488 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



will make use of in some fashion perhaps uncori- 

 ceived by Metternich or Thiers." 



The campaign ended, and the preliminaries of 

 peace being arranged, I determined to devote three 

 months to recreation and seeing the country ; and 

 I must say that I never found time pass more 

 agreeably. T shall endeavour to portray my 

 impressions of Vienna life, as I think there are 

 certain points in Austrian legislation that might 

 be advantageously adopted even in England; for 

 in some things we are certainly behind the rest of 

 the world and the age we live in. 



Whilst all our politicians are agog upon the 

 subject of Eeform, either in the franchise, the law, 

 or the constitution, it seems strange to me that no 

 member of the House of Commons should have 

 endeavoured to effect a change much required in 

 our *' social system," which in the present age is 

 hampered and oppressed by the gloomy influence 

 of fanatical observances. England is the only 

 country in Christendom where, in order to be 

 considered respectable, it is necessary to be sad 

 upon a Sunday, and where everything like recrea- 



