1S06.] Letters on the Present Slate of Sxintzcrland. 



(tlie Po,) how can it be reconciled to rea- 

 ibn that Phaeton could have lalleii into 

 it, when we find that the Vudux had 

 been previouily dried up, in the 258th 

 vcrfe : 

 Hefpeiiosque amnes Rheniuu^ Rhodanum- 



que, Padwnque. 

 If it be objefted that l>e might have 

 faOcn into an exficcated cavity, as into a 

 pit, this cannot be made to a*;ree witli 

 the latter part of the verfe, "fumantia' 

 rjufi abluit ora -j'^ for how could his faco 

 be waflied when there was no liquid re- 

 maining for the purpofe ? I rauft ac- 

 knowledge that I am quite at a lofs to 

 make tlie ftory conliftent, which (in tliis 

 part of it,) may remind us of tlie non- 

 fcnfe which ufed to be told to children, 

 of " an old woman that was drowned in 

 a dry ditch in Ilatcliffe Highway." 

 I am, Sir, &c., 



Samuel Wesley. 

 P, Arlbigtcn-Jtieet, Camden Tozin. 



June 19, 1806. 



Fo?' the Monthly Magazine. 



LETTERS on the PRESENT STATE f)/'swITZ- 



ERLAND, addreffed bj/ a traveller in 

 that couKTEY to his friend in lo.n- 



DON. 



Zurich, Atfgi'Jl 1805. 



YOXJ need never be at a lol's for a 

 walk in and about Zurich. If you 

 will follow the crovvd, you may frequent 

 the new parade, the Lindeuhof, the ])ro- 

 tnenade along the clear Limmat running 

 from the lake through the town, or tiie 

 Schutzenplatz ; but for the triie eyjoy- 

 lueat of nature you niuft leave the town, 

 and take a nearer view of its famous 

 Jake,' the banks of which are more culti- 

 vated and populous, and combine more 

 beauty, variety, and fnnplicity, than al- 

 ijiofl any oilier in Svvitzeriaud. Its great- 

 eil length is about thirty miles, jts breadth 

 three, and its depth in many places one 

 hundred fathoms. 



An aquatic excurfion on the Lake is the 

 favourite diverfion of the inhabitants, as 

 well as travellers. On fine fuuniier-days, 

 iind in the fcafon of autumn, it is tiu'ong- 

 fcd with gondolas and barks occupied by 

 chearful and numerous parties. But 

 aias ! Jiow lately was it a fcene of war 

 inftead of diverfion, when its waters, like 

 ihofe of moft lakes in Switzerland, bore 

 armed lloops inftead of plcafure-boats, 

 and were reddened either by the blood 

 of the llain, or the reflection of the flames 

 from the buruinjj villages. On this lake 

 the intrepid Williams, commanded the 

 armed flotilla of the allies. 



It is however no lefs plcafing ani 

 iuterelling to traverfe the borcjers of 

 the lake either on horfeback or on foot. 

 To have the full enjoyment of i'uch an 

 excurfion, I feiedied a line fcrene day, 

 and letting off in the afternoon, went b/ 

 Wellahofeu, Kilchberg, and Rufchlickcn, 

 asfar asThuKvyl and Oberrieden. The 

 ch.urch of the latter place, in particular, 

 coimiiaads a moil extenfive profpe6t of 

 tlio wiiole lake, with its banks, hills, 

 mountains, and craggy rocks, which, 

 viewed either by the glmuncr of the even- 

 ing, or morning liglit, is enchanting be- 

 yond defcription. ^ 



The next morning, continuing my route 

 through a iucceifion of fine Icenery, I 

 reached Richtervviel in three hours, 

 wlicre a fccond fpacious and grand bafoii 

 expands to view. , 



llichtcrwiel has no longer the attrac- 

 tion of the philanthropic phyfician Dr. 

 Ilotze. He furvived his friend Lavatcr 

 but a fhort time, and died abroad. His 

 l)rother, the General, fell, lamented bo(!» 

 by friend and enemy, honourably for his 

 country, two years after, on the paflTage 

 of the Frencli o\er the Linth. 



From llichtcrwiel to Rappcrfwiel is 

 two hours ride, which I took at my lei- 

 iiu-e after dinner. I was drawn alide to 

 •( ilit the inhabited illand of Ufnau, whicii 

 deferves the notice of the traveller, not 

 only for the beauty of its profpects, but 

 for its ancient chapels, one of which con- 

 tains the now fallen tomb of Ulrich von 

 Hutten, a truly fingular man, M-ho was a 

 poet, warrior, courtier, and herniit, in 

 fucccdion. On his tomb is the following 

 mlcription, " Hie eques auratus jacet, 

 orutorque difertus, Kuttenus vales, car- 

 mine et enfe potens." 



The way from Rapperswiel through 

 Stafenmeiller and Kifihach, brought me 

 back to Zurich in five hours and a haif ' 

 ■very commodioufly. 



it was in the places jufl mentioned that 

 Lavatcr, in pure love for his country, at- 

 tempted by the power of liis eloquence 

 to item the tide of anarchy which threat- 

 ened die diflolution ot all order and go- 

 \crament. From the luxuriant banks of 

 the Zurich lake, from St?.fen and Horgen 

 in particular, the fpirit of difafte6tioa 

 and rebellion fpread their baneful influ- 

 ence over once-happy Helvetia. In trie 

 years 1785 and 1780 I faw thefe peafants 

 of the lake tranquil and chearful, living 

 in abundance, and even in fuch elegance 

 as we can feldom expett to fee in ordi- 

 nary villages. How then does it grieve 

 lue, twenty years aftef, to behold tiiis 



land 



