Travels from Hamburg, through Westphalia, Holland, and the Netherlands, to Paris

Preface

. — =ee«©|^£|®®ee~— Mr. Holcroft's excursion to the continent was undertaken at a time, and under circumstances peculiarly interesting to a traveller. It was during the short interval of Peace signed at Amiens; immediately after the termination of a series of Revolutions unparalleled in the annals of the universe; and that too, in a countrypossessing an almost irresistible physical force, and a numerous population. From these circumstances it is obvious that, for an acute traveller, the field of inquiry presented a wide and variegated prospect. Hence, at such an important aera, the bold sketches and sagacious remarks of our author are uncommonly interesting, and may justly claim the attention of the philosopher and politician. a During the period of two years, he mingled with the people, and carefully studied their habits and manners, he con templated them in their " sports, their bargains, their disputes, their occupations, and various modes of living; he listen ed to their prattle, their mutual reproach es, and their sarcasms."

By these means his observations are rendered uncommonly valuable, being generally founded on the basis of personal investigation. In fine, by these means he has happily delineat ed modern France, at once in the most accurate and pleasing manner. From the expensive and splendid style in which the original of this abridgment is published, both with respect to the ty pographic and graphic arts, (the price of the coarse edition being five, and the fine eight guineas) the greater part of the community are entirely precluded from reaping any advantage from the interest- V ing facts with which it abounds. Actuated principally with a view to the promulga tion of truth, and to impress deeply on the minds of the public, the horrid con sequences which have arisen to Europe out of that " hydra of calamities," the French Revolution; the abridger has pro ceeded with his task, and he hopes the ex ecution will be found fully commensurate to the purpose iu view.

The most striking features in our au thor's work, but more especially in his account of the modern Nero, have been as carefully preserved as is compatible with the nature of an abridgment. And by the way, is not the character of this mushroom Emperor, admirably hit off by Shakspeare ? •«' Bloody, ■" Avaricious, false, deceitful, " Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sic l" That has a name." If the abridger's aid in promoting the circulation of knowledge shall contribute in the smallest degree to fan the flame of patriotism which now animates the breast of every Briton, he will think his labour well rewarded. His readers may yest assured, that his motives have been patriotic and disinterested; but how far his exertions have been successful in the execution of the work, it remains for the public to decide.

Glasgow, October 30th. 1 804, CONTENTS, ■ jirtS1©®^^^""^* Pag? Introduction, i. Mr. Holcroft's Departure — Custom of Hamburgh, Farewell to Hamburgh — Passengers, 2. 3- Hamburgh— Altona — Loquacity ofthe Germans — Living Authors, 4- Prussian Soldiers — Harburg — Roads meeting in a central point, - 6. Honesty of the Germans — German Inn, Author's Family introduced to the acquaintance of the Reader, 7- Slow travelling in a German Diligence — An invitation to the King of England— The pleasures of a good Inn, - - 8 9- A Walk in Bremen — Roland the Giant, The emblematic Pilgrim— A remarkable Vault and its Mummies, - io. English Countess — Popular Tales, The Town-hall— The Public Wwe Cellar— Exchange, - 14* Museum of Bremen — German petit-maitre, Prussian Soldiers — their ill-breeding, - / The Inn at Oldenburg — Wandering Genius, Base Coins, &c, ... '3- 1 4. '5- 17- The approach to Leer— A dangerous Accident, Arrival at Neue Schanz — Character of the Hol- 1 8. lander, 1 9.

Signs of Prosperity in the Province of Groningen, Tree of Liberty — £.oute through Friesland, 20. 31. VUl Paga The Lemma — Dutch Merchant, 22. Shallowness of the Zirider Sea", ' - 23. Amsterdam, a city built upon mud, - - 24. Coaches without wheels'— Jew shoe-blacks, • - 25. Tree of Liberty — Meets a former acquaintance, - - 2*5. Story ofa Frenchman and a Jew, . -. 27. Stadthduse, built on pile?, - - 28- Ticture by Vanderhelst— Revolutionary depredations, - - . - - 29. Situation — More traits of Dutch manners, . 30. Taste in Fainting — French Theatre at Amsterdam, 3.1 . Billiards — The Felix Mentis, - - 33. Invited Guests pay for their Dinners — Deformed People — Jews, - - - 33. New Church — Captain Bentinck— Story ofa Woman and Wafer, ... 34. Religion once the staple trade of Europe, - 35.

