Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

stood one in arms, complaining that rienced horfes began to dance at his iron coat was too ftiffe; and be-, fuch musick (where thofe danced fides him stood his fellow, whofe beft who had learned leaft) and did armour was armed with ruft, which instantly fend their masters to the. defired to be left at home to recruit ground, as if they wished them to the plough as formerly, pleading dance there alfo, feeing they could exemption, as not being betwixt not dance on horfeback; their comfixty and fixteen, and fo not oblig- manders thought that they had lighted to go to the fields, but by twen- ed to kiffe hands with the ground ty years older than both; telling their old acquaintance, with which him how they had fifty year's fince thefe clowns had spent most of their hindered his father's flight, who be- time; but alas, they, poor creacause thereof had avowed never to tures, did lie there, perfwaded by bring them abroad again: and with- fear, that they had been overall that the bearing armour was too thrown by their enemies, and like weighty an imployment for a clown. affaulted travellours, who throw But whilft they are thus bufied, an, away to the robbers their purfes old wife, or rather one fo old as before they fhould be violently tathat it could not be known whither. ken from them, were breathing out fhe was a wife, complained to a cap- their fouls willingly to death, feartain, that her fon had ftollen away ing leaft it would open another paffrom her, a thing wherein her hens fage than their mouth to facilitate hatched their eggs, which he called their efcape. But amongst thofe a fteel cap, and which was at that many, who were all remarkable, prefent upon his head; which the there was one whom fear had mark-.. young Captain flighted, calling her ed for its own head-quarter; this old Hagg, and telling her, that they fellow had gotten from his wife a were vexed in defending her and linen bag, with fome raw flefl, fuch others from their enemies. which had fealed its impreffa in. Whereat she became inraged, and bloud upon the outside of the bag; commanding her old hands by a which the coward perceiving in this young heart, pulls him from his twilight of fear, imagined that it faddle, from which the leaft pull had been tinctured with his own, could easily have invited him, the bloud, which occafioned his present faddle itself dildaining to ferve fuch death: here lay one opening his a childish master. The field where eyes, and presently clofing them ain they mustered appeared a co- gain, fearing, leaft fear should medy, wherein cowards acted gal- wound them, if they were not armlantry; but that gallantry was de- ed with his eye-lids; only in this fectively monstrous, because it want- playing the gallant, that he could ed hands; yet they feemed bafilifks, not endure to fee either himself or who could kill with their eyes, his friends wronged: over him which feemed granades, from which croffe-wayes, did lie another, crofsthey did fhoot thousands of murder- ed extreamly by his own timeroufing looks; their mouthes were the nefie, crying, Mifericorde, miferiarienals where they kept all their corde, imagining firmly, that his earms; yet their fafety lodged in their nemies was fearching in his bowels legs, which had proven their trufty where his life was hid. Not far friends in many other occafions. from them was a third, who had When they were all thus convoca- covered his face with a mafk of ted, the trumpet breathes them out palenefs, defiring not to be known, a march; but, alas! their unexpe- and hoping that none could expec

to

Army of the Covenanters.

77

to find life where no bloud was march, tumbled up and down by to be seen, and had given order their unskilfulnefs in horfemanfhip, to his looks, to tell those who had like the young bud of tender bran, fearcht for his life, that it was gone ches by a gentle gale of northern to the other world to complain of wind: the more the horfes vaulted, their hard ufage: yet, at lait, time the nearer they clapt their fpurs to, perfwaded them to believe their them; but the poor beafts, who un eyes, witneffes which they had derstood no more fuch imbraceformerly declined as fufpect; fo ment than their beastly masters did that now they re-affembled them- understand the art of horfemanship, felves, like flies who had formerly did, by kicking and flinging, how fled from a fhower, and being met, their difpleasure: whereupon a wit did conclude, that trumpets were ty fellow told fome of them, That if unlawfull inftruments, and as being was no wonder that their irrationmufick, were to be abominated al beafts could not abide to be fpuras contrary to the rites of their red cruelly by their mafters, feeing church; and determined also, that the mafters themfelves could not they would, to convocate them, ufe endure (though rational) to be a bell; a conceit which as it fuited fpurred gently to their duty by with their ecclefiaftic ceremonies, their Prince: which obferve touchfo fit for fuch a flock of fheep. ed them fo nearly, that they vowBut the great debate was, what ed never to fight any till that fel they fhould carry in their standard: low were removed; which beho yet at laft they agreed to carry a ved to be obeyed, albeit their Ge fheep in it, to teftifie the innocency neral entreated them to permit him of their caufe, with a bell about its to ftay, to learn them how to fit neck: but to teftifie that their in- on horfeback: which was refused, nocency was armed, they were whereof the gentleman feemed ve perfwaded by their General to give ry glad, fearing that if ever they the sheep horns. All things thus did engage with their enemies, prepared, they take their horfes, they fhould either leave him, elfe and are advised by him to make he behoved to leave his courage. them obferve Lent, in not giving But before I leave this discourse, I them flesh for fourty dayes, as a muft tell you of a gentleman, who punishment for difmounting their being appointed an officer in the masters. And now thefe baftard navy, was as dejected thereat as if fons of Mars, upon whom he had they had condemned him to fight, bestowed rodomantade words and albeit in the jufteft of quarrels, a looks, being ready to march, they, punishment which he judged too by the help of a ftone, mount their great for any crime; yet home weak horfes, being fadled with he comes and imparts the whole straw, and bridled with hair, and matter to his wife, who entreats feemed at every step to have was him not to accept it, telling him gered, whether their horfes did rife how unfit he was for that charge, higher from the ground, or they having fewed out his courage to his from their fadles: refembling a tenants, and that his complexion young gentleman, who at his firft was fo fweet, that he would not fetting to fea is deferted by his abide to ftand where blood was feet, and toffed by the merciless fhed. Notwithstanding whereof, waves, looking on horfeback like he entreated her to let him fee a patients on a close-ftool. Thus this calf killed, which the denyed him, green fruit were flourishing in their_fwearing that it would make fuch a VOL. VI. N° 32.

