SKETCHES OF GERMANY AND THE GERMANS.

As there is much to be thankful for in these two volumes, it may be well to note the faults at once. The style of the author is sometimes rather inflated; his descriptions are occasionally both literal and superficial,—arising in a measure from a wish to tell all he saw, without considering whether it might be worth the telling ; and, although a man of average education and reading, with a large share of native sense, lie is not instructed, either in politics, art, or literature. On the other band, the "English Re- sident" has three grand requisites for a traveller,—considerable experience, and the equanimity it produces; an acquaintance with the language and manners of the people amongst whom he jour- neyed ; and the good health which is indispensable to travel with comfort. IIis Sketches possess considerable interest, from the importance, variety, and extent of the subject ; which, if it has not been exhausted by the sketcher, has been minutely examined, and as minutely described. The artist, moreover, appears to be faithful in his delineations. He is certainly distinct and intel- ligible; never heavy, and often lively. The matter of the volumes is very various. A considerable portion of it consists of descriptions of the external forms of things; such as the aspect of the country, the costumes of its inhabitants, the ap- pearance of its houses, its cities, and its public edifices. Next in order come sketches of society, adventures by the way, and anec- dotes illustrative of the opinions, manners, or characters of the people. Accounts of natural and artificial curiosities and works of art are, as regards quantity, entitled to follow ; although mere description, or the impression produced upon the writer, is too frequently substituted for criticism in the case of pictures or statues ; and what few critical remarks there are by no means im- press us in favour of the author's acumen. Legends, all the better for being brief—historical allusions ancient and modern, called up on witnessing the sites of battles, the scenes of murders, or the seats of congresses—with hints to travellers, court gossip, and such miscellaneous matters as may be picked up in the course of a long journey—complete the subjects which the Resident intro- duces into his work.

The ground over which he travelled was considerable; extend- ing in one direction from Lubeck on the Baltic to Trieste on the Adriatic, in the other from Warsaw to Paris. His visits to France and Poland, however, were merely those of a bird of passage; and his route was limited to the main road. His trips to Hungary and Switzerland were less hasty; but he neither proceeded far enough nor remained long enough to see much. From Switzer- land, indeed, lie seems to have been frightened by the extortions of the innkeepers and the rudeness of the people. But Germany be pretty well threaded, including Bohemia, Austria, Styria, and Carinthia, as well as the strictly German States of Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria, Wurtemberg, and the various petty principalities too nume- rous to mention. To follow such a route in our pages, would be impossible. It will be enough to say, that the English Resident sojourned at Berlin,—of which he speaks indifferently well; at Dresden,—which lie describes as so cheap in itself, so charming in its environs, and so rich in its treasures of literature and art, that he almost induces one to go there ; at Vienna,—with which he is himself delighted: he also visited the principal of the lesser urbes and the most celebrated of the baths. The author's modes of travelling were as various as his routes : he steamed the Rhine—descended the Danube from Ulm to Vienna in the boats of the country—on the high roads he travelled in the public vehicles, and on the byways or the mountains he footed it.

The best idea of the book will be given by allowing the writer to speak for himself: and in doing this we shall endeavour to let him bring out the various subjects of his book, so far as our space permits.

HOLSTEIN.

Holstein may with truth be said to be a land flowing with milk and honey : the bees collect the latter in abundance from her numerous wild flowers and extensive heaths; and the produce of the dairy is so abundant that Holstein butter is to be found in the most remote districts of North Germany. I have not unfrequently seen in a dairy from two to three hundred milk-pails, and a dairymaid has usually the care of from eighteen to twenty cows. I have often met these rosy, round•faced lasses returning from the fields, attended by their donkies, whom they employ in conveying home the source of their riches. The luxuriant pastures and meadows of this Northern Arcadia are equally favour- able to the breed of horses, considered the best in Germany for heavy cavalry, and constitute a source of great profit to the landsman. but it is not cattle alone which brings wealth to the landed proprietor ; the timber, particularly the oak and beech, are of a most superior quality. I have frequently seen grow- ing from the same parent trunk, four or five stately trees, real giants of the forest: it would appear, therefore, that a damp, changeable climate—for such is Holstein—is favourable to their growth, and also tends to the perfection of Nature's noblest work ; for we find here some of the best .grown men and women in the North of Germany.

