending on one fide towards Mont Blanc, and, on theother» •towards the plain of Chamouny. After we had fufficiently refrefhed ourfelves, we prepared for our adven ture acrofs the ice. We had each of us a long pole Spiked with iron; and, in order to Secure us as much as poffible from flipping, the guides fattened to * The names of the principal ones are Aiguille -de Dreux, Aiguille de Moine", Aiguille de Tacul, Aiguille de Charmeaux : and thofe" of the five gla ciers, that ftretch towards the plain of Chamouny, and unite, at the foot of Mont Blanc, are1 Tacona, Bonfon, Montenvert, Argentiere,. and Tour. Vol. I. U our [ 290 3 Pur {hoes crampons, confifting of a fmall bar of iron, to which are fixed four' fmall fpikes of the fame metal. The difficulty of croffing thefe valleys of ice, arifes frdm the immenfe chafms. They are produced by feveral caufes ; but .more particularly by the continual melt ing of the interior Surface : this fre quently occafions a finking of the ice ; and under Such circumftances, the whole mafs is Suddenly rent afunder in that particular place with a moft violent ex plosion. We rolled down large ftones into Several of them ; and the great length of time before they reached the bottom, gave us fome conception of their depth : our guides affured us, that in fome places they are five hundred feet deep. I can no otherwife convey to you an image of this immenfe body of ice, confifting of continued irregu lar ridges and deep chafms, than by re- fembling it to a raging fea, that had been inftantaneoufly Srozen in the midft of a violent ftorm. We began our walk with great flownefs and deliberation, but we gra dually gained more courage and confi dence as we advanced; and we foon found that we could fafely pafs along thofe parts, where the afeent and defcent Were not very confiderable, much fafter even than when walking at the rate of our common pace: in other parts we leaped over the clefts, and Slid down the Steeper deScents as well as we could. In one place, where we deScended and Stepped acroSs an opening upon a har row ridge of ice fcarce three inches broad; we were obliged to tread with peculiar caution : for, on each fide were chafms of a great depth* We Walked fome paces Sideways along this ridge $ ftept acrofs the chafm into a little hol^ low, which the guides made on purpofe for our feet ; and got up an afeent by means of fmall holes which we, made With the fpikes of our j*>les. All, this founds terrible ; but at the time we ¥2 ha4 [ 292 3 had none of us the leaft apprehensions > of danger, as the guides were ex ceedingly careful, and took excellent precautions. One of our fervants had the courage to follow us without cram pons, and with no nails to his Shoes; which was certainly dangerous, on ac count of the flipperinefs of the leather when wetted. He got along however Surprifingly well ; though in Some places we were alarmed, left he Should flip upon the edge of one of thofe chafms : for had that accident happened to any of us., we muft inevitably have been loft ; having neglected to provide ourfelves with long ropes in cafe of fuch an event. This man was probably the firft perSon, who ever ventured acroSs the valley of ice, without either crampons or nails to his Shoes. We were now almoft arrived at the other extremity, when we were Stopped by a chafin So broad, that there was no poffibiljty of paffing it ; and we were 6 obliged [ 293 J ©bliged to make a circuit Vof above a quarter of a mile, in order to get round this vaft opening. This will give you fome idea of the difficulty attending ex cursions over fome of thefe glaciers : and our guides informed us, that when they hunt the chamois andthe marmottes,in thefe defolate regions ; thefe unavoidable cir cuits generally carry them fix or feven miles about, when they would have only two miles to go if they could proceed in a Straight line. A Storm threatening us every moment, we were obliged to haften off the glacier as Saft as poffible : for, rain renders the ice exceedingly Slippery ; and in cafe of a fpg (which generally accom panies a Storm in theSe upper regions) our fituation would have been extremely dangerous. And indeed we had no time ^to loSe; for the tempeft began juft as we had quitted the ice ; and Soon became very violent, attended with frequent flafhes of lightning, and loud peals of thunder, which being re-echoed within U 7 the C 204 3 thehpllows of the mountains, added great* ly to the awful Sublimity of the fcene. We now defcended a very fteep precis pice, and for fome way were obliged to crawl upon our hands and feet down a bare rock; the ftorm at the Same time roaring over us, arid rendering the rock extremely Slippery : we were by this . time quite wet through, but we got to, the bottom however without much hurt, Upon obServing the immenfe extent of thefe glaciers, I could not help remark ing (and it is a circumftance -which niany other travellers have pbServed be* fore) what a fund is here laid up for the fupply of rivers; arid that the fources which give rife to the Rhine, the Rhone; and the Po will never fail. I returned at length to the inn, as dripping wet as if I had been -plunged into water; but perfectly fatisfied with my expedi tion. At Grindelwald, and at Lauter- brunnen, I had fcarcely feen a glacier;, owing to the ignQnmce of the guides; 9 an4 f_ 29s 1 &nd this induced me to fufpect, that all which had been faid of them was greatly exaggerated *. But I now change my tone, and am vexed that we were fo preffed for time, that we could not con tinue any longer at Chamouny ; for, I Should have had great pleafure in mak ing different excurfions towards Mont Blanc ; and in penetrating further into thofe defolate but magnificent regions. I cannot conceive any fubject in na tural hiftory more curious than the for mation and progrefs of thefe glacierSj running far into fields of corn and rich pafture ; and lying, without being melted, in a fituation where the fun has • power Sufficient to ripen the fruits of the field : it is literally true, that with one hand we could touch ice, and with the other ripe corn. But, as this is a fubject too important to be treated Superficially, and requires much accu- * See pages 204, and 20$, \U4 [ 296 3 rate obfervation, and repeated experi mental investigation ; I Shall not at tempt to enter into it. I will beg leave however to trouble you with one ob fervation, which I made : and it will ferve to prpve the occasional encreaSe and diminution of the glaciers; contrary to the opinion of fome philofophers, who advance that they remain always the fame ; and of others who affert, that they are continually encreafing. I think I may venture to affert, that both thefe pofitions are equally untenable; and it happens in this, as in many other fubjects, that experience and truth are facrifieed to the Supporting of a fa vourite hypothefis. Indeed the fact feems to be, that thefe glaciers in fome years enereafe confiderably in extent, while in others they recede ; and of this I am perfectly convinced from the fol lowing circumftances : The borders of the valley of ice of the glacier of Montenvert, are moftly fkirted. E 297 3 fkirted with trees : towards its foot a vaft arch of ice rifes tp near an hundred feet in heighth; from under which, the continued droppings from the melting of the ice and fnow are collected toge ther, and form the Arveron ; which rufhes forth with confiderable force, and in a large body of water. As we ap proached the extremity of this arch, we paffed through a wood of firs : thofe which Stand at a little diftance from the ice are about eighty feet high, and rL-Q undoubtedly of a very great age. Be tween thefe and the glacier the trees are of a later growth ; as is evident as well from their inferior fize, as from their texture and fhape. Others, Which refemble the latter, have been overturned, and enveloped in the ice : in all thefe feveral trees, respective ly fituated in the Spots I have men tioned, there Seems to be a kind of regular gradation in their age, from the largeft Size to thofe that lie proftrate. < Thefe C 298 I Thefe facts fairly lead, it fhould Ceemj to the 'following conclufions :— that the glacier once extended as far as the row of tall firs ; that, upon its retiring, a number of trees have Shot up in the very Spots which it formerly occupied; that, within Some years, the glacier has jlgain- begun to advance ; and in its progrefs has overturned the trees of later date, before they have had time to grow up to any confiderable heighth. To thefe circumftances, another fact may be added, which appears to me con vincing. There are large ftones of gra nite, which are found only at a fmall diftance from the extremities of the gla* cier. Thefe are vaft fragments, which have certainly fallen down from the mountains upon the ice ; have been carried on by the glacier in its eri- creaSe ; and have tumbled into the plain upon the melting or Sinking of the ice, which Supported them. TheSe Stones, which the inhabitants call Mareme, form ijtind of border, towards the foot of tke: r 299 3 the valley of ice, and have been pufhed forward by the glacier in its advances ;' they extend even to the place occupied by the larger pines. < As we proceeded from Chamouny, the heighth of the mduntains gradually diminished; and the feveral valleys through which we paffed, were diversi fied in their figures and productions in a very agreeable manner. Thefe Scenes, to travellers who come from the more cultivated and lefs romantic parts of Swifferland, muft appear infinitely afto* nifhing ; but with reSpect to ourfelves, who are lately arrived from the wildeft country and the moft barren rocks, they made but little imprefTion, We followed the eourfe of the Arve, which takes its rife from the glacier of Argentiere ; and rufhes along in a Sono rous torrent great part oS the way. Not far from Salenche we came to a defcent, where on our right-hand was a fmall |ak§ formed, by a. ftrearri> that burSts from r 3°° i from the rock ; and from this lake ifiues a current which falls into the Arve : the Situation was picturefque, and the bor ders of the little lake, fkirted with wood, were extremely pleating and variegated. From hence we defcended into the plain, which continues almoft perfectly level to Ceneva. Salenche lies at the bottom of a broad valley, which here contracts to a narrow pafs. Tradition fays, that this little plain was once a lake ; and indeed its form, and the quality of the foil, feem to juftify tradition : great part is laid wafte by the unruly Arve, which frequently overflows its banks ; and the reft is moftly covered with fruit- trees. Not far from Magland we Stopped to admire a beautiful fall of water, called the cafcade of Arpenas : it is a torrent, which rufhes, like the Staubbach, from an impending rock. When I faw it, there was a cbnfiderable wind, which drove the torrent, foon after its leaving the rock, at leaft [ 301 } leaft an hundred yards out of the perpen dicular direction, into an almoft imper ceptible Spray : I then beheld it trickling down the fides of the mountains in a thoufand little ftreams, which united at a ridge of the rock ; and from thence formed three cafcades, all different from each other. The body of water was much more confiderable than that or* the Staubbach, and the fall appeared to me altogether as high! Between Mag- land and Clufe we took a guide to con duct us to the cave of Baume-, of which we had read a moft magnificent defcrip- tion. Though the afeent was not very high, yet it was So fteep that we were nearly an hour in reaching it : we then Scrambled along an ugly precipice, from which we mounted a ladder ; and by the aid of the branches* of a nut-tree growing out of the rock at the mouth of the cave, we pulled ourfelves into a natural cavern more than a quarter of a mile in length, and forming various branches I $02 ) branches that led into lofty vaults and Spacious openings. A man of a very warm imagination, might perhaps., have difcovered a magnificent chapel with a natural cupola, an arfenal, the ruins of a Sumptuous palace, &c. j but as for my part, I faw only a fpacious cave, covered with Stalactites, Spars, and petrifactions, which Shone beautifully enough, but which I have feen in al moft all the natural caverns I ever en tered : nop was this So tranfcendentfy beautiful, as to anfwer the trouble -i| coft us to get into it. We paffed the night at .CluSe, which. is Situated in a rich plain by the fide of the Arve ; and the next morning came down the banks of that river tp Bonneville, the capital of the dutchy of Faucigny ; it Stands alSo upon the Arve* at the bottom of a chain of rocks, which from this place diminifh into hills. All this part of Faucigny, as alfo a fmall Strip pf the Chablajs through. which I 3°3 1 which we paffed, is a rich plain, that produces wine and corn in great plen ty : but it is neither very populous nor perfectly well cultivated. By the little village of Chene we entered into the ter ritory of Geneva : the fudden change from the poverty of the Savoyards to theneatnefs and eafe of thefe people; ..the populoufhefs of the country, the richnefs of its cultivation ; and the number of country-houfes fcattered a- bout the fields like ours in England, were circumftances that affected me with the moft pleafing admiration, I am,. &c- LETTER XXIV. i. AS I propofe vifiting Geneva again, in my way to the South of France, I will defer fending you any account of that interefting town until my return ; when, t 304 1 when, as I intend paffing a Short time there, I hope tp get Some farther infor mation concerning the government, &c. which I will not fail of communicating to you. We went from Geneva to Craffi, a fmall- village in the Pays de Vaud, where we paffed a day with one of our coun trymen, who has taken a houfe for the Summer in that delightful fpot. In our way to Craffi we went through Verfoi, a little village in the French territories, upon the lake of Geneva : it goes, by the name of ChoifeuFs folly. Geneva^ having fallen under the difpleafure of France; that minister endeavouring to take advantage of the late troubles In 1768, laid apian to ruin that town, and to monopolife the whole trade of the lake. Accordingly he fixed upon Verfoi as a fituation the moft proper upon which to build a large town. For this purpofe he began by finking a pier arid making an harbour : he constructed alfo a frigate j C 3°5 1 a frigate ; marked out the Streets ; Sent a confiderable quantity of ftone to build the houSes ; ordered a garrifon, and erected huts for them, in which they continued fome time. In fhort, the borders of the lake for fome way are ftrewed with all kinds of materials for building. "Neverthelefs, when the har bour was nearly finifhed, and govern ment had expended near three millions of livres ; the whole fcheme was given up. But the harbour, the huts, and the materials for building: ftill remain, dis graceful monuments of his ill-concerted project. This Pays 4e Vaud is a country, of which all hiftorians and travellers, who have had occafion to mention it, fpeak with rapture; particularly of that part which borders upon the lake of Geneva: and indeed a more delightfulcountry can not well be imagined. It is, almoft the whole way, a gradual afeent from the edge of the lake, richly laid out in vine- , Vol. I. X yards, [ 3°° ] yards, corn-fields, and luxuriant mea dows ; and checkered with con tinuedham- lets, villages, and towns : the fhores are generally of the cleaneft gravel; and the water is of fo fine a tranfparency, that you may fee the bottom to a very con fiderable depth. We paffed through Nyon, which Stands upon the edge, of the lake,- and in the veiy point where it begins to widen. It was formerly called Colonia Mqueftris iVo*- vidunum; and, as a proof of its antiquity, feveral Roman inscriptions, .and other an tient remains, have been .frequently dug up in the out-Skirts of the town. Between St. Pres and Marges, the lake4 forms a beautiful bay : thefe towns are fituated upon the two points which jut out into the water ;. the whole forming an amphitheatre gently rifing to the Jura^ All the; poffeffions in this, country which belonged to the duke of Savoy, were wrefted from him in the war which the canton of Berne declared againft C 3*7 J agairtft" him, in 1536, in defence of Geneva: and the fame year the refor mation was introduced. From that pe riod all the Pays de Vaud (excepting the corniriori bailliages of Qrandfon, Orbe, and a fmall portion of it which was' ceded to FriHourg) has been fubject to Berne, andT makes part of that canton. Laufanne is built upon an afeent fo fteep, that in fome places it is with great difficulty the horfes tan draw up a carri age; arid Soot- paffengers mount towards the upper part of the town by flights of Steps, which lean againft the rock. But thefe inconveniences are amply comj ferifated by the fublimeft views in ria^ ture : the1 prindpal object is the lake or Geneva, Shaped like a bow ; the arc of which is formed by the Pays de Vaud, arid the cord by the coaft of Chablais. Frorri' Geneva to Villeneuve, the two extremities of this lake, may be an extent of above forty miles : it varies X a in [- 3-o8 ] in its breadth ; the narrowest part is fcarce three miles acroSs, and from Rolles to Thonon about fifteen. It is not altogether fo large as that of Conftance, but the fcenery is Sar more grand and pictureSque. The fame year in which part of the Pays de Vaud was conquered from the.. houfe of Savoy, the inhabitants of this town expelled the bifhop, and put them felves under the protection and Sovereign ty of the canton of Berne ; which con firmed all their privileges, and added others. At prefent, Laufanne is governed by its own magistrates; has its own courts of juftice; and, what is very fingular, the citizens who inhabit the principal Street: have the privilege of pronouncing Sen tence in criminal caufes. The criminal is tried by the civil power ; if he is found, and acknowledges himfelf, guilty (for his own confeffion is neceffary, otherwise he is put to the torture until he [ 3^9 1 \ * he confeffes) the burghers of this Street affemble ; an advocate pleads in defence of the prifoner, and another againft him ; the court of juftice give their Opinion upon the point of law ; and the majority of the burghers in queftion determine the penalty. IS the punish ment be capital, there is, Strictly Speak ing, no pardon, except it be obtained Within twenty-four hours from the fo- vereigri council of Berne ; although it' generally happens that eight days are granted for that purpofe. When the criminal is feized within the jurifdic- tion of the town ; the profecution is tried, and the burghers pronounce their fentence, in the town-hall : and in this cafe there is no appeal. But, when he is taken within the diftrict of the bailiff, they affemble in his houfe ; and an appeal lies from their determi nation to Berne. I have been the more particular in my enquiries concerning the mode of this criminal prbcefs, from- X 3 the [ 3*- al though there are no traces of any hiftory like that of Julia in thefe parts ; yet the fcenery is ftrongly marked : and I am fatisfied that almoft every fpot, which/ is mentioned in the letters, actually exifts in this romantic country. For, Rouffeau himSelf paffed fome time at different parts on the borders of the lake, and particularly at Meillerie, about : that period of his life when he may be SuppoSed to have written his HeloiSe. Open that performance, read that let ter, and confider that part of it, where St. Preux points out the number of towns and villages, the continued fer tility and high cultivation of the Pay* • de Vaud, and then contrails it with the barren rocks of Chablais, exhibiting here and there a few infulated toWns, which lie upon the very edge of the water; you will fee at once, and in the fame point [ 3^7 1 point of view, the fatal influence of defpotifm, and the happy effects which arife from the moft affured liberty, under a mild and equitable government. I am, &c. Laufanne, Sept. 4. LETTER XXV. Yverdun, Sept. 7. THE chain of mountains called the Jura, begins in the canton of Zuric, from thence extends along the Rhine, into the canton and bifhopric of Bafil, Stretches into the canton of So leure and the principality of Neucha tel, branches out towards the Pays de Vaud, feparates that country from Franche Comte and Burgundy, and continues beyond the frontiers of the Genevois as far as the Rhone. In va rious parts this chain of mountains forms fdrfris numberleSs Small vallies upon th^ heighths ; Several of Which ate contained within the diftrict of the Pays de Vaud: The valley of the lake of Joux, is' fb called from a lake of that name, upon the top of that part of the1 Jura called Mount Joux ; and which lies in the bailliage of Romain Motier. It is about twelve miles by five ; of which a circuit of above twelve miles is oc cupied by two lakes clofe to each other, and which formerly, without doubt, made but one : the largeft of theSe5 is called the lake of Joux. This valley, contains feveral fmall villages confidera bly peopled; artd the Whole' is beauti fully checkered with fine forefts, rich* meadows; or flourishing fields- of bar-' ley and oats. Befides thefe two lakes, a little farther is a third, which lies' in Franche Comte. One Shore df the* -largeft of theSe' lakefe, is Highf roc"k, covered with wood ; the oppofite' Shoffc' is a gentle afcerft, Well cultivated atid' producing [ 3IQ 1 producing grain, backed by an abrupt ridge adorned with pines, beech, and ©ak. The Small lake cloSe to it, is in its Shape more oval, richly bordered with corn-fields and cottages-. Near the Small village of Abbaye, a rivulet gufhes from the bottom of the rock, and lofes itfelf in the largeft lake; the water whereof has no apparent out let, but has certainly a Subterraneous communication with the fmaller lake. On the oppofite Shore oS the latter, a* Stream iffues out, turns Some mills, and; then is* loft in a hollow gulph, formed (I fuppofe by the force of the current) jn a perpendicular rock. About two miles farther, on the other fide of the mountain, the river Orbe burfts forth, and is probably produced by the lafl> mentioned Stream1 here ingulphed. This1 little vale is very populous, containing^ about three thoufand inha* hitants, all of them- remarkably induf- triousi. Some- few make watches, but the I 32° J the greateft part are employed in polifh-; ing cryftalsi granites, marcafites, &c« In the Small village of Pont, where we lodged, all the inhabitants, except one family, bear the Surname of Rochat; a name which alfo runs through the whole village of Charhoniere, with the exception of only two families ; and is prevalent likewife in that of Ab- baye : the whole number of thefe Ro- chats amounts to above a thoufand. I enquired whether they took the ap pellation from any chief, as the Scot tish clans do; or whether they were fuppofed to be defcendents of the Same family : I was affured, that the latter is the fact, and that their anceftors came originally from France. In our afeent to this delightful vale, and as we defcended through a variety pf hill, valley, wood, , and lawn ; we had a moft extenfive proSpefr, compre hending great part of the Pays de Vaud, the lake of Qeneva with .its. mouri-, tainous [ 32i ] fcalnous boundary; and that of Neu chatel. Thefe two lakes appear, from that high point of view, to be nearly upon the fame level *, with no confi derable fwell of the country interven ing. We paffed through the beautiful val ley of Romain Motier to Orbe ; which, according to antiquarians, was the moft antient town, and once the moft power ful, of all Helvetia, It was called Urba, and was .the capital of the Pdgus. Ur- bigenus: no remains however exift at prefent of its antient Splendour. Some antique fortifications, an old caftle, and a round tower, are works probably of later and more turbulent times : they were erected, perhaps, when this coun try was divided into a number of petty fovereign ties. Orbe is an old town, placed in a very romantic fituation : the country which * According to Mr. de Luc, the lake of Neucha tel is 1519 French feet above that of Geneva. Vol. I.' Y lies [ 322 ] lies round it, is chiefly planted with vines. The town, which is governed by its own magistrates, is comprifed within the bailliage of Echalens, belong ing to Berne and Fribourg : thefe two cantons alternately fend a bailiff, who refides at Echalens, and remains in of fice during five years. When Berne ap points the baihff, an appeal lies from his decifions to the Sovereign council of Fribourg ; as it does to the government of Berne, when he is nominated by Fribourg. By thefe means a great check is laid upon the exactions of the bailiff: and I am informed, that juftice is no Where more equally adminiftered than in thefe common bailliages of the two cantons above-mentioned. From Orbe we defcended into the plain, which Stretches to the lake of Yverdun. This plain was formerly covered as far as Entreroches (three leagues from its prefent pofition) and probably Sarther, by that lake : it is now, C 323 1 Aow, for a confiderable part, i great' fWamp. We have taken up our lodgings at the baths of Yverdun, within a quar ter of a mile of the town : thefe baths are Strongly Sulphureous, and much fre quented during the Summer months; Yverdun is large, airy, and well- built with Stone, like all the towns I have hitherto Seen in the Pays de Vaud : it Stands not far from the lake, in a fmall Hland formed by the two branches of Ihe river Thiele. Between the town and the lake there is a pleafant lawn extending to the water; and planted with avenues of lime-trees. As one looks from this plain along the lake, it is Skirted with high land, except on the oppofite northern fhore, the middle part of which is quite flat, and has much the appearance of a fea view. Yverdun carries on fome trade, has a few manufactures pf muffin and linen, and is one of the paffages for the mer-* ehandife which is brought from Pied-^ Y » mOni [ 324 ] montto Germany. Literature flourishes to a very great degree in this town; which is celebrated alSo for its printing- prefs., This prefs was eftablifhed the .beginning of the prefent century ; but was entirely neglected until fome years ago, when it was renewed, with more fuccefs and with higher reputation than ever, by Felice, a Neapolitan of great learning and abilities. The lake of Yverdun, or of Neu-„ chatel, Stretches from fouth to north about twenty miles in length, and in fome places about five in breadth. The fouth-eaft part of it, where we now are, is covered with country-houfes, be-. longing chiefly to the inhabitants of Berne. To-day we dined with a gen-, tleman of that town, a member of the fovereign council; whofe acquaintance; we made at the baths of Leuk : his country-houfe ftands cloSe to the water at the village of Clendy ; commanding a pleafant profpect of the lake, and of the adjacent country. It C 325 ] It is Somewhat extraordinary, that the SwiSs (whoSe country abounds with Situations inconceivably noble and pic- tureSque, and where Nature wantons in all the luxuriant variety of her moft Strik ing beauties) that the SwiSs fhould have adopted the dull and tafteleSs unifor mity of the French gardens. I have frequently obferved, in the midft of thefe romantic fcenes, a majeftic foreft fliced out into little regular allies ; and at the very borders of the fine lakes, artificial pools of water edged with fun- burnt parterres. I am, &c. LETTER XXVI, Neuchatel, Sept. g. WE fkirted the weft Side oSthe lake, through Grandfon, the principal town of a bailliage of that name, he- Y 3 longing [ 3?4 ] longing to Berne and Fribourg, ^nd. remarkable fpr the battle in which Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, was defeated by the Swifs in 1476. We entered the principality of Neuchatel about fix miles from that; town, and paffed through St. Aubin, Boudri, Co- lombier, &c. each of them pleafant vil lages upon the borders of the water. The road runs along the fide of the Jura, with the lake lying below it, through a country that refembled, in Some meafure, the diftrict of La Vaux between Laufanne and Vevay:. the fides of the Jura are almoft the whole way covered with vines, Supported in many parts by low Stonewalls. The bor ders of the lake are more uniform than thofe pf the lake pf Geneva ; and dp not rife into fiich lugh> irregular, and grotefque alps as the coaft of Chablais. •Towards Grandfon and St. Aubin, the country is more diversified with mea dows and corn-fields ; but nearer tQ , , i .