AUSTRIA. 



145 



Austria. 



of July, August, and September; Fahrenheit's^ ther- 

 mometer standing frequently in the shade at 95 98 

 degrees. On the 25th of August 1805, it was at 

 97, and at three in the morning of the 26th it sunk 

 to 54 ; so rapid even in the warm months is the tran- 

 sition from heat to cold in this country. Tempes- 

 tuous winds seldom annoy the lower districts, and the 

 climate is as favourable for animals, for grass, corn, 

 wood, and even some species of wines, as any part of 

 Europe in the same latitude. Lintz, the most wester- 

 ly city of Austria on the Danube, is said to be 1000 

 feet above the level of the Black Sea; and Hamburg, 

 near Presburg, the most easterly, is about 780 feet 

 above the same level. 



Population in 18061809. 



Popula- Lower Austria 1,062,000 Males . . . 817,230 



Uou - Upper 646,000 Females . . c79,19* 



Strangers . . 17,576 



Total .. 1,708,000 



1,708,000 



There were 14,564 marriages, 65,139 births, and 

 66,023 deaths. * The number of families was 360,555, 

 which gives nearly 4f to each family. There were 

 3997 nobles, and 4480 clergymen. The cities amount- 

 ed to 51, towns to 333, villages to 10,728, and the 

 houses to 249,614. 



The population of the most considerable places 

 was as follows, viz. 



In Lower Austria. 



Inhabitants. Houses. 



Vienna 256,000 6518 



Krems 7,000 620 



Wiener Neustadt . . . 5,000 550 



Waidhofen 4,300 535 



Kloster Neuburg . . . 3,026 456 



St Polten 2,960 410 



Korn Neuburg .... 2,500 S70 



Baaden 2,000 270 



In Upper Austria. 



Inhabitants. Houses. 



Linz, or Lintz 17,900 1006 



Ens 4,400 540 



Freystadt 4,000 460 



Wells 3,300 376 



Gmunden 3,000 310 



Reid 3,000 299 



Hallstadt 2,800 281 



Steyer 2,200 370 



From the Tables which we have seen, it appears, 

 that the population of Austria has been rather in- 

 creasing for the last 30 years, in spite of the bloody 

 wars which she has carried on during that eventful 

 period. This must, in some measure, be ascribed to 

 the influx of foreigners from her distant provinces to 

 Vienna, as well as to the numerous public academies 

 and other literary and military establishments which 

 that capital contains. Vast numbers of Bohemians, 

 Moravians, Stirians, and Italians, are found among 



the common labouring and manufacturing classes in Austria. 



Vienna, who, although they banish none of the na- *-" ~\ 



tive Austrians, or perhaps greatly add to the popu- 

 lation which that metropolis would at all events con- 

 tain, yet greatly augment that of the province, by 

 keeping in the country, and in its towns, persons 

 who would otherwise flock for employment and high 

 wages to Vienna. 



The Roman Catholic is the established religion of Religion. 

 Austria; but since the reign of Joseph II. Protest- 

 ants of every description, as well as Jews, Greeks, 

 Russians, and Turks, and in short persons of every 

 persuasion, enjoy full toleration and security. We 

 found a respectable Lutheran and Presbyterian cha- 

 pel in Vienna, and in Upper Austria there are many- 

 thousand Protestants, who have their regular stated 

 clergymen preaching to them in full freedom, and 

 discharging their ministerial and clerical functions as 

 much at their ease as if they were in England. There 

 are indeed in Austria eleven Protestant parochial 

 charges or parishes, the incumbents of which enjoy 

 competent salaries from their flocks, and are much 

 respected by their Roman Catholic neighbours. So 

 far indeed were we from meeting with any of the in- 

 tolerance and bigotry, of which we read the most ex- 

 aggerated accounts in books of travels, that, although 

 occasionally residing for years in this province since 

 1796, not a single instance of any thing approaching 

 to persecution or intolerance occurred in our expe- 

 rience. The Austrian is indeed attached to his own 

 religious ceremonies, and wishes them to be treated 

 with respect and decency by others ; but he never 

 interferes improperly, nor displays any symptoms of 

 arrogance or fanaticism. The pilgrimages which 

 take place to Mariazell, and other celebrated cells in 

 Austria, are indeed often extremely ridiculous, and 

 accompanied by scenes which excite' much mirth 

 among strangers : but to those who have seen the 

 superstitions of the East, or the buffooneries and ab- 

 surdities of Italy, Spain, and Portugal, they will ap- 

 pear to approach rather to innocent recreations, than 

 to degrade the persons concerned in them from that 

 rank as reasonable beings, with which the gross fool- 

 eries of superstition are frequently incompatible. Nei- 

 ther the Austrian clergy, nor the teachers of youth, 

 are responsible for the remains of ancient and tradi- 

 tionary customs, to which their people still cling 

 with fond enthusiasm ; nor can we impute to them 

 any more collusion in misleading them, or suffering 

 them to be misled, than we can to our own Highland 

 clergy and schoolmasters for permitting a belief in 

 witchcraft and the second sight. 



The best proof of the efficacy of religion is to be 

 deduced from the morals of a people. No nation in 

 Europe is less stained with public crimes than the 

 Austrian. In none do we find fewer vices, less dis- 

 order, and more good nature, kindness, charity, and 

 genuine humanity. Murder, and the atrocious crimes, 

 are never heard of. Theft is extremely rare, forgery 

 almost unknown, and bankruptcies and similar prac- 

 tices, so common in England, are regarded with ab- 



The great proportion of deaths maybe accounted for by the number of infirmaries and hospitals in Vienna, where 

 many thousands die annually who are sent thither for medical aid from all quarters of the empire. Nearly one half of them 

 are sent when given up by their provincial physicians. 



VOL. III. PART I. T 



