HUNGARY. 



827 



faprored the administration of the kingdom, by giv- 

 ing the royal chancery and the vice-regal office r.n 

 organization better suited to the age. He also formed 

 a standing army for Hungary, and established the mi- 

 litary contribution for its support. Maria Theresa did 

 much for the improvement of Hungary, by the pro- 

 mulgation of the rural code, called Urbarium (1765), 

 the object of which was to fix the services, and im- 

 prove the condition of the peasants ; also by the for- 

 mation of village schools (1770), and the abolishing 

 of the order of Jesuits (1773). It cannot be doubted 

 that Joseph II., one of the greatest sovereigns of his 

 age, was influenced by the best intentions in the 

 changes which he undertook in the Hungarian con- 

 stitution, but his zeal made him forget the necessity 

 of proceeding gradually in such reforms. The nation, 

 far from entering into his views, opposed them, and 

 Leopold II. was compelled to revoke the ordinances 

 of his brother, who, besides, had never been crowned 

 in Hungary. 



Hungary, with its appendages, Croatia, Sclavonia, 

 the Littorale and Transylvania, lies between the Ger- 

 man provinces of Austria and Turkey. It is almost 

 surrounded with mountains, among which the Carpa- 

 thian, on the north, extend, in numerous branches, 

 into the centre of the country. Between the two 

 principal rivers, the Danube and the Theis, is a fer- 

 tile plain containing more than 21,000 square miles. 

 Rivers and streams water the country in every direc- 

 tion. Amongst the lakes, the Plattensee (forty-five 

 miles long and five to nine miles wide) and the Neu- 

 siedlersee (twenty miles long, four to seven miles 

 wide,) are the most extensive; and among the moras- 

 ses, the Etseder morass (twenty-two miles long, six 

 or seven miles wide), and the (so called) Siirret, 

 which has been partly drained, are the principal. 



The situation of Hungary, and particularly the 

 nature of its surface, render it one of the healthiest 

 countries in Europe. Protected from the north winds 

 by high mountains, it is open to the mild sea breezes 

 from the south, which are tempered by the great 

 bodies of water. It is also owing to the variety of 

 its surface that Hungary possesses so great a diver- 

 sity of climate, which, combined with the fertility of 

 the soil, abundantly supplies her with all the natural 

 productions necessary for the comfort of man. All 

 kinds of corn, a sort of maize (Kukenttz), rice, kit- 

 then vegetables and garden plants of every descrip- 

 tion, melons (which are cultivated in open fields), 

 Turkish pepper (paprika), fruits (particularly plums, 

 for the sake of the brandy prepared from them, called 

 Slivovitza), wines of different kinds (from 18,000,000 

 to 20,000,000 eimers about fifteen gallons each 

 annually), wood, gallnuts, potash, tobacco (300,000 

 quintals), hemp, flax, hops, saffron, woad, madder, 

 sumach, cotton, and rhubarb are among the products 

 of Hungary. Horses, cattle (5,000,000), sheep 

 (3,000,000), hogs, game (in the north, bears), poul- 

 try, fish (amongst which the sturgeon and salmon 

 [salmo df'.ntex] are the principal), bees, and silkworms 

 ^vhicn annually yield nearly 20,000 pounds of silk), 

 are among the productions of the animal kingdom. 

 Among the minerals are gold, silver, copper, iron, 

 lead, zinc, cobalt, antimony, sulphur, arsenic, salt, 

 soda, saltpetre, alum, vitriol, marble, coals, peat; 

 amongst the precious stones, the opal and chalcedony 

 are remarkably beautiful. No country has so many 

 mineral and medicinal springs. 



The population of Hungary, exclusive of Transyl- 

 vania, exceeds 9,400,000, in fifty-two free cities, 691 

 market towns, and 11,068 villages, upon a superficial 

 area of 88 ,500 square miles. (Transylvania contains, 

 besides, 23,500 square miles, with a population of 

 2,000,000, and the military frontiers, 12,000 square 

 miles, with 934,000 inhabitants.) The principal towns, 



according to Aszalay's table, are Pesth (46,646 i;:- 

 habitants), and Debreczin (40,695 inhabitants). The 

 largest village on the European continent is Czaba, 

 eighty-five miles from Pesth, which lias over 20,000 

 inhabitants, all Sclavonians, and nearly all Protes- 

 tants. 



