SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

Poxmcs,

Revelations of Austria. By M. Koubrakiewlez, Ex-Austrian Functionary. Edited by the Author of "Revelations of Russia," "Eastern Europe," &c. &c. In two

volumes Newby.

Sale's Brigade in Afghanistan ; with an Account of the Seizure and Defence of della- lahad. By the Rev. G.. R. Gleig, MA., Principal Chaplain to the Forces. Murray. Tufo, ELS, Notes and Remarks made in Jersey, France, Italy, and the Mediterranean, in 1843 and 1844. By J. Burn Murdoch, Esq. Blackwood.

HOUBRAILIEWICe8 REVELATIONS OF AUSTRIA.

M. KOUBBAKIEWICX is a Pole, who was formerly employed by the Aus- trian Government, apparently in Gallicia. From the internal evidence of his reminiscences it would seem that he had been long in the service ; but the book is singularly barren as to the story of the writer. We learn nothing directly as to how long he was engaged ; of what nature his standing and employments were; nor why he left the service, which is perhaps the most important of all. Hence, the "Revelations " are to be received with some caution ; for although the secret doings of despot- ism can only be made known by those who have been engaged in its service, neither the act of entering nor that of leaving it produces favour- able prepossessions, unless when the last is the dictate of conscience. The character of M. Konbrakiewicz's mind still further disposes to caution : for he exhibits all the wildness of Continental Liberalism, and the credulity of the most vulgar village politician; in effect charging Met- ternich and the late Emperor Francis with having more than once at- tempted to assassinate the present Emperor on account of suspected Liberalism, and with having induced bodily and mental imbecility either by drugs or terror. His knowledge is of the commonest stamp. He stands by all the old crotchets of the mercantile system respecting the balance of trade; and though he admits that the Austrian Government encourages foreign exportation, the motive assigned is, that it can more conveniently seize the gold and silver —the precious metals, in the author's idea, being the only wealth. According to his editor and translator, M. Koubrakie- wicz is also scarcely to be trusted in general views, especially when he disadvantageously compares Austria and Romanism with Russia and the Greek Church ; on which account the editor has added notes of correction. As the bulk of the author's revelations, however, relate to general subjects, and some of them involve interpretations of historical facts, the really trustworthy part of the book lies within a narrow compass. Even the particular instances which the author speaks of as apparently within his own knowledge, sometimes appear to require qualification. The follow- ing example of the inconvenience of a royal visit must have arisen from thoughtlessness or peculation in some one; for Metternich surely would have "paid his way." If true both in letter and spirit, it is like some of the Oriental satires.

TILE EMPEROR'S VISIT TO THE WIDOW.

Money being the sole aim of the internal and external policy of the Emperors, they do not hesitate to employ any means for its acquisition, or in their endea- vours to economize it.

The arrival of the Emperor in Gallicia was announced several months pre- viously. A month beforehand, the hostel of the Black Eagle at Jaroslan, where the Emperor and his suite were to sup, sleep, and breakfast, was ordered to be pre for the occasion. he Governor gave the order to the Captain of the district, he again to the Burgomaster, and finally the Burgomaster to Madame Piekna, (the landlady of the hotel, a widow with five young children,) to embellish and refurnish her hotel for the reception of the august guests. •

Madame Piekna was unanimously congratulated by her fellow citizens on this distinction.

It was even currently reported that his Majesty had chosen this hotel in pre- ference to any other for the purpose of assisting this poor widow whose fortune was in a bad state, and who was deploring the death of her husband: this was the more readily believed, that she was generally known for her piety and exem- plary exercise of the duties of the Catholic religion. A fortnight before the arrival of his Majesty, the hotel was surrounded by police, cavalry, and mfantry; no one was allowed to enter. Madame Piekna did not hesitate at any expense, and caused all the embellishments to be executed which had been recommended by the Burgomaster, Engineer, and Captain of the circle. At last, on the day named, his Majesty, accompanied by M. Metternich and a numerous suite of courtiers, arrived—supped, slept, breakfasted, paid twenty-five florins, (three pounds sterling,) and left for Leopol. Madame Piekna went to the Burgomaster and threatened to bring him before the Judge as answerable for the expense and loss which the Kaiser's visit had occasioned her. The Burgomaster had the order of the Court of the Circle read to her: she addressed herself to the Court of the Circle; which proved to her that it had only acted in conformity with the com- mand of the Gabernium; and lastly, applied to the Emperor himself, and was in- formed that she had the right of citing the Imperial Treasury before a court com- posed of the creatures of the Emperor. The poor widow was consequently ruined and reduced to beggary.

