Imatges de pàgina
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"The art of goldwafhing is brought to much greater perfection in Tranfilvania. In the defcription of it in thofe parts, it is faid, that all the rivers, brooks, and even the pools which the rain forms, in Tranfilvania, produce gold; among thefe the Aranyofch is the richest, infomuch, that historians in thofe countries, compare it to the Tagus and Pactolus. Befides the Wallachians, who live by the rivers, the gold wafhers confift chiefly of Gipfies. They know, with the greateft exactnefs, where they can wash to advantage. Their apparatus for this work, is a crooked board, four or five feet long, by two or three broad, generally provided with a wooden rim on each fide; over this they fpread woollen cloths, and flake the gold fand mixed with water, upon it; the fmall grains remain flicking to the cloth, they wafh thefe cloths in a veffel of water, then fee parate the gold by, means of the trough. When they find larger particles of fand, in their washing, they have deeper channels made in the middle of their crooked boards, which stop the fmall pieces as they roll down: they examine thefe fmall ftones afterwards, and pick fome out, which are frequently found to have folid gold fixed in them.

"These are the customary tranfactions, and occupations of Gipfies,

in the different countries, and states of Europe. People must not ima gine, that their fmiths fhops are continually refounding with the hammer, or that thofe of other profeffions, are fo attentive to their callings, are to provide even a daily fubfiftence; not to think of a comfortable maintenance. Their lazinefs, on the contrary, makes fo many idle hours in the day, that their family is often reduced to the greatest diftrefs; for which reason, begging or ftealing, are by far more common methods, than diligence and affiduous application to butiness, for quieting their hunger. If you except foldiers, who are kept in or der by the difcipline of the corporal, with fome of the Trantiivanian goldwashers, who apply to music, and living feparate from their own caft, in conftant habits of intercourfe with people of a better fort, have thereby acquired more civilized manners, and learned the diftinction, if not between right and wrong, at least between focial honour and difgrace, the remainder are in the most unlimited fense, arrant thieves. They feem only to make a pretence of working, in order the better to carry on their thieving, as the arti cies which they prepare for fale, in the cities and villages, furnish an excellent blind, for fneaking into houfes, to pry where there is any thing which they may appropriate to themselves. This kind of artifice is particlarly the province of the women, who have always been reckoned more dextrous than the men, in the art of ftealing. They com monly take children with them, which are tutored, to remain be hind, in the outer part of the house, to purloin what they can, while the mother is negociating in the chamber. It is generally the women's office, to make away with the boor's

geele

geefe and fowls, when they are to be found in a convenient place. If the creature makes a noife when feized, it is killed and dreffed for the confumption of the family, but if, by chance, it should have ftrayed fo far, from the village, that its crying cannot give any alarm, they keep it alive, to fell at the next market town. Winter is the time when the women generally are moft called upon to try their skill in this way: during that feafon, many of the men remain in their huts, fending the women abroad to forage. They go about under the difguife of beggars, in a very fcientific manner, and commonly carry with them a couple of children, miferably expofed to the cold and froft; one of thefe is led in the hand, the other tied in a cloth to the woman's back, in order to excite compaffion, in well difpofed people. They alfo

tell fortunes, and impofe on the credulous with amulets. Befides all this, they feldom return to their hufbands without fome pilfered booty. Many writers confine the thefts of Giplies to fmall matters, and will not allow that they are ever guilty of violence. This is not only denied by the testimony of others, but abfolutely contradicted by fome recent inftances. It is true that, on account of their natural timidity, they do not like to commit a robbery, which appears to be attended with great danger, nor often break open houfes by night, as other thieves do: they rather content themselves with fmall matters, thin, as they think, deftroy themselves at once by a great and dangerous action. Yet we have more than one proof, that they make no fcruple to murder a traveller, or plunder cities and villages."

GENERAL CHARACTER of the GERMANS.

[From the Third Volume of Baron RIESBECK's Travels through Germany.]

“TH

HE peculiar turn of the Germans feems to be for philofophy; they are diftinguished from all the nations in Europe, for cool and juft judgment, united with extreme induftry; they were the first who threw a light on mathematics and general phyfics;, next they darted through theology, then hif tory, and finally, legiflation, with the fame philofophical fpirit. They will do well to leave to other nations the prize of wit, for which they will always contend in vain.

