German experiences

Front matter

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*

Preface

ment, and roused to life by the manly eloquence of its patriotic members. If the spirit of the Baden Chamber do not spread, the case of Germany is hopeless.

There may be those who may think that I have pronounced a somewhat severe judgment on the political subserviency of the German people; but what said the representative Sander in the Chamber on the 15th of April last: “ From the French Revo¬ lution came storm on storm; and never has a nation—we speak it with shame and sorrow, yet without reproach against individuals—more ignominiouslv conducted itself; for nothing more igno¬ minious can be found than when brothers suffer themselves to be led by a conqueror into battle against brothers. Let us not, then, deceive our¬ selves! Nothing but misfortune can come, if, through the repose of peace, through a too great contentment, we suffer ourselves to fall asleep, and forget that which maintains the rights and dignity of the country. It was exactly this which was then forgotten, and therefore the Empire fell. If we forget this now, the Confederation, and many of its eight-and-thirty states will fall. The Minister has consoled us with the assurance that Germanv is respected and honoured abroad. I lament that in this respect I am of a totally opposite opinion. That the same Minister, Peel, in England, who, with eloquent tongue at public dinners, and in Parliament, lauds the Northern Autocrat, also praises us, and that ail Britons do this when we

PREFACE.

V continue in the position that they wish us to do; namely, that we do not prosecute the interests of trade and the Zoll-Verein with vigour and zeal, is very comprehensible. But, on the other hand, I read in both the French and English newspapers that we are the most obsequious and slavish people in Europe. I remind the Minister of the article which The Times has published on the condition of the press in Prussia; and this paper is confessedly a Tory paper. A people that allows its frontiers to be menaced,—a people of eight-and-thirtv millions, which formerly played the chief role, yet which now is so little considered in international treaties that it is not able to assert the freedom of its two great rivers, and which must submit to many other disadvantages,— a people which does not know how to protect its internal freedom,—cannot per¬ manently maintain the respect of other nations.”

Here Sander then goes on to shew how far superior to their present condition was that under the Empire up to 1806; and refers to a particular of the most vital consequence, yet which, in describing the fetters imposed by the present Princes on the nation, I had forgotten, or but briefly touched on,—that is, that every thing like a public meeting to complain of any grievance is utterly forbidden. Nay, the very collecting of signatures to a petition is equally so. He says that under the Empire the Press was for the most part free; the University presses were wholly so. The Professors were then called by the colleges them-

VI

PREFACE.

selves, and might freely lecture, but that now if they utter a free word they are dismissed; and he very properly asks, whether, under such circum¬ stances, science and real learning can be promoted or maintained? He says that even the peasants up to 1806 could meet and prepare petitions to the Imperial Parliament, and could print what lay upon their hearts.

These are statements singularly confirmative of those made in this volume; but still more striking are the observations of the representative Welcker, a popular historian, on that dreadful secret penal system to which I have devoted a chapter. On the 19th of April just past,* in the debate on the established system of penal jurisdiction, Welcker contrasted in a most able manner the wide difference between public and private trial. “ If,” said he, “ I were at the very beginning dragged into secresy and darkness, where I had the natural right to be openly tried; if here secresy operated in so subtle a manner, as for whole years to separate me from my connexions and from a defender; if, as in our Baden law, a judgment merely on suspicion could take place; if, as in many countries at the present time, torture were regularly combined with this proceeding; and, in a great part of Germany, a much worse torture than the ancient still exists, through secret martyrdom, cudgelings, and yet greater sufferings ; if, in the nature of this proceed¬ ing lie such things as those which have in a printed * Allgemeine Zeitung, April 2Gth, 1844.

PREFACE.

Vll document been laid before this chamber, no less than twenty cited cases of prison and legal mur¬ ders, in states which boast especially of an excellent administration of justice; if the Prussian minister state from his own country the cases of six innocent men who had been condemned to death, on their own extorted confessions , and yet in all these cases the clearest alibi had been afterwards proved ; if I have produced here examples of unfortunate people who have languished in prisons eight years, were finally condemned to death, and then whose inno¬ cence came to light,—let no one say that I have painted these horrors in too vivid colours.”

The whole of this splendid speech teems with corroborations of what I had already written in this volume. “ Publicity and sworn jurors,” he says, ‘‘are human institutions, but they bring all unjust judgments to the day; but by our secret proceedings in Germany, it is an actual miracle, an exception, if an unjust judgment come to the day, since the man either dies on the scaffold, or in the house of punishment; and the whole pro¬ cess lies buried in the dust of the archives.”