-, Neuchatel [ 3^7 ] Neuchatel the ujpper parts of the naoun* tains are cloathed with foreft, and, the midland and lower parts entirely planted with vines. Between the lake and the Jura there are feveral rivers, which burft out from the rock in very confiderable Streams ; and, after turning feveral mills, fall into the lake at a little diftance Srom their Source : moft of the rivers in this country are formed in the fame man ner. The largeft of thefe is that of La Serriere, near a Small village of the •Same name, which we croffed to-day in our way to Cplombier, where we dined with a family whofe acquaintance we made at the baths of Leuk. We paffed a very agreeable day with thefe amia ble perfons; by whom we were receiv ed with that franknefs and unaffected eafe which characterises true pplitenefs. Indeed I cannot Speak too highly of that genuine and unartful good - breeding, which, in general, distinguishes the SwiSs gentry* Y 4 After [ 328 r After dinner fome muficians of the country gave us the Renz des vaches: that famous air which was forbidden to be played among the Swifs troops in the French fervice ; as it awakened in the fol- diers fuch a longing recolleetion of their native countiy, that it often produced in them a fettled melancholy, and occa fioned frequent defertion. The French call this fpecies of patriotic regret la maladie du pays. ' There is nothing, I think, peculiarly Striking in this tune ; but, as it Seems to be compoSed of the moft Simple notes, the powerful effect its melody has been found to have upon the Swifs foldiers, in a foreign land, is the lefs furprifing. Nothing indeed revives fo lively a remembrance of for mer Scenes, as a piece of favourite mufic which we were accuftomed to hear amidft our earlieft and deareft con nections : upon Such an occafion, a long train of affociated ideas will neceffarily arife in the mind, and, if not totally felfifh', * t 329 1 felfifh, melt it into tenderneSs. It is ob* fervable, that thoSe who inhabit moun tainous countries are more Subject to this maladie du pays than others : and no wonder ; as their habits of life are effentially different from what they find. in other parts. Accordingly, the Scotch highlanders, and the Bifcayans, as well as the Swifs, when abfent from their country, are peculiarly apt to be affected with every thing that recalls it to their minds. Under the general name of Swiffer land, as understood by foreigners, the principality of Neuchatel and Vallengin, together with the Grifons, the Vallais, and the republic of Geneva, are all com- prifed : but, Strictly Speaking, thefe are only allies of the Swifs, and do not form any part of that diftrict, which is called Swifferland by the natives. The prin cipality of Neuchatel and Vallengin are in alliance with the four neighbouring cantons, Berne, Lucerne, Fribourg, and Soleure : ' f 33<> ] Soleure : but befides this general con federacy, the town of Neuchatel has a particular connection with the canton of Berne ; the inhabitants of the for mer being considered as com -burghers or fellow -citizens with thoSe of the laft- mentioned canton. The whole princi pality contains near forty thoufand in habitants ; of which there are three thoufand in the capital : it is there the governor refides, and the general admini stration of public affairs is carried on.. The town of Neuchatel is fmall. It lies partly upon the little plain between the lake and the Jura, and partly upon N the declivity of that mountain : in con fluence of which fituation, fome of its Streets are rather fteep. At the com mencement of the prefent century, com merce was almoft wholly a Stranger here; ,as the ridiculous pride of its being deem ed degrading generally prevailed among them. This fenfelefs prejudice is now, however, well-nigh worn out; and a confiderable [ 33* 1 confiderable trade is carried on. The chief article of their exportation is wine, produced from the neighbouring vine yards, and much efteemed. Several manufactures alfo of cotton and muflin have been eftablifhed with SucceSs : and within theSe few years, the merchants of this town have raifed large fortunes. .* I am, &6. LETTER XXVII. Neuchatel, Sept. 11. I AM charmed with an expedition we have juft been making tp the fum mit of the Jura ; and I will give you a Short account of it, while the impref- fion remains warm upon my mind. The principality of Neuchatel and Vallengin, Stretches from the lake tp the limits pf Franche Comte ; contain ing in length, from north to fputh, about twelve [ 332 ] twelve leagues, and about fix in its greateft breadth. The principality of Neuchatel occupies all the plain, toge-i ther with the lower parts of the moun tains : while Vallengin is totally enclof- ed within the Jura. Parallel chains of the Jura run from eaft to weft, and Sorm, in the moft elevated parts, Several val leys. The lower grounds of this chain are partly laid out in arable-land, but principally in vineyards :vthe higher con-? Sifts of a large tract of foreft, which in many parts has been cleared away, and converted into confiderable pafture-lands, intermixed vernor and the council of State; and no Subject can be tried out of the country, or otherwife than by the judges appoint ed by the constitution : by the latter, Should the king of Pruffia Be at war with all Germany ; the people of Neuchatel and Vallengin are by no means obliged to take up arms in his defence ; but in dividuals may even ferve againft him, So long I 349 3 long as the powers whom they ferve, are riot engaged in hostilities againft their country *. Befides-theSe general articles, that com prehend the privileges of the people at * This right they ftill preferve, notwithftanding allthe attempts of the king of Pruffia to deprive them of it. The following aneccJote I had from a gen tleman of Neuchatel, who was perfonally acquainted with the officer concerned ; At the celebrated Battle of Rofbaeh, when the Pruffjan monarch gained a complete victory over the French army, an officer in that fervice was taken prifbner. He had behaved in fo gallant a manner, that the king, ftruck with his valour, afked Jiim his name, and his country : the officer replying, that he was of Neuchatel : " You are my fubjedt," faid that monarch, li and yet you ferve againft me !" *' I make ufe of the privilege," returned the officer, *' which I ertjoy as a native of Neuchatel." Soon af ter, this, the king fent a letter to his refident at Neu chatel, in which he remonftrated againft this right: the Jetter was' laid before the people. The three communities of Neuchatel, Landeron, and Boudry, |i6fitively refufed to renounce this privilege ; that of Vallengin, on the contrary, iffued out orders to all fhe officers ©f their- diftricT:, who were in the Frerich army, immediatefy to quit that fervicer under pain pf being deprived of their burgherfhip. The officers to a man remained firm in their refufal : at length • the fubjedt. of difpufe was dropped, and the recufants continued to hgld, urimolefted, their rights of bur- gherfaip. A a 4 large i [ 35© ] large; there are others which the fove reign is equally bound to maintain, re lating to the town of Neuchatel and the djftrict of Vallengin, in particular. The prince confers nobility, and no minates to the principal offices of ftate, both civil and military, except fome few, which the people have, a right to ap point : the chatelains and mayors, who prefide in the feveral courts of juftice, are alSo of his nomination. His re venues are very moderate, Scarcely a- mounting to £. 5,000 a year. They arife from certain domains belonging to the fovereign, from a fmall land tax, and from the tythes of wine and corn, which are moftly paid according to an antient, and confequently very low, va luation. With regard to commerce ; no fubject pays any duties either of impor tation or exportation, except for foreign wines imported into the town of Neu chatel. During the abfence of the prince, he is reprefented by a governor of his own apr pointing; who enjoys confiderable ho* nours indeed, but his authority is veiy limited. He convokes the three eftates ; 6 ptefides, [ 351 ] prefides in that affembly ; and has the cafting vote in cafe of an equality of voices f. he has the power alfo, in crimi nal cafes, of pardoning, or of mitigat ing the Sentence,, In his abSence his place is Supplied by the Senior counSellor of ftate. The three eftates of Neuchatel, form the fuperior tribunal of this country ; and to them lies an appeal from the in ferior courts of juftice. They are com- poSed of twelve judges, divided into three eftates : the firft confifts of the four fenior cpunfeljors of ftate, who are no ble: the fecond, of the four chatelains of kanderon,, Bbudry, Valde Travers, and •Thielle * ; and in cafe thefe cannot fit in perfon, their place is fupplied by the respective mayors of the principality of Neuchatel, according to a certain order exprefsly regulated ; the third eftate is compoSed of four ,counfellbrs of the town of Neuchatel. The judges' in the firft * The principality of Neuchatel is divided into a certain number of diftridts ; fome of which are de-? nominated chatellanies, and others mayoralties. The chiefs of the, former are called chatelains, and of the latter mayors: in every other rei'pec^ ^heir office; and their power is the fame. and [ 35* 1 . and Second divifion hold their places for life ; thofe in the third are appointed annually. This body ordinarily affembles every year in the month of May ; but is convoked extraordinarily upon particu lar occafions : the town of Neuchatel is always the place of their meeting. Thefe three eftates are not, as feveral authors „ have fuppofed, the reprefenta- tives of the people ; nor do ¦ they poffefs the legislative authority. They are, pro perly Speaking, the Supreme court of ju~ dicature, which receives all appeals, and decides finally all eauSes, even thoSe re lating to the Sovereignty of the country : a power which they exercifed in the year 1707, upon the extinction of the direct line in the perSon pf the dutchefs of Nemours *, * It may be here worth remarking, that the three eftates decided the famous caufe of the fucceffion in 1707, as a procefs betweeo the feveral claimants of the fovereignty. But if (in cafe of failure of claim^ ants) a new fovereign were to be chofen, or a new form of government to be eftablifhed ; this would no longer be confidered as the affair of a court of judi» cature : the queftion would come before the people affembled by means of their reprefentatives, the de-i puties of the four communities of Neuchatel, Lanr deron, Boudry, and Vallengin. The t 353 3 The council of ftate is inverted with the ordinary adminiftration of govern ment ; has the Superintendence of the general police ; and is entrufted with the execution of the laws. The members are nominated by the fovereign ; and are not limited tp any particular number. The prince has no power but in con junction with this council, ; in which he is always considered as perfonally prefix ing : and the power oS the prefident is only to convoke the affembly, to pro- poSe the Subject of their consideration, to collect the votes, and to decide when the voices are equal. Previous to the iffu- ing of any ordinance by this council, it is laid before a committee from the coun cil of the town and the deputies of Val lengin, who are to certify, that it con tains nothing contrary to law. The town of Neuchatel enjoys very confiderable privileges : it has the care of the police within its own diftrict, and is governed by its own magistracy, confifting of a great and little council. I will not trouble you with a detail of the feveral departments; but I cannot omit mention ing the miniftraux ; becaufe the members of [ 354 J of that body form the third eftate, when ever it is propoSed to frame new laws; or to amend old ones. The miniftraux are a kind of committee from the council of the town, and are entrufted with the admini stration of the police. They confift of the two prefidents of that council, four mafter-burghers drawn from the little council, and the banneret or guardian:: of the liberties of the people. The fix for mer are changed every two years;- the banneret is chofen by the general affem bly of the citizens, and continues in pf» fice fix years." The legislative authority is divided in fo complicated a manner, that it would be difficult to fay precifely where it abfo^ lutely refides : perhaps the following ac count of the perfons concerned, and of the forms obferved, in enacting and in promulgating new laws, may fomewhat, affift in clearing the difficulty. As Soon as the caufes are decided by the three eftates affembled (as I men tioned above) in the month of May ; the four judges, who form the third eftate; retire ; and their place is fupplied by the four miniftraux, who reprefent the council of [ 355 ] of the town. The attorney-general then defires the members of the three eftates-tp take into consideration, whether it be ne ceffary to frame any new laws, or to make any^ amendments in the old ones. If any new ordinance is propofed ; a de claration is drawn up, and delivered to the council of ftate for their delibera tion, whether any thing therein is con trary to the prerogatives of the prince, or .to the intereft of the public : from thence it is communicated to the council of the town, to be examined, whether it in fringes the privileges of the citizens of Neuchatel, If it be adopted by the coun cil of ftate, and the council of the town ; it is propofed to the prince for his ap probation or rejection : in the former cafe, it is again carried before the three eftates, and publicly read ; after which the governor, or president, declares the approbation of the fovereign. It is then promulgated, or, as the expreffion is, paffed into a law by the three eftates. Since the acceffion of the houfe of Bran- denbourg, the people of Vallengin are al ways confulted upon the framing of any new laws. For this purpofe the three mafter- [ 35° ] mafter-burghers of Vallengin examine* whether it contains any thing inconfiftent with the franchifes of the people of that diftrict : and, in that caSe, they have the power of remonftrating to the governor in council. From all this detail it Should Seem, that the legislative authority refides conjunc tively in the prince, the council of ftate, and the town ; that the people of Val lengin have a kind of negative voice ; and that the three eftates propoSe and promulgate the laws. Every year, after the breaking-up pf fhe affembly of the three eftates of Neu chatel ; the three eftates of Vallengin, as Constituting the Supreme court of ju dicature for that country, meet at their capital burgh, and decide finally on all appeals from the inferior courts of juftice. The firft of thefe three eftates confifts of the Same four noble counfellors of State, who fit in the firft of the three eftates of Neuchatel ; four mayors of the county of Vallengin compofe the fecond eftate ; and four members of the court of juftice of Vallengin, nominated by the mayor of that burgh, constitute the third. The 9 governor, [ 357 1 governor, or, in his abfence, the fenior counfellor, prefides, as in thoSe of Neu chatel. Thefe three eftates of Vallengin have no interference in the framing of the laws : but, after they have been enacted or amended at Neuchatel, in the man ner above-mentioned, they are fimply re mitted to them by the follicitor-general, and publicly read before them. The people of the diftrict of Vallen gin affemble every three years in an open plain, in order to elect their three mafter-burghers, as they are Styled ; who are respectively choSen from among the inhabitants of the burgh of Vallengin, of the Val de Ruz, and of the moun tains. The function of thefe mafter- burghers is to watch over the general interests of the people : they are alfo in Some caSes their deputies, and ap pear at Neuchatel in their name, when ever they are Summoned by the gover nor and council of ftate, in relation to any affair which particularly concerns their country. The principality of Neuchatel is di vided into a certain number of districts, each of which has its criminal courts of f 15% 1 of juftice : in the county of VallengHi there is but one for the whole diftrict. The Spirit of their criminal laws is un* commonly mild ; and J:he penalty an nexed to each tranfgreffion is marked out with a precision, which leaves no part of the fentence to the arbitrary de termination of the judges. The great circumspection obferved in their judicial proceedings, .may fometimes indeed fa vour the efcape of the criminal : but the very few inftances which occur of atrocious crimes, is a proof that this humane caution is no encouragement to tranfgreffors ; as it is a ftrong preSump- tion alSo of the general good morals of the people. 'In a word, and to fpeak pf the temper of their legislation in the higheft terms of encomium, as well as with the ftricteft truth ; perSonal li berty is as tenderly and as Securely pro tected by the laws oS this country, as by thoSe of our own moft invaluable constitution. When the criminal is arrefted, he is immediately brought to trial : after which, the fentence is read to him in prifon. The next morning the prifoner is t 359 J is again brought before the judges, af* fembled in the open, air ; the whole for-' mer proceedings on the. trial are read aloud, and the judges once more deliver their opinion : by thefe means time is given for farther deliberation. In cafe fhe fentence is capital; the governor is made acquainted without delay with the circumftances of the crime : and if he does not remit or foften the punifh- ment, the fentence is immediately put in execution. I am forry to add, that torture (though feldom made ufe of) is not absolutely abolifhed : it is the only circumftance wanting to render their code of penal laws, an admirable model of juftice tempered with humanity. Such are the general outlines of this remarkable constitution, by which the liberties of the people are as well, and perhaps better, fecured than even in the democratical cantons : for, although the moft defpotic prince in Germany is fovereign, his power is exceedingly li mited. Among thofe circumftances with which I was more particularly ftruck in this government, I cannot but mention the very liberal encouragement given to Bb' all [ 3°° ] all ftrangers, who chooSe to fettle in the country. They enjpy every poffible pri vilege oS trade and commerce; and one can Scarce meet with any State, where fewer ¦ effential distinctions are rriade be tween thefe and the natives. I have al ready obferved to you, the good effects which this enlarged policy has had, with in the prefent century, on the popula tion of Neuchatel and Vallengin : where as, a narrower and more contracted prin ciple in fome of the neighbouring Swifs cantons, unwifely with-holding them from giving encouragement to the fettling of ftrangers among them ; has occafioned, and continues to occafion, a very- ma-, n if eft decreafe of their people. I am, &c. LETTER XXIX. Morat, Sept. 13.. N our way to Avenches we croffed the river Thiele, which iffues from the lake of Neuchatel, and difcharges itfelf into that of Bienne : this river. Separates the principality of Neuchatel from [ 36i ] from the canton of Berne. * Thiele is a diftrict of the province of Neucha tel, and contains feveral villages in a tract of level country which produces wine, corn, and fruit : a Spirit of in duftry prevails among the inhabitants, particularly thofe of the villages of Thiele and St. Blaife, Morat is a bailliage belonging to Berne and Fribourg : the reformation was in-< troduced here in 1530, by the majority of voices, in prefence of the deputies of Berne and Fribourg. The free fpirit of the Swifs governments is in no in ftance more remarkably apparent, than by the mode they obferved in embracing, or rejecting, the reformation ; as, in many other towns befides Morat, the queftion was fairly put to the vote, and the mi nority generally Submitted to the deci- fion of the greater number, with perfect acquiefcence. ' This town ftands upon the edge of a fmall lake (about fix miles long, and two broad) in the midft of a well-cul tivated country. The lakes of Morat and Neuchatel are parallel to each other, and Separated only by a fmall hill : the former B b 2 is f 362 J is the higheft; for, it discharges itfelf by means of the river Broye, into the latter. According to Mr. de Luc, the Jake of Morat is fifteen French feet (about Sixteen of our meafure) above the level of that of Neuchatel. Both thefe lakes, as well- as that of Bienne, formerly ex tended much farther than their prefent limits : and I have little doubt, from the pofition of the country, that they- were once united, Morat is celebrated for the: obftinate Siege it Sustained in 1476 againft Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy ; which was followed by the b.attle of Morat : in this famous engagement, the duke was routed} and his whale army almoft entirely de stroyed, by the confederate Swifs troops. Not far from the town, and clofe to the high road, there ftill remains a monu ment of this victory : it is a fquare build- ing, filled with the bones of the foldiers belonging to the duke of Burgundy's army, who were Slain at the Siege and in the battle : and indeed, by the quantity of thefe bones, it appears, that the num ber of the flaughtered was confiderable. Over the building are feveral infcriptions in [ 3^3 ] in Latin and German, relative to that memorable victory. I transcribed the fol lowing on account of its elegant concife- nefs ; Deo Opt : Max : Caroli Inclyti et Fortiffimi Burgundia Ducis Exercitus Muratum obfidens ab Helvetiis Ceefus hoc Jui Monumentum reliquit Ann: 1476. This war, which Charles the Bold -carried on againft, the Swifs with a te merity peculiar to himfelf, forms a me morable sera in the hiftory of this coun try ; and was attended with fome very extraordinary circumftances. From the time of the famous revolution in 1308, which gave rife to the Helvetic confede racy, to the end of the following cen tury, the Swifs republics ftripped the houfe of Auftria of all their territories that lay within Swifferland ; and conti nued in poffeffion of . them, notwith standing the various attempts made by the different dukes to recover their loft domains. Among theSe, Sigifinond the Simple, archduke of Auftria of the branch B b 3 of T '3^4 1 of Tyrol, was more particularly engaged in perpetual hoftilities with the Swifs cantons, and their allies : for, his he reditary dominions in Suabia and Al- face bordered upon Swifferland, and in duced him to enter more frequently into thefe quarrels, than the other branch of that houfe, which was in poffeffion of the'! imperial throne. In the eourfe of thefe hoftilities, Si- giSmond was compelled to cede a confi derable part of his territories to the Swifs republics; particularly the rich country of Thurgaw was yielded to the feven cantons, which at that period compofed the Helvetic league*. Thefe repeated loffes, and the humiliating conditions of peace he was conftrained to accept in 1468, filled him with refentment ; and -he endeavoured to engage fome of the neighbouring powers to join with him in a confederacy againft the SwiSs cantons'. For this purpofe, he firft applied to Louis XL king of France ; but not Suc ceeding; he addreffed himfelf to Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy. * Berne obtained the co-regency of Thurgaw at the peace of Araw5 17 12. That [ 365 ] That prince having Succeeded to the poffeffion of Franche Comte, Burgundy, Artois, and Flanders, together with the greateft part of the now United Pro vinces ; his revenues were as ample, and his territories as extenfive, , as thofe of the moft potent fovereign of his time. Magnificent, impetuous, and enterprising, he Set no bounds to his reftleSs ambi tion ; nor neglected any opportunity of enlarging his ^domains and aggrandifing his power. He had formed the plan of erecting his, dominions into a monarchy ; and had already, in imagination appro priated to himfelf Lorraine and part of Swifferland; which he propofed to con quer, and annex to his hereditary terri tories. ¦ A prince of fuch a character could not but be well-difpofed to liften to any overtures, or to undertake any war, that might advance his, projected Schemes. Accordingly, Charles received with eager- nefs the propositions which Sigifmond, made him ; flattered him with the hopes of beftowing upon him in marriage his daughter Mary, heireSs of his extenfive dominions ; and prevailed upon .that cre- i.. B b 4 dulous [ 366 ] dulous prince to furrender to him Sund- gaw, Alface, Brifgaw, and the four Fo- reft-towns, as a pledge for. the fecurity of eighty thoufand florins : upon the re payment of which fum, the provinces in queftion were to be reftored. By this treaty, Sigifmond acquired a Sum of money to affift him in his pre parations againft the Swifs ; protected, as he thought, his hereditary (dominion* from their enterprifes ; and fecured a powerful ally againft the antient ene mies of his family. The reverie, how ever, proved to be the event : for, by a Strange fatality, this treaty, which was to cement the union of the two princes,* and to engage them to attack conjointly that formidable people ; ferved only to divide the contracting parties; and oc- cafipned the firft perpetual alliance be tween the SwiSs cantons and a prince of the houSe of Auftria, Charles, upon the conclufion of this alliance, informed the Swifs cantons, that he had taken Sigifmond under his pro tection, and would defend him to the ut- moft of his power. Meanwhile, the bai liffs, whom he placed over his new -ac quired i 367 3 quired territories in Alface, oppreffed the people; laid embargoes upon the com merce Of Mulhaufen, a fmall town con-r federated with the cantons ; and withheld the rents of the eftates belonging , to the Swifs in Sundgaw and Alface. ,. TheSe grievances were laid before Charles in an embaffy, which Berne dif- patched to his court in the name, of the allied cantons. The duke received it with haughtinefs ; and after having obliged the deputies to kneel down, while they de livered in their remonftrance, diSmiffed them without an anSwer. This disdainful and ignominious treatment was ill brooked by a free people, unaccuftomed to crouch before the infolence of power; and the warmth of their juft indignation was ftill more inflamed by the artful policy of Louis XI. who, jealous of the duke of Burgundy's power, now entered into a defenfive alliance with the eight cantonsi in conjunction with the republics of Fri bourg and Soleure, in order to counteract the dangerous defigns of that ambitious prince. But.Louis ftill farther Strengthened the Swifs, by effecting a reconciliation be« tweeti [ 368 J tween them and Sigifmond : for, the latter had no fooner furrendered to Charles thofe towns which he had mortgaged to him upon the terms above-mentioned, than he began to be fenfible of the error he had committed. The duke of Bur gundy not only oppreffed thofe people, but feemed determined, even fhould the 80,000 florins be repayed, to keep pof feffion of thefe conditional territories : and he avoided alfo the fulfilling of the promife he had made of beftowirig:ihis daughter upon the archduke. From