"If Germany could make itself one great people; if it was united under one governor; if the prefent interefts of a fingle prince were not

often in oppofition to the good of the whole; if all the members were fo well compacted into one body, that the fuperfluous fap of the one could circulate and invigorate the reft, what much greater steps towards cultivation would the empire then make! But theu Germany would give laws to all Europe. How powerful, as things even now are, are the two houfes of Auftria and Brandenburg, the greatnefs of whose ftrength confifts in their German poffeffions, and who yet neither poffefs the half nor even the best parts of the country. Conceive this country in fuch a fituation as that no burthenfome excife fhould op

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prefs the internal commerce of the different provinces; no cuftoms fhould prohibit exports all over the world; in fuch a fituation as that the immenfe fums that it gives for outlandish commodities, which itself can furnish, should be fpared-or that it could become a naval power, for which it has fuch ports and fuch plenty of provifions, that it could itfelf employ the numerous colonies it fends out to the rest of Europe :conceive this-what country in the world could then cope with Germany?

The character of men depends for the most part on their government. The character of the Germans has in general as little brilliancy in it as the conftitution of the empire; they have none of the national pride and patriotism by which the Britons, Spaniards, and our own countrymen are diftinguished; fond as their poets have been, for fome time paft, of afcribing thefe qualities to them. Their pride and patriotic fentiments only extend to the part of Germany in which they are born; to the rest of their countrymen they are frange as to any strangers, nay, in feveral parts of Germany, they are much fonder of trangers than they are of their own countrymen. It is the fenfe of weakness of the leffer powers of Germany which damps their national pride; it is only becaufe Germany cannot ufe its power altogether, and that other nations feel their ftrength, that it has been defpifed by the inhabitants of other countries, who yet have nothing to

boast above it, fave a fasler bond of union among themselves, or a ridiculous pride. We feldom judge of men of their inner worth, fo much as from the external appearance they make in the world. We estimate the Ruffians, English, &c. according to the idea we have taken up of the whole nation; and though the individual may happen to be, as he often is, ten times more barbarous than a German, we give him credit for the fame and worth of his illuf trious countrymen.

"Though the character of the Germans be not so brilliant as that of other nations, ftill it is not destitute of its peculiar excellencies. The German is the man of the world. He lives under every sky, and conquers every natural obftacle to his happinefs. His industry is inexhauftible. Poland, Hungary, Ruffia, the English and Dutch colonies, are much indebted to German emigrants. Even the first states in Europe owe to Germany great part of their knowledge. Rectitude is alfo an almost univerfal characteriftic of the people of this country; nor are the manners of the peafants and thofe of the inhabitants of the leffer cities, by any means fo corrupt as thofe of France and other countries; it is owing to this thar, notwithstanding the great emigra tions, the country is ftill fo well peopled. To conclude, frugality on the fide of the Proteftants, and franknefs and goodheartedness on the fide of the Catholics, are brijliant national characteristics."

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CHARACTERISTIC PICTURE of the BAVARIANS,

[From the First Volume of the fame Work.]

Picture of the Bavarian

A character and manners by

Hogarth, would be extremely interefting. Great fingularity of character is often to be met with in England; but what Bavaria offers exceeds any thing to be feen elfewhere. You know I am no painter; fo if I endeavour to point out to you the peculiarities of Bavaria in the abftract, my defcriptions will have none of that life and expreffion which distinguish Hogarth's groups, or Shakespeare's fcene; however I will do my endeavour.

"To proceed methodically-for you cannot conceive what a method íticks to me in all I do, fince I have breathed the air of Germany-I fhall anatomize the body of the Bavarian, before I proceed to the analyfis of his mind. In general the Bavarian is tout bodied, muscular, and fleshy. There are, however, fome flender people among them who may pass for handfome. They are fomething lefs rofy cheeked than the Suabians, a difference probably arifing from their drinking beer in ftead of wine, as the others do.