He represents “the dreadful anomaly, that, while civil causes can in many places be tried openly, in those cases in which all that is dearest to the citizen is concerned,—his honour, his life, his freedom,— the whole is transacted in chambers of darkness. But,” added he, “how much more fearful this became from the fact that all these secret courts were under the direct influence of the government,

Vlll

PREFACE.

and every judge and officer of its appointment!” He reminded the Chamber of the practice of the Empire, where the judges were nearly, if not wholly, independent, but were now quite dependent, and not only so, but were placed in the position of the most absolute suspicion as to the impartiality of their judgments. “ Think only,” exclaimed the orator, “ of the monstrous contrast! Formerly Grolman declared, that it was but cabinet justice if the minister only during a trial communicated to a judge his view of the case; now, there stands the Attorney-general, instructed and directed by the government, constantly before the judge, delivers the accusation, demands the trial, demands at every step of it, in the name of the almighty power of the government, that the judge shall so and so decide. How must it go under such cir¬ cumstances with the poor accused in the secret chambers? If the antagonist power of publi¬ city, the control of their fellow-citizens, the light of the sun and of public opinion, do not step in, they who make themselves, politically or unpolitically, unwelcome or hated, are lost beyond redemption.”

I am proud to produce such eminent testimony to the accuracy of the statements in this volume, which will not fail to astonish the mass of English readers, who are little acquainted with the actual state of things in Germany. They who are really well informed of this state of things have long ceased to wonder, they only deplore.

Part I

Chapter I.—General Objects—these twofold — Information to Travellers and Settlers—Information to those at Home on the Dangers attending the Introduction of German Institutions ....... page 1

Chapter II.—Erroneous Ideas with which People set out to Germany—False Ideas of German Character—these lead to speedy Disgust—Real Character of the Germans—Neces¬ sary, in going into their Country, to think more of the Pounds than the Poetry—What People intending to sojourn there should take with them, and what they should not—A salutary Caution on the Journey necessary—Expert Thieves on the Rhine—Singular Robberies of Passengers—The Author’s own case . . ..... 4

Chapter III.—Choice of Place of Residence—Great mis¬ take of selecting small and especially University Towns— The Expensive, as well as Demoralized State of the Rhine Country—alleged Causes of this—The real Advantages of Germany, whether Economical, Educational, or Social, to be found only in the Capitals—peculiar recommen¬ dations of these—The serious Annoyances of and Objections

X

CONTENTS.

to small German Towns—the worst of all, the University ones—Characteristics of these—Habits and gigantic Pre¬ tensions of German Professors — their Contempt of Women —Professor Schlosser’s Character of English Female Writers —Low Moral tone of German University Towns . page 16

Chapter IV.—Advice how to secure all the possible Advan¬ tages, and to avoid, as much as possible, the Annoyances of a German sojourn—Modes of settling yourself, as to Loca¬ lity and Dwelling—German Lodging-housekeepers a pecu¬ liar Race — Necessity of guarding against the delusive Recommendations of Hotel Commissionaires—These paid by Lodging-housekeepers—Requisite Cautions in making your Agreement — Seek for Information from your Countrymen in the place—none to be obtained from German Families— Bad Character of German Lodging-housekeepers — this never breathed to Strangers—All Accounts of Outrage hushed up by the Police—Instance—Next to your own Countrymen, rely on your Banker—Customs connected with Furnished Rooms—The excellent System of Furnishing empty Rooms in a single day—a fact generally unknown to Strangers—other Cautions . . . . .31

Chapter V.—Cautions as to German Servants—those who speak English a race of Thieves—endeavour to keep you in the dark as to real Prices of things—The best Servants those who speak no English—some of these invaluable— Advantage of having Dinners sent in from an Hotel—High Price of Fuel—Necessity of having in your Bills before it is known that you are quitting a Town—Excessive slowness of German Tradesmen—Ludicrous Instance of this . 42

Chapter VI.—The Gentleman and Lady Lodging-house¬ keeper to be especially avoided—Exploits of one of this genus in Heidelberg—Contrast between the Natural Beau¬ ties of this Place and the Spirit of its Inhabitants . 51

CONTENTS.