thefe considerations, the latter was eafily in duced, through the mediation of Louis, to throw himfelf under the protection of the Swifs; arid he concluded with them the famous treaty, which was confirmed the twentieth of January, 1474, in the general diet affembled at Lucerne. This alliance is called the hereditary union ; an appellation, appropriated to the treaties made with the houfe of Auf tria:; as thofe, contracted with France, ' are denominated treaties of perpetual peace. By the alliance in queftion, Sigifmond renounced all right to the provinces which the. Swifs; had conquered .from, the houfe of [369] of Auftria : the two contracting • parties entered into a defenfive alliance, and en gaged to guarantee reciprocally each other's .territories. Thus the SwiSs, after having ftripped Sigifmond of all his poffeffions in their country, Stipulated with him, to Support his right to thoSe very provinces, which he had mortgaged in order to ftrengthen his arms againft themSelves : and SigiSmond was under the mortifying ;neceffity of accepting the guarantee of the moft inveterate enemies of his family. This treaty, which entirely changed the defigns and altered the policy of the Swifs republics, was folely brought about by the artful intrigues of Louis XI. ; and the jjealoufy of that designing monarch turned into -another channel the vaft pre parations of the duke of Burgundy : pre parations which would probably have been attended with more fucceSs, had they been directed againft France. Charles perceived, when it was too late, the imprudence of his behaviour towards the Swifs republics ; and he now tried every method to engage them in a neu trality : but they rejected his propofals of •reconciliation with firmnefs ; preparedTor a war, [ 37° 1 a war, which now appeared inevitable, with their ufual vigour; and even ad vanced the 80,000 florins to Sigifmond, who demanded the restitution of his lands, and which the duke of Burgundy evaded under various pretexts. The latter hav ing concluded a feparate peace with Louis (who generally duped every ftate, with which he entered into alliance, and kept the moft folemn treaties no longer than they were fubfervient to his own intercft) entered Swifferland with an army of fixty thoufand men ; and, laying fiege fo Grarid- fon, carried it by affault. But his fuc cefs ended here : for, at the fubfequent battles of Grandfon and Morat, he was totally defeated, and his attempts upon Swifferland entirely foiled *. Neverthe- lefs, , • Charles entered Swifferland confident of fub^ duing that country. The effecT: which this unex pected and humiliating difappointment had upon his Spirits and conftitution, is related by Philip de Co- mines, with his ufual minutenefs, in his Memoirs addreffed to Angelo Catt.ho, archbifhop of Vienne in Dauphine. His account is curious, and will give fome idea of the violent and impetuous cha racter of Charles ; k ** His concern and diftra&ion for his firft defeat «' at [ 37i ] lefs, his reftlefs and ambitious Spirit re mained ftill unfubdued ; and it impelled him to attack the duke of Lorraine. But that prince, having engaged a body of eight thoufand Swifs in his pay, had the good fortune (for which he was very much indebted to the valour of thofe troopsVpto obtain a complete victory, near ** at Grandfon was fo great, and made fuch deep im- ** preffion on his fpixits, that it threw him into a " violent and dangerous fit of ficknefs : for, whereas "before, his choler and natural heat was fo great, " that he drank no wine, only in the morning he " took a little tifane, fweetened with conferve of " rofes, to refrefh himfelf; this fudderi melancholy "had fo altered his conftitutioh, he was now " forced to drink the ftrortgeft wine that could be " got, without any water. And, in order to draw " the blood from his heart, fome burning tow wa$ " put into the cupping-glafles, and applied to his " fide. But this, my lord of Vienne, you know "better than I; for, your lordfhip attended on " him during the whole eourfe of his illnefs, and if fpared no pains that ((night contribute to his re- " cOvery : and it was by your perfuafion that the " duke was prevailed upon to cut his beard, which *' was of a prodigious length. In my opinion his " underftanding was never fo perfedt, nor his fenfes f fo fedate and compofed, after this fit of ficknefs, «{ as before," Uvedale's Tranf Vol. I: p. 4*3- Nancy, t 37z 1 Nancy, over Charles, who loft his, life hi* the battle .*. His death put an end to this bloody - war.; from which, although, the Swifk gave indeed the moft distinguishing proofs, of their invincible valour, and fpread tlie, fame of their military Virtues through out all Europe, they .derived no folid. advantage -f. In fact, the principal and6 * The death' of Charles at the battle of Nancy,- was attended with fome very extraordinary circum ftances ; for the particulars of which, fee the cu-. rlous account, extra&ed from Philip de Comkies,, and the Chronique Scandaleufe of John, de Troyes, in Wraxal's interefting.Memoirs of the Kings of. France of the Houfe of Valois. ¦ . t " And what," fays Comines, " was the oc- *c cafion of this war ? It was begun on account of. ct a waggon of fheep-fkins, which the lerd of Ron " mont took from a Swifs, who was paffing through " .his territories. If God had not abandoned the " duke, it is not probable, that he would haye put *' himfelf into fo much danger, for fo trifling a " circumftance ; confidering the , offers that were " made to him ; againft what fort , of people he " was engaged ; and from whence neither profit " nor glory could accrue to. him. For, the Swife " were not in fuch repute, as they are in at pre* " fent, and nothing could be poorer : infomuch *' that one of their embaffadors, as he was endea- " vouring C 373 1 and almoft Sole benefit refulting from it, accrued to Louis XI ; as by the death of jCharles, he not only got rid> of a dangerous and enterprising rival, but alfo annexed the rich provinces of Bur gundy and Artois to the crown of France. But, notwithstanding the immediate advantages to the SwiSs, by the death of the duke of Burgundy, were in themfelves unimportant ; yet the confequences of it operated very confiderably on their future politics. Mary of Burgundy, the only fur- viving child and heirefs of Charles, mar ried the archduke Maximilian, eldeft fon of the emperor Frederic III. and after wards emperor himfelf. By this marriage, the houfe of Auftria acquired the poffeffion of the Low- Countries ; and having fre quent disputes to Settle with France, re lating to thoSe territories which border upon that kingdom j the alliance of the " vouring to prevent the duke from engaging in " that war, remonftrated ; that he could gain no- " thing by attacking them : for, their .country was " fo barren, that the fpurs of his troops and the " bits of their horfes were worth more, than could " be furnifhed by all the Swifs territories, in cafe " they were conquered." Swifs [ 374 ] SwiSs was ftrenuoufly courted by both parties. And thus this country, being Secured from all enterprises Srom with out;* acceded as occafion offered to the two , rival powers ; affifting each party by turns, as the intrigues, or rather as the- fubfidies, of the one or the other pre vailed. Thefe intrigues gave rife to different alliances, contracted with the houfe pf Auftria, the kings- of France, the pope, and the dukes of Savoy and Milan. — - But, not to enter more minutely into their hiftory, I will only obferve in ge neral, that hitherto the Swifs had acted with great difmtereftedneSs in alS their treaties, and had never taken the field but either to Secure their liberties, or tb drive their enemies out of Swifferland. It was about the period of the Burgun- dian war, that the Subsidies which they obtained from Louis XI. taught them the .disgraceful arts of mercenary, poli tics ; as the rich plunder which they took from the duke of Burgundy gave, in fome. meafure, the firft taint to .that wonderful fimplicity of manners, for which they had before been fo happily i distinguished : [ 375 3 diftinguifhed : till at length, Sttiifs vt* mality has become a kind of proverbial ^expression* ; I am, &c. LETTER XXX. Avenches, Sept. 13. THERE is Scarcely any antient town that has occafioned more controversy among antiquarians, or that has given riSe to Such variety of con jectures concerning its original and im portance, as Avenches, the principal ' burgh of a bailliage in the Pays de Vaud. Some contend that it was the capital of all Helvetia ; becaufe Tacitus calls it Aventicum gentis caput : while others have endeavoured to prove, that by this ex- preffion the historian meant only to de note the capital town of its particular pagus or diftrict. Agreeably to Some accounts, the city was built, and a Ro man colony founded there, by VeSpa- fian : according to others (and with more probability) it was only repaired and beautified by that emperor, after it had C c been. [ 376;] been laid wafte and almoft ruined, by Vitellius. Without entering however into difcuf- fions oS this dry and uninterefting kind, this much at leaft is certain ; that it was formerly a very confiderable town, and under the dominion of the Romans. This appears not only from feveral mile*"' ftones, found in many parts of the Pays de Vaud, moft of which are numbered from Aventicum, as the principal place of reference ; and alfo from various other inscriptions ; but more particu larly from the ruins ftill existing. • I Shall flightly . mention a few of the latter, merely to Shew you it is not without evidence that theSe good people boaft of their antiquity. . We traced the ruins of the antient walls, which appear to have enclofed a Space near five miles in circumference. .The prefent town occupies but a very inconfiderable part of this ground ; the remainder is covered with corn-fields and meadows. One of the antient towers Still exifts : it is a Semicircular building, with the convex fide turned towards the town. We t 377 1 We were Shewn a very curious mo- faic pavement, difcovered fome years ago in ploughing up a field. It is now in- clofed by a barn, which being let to feme peaSants, the ignorant occupiers are taking the moft effectual method to deftroy this elegant piece oS antiquity as faft as poffible. We found it ftrew ed all over with tobacco - plants : and indeed they not only cover it with damp herbs, which deaden the colours and rot the pavement ; but Suffer every perSon who enters to take away bits. Even the Meffrs. of Berne were So in- Senfible of the value of this admirable relic of antient genius, that they per mitted the count of Caylus to take up one of the pannels ; . upon which the fi gures of two fatyrs, represented as em bracing, were greatly admired for the exquifite beauty of the execution. The count defigned to have conveyed them tb Paris, but was disappointed : for, by the unfkilfulnefs of the perfons employ ed in removing them, the pannel was broken to pieces. This fine moSaic was the floor of m antient bath, "and is about fixty feet in C c 2 length ! 37$ ] length and forty in breadth : the ge neral form is perfect ; and, although fe veral parts are broken off and loft, yet from what remains we could eafily trace the configuration of the whole. The pavement confifts of three ge neral compartments : thofe at each ex tremity are regularly divided into fifteen o&agons, eight fmall fquares, and fix- teen fmall triangles. Five of thefe oc tagons in each compartment, reprefent- ed human figures in various attitude's, but chiefly Bacchanalian men and wo men : the remaining octagons were com pofed of three different patterns, an- fwering to each other with great exact- nefs. The vacant parts between the octagons are filled with the fmall fquares; and towards the outward border, with the fmall triangles above - mentioned. The middle compartment is divided into1 oblong pannels ; in the largeft of which is an octagon bath pf white marble, of about fix feet in diameter, and a foot and an half deep : the fides of the bath are ornamented with dolphins. Of thefe three compartments one is almoft per fect ; the two others are very much de faced. [ 379 3 faced. Each pf the pannels are encir cled with feveral borders prettily diver- fified ; and a general border enclofes the whole, Schmidt, in his Recueil d'Antiquites de h Suiffe, ingenioufly conjectures, from a glory which encircles a head of Bac chus in this mofaic, that it was wrought during fome part of the intervening age between Vefpafian and Marcus Aurelius ; becaufe that mark of divinity is never feen upon any monuments of Roman antiquity prior to that period. He adds, that the fame kind of glory is obferved up on the head of Trajan in an antient paint ing at Rome; upon that of Antoninus Pius on a medal ; and on the arch ' of Conftantine. He Strengthens this con jecture, by farther remarking, that the head-drefs of one of the Bacchanalian women reprefented in this mofaic, re fembles the head-drefs on the medals of the empreffes Plotina and Sabina *. From thence we were conducted to the ruins of an antient amphitheatre, 1 * The curious reader will find in the Recueil cited ia the text, a very accurate defcription and engrav* 1% of this mofaic, C c 3 within [ 38° ] within the walls of the bailiff's garden, The general form and fize of this build ing remain tolerably perfect, as alfo fome parts of the walls which enclofed it. The diameter of the arena might be about eighty yards, as far as we could judge by pacing it ; which muft neceffarily in deed have been a very uncertain eftimate : for, one of the former bailiffs filled up the hollow with a confiderable quantity of earth, in order to plant it with fruit- , trees ; wiScly conceiving, I SuppoSe, that to have good fruit was of more value, than to be able to determine the precife extent of all the antient amphitheatres that ever exifted. Under' a tower (part pf which is built of Roman materials) is a cell of about 24 feet by, eighteen, and nearly 20 in heighth, from whence the animals were probably let loofe upon the combatants. On the outfide are Still to be Seen the remains of five dens : and all over the walls, which are formed of brick and mortar, there are feveral pieces pf rude fculpture confiderably defaced. Not far from thefe ruins ftands a large column of white marble, about 50 . feet in heighth, cpmpofed pf immenfe maffesj I 381 ] marTes, nicely joined together without ce ment ; and near it lies fcattered a 'con fiderable fragment of defaced fculpture : it has much the appearance of having been once the portal of fome magnificent temple. At a fmall diftance Srom this -column, in the high road, we obferved a cornice, confifting of a large folid block of white marble, which probably belong ed to the fame building : the fculpture, which is not without merit, reprefents urns and griffins. As we walked through the town, we remarked feveral other enormous maffes of cprnice, ornamented with fea~horfes and urns ; as alfo Some roarble columns of beautiful proportions. About a mile from Avenches, near the village of Coppet, are the remains of a fmall aqueduct : it is on the other fide of a little ftream, which Separates the canton of Fribourg from that pf Berne. It was difcovered about fifteen years ago, by the accidental falling of a hill of fand which covered the aque duct, and in its fall demolished a part of it. The outfide is formed of ftones ;;and mortar, and the infide of a red Cement, as hard as the old Roman tile ; C c 4 the [ 3*z ] the vault of the arch may be about two feet and an half high, and one and an half broad. This aqueduct has "¦ been traced to the eaft-fide of the town, and alfo to near the high marble co lumn before-mentioned. We were in formed that it extends to the tower of Gaufa, between Vevay and Laufanne ; and that between Villarfel and Mar- naw, about four leagues from Cop- pet, the folid rock is cut through in an arch of nearly the fame dimenfions. But whether thefe feveral parts actually com municated with each other, or indeed whether they really exift ; are facts which, (having only viewed thofe re-™ mains that are vifible near this town) I muft be contented tp reft on the credit of my informers, I am, &c. LETTER XXXI. Fribourg, September 14, THE town of Fribourg was built in 1 179, by Berchtold IV. luke of Z&ringen, whp endpwed it with confider able [ 383 ] able privileges. Upon the extinction of the male line of the houfe of Zseringen, in 121 8 *,' Ulric of Kybourg obtained the fbvereignty of the town, in right of his wife Anne, Sifter of the laft duke Berch- tpld V. It came by marriage into the ppffeffion1 of Eberhard count of Habf bourg - Lauffenbourg ; who fold it tp his coufin Rhodolph of Habfbourg, af terwards emperor, and founder of the houfe of Auftria. During this period a continual rivalfhip Subfifting .between * The houfe of Zaeringen was defcended from the antient counts of Alface, by Berchtold count of OBrifgaw. His grandfon, Berchtold II, built the caftle of Zseringen ; from which Berchtold III. took the title of duke. That caftle was Situ ated near a village of the fame name, not far from the prefent town of Freyburg, capital of the Brifgaw. Berchtold V, the laft duke, was chofen emperor in 1198, in oppofition to the houfe of Sua-* bia; but refigned in favour of Philip. Upon his death his territories were divided between his col lateral heirs, the dukes of Teck, and his two fifters Agnes and Anne. The former married Egeno, count of Uracil ; by which marriage he obtained poffef fion of Freyburg in the Brifgaw; and his pofterity were called counts of Freyburg. Anne married Ulric, count of Kybourg : their daughter Hedwige? was wife of Albert count of Habfbourg, and moi tfjer 0f the emperor Rhodolph I, Bum [ 3*4 I Berne and Fribourg, they were fre quently engaged in mutual hoftilities : at length, however, all differences were compoSed ; and the two cities, in 1403, entered into a perpetual alliance. / Fribourg continued under the domi nion of the houfe of Auftria, and was a party in all the quarrels in which that family were engaged with the Swifs republics, until the middle of the fif teenth century ; when, by a very fin*- gular revolution, it renounced all alle giance to Albert archduke of Auftria, and brother to the. emperor Frederic III; arid put itSelf under the protection of the duke of Savoy. From this asra it occa sionally affifted the cantons againft the houSe of Auftria ; and in the war be tween the Swifs and Charles the Bold, the troops of this republic had a Share in the victories of Grandfon and Morat. Soon after the laft of thefe battles, the houfe of Savoy, at the interceffion of Berne, renounced all right and title to the tpwn of Fribourg. By this means fhe became a free and independent republic ; and, in 1481, was admitted, together with Soleure, a member of the Helvetic ' confederacy. The [ 3*5 ] The government of Fribourg is entirely ariftocratical, the fovereign and legiflative authority being vetted in the great coun cil, confifting of 200 ; the members of which are chofen by that council, and from a few patrician families. The little council of 24, in which refides the execu tive power ; and the Secret council, con fifting of 60 members ; are fub-divifions of the great council. I fhall not enter into a minute detail of this government ; which refembles (fome inconsiderable dif ferences excepted) the€Sther ariftocratical ftates of Swifferland. The moft remark able circumftance that distinguishes it, is the mode of electing the members of the fecret and of the little council. The names of the candidates are placed privately in a box, containing as many divisions' as there are perfons who folicit the charge. Into each of thefe partitions the Suffrages are thrown ; and the Several electors put in their ballots, as chance directs, without knowing to which of the candidates they , may happen to give their vote : and he who has the moft of thefe cafual ballots is chofen. This method has the appear ance of effectually guarding againft fa- 6 miiY [ 3*6 1 mily influence : nevertheless, if it be con sidered, that the candidate can only be taken from certain families, and under cer tain restrictions ; it may well be question ed, whether it Sufficiently anSwers the purpoSe for which it was intended. This canton is entirely catholic. It is fuppofed to contain above 60,000 fouls, without including the town ; in which there are about 6,000. Its territory confifts chiefly of excellent pafture ; produces Some corn, and but little wine. The commerce hjre is too inconfiderr able to be mentioned : and literature is by no means in a more flourifhing State. The town Stands on a hill in a very fingular fituation, half encircled by the river Sane ; the banks whereof are formed by naked perpendicular rocks ; but the adjacent country exhibits a beau tiful variegated fcene of rifing grounds, rich meadows, and fine forefts. This republic draws confiderable fub- fidies from France, both in money an-d fait; and it is computed that, in pro portion to its fize, none of the other cantons have So many troops in that fervice. It has long been a controverted queftion, C 387 1 queftion, whether Swifferland gains or lofes by furnifhing Such numbers of her natives to ferve in foreign armies* That the fidelity of thefe troops is fo well recognifed, as to be chofen above all others to be the life-guards of feveral fovereigns ; is a circumftance, which in thatrefpect, undoubtedly, redounds much to the honour oS the national character of the SwiSs : but, on the other hand, to traffic with the blood of their fub jects, and let them out, for paltry Sub- fidies, to fight the battles of any king, in any caufe ; feems to betray a merce nary fpirit, uncontrouled by confidera- tions of juftice and humanity. It has been Urged, that were it not for their furnifhing thefe fupplies to foreign na tions, Swifferland would be over-ftocked With inhabitants ; and that the people would be obliged, like the northern hives of old, to emigrate for fubfiftence : for, in many parts there is no commerce ; and the mountainous tracts of this country cannot fupply fufficient provision for fuch a numerous people. In reply to this rea soning, it may be alledged, that they do not make ufe of all the refpurces in their 2 * power : [ 3^8 ] power : commerce might be more gene rally cultiyated and encouraged ; as there is no part of Swifferland which is far re moved from Some of the principal rivers and great lakes, all of which have a di rect communication with the fea. But, to be convinced that they have not exhausted all the advantages to which they might reSort ; let them look back on antient Greece, and the immenSe popu- louSneSs in So confined a eountry • or, what is more open to their observation, let them confider the preSent State of the United Provinces, and the abundance thofe induftrious people enjoy on a tract of land fnatched from an element perpetu ally reclaiming itsprior occupancy. But the Swifs need not be fent to antient or foreign nations for examples : they have them much nearer home. Geneva and St. Gallen are, for their extent, exceed ingly populous ; and yet the natural pro ductions of their lands are by no means Sufficient to Support all the inhabitants. Appenzel is entirely mountainous, as well as the diftrict of Vallengin, neverthelefs both thofe countries are remarkably well peopled; and they derive from the neigh bouring [ 3*9 ] bonring nations, by means of their com merce and induftry, all the neceffaries of life in great abundance. Indeed Swiffer land is fo far from being over-ftocked with people, that in moft of the great . towns there is a manifeft want of inha bitants. Nor is this depopulation con fined to the towns alone : for, feveral parts of this country, and more particularly the Pays de Vaud, are confiderably leSs • peopled than they were in the laft cen tury ; inSomuch that hands are frequently wanting for the common purpofes of agriculture. . , Thefe reflections feem to prove the miftaken policy of Swifferland, in letting out her troops to foreign States : but the evil is too deeply ropted to admit of a fpeedy cure. Individuals, it is true, make fortunes by this kind of traffic, but the public Suffers. Some circumftances, how ever, may be remarked in its favour ; as by this practice the feveral cantons not only have in conftant reServe, without the leaft expence, a body oS well-diSci- plined Sorces, which they can recall at a moment's warning; but it becomes the iritereft, for that reafon, of thofe foreign powers, [ 39° J powers, whom they furnifh -with thefe -troops, not to foment any divifions among the United States,|which#might render the prefence of their troops neceffary at home. Add to this, that the privileges which the Swifs enjoy in France, and the very advantageous articles, relating to com merce, feeured to them in all their trea ties, feem to Strengthen the argument' for continuing their connections of this kind with that kingdom. — Having thus ftated the principal topics, which are urged by the oppofite partizans of this contro verted queftion ; I will leave you to de termine on which fide the balance pre vails. We are now at the fmall village of Neuneck, in our way to Berne : we made a little circuit to this place, in order to fee an hermitage, that lies about a league from the town of Fribourg ; and which has been much talked of, on account of the Singularity of its construction. It is formed in the folid rock ; and the chief curiofity confifts in its having been the work of two men : as fuch, it is an afto nifhing performance, but, in any other refpect, it is hardly worth vifiting. In the [ 39i ] the laft century an hermit fcooped out a hollow in this rock, juft Sufficient Sor him to lie at his full length : but his ¦fucceffor defiring a more commodious .manfion, hewed, in the heart of the mountain, a chapel, feveral apartments, ftair-cafes, &c. The length of the whole is above 400 feet. One room is 90 feet long, and 20 broad ; the Steeple of the chapel, if it may be fo called, is 80 feet high, and the chimney of the kitchen 90. The hermit who perforated this dwelling in the rock, was near thirty years at the work. What a wretched wafte of time and induftry! But Such is the folly of fequeftered Superftition, that, for want of better occupations to employ the mind, it frequently has re- courfe to laborious trifles. The fitua tion of this hermitage is beautiful : the rock in which it is cut, hangs over the river Sane, which meandring through two chains of hills covered with wood, fills Up all the valley beneath. The prefent hermit is a German ; and with him lives an old foldier, his friend. From this hermitage to Neuneck (at which place the canton of Berne com- D d mences) [ 392 ] mCnces) the country is rich, and finely wooded : on our right we had a dif tant but Sublime view of a range of rude rocks, with fome glaciers rifing above them and clofing the profpect. The Sun was now going down : the va rious tints of the evening — the purple gleam upon the naked rocks — and the rays of the fetting-fun upon the glaciers, which feemed to glow almoft into trans parency — eaft Such a mild and beauti ful radiance over this magnificent Scene, as even the luminous pencil of that celebrated Grecian artift, who is Said to have painted " quae pingi non poffunt, " fulgura & fulgetra, *" would in vain have attempted to imitate. I am, &c. LETTER XXXII. FR O M the firft formation of the Hel vetic union, additional cantons were from time to time . admitted into it; until at length the reception of Appenzel finally clofed the confederacy. During thefe in tervals, feveral of thofe republics, which * Apelles, vid. Plin. H. N. lib. 35. c. 10. ¦ afterwards , [ 393 ] afterwards became members of the gene ral league, were only allies of fome of the particular cantons ; enjoying the fame privileges, and Standing in the Same rela- tipn, as the preSent allies and affociates of the United