Journey continued — Leyden passed — Delft, - 36. Sawmilk — Arrival at Rotterdam — The statue of Erasmus, .... 37,. The house in which Erasmus was born— Tree of Liberty, .... 38. A passport — Painful refusal, - - 39. Another Trip to the Hague — Travelling Clerks, 40. The great Mall — Fair time — Costume of the Country, - - - - 41. A Walk in a Wood — Elegiac thoughts, - 42. His request granted — An agreeable report — A remarkable feudal right, - - 43. A last homage to the house of Erasmus — Departure, - - - - 44. The Moerdyk — A Dutch breakfast — Female hastier, - - . - 45. Page Custom-house officer — Arrival at Antwerp — A Woman guardian of the City-gates, 46. The Hotel d' Angleterre -The Scheld and its port, The Church of the Dominicans, 47- 48.

Agriculture and commerce the support of each other, . - 49- Emigrant priests — A sick priest and his conductor, War the destruction of roads — Images of the Vir- 5o. gin—Beggars, 51 5*- Brussels — The supper ofa sick priest, Malines and Tournay contrasted — The Duke of York, - 54 A central school and its departments, 55 Appearance of the people — Cars drawn by dogs, Travelling companions — Windmills — A good din- 57 5S ner, Cruelties committed at Arras — Infamous Le Bon, Amiens— A peep into the Cathedral, 59 6o, Beautiful country near Clermont — Chantilly — Conde, - - - - - 6 1 St. Denis and its lost treasures — A legendary tale, Remarkable painting by Albert Durer — Barrier, A poor man and wretched horse — Anecdote, Men scolding — A dialogue, - - - 64 6 s 66. 6; Anecdotes that examplify, 68 Contrast between France and Germany —Waiters, Chronology of the title Citizen — Civilities of Ci- 7o. tizen F, 7' Advice for innocent swearing, Projects and means to study a nation— Bargaining defined, - 7-1 A milk-woman that had superb apartments to let, The house of Robespierre — La Madelaine — La Place Vendome, 7 6- b X Page Kail ofthe Jacobins — Les Feuillans, 77- Landscape, costume, and various appearances, 78 Paris, and its varieties of strange forms and figures, 79 The dirty and the slovenly numerous, 80.

The French character deicribed, 81.' Houses of Paris described — Streets long and narrow, - 82. Contrast between the various quarters of Paris, Si- Course of the river Seine, 84. Paris, viewed from Le Pont Neuf and Le Pont des Tuileries, - 8 5 Paris first built on an island, 86 Anecdote of a nobleman and coachman, 87. Review of street inscriptions, 88. Specimens of street inscriptions, 89. Posting-bills of Paris, four principal classes, 91. Play-bills -Bills of Quacks, 9-' Whimsical harangue of a Quack, 96. Origin and extent of the Boulevards, 97- Heterogeneous traders on do. 93. Convent of Les Capucines — Phantasmagoria — Panorama, - 100. Punchinello, IOI. Pasdlon d' ' Hanoiire eclipsed by the Frascati, 102. Opem house near the gate of St. Martin, io3- Theatres on the Boulevard du Temple, 104 Coffee houses and gardens — Exhibitions, ioS- Deformity and monsters, io6.