The great number of distinct races, with entirely 

 different habits, which is found in Hungary is remark- 

 able. The inhabitants are composed of 1. Magyars ; 

 2. Slowacks, Szotaki, Ruthenians, (Russians), Bo- 

 hemians, Poles, Vandals, Croats, Slavonians, Servians, 

 Bulgarians ; 3. Germans, viz. Saxons, Swabians, 

 Francoiiians ; of emigrants from the Alsace, Thur- 

 ingia, the Tyrolese, Austria, &c. &c.; 4. Wlachians; 

 5. New Greeks, or Macedonians ; 6. Macedo- 

 Wlachians ; 7. Armenians ; 8. Elementines ; 9. 

 Frenchmen ; 10. Italians ; 11. Jews ; 12. Portuguese 

 and Spanish Jews; 13. Gipsies; 14. Turks. It is 

 most interesting to observe how strikingly the char- 

 acters of the different inhabitants of Hungary distin- 

 guish themselves in the most varied relations of life. 

 In a German work on Hungary, published at Harle- 

 ben in 1829, the author has described this generally 

 by some slight though striking touches. We shall 

 extract a few of them : " Slowacks, Ruthenians, 

 Germans, Wlachians, Vandals, and partly Croats, 

 seem to be partial to cold, mountainous districts. 

 The Magyar alone seems to be a downright equatorial 

 creature, inasmuch as he is fond of champaign coun- 

 tries, of a warm climate, and a fertile soil. He 

 occupies the most favoured part of the kingdom. The 

 Armenian too is partial to a champaign-country ; as 

 for the Jews, they are satisfied anywhere, whilst they 

 are in the way of getting money. The Slowacks and 

 Germans must be looked for in towns, the Magyars 

 in market-towns, the Slowacks in large villages, the 

 Wlachians, and Ruthenians in small scattered ham- 

 lets. The Magyars in general, are well fed, the Slo- 

 wacks meagre, the Ruthenians, Servians, Wlachians 

 and Vandals rather lean, the Germans emaciated and 

 of a livid complexion ; all these latter tribes, 

 inasmuch as they, in general, inhabit mountainous 

 districts. The language of the Hungarians is bold, 

 sharp, and lofty : and the Hungarian is proud. The 

 language of the Servian, on the contrary, is peaceable, 

 simple, calm, and gentle ; and so is also his character. 

 The Hungarian is more irritable, violent, and hasty ; 

 the Slavonian slower and more persevering. The 

 Hungarian, therefore, would be more desirable as a 

 lover, the Slavonian as a husband ; the former more 

 irresistible in a war of aggression ; the latter in the 

 defence of a fortified place. The Hungarian incon- 

 testably possesses the most fiery temper, and is com- 

 pletely qualified both for uncommonly good and bad 

 actions. The Slowack is much cooler, and still 

 more so the German ; then follows the Wlachian and 

 Servian, and last of all, the Ruthenian. The poor 

 Jew is totally destitute of courage, and may be 

 frightened with an empty meal-sack beyond the 

 Carpathian mountains. The Hungarian soon forgets 

 injuries, the German later, but the Slowack and 

 Wlachian never. The Ruthenian is continually quar- 

 relling ; the Jew is for ever involved in lawsuits, but 

 is ready to be reconciled, as soon as danger threatens 

 his family or one of his nation. The Magyar is proud 

 of being mounted on a fine horse ; the Slowack, when 

 he is permitted to converse rather familiarly with 

 people of high rank ; the German when he may carry 

 a cane in his hand (as judge of his village) ; the 

 Wlachian, when he can exhibit a shining hatchet, the 

 Ruthenian, when he is admitted to the honour of 

 clerical orders ; the Jew, when he has got farmers 

 on his rent-roll ; and the gipsy, when he is dressed in 

 scarlet breeches. The German ladies of Zips are 

 extremely fond of flowers, whilst those of Oedenburgh 



