SAXONY. 



75? 



Protestants presented to the German Diet and Emperor their Confession of Faith, drawn up by 

 Lutlier, and known in history as the Confession of Augsburg. Population, 34,000. To the 

 northeast is the village of Blenheim, rendered famous as the scene of the victory gained by the 

 Enghsh general, Marlborough, over the united French and Bavarian armies, in 1704. 



In Ratisbon or Regensburg, on the Danube, were formerly held the sessions of the German 

 diet ; the town-hall, in which that body sat, is still to be seen. Population, 26,000. Wurz- 

 burg, on the Maine, with 22,000 inhabitants, stands in the midst of a fertile and highly culti- 

 vated district, and contains a university, and other literary institutions, a handsome palace, cita- 

 del, &c. Baircuth, with 14,000 inhabitants, Furth, with 17,000, Jhupach., 16,000, and 

 Passau, 10,000, have an extensive trade and manufactures. In the circle of the Rhine is 

 Spire, with 8,000 inhabitants, in which the German Diets were often held. It was at a Diet 

 held here in 1529, that the religious reformers entered a Protest against certain acts of the em- 

 peror, whence their name of Protestants. Deux-Ponls or Zivei- Bruckcn, (i. e. Two Bridges, 

 in Latin, Bipons) in this circle, is noted for the editions of the Greek, Latin, and French clas- 

 sics published there, and thence called Bipont editions. 



5. Religion, Government, &c. There are three universities at Munich, Wurzburg, and Er- 

 langen, of which the two first are particularly distinguished ; and the government has paid nuich 

 attention to the improvement and extension of the means of education. The Roman Catholic 

 religion is professed by the majority of the inhabitants, but the Lutherans are numerous. The 

 government is a constitutional monarchy ; the legislative body is composed of two houses, that 

 of peers, styled the counsellors of the realm, and that of the deputies of the clergy, cities, and 

 landholders. Bavaria was an electorate of the old German empire ; but, on the establishment 

 of the Confederation of the Rhine, by Napoleon, in 1806, it was erected into a kingdom. 



CHAPTER C. KINGDOM OF SAXONY. 



1. Boundaries and Population. The kingdom of Saxony (Sachsen) is bounded N. by the 

 Prussian provinces ; S. and E. by the Austrian, and W. by the Saxon duchies and Reuss. 

 Area, 5,700 square miles ; population, 1,630,000. 



2. Surface and Rivers. The southern part Is somewhat mountainous, being Iraversed by 

 the Erzgebirge, a range of mountains, which separates Saxony from Bohemia in Austria ; the 

 northern part is more level. In the vicinity of Dresden rises a picturesque group of rocky hills, 

 interspersed with rivulets and vales ; this district is called the Saxon Switzerland, and is much 

 visited. The Elbe is the only navigable river of Saxony. 



3. Industry. Much attention has been paid to sheep breeding, and the Saxony wool is noted 

 for its fineness ; the number of sheep is about 2,000,000, yielding 4,500,000 lbs. of wool. 

 The vegetable products are similar to those of the other parts of northein Germany. Saxony 

 has lost its principal agricultural provinces, and little is raised In the kingdom except corn. 

 Manufactures are active, and employ three fifths of the population ; they consist of thread, lin- 

 en, cottons, printed shawls, calicoes, lace, ribands, woolens, velvets, carpets, paper, cutlery, 

 pottery, dye-stuffs, glass, and porcelain. The mountainous districts are rich in mines, which 

 are skilfully worked, and their productions are manufactured Into various articles ; there are 

 cannon founderies, and mineral dyes, as verdegris, smalt from cobalt, &,c., are made. The 

 book-trade is very extensive, and there are linen, woolen, and cotton manufactures. The pearl 

 fishery is prosecuted in the river Elster. 



4. Religion, Education, and Government. The great majority of the inhabitants are Lutherans ; 

 there are about 50,000 Roman Catholics, and 1,600 Hernnhutters. In no country in Europe 

 has more attention been 'Daid to education. There is a university at Leipsic, with numerous 

 high schools and gymnasui, and there are common schools In all the parishes ; so that the lower 

 classes are, very generall)", able to read and write. The government Is a constitutional mon- 

 archy. 



5. Divisions and Towns. The kingdom is divided into five circles,* which are subdivided 

 into districts and balliwics. 



* Mibiiia, Leipsic, Erzgebirge, Voigtland, Lusatia 



