BOOKS.

HEATIIMAN'S SWITZERLAND.* A_LTECOUGH Switzerland and the routes to it have been over much written upon already, Mr. Heathman's volume may be read with advantage through two circumstances,—the nature of his travels, and the character of the traveller. Ill health compelled the Rec- tor of St. Lawrence to seek recreation for a time ; and he passed two summers in the Alps, acting for a while as British Chaplain at In- terlaken, and passing the remainder in leisurely excursions. He was thus rather a sojourner than a mere traveller, with the ad- vantages of close observation which leisure alone can give. Like many other clergymen, Mr. Heathman takes an inte- rest in those common things that make up the sum of cha- racter and daily life. Ile is sensible in his observations and shrewd in his remarks, with a good deal of tolerance in his judgments. His Switzerland, though originating in travel, is very far from a common book of travels, with hurried itinerary, occasional occur- rences by the way, eternal descriptions of scenery, and the fre- quent introduction of information condensed from the guidebook. The volume before us is as much a series of topics in successive chapters as a continuous narrative of journeying. The author begins with some advice to travellers of British breed, not all new, but very judicious. He passes rapidly through France into Switzerland, only noticing the most remarkable cironmstanees for comment. In Switzerland itself his subjects are various. Now, he describes a particular place and the excursions that may be made from it. Then, he narrates a longer and more adventurous enterprise in the ascent of mountains ; he briefly discusses the social and political condition of Switzerland at some towns; her religious state, as well as that of Italy, at other places, where the subject is suggested by circumstances. National characteristics, social economy, and natural history in the form of Alpine pheno- mena, are the principal objects of Mr. Heathman's attention, and they form not the least attractive portion of the book. This is an example ; the growth of fir-trees in extraordinary situations, and the future effects upon the soil. "There are three different species of fir found in the Alps—the larch, the spruce, and the silver. Those growing on the loftiest mountains produce the best timber, which in some situations is as hard and as red as cedar. Both climate and soil appear admirably adapted to their growth. They often present themselves to you in places and soils where you wonder not only how they grow, but how ever they eodld have found their way there in the first instance. At one time you find them on the very edge of a rocky projection, and at another on the bare ridge of the highest mountains. This mystery was in some measure afterwards solved. One day, walking up a slope most luxuriant with firs, I observed about half-a-dozen small ones growing upon a stone of four or five tons weight some feet above the ground. Wondering by what possibility they could grow in such a situation I was led more closely to examine them, and found they were only rooted in moss, and de- rived their nourishment, like orchideous plants, from the moisture of the at- mosphere and from rain. Passing on, I noticed others of larger growth in similar situations; and on inspecting them also, I discovered their roots had spread over the surface of the rock, and found their way into crevices where they had become firmly rooted. This process is no doubt accelerated by the rocks in question being of a crumbling, rotten description, yielding to the force of nature, which in the most gradual, and yet the most certain manner, introduces the root, splits the rock, and promotes the growth of the tree. In- deed, the decayed leaves of the fir alone, in the course of years, will be suffi- cient for its support ; and when the trees are come to maturity and have been cut, the soil, which previously was nothing but rock, has been found to pro- duce the very beet crops. "This will account for the phenomenon which you everywhere find in Switzerland, viz, firs growing on the ledge of the loftiest cliffs and barren mountain-tops, some of them 3000 or 4000 feet above the level of the sea. No doubt, the seed has been conveyed thither in the first instance by the tourmentee, then vegetated in the manner I have before described, and af- terwards taken such firm root in the very rocks themselves that they were enabled to withstand the blasts of the fiercest tempests.

"The only surprise is, how any one can be found hazardous enough to cut them, since you would imagine they could never be approached : never- theless, there are hardy mountaineers ready every season, who are roped and let down the precipice to effect this object."

Present opinion is against the Swiss, as a grasping, mercenary people, from whom it is useless to expect civility, much less ser- vice, without a consideration : in fact, the homilies of travellers run upon the text of "point d'argent point de Suisse." Our author thinks differently ; he found them otherwise. The difference lies perhaps in the fact that Mr. Heathman speaks of the peasantry in remoter-places; the generality of travellers speak of the hangers-on about hotels, conveyances, and show-places, on leading lines of route, where English and Russian travellers have assisted to corrupt them.