XI

Chapter VII.—False Accounts of Cheapness — the real extent of this—Mischievous Effect of a Statement in Mur¬ ray’s Hand-book of the cheapness of Heidelberg — The place as dear as inhospitable to Strangers—Living in Lodgings and Travelling Expenses to be taken into the account, in the comparative Cheapness of Foreign Resi¬ dence— Cheapness in many parts of England equal to that of the Rhine Country—The one great Economy of Ger¬ many, Education — demonstrated in comparison with English School Charges—Danger attending sending Chil¬ dren to German Schools—the only safe and economical Plan to accompany them—Prices of Articles of Life in Germany—of Articles of Clothing—Great Mystery of Cheap Living in Germany remains to be solved—No English can live for half the sum the German Families, in the same apparent scale of expenditure, do—Requires Three Years’ Experience to learn to live properly there—Plan of entrust¬ ing a number of Boys and Girls to a confidential English Tutor or Governess considered — Excessive Dangers at¬ tending sending Children to what are called the Cheap Schools of Germany—German Do-the-Boys’ Halls—Mode of Living in German Schools-—Danger of recommending particular Schools — deficiency of Comforts and Requisites in many of them—danger to Health and Constitutional Viaour—Wretched state of an Invalid in a German School —Plan for English Schools with all Continental advan¬ tages— Dangers of sending Young Men to German Univer¬ sities—Universal prevalence of Infidelity—the direct Con¬ sequence of German Philosophy . . . page 64

Xll

CONTENTS.

Part II

Chapter I.— Causes and certain Consequences of the present fashionable Passion for German Institutions and Language — this passion fomented and misguided by interested Persons — German Things and Customs which are really worth imitating—these never seen by our Travelling Aris¬ tocracy — Public Walks for our Manufacturing Towns, when proposed by Mr. Buckingham, rejected by them— they do not see the Cheap, Easy, Agreeable Life of the People of Germany—The horrible State of the Poor in London and our Manufacturing Towns described, and com¬ pared with what is seen here, with their Cheap Food and Public Means of enjoyment—What the Aristocracy do see Abroad and imitate at Home—Police, Military Regulations and Costumes, Boards of Commissioners, and Plans of Government Education—Dreadful State of our Agricultural Population compared with that of Germany . page 93

Chapter II.—Striking Progression of Germanization in our Institutions, obvious after a Three Years’absence, especially in the Police Department—Policemen as they were and as they are—Police Highwaymen with great Swords—The Policemen everywhere—Our last generation of Poets con¬ gratulated on having lived before the day of the Rural Police—Unconstitutional extension of Police into Govern¬ ment Spies, and an Armed Force, to control Elections— High time to see what other German Institutions are before we go further . . . . . . . .108

Chapter III.— Original Free Spirit and Customs of the German race—The Norwegians and Swiss the sole branches

CONTENTS.

Xlll of this race who have preserved their Free Constitutions_

The main German race now totally enslaved—Fatal intro¬ duction of the Roman Law—Progress of German Enslave¬ ment—Their Enthralment completed by the present Princes —Treachery and Despotism of these Princes—Discontent yet Passiveness of the People , page 118

Chapter IV. The Censorship of the Press. —The Art of Gagging—Gagging the Press vainly attempted in England —The gigantic and magnificent Power of the Press—A Monster in the hands of a Government—Effects of the Press on Literature and Politics in Germany—The Censor, a Literary Policeman, always sitting by the Authors’ and Editors’ Desks—Inconceivable Miseries of this System— Incalculable Mischief of the secret Murder of Ideas— Translation of “ Campbell’s Ode to the Germans,” as pre¬ sented to the Author by its Translator, a celebrated Poet, on being suppressed by the Censorship—Menzel’s, the His¬ torian, Description of the Effect of the Slavery of the Press on the German Character and Literature . . . 127

Chapter V. The Police System. —Ostensibly for preserving Public Order, but really to suppress Public Opinion—The Police-Office a genuine Spider’s Web—A string to the Leg of every Man and Woman, in the shape of Secret Lists, Passports, Wander-books, Characters of Servants lodged with the Police—Interference in Marriages, and consequent enormous growth of Illegitimate Births—Penetration of the Police into all Domestic Affairs—Strange Regulations for Funerals—The Police Manager of Funerals—Police Magazine of Coffins—Police Bill of Charges and Classifica¬ tion of Funerals— Scrieery, a Government invention to give Bread to Officials—Results of this in Enormous Docu¬ ments on all possible Subjects—Curious Experiences on this head of some Young Englishmen—In what particulars this Police excels ours.. 139

XIV

CONTENTS.