Anecdote of the Marshall Beaumanoir, 107. Practice of hiring chairs, ioS. Sketches of the Palais Royal, 109. Anecdotes — Gardens of the Palais Royal, III. Piactice of factions, 114. The open saloon, and its petty traders, II5. Page The place of assembly for stock jobbers, ii9- A remarkable deception produced by mirrors, 122. The united artists, I23 Theatres of the Palais Royal— Cafe des A-veugks, 125, The crowds that resort to the Palais Royal, 128, The gardens at Monceaux — Gardens of Tivoli, 129 The gardens of the Frascati — Coffee-houses, &c. 132 National Festivals — Public entries, &c. '34- The most atrocious festival known to history, 136, Remarks made by St. Foix, !39 l.a Place du Carrousel — Petty policy of Colbert, 140. Festival of the Landit, 14' Festival ofthe Confederation, 142 Celebrated in les Champs de Mars, 144- Inscription on banners — All ranks at work, 146.

Triumphal arch— A bridge thrown over the Seine, A signal to be repeated through all the kingdom, 148. '53- The oath taken by the king, 154- Festival ofthe 14th July, i8ci, 156. Mats de cocagne — unfinished state ofthe preparations, 159- Anecdote of a rope-dancer, 163. Bands of ballad-singers, 164. The temples of peace and war, 165. Garnerin in an air balloon, 1 66. A lady seized by the centinels, i68. Accidents and deaths occasioned by sky-rockets, 171. Fete of the 23d September, 172. Decree for the annual exhibition of inventions, &c. 173- A remarkable coat, 177- Questions and answers of Bonaparte and manufacturers, - 179- Enumeration of sports, i8i. Anecdote of Bonaparte, lS2. b Page Descriptions of tilts and tournaments, 184. Associations excited by the firing of cannon, i85 Horses of bronze from Constantinople, i86.

Tragical accidents — Extract from M'Leav, i8o. Festival of the I 8th Brumaire, 190. Bonaparte's proclamation to the French, 190. Descriptive program, 193 Accident the constant friend of Bonaparte, Liberty, equality, and fraternity concealed, 196. i97, A holiday frigate — Attention to Lord Cornwallis, - 7. - - I9S. Play-things for grown children, 199- Unfortunate young Englishman and his widow. Grand fire-works at the marriage of the dauphin, 201. 2C3- Royal donations, 207. Instances of the habitual negligence of the French, 208. A new quay begun, 2 10. Creation ofthe corps of Mamelucs, 211. Anecdote of Chateau-briand — Ditto of Mayer, 213- Letters of Fieve on the English nation, A specimen of bombastic from St. Foix, 2IJ- 218. A mathematical fiddler, &c. &c. 220. An experimental philosopher and fortune-teller, 222.

Gasconiaija — A brother of Lewis XIII. a street rqbber, - 223- Anecdote, of a Gascon and Colbert, 224- Inflation of French idioms, 227- Anecdote of Lewis JQV. and Le Notre, 229- Ptennarks on national emblem?, 231. Anecdote ofa poor mistress and intelligent maid, 332. Vicious style of portrait painting, Manner of embratinc, 2 34- 235- Abbe de Lille, and a humorous dialogue, Anecdote, of a poet a:jd ledy, 236. 237illi Page Women the shopkeepers, Lamentation over a lap-dog, Paris not a commercial city, Pleasure the staple trade, Du Clos on the French character, 238. 240. 241. 242. 243- Quotation from the Merchant of Venice, Quotation from Henry VIII. 245- 246. Remarks — Rules of honour among the English, Art of boxing— Boxing match in Paris, 249- 250. Soldier that committed suicide, 252. French soldiers less slavish than others, Anecdote of Russian obedience, ibid. 253- Compared with the Normans, Fencing masters ennobled, ibid. 254.

Judgment of God by the cross, Sec. 25S- Number of duels under Henry IV, of France, Duels authorized by the church, 256. 257- Street orators numerous at Paris, Specimen of a witty street oration, Anecdote of Parisian effrontery, t Conveniences multiplied in England, - The opposite habit in France — Review, A Marquis refused credit for a bottle of wine, Shakspeare — Count de Catuelan, 258. 259. 260, 26l. 26z. 264. 265. Nobleman who sold turkies, 266. Dress ofthe Parisians — Meanness ofthe Louvre, Character of Count de Gebelin, 267- 269. English accused by the French — A serious retort, Succession of royal mistresses, 270. 27T. Anecdote of Jane of Burgundy, Women decreed to be human beings, - Laymen and priests — The Lover's League, De Lorges and the lions — Duke of Orleans, Ladies of easy virtue the greatest devotees. 272. 2-73 ibid. 274. 2;C, Page Madame de Maintenon's tomb destroyed, Lewis XV. and Madame de Pompadour, Complaisance of French husbands, 277- 278. 2 8o. ibid.