"The herdsman who gave this information [respecting the manufacture of butter and cheese] might have been thirty years of age, with an hercu- lean frame, although he lived on the most simple food during the four months he remained in the mountains. In fact, it consisted of nothing but milk in one shape or another; having neither tasted bread nor meat, nor even potatoes, during that time. It may be that the simplicity of their mode of living produces some effect upon their character. Be this as it may, thus much I can aver—in every instance when I have been brought in contact with them I have found them hospitable, generous, and kind, entertaining me with a simplicity, a readiness, and good feeling, that was quite sur- prising. It is not wealth, but the gentle nature, the considerate feeling, the lust and disinterested motive—in fact, all that is unselfish and generous, which constitutes a much misnamed character. Too frequently that character is not found in the busy haunts of men, though possessed of all the attributes of wealth, interest, and power, which mankind deem essential. I need scarce say, that very often it is not found in the mansions of the great, at the marts of the merchant, or in the haunts of fashionable life. But I have found these qualities combined beside the glacier and the snow, surrounded by impenetrable rocks, inhabiting, it may be, a frail wooden chalet, and em- Switzerland in 1854-'5: a Book of Travel, Men, and Things. By tin Bev. W. O. Beathman, B.A., Rector of St. Lawrence, Exeter. Published by Hope and Co. ploy-a in what the world would regard the mean occupation of a herdsman. And when I have regarded their pramitivepannwpas, their mere requirements of food and raiment, their contentmeritaand that generosity, and, I would hope, religioq—then has it poured contempt on the pride, the pomp, and luxury, and all those baubles which too frcquent ly delight the inhabitants of our cities and towns."

The following fact respecting the preservation of butter may be worth the trouble of an experiment.

They have two methods of preserving butter : the first is by melting it

over a slow fire in the large cauldron in the milk is converted into curds, and then pouring it, after a couple of hours, in a liquid state, into wooden tubs, containing not more theta ten or a dozen pounds of the mate- rial; by this means it is preserved for whiter use in very good condition ; in fact, it is infinitely superior to the article which is imported from Ireland into our large towns under the appellation of salt butter, and I think the plan might be followed with advantage in the butter-making districts of our own country. Another method, by no means so good as the former, is to place vertical pegs on a shelf which is suspended from the roof of the eheese- chalet ; around these pegs they place the butter, each day's making being added to the former, in an upward direction ; and this inverted cone, for it assumes this shape, grates in dimensions as it proceeds upwards: The out- side soon becomes covered with a coat of mildew, whieb to some extent ex- cludes the external air : it, however, but badlyaccomplishes this object ;, and the consequence is,. that it partakes of a mouldy stale taste, and is very nate- iior to that which 113 bailed.'

This is a pretty little story from popular tradition: it is con- nected with a ruin and the feudal wars of the middle a,gcs.

"This Bourcard had an only daughter of surpassing beauty, who appears to have captivated the heart of Rudolphe de Wadiswyl, the youngest, the bravest, and most amiable of the Dukes of Zahringen, at some tournament Despair- ing of overcoming-the hatred of the Baron to his race, and of obtaining the hand of Ida in a legitimate way, he formed the design of carrying her off by force. Soon after, in consequence of the absence of the father, a favourable opportunity presented itself. Ile eloped with the fait Ida ; who, it appears, was not unwilling to accompany him to his quarters at Berne. "This piece of violence only served to increase the Baron's rage, and be- came the occasion of sanguinary wars which devastated the country between Berne and Interlaken. Rudolphe, generous as he was brave, at length ef- fected by stratagem what he could not accomplish by force.of arms. Fa- tigued with glory and tired of battle-fields, he sought an interview with his enemy. He presented himself unarmed at the castle, accompanied only by a page, and by bribes obtained an entrance. He bore in his arms the little boy which his Ida had lately given birth to, and addressed Boureard—now grown sad and grey from the loss of his beloved daughtera-in the most re- spectful and submissive terms. The old man, who recognized at a glance the features of his long-estranged child in the object now before him, burst into tears, grasped the helpless babe in his trembling arms, and freely forgave the past—yea more, he bequeathed by will and deed to the boy, Walter Ru- dolphe, named henceforth Bourcard, the whole of his large possessions and domains. It was this Walter who at his Oath left his heritage and Medi to the convent of Interlaken. This romantic event took place somewhere about the middle of the thirteenth century."

