A TALK ABOUT PUBLIC PARKS AND GARDENS. 



155 



general use. The public garden at Munich, 

 for example, contains above 500 acres, ori- 

 ginally laid out by the celebrated Count 

 RuMFORD, with live miles of roads and 

 walks, and a collection of all the trees and 

 shrubs that will thrive in that country. It 

 combines the beauty of a park and a gar- 

 den, 



Ed. And Frankfort ? 



Trav. Yes, I was coming to that, for it 

 is quite a model of this kind of civilization. 

 The public garden of Frankfort is, to my 

 mind, one of the most delightful sights in 

 the world. Frankfort deserves, indeed, in 

 this respect, to be called a " free town ;" 

 for I doubt if we are yet ready to evince 

 the same capacity for self-government and 

 non-imposition of restraint as is shown 

 daily by the good citizens of that place, in 

 the enjoyment of this beautiful public gar- 

 den. Think of a broad belt, about two 

 miles long, surrounding the city on all 

 sides but one, (being built upon the site of 

 the old ramparts,) converted into the most 

 lovely pleasure grounds, intersected with 

 all manner of shady walks and picturesque 

 glades, planted not only with all manner of 

 fine trees and shrubs, but beds of the 

 choicest flowers, roses, carnations, dahlias, 

 verbenas, tuberoses, violets, &c. &c. 



Ed. And well guarded, I suppose, by 

 gen-d''armes, or the police ! 



Trav. By no means. On the contrary, 

 it is open to every man, woman and child 

 in the city ; there are even no gates at the 

 various entrances. Only at these entrances 

 are put up notices, stating that as the gar- 

 den was made for the public, and is kept 

 up at its expense, the town authorities 

 commit it to the protection of all good citi- 

 zens. 50,000 souls have the right to enter 

 and enjoy these beautiful grounds ; and 

 yet, though they are most thoroughly en- 

 joyed, you will no more see a bed trampled 



upon, or a tree injured, than in your own 

 private garden here at home ! 



Ed. There is truly a democracy in that, 

 worth imitating in our more professedly 

 democratic country. 



Trav. Well, out of this common enjoy- 

 ment of public grounds, by all classes, 

 grows also a social freedom, and an easy 

 and agreeable intercourse of all classes, 

 that strikes an American with surprise and 

 delight. Every afternoon, in the public 

 grounds of the German towns, you will 

 meet thousands of neatly dressed men, 

 women and children. All classes assemble 

 under the shade of the same trees, — the 

 nobility, (even the king is often seen among 

 them.) the wealthy citizens, the shopkeep- 

 ers, and the artisans, etc. There they all 

 meet, sip their tea and coffee, ices, or other 

 refreshments, from tables in the open air, 

 talk, walk about, and listen to bands of 

 admirable music, stationed here and there 

 throughout the park. In short, these great 

 public grounds are the pleasant drawing- 

 rooms of the whole population ; where they 

 gain health, good spirits, social enjoyment, 

 and a frank and cordial bearing towards 

 their neighbors, that is totally unknown 

 either in England or America. 



Ed. There appears a disinclination in 

 the Anglo-Saxon race to any large social 

 intercourse, or unrestrained public enjoy- 

 ment. 



Trav. It is not difficult to account for 

 such a feeling in England. But in this 

 country, it is quite unworthy of us and our 

 institutions. With large professions of 

 equality, I find my countrymen more and 

 more inclined to raise up barriers of class, 

 wealth and fashion, which are almost as 

 strong in our social usages, as the law of 

 caste is in England. It is quite unworthy 

 of us, as it is the meanest and most con- 

 temptible part of aristocracy ; and we oWe 