NOBILITY OF MECKLENBURG.

As Germany supplies Europe with princes and princesses, it would appear as if Mecklenburg alone was sufficient ta furnish it with nobles ; for it is com- puted that the nobility include one half of the population, the possessions of six- eighths of these being limited to their stambaunte (genealogical trees). During

my progress through the country, I met with a Herr (Baron) who exercised the prefeasiou of relieving men's chins of what in Christendom is considered an incumbrance ; and at one of the inns I found a Herr Graf • for a landlord, a Frau Grafin f for a landlady, the young Herren Grafen # filled the places of ceder, waiter, and boots, while the fair young Fraulein Gratinnen § were the cooks and chambermaids. I was informed, that in one village, of which I now forget the name, the whole of the inhabitants were noble except four, and these were married to Geborne Frauleins ! II

During one of my lake excursions, I had for my companion a retired mer- chant from a Southern state in Germany, who, ignorant of this prepossession in favour of noble rank, purchased an estate on the banks of one of its beautiful lakes. He had wealth, talents, intelligence, and gentlemanly manners ; but he had no quarterings ! How, then, was it possible fir the high-blood natives, who perhaps traced their descent from the Vandal Deities, to visit him ? At length, finding that the humid air and lakes of Mecklenburg were no equivalent for absolute solitude, he was preparing to remove to some country less aristo- cratical in its social institutions.

LEIPSICK FAIR.

The great fair was now at its height ; and, as every hotel and lodging-house was crowded, I had the greatest difficulty to procure a room, which I eventually did at the Stadt Berlin. The whole appearance of the town was unique: the streets, markets, and promenades were crowded, not only with the natives of every part of Europe, but even with those of Asia, Africa, and America ; every house, yard, and porch, was converted into a bazaar for the display of merchan- dise: cottons, woollen., and silks of all shades, and from every loom in Europe, were streaming like flags from the windows of the lofty houses; and although the Prussian tariff was in full force, yet I was informed by a merchant, that the market was inundated with smuggled English manufactures. • • * Leipsick may be said to be the emporium of German brains; for all the book- making, bookselling, and book-changing necessary liar the intellectual mete- mance of the vast reading population of this great empire, is hue effected. This last-mentioned operation consists in the exchange of their wares from one pub- lisher to another, for which a year'scredit is usually allowed. At the expiration of that time, those works not disposed of are returned to their respective pub. fishers, when they are baptized with the very appropriate name of " Krebs" (Crabs).

We had marked for extract some good stories of inn adven- tures, and anecdotes connected with English travellers, as well as some hints fur tourists, charges at taverns, Scc.: but we must hasten on to Vienna.

SOCIAL ADVANTAGES OF VIENNA.

Vienna is one of the most agreeable towns on the Continent for a stranger, particularly an Englishman, to whom a few recommendatory letters will iusure a reception in the most select society, where bonhonnuie, hospitality, and frank cordiality, are the prevailing features; and though literary and intellectual pursuits are not so highly cultivated as might he wished, yet the traveller will find many individuals whose general information and high intellectual powers would be an ornament to any country. I find our language very generally spoken in the most distinguished circles, and our literature held in the highest estimation. Indeed, I was surprised to find how little the German language is spoken, being generally superseded in society by the English, Italian, and French ; the latter, whether from being much used by the trading classes, or limn a pa triotic feeling of dislike to the language of the nation that so much humble d the national pride, is not a fa ite. This is more particularly observable in the ladies, who usually speak Italian, and are, by the by, generally very' good modern linguists ; while, at the same time, their amiable manners and graceful persons diffuse a charm over the circles in which they move. The corps diplo- matique is also a great resource for strangers. The court is very brilliant on public occasions; but, in order to obtain admittance, it is necessary to be pre- sented by an ambassador ; and, unlike Berlin, where the Russians are preferred, an Englishman is sure of finding a most cordial welcome; for the same bon- hommie pervades the salons of the Emperor which distinguishes those of the mobility.