"The characteristic of a Bavarian is a very round head, a little peaked chin, a large belly, and a pale complexion. Many of them look like caricatures of man. They have great fat bellies, fhort clubbed feet, narrow fhoulders, a thick round head, and fhort necks. They are heavy and aukward in their carriage, and their fmall eyes betray a great deal of roguery. The women, in general, are fome of the most beautiful creatures in the world. They are indeed fomething grofs, but their

fkin furpaffes all the carnation ever ufed by painters: the purest lily white is foftly tinged with purple, as if by the hands of the graces. I faw fome peafant girls with fuch clear complexions, that they appeared quite tranfparent. They are well fhaped, and more lively and graceful in their geftures than the

men.

In the capital they drefs in the French ftyle, or at least imaginė that they do fo, for the men are ftill too fond of gold and mixed colours. The country people dress without any tafle at all. The chief ornament of the men is a long, broad waistcoat, ftrangely embroidered, from which their breeches hang very low and loofe, probably to give free play to their bellies, which is the chief part of a Bavarian. The women difguife themselves with a fort of stays in thefhape of a funnel, which cover the breaft and fhoul ders, fo as to hide the whole neck, This ftiff drets is covered with filver beads, and thickly overlaid with filver chains. In many places the housewife has a bunch of keys, and a knife appendant to a girdle, which reach almoft to the ground.

"As to the characters and manners of the Bavarians, the inhabi tants of the capital naturally differ very much from the country people. The character of the inhabitants of Munich is a riddle to me, and would remain fo if I were to stay here many years. I believe, indeed, that it may be truly faid, that they have no character at all. Their manners are corrupt, as must be the cafe with forty thousand men who

depend

depend intirely on a court, and for the most part go idle at its expence. "Amongst the great nobles you meet here, as well as elfewhere, with very well bred, and polite people; but the people, taking the word in its full extent, are in an eminent degree deftitute of any fenfe of honour, without education, without any activity for the ftate, attach ment to the country, or generous feeling whatever. The fortunes of this place are from 1500 to three or four thousand pounds per annum, but the poffeffors know no other ufe of their money, than to fpend it in fenfual gratifications. Many good houfes have been entirely ruined by play. The fashionable game at the court was formerly called zvicken, or pinch; but fince Hombefch, the minister of finance, has pinched their falaries fo confoundedly, they call it Hombefch. Many of the court la dies know of no other employment than playing with their parrots, their dogs, or their cats. One of the principal ladies whom I am acquainted with, keeps a hall full of cats, and two or three maids to attend them: fhe converses half the day long with them, often ferves them herself with coffee and fugar, and dreffes them according to her fancy differently every day.

"The fmall nobles, and ferwants of the court, have a pitiable pallion for titles. Before the prejent elector came here, the place fwarmed with excellencies, honourable, and right honourable. As this was not the custom at Manheim, an order was made to afcertain the different ranks of noblesse. All those whom it deprived of ex. cellency, honourable, &c. and par ticularly, (would you think it?) the women, were funk in defpair, and for the first time, complaints were made of tyranny, of which none

before feemed to have any concep

tion.

"The remainder of the inhabitants are immersed in the most scandalous debauchery. Every night the streets re-echo with the noise of drunkards iffuing from the nu merous taverns where they have been revelling and dancing. Whoever is at all noble here must keep his mistress; the rest indulge in promifcuous love. In this ref pect things are not much better in the country.

"Bavaria, indeed, well deferves the character given it by an officer of Gafcony, of being the greatest brothel in the world.

"The country people are extremely dirty. A few miles diftant from the capital, one would hardly take the hovels of the peasants for the habitations of men. Many of them have large puddles before the door of their houfes, and are obliged to step over planks into them. The thatched roots of the country people, in many parts of France, have a much better appearance, than the miferable huts of the Bavarian pea. fants; the roofs of which are cover. ed with ftones, in order that the flates may not be carried away by the wind. Mean as this looks, cheap as nails are in the country, and often as half the roofs are torn away by ftrong winds, yet cannot the rich farmer be perfuaded to nail his fhingles properly together. In fhort, from the court to the finallest cottage, indolence is the most predominant part of the character of the Bavarian.

"This great indolence is contrafted, in an extraordinary manner, with a ftill higher degree of bigotry. I happened to ftroll into a dark, black country beer-house, filled with clouds of tobacco, and on entering was almost stunned with the noife

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