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316 A Sketch of Vienna.and the Manners of its Inhabitants. [WNov. ty ¢ 
bufinefs of education is much bebind-hand 
with the improvements of the prefent age. 
The people of Vienna are in general 
honeft and fimple in their manners. “ Now 
and ‘then one may remark a kind of ftudied 
politenefs, and a kind of affe€tation of 
Joading with titles and compliments, which 
forms a confiderable contraft with the na- 
tural franknefs and even roughnefs of man- 
ners. This may’be attributed to the in- 
fluence of the court, and the vaft number 
of diplomatic agents in this capital, where 
every German Prince has fome affairs to 
carry on. 
The ftronget paffion-of the inhabitants 
of Vienna feems to be for good cheer. If 
they do not always take the moft delicate 
food, they at leaft eat very largely, and 
drink in proportion. . 
The traveller coming from Venice or 
Milan will find here fome little admixture 
of Italian eultoms. Chocolate, for ex- 
ample, which the Italians are fo fond of, 
and which’ is little ufed in the North, is 
much in vogue here: fo are-certain vege- 
tables, fuch as -brocoli, and the, like. 
The Italian language is-alfo much fpoken 
here. x % 
The people of Vienna have fo long been 
reproached with the badnefs of their lan- 
guage, that in general theyshave come (at 
Jeaft the well-educated among them) to 
ipeak their native tongue very correétly, 
and perhaps with more purity than in moft 
other parts of Germany, though ftill they 
_ may be diftinguifhed by a peculiar accent. 
‘The women are handfome, and mild in 
their manners, and often preferve their 
-beauty very long. They love drefs and 
Juxurious living; their minds do not want 
cultivation, but the books that they read 
are very few. Mufic is what they attend 
to the moft affiduoufly. 
No where are there fo many amufements 
going on as inthis town. “Befides a great 
number of houfes of public entertainment, 
where eating, drinking, and dancing, are 
conftantly going on, the people take their 
part in the diverfions which feem referved 
for the higher claffes. 
The greateft happinefs which the inha- 
bitants of Vienna can enjoy, bas been, at 
all times, a good table, and with it two 
or three choice friends. The Jatter, how- 
ever; itis now dificult to find; for the peo- 
ple of Vienna are of late become very little 
communicative, Felerved, and mittruftful. 
hey love to frequent public places, and 
hear and fee.with intereft what is going 
on, but they do not_like to be obferved. 
Formerly they took pleafure in hearing, 
from firangers- what was pafling in the 
world, now-they obly read the news, or * 
pick it up as they can; they ufed to 
fond of adopting new opinions,, now they 
‘have their fyem, from which they feldom 
depart. This change in the conduét of 
the® people of Vienna is partly owing to 
the revolutionary events which have taken 
place on every fide; which attach the peo- 
ple ftill more to the enjoyments which they 
find at -honie; and partly to the vigilant 
eye which the government keeps over all 
the public opinions and cosverfations, 
which renders the people timid and fufpi- 
clous.-  / és 
Among the crimes committed jn this 
capital, theft is by far the commonefi, and ~ 
the extent to which it, is carried is truly 
alarming. . Every workman in gold and 
filver is conftantly trembling for the fecu- 
rity of his property. There are pick- 
pockets, houfe-breakers, thieves who fteal 
the linen from the houfe-tops and garrets, 
horfe and carriage ftealers, and thofe who 
take the bodies from church-yards for the 
ufe of the furgeons. There are, befides, 
highwaymen, whoimitate the politene(s of 
thofe that are fo common in England. 
Some of the lower ciafs of citizens and 
fervants ftill retain the ule of, bonnets 
richly embroidered with gold; and thefe, 
too, fometimes become the plunder of 
ftreet-robhers. ; bef 
On going out of the city, the flrancer is 
ftruck with the beauty and magnificence 
of the numerous houies, parks, and gar- 
dens, which crowd its environs. Among, 
thefe he will diftinguifh the imperial refi- 
dences of Laxenbourg and Schonbrunnen ; 
the Belvidere, particularly celebrated for 
its noble collection of pictures, and em- 
vellifhed with the {poils of the churches of - 
Brabant, under Jofeph; the majeftic palate 
of Gallizinberg, the magnificent Dorn- 
bach, the extenfive eftablifhment of Mar- 
fhal de Lafcy, and efpecially the Augarten 
and the Prater. all 
The Emperor Jofeph opened the Augarten 
to the public.. Tite firft entrance prefents 
a magnificent garden, but entirely the crea- 
ture of art. It is formed of long ftraight 
fhady walks, impenetrable tothe fun, full 
of nightingales, and the favourite prome- 
nade of ali the pretty women. At the 
principal entrance isa large building, con- 
verted into'a fplendid eating-houfe. It is 
compofed of large galleries, beautifully 
decorated, in which the bufinefs of good 
cheer is going on-from morning to night, 
either to large or {mail parties. pat 
Before this building isa cirele furround-_ 
ed with large chefnut-trees, under whic 
are tables for ferving tea, coffee ices; dc. 
~ 
A fine 