Portrait of French gallantry, Epigrammatic constancy — Anec. of Fontenelle, Marriage performed at the church door, Permission purchased of priests for marriage, Indecent cath ilic processions, 282. 283- 284. 285. Indelicate practices of French ladies, Dress of opera-dancers — indecent pictures, True anecdotes that may be thought incredible, Dress and fashions— a Scotch officer, 287. 288. 289. 290- Women in men's apparel, 291. Pomp of ancient times — Variation of Fashions, A beau ofthe 14th century described, 292. 2 94- Coffee-house boy in a silken suit, 295- Observations on the dress of the Parisians, Proofs of not having been at Paris, Attempts of Charlemagne to banish courtezans, ■ Ancient regulations and religious establishments, Less numerous in Paris than in London, 296. 297. 298. 299- 300.

Nursing in France the first error, 3°i- Knowledge and custom govern more than power, An old woman's opinion of Bonaparte, 302. 3°3- Office for the hiring and controul of nurses, Remarks on the number of the deformed, An infant suckled by a goat. 3°4- 3C5- 306. Children dressed like adults, Anecdote ofa child, 3°7- 3io. Epigram by Rousseau, 3«i- A regiment that signed its mark, Schools instituted by government, National politeness of the French, 312. 3H- 3^5- Mistake concerning the Parisians — Punning insult, 316. Page A woman beaten by a man in the theatre, - 318. The bishop and the gentlemen of Picardy, - 319. La Morgue, its dimensions and use, - - ibid. Accounts of it by a daily visitor, - - 320. Surprizing frequency of suicide, - - 321. The Theophilanthropists, - - 323. Festival to the Supreme Being, - - 324.

Anecdotes of beggars, ... 325. A boy and his washing-tub, ■ - - 326. Enumeration of monasteries, &c. - - 327. Account of Citizen Portalis, - - 328. Procession to Mount Calvary, &c. - - 330. Miracles again attempted, - - - 3il- Feuds among the clergy, - - - 332- Reptiles and insects, - - - - 333. Introduction to the character of Bonaparte, - 334. His restlessness and ambition, - - 335. Family aggrandisement, ... 336. Him and Europe appear identified, - - 335. Crimes alledged against him, ... 338. His character developed by time, - - 339. His hypocrisy and selfishness, - - 34°- His treachery to a Milanese nobleman, - 341- Anecdote of the statuary Canova, — - . 342. Dupaty, Volney, and Bonaparte, - - 343. Bonaparte's ungovernable temper, - - 344- His religious principles, ... 345- Bonaparte without his hat, - - - 346.

Reply of Moreau, - - - 347. Ditto of General Richepanse, - - 348. Attempts to procure popularity, - - 349. Lives of soldiers sacrificed, - - - 350. Bonaparte's thirst of power, - - - 351. Extraordinary times produce extraordinary men, 352. Page 353- Inquiry into the danger of invasion, Fifteenth of August and the cunning of the day, Fete Dieu and processions, 355 356- Genius of Moliert — A tribute to Shakspeare, Numerous theatres, &c. of Paris, 357 358 List of opera-dancers, 359> Tragedians of the Theatre Francaige, State of literature, 36° 361. Names of partizans, 362 Sieyes, Carnot, Reveillere Lepaux, Alle Cregoire, and Benjamin Constant, 363 Tallien, Madame Beccaria, and Melzi, Celebrated Germans, 3^4- 365 Lalande, &c. &c. 366. Various composers and performers, Anecdote of David, 368 3"9 Collection of Lucian Bonaparte, &c. Evils arrising from lotteries, 37° 37i Gaming encouraged by Bonaparte, Criminal tribunals, 372 373- Regulations of booksellers, Incessant parade of the police, ■Carts clumsily built, 374 375 376.

