Lk er. 
1B1-J 4) 
case,” replied a Swiss merchant, “the 
inhabitants must all be slaves. Upon 
my soul, it is@ poor country!” A Prus. 
sian Hussar officer, who was coolly 
smoaking his pipe, took it gravely from 
his mouth, and said, with a firm voice, 
“ No person is so great asthe king of 
Prussia. He delivered Silesia from the 
yoke of Austria and her nobles, I re. 
member, when I was eneamped here 
four years ago. What fine fields for fight- 
ing! I would establish my magazine in 
the castle, and my artillery on the ter- 
races—I would line the river with my 
infantry, put my cavalry at the wings ; 
and with thirty thousand men I would 
defy all the forces Of the empire. Long 
live Frederick!” Scarcely bad he xe. 
sumed his pipe, when a Russian officer 
took up the conversation. ‘I would 
bot,” said he, “live in a country which, 
like Silesia, is open to all armies. Our 
Cossacks ravaged it last war; and, had it 
not been for the regulars who prevented 
them, they would not have left a cottaze 
standing. It.is worse at present. The 
easauts may complain against their lords 
i this. The citizens have even greater 
privileges in their municipality. I like 
the environs of Moscow much better.” 
A young student of Leipsic thus an 
swered the two officers: “‘ Gentlemen, 
“how can you speak of war in so charming 
a place? Give me leave to tell you, 
that the very name of Silesia comes fram 
Campi Elisei, the Elysian Fields. It 
would be better to exclaim with Virgil, 
* OLycoris, hic. tecum cousumerer evo ! 
—O, Lycoris! here with you could I 
calmly wait for my dissolution.” As 
these words were pronounced with 
warmth, a pretty lite milliner from 
Paris, whom the ennui of the journey 
ad lulled to sleep, awoke, and, at the 
sight of so charming a ,prospect, ex. 
claimed in her turn: “Ah, what.ade- 
Vicious country! it wants nothing but 
‘renchmen!” ‘ What do you sigh for?” 
said she to a young Jewish rabbi, who 
was sitting by her side. “ Do you see, 
said the Jewish doctor, “ that. mountain 
there with its lofty peak; it resembles 
Mount Sinai.” All the company here 
burst into laughter; but an old Protestant 
clergyman from Erfurt, in Saxony, con- 
tractipg his braws, said angrily: ‘ Si- 
Jesja is a cursed country, because the 
truth is banished from it. It is under 
the yoke of popery. You will see at the 
entrance of Breslaw the palace of the 
ancient dukes of Silesia, which jis now 
- Jnhabited by a college of Jesujtsy who. 
Fragment of a Tour in Silesia. 
117 
have been drawn from every other part 
of Europe.” A fat Datch merchant, 
puryeyor to the Prussian army ia the las¢ 
war, replied, ‘How can you gall a 
country cursed which is covered with so 
many blessings? The king of Prussia 
did well to conquer Silesia; it is the 
brightest jewelin his crown. I should 
prefer.a rood of ground here to a thou 
sand acres in the Mark of Branden. 
burgh.” ‘ 
_ Disputing in this manper,: we arrived 
at Breslaw, and alighted at a very good 
inn, While waiting for dinner, the con, 
versation turned upon the owner of the 
castle we had just passed. The Saxon 
clergyman assured us he was a mise 
creant, who commended the Prussian 
artillery atthe siege of Dresden; that he 
had destroyed with bis poisoned bomrbs 
that unfortunate city, part of which was 
still in. ruins, and that he had acquived 
his estates by contributions raised ia 
Saxony. ‘* You are mistaken,” re. 
phed the baron, “he got them by-his 
marriage with an Austrian countess, whe 
made a bad match of it. His. wite has 
most reason to complain. None. of his 
children.can enter into any of the noble 
orders of Germany, because their 
father was oniy a soldier of fortune.” 
“‘ What you gay,” replied the Prussian 
Hussar, “does him honour, apd he 
would be amply resvarded now in Pras- 
sia, if he had not left the king’s service 
at the peace. He is an officer that 
cannot shew himself any more.” The 
landlord, who was spreading the cloth 
on the table, said: “ Gentlemen, I see 
you are unacquainted with the officer of 
whom you are speaking; the jis a man 
loved and revered by ailthe worlds there 
is notia beggar in all his dumains. Al- 
though a catholic, he relieves poor tra- 
vellers, let them be of whatever country 
or religion.they may. Jf they ave Sax- 
ons, he lodges and feeds them for three 
days, as a compensation for the injury 
he was obliged to do them dunng the 
war. He is adoved by his wife and 
children.” ‘ You ought to know,” said 
the Protestant clergyman to the land- 
lord, ‘‘ that there is. neither charity nor 
Virtue in his communion... All he does 
is pure bypocwsy, like the virtues of 
pagans and papists.” We had amongst 
us some catholics, who.would have raised 
a terrible dispute when the landlord took 
his place..at the top of the table, ac- 
cording 10 the custom of Germany. A 
profound silenge reigned during dinnen; 
snd every ong ave and drpiik like a oa 
ae i pH veller, 