States. Among thefe, Fri bourg and Soleure, haying, upon the con clusion of the war with Charles the Bold; entered into an alliance with Zuric, Berne, and Lucerne; demanded to be admitted into the Helvetic union. This alliance was confidered by the five other combined. cantons, as a breach oS their antient treaty : accordingly they refufed to receive them. The difpute grew warm ; s hoftilities were upon the point of breaking out; when a native of the canton of Underwalden Singly effected a reconciliation, , and Saved his country from all the impending hor-: rors of a civil war. The name of this celebrated perfon was Nicholas de Flue: he had formerly filled the office of landamman of the canton of Underwalden, with the high eft advantage to his reputation ; but fud- , ctanly retiring from the world, in a fit of gloomy fuperftition unworthy oS his virtues and charafter, he turned hermit, D d 2 and [394-1 and practifed all the Severities of that' au- ftere mode of life, with the Strictest obser vance. But although the flame of patri otism was Smothered in his breaft by an ill-directed zeal Sor miftaken duties, it Was not extinguished ; and he no Sooner heard, in the depth of his folitude, of thofe pub lic animofities, which threatened a fatal breach betWeen the confederate cantons ; than his patriotifm prevailed over his fuperftition, and he quitted his 'unpro fitable hermitage in order to exert thoSe active and public virtues, the very low- eft of which fingly outweighs whole years of ufelefs and unrequired morti fications. Accordingly, this extraordi nary man preSented himfelf before the de puties affembled at Stantz, and fo for cibly reprefented to them, by his conciliat ing and perSuafive eloquence, the destruc tive conSequences that would attend their diSunion, that they choSehim arbiter of the difpute. The confequence was, that by his fole mediation all differences between the contending parties were amicably fettled, and Fribourg and Soleure were received in to the Helvetic confederacy. Upon^his occafion the eight antient cantons entered ¦ into [ 395 ] into a covenant, called the Convention of Stantz; by which the feveral articles of union and mutual protection were per manently fixed *. The articles to which Fribourg and So leure acceded upon their admiffion into the league, together with the above-men tioned convention, are confidered, by all the beft hiftorians of Swifferland, as the great bafis of the federal union between thefe celebrated States. The Subsequent reception of the three other cantons, Bafil, Schaffhaufen, and Appenzel, made no change therein ; they having fubfcribed to * Nicholas de Flue, after having fo happily com pofed the public diffenfions, returned to his hermi tage, and there died. He is buried at Saxelen, a fmall village in the canton of Underwalden ; and on his tomb is infcribed the following epitaph : " Nicolas de Flue quitted his wife and children " to go into the defert^ he ferved God nineteen " years and an half without eating any flefh-meat. " He died 1487." This friyolous epitaph ftrongly marks the bigot- ted fpirit of that dark age in which it was compofed : the narrow-minded author, totally overlooking the patriot in the hermit, faw nothing fo truly meritori ous in the life of the deceafed, as his having fuppreffed thofe.focial and public energies which dignify human nature, in order to pradife the debafing aufterities of a fuperftitious and cloiftered religionift ! Dd3 the I 390 ] £he feme terms which Fribourg and So leure had accepted. Not to enter, howr ever, into a minute detail of this particur- lar convention ; I will endeavour to lay before you a fhort, but clear, view pf the general Helvetic confederacy. • The code of public law, if I may fo ex- prefs it, between the combined, republics of Swifferland, is founded upon the treaty pf *Sempach in 1393; upon that ofStantz; and upon the treaty of peace concluded at Araw, between the proteftant and catho lic cantons. It appears from theSe Se veral treaties, which include or enlarge thoSe which preceded, that the Helvetic union is a perpetual defenfhe alliance be- * This treaty regulates the articles of war, and Was contracted bdtween the eight antient cantons, in conjunction with the republic of Soleure. It or dains, that no Swifs foldier fhall quit his ranks in time of adtion, even although he fhould be dangeroufly wounded : " Nous entendons auffi que fi quelqu'un s'eftoit *' bleffe en quelque facon que ce fuft en combatant *' ou en affaillant, de forte qu'il feroit inutile pour *' fe deffendre ; il demeurera non obftant auffi avec " les autres, jufques a ce que la bataille foit ex- *c piree : et pour cela ne fera eftime fuyard et ne Ten *' fafchera-t-on en fa perfpiine ny en fon bien aucu- *' nerhent." tween [ 397 J tween the thirteen independent contract ing powers, to protect each other by their united forces againft all foreign enemies whatfoever. Accordingly, if any member of the union Should be attacked, that particular canton has a right to de mand Succours from the * whole confe derate * The refpe&able author of the Account of Swif ferland, (the only Englifh publication of merit, concerning Swifferland, that I have met with) has fallen into a miftake in his defcription of the Hel vetic union ; and his error has been adopted by the Abbe Mably, in his Droit Public de I Europe; by the compilers of the Encyclopedic ; and by feveral other writers of diftin&ion. After having given a defcription of the Helvetic union, he concludes the relation as follows : **. So far are they (the thirteen cantons) from mak- ' ing one body or one commonwealth, that only ' the three old cantons are direftly allied with ' every one of the other twelve. There is indeed { fuch a connection eftablifhed between them, 'that, in cafe any one canton were attacked-, ' all the other twelve would be obliged to march ' fo its fuccour ; but it would be by virtue.of the ' relation, that two cantons may have to a third, ' and not of any direct alliance fubfifting between ' every one of them. As for example : of the eight ' old cantons, Lucerne has a right of calling' but ' five to its fuccour, in cafe of attack ; but then ,c fome of thofe five have a right of calling others, D d 4 " with [ 39% 1 derate body ; and in cafe of war, the fe veral forces to be fupplied by each canton are precifely Specified. It appears how ever, from the ftipulations to which the five later cantons agreed, that they do not, in every refpect, enjoy equal prero gatives with the eight antient ones. For, the latter reServed to themSelves a right, in caSe the queftion for declaring war a- gainft any foreign ftate, fhould be unani- moufty carried in their affembly, to re quire the affiftance of the other cantons, cc with whom they are allied, though Lucerne be not ; fo that at laft all muft march by virtue of " particular alliances, and not of any general one " amongft them all." The above-cited account of the Helvetic union, would better have fuited the league of the eight can tons before the convention of Stantz ; when the con federate ftates were not fo abfolutely and dire&ly united together as they are at prefent ; and their alliance did not perhaps totally exclude every treaty of the fame kind with other powers. It was only by the articles of that celebrated convention, and the alli ance of the eight cantons with Fribourg and Soleure,' that the union became abfolutely fixed and general; It muft be confeffed, however, that feveral Swifs hifto rians have given the fame idea of the Helvetic union as that above-mentioried : and that even now, authors differ confiderably upon fome important articles of the league. i without [ 399 ] without affigning the motive of fuch their refolution : whereas the former, cannot commence hoftilities without the con- fent of the confederates ; and if the ene* my fhould be willing to enter into a ne gotiation concerning the matter in difpute, it muft be referred to the arbitration of the eight antient cantons. It is farther ftipulated, that if a war fhould break out between the laft-mentioned cantons, the others are to obferve a Strict neutrality. The next effential object of the league, is, to preferve peace and good order a- mong, the feveral cantons. It is there fore covenanted, that all public difcords of this nature fhall be finally Settled be tween the contending parties in an ami cable manner : and for this purpofe par ticular judges and arbiters are exprefly appointed, and empowered to compofe the diffenfions that may happen to arife. To this is added a reciprocal guarantee of the forms of government eftablifhed in the respective commonwealths : for by the convention of Stantz it was agreed, in order to prevent internal factions and revolts in any of the al lied cantons, that, in cafe of rebellion, the [ 4oo ] the magiftracy of fuch canton fhould be affifted by the forces of the others. Ac*, cordingly, the hiftory of Swifferland af fords many inftances of protection and afllftance reciprocally given between the confederates, in defence and fupport of the constitution of particular cantons. No feparate engagement whatfoever, which any of the cantons may enter into, can be valid, if inconfiftent with the fundamental articles of this general union : or in other words, the recipro cal contract between the members of the league, fuperfedes every other fpecies of public obligation. With the foregoing exceptions, the feveral combined States are distinct Srom, and independent of, each other : they may contract alliances with any power, or reject the fame, al though all the others have acceded to it * ; may grant auxiliary troops to fo reign * The five cantons which agreed not to conclude. any treaty without the confent of the eight, are ne ceffarily excluded from this power, together with thofe particular cantons, which have bound them felves by private treaties not to contraft any foreign alliance, without the reciprocal confent of the •thers ; as for inftance, Uri, Schweitz, and Under walden, [ 4oi ] reign princes'; may prohibit the money jof the other cantons from being current within their own territories ; may im- pofe taxes ; and, in fhort, perform every pther act of abfolute fpvereignty . , The public affairs pf the Helvetic bor- dy and their allies are difcuffed and de termined in the Several diets : and theSe are, t I. The general diets; or general af- femblies of the thirteen cantons, and of their allies. II. The particular diets ; as thofe of the eight antient cantons ; thpfe of the proteftant cantons with the deputies of the proteftants of Glaris and Appen zel, of the towns of St. Gallen, Bienne, and Mulhaufen, called the evangelical conferences ; thofe of the Roman catho lic cantons with the deputies of the ca tholics of Glaris and Appenzel, of the walden, by the alliance at Brunnen in 1715. But this depends upon particular treaties, and has no relation to the general union. In fa&, every can ton is reftrained by the general articles of the Hely vetic union : but, conforming to thofe, no one re public is controuled by the refolutions of the ma jority of the confederate cantons^ in any ofher in* fiance whatfoever. 3 gbbot [ 402 ] abbot of St. Gallen, and of the repub lic of the Vallais, called the golden al liance : as alfo feveral others of particu lar cantons,' which, befides being mem bers of the general confederacy, have diftinct and Separate alliances with each other. The ordinary meetings of the general diet are held once a year, and continue fitting one month ; the extraordinary ones are Summoned upon particular oc casions. This diet is principally con vened to deliberate upon the beft mea sures for the fecurity of the Helvetic bo dy. The canton of Zuric appoints the time and place of the meeting ; and convokes the deputies by a circular let ter. The deputy of the laft-mentioned canton alSo prefides, unleSs the diet is holden in the territory of any of the other cantons ; in which cafe, the de puty of that canton in which the affem bly meets, is prefident. This diet formerly affembled at Baden ; but fince the conclufion of the civil war in 171 2, between Zuric and Berne on one fide, and Lucerne, Uri, Schweitz, Underwalden, and Zug, on the other, (when [ 403 ] (when the five latter renounced the co- regency of Baden) the diets have been holden at Frauenfield in Thurgaw. Each canton fends as many deputies as it thinks proper. It would be defcending into a tedious detail, and trefpaffing too much on your patience, were I .to enter into the parti cular connections which the Several al lies have either with the whole Helvetic body, or with Some of the cantons ; and the different nature of thefe respective alliances. Suffer me only to remark in general, that the allies may be divided intoaffociate, and into confederate States : of the former, are the abbot and town of St. Gallen, the towns of Bienne and J^ulhaufen : of the latter, are the Gri fons, and the republic of the Vallais; the town and republic of Geneva ; the principality of Neuchatel, and the bifhop of Bafil. The States thus compriSed under the general 'denomination pf affociates and confederates, enjoy, by virtue of this union, a total independence on all fo reign dominion ; and partake of all the privileges and immunities granted to the SwiSs [ 404 J SwiSs in other countries. And rfptwith-f Standing Some of thefe States are allied only with Some particular cantons ; yet in cafe any of them fhould be attacked, thofe cantons with whom they are in al liance would not only fupply them with Succours, but would alfo require the joint affiftance of the other cantons : fo that by thefe means, fhould any one member of the whole body be attacked, all the others would come to its defence, either as guarantees themfelves, or as auxiliaries of the actual guarantees *. I am, &c. * If the reader fhould be defirous of a more diftindt information concerning the Helvetic league ; he is referred to Stannyan's account of Swifferland, pub- lifhed in 1714; but more particularly to the article Corps Helvetique, in the Diitionaih de la Suiffe, laft edition ; which article, as well as thofe of Berne, Ge neva, and Neuchatel, are admirably well drawn up. It is chiefly from the laft-mentioned work, as alfo from Watteville's Hifloire de la Confederation1 Helvetique, from Fafis's Staats und Erd-Be-' fchreibung der ganzen Helvetifchen Eidgenofenchaft,^ and from the feveral treaties between the cantons in, . Du Mont's Corps Diplomatique, that the above gene ral account of the Helvetic union has been extracted.' The truth of thofe relations have been confirmed to' the author by fome Swifs gentlemen, well verfed in the general conflitution of their country. LETTER [ 4^>5 ] t E T T E R XXXIII. Berne, Sept. 16. I Was very much ftruck, upon my en trance into Berne, with its fingular neatneSs and beauty : I do not remember to have Seen any town (Bath alone ex cepted) the firft appearance whereoS had So pleating an effect. The principal Street is broad and long : the houSes are moftly uniform, built of a greyifh ftone upon arcades, which are admirably well paved. Through the middle of the Street runs a lively ftream of the cleareft water, in a channel constructed Sor its reception : but befides this ftream, it abounds with foun tains not leSs ornamental tp the place than beneficial to the inhabitants. The river Aar flows cloSe by the town, and indeed almoft Surrounds it ; winding its Serpentine eourfe over a rocky bottom much below the level of the Streets ; and for a r confiderable way forming by its banks, which are very fteep and craggy, a kind of natural rampart. The cathe dral church is a noble piece of Gothic architecture : it ftands upon a platform that t 406 ] that has been raifed at a great expence from the bed of the river; and which commands as fine a view as any I have feen in Swifferland. The country around is richly culti vated, and agreeably diverfified with hills, lawns, wood, and water ; the river flows rapidly below, and an abrupt chain of high and rugged alps appear at fome dif tance, whofe tops are covered with eter nal fnow. Such an affemblage of beauti ful objects would in any view prefent a moft Striking profpect ; but its effect be comes greatly heightened when feen from the midft of a large town. All the public buildings are in a moft noble fimplicity of Style, and announce the riches and grandeur of the republic. The arfenal contains arms for fixty thou fand men, befides a considerable quan tity of cannon, which, were eaft here. The granary is an excellent inftitution, fimilar to that of Zuric ; but it differs from that of Geneva, as the expence does not fall chiefly upon the poor: for, the bakers are not compelled by government to purchafe their corn Srom the public magazine. This reServoir, if I may be allowed f 407 ] allowed the expreffion, always contains i. large provifion of that commodity; which is ..Supplied, in conSequence of particular agreements for that purpofe, by France, Sardinia, and Holland ; and out of which they partly furnifh Geneva, Neuchatel, and Bafil. The hoSpitals, which are large, airy, and well built, are excellently re gulated, both with refpect to the care and attention paid to the Sick, and to the cleanlineSs of the feveral wards. The town is kept neat by a number of felons, who are fentenced to this drudgery dur ing a certain time, according to the na ture of their offences ; and, as capital con demnations are very rare, this is the moft ufual manner of punifhing their criminals. Thefe culprits are distinguished by an iron collar, with a hook projecting over their heads. The library is a Small but well-chofen collection, and contains fome very cu rious manufcripts : of thefe, Mr. Sinner, a man of great erudition, has published a very Satisfactory and judicious cata logue. He has not only fet forth their titles, and afcertained their age, but has alfo given a general and Succinct account of their refpective fubjects ; and from ma- • . '. E e ny [ 408. ] ny of them has published extracts equally curious and interesting. Among thefe; MSS. are Some of the thirteenth century", confifting of feveral fongs and romances,' of the Troubadours, written in that and the preceding ages, which merit the at tention of thofe who are converSant in that fpecies of antient poetry. I have been much difappointed in not feeing the great Haller : his very infirm' ftate of health would not admit of his receiv ing a vifit from us *. I need not tell yoU how eminentlv that celebrated author has - diftinguifhed himSelf in every fpecies of polite literature, and in feveral branches of natural philofophy . Unlike certain mi nute philoSophers of the prefent age, whofe atheistical and infidel writings are too well known and too widely diffeminated; this great man is So unfashionable as to have followed the Steps of a Locke and a Newton; and to have proved himfelf,7 both in his life and his writings, a zeal ous friend and able advocate of chriftia-: nity. When literature and philofophy, inftead of being employed, as they too often have been, in Supporting Sceptical * He died the beginning of the prefent year 1778., tenets t 409 ] tenets by artful fophiftry, thus lend their joint affiftance to the cauSe of re+ 'ligion ; it is then only that they become an honour to the poffeffor, and a benefit to Society. Learning is neither So univerSally en couraged, nor So Successfully cultivated here as at Zuric ; the academical Studies are almoft Solely directed to thoSe branches of knowledge more effentially neceffary for entering into the church. The fociety for the promotion of agriculture, is al moft the only establishment that directly tends to the progreSs of the arts and fci- ences : and even this meets with no great countenance from government. There is but little commerce in the capital : fome few manufactures indeed (chiefly of li nen and Silk) have been eftablifhed; but they are carried on by thoSe only who have no proSpect of being admitted into the fovereign council. For thofe fami lies who have any influence in public af fairs, would hold themfelves degraded, were they to engage in any branch of com merce ; and as offices of the ftate, ex cept bailliages, are in general not very profitable, nor indeed numerous, many of E e 3 thera [ 4io ] them enter, as their Sole reSource, into foreign armies. With reSpect to thoSe among them who have Sufficient intereft to be chofen into the fovereign council ; as they muft have attained the full age of twenty-nine before they are eligible; and in the mean while, as very few of them apply their minds to literary pur- fuits; they ufually, from mere want of em ployment, wafte the interval in an idle and diffipated courSe of life. Neverthelefs, there are feveral members of the fovereign coun cil, who are juftly diftinguifhed for their political abilities : and, being thoroughly acquainted with the respective interefts of the different powers of Europe, they know perfectly well how to avail them felves of every conjuncture which may be turned to the advantage, or the glory, of their own republic. v The inhabitants of Berne value them felves much upon their politenefs to ftrangers : and indeed it is but doing them Strict juftice to acknowledge, that they have Shewn us (with that peculiar frankneSs and unaffected affability, I have fo often had occafion to admire in the Swifs) every civility in their power. 2 According [ 4n ] According to the hiftorians of Berne, this town was built by Berchtold V, duke of Zseringen ; and was, from its foun dation, an imperial city. Upon the death of the duke in 121 8, the emperor Fre deric II. conferred upon the inhabitants confiderable privileges, and drew up alfo a code of legislation, which forms the bafis of their prefent civil laws. The liberty which this town enjoyed, attracted great numbers of inhabitants from the adjacent country, who found here a. fure afylum frpm the oppreffion of the nobles. From its firft Soundation, Berne was engaged in perpetual wars with its neighbours, and for fome time with the houfe of Auftria : notwithstanding which, the town continued to aggrandiSe itfelf by degrees, and confiderably to enlarge its territory. In the year 1352, Berne ac ceded to the Helvetic confederacy ; and fo great was its power, even at that early period, that it obtained the fecond rank, after Zuric, among the allied States. Since the acquisition of the Pays de Vaud; the domains of this canton form nearly the third part of Swifferland, and about the fourth of its actual population: it Contains about three hundred and fifty E e 3 thoufand C 412 1 thoufand fouls, befides about eleventhpu- Sand in the capital. By the introduction oS the reformation into the town in 1 528, the government acquired a large en- creaSe of its revenues, arifing from the ecclefiaftical poffeffions, which were very confiderable. Not long after that pe riod, the whole canton followed the ex ample of the capital, and the reform ed religion was univerfally eftablifhed throughout its extenfive dominions. The Pays de Vaud having been con quered from the houfe of Savoy, as the German divifion of the canton was from the States of the empire ; juftice is ad ministered, and the taxes regulated in thoSe two provinces by a Set of laws and cuftoms peculiar to each : for, they have respectively preServed the Several distinct: uSages which were in force among them before they came into the poffeffion of Berne. Each of thefe divisions, has its' f reafurer and its chamber of appeal, reSn dent at Berne: the, chamber of appeal be longing to the Pays de Vaud, judges in the laft reSort ; but the inhabitants of the German diftrict may again appeal from theirs tp the Sovereign council. I am, &c, LETTER C 4i3 ] LETTER XXXIV. ERE I to attempt entering into an exact difquifition concerning the government of Berne ; my letter would not only exceed its proper limits, but would hardly be contained within the extent of an ordinary pamphlet. I am perfuaded, therefore, you will readily ex- cufe me from putting your patience to fo tedious a trial: but you would pro bably think me very inconfiftent indeed, if, after having already, in the eourfe of our correspondence, defcended, too mi- ' nutely perhaps, into lefs interesting de tails ; I fhould totally pafs over in Silence a government, the wiSdom of whofe ad ministration is So generally and So juftly admired. - Let me endeavour then, Sen sible as T am of my inability to treat the fubject as it deferves, to Sketch at leaft the general outlines of this confti- tution. The fovereign power refides in the great council of two hundred ; which when compleat confifts of 299 mem bers. They are chofen from the E e 4 burghers [ 4*4 I burghers of the town ; from whom they are confidered as deriving their power, and as acting by deputation. The au thority with which they are inverted, is in Some reSpects the moft abSolute and uncontrouled of any of the ariftocratical States of Swifferland. The government pf Lucerne is called, indeed, the moft ariftocratical of all the cantons ; and it may be fo, perhaps, with refpect to the fmall number of families, to which the adminiftration of affairs is entrufted : but no war can be declared, no peace concluded, no alliance made, ' no taxes impofed, without the confent of their burghers in a general affembly. At Fri bourg and Soleure the burghers are like- wife convened upon particular occafions. Whereas the Sovereign council of Berne (and it is a peculiarity which distinguished it from all the other fimilar republics in the confederate cantons) is restrained* by no constitutional check of this kind ; as a general affembly of the burghers is never convened for any purpofe whatfoever. The executive powers of government are delegated by the fovereign cpuncil to the fenate, [ 4*5 1 Senate, or Smaller council choSen by them Selves out of their own body : the former affembles ordinarily three times a week, and extraordinarily upon particular occa- fions ; the latter every day, Sundays ex cepted. The fenate, comprising the two advoy- ers, or chiefs of the republic, is com pofed of twenty-feven members : and from this Select body are taken the prirv- cipal magiftrates of the commonwealth. When a vacancy happens in this fenate, the mode of election is as follows : — Twenty -fix balls, three of which are golden, are put into a box, and drawn by the feveral members : thofe who draw the three golden ones, nominate three elec tors out of their body. In the fame manner of balloting, feven members are chofen from the great council, who alfo nominate feven electors out of their own body. Thefe ten electors fix Upon a Certain number of candidates, not ex ceeding ten, nor lefs than fix ; and thoSe among theSe candidates,1 who have the feweft votes in the Sovereign council, re tire, till their number is reduced to four : thpn four balls, two golden and two Sil ver, [ 4?6 ] ver, are drawn by the four remaining can didates ; the two who draw the former are put in nomination, and he who has the greateft number of Suffrages in the fovereign council, is chofen. But in order to be eligible, the candidate muft have been a member of the great coun cil ten years, and muft be married. The Sovereign council is generally filled up every ten years ; as within that pe riod there is uSually a deficiency of eighty . members to complete the whole number of two hundred and ninety-nine : and this council determines the time of elec-v tion, by vote. That point being fettled, each advoyer nominates two of the new members ; each feizenier, and each mem ber of the fenate, one apiece : two or three other officers of ftate have likewiSe the Same privilege. There is alSo a cer tain number of perfons who claim, by virtue of their offices, a right of being elected : and their claim is generally ad mitted. Thefe feveral nominations and pretenfions, commonly amount, in the whole, to about fifty of the new mem bers : the remaining vacancies are filled up by the Suffrages of