ale 
All who-have vifited Berlin know the 
fimplicity of manners and amiable pri- 
vate life of the reigning King of Pruffia, 
as well as of his illuftrious confort.. Hav- 
ing given no caufe of offence to his fub- 
jects, and not withing to dazzle them by 
pomp or fhew, he often rides through the 
capital with a fingle fervant only, and 
fometimes even wholly unattended. The 
Queen pofiefles, together with, the ami- 
able qualities of her {poufe, the beauty 
which gives influence, and the affability 
which gives ornament, to her fex. She 
feeks in the domeftic affections the valu- 
able and lafting pleafures of life. 
If it be confdered, how much in mo- 
narchies the perfonal chara&ter of the {o- 
vereign influences the happinefs of the 
fubject, the foregoing obfervations will 
not be deemed a digreffion. A mild, eco: 
nomical, and paternal adminiftration may 
be expefted from a king, of whom traits 
like thofe we fhall now relate can be fre- 
quently repeated. During his_ recent 
journey to Memel, Frederick William 
met an officer, who threw himfelf on his 
knees, fupplicating permiffion to marry, 
and declaring that the woman he loved had 
not the fortune prefcribed by the regula- 
tions. His Majefty faid, he could not 
grant a permiffion contrary to the laws. 
‘The officer ftill perfifted, adding, that the 
woman he loved was with child, and that 
he could not in honour abandon her. The 
King, upon this, defired him to wait until 
he fhould make farther enquiries ; and fome 
days afterwards made him a prefent of the 
fum required by the regulations, wifhing 
him every happinefs in the married ftate. 
Other anecdotes fhew the king of Pruffia 
as a man of elevated underftanding, as 
well as a gocd heart. Fichte, the philofo- 
pher, having been perfecuted at Jena, un- 
der the imputation of atheifm, fought 
refuge, along with another unfortunate 
philofoper undcr a fimilar perfecution, in 
Berlin. Some pious inhabitants of that 
city tock ajarm, and reprefented to the 
King of Pruffia the danger of permitting 
thole declared enemies of God toremain in 
the city... ** My friends (faid he) we may 
confidently leave to God Almighty the 
tafk of vanquifhing thele two antago- 
nifts.”’ 
In the Pruffian dominions, lotteries, 
that bane to the already molt unfortunate 
portion of the community, have been fup- 
prefled. Inftiutions fo evidently perni- 
cious to public morals, that fcarcely any 
fpecies of neccflity can juftify them, are, 
jn, {ome countries, reputed civilized, ufed 
as fources of public revenue. In England 
a 
Review of the Political State of Nations. 
‘Teign. 
As a procefiion, conduéted by the Ex-’ 
[Nov. 1 
they are highly injurious to-public mo- 
rals; but in France and Denmark, and, 
we believe, in fome other ftates on the 
Continent of Europe, they are conducted 
on principles ftill more extenfively bane- 
ful. What would the people of America 
or of Switzerland fay to the propofition of 
eftablifhing national lotteries among them? 
—of fanCiioning gambling by the forms 
of Jaw? 
Pruifia is about to receive a confiderable 
augmentation of territory and population; 
but the fyftem of indemnities not being yet 
definitively adjufted, it woukl be prema.’ 
ture to make them the fubjes of {pecifica- 
tion, With refpect to this country, we. 
have, at prefent, only to add, that, al- 
though we dq not, with Pope, annex little 
importance to forms of government, yet, 
in this and fevera] other inftances, we find 
reafon to conclude, that the principal re- 
quifite for affuring public felicity is a wife 
adminifiration. 
Bavakia.—An eleétorate, which, from 
ts power, rank, and iplendour among na- 
tions, would deferve little attention, be- 
comes, from the wife adminiftration of 
its government, an objeét of confider- 
able intereft to the public. ‘The Elec- 
tor of Bavaria, a man of an enlightened 
mind, has long meditated a reform of the. 
whole fyftem of fuperannuated rules of 
government. A new code of laws for the 
electoral dominions has been drawn up by 
able men, and is leit open for the difcuf- 
fion of the learned of all nations for a 
twelvemonth. ; 
In the mean time, however, the Elector 
continues partially to execute his views of 
reform. Among the principal objects of 
his folicitude are the diminutien of the 
power of the clergy and nobility, the 
extenfion of popular r:prefentation, the 
equalifation of taxes, the abolition of fef- 
tivals, the fuppreffion of convents, and the 
eftablithment of. religious toleration. In 
thefe laudable defions he has already made 
fome progrefs ; and his glory ts certainly 
not diminifhed by the perfonal danger to 
which he may be expofed from the felfifn- 
nefs or fanaticifm of individuals. Of the 
obfiacles he will have to encounter, fome 
judgment may be formed by what lately 
pafied at Munich, during a_proceffion 
which tranfgrefied the orders of the fove- 
jefau Schrnidt, was returning from a pil- 
grimage out of town, fome workmen, wo- 
men, and others, who were of the caval- 
cade, behaved in a riotcus manner, ring- 
ing tlie bells, &c, contrary to the ic 3 ps 
a) 
a FAW aS 