Citizens and Sunday, The Pantheon, 377- 37S- National Library, 379 Elephant and centinei, 38f Observatory and Exchange, Description of the Carnival, Return to England, Swedenborg, Arrival at Calais — Conclusion, Appendix, - . . 38i. 482. 383 384- 385. TRAVELS IN GERMANY, HOLLAND, and FRANCE; ABRIDGED. — — •«««(<i&>i®'®*i!~— AMONG all the herd of Modern Tourists^ Journalists, and Travellers, none have been more successful in uniting the utile et duke, than Mr. Holcroft. He has in no instance excited curiosity, without amply furnishing the means of its gratification. He has always been singularly felicitous in exhibiting something new, interesting, and amusing. Indeed few objects that could in the smallest degree excite attention, have escaped the description of his powerful, discriminating, and philosophic pen.

He hath forcibly delineat ed, in the strongest colours, an excellent picture of the present state of the manners, amusements. A GERMANY. religion, and politics of the people of whom he was among. In short, by the publication of his Travels, Mr. Holcroft has added another laurel to the literary fame which he has already so de servedly acquired. But we shall " No farther seek his merits to disclose," but proceed with our abridgment of the work, in a manner, which we trust, will amply secure to us the reader's approbation. Mr. Holcroft commences his travels from Hamburgh, where it appears he had resided for a considerable time. After describing the emo tions, affections, and sympathies, arising from our nature, in parting with objects for ever, which have long yielded us delight; and the imperious necessity of attending, in these cases, to trifles, such as driving nails, cording trunks, &c. he proceeds to inform us, that " it is the custom in Hamburgh to hire lodgings by the month, and unless a fortnight's notice of quitting be given, the tenant, when going away, may legally be o bliged to pay a month more than is due."

Our traveller had given verbal notice when he was to depart, and the lodgings were in consequence let to other tenants ; yet the morning of his depart ure, the demand of an additional month's rent was made. Not suspecting any fraud, he had GERMANY. 3 given warning before no witness; the guard house was facing his window, and the threat ad mitted of no reply: " Pay the money sir, or the soldiers shall be called, and your effects seized." " When a landlord," says Mr. Holcroft, " by a word can call in military force to support his as sertions, true or false, the consequences may be easily foreseen." He was obliged to pay forty marks more than his due, or put off his journey, and go to law ! We do not admire this practice of the Free Im" perial city of Hamburgh. The boat was to sail at one o'clock, and Mr. Holcroft had still some directions to give, an ac count to settle, and a parting letter to write.

However, his hurry was at length got over, and no mistake happened ; the passengers all met at the boat-house, and the dilatory boatman being an hour later than his time, gave them an oppor tunity of taking a parting glass with their friends. Soon " the hour of their departure arrived," and in our traveller's own words, " Schuchma cher gave us his hand to the boat, and his part ing instructions for the road. M* ****** hoped, nay, half promised, soon to follow, and so came the last farewell !" Mr. Holcroft's wife Louisa, and his daughter Fanny, were his travelling coma GERMANY. panions through the whole course of his jdurriey They were no sooner on board than they were almost stiffled withsmoke. Mr. Holcroft accounts for himself not being so violently affected, in the following words: " We had lived two years among these eternal smokers, and whether I returned from the coffee-house, the dining-hall, or the friendly parlour, I always brought the o dour of the tobacco impregnated in my coat; " Yet," says he, " Louisa and Fanny were not reconciled to the practice."

The day was clear, and the country before them a dead flat. Ham burgh and Altona, with their forests of masts, long continued in sight. They formed a striking contrast to the damp nakedness around. In our traveller's opinion, there is some affinity between the people and the low moist lands they inhabit. Here our author passes some strictures upon the loquacity of the Germans, and their propensity to multiply their writer's productions. — They can boast of 8000 living authors! After passing various creeks and little islands, they finally came in sight of Harburg. The boat put to shore, several passengers landed, and Mr. Holcroft followed their example. Perceiv ing he should arrive before the boat, he loitered to examine the shore, but found nothing re markable; the marsh lands were very prolific, and their inhabitants a very good kind of people.