the fenate, and the feizeniers. The [ 4i7 1 The Seizem'ers are Sixteen members of the "great council, drawn yearly from the abbayes or tribes ; two from each of the four great ones, and one from each of the remaining eight. The candidates are generally * taken from thofe who have exercifed the office of bailiffs ; and they are, elected, not by a plurality of voices, but by lot. Every year during three days at Eafter, all other employments in the ftate are SuppoSed to ceaSe, except thofe of the bannerets and the feizeniers, who, during this Sufpenfion, are inverted with a power Yimilar to that of the Roman cenfors ; and in cafe of mal-admiriiftra- tion may deprive any member of the great council, or of the fenate, of his feat : but it is a power which they never exer- cife. However, fhould they think pro- * I fay generally, becaufe it is not abfolutely fixed, that all the feizeniers muft have been bailiffs : ' for if it happen, that in one tribe there are two per fons, one of -whom has been a bailiff, and the other is a member of the great council ; they draw lots for the charge. And fhould a member of the great council be the only one of his tribe, he becomes feizenier of eourfe, provided he be eligible. Ih order to be feizenier, the candidate muft be married, and "have neither his father or brother in the fenate. per [ 4i8- ] per to exert it, their fentence muft be confirmed by the Sovereign council. The principal magiftrates are, the two advoyers, the two treasurers, and the Sour bannerets : they are each of them chofen by a majority of voices in the fovereign council, and are yearly confirmed in their respective offices. The advoyers hold their poft for life ; the treafurers, fix years; and the bannerets, four. At Eafter the advoyer in office delivers up his authority, in full council, to his col league. The reigning advoyer, as he is called, has a particular feat affigned to him in the council-chamber, fomewhat elevated, under a canopy : the feal of the republic lies upon the table before him. He never delivers his opinion except it is demanded ; and he has no vote un- leSs the numbers are equal ; and in that caSe, he has the cafting voice.. The ad voyer out of office, is the firft feriator in rank, and president of the Secret coun cil. The two treasurers, one for the Ger man diftrict, and the other Sor the Pays de Vaud, form, in conjunction with the four bannerets, an ceconomical chamber, or * [ 4i9 ] or council of finances : this council exa mines and paffes the accounts of the bailiffs, and receives the revenues of all others, that are accountable to govern ment. The four bannerets, together with the advoyer out of office, as alfo the fenior treafurer, and two members of the fenate, compoSe a committee or Secret council; in which all ftate affairs, that require greater Secrecy than is likely to be pbServed in So numerous a body as the Sovereign council, 'are diScuffed : and they have the power oS determining upon points of very considerable importance. I have only deScribed' (and as conciSely as I was able, confiftently with giving you a general idea of their nature) thefe eight magistracies, as being the chief offices of the ftate, and exercifed by members of the fenate. But notwithstanding that the ge neral form of this constitution, is entirely , ariftocratical ; and though the Senate poS- Seffes a very confiderable influence ; yet it does not enjoy that almoft exclufive au thority, which is . obServable in the go vernments oS Lucerne, Fribourg, and So leure. For, by Several wife and well-ob- Served regulations, the Sovereign council, although I 420 ] although it delegates the moft important concerns of government to the fenate, yet affembles, at ftated times, and Superin tends the adminiftration of public affairs. In Short, the Sovereign council oS, Berne constantly convene, and exerciSe their au thority, independent of the Senate. The adminiftration is carried on, throughout the Several departments of government, with a wonderful precision ; and every ordinance is executed with as much dispatch as in a monarchical ftate. The ariftocratical form is frequently,- of all modes of government, the moft op-; preffive to the people ; as, inftead of one defpot, they are liable to Suffer under the tyranny of many. But this objection will not hold with reSpect to Berne, or any other of the ariftocratical States of Swif- .ferland : they, are, each of them, ad- miniftred with great wiSdom and mode ration ; and the respective rulers are par ticularly cautious not to encroach upon the privileges of the fubject. The canton of Berne is divided into a certain number of districts, called bail liages; over which, bailiffs are choSen from the fovereign council : and, as thefe are [ 421 ] are the moft profitable pofts under the government, they are the great objects of general purfuit. ' Formerly the bailifife were elected by the majority of voices in the council ; but as this method render ed the members entirely dependent upon thofe who had the chief credit and in fluence in the commonwealth ; a law paffed in 171 2, which altered the mode of election, and they are now chofen by lot. No competitor however can be re ceived as a candidate, in opposition to one who has been longer a member of the fovereign council than himfelf: for inftance, he who was admitted a mem ber in 1766, cannot Stand againft one who was choSen in 1756. None but married men are capable of being elected into this office, nor can any perfon be\ chofen more than once for the principal bailliages ; thofe of a lefs valuable kind may be poffeffed three times. The Several bailiffs are reprefentatives of the fovereign power in their respective districts. Accordingly, they put in force the edicts of government; collect the public revenues ; act as juftices of the peace j and are judges in civil and crimi- c nal I 422 ] nal caufes, except where there is any local jurifdiction. However, in civil caufes, beyond a certain value, an ap peal lies to the courts of Berne : and in criminal ones, the procefs, after it : is , made out in the bailiff's court, under goes a revifion in the. Senate, who re fer it to the criminal chamber ; and -having received the report, pafs Sen tence finally ; unleSs in capital caSes, when their Sentence muft be con firmed by the Sovereign council. The bailiff delivers in his accounts to the ceconomical chamber, to which court an appeal lies, in caSe of exaction, either on the part of the bailiff, or of his offi cers : and with refpect to thofe misde meanors that are punifhable by fine, and of which the bailiff is entitled to a Share; the quantum of the . refpective penalties is fettled by the legislature, with the moft Scrupulous exactneSs, and not left to the arbitrary decision of an interested judge. From all theSe considerations it Should feem, that every poffible precaution has been taken by government to prevent the extortions of the bailiffs : but inftances have . [ 423 ] have not been wanting to prove, that thefe laws and regulations, wife and Strict as they are, may be eluded. Indeed there appears to be one circumftance, which muft render appeals for redrefs, againft the exactions of the bailiffs (un- lefs of the moft notorious and flagrant kind) not always to be heard with impar tiality ; the council of two hundred, before whom thefe appeals are finally brought, confifting of members, who either have been, who are, or who expect to be, bailiffs : and thus the judges are in fome meafure interested to fereen the offen ders. It muft be acknowledged that this is one of the greateft deSects in the admi nistration oS juftice : nevertheless, its ill conSequence in the government of Berrte, has been much exaggerated by fome wri ters ; as it is certain, that where bailiffs have been, guilty of oppreffions, fre quent examples occur of their being im partially and feverely punifhed. The profits of this office arife from a certain portion of the different taxes and duties, paid to government in the re- fpective bailliages. In the German divi- F f -ffon r 424 i fion of the canton, the bailiff is entitled, upon the death of every peafant, to a certain determinate part of the inheri tance : his Share, it is true, is very in- confiderable ; nevertheless, in Some Situa tions it may prove a very diftreffing and bppreflive tax upon the family. How ever, this is the only inftance I have met with, where the peaSants are liable to any impofition, which can juftly be deemed grievous. Sumptuary laws are in force through out this canton ; and the wearing of gold, Silver, lace, &c. and even oS Silk, is exprefsly prohibited. The chamber of reform, however, has found it neceflary, Upon fome occasions, to relax the rigour of thefe laws. Indeed, the vaft Strides, which luxury has made within this century, is very perceivable throughout Swiffer land : and there is no place where its pro- greSs has been more rapid than at Berne. The attention of government has not been wanting to reftrain it ; as appears by the laws that have repeatedly been en acted for that purpofe : an attention,, however, which in many inftances has not proved altpgether as Successful, as it was [ 425 ] , was well directed ; notwithftanding the fovereign council has given the feveral fines incurred by thofe perfons who tranf- grefs thefe ordinances, to the members of the chamber of reftrm. In one refpect, however, their laudable endeavours have been more effectual. Not long' ago the fpirit of gaming had arifen in Berne to fuch an extravagant heighth, as to have overwhelmed feveral families in total ruin. Upon this pccafion the fovereign council interpofed its authority, by very falutary regulations : and, in order to en force the obfervance pf them the more ftrictly, every member of that council is obliged to take an oath, by which he fwears that he will inform againft any tranSgreffor that comes within his obfer- yation. By this law all public games of hazard are exprefsly prohibited; and in other kind of games, the parties are re strained from playing for more than a certain Sum particularly Specified. Although there are no Standing armies in Swifferland, yet in many of the can tons, and particularly in this, the militia is fo well regulated, tbat government could affemble a very confiderable body F f 2 «f / [ 426 j of men at a moment's warning. To this end, every male towards the age of Six teen is enrolled in the militia; and about a third of the whole number are formed into particular regiments, compofed of fu- fileers and eledtionaries ; the former con fifting of batchelors, * and the latter of married' men. Every perfon thus en rolled, is obliged to provide himfelf, at his own expence, with an uniform, a mufket, and a certain quantity of powder and ball : and no peafant is allowed to marry, unlefs he produces his uniform and his arms. Every year a certain number of officers, who are called Land Majors, are deputed by the council of war, throughout the canton, to infpect the arms ' of the Soldiers, to complete the regiments, ' and to exerciSe the militia : and upon their return they make their report to that council. Befides this annual review, the regiments are occafionally exerciSed by particular veteran Soldiers, appointed Sor that purpoSe. Befides the arms which are kept in the arSenal of Berne, there is alfo a cer tain quantity in the arfenal of each bail liage, Sufficient for the militia of that 9 diftrict; [ 4*7 ] diftrict; and likewise a Sum of money amounting to three months pay, which is appropriated to the electionaries in cafe of actual fervice. The dragoons are cho fen from the Substantial farmers ; as each perfon is obliged to provide his own horfe and accoutrements. In time of peace, the advoyer out of office, is prefident of the council of war; and a member of that council is commander of the militia of the Pays de Vaud ; but in time of war a general in chief is nominated, who com mands all the forces of the republic. « A certain number of regiments being thus always in readinefs, Signals are fixed on the bigheft part of each bailliage, for the affembling of the militia at a particular place appointed for that purpofe in each diftrict; and there they receive orders where to march. Swelled as my letter already is to an immoderate fize, and much more So than I .intended, yet I cannot forbear trying your patience a little longer, juft to men tion an inftitution, which Strikes me as well for its Singularity as Sor its utility : I mean what is called the exterior ftate. It is a model in miniature (if I may So F f 3 exprefs I 428 ] exprefs myfelf) of the fovereign council, and refembles its prototype in every cir cumftance. This exterior State is com- poSed of thofe burghers, who have not at tained the age requifite for entering into the council of two hundred : they affem ble frequently, and go through all the regular forms of government. They have their great council, their fenate, their two advoyers, regent and non-regent, their treafurers, their bannerets, their fei zeniers ; in fhort, every magistrate and officer of ftate which belong to the con stitution ; all of whom are chofen in the ufual manner, and with the accuftomed ceremonies. The poft of advoyer in this mimic community is folicited with great affiduity, and fometimes obtained at a confiderable expence ; as the fuccefs- ful candidate is fure of being admitted into the great council of two hundred, without any farther recommendation. This body poffeffes a certain number of bailliages, which confift of feveral ruined caftles difperfed over the canton: it has alfo its common treafure, and its debts. In this, latter article, however, it by np means refembles the actual government of Berne; [ 429 ] Berne; which is not only free from debts, but poffeffed of a very confiderable fund in referve. . This remarkable inftitution, may be vcpnfidered as a political Seminary for the youth of Berne. It renders them ac quainted with the constitution of their country ; and, as in their frequent affem- blies the Several members debate upon all kinds of political fubjects, it affords them an opportunity of exercifing and improv ing their talents ; and by that means of becoming more capable of ferving the public, whenever they may be admitted to a fhare in the administration of govern ment. I am, &c. LETTER XXXV. Langenau, Sept. 18. YOU have heard, perhaps, of Mi chel Schuppach, the famous Swifs doctor ; of whofe intuitive Sagacity in dis covering the feat of diforders, and ap plying Suitable remedies to them, many .wonderful Stories are recounted by tra- F f 4 • veliers. [ 43° 1 vellers, and which generally, I fuppofe, ' have encreafed in the marvellous, like Virgil's Progrefs of Fame, in proportion as they receded from the fcene of action. I am now lodged in the houfe of' this celebrated iEfculapius : it is fituated above the village of Langenau, on the fide of a Steep mountain ; and from that cir cumftance he is generally known by the appellation of the phyfician of the moun tain. Upon our arrival here we found the doctor in his apartment, furrounded by a number of peafants, who were confulting him upon their respective complaints; e,ach having brought with him a fmall bottle, containing fome of his water; for, it is by infoecting the urine that this medical Sage pretends to judge of the State of the pa tient.. His figure is extremely corpulent ; he has a penetrating eye ; and one of the beft-humoured countenances I ever Saw. He Sets himfelf oppofite to the perfon who confults him, one moment examining the water, and the next the patient ; and continues regarding alternately the one and the other for fome time, always whist ling during the intervals. He then opens- the [ 43i 3 the ftate of the cafe, acquaints the con sultant with the nature of his complaints, and has often the good fortune to hit > upon the true caufe. In a word, his knack of difoovering diforders by urine, has gained Such implicit Saith in his Skill, thatbne might as well doubt of the Pope's infallibility before a zealous catholic, as of the doctor's in the prefence of his pa tients. He has certainly performed fe veral great cures ; and the rumour of them hath brought him patients from all quar ters of Europe. There are at this time in his houfe, and in the village, feveral En- glifh .and French people, together with many Swifs, who are come hither for his advice. l The doctor was formerly, it feems, a village furgeon, has a flight tincture of anatomy, and is efteemed a proficient in botany and chemistry ; but his reputa tion as a phyfician has now been efta- blifhed Some years. He is Said to have but little acquaintance with the theory of phytic ; the greateft part oS his know ledge being derived Srom his extenfive practice, notwithftanding he never Stirs a quarter of a mile from his own houfe j for [ 432 j for he would not take the trouble of go ing to Berne, even to attend the King of France. It is more than probable, that much of this extraordinary man's fuccefs in his practice, is owing to the great faith of his patients, to the benefit they receive from change of climate, to the falubri- ous air of this mountain, and to the amufement arising from that conftant Suc cession of different company which af femble in this place, in order to apply to him for affiftance. But whatever may have been the caufes of his celebrity, it has come to him* as all accounts agree, unfought for by himfelf. He has cer tainly many excellent qualities : humane and charitable to the higheft degree ; he not only furnifhes the indigent peaSants who conSult him, with medicines gratis, but generally makes them a preSent in money befides ; and he always appropriates a certain portion of his gains to the poor of his pariSh. His wife, as alfo his grand daughters who live with him, are drefled like the peafant women of the country ; and he has Shewn his good fenfe. in giv ing the latter no better than a plain edu cation ; [ 433 1 cation : the eldeft he beftowed in mar*' -riage, when She was but fifteen, upon one of , his affiftants, and gave with her 1300I. ; no inconsiderable portion for this country. He procured a match for her fo early, he faid, to prevent her being Spoiled by the young gentlemen tell ing her She was pretty, and inSpiring her with the ambition of marrying above her rank. ' If domeftic harmony, and the moft per fect Simplicity oS manners, have any pre tentions to pieaSe, you would be highly delighted with this rural family. The wife is a notable, active woman, and not only fuperintends all the hbufhold affairs with remarkable cleverneSs, but even per forms great part of the bufineSs with her own hands : fhe affifts her hufband like wise in making up his medicines ; and as he talks no other language than the SwiSs - German, fhe Serves occafionally as his 'interpreter. And, as a prooS of his con fidence in her adminiftration of his af fairs, fhe acts' alSo as his treaSurer, and receives all his fees ; which, in the eourfe of a year, amount to a confiderable Sum : for, although he never demands more than I 434 I than the price of his medicines, yet no gentleman confults him without giving him an additional gratuity. Many pre- fents have likewife been made to herSelf, from perfons who have reaped benefit by her hufband's prescriptions : feveral of thefe confift of valuable trinkets, with which on days of ceremony She decks her Self forth to the beft advantage, in the fimple dreSs of the country. The family fit down to table regularly at twelve o'clock ; there are always fome ftrangers of the party, confifting not only of a certain number of perfons who are under the doctor's care, but of travellers like ourfelves, who are led hither by mo tives of mere curiofity. When the wea ther is fine, and their guefts more nu merous than uSual, dinner is Served out of doors in an open Shed, that looks upon one fide oS the mountain and the adja cent country, with a diftant view of the glaciers beyond the lake of Thun. Yef- terday Some peaSants, whom the doctor had invited, formed part of our com pany; after dinner, he gave fome money to thofe that fate near him, and ordered one .of his grand-daughters to distribute his E 435 1 his bounty to the others. , The benevo lence, of the old man, his gaiety and good- humour, the chearfulnefs of his family, the gratitude of the poor peafants, the beauty of theprofpect, and the fineneSs of the weather, formed all together the moft agreeable and' delightful fcenes I ever be held ; and I do not remember in my whole life to have partaken of any meal with a more fenfible and heart-felt Sa tisfaction. This fingular man is very often em ployed in giving his advice from eight in the morning till fix in the evening, with no other intermiffion than during the' time he is at table, His drugs are of the beft kind ; for he collects the Simples, as well as diftills them, himSelf. His houfe, like thofe of the peafants, is conftructed of wood; and, though always full of people, is .remarkably neat and clean. In fhort, every thing about him has the appearance of the pleafing fimplicity of former ages. I had almoft forgotten to tell you, that I consulted him this morning mySelf ; and affuredly I have reafon , to be highly Sa tisfied with his prescription : for, he told me I was in fuch good health, that the only [ 43^ ] Only advice he had to give me, was " to " eat and drink well, to dance, be merry, " and take moderate exercife." It is now Langenau fair, and the vil lage is crowded with the neighbouring peafants. Great numbers of the men have long beards, and many of them co ver their heads with a woman's Straw hat, extremely broad, which gives them a very groteSque appearance : their dreSs is chiefly a coarSe brown cloth jacket without peeves; with large puffed breeches of ticking. The women wear their hair plaited be hind in treffes, with the riband hang ing down below the waift; a flat plain Straw hat, which is very becoming ; a red or brown cloth jacket without fleeves ; a black or blue petticoat bordered with red and Scarcely reaching below the knees ; red Stockings with black clocks, and no heels to their Shoes ; their Shifts fattened cloSe round the throat by a black collar with red ornaments ; the better fort have chains of Silver between the Shoulders, brought round under each arm, and fa stened beneath the boSom, the ends hang-! ing down with Some Silver ornaments. * I am fo charmed with the fituation of this [ 437 1 this village, the chearfulnefs and Singula rity of this ruftic and agreeable family* and the uncommon character of the hu mane doctor, that I could with pleafure t continue here fome days more : but I am preffed for time, and have a long journey before me. I am, &c. LETTER XXXVI, Geneva, Sept. 26. IT O O K leave of my friends at Lan genau, in order to proceed to Avig non; where I am going to pay a vifit to the Abbe de Bade, author of the inte resting memoirs of the life of Petrarch. A refpectable and knowing old gentle man of Soleure, one of the members of their fovereign council, with whom I had the gpod fortune to fall into ac quaintance during my ftay at the doc tor's, offered me a place in his carriage to Berne : and, as my principal object in travelling is to acquire all the ufeSul in telligence I can by any means obtain ; I very gladly embraced this opportunity of leading [ 438 ] leading my worthy and well-informed Companion into a converfation, not only concerning the government of Soleure in particular, but in relation alfo to Swif ferland in general. I found him exceed ingly well-difpoSed to give me all poffible Satisfaction, in anSwer to the feveral ques tions he very obligingly allowed me to propoSe to him. In the afternoon I few a moft curious collection in natural hiftory, belonging to Mr. Springling of Berne : it confifted of about 200 Specimens, in fine preser vation, of birds both local and migra tory, that are found in Swifferland. A- mongft others, I obServed the common eagle, the golden vulture, the emberiza nivalis of Linnaeus, and the fnow hen, whofe feathers in winter are perfectly white, and in Summer Spotted. The next day I repafled through Mo rat and Avenches, and Slept at Payerne, a town in the canton of Berne, which enjoys confiderable privileges. Upon the bridge over the Broye, is an antient Ro man infcription : ' as I was endeavouring to decypher it, a plain-looking man ac- cofted me in a very foleran tone of voice, and [ 439 1 and faid, he had often tried to make out the infcription ; and though he could read very well, and had a Smattering in Latin, he could never make any thing of it. "For," added he, " what can be the meaning of N and I and O, and all thofe great letters, which feem to have no connection with each other ? Give me a page of plain Latin, and I know what I am about ; I will tranflate it you from the beginning to the end ; but for thefe Ns, Is and Os ; take my word for it, n6twithftanding all your pains, you will never be a jot the wifer." However, as I did not feem difpofed to follow his advice, but cpntinued ;decy- phering the infcription (which was by no means a difficult tafk) he appeared afto- nifhed at my obstinacy, and left me, with an apparent air of pity, to my hopelefs fortune, Moudon is an handfome town, the prin cipal burgh of a bailliage of the fame name, and formerly the capital of all that part of the Pays de Vaud, which belonged to the Duke of Savoy. It was alfo the or dinary refidence of his chief bailiff, and the place where the affembly of the States G g were [ 44° J ¦were accuftomed to meet : at preSent it contains nothing remarkable. The bai liff appointed by the Sovereign council of Berne, refides in the caftle of Lucens, built upon the fummit of a mountain, in a fituation exceedingly picturefque. This caftle Sormerly belonged to the bi- fhops oS Laufanne, and was one of their favourite feats before the reformation was introduced into thefe parts. At Laufanne I had propofed to crofs the Lake of Geneva to Meillerie ; in tending to go in queft of that ro mantic fpot defcribed by St. Preux in Rouffeau's Eloife, and which a country man of ours affured me he had difcover ed : from thence I meant to coaft along the fouthern fide of the lake, and touch- upon the feveral towns of Chablais . Every thing was prepared for this expedition; but unfortunately a fudden change, of weather put an end to thefe amufing pro jects; no waterman would undertake to carry me. The lake indeed was vehe mently agitated with a moft violent Storm, fimilar to that which is defcribed in the letter I have mentioned ; and, as I had no Julia to induce me to hazard the dan ger, [ 44i ] ger, I felt no inclination to rifk it for the fake of Satisfying a mere fanciful tu- riofity. Accordingly I made the beft of my way by land to Craffi, through the fame beautiful variety of country I had paffed before, and which cannot be re viewed too often. In my way to Geneva the day follow ing, I dined with an Englifhman at Gen- thoud ; where I expected to have had the permiffion of waiting upon Mr. Bonnet, the celebrated naturalift ; to whom I was very ambitious oS being known. Un fortunately, however, his wife was taken ill ; and I was debarred the great fatis- faction -I had propofed to myfelf, of fee ing and conversing with fo defervedly emi nent a philofopher, whofe indefatigable induftry in Searching into the- Several phe nomena oS nature, is equalled only by his ingenuity in explaining them. "> The town of Geneva lies upon the ;narroweft part of the extremity of the lake, where the Rhone iffues out in two large and rapid Streams, which Soon Afterwards unite. That river divides the town into two unequal parts ; receives the muddy Arve in its eourfe; and flows , G g 2 - through [ 442 ] through part of France into the Medi terranean. Here its waters are of a moft beautiful tranfparent green, like thofe of the Rhine when it flows from the lake of Conftance. The adjacent country is un commonly pictureSque ; and I could not Sufficiently admire the