SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

Tsarists.

Rambles and Researches in Thuringian Saxony. By John Frederick Stanford. Esq.,

MA Parker, Itrwroar, The War in Syria. By Commodore Sir Charles Napier, K.C.S., &e. grc In two

volumes Parker. Drnecne Flumes,

The Bishop's Daughter. By the Author of "The Life Book of a Labourer.".

MR. STANFORD'S RAMBLES AND RESEARCHES IN THURINGI 4.4 SAXONY.

AFTER a presentation at Queen Vic-rnais..4 Court, Mr. STANanaili started for Gotha, in the aut unin 41839. llis original chject does not appear ; but he quickly to k ackantag. or sundr■ openings to pay court to the members of Prince ALBERT'S illustrious" faintly ; to engage in researches among the ducal archives, in order to correct the " misconceptions" and " misrepresentati " preva- lent at home respecting the wealth and di4nity of the house of Coburg and Gotha ; and to make sketches, in an album, of pea- sants in wedding-costume, &c. which were transmit led to Queen VICTORIA, as a respectful offering of wimples of her husband's country. All this, together with Mr. SrAsroan's dinner, evening, and visiting parties at the Court, his calls upon Professors, his rambles in the country, and his private visits to the hospitable Saxons, might be very well so long as he kept them to himself or his private circle ; but there is nothing in his condition or his adventures to justify the thrusting them upon the public in the manner he has done. For pertness, flippancy, self-obtrusion and the empty verbosity that generally accompanies those qualities, Rambles and Researches in Thuringian Saxony by Joint FREDERICK STANFORD, Esq., is difficult to parallel. To spin out the matter of an article into a volume, is a common enough offence ; but rarely by the frothy sufficiency and fiat attempts at gayety whick generally characterize Mr. STANFORD'S lucubrations, from the "preface" to" the end."

The Rambles and Researches are arranged in three sections. The first consists of extracts from a journal giving a day-by-day account of the author's proceedings and observations at Gotha ; in which the few striking or curious traits of the people are overlaid by a multitude of trivialities, varied by a Latin epistle or so which he received from some German Professors. The second contains a sort of history of the Ducal families of Saxe-Coburg Gotha; to achieve which, Mr. STANFORD had full access to the Ducal archives, and the beat parts of which consist of original let- ters from FREDERICK the Great and Voimstaz,—unless the phy- siognomist should consider the wooden head of Esiszsx the Pious the most characteristic thing. The third division consists of Let. ters from Thuringia ; giving an account of Mr. SraNroan's trip to. Weimar, visits to the court of the Grand Duke, and an excursion through the country, interspersed with some poetry, and some legends, which the translator appears to think new, but which are not. The story of the noble Crusader who was freed from cap- tivity by the Sultan's daughter, and on his return lived in peace with two wives, has been presented in several forms ; and though not so common, we have met the "Frau-Venus of the Horselbere before.

We have spoken of the glaring faults of this volume as they de- serve ; and what renders them more inexcusable is that Mr. STAN.. FORD seems capable of better things. His general sketch of the character of Thuringia and its peasantry is a condensed, charac- teristic, and informing piece of writing. His account of the shoot- ing-matches of the foresters is quite a Freischutz scene : the idea of WEBER'S opera, the tourist says, was suggested by the supersti- tion; customs, and music of that district. Scattered through his pages, too, are occasional pieces of smartish writing; of which we take a few examples.

SUNDAY AND A BISHOP AT GOTHA.

First Sunday I have spent in Saxony. Can trace the effects of Luther's labours; all the sincerity of religion without the cant, and without the lugu- brious garb, which, like the fog, envelops the day in London. No cold dinners and long solemn faces. The hausfrau puts forth her best skill, and all the good folks at one o'clock sit down to a hot dish ; if but one, it is

" Eiu Gericht

Cud em n frenndbches Gebicht."

Afternoon is spent in the neighbouring villages. The Walk Male is the favourite resort of the good Gotha folk, where a band of music is in attendance. The ladies knit, embroider, and sip coffee, while the men smoke and drink beer, all al fresco, enjoying the fine view of the Thuringian forest and hills; even the Bishop, Dr. Bretschneider, does not think it infra dig. to smoke his cigar and tipple his beer with the rest. Fancy the Bishop of London whiffing a cigar over a pot of stout in a tea-garden near London and yet Bishop Bretschneider loses none of the respect due to his high and sacred character, nor does his reputation as a learned Greek and Hebrew scholar suffer in conse- quence. The grand secret of which is, that here people are, not slaves to appearances as in England, and agree with the Italians, L'abito non Jo mottaco.