GERMANY. " So be it," exclaims he, " I bless my stars I am but a passenger." The Prussians had just taken possession of Harburg, a small fortified town, which furnished our author with anoth*. subject for meditation: Says he, " It affected me. It brought to remem brance the contests of power, and the sufferings ofthe unoffending. What do these men do here? said I. Why do they not stay at home, and build bridges, repair roads, drain bogs, and forti ] fy the barren sands of Bradenburg? Would not this be to gain territory? Cannot ambition occu py itself more nobly than jn rapine? Ambition a noble quality! O no! It is blind, selfish, stupid, and almost as ignorant as it is hateful." The town of Harburg is a central point, to which the roads from Hanover, Holland, West phalia, France, and Flanders are directed.

Af ter our author had been in Harburg above an hour, walked to the quay, run the gauntlet a mong beggars, gazed at idlers, who in their turn gazed at him, he endeavoured to fall into con versation with a youth and an elderly man, who had both been passengers in the same vessel with him; the latter returned him a dry answer: Says Mr. Holcroft, " There was something of con tempt in the man's looks. I took off my spec tacks to read, and he exclaimed to the youth. GERMANY. with great self-satisfaction, and giancing at me, " Did not I say so." The good soul no doubt thought it contemptible foppery and affectation to wear spectacles. Is there a man who does not or cannot recollect how angry he has often been, that he could not make all the world as wise as himself. There is blindness that cannot read with spectacles; there is blindness that can not read without spectacles; and there is blind ness that can neither read with nor without!"

Our traveller having waited a considerable time for the arrival ofthe boat, had become alarmed lest some accident had happened. However, his fears ceased, the dull lugger came in view, and he soon had the pleasure of handing his family on shore. A troop of porters came down to carry the lug gage ofthe passengers to the post-house. It be ing no inn, they put down their luggage in the yard, but were assured it was perfectly safe. Mr. Holcroft bears testimony to the general honesty of the German character, and observes, that it gives him " much greater pleasure to bear wit ness to a prevailing virtue, than to reprobate a prevailing vice, but as both are duties, both should be performed." In the circle of Lower Saxony, a German inn is literally a barn, in which every animal takes up his abode, the hog not excepted.

In Harburg GERMANY. 7 they found it much better, but still it was a Ger man inn. It is no offence to a German landlord, to eat your own provisions, for he has seldom any to offer you. Bread and butter, with coffee, is the general beverage; very few houses have wine. Here our traveller acquaints the reader with his family: " Here then," says he, " is my Louisa, with an infant yet unseen, but not two months longer so to remain; and another on her knee, a sweet boy, five quarters old. On one side of her was my daughter, our faithful Fanny, and on the other, myself." In the beginning of May, about 7 o'clock in the evening, Mr. Holcroft and his family set off from Harburg to Bremen, in one of the public vehicles, called a stuhl-wagen, seated with wood en benches, and exposed to every inclemency^ a covered carriage is not to be had.

Their fellow travellers consisted of several gentlemen and la dies, old and young, " v/ell wrapped up in woollen, and provided with snaps *. It would appear they had been " Full of frolic, full of fun * Spiritoufl Liquors. CERMANY. Says our author, they " laughed and ranted like an hundred hop-pickers, and whenever their talk ative jocularity ceased, broke forth into a general chorus of a popular song." They travelled all night and all day, through a flat, cold, and naked country, and arrived, with great difficulty, between 9 and 10 the next evening ; a distance of about 70 English miles, in the space of 27 hours! Fires, bells, and waiters, are seldom to be found in a German inn. However, on this occasion Mr. Holcroft was fortunate: the passengers alighted at the post-house, and the machine was unloaded; here, "surrounded by the confusion of passengers, porters, and the loads they were tossing about in the dark," says our author, we were accosted by a boy, in good English, " if we would suffer him to shew us to an inn?"