magnificent views it exhibits : the Several objects which com pofed this enchanting proSpect, were, the town ; the lake ; the numerous hills and mountains, particularly the Saleve and the Mole, rifing Suddenly from the plain in a wonderful variety of fantaftic forms, backed by the glaciers of Savoy, with their frozen tops gliftening in the Sun* and the 'majeftic Mont Blanc lifting, uri its head far above the reft. The town, which lies partly in the plain . upon the borders of the lake, and partly upon a gentle afeent, is irregularly built ; the houfes are high, and moft of thofe which Stand in the trading part of the city, have arcades of wood, which are carried up to their tops. Thefe arcades, which are Supported by pillars, obstruct the Streets, and give them a gloomy ap pearance ; but they are uSeful to the inr habitants in protecting them from the fun [ 443 3 fun and the rain. Geneva is by far the moft populous town in Swifferland : Sor, Zuric, which comes next to it in reSpect of population, contains fcarcely thirteen thoufand fouls ; whereas the inhabitants of this place amount to twenty-four thou fand. This Superiority is undoubtedly owing to the greater induftry and activity pf the inhabitants ; to its more extenfive commerce ; to the facility of purchasing the burgherfhip, and to the privileges Which government allows to all foreign ers who Settle here. The members of this city are diftinguifhed intp citizens and burgheffes, inhabitants and natives. The citizens and burgheffes are alone admitted to a Share in the government : the inha bitants are ftrangers who are allowed to Settle in the town with certain privileges ; and the natives are the Sons of thofe inha bitant?, who poffefs certain additional ad vantages. The two laft claffes form a large majority of the people. The liberal policy of this government, , in receiving Strangers and conferring the ,burgherfhip, is the more remarkable as it is contrary to the Spirit of moft of the pther States of Swifferland. It is here, Gg 3 indeed, [ 444 ] indeed, more neceffary ; the territory of this republic being fo exceedingly fmall, that its very exiftence depends upon the number and induftry of the people : for, exclufive of the inhabitants of the town, there are Scarcely Sixteen thouSand Souls in the whole diftrict of the Genevois. To a man of letters, Geneva is parti cularly interesting ; as every branch of Science is here cultivated in the moft ad vantageous manner : learning is diverted of pedantry, and philofophy united with a knowledge of the world. The plea sures of fociety are here mixed with the purfuits of literature; and elegance and urbanity give a zeft to the profoundeft difquifitians. Nor are letters confined in this city merely to thofe who engage in them as a profeffion, or to thofe whofe fortune and leifure enable them to follow "where genius leads, and enter into a Stu dious fife by voluntary choice ; even the lower clafs of people are exceedingly well informed ; and there is no city in Europe where learning is fo univerfally diffufed among the inhabitants. I have had great Satisfaction in converfing with Several of the Shop-keepers upon topics both of literature [ 445 1 literature and politics; and was afto- nifhed to find, in this clafs of men, fo un common a Share of knowledge. But the wonder ceafes, when we are told, that they have all of them received an excellent . education at the public academy, where the children of the inhabitants are taught, under the inspection of the magiftrates, and at the expence of government. There is one circumftance in this Semi nary, which particularly contributes to the exciting of the induftry and emulation of the Students : prizes are annually diS- , Iributed to thoSe, who have distinguished themSelves in each claSs. TheSe rewards confift oS Small medals, and they are con ferred with Such Solemnity as cannot fail of producing great effect. A yearly meeting is held at the cathedral, of all the magiftrates, profeffors, and principal in habitants of, the town; when the firft Syndic himSelf distributes, in the moft public manner, the Several honorary re tributions to thofe who have deServed them. T met this morning one of the -Scholars, and, -Seeing his medal, afked him what it meant ? " Je la porte," replied the little man, Scarce eight years old, G g 4 " parce [ 446 ] " parce que j'ai fait mon devoir." I wanted no ftronger proof to convince me of the beneficial influence, upon young minds, of thefe encouraging and judicious distinctions, than appeared Srom the Sprightly Specimen before me , The inhabitants enjoy the advantage alfo of having free accefs to the public library ; and by this privilege, they not only retain but improve that generaf tinc ture of learning which they imbibe in their early youth : when I vifited this li brary, it happened to be crowded with ftudents, who were returning the books they had borrowed, and demanding others. As I paffed only an hour in this room, I am ill qualified to give you a juft idea of its contents : I requested, however, the librarian to point out to me what was moft worthy of particular no tice. Accordingly, among other books and manufcripts, he fhewed me feveral folio volumes containing letters and other writings of Calvin, which have never been publifhed. Although Zuingle, iEcolampadius, and Haller, had reformed the greateft part of Swifferland, fome years before Calvin made [ 447 1 made his appearance at Geneva ; yet the latter, as Voltaire *juftly obServes, has given his name to the Sectaries oS the reformed religion, in the fame manner as the new 'continent took its appella tion from Americus Vefpafius, although the original difcovery was made by Co lumbus. Neither was Calvin, indeed, the firft reformer even of Geneva ; but, as he gave additional ftrength and folidity to the new establishment, and laid the foundation of that ecclefiaftical form of government, which has ever fince been invariably oferved ; he totally eclipfed the fame of his friend William Farel, who fcattered the firft Seeds of reforma tion, which the other brought to matu-ij rity. In truth, fo great was the afcen- dancy which this extraordinary man, al though a ftranger in Geneva, acquired over the citizens, that he poffeffed no inr confiderable influence even in civil mat ters ; and bore a large Share in Settling the political constitution of the republic. But his care and attention was not wholly confined to ecclefiaftical and political concerns ; he promoted, to the utmoft of Jus power, the cultivation of the liberal arts [ 448 J arts and Sciences, and the ftudy of ele gant literature. To this end, as well as for the encouraging of theological erudi tion, he prevailed upon the government bf Geneva to eftablifh a public academy. In this new feminary, himfelf, together with his colleagues, eminent for their fuperior knowledge, read lectures, with fuch uncpmmon reputation and fuccefs, that the youth from all quarters flpcked to receive the benefit of them : and it has fent forth, from its bofbm, men of the greateft distinction for their learning and abilities. There is fuch a Striking Splendor in the brighter parts of this difinterefted and celebrated reformer's character, that ren ders one, at the firft glance, almoft inSen- fible oS thofe dark Spots in it, which have So juftly Sullied its glory. . But when one reflects a moment on the aSperity, the ar rogance, the preSumptuous opiniatrety, pf his temper and conduct, and* above all, on his cruel persecution of his former friend, the unhappy Servetus ; one laments, with abhorrence, the mortifying inftance this famous man exhibited, that the nobleft qualities Sometimes mix with the bafeft, in ' [ 449 3 in the composition oS human nature. With regard, however, to his intolerant principles ; it muft be acknowledged, that the Same uncharitable Spirit prevailed alSo among Some others of the moft celebrated reformers ; who feemed to think, by a Strange inconsistency, and unaccountable blindneSs not only to the genius, but to the cleareft precepts of the gofpel, that persecution for confcience fake was un christian in every ecclefiaftical establish ment, except their own. This abSurd and dangerous opinion, gave great ad vantage to their adversaries of the papal hierarchy : for, it is obvious to the meaneft understanding, that, if perfecution is justi fiable in any particular churchy it muft be So univerSally. The republic of Geneva is, however, at prefent, the moft tolerating -pf all the reformed States of Swifferland ; being the only government in this country, which permits the Lutheran religion to be pub licly exercifed. In this reSpect the clergy, no leSs wiSely, than Suitably to the Spirit, as well as the letter, oS' the Christian re velation, have renounced the principles of their great patriarch, Calvin: for, although 2 they [ 45° 3 they ftill hold that able reformer in high veneration ; yet they know how to diftin- guifh his virtues from his defects, and to admire the one without being blindly partial to the other. I am, &c. LETTER XXXVII. Qflober 23. I Write to you a third time from Ge neva : defirous of gaining as much information concerning its hiftory, and the nature of its government, as poffible; I vifited this town again in my return from Avignon * into Swifferland. I will now, therefore, endeavour to throw to gether, from my notes relating to the fubject, all that appears worth communi cating to you ; premjfing at the fame time, that I find them fuch an indigefted mafs, as to have reafon to fear I fhall not be able to reduce them into fo clear an order, as not to Stand much in need of your candour, when you perufe the, following obfervations. * See the beginning of the former letter. Th* [ 45i 3 The town of Geneva and its territory, were formerly united to the German em pire, under the fucceffors of Charlemain : but as the power of the emperors, feeble even in Germany, was ftill weaker in the frontier provinces ; the bifhops of Ge neva, like feveral other great vaffals of the empire, gradually acquired yery confiderable authority over the city and its domains ; which the emperors had no other means of counterbalancing, than by encreafing the liberties of the people. During thefe times of confufion, con stant difputes fubfifted between the bi- jlhops and the counts of the Genevois ; for, the latter, although at their firft inftitution merely officers of the em peror, and confidered as vaffals of the bi fhops ; yet they claimed and afferted a right to the exclufive adminiftration of juftice.. The citizens took advantage of theSe quarrels ; and, by Siding occafionally with each party, obtained an extension of their privileges from both. , But the houfe of Savoy having pur- chafed the county of the Genevois, and Succeeded to all the prerogatives of the counts, with additional power; the bi fhops [ 452 3 Shops arid the people firmly united toge ther, in order to oppofe the encroach ments of the former, which were no lefs prejudicial to the authority of the one, than to the liberties of the others. Dur* ing this period, the respective preten sions of the counts, the bifhops, and the citizens, were So various, as to form a government equally fingular and com plicated. This harmony, however, be tween the bifhops and citizens, was at length broken, by the artful management of the counts of Savoy, who had the ad- drefs to procure the epifcopal See for their brothers, and even for their illegitimate children. By thefe methods, their power in the city became fo enlarged, that, to wards the commencement of the fixteenth century, Charles III, duke of Savoy, (al though the form of the government was entirely republican) obtained an almoft ab solute authority over the citizens : and he exercifed it in the moft unjuft and ar* bitrary manner Hence aroSe perpetual Struggles between the duke and the citi zens ; the latter continually oppofing, either by open violence, or Secret mea sures, .his tyrannical uSurpation : thus two [ 453 3 two parties were formed ; the zealots for liberty were called eidgenoffen, or confe derates ; while the partifans of the duke were branded with the appellation of mammelucs, or Slaves. The treaty of alliance which the town entered into with Berne and Fribourg, in 1526, may be confidered as the true aera of its liberty and independence : for, not long after, the duke was defpoiled of his authority ; the bifhop driven from the city ; a republican form of government firmly eftablifhed ; and the reformation introduced. From this time, Charles and his fucceffors Waged inceffant war againft the town : but his hoftilities were ren dered ineffectual, by the intrepid bravery of the citizens, and the affiftance of the canton of Berne. In 1584 Geneva entered into a treaty of perpetual alliance with Zuric and Berne, (Fribourg having renounced their affiance when the town embraced the re formation) by which treaty, it is allied with the Swifs cantons* The laft attempt of the houfe of Sa voy againft Geneva, was in 1602 ; When Charles EmaxiueLjtreaeheroufly attacked the [ 454 J the town during a profound peace. Two hundred of his foldiers fcaled the walls in the night, when the inhabitants were repofed in unfufpecting Security ; but be ing timely discovered, they were repulfed by the defperate valour of a few citizens, who gloriouSly Sacrificed their lives in defence of the liberties of their country. In memory of this event, an infcription is fixed upon the town-houfe ; and fome of the fcaling^-ladders, which the enemy made ufe of to enter the town, are pre ferred in the arSenal. This perfidy oc cafioned a war, which was terminated the year following by a Solemn treaty ; fince which, uninterrupted peace has been main tained between the houSe of Savoy and Geneva: but it was not till 1754, that the king of Sardinia acknowledged, by a, formal act, the independence of this re public. No fooner was peace concluded with the houfe of Savoy, than the flames of internal difcprd, fo apt to kindle in po pular governments, and which had been fmothered by their common danger from a foreign enemy, began, to appear. Ac cordingly, during the greateft part of the laft [ 455 J laft century, to the prefent period, the hif tory of Geneva contains little more than a narrative of contentions between the ariftocratical and the popular party. TheSe mutual Struggles have occafionally been exerted with So much violence and ani- mofity, as to have threatened, for a mo ment, a total revolution in the ftate ; but happily, however, they have always been compromised without producing any fa tal effects. About the beginning of the prefent century, the power of the council of two hundred was become almoft abfolute. In order to restrain their authority, the po pular party, in 1707, procured a law, by which it was enacted, that every five years a general council of all the citizens and burghers fhould be holden, to deliberate upon the affairs of the republic. Agree ably to this law, a general affembly was convened in ,1712 ; and the very firft act exerted by the people in this their col lective capacity, was the total abolition of the above-mentioned ordinance. An event of fo fingular a nature, can hardly te accounted for upon the general prin ciple of popular fickleneSs and inconfift- H h encys [ 456 ] ency : accordingly Rouffeau, in his Let- tres ecrites de la Montagne, imputes it to the artifices of the magistrates; and to the equivocal terms marked upon the bil lets then inuSe. For, the queftion propoSed to the people being, " Whether the opi- " nion of the councils, for abolifhing the " periodical general affemblies,Should paSs " into a law ?" the words employed on the billets delivered Sor that purpoSe, were, approbation, rejection; So that whichever fide was taken, it came to the Same point. Jf the billet of approbation were chofen ; the opinion of the councils which rejected the periodical affembly, was approved ; if that of rejetlion; then the periodical affem bly was rejected of eourfe. Accordingly, fe veral of the citizens afterwards complain ed that they had been deceived, as they ne ver meant to reject the general affembly, but only the opinion of the councils*. In conSequence of this extraordinary repeal, the power of the ariftocracy con tinued encreafing till within thefe few years; when the citizens, by a fingular conjunction of favourable circumftances; joined to an uncommon Spirit of union -* MifcellaneousWorks of Rouffeau, Vol. iv. p^ 279. and r 457 3 and perfeverance, have procured feveral changes to be made in the constitution of Geneva; by which the authority of the magiftrates has been limited, and the ^privileges of the people have been en larged. ' Happy ! if they know where to Stop; left, continuing to extend the bounds oS their own prerogatives, they Shake the foundations of civil government, by too much restraining the power of the ma giftrates. The preSent constitution of Geneva, may be confidered as a mean between that of the other ariftocratical and po pular cantoris of Swifferland : more de mocratical than any of the former, inas much as the Sovereign and legislative au thority entirely refides in the general af fembly of the citizens and burghers ; and more ariftocratical than the latter, be- cauSe the powers veiled in the great and little councils are very confiderable. The members of the fenate, or little council of twenty-five, enjoy, in their corporate capacity, Several prerogatives almoft as great as thoSe which are poS- Seffed by that of. the moft ariftocratical States, They nominate half the mem- H h 2 ' bers [ 4.58 ¦ ] bers of the great council ; the principal magiftrates are taken from their body^ they convoke the great council and the general affembly of the citizens and bur ghers ; they previoufly deliberate upon every queftion which is to be brought in to the great council, and from thence into the general affembly : in other words, ¦in them is lodged the power of propo sing ; confequently, as every act muft ori ginate from them, no law can pafs with out their approbation. In this fenate is veiled alfo the chief executive power ; the adminiftration of the finances ; and, to a certain degree, jurifdiction in civil and criminal caufes. They nominate, like- wife, to moft of the Smaller pofts of go vernment ; and enjoy the Sole privilege of conferring burgherfhip. They com- poSe, moreover, in conjunction with thir ty-five members of their own choofing, the Secret council ; which never affembles but by their convoking, and only upon extraordinary occafions. TheSe confiderahle prerogatives, how ever, are counterbalanced as well by the privileges of the great council, as by the franchifes of the general affembjy. The prerogatives t 459 3 prerogatives of the former confift in choof- ing the members of the fenate from their own body ; in receiving appeals in all caufes above a certain value ; in pardon ing criminals; in difpofing of the moft important charges of government, thofe excepted which are conferred by the ge neral affembly ; and in approving or re jecting whatever is propoSed by the fe nate to be laid before the people. The fovereign council, or general af fembly of the people, is compofed of the citizens and burghers of the town : their number, in general, amounts to about 1,500, but it is Seldom that more than 1,200 convene ; the remainder being ei ther fettled in foreign countries, or are ufually abSent. I ought to have explain ed to you Sooner, the distinction between citizens and bttrghers : the latter, are ei ther the fons of citizens or burghers *, born out of Geneva, or have obtained the burgherfhip by purchaSe ; the former, are the fons of citizens or burghers, born Within the town of Geneva. The burghers * The children of thofe who are employed in fo reign countries, in the fervice of the ftate, although born out of Geneva, are entitled to all the privi leges of citizens. H h 3 may [ 460 ] may be chofen into the council of two hundred, but the citizens can alone enter into the fenate, and. poffefs the charges appropriated to that body. The general affembly meets twice a year ; chooSes the principal magistrates ; affents to or rejects the laws and regula tions propofed by the councils ; impoSes taxes ; contracts alliances ; declares war or peace ; and nominates one half of the -members of the great council. All ques tions that come before them are decid ed by the majority of voices ; and each member delivers his vote without having the liberty of debating. The reftrictipn is certainly reafonable ; for, in a popu lar aflembly, like this of Geneva, com pofed of citizens, the meaneft of whom is well verfed in the constitution of the commonwealth, and where the people in general have a ftrong propensity to enter in to political difcuffions ; if every voter were permitted to Support and enforce his opi nion by argument, there would be no end pf debate, and the whole time would be confumed in petulant declamation. But the principal check to the power of [ 46i 3 of the little council, arifes from the me thod of electing the Syndics, and from the right of reprefentation. With refpect' to the former, the four fyndics, or chiefs of the republic, are chofen annually out of the little council, by the general af fembly ; and there muft be an interval of three years before the fame members can be again eledled. The ufual mode of elec tion is as follows : — The little council no minate eight of their members for can didates, who muft be approved by the ,great council ; and out of thefe eight, the general affembly chooSe the four Syndics. They have it in their power, however, not only to reject theSe eight propofed candidates, but,alSo all the other mem bers of the fenate fucceffively : and in that caSe, Sour members are taken from the great council, and propofed to the general affembly. If thefe are appointed Syndics, they immediately become mem bers of the fenate ; and an equal number of that body are at the fame time de graded, and retire into the great council. No inftance, however, has yet occurred of the general affembly having exerted II h 4 this [ 462 ] this power of expelling four members from the fenate *. With refpect to the other restraint I mentioned upon the power of the little council, viz. the right of reprefentation : every citizen or burgher, either Singly or in a body, has the privilege of applying to the fenate in order to procure fome new re gulation, or of remonstrating againft any act of the magiftracy. TheSe representa tions have proved one of the principal means, perhaps, of fecuring the, liberties of the people from the respective en croachments of the two councils ; as they have frequently prevented the magistrates- from ftretching their authority to fhe fame arbitrary extent that has been prac- tifed in fome of the other commonwealths of Swifferland. The magiftrates are ob liged to give an explicit anSwer to theSe representations ; for, if the firft is not confidered as Satisfactory, a Second re monstrance is prefented. According to the nature and importance of the com plaint, the reprefentation is made by a * Since the above was written, I have been in formed, that the citizens and burghers expelled four members frbm the fenate, at the election of magiftrates for the year 1777. greater [ 463, 3 greater or lefs number of citizens ; and it has Sometimes happened that each remon- ftrance has been accompanied by Several hoindred, in different bodies. The Salaries of the feveral magiftrates are fo inconsiderable, as not to offer any temptation on the fide of pecuniary emo lument : a fenfe of honour, a Spirit of ambition, the defire of Serving their coun try; together with that perfonal credit which is derived Srom exercifing any of fice in the adminiftration, are the prin cipal motives which actuate the candidates to folicit a Share in the magiftracy. Ac cordingly, the public pofts are generally filled with men of the firft abilities, and of the moft reSpectable characters. The revenues of government, at the higheft calculation, Scarcely amount to 30,000 pounds a year ; a Sum, however, which, by a well-regulated ceconomy, is more than Sufficient to defray the current ex- pences : fo that this republic is enabled to provide for the Security of its fubjects, frbm an income, which fome individuals, both in England and France, Squander in vain pomp and vicious diffipation. It is very remarkable that, in a republic So [ 4^4 3 fo free as this of Geneva, and where the true principles of liberty are fo well and fo generally understood, there fhould be no preciSe code of penal laws : for, al though the form of the procefs is fettled with great precision, yet the trial of the criminal is private, and the punifhment left to the arbitrary decision of the magis trate. Nor are the franchises of the peo ple afcertained with that accuracy one might well have expected. Indeed, un der Ademar Fabri, bifhop of Geneva in the fourteenth century, a certain num ber of political regulations, both civil and criminal, together with feveral particular euftoms and liberties, were drawn up in form ; and the bifhop took an oath to ob- ferve them. TheSe Statutes, if they may be fo called, were alfo confirmed by Ama- deus VIII, duke of Savoy. In all cafes of controversy, the people appeal to this code; but it is not only compiled in a very inaccurate and conSuSed manner, but the magiftrates refufe to be governed by it, becaufe it was publifhed before the independence of the republic was con firmed. With refpect to the feveral laws which have fince been enacted in the ge neral t 465 3 neral affembly ; Some few of them indeed are printed, and in the hands of the pub lic, but the reft remain in the archives of the fenate : Sor, there being no par ticular Secretary belonging to the general affembly; all the laws which they pafs are taken down by the Secretary to the Se nate; So that the latter are the Sole depo sitaries of thofe edicts which ought to be laid open to the inspection of the whole community. The people have repeatedly demanded a precife code of municipal and penal laws, So exprefs and determinate, that nothing maybe left to the arbitrary decifion of the magistrate; but the fenate has always found means of evading this very reafon-* able arid juft requisition. Their code of civil law is the moft per fect part of this constitution : all matters concerning commerce are well regulated by it ; and private property' Securely guarded. It is unneceffary to trouble you with a particular detail of the Sumptuary laws ; they are much the Same as thofe in moft of the other States of Swifferland, where restrictions of that kind are en forced. But there is one law, relating to bankrupts, too Singularly Severe not to be mentioned. If a member of either council [ 4^6 I council becomes a bankrupt, he is im mediately degraded ; and from that mo ment is rendered incapable of holding any poft under government, until he Shall have discharged all the juft demands of his creditors : even his children are Sub jected to the fame difgrace ; and no citi^ zen can exerciSe any public employment whatsoever, while the debts of his father remain unpaid. In this city, as in all the other princi pal towns of Swiflerland, a public gra nary is eftablifhed. Magazines of this kind are ufeful in all States, but are more particularly neceffary in fb populous a place as Geneva ; which, if the neigh bouring powers were to prohibit the ex portation of corn into the territory of the republie, might be expofed to all the hor rors of a general famine. The benefit of this inftitution has been frequently experienced in times of fcarcity : and all. authors who have publifhed observations upon the government of Geneva, have agreed in mentioning it with the praifes it deferves. But they have overlooked one great defect in its regulation, and which is not imputable to the manage ment of thofe public granaries which are eftablifhed [ 467 3 eftablifhed in Berne and Zuric. The chamber of corn, as it is here called, is