Aas Uh lr J _- 
118 
‘veller: we fared sumptuously; peaches, 
grapes, and melons, were served up as 
adessert. The landlord desired his wife 
to bring (between dinner and tea) some 
bottles of Champagne wine, with which, 
he said, he would regale the company, in 
honour of the owner of the castle, to 
whom he was under particular obliga- 
tions,’ The bottles were then brought, 
‘and putting them before the French 
milliner, he begged her to do the honours. 
Joy beamed in every countenance, and 
the conversation became sprightly. My 
countrywoman presented the landlord 
with the first glass of his wine, saying, 
that she had been as well treated by 
him as in the best inn at Paris, and that 
she never knew a Frenchman who sur- 
passed him in gallantry. The Russian 
officer now adimitted that there was 
more fruit at Breslaw than at Moscow, 
He compared Silesia to Livonia for fer- 
tility ; and he added, that the liberty of 
the peasant made a country be better 
eyltivated, and their lords happier. The 
‘astronomer observed, that Moscow was 
very nearly in the same latitude as Bres- 
Jaw ; and consequently susceptible of the 
‘‘same productions. The Hussar officer 
remarked: “In truth I find, that the 
Tord of the castle, whose estate we have 
just passed, did well to quit the service, 
Afterall, our Great Frederic, after having 
‘fought gloriously in the war, passed part 
of his time in gardening, &c. cultivating 
with his own hands the melons at Sans- 
‘sonci,” All the company were of the 
Hassar’s opinion, Even the Saxon cler- 
gyman said, that Silesia was a fine and 
good province; that it was a pity it was 
Yn a state of error, but he doubted not 
but that liberty of conscience being 
‘established in all the states of the king 
of Prussia, the inhabitants, and, without 
‘doubt, the master of the castle,-would 
soon return to the truth, and embrace 
‘the confession of Auysburg. “ For,” 
added he, “God never allows a good 
action to go without its reward, and it is 
one which we cannot. praise too much 
im 2 military man who has done mischief 
to any country in the time of war, to 
“endeavour to benefit it during peace.” 
The landlord then proposed to drink the 
health of this brave officer, which was 
done amidst shouts of applause. 
No person refused to drink with the 
fair milliner except the young Jewish 
‘rabbi. He dined by himself upon his 
own provisions in a corner of the room, 
‘according to the custom of the Jews 
~when travelling. tHe rose, and presented 
ele j 1 
Fragment of a Tour in Silesia. 
[March 1, 
to the lady a great leather bowl, who 
filled it to the brim, which he drank at 
one draught. “Come,” said she, 
“ what are you thinking about, doctor— 
the country which produces such good 
wine? Is it not as good as the Land of 
Promise?” “ Without doubt,” replied 
he, with a smiling air, “all wine must 
be good when poured out by such fair 
hands.” “Do you not wish,” said she, 
‘that your Messiah were born in France, 
in order that he might there assemble 
his tributaries from all parts of the 
world. “ May it please God !” replied 
the Israelite ; “ but he must previously 
make the conquest of Europe, where we 
are at present so miserable. Our Mes 
siah must be another Cyrus, who will 
force the different nations of the earth to 
live in peace with each other, and with 
the whole human race.” ‘God grant 
it!” exclaimed most of the company. 
E admired this variety of opinions 
among people who disputed so violently 
before they sat down to dinner, and 
agreed so cordially before they rose from 
it. Iconcluded, that man is wicked in 
adversity, (for it is surely a misfortune to 
many people to have an hungry sto~ 
mach:) and that he is virtuous in pros 
perity; for when he has made a good 
dinner, he is at peace with all the world, 
like Rousseau’s savage. 
I drew another more important infer- 
ence, which was this: that all these opi- 
nions, which had for the most part shaken 
all mine by turns, proceeded merely 
from the different educations of my tra~ 
velling companions; and I had no doubt 
that every man would return to his own 
way of thinking when by himself. 
Wishing to strengthen my judgment 
upon the various subjects of conversa- 
tion, [ addressed myself to a neighbour 
who had kept continued silence; and 
one who I perceived to be of a placid 
temper, ‘ What do you think’ (said T) 
of Silesia, and the lord of the castle?” 
“ Silesia,” replied he, “is a very fine 
country, because it produces fruit in 
abundance; and the lord of the’castle is 
an excellent man, because he relieves 
the distressed, As to the manner of 
judging of it, this differs in each in- 
dividual according to his religion, na- 
tion, condition, temper, sex, age, the 
season of the year, even the hour of the 
day ; and, finally, the education, which 
gives the first and last bias ‘to our judg. 
ment; but when we refer every thing ‘to 
the virtues of the human race, we vecide 
correctly. Zt isby the general and grand 
regsoy 
