1807.] 
ments, and to these society is the main 
spring. A certain air of general happi- 
ness pervaded the imperial metropolis, 
But since then the times have been con- 
tinually changing for the worse. 
Wars broke out; and their progress and 
results naturally excited some concernin 
the bosom of every well-disposed patriot. 
Bad seasons, and other circumstances oc- 
casioned a dearth, which imposed the ne- 
cessity for various kinds of retrenchments 
that were severely felt. Thcse events 
rendered the physiognomy of Vienna 
more and more gloomy, and the disposi- 
tion of its inhabitants more and more un- 
sociable. 
Meanwhile the baleful French Revolu- 
tion began to rage in its utmost violence. 
Every one must still recollect the power- 
ful impressions which the appearance of 
this political monster made upon the 
minds of all; with what warmth people of 
all ranks immediately censured or ap- 
plauded it; what discord and divisions 
this subject excited among acquaintances, 
friends, relatives, nay even individuals of 
the same family; and these by no means 
tended to promote the former good-hu- 
mour and sociability which prevailed at 
Vienna. 
It is equally well known to what mad 
and guilty measures the democratic fever 
which then raged, impelled certain wrong- 
heads of Vienna; measures from which 
every honest mind recoiled with horror, 
and which, when made public, produced 
a lively conviction how easily unatlected 
candour and artless sincerity may fall a 
prey to the wicked machinations of de- 
signing men. 
Every honest man now became more 
difficult in the choice of his company, 
more circumspect in his words, more mis- 
trustful of his declarations and ex pres- 
sions of others. Many things which be- 
fore were harmless jests, might now be 
misunderstood or misinterpreted A tone 
of timidity and reserve succeeded; peo- 
ple shunned even innocent connections, 
and habits of isolation became general. 
The turn which things gradually took 
in France, as lamentable as it was unex- 
pected even’ by the friends to the sove- 
reignty of the people, has now, it is true, 
put to shame the political fanatics in Ger- 
many, and converted the greater part.of 
them. In spite of this alteration, a con- 
siderable degree of unsociable coldness 
was still left behind; and it was not till 
the short period of peace that this hegan 
in some measure to be removed, 
Pezzl’s Sketches of Vienna in 1805. 327 
HIPPOMANIA. 
When the yet nameless city, after- 
wards known by the appellation of Athens, 
was completed, Minerva and Neptune 
disputed the honour of giving it a name, 
The assembled gods decided that this 
right should belong to the contending 
deity, who should make the most useful 
thiug for mankind out of nothing, Mli- 
nerva created the olive-tree, Neptune 
the horse; and the celestials p gave the 
preference to the goddess. 
If at the present day a similar dispute 
were to arise, and an assembly of our 
youthful cavaliers were summoned to de- 
cideit, they would certainly be of a con- 
trary opinion: they would send Dame 
Minerva, with her olive-tree, to the oil- 
shop, and would infallibly exalt Nep- 
tune, the creator,of horses, to the throne 
of Olympus ; for their horses are dearer 
tothem than all the world. 
Every body is acquainted with the 
anecdote of a young Parisian marquis, 
who being asked which he loved most, 
his girls or his horses, replied, J’aime 
plus mes filles, mais jestime plus mes 
chevaua, This was a pretty plain ac- 
knowledgment of his sentiments, and 
such, too, are the sentiments of a large 
portion of the inhabitants of Vienna. 
The partiality for these animals is ac- 
tually carried to extravagance. People 
pay an enormous price for them, keep an 
astonishing number, attend, feed, and 
caress them, with an atiaChment border 
ing on madness. 
The number of horses has by no means 
diminished, but, on the contrary, consi- 
derably increased at Vienna, within these 
ten years; for the middling class of citi- 
zens and civil officers must now keep 
their carriages in imitation of their supe- 
riors. There are now about ten thou- 
sand of those animals in this city. The 
total cost of the oats, hay, and straw, con- 
sumed by them in 1802, must “have 
amounted to four millions and a half of 
florins. A stable for two horses in the 
city now costs from one hundred and 
ninety to two hundred and twenty flo- 
rins; and a carriage withtwo horses can- 
not be kept for less than one thousand 
two hundred florins per annum. 
While we are upon this subject, we. 
must not forget the old minister Kau- 
nitz, who roieed among the first of these 
dilletanti. He piqued himself on being 
the best horseman in Vienna, and he cer 
tainly was a first-rate scientific eques- 
trian, He had horses from almost every 
region 
