1802.] 
the North; Ziegler, an actor on the impe- 
rial cneatre, fometimes gets his pieces re- 
prefented ; but he imitares and furpaffes 
the faults of Kotzebue, [fland, and Schil- 
ler, without pofleffing their excellence. 
Ballets and operas are, comparatively 
{peaking, not badly executed; and ‘ome 
of their dancers, particularly Caffentine 
and Deicaro, are not without their preten- 
fions. . 
The character of the inhabitants is ge- 
neraliy amiable: they are cold, but po- 
lite; they are hofpitable to ftrangers, 
without elteeming them ; it is fafhionable 
with them to keep open houfe, not from 
the love of company and of tafte, but 
from the neceflity of affociating: they 
are what is called a good iort of people in 
their families, treating all perfons well, 
without much preference or marked dif- 
tinction : they like to dine, rather to dine 
. well; for their tafte is not more confpicu- 
ous phyfically than morally: although 
fober, their meetings and walks have al- 
ways fome repaft in view. 
At Vienna there are, properly fpeaking, 
but two claffes, viz. the firft nobility, i.e. 
thofe who go to court, as capable of being 
chamberlains, or members of chapters ; 
and the fecond nobility, i. e. counfellors 
of tribunals, chiefs of the offices of go- 
vernment, bankers, menied men, Jews, 
who have become rich by commerce or by 
ufury, agents, &c. Thete two claffes are 
abfolutely difting&t, and do not affociate : 
all the reftis people. 
Clerks of public offices are in immenfe 
numbers, and do very little work. ‘This 
multitude of machines, under various de- 
nominations, multiply difficulties and con- 
fuie bufinefs ; nothing is finifhed: you 
know not where to apply: the depart- 
ments encroach upon each other: their at- 
tributes are not precifely defined; and 
this uncertainty, which pervades all the 
branches of the adminiftration, renders it 
impoffible to form a clear idea of the or- 
ganifation of the government, or to ren- 
der a correét account of it. That, under 
fuch circumftances, the ftate-machinery 
fhould meve flowly, cannot be very fur- 
prifing, and perhaps, as matters are, is 
not much to be regretted. 
The confequences of the power acquir- 
ed by the military during the late war may 
give a different direction to defpotifm : 
and it is alwaysa kind of ccnfolation, 
that no poflible change can be for the 
worfe. We have thought proper this to 
enlarge on the principles and conduct of 
the Auftrian government, becaufe they do 
not feem to be fo generally known as thole 
Prefervation of Plants from Froft.: 
S15 
of other countries of equal importance 
and extent. Jt does not appear, that the 
new order of things, arifing from the fyf- 
tem of indemnities, will effect much alte- 
ration in the dominions of the Emperor 5 
the territory he has loft by the war will 
probably be replaced, if not from the ftates 
of Germany, at lcaft, from thofe of the 
Oitoman Porte. 
a 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
\ URING the laft winter I often ufed 
“the following method to preferve 
plants from dying after having been 
touched by the froft. It is particularly 
ufeful for exotics which are in flower- 
pots, becaufe the experiment can be more 
eafily efte&ted on them, 
Before the plant has been expofed to 
the fun, or thawed atter a night’s fro%, it 
fhould be well f{prinkled with fpring- 
water, in which fal-ammoniac or common 
falt has been infufed: this muft be con- 
tinued fome time; but [I would rather re- 
commend, where.it can be effected, to 
immerfe the whole plant in the above in- 
fufion. It is particularly requifite that 
the root fhould be immerfed, becaufe 
that part being hardier, withftands the 
froft much longer, and will not fo foon 
thaw, owing to its being covered with 
earth, The philofophical reafon will be 
eafily perceived. Indeed I am inclined 
to believe, if plants were to be watered 
every morning in the fpring, after the 
cold nights, with fome fuch folution, it 
would preferve them greatly from the 
light. For if the blight is a fpecies of — 
gangrene or mortification, as Dr. Gar- 
nett afferts (Vol. 12, of tne MonthlyMa- 
gazine) brought on by the action of the 
rays of the fun in the fpring, on the mor- 
bidly accumulated irritability which had 
been produced by a confiderable fubtrac- 
tion of heat during the night 5”. efpecially 
if, as the Dogtor obierves, ¢ a frofty night 
fucceeded by a cloudy or mifty morning, 
is never attended with thefe effects, which 
almoft certainly follow, if, when the fpring 
is confiderably advanced, a froft fhould 
be fucceeded by a fine warm morning’*— 
if blight is a f{pecies of the diforder 
above-menticned, why fhould not this 
method be as effectual in its cure of plants 
as {now is when ufed to prevent a morti- 
fication in any of the human members ¥ 
Now I am writing, I beg leave to com- 
municate a few more obfervations which 
have occurred to me in natural hiftory. 
I believe the bind-weed (convolvulus ar- 
I Venjis) 