K

poife,

noife, that few were fo ftout as not to tremble at it; but that to experiment his courage, he was willing to let him him fee a chicken mur dered ; yet, to fàtisfie his defire, he behoved to see a calf killed: So the poor beaft (I mean the calf)

was brought to the utter court, where the gentleman ftood beholding it, and there feeing the knife in its throat, and hearing the poor beaft bellow fo fadly, the compaffionate gentleman seemed to die for comradfhip with it.

[ocr errors]

*

Letter from the Publisher of a German Periodical Work, (Litteratur und Völkerkunde) to a Friend, concerning the Characters of the French and Germans.

SIR,

YOU folicit me to extend my obfervations on England and Italy, by giving a fimilar defcription of the other countries that I have vifited in my travels. Many other friends have encouraged me to the fame undertaking, without confidering the obftacles that ftand in the way. I fall here explain myfelf on this head': After having made the sketch of Italy and Eng land, there are but two other countries in our part of the world that furnish a rich enough field for obfervation and reflection, I mean Germany and France. Who would believe that two nations, fo confideráble as thefe, are, as to their moral and political state, still very obfcurely known to us! But un happy the author who fhall undertake to draw afide the veil; he must be an enemy to his own peace. An eminent administration has very lately promulgated the following doctrines: "That private indivi"duals have no concern with the "actions, the conduct, the rules, "the regulations or edicts of fo "vereigns and their courts; that "they ought not to meddle with "the proceedings of the fervants "or the counfellors of the State,

"practices."

A free judgment concerning a trifling affair was the caufe of this extraordinary declaration. Had the matter been of more importance, perhaps measures would have been adopted that would have put the panegyrift of German freedom in a ftate of no fmall embarrassment. A couple of inconfiderate lines robbed the honeft Schubart of his freedom, at the time when he was advancing knowledge, probity, and patriotism in the South of Germany, and when his German Chronicle was the vade mecum of all claffes of people. An angry Prince, who had no right over the unhappy man but the right of the most powerful, took advantage of his power, affifted by artifice; and the lot of the author, at firft a frightful prifon, was changed at laft into one barely supportable; in which, by permiffion of his gra cious lord, (as he fays expressly in his advertisement) he has now collected his poems. How much has Nicolai fuffered on account of the free remarks in his travels, that are often partial indeed, but ftill oftener well founded and truly learned. The inhabitants of thofe places where fuch doctrines prevail, will nor with the courts of Juftice; never find impartial accounts in "nor make known their fecret books of travels, but mere extra

J. W. v. Archenholz, formerly a Captain in the Pruffian fervice.

vagant

Character of the French and Germans.

vagant eulogiums on their country. A score of flate-measures are cried up for one that is criticised on folid grounds, for all are ready to throw a stone at the critic. How then shall such a one, though on the evidence of notorious facts, venture to communicate to the provinces of the German nation the state of liberty among their remote countrymen? It is incredible how many remarkable and extraordinary events happen in one part of Germany, that are utterly unknown to the rest of it. A number of such facts, fairly stated, would illuftrate the manners, cuftoms, opinions, laws, and particular state-economy of the various German provinces, better than all that has hitherto been written in learned folios.