Chapter VI. The System of Patronage and Employ¬ ment. —The good old plan of Stuffing Mouths with Pudding, a third great Scheme of the German Governments—All Social and Commercial, as well as Magisterial Affairs taken into the hands of these Pudding-eaters—Amount of Officials in France, stated by Toqueville—Amount of the Armies of Germany—of Ecclesiastics, Nobles, and Officials—Patron¬ age and Subserviency amongst the University Professors— Curious Scenes and Plottings in a University Town—Convertion of Student Life into Official torpor—Amazing Amount of Officials in a single Village—Profuse Distribu¬ tion of Titles, Orders, and Badges, as a means of enslaving the Public Mind—Orders in Austria alone—A Paper from a German Periodical on “Titles and the Title-Disease of Germany”— Consequent slavish Spirit of the German People, as noted by Mr. Laing—The melancholy effect on the German Character, indicated by an Analysis of the German Song, “ Free is the Bursch”—Not yet at the end of the Chain of Despotism .... page 157

Chapter VII. The Roman Law and its Secret Tri¬ bunals. —Law taught, not in Inns or Courts, but in the Universities — learned Lecturing thereon, but barbarous Practice—a totally Secret System, without Public Check and without Personal Security—The Rack still used as a Punishment, and Cudgeling, to compel Confession — No open Courts, open Evidence, open Pleading; every thing done by Writing—Estate, as well as Person, at the mercy of this Secret System, and devoured by the monstrous growth of Scribery —A Case cited by Mr. Laing—The most singular and amazing Case of the Cabinet-maker Wendt, on the charge of Poisoning his Wife—Appeals to the Uni¬ versities of Gottingen and Heidelberg in his case, and their strange Decisions—Remarks on this popular Case, and on the whole fearful System—Coquetry of German Professors for advancement.181

CONTENTS.

XV

Chapter VIII. The Political Poets of Germany. —Count Auersperg; the Cosmopolitan Watchman; Hoffman von Fallersleben; the Black Songs of Benedikt Dalei; Herwegh, etc. ....... page 231

Chapter IX. The Present and the Future.

Chapter X. National Education in Germany; its Objects and Effects, viewed with reference to National Edu¬ cation in England. —This is the Topstone to the grand Scheme of Government Despotism in Germany — florid Accounts of this System, and consequent Enthusiasm about it in England—Impossibility of introducing this System into a Free Country—undesirableness of such transplantation— consequent failure of all such attempts here — the True Nature of this System still needs to be better known here —Mr. Laing’s Remarks on it—Where wrong, and where right—The Lowest Class of Schools only introduceable by a Government amongst us, and why they should not be so introduced ........ 299

Chapter XI. How would the Prussian System of Popular Education operate in England. —Mr. Laing’s Opinion of its Fatal Effects in Prussia. Mr. Bisset Haw¬ kins’ Opinion. Concurrent Opinion of its being a Total Failure—the Causes of this— Tested by the Author through Personal inquiries amongst the People, and found to be a Nullity—The true State of Things amongst the Students at the Universities—Misrepresentations of Reviews on this subject—The Citizen Schools the best in their Ope¬ ration, but the impossibility of any Government introducing them here—Ignorance of the so-called Educated Working Population of Germany—Rude state of Boys in Towns— The worst feature of the German System, its being a State Puppet, with its Strings in the Government’s hands— Instructions to all Schoolmasters to inculcate Passive Obe-

XVI

CONTENTS.

dience—Different State of the Popular Mind in England, and different Results to be expected from a General Educa¬ tion of the People—Fatal Error of committing such a System to the hands of any Government—A National Education distinguished from a Government Education —English Institutions all the Work of the People themselves, and that of National Education must not, and cannot be other¬ wise—Easy Mode of carrying this out—Grand Emulation awakened between different Religious Bodies, and their Subscriptions for Popular Instruction — Mrs. Hippersley Tuckfield’s Plan—Working Schools. . . page 313

Chapter XII. Concluding Remarks. —The Author reverts to his Objects in this Work—The Character of the Govern¬ ment Institutions here described, and the Character and Habits of the People, to be carefully distinguished—The latter described at large in “ The Rural and Social Life of Germany”—Further acquaintance with each other will not lead England to copy the Political Institutions of Germany, but to reap the advantages of Trade—The vast influence which the Abolition of the Corn Laws will have in this respect—The Opinions of Mr. Laing reviewed and disproved on Statistical Evidence—Alarm of the German Manufacturers at the prospect of the Abolition of the Corn- Laws—The Prosperity of Hamburg a proof of the Benefits of Trade between the two Countries—Free Institutions will proceed from England to Liberalise the whole Continent, 344

ERRATA.

