SWITZERLAND. 511 



Manufactures, commerce. ...The productions of the loom, linen, 

 dimity, lace, stockings, handkerchiefs, ribbands, silk, painted cot- 

 tons, and gloves, are common in Switzerland ; and the inhabitants, 

 notwithstanding their sumptuary laws, fabricate silks, velvets, and 

 woollen manufactures. The Swiss export horned cattle, horses, sheep, 

 cheese, butter, leather, linen, lace, wrought cotton and silk, and 

 watches. They import corn, flax, silk, cotton, spices, and salt. 

 The situation of Switzerland, and its numerous navigable lakes and 

 rivers, would be very favourable to commerce, were the inhabitants 

 more intent and assiduous to avail themselves of those advantages. 



Constitution and government. ...The old constitution and go- 

 vernment of Switzerland were very complicated, from the cantons, 

 though belonging to the same body, being partly aristocratical, and 

 partly democratical. Every canton was absolute in its own jurisdiction; 

 but those of Bern, Zurich, and Lucern, with other dependencies, were 

 aristocratical, with a certain mixture of democracy, Bern excepted. 

 Those of Uri, Sclnveitz, Unterwalden, Zug, Glaris, and Appenzel, 

 were democratical. Basil, though it had the appearance of an aristo- 

 cracy, rather inclined to a democracy. But even these aristocracies 

 and democracies differed in their particular modes of government. 

 However, in all of them the real interests of the people appear to have 

 been much attended to ; and they enjoyed a degree of happiness not. 

 to be expected in despotic governments. Each canton prudently re- 

 conciled itself to the errors of its neighbour, and cemented, on the 

 basis of affection, a system of mutual defence. 



The confederacy, considered as a republic, comprehended three 

 divisions. The first were the Swiss, properly so called ; the second 

 the Grisons, or the states confederated with the Swiss for their com- 

 mon protection; the third, those prefectures which, though subject 

 to the other two, by purchase or otherwise, preserved each its own 

 particular magistrates. Every canton formed within itself a little re- 

 public ; but when any controversy arose that might affect the whole 

 confederacy, it was referred to the general diet, which sat at Baden, 

 where, each canton having a vote, every question was decided by the 

 majority. The general diet consisted of two deputies from each can- 

 ton, besides a deputy from the abbot of St. Gall, and the cities of St. 

 Gall and Bienne. It is observed by Mr. Coxe, to whom the public 

 have been indebted for the best account of Switzerland that has ap- 

 peared, that there is no country in which happiness and content more 

 universally prevail among the people. For whether the government 

 be aristocratical, democratical, or mixed, a general spirit of liberty 

 pervades and actuates the several constitutions ; so that even the oli- 

 garchical states (which, of all others, are usually the most tyrannical) 

 are here peculiarly mild ; and the property of the subject is securely 

 guarded against every kind of violation. A harmony is maintained by 

 the concurrence of their mutual felicity; and their sumptuary laws, 

 and equal division of their fortunes among their children, seem to in- 

 sure its continuance. There is no part of Europe which contains, 

 within the same extent of region, so many independent commonwealths, 

 and such a variety of different governments, as are collected together 

 in this remarkable and delightful country ; and yet, with such wis- 

 dom was the Helvetic union composed, and so little have the Swiss, 

 of late years, been actuated by the spirit of conquest, that, since the 

 firm and complete establishment of their general confederacy, and till 

 the unprovoked inyasion of their country by the French, they have 