" Ay my good fellow, most willingly." " Then please Sir to follow me." " Who are you, and where do you liver" " My Father keeps the Konig von England, over the bridge." " Indeed! he keeps the King of England ? and is he an Englishman ?" " Yes, sir, he was born in Dublin. His name is Lane ; and you will find beds, and fire, and supper, such as you will like." " You are a very obliging boy ; and bring very good news. GERMANY Do you, Louisa and Fanny, follow him, and I will join you as soon as I can. Upon Mr. Holcroft's arrival, he found the boy had not deceived him : He says, the house was not absolutely English; it was in Bremen, and the landlord was a good natured Hibernian ; but there was civility, a parlour fire, tolerable wine, and an excellent supper. In Bremen our traveller found the streets were cleaner, wider, and more airy; the houses better built, and the whole better planned, than Hamburgh; or, in his opinion, than Lubeck.

The Prussians were here likewise, and he had left the Danes at Hamburgh. Both places were greatly annoyed, and their trade much impeded. By these circumstances, all ranks felt themselves humbled. Mr. Holcroft remarks, that Bremen occupies nearly as much ground as Hamburgh; but its population, wealth, and commerce, are far inferior. He found the common people in the habit of being cheerful ; they were well clothed, well paid, and well fed ; but they hung their heads if any one spoke of the Prus .sians. Here our author found Roland, a fa bulous giant, and supposed champion of the liberties of Bremen, standing in the market place, cut in stone. The inhabitants admire his beauty, as may be seen in the works ofthe learned Professor Christian Nikolaus Roller. Ger- B GERMANY. many can boast of an army of Professors, of whom no man has ever heard or read beyond the precincts of each district where they reside.

In the city of Bremen, Mr. Holcroft was much charmed with the elegant appearance of a public pump or fountain : It was plain and unadorn ed, except that a pilgrim stood on its top, with his scrip and staff. Here our author observes, that lions and mermaids spouting water, are ridiculous; river-gods with their urns are lit tle better. But the thirsty pilgrim coming to the pure spring, and assuaging the most impor tunate of all our appetites, is no caprice of the fancy. It teaches luxury to recollect the ines timable value of water; and the weary wanderer to feel how truely happy is he by whom pure water may be had. The thought, though pas toral and simple, is allied to the sublime; and the painter or the sculptor, who shall feel it in all its beauty, will everlastingly renounce allegory. Mr. Holcroft now visited a vault, under the cathedral of Bremen, where the roof, which was composed of lead, had been melted by light ning, and fell into the place.

Since that pe riod, it has continued so remarkably free from moisture, that certain dead bodies, which have been deposited there, have become a kind of mummies. Several stories bordering on the marvellous were related to him, respecting this GERMANY. 11 wonderful vault: one of them was, that the hair of an English Countess, who had been de posited there, was to be found as perfect as on the day that she died. It was likewise told him, that birds were so perfectly preserved here, that the feathers did not fall off. These statements were all incorrect. However, he was convinced that the changes in this vault were remarkably slow, and different from these that usually happen to the dead. Our author left the vault and went into the church, where the chief thing he noticed, was the known costume of the Lutheran devil — a blue jacket.

The English boy, Mr. Lane's son, attended him; he was a genuine believer in all the strange stories current among the populace of Bremen. He shewed our author a haunted house, which a daring English Colonel had ventured to inhabit ; but according to the boy, he was soon glad to get away. Passing through the cloister, says our author, he pointed to a door which no key will open, and which people dare not break down. The reason was a very forcible one. In this place, troops of devils used formerly to play at dutch-pins, and made so hideous an uproar, that the priests were obliged to assemble in a body to quell, and barricade them up in a vault, the door of which, since this awful ceremony, no man has ventured to force. Mr. Holcroft observes, that he has no where seen churches kept with the same B GERMANY. cleanliness or decorum as in England; in the cathedral of Bremen, noisy children were play ing at hide-and-seek, and dirt and delapidation were in every comer, Our traveller next visited the town-hall.