79

to touch on these fubjects, however numerous and various the abuses of an administration may appear. In fome places, indeed, how rich a harveft prefents itself to the reaper ! Here the honours of knighthood are to be fold; there confeffions of faith are made the subjects of traffic. In one region the prime minister is a Jew, in another a Eunuch, in a third a Confeffor or bed-chamber Lord. An enormous catalogue might be made of the defpotic acts that, for twenty years paft, have been practised in the ten circles of the holy Roman Empire. I know many of them that an Afiatic defpot would be ashamed to avow. A collection of them, and a catalogue of the ridiculous laws that have been made in our days, and of their effects; of erroneous judgments, and their confequences; of the tricks of gentlemen-ufhers in the free imperial cities; of flattered princes, and statesmen whose virtues and talents are ftill problematical, or rather invifible by the torch of truth: all thefe, fet in a proper point of view, would be highly interefting to the reader. But I must confefs, that I would much rather be the reader than the writer of fuch a book, even fuppofing that it could be printed and circulated in Germany. Can you, my friend, name to me a single German prince, of whom it can justly be faid that he is a zealous encourager of fciences and arts? Many of them. think that they do what is fufficient, if they tolerate letters, or, according to the courtly phrafe, proted them. What court in Germany fpends any thing confiderable or the advancement of literature? There are, indeed, princely amateurs of various, kinds :, he that will take the trouble of investigating this branch of the German court annals for the prefent century only, will find that the minds of the prin ces have been fet on very extraor K

If one, for inftance, fhould read as follows: "A troop of foldiers marched to a pretty confiderable town; the Commander waited till midnight before he delivered the order of the Prince to the Burgomafter, by which he was required inftantly to ring the alarm bells, and to affemble the citizens in the townhouse. This was accordingly done, and every one, frightened out of his fleep, entered with anxiety and fufpicion. The foldiers furround the town-houfe, and now the Burgomafter opens a fealed order, the fubject of which is an exorbitant tax. No citizen is permitted by the foldiers to go home till all that was commanded is obeyed." Who would believe that fuch a scene happened in Germany not ten years ago?

People may fay what they pleafe, but in France, the liberty of the prefs is less reftrained than it is in Germany. It is remarkable, that there the first authors of the nation boldly oppose the extenfion of monarchical power, and are avowed admirers of republican government. The greatest authors of our people, An the contrary, dare not attempt

[ocr errors]

dinary

[ocr errors]

dinary objects. One delighted in gigantic foldiers, every inch of whose ftature was worth gold, and whofe countenances, to ufe the expreffion of Frederic himself, want ed nothing but fard and plafter to make them compleatly difgufting. Another kept a feraglio of more than an hundred effeminate creatures, that were under military difcipline, and always accompanied the German Sultan in uniform as a body guard. A great prince of our times was earnestly employed in fearching for the philofopher's ftone, another for a key to the world of fpirits, and a third collected old Bibles: but none of them all ever took a fancy, even out of curiofity, to make Science their pastime, as they do horfes and hounds. This caprice continues; but we still content ourfelves with dreaming of Protectors of the fciences, and quietly rejoice in the Titufes and Trajans, that, as we are affured by flatterers, are to be found in all the great and little refidences over the German Empire.

The fame prejudices exift in France. I will venture to maintain, that this country, fo near to us, a country that is the model of our courts, and that is vifited by a thoufand Germans yearly, is ftill but imperfectly known to us with refpect to its moral principles. Many honeft men, who, led by their fearch after truth, have visited it without prejudice, know the incredible defects that this nation, which has been the subject of our wonder and imitation for a century, labours under. All thofe excellencies and at tractions of the French nation, that could only escape the groffeft ignorance or malice, have been fo anxiously exhibited, both by French and Germans, that no gleanings remain behind. But as I have no pleafure in being the echo of others, and as I am not called to be the panegyrift of France, I will reverse

the medal. Not to touch upon religion, tho' we find that the boafted freedom of the Gallic church makes but a poor figure in comparifon with the prefent freedom of the Austrian church, if I may ufe thefe expreffions, I will only confider the other great pillars of the ftate, the administration of justice, the direction of the finances, and the military character. Every one who has not drawn his knowledge from French books, will remember inftances of the most corrupt judicial meafures, and well-known extraordinary examples of murder umder form of law, fuch as no other polifhed nation in our day can be reproached with; and numberless grievances, generally founded on the moft arbitrary parliamentary maxins. Who does not know that the expences of the French government have, for a long courfe of years, conftantly exceeded the revenues of the State, and that they are les vied with a degree of inhumanity perfectly inconceivable? The French are, in the art of war, both as to economy and tactics, two hundred years behind the Germans; and indeed their inferiority is of fuch a kind, that they would give way before the most infignificant Imperial troops. It is but a few years ago fince the Pruffian Ensign Pirch was employed to teach the French foldiers, not only military operations that had been long known in Ger many, but the common manoeuvres, of which at that time they knew nothing. With this knowledge the French armies at present make a parade. All these are undoubted facts; and when we add to them a croud of barbarous laws, and accurately inveftigate the fo-much vaunted, and fo unjustly praised French policy, we fhall be prefented with a horrid picture, for which our frenchified Germans would not thank the painter. To remove the political cataract from our eyes is referved

« AnteriorContinuar »