The Emperor, who is very popular, rarely took any part in public affairs till the death of his father. Ile is extremely plain in his appearance and habit, and a decided enemy of dissipation. Goodness of heart, patriotism, and genuine German feelings, are conceded to him on all sides; and the general opinion is that he will prove self worthy of his high destiny. Yet a hi illiant career is not anticipated; his health being delicate and precarious. Ile has, however, an able supporter in his talented and experienced uncle, the Archduke Charles, who enjoys his entire confidence. Ferdinand also possesses, in an eminent de- gree, those hereditary virtues of his house which have gained for its monarchs so large a share of popularity—a love of justice, and the most amiable domestic virtues. The poorest man in the empire may, equally with the Prince, twice a week obtain an audience, and pour his grievances into the cars of his Sovereign; and wo to the stranger who should breathe a syllable against the " Guten Kaiser" in the presence of the loyal citizens of Vienna; for these good people give themselves little trouble about polities. • * * •

Among the numerous days devoted to public amusement in this gay metro- polis, there is none more distinguished for joy and mirth than New Year's Day; and the stranger who wishes to behold the Imperial town in all its splen- dour, should station himself in the Burgplatz, or in the Hof-Kapelle ; he would then see the whole court in full dress, the military in their superb uni- forms, and he would hear the compliments of the season exchanged by the en- tire population, from the Emperor to the peasant. The higher classes, after having paid their respects to the Emperor, exchange visits, and leave pretty ornamented cards, with appropriate mottos, made expressly for the occasion ; sometimes exhibiting very exquisite paintings ; some of these little baubles cost from eight to ten pounds sterling. The evening concludes with waltzing in the salons of the Emperor, waltzing in the salmis of the nobility, and waltz- ing in the salons of the cabarets; for, on this day, the whole of the dependent classes, servants, &c. receive a gratuity from their employers. Easter is an- other season for the interchange of civilities; when, instead of the coloured .egg in other Farts of Germany, and which is there merely a toy for children, the Vienna Easter-egg is composed of silver, mother-of .pearl, bronze, or some other expensive material, and filled with trinkets, jewels, or ducats ; and, when to these we add the gayeties of the Carnival, the numerous fete-days, &c. we may, I think, conclude that the good people of Vienna are amply provided with the means of enjoying the agromens of existence.

No court in Europe exhibits less ostentation than that of the Emperor of Austria. The wise system of retrenchment, commenced by the reformer Joseph, is still pursued. In wandering through the palace, we perceive but little appeararce of state, a few lacquies in the Imperial livery being the only indications that it is the residence of the mighty monarch of thirty millions of subjects; and the garrison of twelve thousand made less parade and bustle than the few hundred soldiers of several German residences I could mention. Here no despotic military arrests the progress of the traveller's carriage, as I found in the capital of Prussia. In short, there is not the slightest appearance of despotism, save the censorship and the unjust restrictions on foreign literature, together with the rigour with which political babblers are punished. • • * • Count. f Countess. f Counts. I Unmarried Countesses. 1 Ladies nobly born. The ladies of Vienna, as I said l:efore, are the handsomest in Germany, for in a reunion of Austrians, Italians, Hungarians, Polish, Bohemians, lice. there