a committee from the great council of two hundred, empowered to Supply the gra nary with that commodity, at the expence of government. This corn is dried by means of machines well contrived for that purpofe; retailed out to the inn keepers and bakers ; a confiderable profit accrues to government ; and there is al ways, in cafe of neceffity, a Sufficient quantity in referve to fupport the inha bitants during a year and an half. Thus far, all is right : but then the burden of this inftitution falls upon the poor. For, as the directors buy the corn at the cheapeft rate ; retail that part of it which has been kept the longeft ; and vend it at an higher price than it is Sold in the neighbouring territories ; the bakers muft confequently fell their bread dearer, and not of fo good a quality, as that which may be purchafed on the frontiers of Sar voy. But the importation of bread is ftrictly prohibited : thofe families, there fore, who can afford it, lay in a provision of corn for their own ufe ; while the poorer fort Suffer, by being obliged to pur chase, at an advanced price, their daily 6 provifion [ 4*8 '3 provifion Srom the bakers. Perhaps, however, the government is not SuffitiU ently rich to put their granary upon the fame footing with thofe of Berne and Zuric, by Sacrificing the profit arifing from the chamber of corn. The town is ftrongly fortified on the fide of Savoy ; and a garrifon of about nine hundred men cpnftantly maintained: but thefe fortifications, and this garrifon, are only Sufficient to guard them from. any fudden attack ; they could not de fend them long againft a regular Siege, The great Security oS the republic con fifts in its alliance with the SwiSs can tons, by means of Zuric and Be^rne : and, as it is the intereft both of the king of France and the king of Sardinia to keep well with the SwiSs, and to preServe the independence of Geneva; it derives its greateft Security from what, in fome cafes, would be its greateft danger ; name ly, that its territory borders upon the do minions of fuch powerful neighbours. This republic is the only commonwealth in Swifferland, that has no regular com panies in any foreign fervice ; wifely pro hibiting the enlifting of mercenaries in every part of its territory. I am, &c. LETTER i 469 3 - LETTER XXXVIII. Bienne, October 26. TH E fmall territory of Bienne, containing fcarcely fix thoufand inhabitants, lies between the lake, and a chain of the Jura mountains : it is fur rounded by the cantons of Berne and So leure, the bifhoprick of Bafil, and the principality of Neuchatel. The -town is fituated at the foot of the chain above- mentioned, and at a little diftance Srom the lake; which is here about nine miles in length, and four in breadth : the bor ders are pleafing and pictureSque ; and the town of Nidau forms a very beauti ful object upon/ its eaftern fide. In the midft of the lake is an ifland belonging to the canton of Berne, in which the perfecuted Rouffeau refided Some months, after he had renounced all the rights of a citizen of Geneva, and until the go vernment of Bafil compelled him to quit their territory. I cannot forbear ob serving, upon this occafion, that the Sate of this very ingenious philoSopher feems to have been no leSs fingular than his doctrine : E 47° 3 doctrine: for, after having been driven out of two republics, he found an afylum in the' capital oS an abSolute government, and, what is more extraordinary, oS that very government too, which is SuppoSed to have inftigated the magiftrates of Ge neva to exert an act of arbitrary power againft him, which in its conSequence produced a diminution of their own au thority. The bifhop of Bafil is the fovereign pf this little ftate : his power formerly was confiderable, but at prefent is ex-. ceedingly limited. Indeed the constitu tion of Bienne is of fo very peculiar a na ture, that I know not well by what name to distinguish it : it cannot properly be called either a limited monarchy* ovr an independent republic ; it Seems rather to be a certain mixed government, partak ing Somewhat of both. The bifhop of Bafil, or the prince of Porentru, as he is called by the prote ftant cantons, receives, upon his promo tion to the bifhoprick, the homage oS the citizens and militia of this town, with all the apparent ceremonials of the moft ab- folute Submiffion ; but at the Same time, he E 471 ) he confirms, in the Strongest manner, all their -privileges and franchifes. He is feprefented by a mayor of his oWn ap* pointing, whofe power and office con fift in convoking, and prefiding in, th«5 little council, as the chief court of juftice • in collecting the Suffrages, and declar ing the Sentence, but without giving any Vote himSelf. And, although juftice is Carried on, and executed, in the name of the prince, yet neither himfelf; nor the" mayor, has the prerogative of pardoning criminals, or of mitigating the fentence; All caufes, civil as well as criminal, are brought before this council in the firft inftance; and in the more important ones, an appeal lies to the fovereign council : in both cafes, each party choofes a member of the council to act as his advocate ; which office the member is obliged to difcharge without fee or re compense. To this fpecies of. lawyers* Martial's fevere imputation, that iras &? verba locant, is by no means applicable : it muft be owned, however, ,that they areof a kind extremely uncommon. Thefovereign's revenue amounts only to about £. 300 a year : but, mean as his civiL- Ii lift [ 472. 3 lift is, it is Still more confiderable than; his authority ; Spr he does not poffeSs the; leaft Share of the adminiftration. The regency of the town is jointly yefted in the great and little councils ; the former, in which the legislative power reSides, confifts oS forty members ; and the latter, in which the executive is lodged, is com pofed of twenty-four : the members of each muft be married men. Both thefe councils elect their respective members; and So Sar the constitution is entirely ari ftocratical. The burgomafter is chief of the regency ; is chofen by the two councils ;. and prefides at their meetings; whenever they are affembled together in their joint capacity. He continues in his office du ring life; in which, however, he muft be confirmed annually by the two councils : as are alSo the Several magistrates in their reSpedtive. pofts . The Salaries annexed to thefe offices are exceedingly moderate : and, indeed, the general expences of the government are fo very fmall, that, in proportion to them, its revenues may Well be confidered as abundantly ample. It appears, therefore, that this proteftant republic, notwithftanding the Sovereignty • of t 473 3 of its catholic bifhop, enjoys in the fulleft extent the power of impofing taxes, contracting alliances,- declaring war and peace ; and, in Short, of exercifing every other act of abfolute and independent legislation. This fingular constitution is guarantied by Berne, Fribourg, and So leure, with whom the town is cloSely allied ; in conSequence of which, it be comes a member of the Helvetic confe deracy. And, what is fomewhat remark able, this alliance between thofe cantons and the town of Bienne, is of a fuperior nature to that of the fame cantons with the bifhop of Bafil : for, the town enjoys the right of fending deputies to every general diet, ordinary and extraordinary; whereas the bifhop is not allowed the fame privilege. The language of the country, is a kind of provincial German ; but, as the territory borders upon the principality of Neuchatel, the inhabitants Speak alSo a kind of corrupted French. They are a very active and induftrious people : feve ral manufactures are eftablifhed in the town, which, confidering its Size, carries on a large trade. Ii 2 I have [ 474 3 I have often had occafion to obServe to you, that the common people of Swiffer land are far more intelligent than the ' fame rank of men in any other country. Accordingly, I invited my landlord laft night to fup with me ; and I found him by no means difpofed to be a Silent gueft. He gave me a long account of the cere mony that was lately performed here, when the citizens did homage tp their new bifhop. I Was pleaSed to hear him expatiate, with all the enthufiaSm oS na tional pride, upon the beauty and gran deur of the fcene ; the magnificence of the proceffion ; the number of Spectators; as well ftrangers as natiyes, who were affembled ; together with the entertain ments and the balls that were given upon that occafion. By the loSty terms in which he Spoke of this proceffion, you would have thought, at leaft, that he had been deScribing * the coronation of the emperor of Germany, or the king of France : and, in truth, to an inhabitant of Bienne, whofe government is admini ftered without the leaft degree of exter nal pomp, and where luxury has not yet made any progrefs ; the ceremony muft [ 475 1 muft neceffarily have appeared a very Strik ing Spectacle. My hoft's narrative recalled to my remembrance the accounts of thofe ancient feudal fovereignties, when the great vaffals of the crown did homage to their liege lord ; and, while in terms they promifed him unlimited obedience, main tained, \nfacl, every effential of indepen dence. I have juft been amufing mySelf in fome pleafant walks, that lie by the Side of the lake, which is here prettily fkirted with country houfes. In my way I paf- fed over a plain between the town and the lake, which the Sovereign council, by a kind of agrarian law, that does ho nour to the legislature, allotted long ago, in diftinct portions, to each burgher, for his own particular ufe : it is entirely laid out in little neat kitchen- gardens: The general government, indeed, of this mi niature State, is well adminiftred. It has lately adopted the liberal policy of con ferring the burgherfhip at an eaSy rate : a wiSe regulation, which cannot fail of encreafing the population of the town, . and extending its commerce. , - I know your fentiments much too well, my4ear fir, to apologize for calling your I i j attention [ 476 I attention in the prefent inftance, as in Some others, to theSe diminutive common wealths. The various modifications of government into which civil Society is di vided, is a Speculation that will always afford matter both of entertainment and reflection; to a philofophic mind : and I am perfuaded, that you confider the meaneSt Spot of this globe; confecrated by liberty, to be an object worthy, not only of your curiofity, but your veneration. I am, &c. LETTER XXXIX. Soleure, October iS, THE road from Bienne to Soleure, lies through a rich and cultivated valley, enclofed within the Jura moun tains. The town is pleafantly Situated upon the Aar, which here expands its banks, and opens into a broad and fine river, flowing at the foot of fome high and fteep hills : the circumjacent country is exceedingly pleafing and diversified. . I will not exert the privilege of a tra veller, and tell you, what fome extrava-. gants [ 477 3 gant antiquarians do not Scruple to affert, that Soleure was built by the patriarch Abraham ; but you will have no diffi culty, perhaps, in believing what others maintain, that it was one oS the twelve towns which were destroyed upon the emigration of the original inhabitants into Gaul. But at what time, and upon what occafion, Soever its destruction hap pened ; it appears probable, Srom a great number of infcriptions, medals, and other antiquities, that have been found in the neighbourhood, that it was re- peopled by a Roman colony ; and cer tainly was a Roman fortification, as its antient appellation, Caftrum Sahdurenje, neceffarily implies. v Little more of its hiftory is known, dur ing that period of ignorance and barba- rifm which Succeeded the downfall of the Roman empire, than that it was facked and destroyed by thoSe northern nations, who over-ran the greateft parts oS Eu rope. > From the time of its. re-eftablifh- ment, until its admiffion into the Helvetic confederacy in 148 1, its State was fimilar to that of many other imperial towns, which acquired a gradual acceffion of I i 4 territory, [ 478 1 territory, and after various Struggles fl-. nally Secured to themSelves an abfolute independence. The canton of Soleure is nearly twelve leagues in length, and feven in its greatr eft breadth ; ftretching partly through the plain, ancf partly along the ridges of the Jura. Its population may amount to be tween forty and fifty thoufand fouls ; of which the capital contains about five thoufand : all the inhabitants -of the canton are catholics. The government is ariftocratical, upon much the Same plan as that of Lucerne, and of Fribourg : the patrician families are in poffeffion of all the public employ ments. The fovereign council confifts of an hundred and twenty members, in -which the fenate or council of thirty-five is comprifed : the latter confifts oS two ad voyers, eleven alt-raths, or Senior coun sellors, and twenty-two jung-raths, or junior counfellors. Upon the death of one of the alt-raths, the fenior of the jung-raths Succeeds to his place; and the vacancy occafioned by that removal, is £lled up by the eleven alt-raths out x>f the great council. It is from the alt-raths, that [ 479 3 that the four principal magistrates are choSen; namely, the two advoyers, the banneret, and the treaSurer : and upon the death of one of the advoyers, the banneret Succeeds to his place of eourfe, after having gone through the formality of being nominated by the general affem bly of the burghers. When a vacancy happens in the great council, it is fup plied by the eleven alt-rraths, who al ways choofe the new member from the fame tribe, or company of the citizens to which the laft member belonged. The whole body of burghers affemble every year, and confirm the advoyers and- the banneret in their respective offices : at the Same time the twenty-two jung-raths confirm the eleven alt-raths, who in their turn .confirm in the Same manner the former. But all theSe Several confirma tions are matters of mere formality. No perfon can be elected into the great coun cil before he has attained the age of twenty, nor into the fenate Sooner than twenty-Sour. - Excepting the treaSurer, who is elected by the Sovereign council ; and the advoy-, ers and baruieret, who are chofen by the burghers; I[ 480 J burghers; all the "other public employe ments are at the difpofal of the fenate : which body has jurifdiction likewife in all civil and criminal caufes, without appeal. The revenues of this government, and the ftipends of the numerous places held under it, are, (the circumftances of theSe States cPnfidered) by no means Small: fo that the chief families derive frpm the feveral pofts they poffeSs, veiy profit able emoluments. The Soil of this canton is exceedingly fertile, and thofe districts which lie within the jura, abound in excellent paP tures : but there is a great want of hands for all the purpofes of agriculture ; and the defect fenfibly en creaSes. Neverthe less, the ground is So particularly favour able to corn, that a third part of, the yearly produce may be* exported, without the leaft detriment to the public. The trade both of the town and of the canton is of little value, although they are very eommodioufly fituated for carrying on an extenfive commerce. The French embaffador to the Helvetic body refides. in this town, and distributes. from henge thoSe annual penfions or Subsidies, [ 481 3 Subsidies, which the king his mafter has Stipulated by treaty to pay the catholic cantons : they amount to about 30,000 ppunds a year. Louis XL was the firft French monarch who employed Swifs troops in his Service, and granted Subfi- dies to the ftates. TheSe have Smce been confiderably augmented by his Succeffors : and the perpetual alliance Which Fran cis I. concluded with the SwiSs cantons, Soon after the battle of Marignano, is confidered as the bafis oS every Subsequent treaty that has been made between the two contracting powers. Several of the fucceffors of that king derived confider able advantages from the Swifs infantry in their fervice : they aided Henry IV. in eftablifhing himSelf upon the throne of his anceftors ; and affifted both Louis XIII. and his fon, in the Several wars in which they were engaged. No troops indeed have ever been more juftly diftin guifhed Sor their fidelity, their valour* and the excellence of their discipline. The laft general alliance between France and the whole Helvetic union* was concluded by Louis the XlVth in 1663, and tp remain in force during the t 482 ] the joint lives of that monarch, and his fon the dauphin, and for eight years after the death of either of them. Towards the end of his reign, when that monarch* on account pf his fon' s death, propofed to renew the alliance in his. and his fuc- ceffor's name ; the proteftant cantons re fufed their confent : accordingly it was concluded only with the catholic cantons, and the republic of the Vallais. This alliance differed Srom the former treaties in fome very effential articles, particularly, as it ftipulated — that, in caSe the kingdom of France Should be invaded, the Swifs republics in queftion fhould permit an additional levy to be raiSed at his majefty's expence, not exceeding Six teen thouSand men ; that in cafe the Hel vetic body, or any particular canton, Should be attacked by a foreign power, the king engaged to aflift them with as many forces as fhould be thought necef- Sary ; and finally, that iS any diflenfion.s Should ariSe between the contracting can tons, his majefty fhould, at the requeft pf the aggrieved party, try all gentle me* thods of bringing about a reconciliation ; but if thefe fhould fail, the king agreed, both t 483,3 both in his own name, and in that of his fucceffor, to compel the aggreflbr to abide by the treaties contracted between the cantons and their allies. This laft article Seemed, in Some meaSure, to authorize the interference of the king of France with the politics pf Swifferland; and, in that view, appeared dangerous to many of the Swifs, and inconfiftent with that abSolute independence, which they had hitherto prized,above all other advantages. The court of France is at prefent en deavouring to perfuade the proteftant cantons to accede to the alliance, in order that a general treaty may be renewed: and it is expected that a diet will Soon be holden at Soleure * for that purpofe. I am, &;c. LET- * The allia^pe in queftion was actually concluded at Soleure in Ivlay 1777, between the king of France on one fide, and the thirteen cantons and their allies on the other, to continue in force during. fifty years. By this treaty it is agreed, that in cafe the kingdom, of France fhould be invaded, the can tons and their allies are to furnifh an additional levy of fix thoufand men; and if the Swifs cantons, or any of their allies, are attacked, the king, if required, engages LETTER XL. Bafil, November r. rpHE road from Soleure to this" I town, lies through the midft pf the Jura mountains, along the vale of Balftal, remarkable for its richnefs and, fertility : and though the country in ge neral is exceedingly romantic and rocjcyi, yet in many places it is highly cultivated; I turned a little out of the direct way to this place, in order tp view the ruins of Augufta Rauricorum, formerly a large town under the dominion of the Romans; now a fmall village in the canton of Bafil, engages to fend to them, at his own expence, fuch fuccours as may be thought neceffary. , That article of the treaty concluded with the ca tholic cantons in 1715, which related to the media tion of the king of France, in cafe of any difputes arifing between the thirteen cantons, is very properly and wifely omitted. Before this alliance, none of the proteftant ftates of Swifferland ever received any penfions from France : but by the fixteenth article, the proteftants of Glaris and Appenzel, and the town of Bienne, have agreed to accept les argents de paix et d' alliance, as thefe fubfidies are here called. 9 , clofe I **5 ] clofe to the Rhine. Its ancient remains are very incpnfiderable, confifting of a few pillars of marble ftill Standing, and Some Scattered fragments of others, toge ther with a kind of Semicircular range of walls Upon a rifing grpund, the greateft part pf which has tumbled down, and is ajlmoft entirely overgrown with brufh- wood. From the prefent appearance of the laft-mehtipned rqins, I fhould hardly have gueffed that they once compoSed part of a theatre, capable of containing above twelve thoufand Spectators. But the celebrated Schaefflin has given, in his Alfatia Illuftrata, a particular description. of this theatre, and its dimenfions; as alSo of the temple, to which the marble columns I mentioned, formerly belonged. Befides thefe, there are likewife the re mains of fome fmall aqueducts, which conveyed water to the town frpm the dif tance of above twelve miles : but none of thefe relics of antiquity have any thing fo very remarkable in them, as to merit the trouble of a particular vifit. The peafants, in turning up the ground where thefe ruins are Situated, frequently find medals of the Roman emperors, frpna Auguftus t 486 ¦]¦¦ Auguftus to Conftantine; and are become^ by repeated experience, able to diftinguifh* with Some degree of precifion, thoSe that are rare Srom the more common ones. I purchaSed of a labourer two medals which lie had juft Sound ; a Trajan and an Al bums : and though the former was by far the moft perSect, yet he made me pay three times as much for the latter, becaufe he had never feen it, he faid, before. I arrived here the day before yefterday, and, as 1 had goodreaSon to be affured, about twelve at noon ; but was much Surprized to , find, that all the clocks in the town agreed. to make me SuppoSe I was miftaken, and. actually ftruck one : the fact is, that every one. of them go an hour fafter than thofe of the reft of Europe. Different reaSons have been affigned Sor this Singularity : . fome , affert, that ,it was firft practifed during the council of Bafil, in order to affemble the cardinals and bifhops the earlier, who, being a very lazy and indo lent Set of mortals, always came too late. Others tell you, that a confpiracy being formed to enter the town at midnight, and to .affaffinate the magiftrates ; one of the. burgo- [ 487 3 burgomafters, who had notice of the d#* iign, put the town clock an hour for wards ; by which means the conspirators, imagining they had miffed the appointed time, retired ; and that the clocks are ftill Jtept : forwards, as a perpetual memorial of this happy deliverance. But there is a third reafon given for this Strange cuS- tom, which Seems by Sar the moft proba ble. It is well known that the choirs of cathedrals and churches are conftrqcted towards the eaft : that of Bafil declines fomewhat from this direction; and the fun-dial, which is placed upon the out- fide of the choir, and by which the town clock is always regulated, partakes of this declination ; a circumftance which, ac cording to the celebrated Bernouli, occa- fions a variation from the true time of above five and forty minutes. - But whatever may have been the ori ginal of this whimfical cuftom ; the in habitants of Bafil are fo ftrongly attach ed to it, that as often as it has been propofed in the fovereign council to have their clocks properly regulated, the motipn has constantly been rejected. K k ' . In t 488 1 In reality, the people would think their liberties invaded, if their clocks were to go like the reft, of the world's. A few years ago it was fecretly agreed upon by fome of the leading men of the town, to have the fun-dial turned half a minute a day, until the Shadow Should imperceptibly .point to the true hour. This expedient was accordingly put in practice, and the town clock had already loft near three quarters of an hour, when an accident difcovered the plot ; and the magiftrates were compelled to place the Sun-dial in the Same pofition it Stood before, and to have the town clock regulated by it as ufual. Indeed, long-eftablifhed cuftoms, however indifferent or ridiculous, are apt to lay So ftrong a hold upon vulgar minds, as to become Sometimes dangerous, and always difficult, to be altered; eSpecially among a people, like thoSe of this coun try, who are averfe to any change, even in the minuteft articles. I need not re mind you, how long it was before we could be perSuaded, in England, to; reckon our years according, to the general mode of computation received by the reft of Eu rope. Bafil [ 489 3 Bafil is -beautifully fituated upon the banks of the Rhine, near the point where that river (which here becomes very broad, deep, and rapid) after flowing for fome way from eaft to weft, turns Sud denly to the north. It conSifts of two towns joined together by an handfome bridge; the largeft of which towns lies on the fide of Swifferland, -and the Smalleft on the German fide. of the ri-r ver. It Stands very advantageoufly for , commerce ; and it is an advantage which the inhabitants have- by no means neglected : for, they have eftablifhed a great variety of manufactures of all forts ; and a very extenfive and lucrative trade is Carried on by the principal merchants of the place. The cathedral is an elegant gothic building, but itrangely disfigured by a daubing of rofe-coloured paint fpread over the whole edifice. In this cathedral are depofited; under a marble tomb, the ve- - nerable remains of the great EraSmus* That diftinguifhed writer joined to Supe rior learning, and a peculiar 'elegance of Style, the keeneft wit, which he pointed, not only againft the vices and ignorance of K k 2 the [ 490 3 the monks, but the general corruptions and diforders of the church of Rome. He was indeed the forerunner of Luther, in his firft attacks upon the catholics, re specting the fale of indulgences : but af terwards, when the controverfy appeared to be taking a more ferious turn, and an open breach with the church of Rome feemed inevitable ; he condemned the pro ceedings of that bold reformer. He con fidered them, indeed, as altogether un warrantable ; and, although he had him felf cenfured and eXpofed the corruptions that infected the catholic religion, yet he zealoufly inculcated fubmiffive obedience to the decrees of what he called the •" univerfal church." Agreeably to thefe Sentiments, he advifed the proteftants to endeavour at obtaining, by mild and pa tient meafures, what they might indif- creetly loSe by a warmer and more violent oppofition. Such temperate counfels were ill Suited to the daring and impetuous Spirit of Luther. Accordingly, while Erafmus was acting the part of a mediator, and endeavouring to moderate and allay the flame on each Side, he drew upon himfelf the difpleafure of both parties : [ 49i 11 parties : by the one, he was reproached for having gone too far ; and by the other for not having gone much farther. In allufion to this trimming conduct, one of his adverfaries, not unaptly, applied to him that line in Virgil, ** Terras inter caelumque volabat." The impartial truth Seems to be,that he was by no means difpofed to become a martyr in the caufe: and the natural timidity of his temper, together with a too great deference to perfons of fuperior rank and power; and perhaps alfo the fear of lofinghis penfions; probably entered into the prevailing mo tives that induced him to take a decided part againft the reformers, and condemn their feparation from the church of Rome as an apoftacy. But it would be uncandid to impute his conduct wholly to Selfifh confedera tions; Something may fairly be afcribed to the powerful imprefiions of early pre judices; and Something to that rooted love of peace and Studious tranquillity which feems to have been the governing principle of moft of his actions. But, whatever im perfections may be difcovered in fome par ticular parts of his character, his memory K k 3 muft F 492 3 muft ever be revered by every friend of ge nius, learning, and moderation. Liveliness of imagination, depth and