As M. Konbrakiewicz loses no opportunity of attacking the house of Hapsburg, he presses the following story into his service ; though it rather seems an instance of piety.

THE KAISER AT THE SYNAGOGUE.

The Israelites, the number of whom in Gallicia amounts to 300,000, have their synagogues and priests called Rabbis, distributed according to the parishes. Dur- ing his journey through that province in 1817, the Kaiser Francis successively visited all Catholic and Acatholic churches. On entering the Jewish synagogue the Kaiser uncovered himself; but it was remarked to him that the Jews remained with the heads covered: the Kaiser then covered himself; presented himself before an altar prepared for him, and assisted at the Jewish ceremony for more than three quarters of an hour. The greater part praised this conduct of their Soverei4n,,sral said that all the kings of the earth ought to imitate this example; that all reli- &us, Jewish, German, Anglican, Roman or Greek, may be equally good; and that God understands all languages. But the more fervent Christians were shocked; and the report was even spread that the Hapsburgs were of Jewish origin; that they emigrated from Africa in the ninth or tenth century, and established them- selves as traders in Switzerland, where they became rich, and acquired the favour of the German Sovereigns who made them Counts.

AUSTRIAN SUBMISSION.

The servile Austrian spirit is not belied even amongst the Professors. Monsieur Bohrer, Professor of Political Economy, every time that he meets a Gubernial Councillor in the street and more particularly the Baron King, Antic Councillor, stops, uncovers himself, and stands like a Russian soldier on duty as sentinel be- fore his officer, waiting in thiwattitude until the Councillor is past. As the subject of corporal punishment in the British service is con- tinually coming up, and comparisons have been instituted in favour not only of the French but of the German method, it is as well to see what the latter is, at least as far as Austria is concerned.

" The military punishments are—lstly, blows with the stock upon the back; 2dly, beating on the bare back; and 8dly, death. " The Lieutenant has a right to administer to the soldier landaknecht for the slightest insubordination, and without any sentence, twenty-five blows of the stock or cane, given by a single corporal. " The Captain has a right to administer thirty blows of the stock by two cor- porals, and in presence of the company.

" The punishment takes place in the middle of a public place during market or fair time, and with a prescribed ceremony.

" Firstly, the culprit carries the bench himself, places himself before the CORI- pany, and lays himself on this bench at the command of the officer.

" Secondly, two corporals are ordered out of the ranks, and place themselves one to the right and one to the left of the extended landsknecht.

" They examine whether his thighs are covered with anything more than drawers, and proceed to execution. At the word of command, the corporal at the left of the criminal strikes the first blow, and one or two minutes after the corporal on the right, alternately; after each blow they wait at least a minute or two, in order that the culprit may have time to feel and suffer, and that the thighs may swell and bleed; the officers of the company superintend the execu- tion, and cry, Strike well! (Han Zr.) The execution lasts about three quarters of an hour.

"After the twentieth blow, strips of the drawers and thighs are often seen to falL Formerly they struck on the cloth trousers that the soldiers wear; but the K.iger Francis, called by the Germans the father of his country, (Landesvater,) ordered them to strike on the drawers, by way of `economizing the trousers, and that the blows should be better felt.'

" Public decency will not allow them to strike on the naked back.

" The unfortunates generally put a piece of linen into their months, otherwise the convulsive motion of the jaws and the grinding of the teeth makes them bite their tongues and break their teeth. " The punishment, once pronounced, is never rescinded. " The Germans are cold and inexorable. If sometimes the criminal expires before the last blow, they continue to strike the body until the number of blows prescribed are given.

" The Austrian system exacts this severity.

"After the execution, the punished individual rises, drags himself to the com- manding officer, bows himself to the ground, thanking him in these words—Re- ceive thanks! CHabe dank)—he then takes the bench on his shoulders and carries it back.

" Desertion and other serious offences are punished by running the gauntlet. The soldier condemned by a court-martial to this punishment is stripped to the hips, and compelled to pass and repass ten, fifteen, twenty, or thirty times, througli one or several battalions of infantry, ranged in two lines face to face: the space between the two lines is three or four paces broad. Each soldier, furnished with a willow stick, strikes the culprit as he passes, with his whole might, on the bare back.