is necessarily great variety ; yet the display of beauty is but scanty, compared with that in our own circles. They are, however, extremely amiable, highly accomplished in music, waltzing, and culinary arts; in the latter attainment the German women are preeminent, for it forms an essential part of their edu- cation : even the Empress of Austria makes her husband's coffee and orders his dinner. There is, however, one charm peculiar to the society of Vienna, even in the highest circles—the total absence of ceremony. The soirees usually commence about nine, and are extremely brilliant when given by any member of the Imperial Family ; as etiquette then obliges the guests to appear in full dress, we see stars and crosses glittering in every direc- tion. I do not believe that any people in Europe are more partial to titles and orders than the Germans, and more especially the Austrians, to which they add an excessive fondness for brilliants, displaying them both on their fingers and cravats ; and I really believe that every man in Vienna, from the prince to the shoehlack, wears a ring,—the noble has his arms engraved on it, the merchant his initials, the mechanic the device of his trade : I know not if the latter be universal, but I do know that my shoemaker had a neat little shoe engraved on the massive gold ring that he usually wore. At these reunions an English- man is immediately recognized by the extreme simplicity of his costume ; and, if we regard this as a test of civilization, we should be inclined to assign them a high rank in the scale ; for, assuredly, the lower a nation is sunk in barbarism, the mare the people delight in finery. Not, however, that I mean to insinuate aught against the civilization of the Germans; but, as the English now give the tone to European society, this passion among the Vienna fashionables for decorating their persons is fast losing ground : indeed I could not avoid ob- serving, that the most unintellectual-looking men I Met with in Viennese society exhibited a splendid display of ribands and jewels-. this was particularly noticeable in a certain General, Count —, notorious for his cowardice during the late war, and who now is to be seen at all the public places, glittetiug with military orders.

PRINCE METTERNICH.

How changed is the mighty Premier of Austria since I last saw him ! What ravages have a few years committed in the fine countenance of one of the hand- somest men of Vienna. We now no longer see before us the gay, the gallant courtier—no longer the brilliant meteor of the social circles. Age has, how • ever, in sonic degree atoned for its thefts, by making him interesting and vene- rable; and as I beheld him, leaning on the arm of the young Emperor, appear- ing like a sage sent to infuse wisdom into his councils, I thought him one of the most intellectual-looking men I had ever seen. Indeed, it is impossible to be- hold this great man without admiration, however we may dislike his senti- ments, when we remember that his superior mind alone has steered the ship of state, so long tossed by the waves and huffetted by the tempest, into the har- bour of peace and safety. Ile is of middling stature and slightly formed, his countenance pale, and his lofty brow strongly marked with the lines of thought ; his head is finely shaped, with an expressive gray eye, and Lis mouth of that depressed form winch always indicates firmness of character ; his man- ners are conciliating, serious, and dignified ; and while listening to his eloquent conversation, it is not difficult to discover, even beneath the bland tone of his voice, the energy and decision of a great mind. I have heard from several of his friends, (for the courteous speeches in public of such a complete man of the world as 'Metternich, are not to be depended upon,) that he is really a friend of England and the English, admires our institutions, and laughs at the would-be poloical oracles of Germany, who gravely pronounce us on the eve of a revo- lution, and asserts that the good sense of England will never lead her into anarchy, so long as the Government defers to the openly-expressed feeling of

the respectable part of the community. Ile is also an enthusiastic admirer of the public press of England, controlled as it is by the good sense of the people. That these are his private sentiments, is in some measure borne out by his marked courtesy in receiving the English, to whom lie is more than usually

lavish of smiles and civil speeches. Indeed, if I may infer the political senti- ments of a court by the manners and behaviour of its savereign and ministeis, I should be inclined to consider that we have in Austria an ally, and for the same cause must deem Prussia an enemy.

AUSTRIAN „slimy.

In every other part of the world except in Austria, the dropcau None is the harbinger of peace here it is the livery of war. And certainly we must con- gratulate the Government on the martial appearance of her well-appointed army, amounting to nearly four bundled thousand men ; not an army of beard- less boys of two or three years standing, as we see in Prussia, but veterans-- not an army on parchment, like that of Russia—but well-disciplined troops, commanded by excellent officers, so judiciously distributed that the elite of the army may lie assembled at any given point in less than four weeks. The destinies of the empire are no longer confided to officers whose sole merit was the num- ber of their quarterings : no young nobleman can max purchase a company or a squadron ; the highest individual in the empire must go through a regular course of military studies, or commence his debat in the ranks; military schools are every- where established, and the periodical works on military science ate held in high

estimation. I cannot but think that one regulation in force in the Austrian army might be advantageously adopted in our own : the whole of the men are taught swimming ; and in summer this farms as essential a part of their evolu• tions as exercise in the field ; hence we find swimming-schools on all the rivers and lakes throughout the empire. It would he well if we could end with com- mendation; but her military, contrasted with her humane civil code, is tyran- nically severe,—as desertion, sleeping on duty, and other offences of equal mag- nitude, are punished with instant death ; and we cannot admire the use of the lash, nor the cane carried by the non-commissioned officers, which must have a tendency to break the high military spirit of the soldier, at least if Ire has either intellect or feeling.