A PARSON'S PUNCH.

Went over to dine with Pastor Hochgessung at Ulleben; who, here in Thu- ringia, not only passes but is really rich with forty pounds a year. A fine jolly fellow he is. His gudewife made some excellent tipple after dinner, of which I begged the recipe. For four persona—Eier Punch. One pint of Rhine or French white wine, half a pint of water, a wine-glass of ram, and half a pound of loaf-sugar; put these ingredients into a skillet over the fire; break eight eggs, and put the yolks, after slight beating, into a basin, the white to be beaten to froth (sepa- rately); mix yolks of eggs with wine, &c.; and when it begins to boil, pour over the white and add a squeeze of lemon.

HABITS OF THE THURINGIANS.

In physical development, the Thuringians, though not so colossal as we find their ancestors described by the old historians, are nevertheless fine powerful men, robust and hardy, varying in height from five feet ten inches to six fedi*

and upwards; possessed of great muscular strength, frequently carrying from the mountain to .the village three hundredweight at once. The women are likewise tall, and in early years are fair and pretty; but they lose their beauty soon. Although of one common stock, there is a wonderful variety, both moral and-physical, in the Wiildner. Almost every mountain-village has its peculiarities of dialect and dress, its appropriate fete, and original customs. There is as much diversity in the little mountain-districts of Thuringia as in the cantons of Switzerland; and it extends even to the monies, of which there are current many different kinds. The following characteristic qualities may, however, be universally applied : primitive simple manners ; frugal and indus- trious habits; naturally gay and fond society, as their numerous fetes well prove ; rarely, if ever, guilty of excess; high moral character; (a capital offence has not been committed in the Dutchy these fifty years.) No people in the world can be more passionately fond of music, in which they practically excel. Almost every peasant plays upon some instrument, and they frequently meet at each other's cottages to join in a cordial harmony of voice and instrument. Their songs are usually accompanied with the cithern or mountain-lyre, of which thousands are made at Krfiwinkle, a small hamlet in the heart of the forest : they are very elegant in shape, like the old English guitars ; and, in compliance with the taste for ornament which prevails among the peasants, they are painted with various colours, and gilt with great display; and you would scarcely credit me when I name the price—a Prussian dollar, or about three shillings English. They frequently play three and four together, and produce the most harmonious sounds, which blend softly with their songs. * * Their love of music is only equalled by their taste for flowers, in which Thuringia's hills and forest-glades are preeminently rich, and their skill in teaching birds, especially the bullfinch tribe, to whistle popular nielodies. Not a cottage is without a cage or two of warblers. A year's savings will be readily given by the peasant for a good schlager or whistler; one that whistles the Harzer Doppleschlag, or gate Weingesang, they value at a cow. Of the four hundred different kinds of birds found here, eighty may be seen encaged. Many of their feathered scholars are sent for sale to London and to Paris, where they fetch a high price.

"Le veritable Amphytrion eat rAmphytrion oil ron dine " ; and certainly none of the petty potentates who invited Mr. STANFORD to their dinners or soirees can complain of his want of gratitude for their favours, or any disposition to suppress their kindness to himself'. Every thing Ducal he paints as perfect ; and he talks of the Court, not in the language of a courtier, but of the caricature of a courtier in a farce. Here is his account of Prince ALBERT'S accomplishments; in which the author tries to kill two birds with one stone, "his Serene Highness" and Queen VICTORIA.

BIS SERENE HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT.

Invited to dine at the Palace—felt nervous as to what I should say by way of congratulation; so whilst rumbling along in the old coach prepared an im- promptu address of congratulation on the approaching nuptials of his Serene Highness the Prince. His Serene Highness acknowledged the compliment very graciously, and presented me to his Serene Highness the Prince ; and although my expectations were very great, still they were more than realized. I hate praising princes, because it appears all fudge; but I can't help saying, that his Serene Highness's manners are most elegant, and in person is enough to turn the heads of all women that are not blind, or who choose to cry sour grapes; dances to perfection ; speaks English, French, and of course German, tho- roughly well, the Italian slightly ; sings well, and in moments of leisure com- poses musical bagatelles; paints really well; and what is better than all, his heart is in the right place : of this fact I have had repeated proofs.