486 HUNGARY. 



serted that the lascivious dances of Isis, the religious veneration of om- 

 ■ ons, many famous Egyptian superstitions and specifics, and the Egyp- 

 tian method of hatching eggs by means of dung, are still in use among 

 the female gypsies in Temeswar. 



Cities, chief towns, and edifices — Buda, by the Germans 

 called Often, the metropolis of Hungary-, has neither fortifications nor 

 gates ; it is three or four miles long, but very narrow. The cities of 

 Buda and Pest may be considered as one, for they are only separated 

 by the Danube; over which there is a bridge of boats half a mile in 

 length. Buda contains 22,000 inhabitants, and Pest 16,000. The 

 finest public and private buildings are in Pest, and within the fortress. 

 The royal palace is a vast and stately pile of building; and the hospital 

 for invalids, now used as barracks, is fine and spacious. At Buda, the 

 Hungarian regalia, formerly deposited at Pest-, are now kept. The 

 crown, in the year 1784, was removed to Vienna by order of the empe- 

 ror Joseph II. But this measure gave so great offence 3 and excited 

 such violent discontents, that it was sent back to Buda in 17 V .)Q, where 

 it was received with the most extravagant testimonies of joy, the whole 

 city and suburbs being illuminated. This crown was sent, in the year 

 1000, by pope Sylvester II, to Stephen, king of Hungary, and was made 

 after that of the Greek emperors : it is of solid gold, weighing nine 

 marks and three ounces, ornamented with fifty-three sapphires, fifty 

 rubies, one large emerald, and three hundred and thirty-eight pearls. 

 Besides these stones, are the images of the apostles and patriarchs. The 

 pope addedto this crown a silver patriarchal cross, which was afterwards 

 inserted in the arms of Hungary. At the ceremony of the coronation 

 a bishop carries it before the kino-. From the cross is derived the title 

 of apostolic king; the use of which was renewed under the reign of 

 the empress-queen Maria-Theresa The sceptre and the globe of the 

 kingdom are of Arabian gold ; the mantle, which is of fine linen, is said 

 to be the work of Gisele, spouse of St. Stephen, who, they say, embroi- 

 dered in gold the image of Jesus Christ crucified, and many other 

 images of the patriarchs and apostles, with a number of inscriptions. The 

 sword is two-edged, and rounded at the point. Presburg, the capital 

 of Lower Hungary, has a claim to be censidered as the metropolis of the 

 kingdom; for Buda has been so often, and for so long a time in the 

 power of the Turks, that this city has generally been the seat of govern- 

 ment and the place where the diets have been held, and the coronation 

 ceremonies performed. It is well built, and stands on a fine situation 

 on the banks of the Danube, which is here 350 yards broad. It contains 

 about 28,000 inhabitants, of whom one-fourth are Lutherans, and great 

 numbers Jews. Caschau, the capital of Upper Hungary, contains about 

 6000 inhabitants. The principal church here is a fine building, in the 

 Gothic taste, and in good preservation. Tyrnau is a handsome town, 

 containing about 7000 inhabitants, and so many churches and convents 

 that it has been called the Little Rome. It was also the seat of a uni- 

 versity; but that has been removed to Pest. Raab, Gran, and Comorn, 

 are fortified towns of considerable strength. The small town of Kit- 

 zee, about two or three miles from Presburg, claims the first fabrica- 

 tion of coaches; which, it is asserted, derive their name, in the differ- 

 ent languages of Europe, from the name of that place. Tokay has 

 been already mentioned for the excellency of its wines. 



Manufactures and commerce The manufactures of Hungary 



are few and of little importance: there are some, however, of leather, 

 linen cloth, and different kinds of hard-ware. The exports consist of 