As yet nothing has been said of the author's account of the political condition and feeling of Germany : nor are his VieWS upon the former point to be received with implicit reliance, for he lacks the capacity necessary to enable him to form right conclu- sions on such a complex and difficult subject as the state of a nation. He seems a much safer guide as to the opinions of the people, so far as an individual can collect them. According toour author, the most contented and loyal subjects are the Austrians; the Prussians,' in spite of all we are told to the contrary, are by no means well satisfied with their "enlightened despotism," whilst the people, in all or almost all the petty states, are ill- affected to their rulers, and oppressed by the weight of taxes, which are raised to sustain the expense of a sovereign court from a country often poorer than many English parishes. One of the most general feelings throughout Germany, is a hatred of the Russians, and an affection for the Poles ; which, in times of ex- citement, cannot be restrained from publicly displaying itself. Nearly equal to this, and perhaps greater in intensity, is the wish for a union of all the Germanic States tutu one great empire;, to

the head of which our author thinks Prussia might have aspired, had it not been for the with which her Government is regarded on account of its connexion with Russia. It has been seen that Englishmen are in favour amongst the fashionables at Vienna ; and the Resident considers that England is throughout Germany, or at least educated Germany, regarded with respect

and liking; for even in Prussia the felt towards us is limited to the court and aristocracy. Our author bears testimony to the convenient effects of the celebrated Commercial League in sweeping away the numberless customhouses of the endless petty states, and to its perfect inutility in keeping out English goods. Its further effects may be thus stated—lt has succeeded in forc- ing some home manufactures to a certain extent; in establishing companies which undertake for a certain percentage to introduce any quantity of goods; in forming bands .of smugglers, trained and armed, who are often engaged in open contest with the Go- vernment officers ; and in raising up a jealousy of Prussia amongst the smaller States, as, being the receiver of the revenues, she can at any time deprive them of their respective quotas. Hence our author concludes, that the league is useless for protec- tive purposes, and is likely to be dissolved on the first outbreak. We have hitherto looked at this work as a book of travels. It may, however, be regarded as a guide-book : and a very capital work of the kind it is,—at once opening up a new field for the tourist and serving to lead him over it. We have all a notion of the historical associations connected with Germany, and the numerous mementos of the middle ages appearing in the shape of towns formerly distinguished for commercial importance, or memo- rable for the mechanical discoveries of which they were the cradle : many of us may have some idea that her landscapes have every variety of beauty, from the pastoral character of the vineyard and -cornfield to the stern magnificence of the mountainous regions: and her " collections " of various kinds are matters of compilation lore. But we question whether any one has so distinct a conception of the number, richness, extent, and variety of all these subjects, as a perusal of Sketches of Germany and the Germans will create; or any notion of the facility and cheapness with which they may be visited. if any one has seen Paris, and is doubtful whither he should ramble in the ensuing season, let him read these sketches, and very likely he will decide in favour of Fatherland. If any one has already decided upon the point, we cannot do him a greater service than by recommending him to procure the book. Besides two volumes of agreeable reading, lie will incidentally learn a good deal touching what lie may see, where he should go, what he ought to avoid, and how he ought to behave; whilst in the appendix he will find some valuable specific directions upon modes of travelling, payments, and passports,—the last of which is of the highest importance, as a slight informality may end in a conveyance across the frontier. A very clear map is also attached to the volumes ; useful to the reader who is tracing the route of the Resident, but indispensable if he wishes to lay down one fur himself.