Page 27, line 23, for “ moon-light,” read “ moon-like,”

— 52, — 20, for “whose,” read “ where.”

— 93, — 3, for “ administration,” read “ admiration.”

— 157, — 4, for “ its,” read “ their.”

— 169, — in note, for “mountains,” read “ mountain.”

— 194, — 16, for “ investigation,” read “ instigation.”

— 214, — 7, for “ Spruch-collegian, read “ Sprucli-collegia.”

— 223, — in note, for “removed,” read “ reproved.”

— 274, — in note, for “ Volksbewhsstseins wisd,” read

— 296, — 7, for “ Tartar-eagle,” read “ Russian vulture.”

GERMAN EXPERIENCES,

ADDRESSED TO

THE ENGLISH.

Chapter I

In my work on Germany there are certain subjects which I either omitted or merely slightly touched upon, as not coming expressly within the range of its “ Social and Rural life,” and as calculated to expand that work beyond reasonable bounds. On these particular subjects I wished to speak too expressly with a reference to the advantage of my countrymen, both public and private, and therefore resolved to treat them in a little separate volume.

Vast numbers of our countrvmen are now settled, at least for a time, in Germany; and, independent of merely summer tourists, great numbers are still annually passing over to reside there for a season. Some are led by the simple desire or necessity for change; some go to seek health at the baths; some with a view to economy; and others, and this a

A B large number, with a view to the education of their children. To all these the experiences of a person who has already made the sojourn, and particu¬ larly in pursuit of education, I am sure may be of no trifling benefit. Such a little manual would have saved us infinite annoyances; would have saved us much time, much misery and disappoint¬ ment. It is what we should have hailed as most welcome. I shall, therefore, endeavour to make the path clear to my successors, in all those parti¬ culars which every one is asking for on his arrival, and which no one can furnish in a palpable and lasting form. What people should take with them, and what they should not take with them; where and how they should locate themselves; what dangers and impositions they have to guard against; and what they are, and are not to expect in the most important particulars,—these are the points that every one is anxious to obtain informa¬ tion upon, and which it shall be the object of this little volume to endeavour to supply.

But there is a second, and still more serious object in this work. Political and other circum¬ stances have brought us, of late years, into a close connexion with Germany. The Queen’s marriage preeminently has promoted this tendency. The literature, the music, the opera, the language, and the institutions of that country have become more or less fashionable. In education, particularly, we have shewn a disposition to admire and adopt

EXPERIENCES.

its institutions. Nay, its systems of police, and similar social and political organizations, have grown rapidly into imitative life amongst us. Now to copy and engraft on our own practices what is good in those of foreign nations is wise; but there is a danger that when a thing becomes fashionable, that we shall cherish an indiscriminating enthusiasm, and under its influence adopt not the good only but the bad. There is no question that this is our case just now, and the voice of warning shall not be wanting on my part, to point out the perils which are from this quarter stealing silently but with firmest foot upon us. Mistaken notions of many German institutions prevail to a wonderful extent amongst our people at home, and none so mistaken or so imminently dangerous as those connected with popular education. Let us then endeavour, in the first place, to clear the course for those of our countrymen who are con¬ templating a residence in that country; and, in the second, by a more familiar view of the spirit and working of German institutions, to guard ourselves at home from the mischiefs with which their too easy adoption threatens us.

b 2

Chapter II

The most important point in setting out for any foreign country is to go with correct notions of what it is, and, therefore, what you have to expect. There is no country of the European continent where people are so apt to carry preconceived ideas of an erroneous, and therefore delusive and disappointing nature, as Germany. Those espe¬ cially who are a little poetically inclined, are apt to entertain I know not what conceptions of a pri¬ mitive, simple-hearted, intellectual, and kind nation. They imagine an old-world elysium, and a golden age of pastoral simplicity and poetry. This is the finest possible mood to go out with if you wish to become the prey of imposition, and to make a rapid transi¬ tion to disgust and disappointment. It is true that the Germans are a people of a simpler and more economical style of living than we are; but they are by no means wanting in worldly shrewdness, and a sharp look-out after their own interests. Things are to a certain degree cheaper there, espe¬ cially the farther eastward that you advance; but it is nevertheless true, that the English generally

EXPERIENCES.