" As a precautionary measure, the soldiers are furnished with several sticks, in case of their breaking. If the unfortunate faints and cannot any longer proceed, he is then laid on a bench, and the soldiers, passing and repassing at the ordinary step, strike him as he lies. " If he dies under the blows, which often happens, (as I personally witnessed. in 1808 and 1809,) they strike the body until the number of blows are completed: "After passing a few times the length of a battalion, composed of from eight hundred to a thousand men, the flesh of the back falls off in pieces, and very often the entrails protrude through the lacerated aides."

To an exposition of the Austrian institutions and their working this book has no pretension; nor does it exhibit that account of a particular service which might fairly be looked for from an old functionary. Even- the various anecdotes or stories scattered throughout the book are some-: times loose as regards proof of system or object, and sometimes they seem apocryphal. The composition has the clearness of arrangement and ex= pression to be expected from a well-trained functionary ; but without any higher merit. In a literary point of view Revelations of Austria was scarcely worth translation. Practically, however, it is as well to have had the Revelations. Nothing is large or complete ; a good deal. is untrustworthy ; but the work may be considered as giving another glimpse into the real nature of despotism, and of that centralization and over-government which a certain class of politicians among ourselves regard as a model. As respects the distresses and oppressions of the pea- santry, and the workings of the conscription, M. Kotthrakiewiez is to some extent supported by the authoress of The Disponent. The regu- lathy' of every act, and the consequent control over every person, cor- responds with the analogous remarks of Laing and other travellers ; besides which, such matters as the following depend upon written regu- lation or law, and are not likely to be falsified.

" The general administration of Gallicia is so directed that none but Germans and German Jews are to be seen in the towns. Almost the whole of the Polish population, divided into tyrannic nobles and enslaved peasants, is confined to the- rural districts. The Polish peasantry are forbidden to establish themselves in the towns without the consent of their lords•' and as it is the peasantry who con, stitute all the wealth of the nobles, these latter are especially careful not to grant

them this permission. • ' • •

" Neither tailors, shoemakers, nor carpenters, 8c., are allowed to establish a orkshop or to work, either publicly or privately, for others, without first obtain, g the permission, and paying the tax to the Emperor. The workmen who transgress this order are punished with the confiscation of their tools, and blows with the cane. All the police soldiers, and all the provincial dragoons, are pro- vided for this purpose with canes, which they always carry about them. • • • " No prohibition exists against the establishment of any kind of manufactory in Gallicia: on the contrary, every Austrian subject is permitted to establish them; but permission must be obtained from the Government; and this permission is rendered nearly unattainable by the nomberless conditions imposed upon it. * • "The Polish nobleman Miaczinski, after enormous expenditure, obtained per- mission to establish a cloth-manufactory at Zalosce. He constructed work-shops, store-houses, and magazines. He brought his instruments, tools, and mechanism from England, engaged his workmen, and according to Beleld informed the Govern- ment that he was going to open a manufactory; the Government took note of this intimation, but reminded him that, under a heavy penalty, he was bound to pay to the Government 10,000 florins (1,0001.) a year, as the price of its permission. M. Miaczinski, alarmed at the enormity of this tax, and uncertain as to the even- tual returns of his speculation, first adjourned the o Mug, and finally abandoned the enterprise, not having been able to obtain a •• indicn of the tax. To be allowed to establish a pharmacy, or any warehouse for the sale of iron-work or colonial produce, etc. etc., permission must first be obtained from the Aulic Chan- cery at Irienna.” .Here we have a complete system of theoretical regulation and practical alavery,—peasant, labourer, mechanic, capitalist, all controlled by law in their place of residence and the exercise of their industry, while that law is the creation of the executive. Another law preserving nobility to all the children and their descendants produces a swarm of needy gentry de- pending for subsistence upon Government employ, as the few greater mobility are corrupted, or embarrassed in their means, by the favour of the Court. This system may not be nakedly exhibited in the German provinces of Austria, but the plan of endless interference and regulation is everywhere substantially the same, with a similar though perhaps more disguised dependence upon authority. And it is this total destruc- tion of free-will—this prostration of spirit before the regulations of power -'-which renders an " enlightened despotism" so mischievous in its effects, destroying all independence and all honour of character. In every country the government expects unlimited obedience from its functionaries; atui resistance, in England as in Austria, would be followed by the same final result—loss of employment : but in England or France, any other employment is open to the dismissed ; and if his case is a hard one, he can, in England at least, successfully set up as a martyr. In a tyranny, opposition, or even demur the most conscientious, is destruction. Should the rebellious functionary escape a prison, the toils of Government environ him, and enmesh him at every move. A similar tie enchains every one, down to the peasant or serf; and the sorry choices for honour and inde- pendence are expatriation or ruin.