434 GERMANY. 



charged with intemperance in eating and drinking, and perhaps not 

 unjustly, in consequence of the vast plenty of their country in wine 

 and provisions of every kind ; but such excesses ai'e now less com- 

 mon. At the greatest tables, though the guests drink pretty freely 

 at dinner, yet the repast is commonly finished by coffee, after three 

 or four public toasts have been given. But no people have more 

 feasting at marriages, funerals, and on birth-days. 



The German nobility are generally men of so much honour, that 

 a sharper, in other countries, especially in England, frequently suc- 

 ceeds better by assuming the character of a German, than in any 

 other way. All the sons of noblemen inherit their fathers' titles ; 

 which greatly perplexes the heralds and genealogists of that country. 

 The German husbands are not quite so complaisant as those of some 

 other countries to their ladies, who are not entitled to any pre-emi- 

 nence at the table ; nor indeed do they seem to affect it, being far from 

 either ambition or loquacity, though they are said to be somewhat too 

 fond of gaming. Many of the German nobility, having no other 

 hereditary estate than a high-sounding title, easily enter into their 

 armies, and those of other sovereigns. Their fondness for title is 

 attended with many other inconveniences ; their gentlemen of pro- 

 perty think the cultivation of their lands, though it might treble their 

 revenue, below their attention, and that they should degrade them- 

 selves by being concerned in the improvement of their grounds. 



The domestic diversions of the Germans are the same as in Eng- 

 land ; billiards, cards, dice, fencing, dancing, and the like. In sum- 

 mer, people of fashion repair to places of public resort, and drink the 

 waters. As to their field diversions, besides their favourite one of 

 hunting, they have bull and bear baiting, and the like. The inhabi- 

 tants of Vienna live luxuriously, a great part of their time being spent 

 in feasting and carousing ; and in winter, when the several branches 

 of the Danube are frozen over, and the ground covered with snow, 

 the ladies taken their recreation in sledges of different shapes, such 

 as griffins, tigers, swans, scallop-shells, he. Here the lady sits, 

 dressed in velvet lined with rich furs, and adorned with laces and 

 jewels, having on her head a velvet cap ; and the sledge is drawn by 

 one hoi'se, stag, or other creature, set off with plumes of feathers, 

 ribbands, and bells. As this diversion is taken chiefly in the night- 

 time, servants ride before the sledges with torches ; and a gentle- 

 man, standing on the sledge behind, guides the horse. 



Cities, chief towns, forts, and edifices. This is a copious 

 head in all countries, but more particularly so in Germany, on account 

 of the numerous independent states it contains. 



Vienna is the capital of the circle of Austria, and being the resi- 

 dence of the emperor, is generally considered as the capital of Ger- 

 many. It is a noble and a strong city, and the princes of the house of 

 Austria have omitted nothing that could contribute to its grandeur 

 and riches. Vienna contains an excellent university, a bank, which 

 is in the management of its own magistrates, and a court of com- 

 merce, immediately subject to the aulic council. Its religious build- 

 ings, with the walks and gardens, occupy a sixth part of the town ; 

 but the suburbs are larger than the city. It would be endless to 

 enumerate the many palaces of this capital, two of which are im- 

 perial ; its squares, academies, libraries ; and the imperial cabinets 

 of curiosities. Among its rich convents, is one of the Scotch nation, 

 built in honour of their counti'yman St. Colman, the patron of Austria j 