The following method of courting reads -oddly enough, but it only differs in form from that of more refined societies. "They have many peculiar customs which seem to be the remains of a very primitive state of society, some of which also exist in other parts of the country. For instance, tho kiltgang,' a singular mode of courtship, is common throughout the Oberland. When a girl is arrived at a marriageable age, the young men of the village assemble by consent on a given night at the gallery of the chalet in which the fair one resides. This creates no man- ner of surprise in the mind of her parents, who not only wink at the prac- tice' but are never better pleased than when the charms of their daughter attract the greatest number of admirers. Their arrival is soon announced by sundry taps at the different windows. After the family in the house has been roused and dressed, (for the scene usually takes place at midnight, when they have all retired to rest,) the window of the room prepared for the oda- slop, in which the girl is at first alone, is opened. Then a parley commences, of a rather boisterous description : each young man in turn urges his suit with all the eloquence and art of which he is possessed. The fair one hesi- tates, doubts, asks questions' but comes to no decision. She then invites the party to partake of a repast of cakes and kirschwasser, which is prepared for them on the balcony. Indeed, this entertainment with the strong water of the cherry forms a prominent feature in the proceedings of the night. "After having regaled themselves for some time, during which and through the window she has made use of all the witchery of woman's art, she feigns a desire to get rid of them all, and will somethues call her parents to accomplish this object. The youths, however, are not to be put off; for, according to the custom of the country, they have come there for the express purpose of compelling her, on that night, there and then to make up her mind, and to declare the object of her choice. "At length, after a further parley, her heart is touched, or at least she pretends it is, by the favoured swain. After certain preliminaries between the girl and her parents, her lover is admitted through the window; where the affiance is signed and sealed, but not delivered, in the presence of both father and mother. By the consent of all parties, the ceremony is not to extend beyond a couple of hours ; when, after a second jollification with the kirschwasser, they all retire—the happy man to bless his stars, but the re- jected to console themselves with hope that at the next tournament of love- making they may succeed better. In general, the girl's decision is taken in good part by all, and is regarded as decisive. There are, however, exceptions. Slime years ago, a stranger, who had received the preference of the girl of a village near Meyringen, fell by the hands of assassins, supposed to have been those who were keeping the lultgang with him. On a more recent occasion, a yenta from a neighbouring village having presented himself at a kiltgang was cruelly beaten and sent about his business. This occurred at Grinder- wald. Other strangers,—of whom it would appear they are particularly jea- lous, for they desire to keep all their own lasses to themselves,—have been stripped, besmeared, and paraded barefoot through the village ; and, %%hat is still more barbarous and disreputable, they have been followed by the hoot- ing and pelting, not only of the youths themselves, but of the whole corn- =unity, and afterwards ducked in a horse-pond."

Mr. Heathman speaks more hopefully of Romanist Italy than of Protestant Switzerland as regards religion. The whole Papal sys- tem is placed upon a mine, that will explode as soon as foreign i

force s withdrawn. Several hundred Italians of thought and learning have taken refuge at Geneva, where they have founded an Italian Reformed Church, and our author has hopes that its principles will extend. In Geneva and the Protestant Cantons, the State has generally taken the Church wholly into its hands, and Claims to control it in spiritual matters as well as temporal. At least there are often no sufficient articles, creed, or teat; so that

Rationalism and Socinianism are prevalent, and no means exist of checking them.

" No one can say what the National Church of Geneva is at the present moment. It has no creed, no standard of appeal, no teat of orthodoxy simi- lar to our Thirty-nine Articles. It puts no questions to its ministers as to the soundness or unsoundness of their faith; and, by consequenoe it is a church destitute even of the profession of Christianity. This total want of all spiritual discipline, this culpable indifference to everything which in all ages has been considered necessary to salvation, has caused a very largo se- cession from the Etitablished Church ; and, what is more to be regretted, there are among its ranks some of the most pious, learned, and influential

ministers of Geneva. • * •

" The National Church is composed of all who accept its constitution. Its administration is intrusted to a -Coesistory of twenty-fire lay and six eccle- siastical members. They are elected by all the Protestants of the Canton possessed of ecclesiastical rights. Pastors aro appointed by the Protestant citizens of the parish, end confirmed by the Conmstory. The Consistory de- cides in all cases of doctrine and discipline. It may submit pastors to cen- sure, suspension, and deprivation. * •

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"The worst part of it is, that theparish-ministers of Geneva do not con- finetheir labours to the parish to which they are elected, but are obliged, to preach alternately for a mouth in each of the other churches. It does in- deed seem strange, that if in any particular parish they choose to 'elect a Sociniao, the inhabitants of the next pariah, who may eschew that form of . dootriue, should nevertheless be compelled to have such a teacher, probably ' for a fourth part of the year."