Bohemia. 



Bwision of 

 bobemia. 



Govern- 

 meat. 



Appear- 

 ance and 



manners of 

 the inhabi- 

 tants. 



BOHEMIA. 637 



to a new war, and Bohemia was again ravaged by can bear up, as the Bohemians do, under the fatigues Bohemia- 



fire and sword. Peace was restored in 1745, since of war. The state of poverty in which their pea- ' v 



which time, the Hght of the house of Austria to santry live, gives them habits of temperance, which at 

 the Bohemian crown has never been disputed. As a once invigorate their constitution, and render them 

 prince of the empire, the king of Bohemia is the first incredibly patient of hunger, to every German sol- 

 secular elector, and does homage to the emperor for dier more formidable than death ; and the system 

 his states. In every other respect he acts as an in- of feudal servitude which here prevails in all its 

 dependent sovereign, nor is there any appeal from rigour, accustoms them from their infancy to unli- 

 the decrees of his tribunals to the tribunals of the mited obedience, the first of military virtues. No 

 emperor. He is hereditary archbutler of the holy middle rank is known in Bohemia ; for there every 

 Roman empire, and from this office derives a right of man is either a petty sovereign or a slave. Of late, 

 voting for the king of the Romans. Bohemia, though indeed, the peasantry on the imperial demesnes have 

 a genuine state of the Roman empire, was exempted been released from the bonds of feudal slavery, and it 

 by Ferdinand II. from contributing to its taxes, and is to be hoped that the benevolent example of the 

 rendered independent of the jurisdiction of the su- emperor will be generally followed by the Bohemian 

 preme judicatory of the empire;. At an act of the nobility. Till that time, it is in vain to expect any 

 diet, called the Admission, held in 1708, it was ac- improvement in science or the arts ; for a land of free- 

 knowledged by the three colleges of the empire, that dom is their only congenial soil. Bohemia can boast, 

 the king of Bohemia has an unquestionable right to indeed, of several public seminaries ; an university, 

 wt and vote in all its assemblies ; and, at the same twelve gymnasia, 2219 German schools, 200 school*- 

 time, the emperor came under an engagement to pay of industry, and 33 ladies' schools. Yet learning is 

 for his hereditary kingdom of Bavaria, and the coun- almost wholly neglected ; though the success of those 

 tries belonging to it, his electoral proportion of all few who have applied to study prove that this ne. 

 taxes and imposts to the empire and circle, besides gleet is owing rather to the circumstances of the 

 300 florins annually to the chamber judicatory. The country, than to any want of genius in its inhabi- 

 states of the empire resolved, at the same time, to tants. They are uncommonly fond of music; and 

 take the kingdom of Bohemia under their protection, the orchestras of Prague are said to excel even those 



Bohemia was fomerly divided into sixteen depart- of Paris in exactness of harmony, and brilliancy 

 ments ; but a new division was adopted by the states of execution. In general they are addicted to Un- 

 assembled in diet in 1714, according to which it was veiling ; and when in foreign countries, live in the 

 distributed into twelve circles, Haurzimer, Pilsner, greatest amity, and repose in one another unbounded- 

 Leutmeritzer, Konigingratzen, Rakowitzen, Chrudi- confidence. 



mer, Prachiner, Slaner, Bunzlawer, Saatzer, Czas- Bohemia contains 250 cities, the principal of which 



lawer, and Bechiner. To these circles must be add- is Prague ; 308 borough towns; 11,455 villages; and 



ed the territory of Eger, which is not included in any 430,000 houses. The following official Table, pub- 



of them. Thi9 division was approved of by Charles lished in 1786, will give an idea of the proportion 



VI., who ratified it by a particular decree. which exists in Bohemia between the different kinds 



The government of Bohemia is entrusted to six of rural economy : 



courts, viz. the council of the regency, or great royal ,, . ., 



.,,.,. , r , ' ' o . / aq. Acres. So. Fathoms, 



council, which is composed of the great judge or Arabk land 3,609,360 776 



burgrave of Bohemia, with eighteen lieutenants oi the pj sn pon( ] g 67 115 1373 



king, and other assessors ; the council, or superior Fields '.'22o'l36 1393 



chamber of justice, in which the grand master of the Meadows .' .' .'.'.'.,. .' .' 978*393 1066 



kingdom presides; the chamber of fiefs; the new Gardens . . 85 712 729 



tribunal, forjudging the appeals of the German vas- p onds U8e j ^'meadows' '. '. '. 65,515 970 



als, having a president, vice-president, and other as- Pastures and heath 613,131 1209 



sessors ; the royal chamber of finances, having a pre- Vineyards 4 482 672 



sident, and vice-president ; and the chancery, which Woods ." 2 219*81 1 575 



always follows the court. The states consist of the ' 



clergy, nobility, and deputies from several towns, Total 7 783 660 8738 



who meet annually at Prague, rather to receive the 



orders of the court than to enact any decrees of their Its contributions to the empire, according to the 



own. manual of Frankfort in 1803, amounted to 15,736,000 



The Bohemians are in general handsome, active, florins ; according to Hoeck, 15,500,000 ; according . 



and strong. Dubravius, bishop of Olmutz, who to Ochart, (1803) 16,500,000 florins. Population 



wrote in the 16th century, thus describes his coun- 3,022,000. 



trymen in the fanciful language of that age. " A* The established religion of the country is Popery ; 



this land is under the influence of the lion, so its inha- but by the humane and judicious regulations of 



bitants have the qualities of that noble animal. Their Joseph 1 1, both Protestants and Jews are allowed the 



high breast, their sparkling eyes, their long and thick free exercise of their worship. See Topographie et 

 hair, their vigorous limbs, their strength, their cou- Statistique de la Boheme, par Schaller, Riegger, 

 rage, their resistance to obstacles, every circumstance Schreger, and Stransky. Tableau Statistique de la 



hews evidently that the lion is their star, as he is Monarchie Autrkhienne, par M. M. Raymond et 



their emblem." They are without comparison the Roth, (1809). Annates des Voyages, fyc. par Make 



bet of the imperial troops. None of those troop* Brun, torn. vii. (1809.) Peuchet's Dktionnaire df 