variety of erudi tion, together with great fagacity of judg ment, were in him eminently united. He infufed a Spirit of elegance even into theo logical controversies. ; and contributed to -difencumber literature of that fcholaftic jargon with which it was difgraced : in a word, he wanted nothing but a little more courage, to have been confeffedly one of the firft characters oS the age in which be flourifhed. EraSmus reflected much Jionour upon this town, by choofing it as the favourite place of his refidence, and publishing Srom hence the greateft part of his valuable works. In the pub lic library are preServed, with great ve neration, Several of his letters, and his laft teftament, written with his own1 hand; as alfo his hanger and his Seal. The library contains fome very valu able manufcripts ; the moft curious of which are thofe relating to the council of Bafil, together with feveral volumes of letters written to and. from the firft reformers, and from feveral men of let ters of the fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Se venteenth [ 493 3 venteenth centuries. The collection of books, though not very confiderable, is chiefly remarkable for many rare and valuable editions ; particularly of thofe which were printed in the fifteenth cen tury. In a fuite of rooms belonging to this library, is a cabinet of natural curiofi- tjes ; Some antient medals and gems ; a few antiquities found at Augft ; a large collection of prints ; and fome -fine draw-' ings and paintings, confifting chiefly of originals by Holbein, who was a native of this town. Thefe pictures are, moft, of them, in the higheft preservation ; and what renders them the- more valuable is, that the conrioiffeur can here trace all the different manners of Holbein, and compare the productions of his youth with thofe of his more mature age. The moft valuable of thefe pieces, is, the paf- fion of our Saviour, in eight compart ments j a performance in which this ad mirable artift has carried to. the higheft perfection that fingiilar brilliancy of co louring fo peculiar to all his compofir tions. I was much Struck with a profile of his friend and patron Erafmus, writ-, K k 4 ing [ 494 3 ing his commentary upon St. Matthew : there is a Spirit and animation in the countenance, wonderfully expreffive of the' great author's fagacious and penetrating talents. r -S, The dance of death, in the church-yard' of the predicants of the fuburbs of St.. John, is always Shewn to ftrangers as being of Holbein's pencil. It is painted in oil-colours L 1 a fcerttf t 506 3 neral fo Strongly prejudiced in favour of their own country, that they feem to be well convinced true felicity is only to be found at Bafil : and indeed that clafs of people are in no part of the world more happy. Every perfon boafts that he is free, and in reality is fo : and, as the citizens not only poffeSs very confiderable privileges and immunities, but each individual may alSo indulge the hope of being one day chofen into the fovereign council ; he en joys a certain degree of refpect and con sideration extremely flattering to his Self- importance. In fact, there are feveral a- mong the magiftrates who exerciSe the meaner trades; one of the prefent members of the little council, is a baker. He is indeed a man of diftinguifhed knowledge and merit ; and has had a chance even of being chief of the republic : for, he has, been twice nominated one of the fix candi dates for the tribunefhip of the people. The conduct of . magiftrates, is no where more freely, nor more feverely, criticifed than at Bafil. The people may Sometimes, no doubt, extend this privi lege beyond its proper limits ; but they can never be totally restrained from ex ercifing t 5°7 3 ercifing it, without Striking at the vitals of their liberty : it is effential to its ex iftence, and no free government can long Survive its extinction. • Bafil is by far the largeft, and Seems formerly to have been one of the moft populous, towns of Swifferland : its ex tern: is capable of containing with eafe, above an hundred thoufand inhabitants ; whereas it can fcarcely nuriiber eleven thoufand. Many particular caufes may have concurred to occafion this remark able decreaSe of people ; but I will men tion only one or two of the general rea- Sons to which it may be affigned. It is proved, from undoubted calcula tions, that in all great cities the number of burials exceeds that of births ; confe quently, unlefs this unequal proportion of the latter to the former be compen fated by a conftant acceffion oS new in habitants, every great town in proceSs of time muft neceffarilybecome depopulated. Now the citizens of Bafil are So jealous of the right of burgherfhip, and pride themfelves So much upon the privileges which accompany it, that they Seldom deign to confer it upon foreigners : a L 1 3 fupply [ 5°8 ] fupply therefore to ballance that gradual wafte of people I have mentioned, can never be had by an influx of Strangers, where they are not permitted to carry on any commerce, or to follow any trade. A few years ago, indeed, fome of the ma giftrates, fenfible of the impolicy of this unlimited prohibition, procured a law, by which the freedom of- the town and the right of burgherfhip was allowed to be conferred upon ftrangers ; but it was clogged at the Same time with So many restrictions, as by no means to anSwer , the purpofe for which it was intended. Every principle, indeed, of private intereft and ambition, concurred to prevent its efficacy ; and no wonder ; Sor, bodies of men are feldom actuated by fp generous a fpirit as to facrifice their perSonal and . immediate advantages, to the future wel* fare and prosperity oS their country. I am, &Q. I. ' ' I - . . ¦ T .... LETTER XLII. CURIOSITY led me, during my continuance at Bafil, to vifit the hof- pital and* burying-ground of St. James, not far [ 5^9 3 far from the town, and near the fmall river Birfch, celebrated for a moft remarkable and defperate combat, which was fought in 1444, between the Swifs and the dau phin of France, afterwards Louis XI : and never was Swifs valour and intrepidity So fignally displayed, as by a few battalions of their troops on that memorable day. This famous battle was in confe- quence of fome disputes, which arofe be tween the canton of Zuric and thofe of Schweitz and Glaris. The former refut ing to abide by the mediation of the five neutral cantons, who had decided in fa vour of the two latter ; a civil war en- Sued : upon which occafion, Zuric en tered into an alliance with the emperor Frederic III. The Seven laft-mentioned cantons, in order to Sorce . the canton of Zuric to renounce this alliance with the houfe of Auftria, which they juftly con fidered as an infringement of their league; laid Siege to that town. Frederic, unable to Send a Sufficient body of troops to its relief, applied for additional fuccours to Charles VII, king of France ; who, as Well with a view of diffolving the coun cil of Bafil, as for the particular purpofe L 1 4 required. [ 51° ] required, ordered a confiderable army of mercenary troops to march, under the command of his fon Louis. Accord ingly the dauphin entered with his forces into Alface ; and, after laying wafte and harraffing the adjacent provinces, ap peared before Bafil. Upon this occa fion, a detachment of fifteen hundred Swifs from the army of the confederates (at that time employed in befieging FarnS- berg) were ordered to throw themSelves into the town of Bafil, which was but thinly garriSoned. This handful of men advanced with out interruption to the plain of Brattelen ; where they charged, with fuch determin ed and well-conducted valour, eight thou fand of the enemy's cavalry, that the lat ter were driven back as far as Mutleez ; at which place the repulfed were joined by another corps : but, notwithstanding this reinforcement, the SwiSs attacking them again with the Same intrepidity as before, forced them to repafs the river Birfch ; where the main body of the army was chiefly drawn up. Such was the firmnefs and folidity of the Swifs \n thefe fevera^ rencounters, that, to ufe the I 5" 3 fhe expreffion of an old French chronicle, when the cavalry charged " they could " make no more impreffipn, than if they " had attacked a rock, or an impenetrable «« wall." The Swifs, encouraged by this wonderful fuccefs, and exafperated with the moft Spirited indignation againft the invaders of their country; disregarding the remonstrances of their officers, rafhly attempted to Sorce their paffage over a bridge, which was guarded by a large body of the enemy : but, this effort of incon- fiderate valour proving ineffectual, every man of thefe gallant foldiers, throwing himfelf into the river, where it was ford- able, gained the oppofite fhore, in the face of a battery of cannon that was playing againft them. But what could the deSperate courage of fo fmall a number of troops avail, againft an army of -30,000 men advantageoufly pofted in an open plain ? They had no alternative but either to throw down their arms, or glorioufly expire with them in their hands. They bravely choSe the lat ter : accordingly five hundred of them took poffeffion of a Small ifland near the bridge, where, after refolutely defending themfelves [ 5i2 ] themfelves to the laft extremity, they were all of them cut to pieces. A like num ber forced their way through the ranks of the enemy, and were making towards Bafil ; when they were oppofed by a large body of horfe, who were pofted there to prevent the inhabitants of the town from {allying out, and coming to the relief of their countrymen. Being now furround ed on all fides, they threw themfelves into the hofpital of St. James ; and, lining the walls of the burying-ground, refifted for fome time the united affaults of the whole French army. At length the hofpital be ing fet on fire, and the cannon having battered down the walls of the burying- ground, they fought no longer in hopes of victory ; but ftill reSolving that it Should coft their enemies as dear as poffible, they continued to defend their lives to the laft gafp. iEneas Sylvius, (afterwards pope Pi us II.) relates, among other actions of fin gular valour, exerted by this heroic troop, a particular inftance which I cannot for bear mentioning. Four of the French attacked a Single SwiSs, and having killed and ftripped him, proceeded to infult the dead t 513 3 dead body ; being obferved by a com panion of the Slain, he Seized a battle-ax, rufhed upon the four ; killed two of them, and put the others to flight ; then fling ing the dead body of his friend upon his Shoulders, carried it to a place of fecu- rity; and returning to the attack, was killed. Of the whole number but Sixteen ef- caped from the field of battle : and thefe, agreeably to the old Spartan discipline, were branded with infamy, for not hav ing Sacrificed their lives in defence of their country. Among thofe who were deSpe- rately wounded, and left upon the field of action, thirty-two only were found -Still alive. "The names of many of thefe glorious combatants were carefully regi stered, and Still remain upon record. It is not eafy to afcertain the num ber of forces on both fides in this ever memorable engagement. As far as one can judge, by comparing the feveral re lations of the French and German hif torians, the' army of the dauphin a- mounted at leaft to 30,000. Charles VII. and his Son Louis, in their letters to the German princes on this occafion, re present [ 5H 3 prefent the total lofs of the Swifs to have been about 3,000 : and perhaps that ac count is not much exaggerated. With refpect to the Slain on the fide of the dauphin, the amount is ftill more uncer tain : his loSs, however, muft have been very confiderable, for he remained three days upon the field of battle ; and, the better to conceal the number of the killed, he ordered the dead bodies to be fecretly buried in different parts of the neighbour hood. Add to' this, that he was effec tually prevented from profecuting his de signs upon Swifferland, and compelled to retire with his Shattered army into AlSace. That prince himSelf, indeed, declared, that Such another victory would ruin his army; and generoufly confeffed, that he derived no other advantage from it, than to know and efteem the valour of the Swifs. Accordingly, this combat may be confidered as forming a remarkable sera in the hiftory oS the Swifs : for, it gave rife to their treaty with Charles VII, and was the firft alliance they ever en tered into with France. The war, however, between the houSe pf Auftria and Zuric on one fide,' and the [ sis 3 the feven cantons on the other, continued until the year 1446, when a peace was concluded by the mediation and decifion of the arbiters chofen for that purpofe : Zuric renounced its alliance with the houfe of Auftria ; and the Helvetic con federacy was again folemnly renewed and confirmed between the eight cantons. Upon this occafion, two very important articles of the public law of Swifferland, were finally fettled : Firft, that all diSputes between any of the particular cantons, fhall be decided by the mediation oS the neutral ones ; and in caSe either of the two" contending parties refufe to acquiefce under their judgment, the neutral cantons are empowered to have recourfe to arms, in order to compel the republic in queftion to abide by their determination : Second ly, notwithstanding the right which ei ther of the cantons bright have referved to itfelf, of contracting alliances with foreign powers, yet the other confederates are to judge, whether fuch alliance is conr tradictory to, or incompatible with, the articles of the general union ; and if it Should appear to be Sp, it is declared ut terly null and void. I can- I 516 ] I cannot clofe this letter without ad ding, that the Swifs ftill talk of this fa mous action with the warmeft enthu- fiafin. Accordingly, the inhabitants of Bafil form parties every year, to an inn fituated near the hofpital and burying- ground above-mentioned, in order to commemorate, in a red wine produced from Some vineyards planted on the field of battle, the heroic deeds of their brave countrymen, who fo glorioufty facrificed their lives upon the occafion. This wine, which they call " the blood of the Swifs," is highly prized by the Bafilians, though it has little tp recommend it in point of flavour: nevertheless, I am much mis taken iS that famous line of Horace, Non~ miffura cutem n'tfi plena cruoris was more applicable to the teazing poet he mentions, than it is to thofe jovial patriotic parties at their anniverSary pota tions of the " Sang des Suifes." I am, &c. LETTER I 517 3 LETTER XLIII. HAVING, in the eourfe of my for mer letters, communicated to you Such observations as I was able to make during my tour through Swifferland, con cerning the laws, government, State of literature, &c. of each canton in parti cular; I will now requeft from you the fame candid indulgence I have fo re peatedly experienced, whilft I lay before you a few concluding remarks, in relation to the State of Swifferland in general. * There is no part of Europe which contains, within the fame extent of re gion, fo many independent common wealths, and fuch a variety of different governments, as are collected together in this remarkable and delightful coun try ; and yet, with fuch wifdom was the Helvetic union compofed, and fo little have the Swifs, of late years, been actu* ated with the fpirit of conqueft, that fince the firm and complete establish ment of their general confederacy, they have fearcely ever had occafion to employ their arms againft a foreign enemy ; and have , i 5^8 ] have had no hoftile commotions among? themSelves, that were not very Soon hap pily terminated. Perhaps there is not a fimilar inftance iri antient or modern hiftory, of a warlike people, divided Into little independent republics, clofely bor dering upon each other, and of eourfe having occafionally interfering interests, having continued, during So long a pe riod, in an almoft uninterrupted ftate of tranquillity. And thus, while the feveral neighbouring kingdoms have fuffered, by turns, all the horrors pf hiternal war, this favoured: nation hath enjoyed the fe licity defcribed by Lucretius, and looked down. with Security upon the various tern-/ pefts that have Shaken the world aroun4 them. But the happineSs of a long .peace, has neither broken the fpirit, nor ener vated the arm of this people. The youth are diligently trained tp all the martial ex- ' ercifes, fuch as running, wreftling, and fhieptirig both with the croSs-bow and the mufket ; a confiderable number of well-difciplined SwiSs troops are always employed in foreign fervices ; and the whole people are enrolled, and regularly exercifed I 5*9 3 i^xercifed in their refpective militia. By thefe means they are capable, in caSe it Should be neee'ffary,of collecting a very refpectable bo dy of forces, which could not fail of prov ing formidable to any enemy who fhould invade their country, or attack their liber-1 ties. Thus, while moft of the other States upon the continent are tending more and rriore towards a military govern ment, Swifferland alone has no Standing armies ; and yet, from the nature of its fituation, from its particular alliances, 3,nd from the policy of its internal go vernment, is more fecure from invafion than any other European power, and full as able to withstand the greateft force that canbe' brought againft it. But the felicity of Swifferland does not confift merely in being peculiarly ex empted from the burdens and miferies of war ; there is no country in which hap- pineSs and content more univerfalty pre-* vail among the people; For, whether the government be ariftocratical; demo cratical, Or mixed ; abSolute or limited ; tt general Spirit of liberty pervades and actuates the feveral constitutions : fo that eyen the oligarchical ftates (which, of all Mm E 520 3 others, are ufually the moft tyrannical)- are here peculiarly mild; and the pro perty of the fubject is Securely guarded againft every kind of violation. But there is one general defect in their criminal jurisprudence, which prevails- throughout this country. For, although the Caroline code, as it is ftyled, or the code of the Emperor Charles the Vth, forms in each of the republics the princi pal bafis of their penal laws, with parti cular modifications and additions in dif ferent districts ; yet much tPo great a la titude is allowed to the respective judges, who are lefs .governed in their determina tions by this code, or any other written law, than by the common prinpiples of juftice. How far long experience may have juftified the prudence of trusting' them with this extraordinary privilege, I cannot Say; but discretionary powers of this kind, are undoubtedly liable to the moft alarrning abuSe, and can never, without the greateft hazard, be conimitted to the hands oS the magistrate. ' I cannot forbear reflecting, upon this' occafion, on the fuperior wiSdom, in the: prefent inftance, as well as in many<&heiV of r s« i fef our* owri moft invaluable conSiitutidri % and indeed, it is impoffiblefor an Englifh-« man to obServe, in his travels, the govern ments of other countries, without becoming a warmer and more.affectionate admirer of his own. In England, the life and liberty of the fubject does not depend upon the arbitrary decifion of his judge, but is fe- cured by exprefs' laws, from which no Eaagiftrate can depart with impunity. This guarded precifion, it is true, may occafionally, perhaps, be attended with fome inconveniences ; but they are over balanced by advantages of fo mucb greater weight as to be. fcarcely percep tible in the Scales of juftice. I do not mean, however, to throw any imputa tion upon the officers of criminal juris diction in Swifferland ; as far as I could obferve, they administer distributive juS- tice with' an impartial and equitable hand. I remarked, with peculiar Satisfaction, the excellent ftate of the priforrs through out this country, and the humane pre cautions which the feveral legislatures have taken with refpect to felons: a eiDeumftanee which could npt fail of ... M m a Striking t 522 1 Striking me the more forcibly, as the con trary is but too vifible in England. In Swifferland, the criminals are confined in. wholefome and Separate wards; and inftead of languishing long in priSon, to the great injury of their health, or total wafte of their little remnant of money ; they are ahhoft immediately brought to trial. In England, a criminal, or one tufpected tp be Such, may be confined fix months before his fate fhall be determined : and if he happen to be proved innocent, and fhould be in low circumftances ; the loSs of his time, together with the expences of the gaol-fees, may probably occafion his utter ruin ; while bis morals are in no leSs danger, by being compelled to affociate with a Set oS abandoned wretches, loft to all fenSe of Shame, and encouraging each other in their common profligacy. How much is it to be lamented, that, while our code of criminal jurisprudence is in general formed upon principles, which distin guish us with honour among the nations of Europe ; that our courts of juftice are thrown open to the view of all the world; and that we enjoy the ineftimabie and al- uioft peculiar privilege of being tried by 5 our I 523 3 ©ur equals ; how much (I cannot forbear repeating) is it to be lamented, that the fame equitable and humane fpirit fhould be found wanting in fo important an arti-* cle of our penal laws * I One cannot but be aftonifhed, as well as concerned, to find, that in a country * For a more particular account of the prifons in Swifferland, the. reader is referr'd to a treatife con cerning *' The Jlate of the prifons in England and li Wales, and an account of fome foreign prifons, by «« John Howard, Efqiijyj." In this treatife (which merits the attention of every friend to humanity) the worthy author has produced many melancholy proofs of the fad ftate of the Englifh prifons, and how very inferior they are to thofe abrpad in every cir-! cumftance relating to the health and good govern ment/ of the unhappy perfons confined in them. And it cannot but afford him the moft fenfibie . Satisfaction to find, that his benevolent and perfe+ vering labours have already been productive of fome, very advantageous regulations, particularly concerns Sng the fees of prifoners who fhall be acquitted, and the prevention of the gaol diftemper. As Mr. H,., ftill continues his laudable refearcfyes through all $he moft confiderable prifons, upon the continent, and intends fubmitting the refult of theni to the confederation of Parliament ; it mayjuftly be hoped, $hat he will be rewarded with the happinefs of hal ving become the means of effectually fixing thp at-j tention of the Britifh Senate upon an pbjeift fo high ly deferving the care of every wife and humane legi- ^Tri 3 Iff t 524 3 ,where the true principles of civil govern ment are fo well understood and So ge nerally adopted as in Swifferland, that the trial by torture is not yet abolifhed : for, in Some particular caSes, the fuf> pected criminal is ftill put to the rack. The inefficacy, no leSsthan the inhuma nity, of endeavoui'ing to extort the truth by the feveral horrid instruments which too ingenious cruelty has deviSed Sor that purpoSe, has been So often expofed by the ableft writers, that it would he equal ly impertinent and Superfluous to trouble you with any reflections of mine upon the fubject: and indeed, the whole Strength pf the feveral arguments that have been urged upon this occafion, is comprifed in the very juft and pointed observation of the admirable Bruyere, that la queftion eft une invention merveilleufe & tout-a-fait .fibre, pour perdre un innocent qui a la complexion foible, & Jauver un coupabk qui eft ne ro- bkfte *. I cannot, however, but add, in juftice to the Swifs, that zealous advo cates have not been Wanting among them for the total abolition of torture; but ar-» * CaraSeres, Vol. \u p. 203. •¦-.-¦ *| gumentt [ 525 3 gUments of reafon, and Sentiments of hu manity, have been found, even in this ci- vilifed and enlightened country, to avail little againft inveterate cuftom and long- confirmed prejudices -f-. Learning t Criminal juftice is here, as in the greateft part of Europe, adminiftred agreeably to the rules of the civil law. According to the maxims of that code, the criminal's confeffion is abfolutely requifite, in order to his fuffering capital punifhment ; and con fequently, all thofe nations who have not eftablifh^- ed a new code of criminal jurifprudence, retain the jlfe of torture. The prefent king of Pruffia, it is well known, fejt the example in Germany, of gholifhing this inhu man practice ; but few, perhaps, are apprifed, that , the firft hint of this reformation was fuggefted to jhim by reading the Hiftory of England. For, one of the principal arguments in fupport of this me thod of extorting confeffion, being that it affords the beft means of discovering plots againft govern ment ; the fagacious monarch remarked, that the Britifh annals fully confuted the fallacy of that rea-t foning. Few kingdoms, he obferved, had abound ed more in confpiracies and rebellions than Eng land ; and yet that the leaders and abettors of them had been more fuccefsfully traced and difcovered, -without ihe ufe of torture, than in any country -where it was pra&ifed. " From thence," added this wife, politician, fpeaking upon the fubje£t, " I faw ..** the abfurdity of torture, and abolifhed it accord- .?' ingly." M m 4 Tb,g [ 526 ] Learning, is lefs generally diffufed a-* mong the cathdlic than the proteftant ftates : but in both, a man of letters will find abundant opportunities of gratify ing bis refearches and improving his knowledge. To the natural philofopher, Swifferland will afford an inexhaustible fource of entertainment and information, ' as well from the great variety of phyfieal curiofities fo plentifully fpread over the cpuntry, as from the cqnfiderable num-r ber of perfpns eminently Skilled in, that branch of Science. Indeed in every town, and almoft in every village, the curious traveller will meet with collections wor thy of his a.tten|ion *» With The abftve anecdote, which I had from very rer fpeftable authority, bears the moft honourable teffir mony to the efficacy as well as the mildnefs of our penal laws, and tp the fuperior excellency of the procefs obferved jq our courts of criminal juftice. * If the reader fhould he defirous of particular information concerning the feveral laftf mentioned articles ; he will find his curiofity gatified in the moft Satisfactory manner, in Bernouli's Lettrds fur diffe rent fujets, &c. which contain, not only a very ac curate defcription of all the various cabinets, and colle&ipns of natural hiftory, to which I have al- Ilf4?d^ fey? alfo an account of the feveral men. of letr I 527 1 ;With- refpect to agriculture; therein, perhaps, no country in the world where the advantageous effects of unwearied and perfevering induftry are more remarkably corifpicuous.' In travelling over the moun tainous parts of Swifferland, I was Strudk with admiration and aftonifhhienf , to ob- ferve rocks, that were formerly barren, now planted with vineSj or abounding in rich pafture; and to mark the traces of the plough along the Sides of precipi ces So fteep, that it muft be with great difficulty that a horfe could even mount them. In a word, the inhabitants feem to have Surmounted every obstruction which foil, fituation, and climate, had thrown in their way, and to have Spread fertility over various Spots of the country which nature feemed to have configned to everlafting barrennefs. In fine, a gene ral fimplicity oS manners, an open and unaffected franknefs, together with an invincible Spirit of freedom, may juftly be mentioned in the number of thofe ters who have diftinguifhed themfelves in Germany, Swifferland, and the fouth of France. The inge nious author propofes favouring the world with tw