pay from twenty to forty per cent, more for every thing than they ought to do. Intellectual, and somewhat sentimental, the Germans as a nation may be considered; but human nature is pretty much the same everywhere, and the bulk of those amongst whom you are thrown in the concerns of daily life anywhere, are not those of the most exalted and romantic minds; on the contrary, they are the classes which look upon you as their natural prey, and are as canny as any Scotchman in making the most of you. You are soon aston¬ ished to find how closely simplicity of manner, or mode of life, is connected with selfish exactness; with a want of the refinement, of delicacy of sen¬ timent and action, that you are accustomed to at home; and how all that is really superior, be it in intellect or in heart, gradually draws back before you, and concentrates itself in the few shining exceptions.

That class of persons who have gone to Germany with the most enthusiastic ideas of simple grace, poetry, and warmheartedness, have always expe¬ rienced the most bitter disappointment. They have generally commenced their study of the German lan¬ guage with Grimms’ Marchen; they have read the Life of Jung Stilling; they have then plunged into the noble poetry of Schiller, and the Faust, the Her¬ mann and Dorothea of Goethe, the beautiful pic¬ ture of country and domestic life in Voss’s Louise. They have gazed with admiration at the designs of

Retzseh; and have thus set forth with the ideal of a country in their heads compounded of those materials, forgetful that these are not the realities of life, but the golden embellishments of poets. Let all such enthusiasts get rid as fast as possible of these rainbow fancies. Let them expect that though they will find much to admire in the litera¬ ture of Germany, they will also find that the lite¬ rature is far more attractive than the life. Much too as there is in the life which will charm them,— the open accessibility of fields and forests, the delightful public walks, the easy hours and easy prices of the finest concerts, operas, and galleries of art, much too in the ease and simplicity of domestic arrangements; they will find too many things which rub off dreadfully the poetry of illu¬ sion ; much coarseness of manner and speech, many habits which astonish a refined people.

Let all such persons, therefore, as they wish to enjoy what is really satisfactory, cast away as fast as possible all Arcadian ideas. Let them prepare to find a people civil and friendly, but naturally much fonder of themselves and their own people than of foreigners; very glad to have you at their balls and parties, but not prone to rush into enthu¬ siastic friendships with you. A people, in fact, much fonder of our money than of ourselves; who are jealous of our wealth and greatness, and hate us cordially because we were never beaten by Buonaparte like themselves. Above all, let them

EXPERIENCES.

never forget that they are not going to exist entirely on the books and the poetry, in the woods or the public gardens; but, in houses, of which they will have real earthly rent to pay, and on the articles furnished by butchers, bakers, grocers, and such mortals, who are no more poetical or less attentive to number one than the very acute and practical fellows of their English experience. They will do well, instead of dreams of Werthers and Char¬ lottes, of Retzsch’s graceful youths and maidens, or of Strauss and Lanners’ bands, to possess them¬ selves with the idea that there is a very large body of people who are expecting them, just as our fishermen expect the annual shoal of herrings, and are prepared to extract from them as much of their English gold as they can. The Germans travel from home only to gain; we travel to spend. The Germans go out in swarms to every nation and city where money is to be earned, and they are not therefore likely to neglect the gathering of it at home. We conquer nations and plant colonies; but the Germans, like the Jews, insinuate them¬ selves into the mass of the population of all known countries, from America to the East Indies, from Australia to Russia. They abound throughout Turkey, Wallachia, Syria, the United States, France, and England. In Germany we expect to win nothing but pleasure or accomplishment: it is too poor a country to offer any temptation to moneyed speculators—there is nothing of the sort to be got there; but here, as everywhere else, we are expected to spend, and a large class has sprung up which depends almost entirely on our expenditure. They are not by any means pleased with us if we do not spend freely. In England the Germans seek in shoals a participation of our wealth. I know not if it be statistically correct, but the Germans here themselves assert that there are not less than forty or fifty thousand of their countrymen in London ; that Whitechapel is half populated with them, and that Manchester has its ten thousand Germans. All these are close, practical, fast-sticking fellows, who, like the Scotch, are enthusiasts regarding all that belongs to their own country, yet never care to return to it. Their affection, like that of Cole¬ ridge for his wife and children, is too tender to allow them to live together. Of these same lovers of the Fatherland, but deeper lovers of themselves, we remind our poetical readers, once more, that there is a large class expecting them in that country, and we therefore bid those that are going think first of the pounds and afterwards of the poetry.