1806,] 



and Prefcnt State of that Countri/. 



\2S 



ctd the minds of the Swifs more than 

 may at firll he lujjpot'ed. 



Altorf, about halt' an hour's ride from 

 Flueleii, was formerly a wenlthy place, 

 which owed its profperity to the traiillt 

 trade between Italy and GenuiUiy. It 

 may at I'ume more tranquil period recover 

 its opulence ; but it lias I'uti'ered incalcu- 



vate converfation with him convinced 

 her of his fuperior qualities, and deter- 

 mined her in eutrufting him with the 

 command ; by whicli choice the glory 

 and i'orrunc of lier arms were not a little 

 advanced. The foldiers, by whom he 

 was revered, called him GuneraL For- 

 wards, Xhe higheil compliment they could 



lable mifchiefs from the war, and iHU pollibly pay iiini as a foldicr, and amply 

 more from a (ire which confumed upwards warranted by his uninterrupted fucceifes 

 of o40 dwellin<;s. in thirty dirlerent engageaients. The 

 This fire aroi'cmoft probably from ac- veterans 'ssho fought under iilm hold his 

 cident, and was incroafed to that im- memory facred, and uncover their heads 

 inenfe degree by a hurricane, which was at the bare mention of his name, — an 

 fo violent as to raid up trees by the honourable tellimony to his private cha- 

 roots, and carrv away the roofs from th.e rarter, and an ample confutation of the 

 lioufas. The cathedral, a fpacious and charges brought againlc him by liis one- 

 fme building entirely of Hone, was one of mies. But he liud eccentricities infopa- 

 the firft whcra the flames burlt out. The rable from a great mind, and fuch a^ 

 fparks tie won its roof, which, according to were ill calcuhited to conciliate tiie atT 

 the cuflom of the country ,confiltingofihin- fections of thofe in higher life ; for he 

 gles, was immediately let on fire. Thefe was rigorous in the punulimcnt of faults, 

 burning ihmgles were carried to a very and extended his indulgence to the corn- 

 great difiance by the wmd, and fpread mon man rather than the fuperior otficer. 

 the tire over every quarter. The town- The cathedral and a third part ot the 

 houfc, armoury, ciiilom-houfe, and every houfes have been rebuilt, as alfo the 

 inn, experienced a llmiiar fate. The town inn, the Black Lion, where travel- 

 tower was alfo coafumed which had been Icrs are well accomm.od:»tcd. In the 

 built upon tiie fpot where, 2j0 years af- Sclfachenbach, a turbulent llrcam whicli 



ter Teil's death, the lime-tree llood at 

 which he Ihot the apple from lus foil's 

 head. 



To complete the calamity, the dif- 



otten breaks its hounds, and dues muclj 

 inil'chief, William Tell is laid to have 

 been drowned, while attempting to ftcn* 

 the raging tide. At Burglin I was fliewn 



Inflead of afcending the Gothard .this 

 way, I preferred bending my courfe, 

 throu'jh the diftrict of An-der-Mat, into 

 the country of the Grifons. This diftri<;-l 

 was i)illaged at diflcrent times, and loft 

 duriiiK the war two-thirds of its cattle, 



turbers of Europe penetrated into this the fpot where his houfe flood, as alfo 

 country, and committed their ulual de- the Bmglin chapel, and the ruins of 

 jiredations. Many itoi'es of wine that Gefsler's tower. 



had efcaped the lire, were wantonly William Tell's laft male defcendant, 

 emptied into the cellars and ftreets. The John Martin Tell, died at Altorf in 108 i, 

 French were fucceedcd by the Germans, and Verona Tell, his lall female off-, 

 and they by the lluffums. Strii:t as was spring, in 17 ,0. 

 the difiipline of the latter, the troops 

 were however obliged, for want of ma- 

 gazines and proviiions, to live at the ex- 

 Ijcnce of tJie citizens. 



It was at Altorf \\ here Suwarrow, on 

 his paffage over the Gothard, embraced 

 the ful)-})refect, received the bleffmg of belides li.Ktv-two b.amlets demoliflied, or 

 the minilter, and gave his to the fur- ftripped of their beams and polls, which,, 

 rounding multitude. He made a fpcecli to a land without wood, is an almolt ir- 

 to the latter, calling on them to take up reparable lofs. On entering the territo- 

 arms, and march with him againlt the ry of the Grifons, I arrived at Dilfcntis, 

 French. A deep iileiice was the an- which was reduced to alLes by the 

 fwer : for the weight of forrow and dif- French in \799, in order to revenge the 

 trefs had fV.Uen too heavily on the in ha- death of their comrades, who had been 

 hitants, for them to take any particular idr.illinatcd by the female inhabit.uit'-, 

 iiitereit in political concerns. wliiJe all the men capable of beannjj 



1 1 cannot poiidily coincide with thofc arms were inarching with a Ic-cij-cu-hmIjc 

 who iiave (lamj.ed this connnandcr with from Ciamut, Trons, <!^c., agalnft the in- 

 tlie sqipellations of botijier ami /(/'rt/^T. trcnchuients of tl;e I'icnch at Reichcnau 

 'l"o the great Gathnriiif he bad been re- and L'oire. 'J'he rich colle»-tion of niiii'S- 

 prcfentcd in thcfc colours ; but one pri- rals ma(,le by Father Placidus a. Specha, 



Sfa and 



