from the field; on which, Frederic did not fail publicly to make many mortifying and irritating reflections., The following anecdote, however, related by Mr. W. proves that her conjugal affection was ennobled by great dignity of sentiment and magnanimity. Francis, to whose affections she had so many claims, was nevertheless of a disposition so enterprising in pursuits of gallantry, that it was said to be dangerous for a woman of honor and beauty to remain alone in his company.' On the evening preceding his dissolution, which was sudden and unexpected, he had presented to the Princess of Auersberg (his last favorite) an order on his treasurer for no less a sum than two hundred thousand florins, or near twenty thousand pounds. As he died the following day, which was Sunday, the interval was too short, to allow her time for receiving the money. In a secret council, held after Francis's death, it was debated whether a pecuniary donation of such a nature, to so great an amount, should, or ought to be fulfilled. More than one voice declared against it; but Maria Theresa, superior to every consideration except what she thought her own and her husband's honour demanded, issued orders punctu ally to discharge the sum.' The Empress is generally occupied more than five hours every day in acts of religion and in prayer.' In March last year, (1778,) I remember her being for three hours, from three till six in the afternoon, on her knees in the cathedral of Vienna, imploring the divine interposition to turn aside the war, then menaced on account of the Bavarian succession. The Archduchess Elizabeth assured a lady not long since, that "when she accompanied her mother to chapel, she frequently remained there for such a length of time, as scarcely to know at last what she pronounced or repeated." During the first pregnancy of her unfortunate daughter Marie Antoinette, Masses and supplications for the Queen's safe delivery, at which her Imperial Majesty assisted in person, were for several weeks performed publicly to a " Vierge grosse,” in one of the churches of Vienna.' Her religious duties did not prevent her from dedicating a portion of every day to public affairs. Though some of her actions proceeded from a mind contracted by superstition, the whole of her conduct manifested a charitable and pacific disposition. The most remarkable trait in the character of Joseph II. was his strong preference of utility to ostentation. This appeared immediately on his accession, in several instances. By a relaxation of the game laws, the peasants were permitted to destroy the wild boars. Two extensive parks almost adjoining the city of Vienna were thrown open, and the most ample permission given to every person, of whatever description, to walk or ride in them at all seasons.' The Empress Queen was fully fully entitled to a share in the praise of this act, as the parks were her immediate property.-The Spanish dress, from the time of the Emperor Charles V., had been uniformly worn at the court of Vienna on all occasions of ceremony. This custom Joseph abolished. He commanded the Aulic counsellors, from that time forwards, to assemble in their ordinary dress, and obliged the members to meet after dinner, as well as in the morning, for the more prompt transaction of affairs.' We remember to have found, in a small collection of anecdotes of Joseph II., published at Paris shortly after his visit to that capital in 1777, one which particularly notices the unaffected plainness of his manners; and that, so far from being displeasing to the Parisians, it was a subject of their admiration. Being at the representation of a tragedy at the French theatre, in which some king was described as superior to and disdaining all troublesome pomp, the whole audience were struck with the similitude, and expressed their approbation by repeated shouts -The ambitious views of Joseph, however, in his seizure of the Bavarian succession, and his joining in the division of Poland, are not to be palliated. With a disposition little inclined to war, he was nevertheless desirous of a martial character. The following description of his manners appears to be well drawn: In external address, Joseph the Second is not deficient. His manners are easy, his conversation lively, voluble, and entertaining; running rapidly from one subject to another, and displaying frequently a vast variety of knowledge. Perhaps he manifests too great a consciousness of possessing extensive information; and he may be reproached likewise with frequently anticipating the answers of the persons with whom he converses. A mixture of vanity and of impetuosity conduce to this defect. While he talks, especially if eager, he always plays with the money in his pocket. He writes with ease, perspicuity, and propriety. I have seen many of his notes, evidently composed without premeditation, addressed to persons who enjoyed his confidence, both men and women. They demonstrate feeling, enlargement of mind, and, as I have thought, goodness of heart. Yet I know, from indisputable authority, that he is a profound dissembler, rarely or never speaking his real sentiments upon any point of moment. On the other hand, he certainly permits those whom he loves or esteems, to deal fairly with him, to tell him not only plain but painful truths; and even to reprehend him on occasion with severity.' This on the whole must be esteemed as an amiable character. The practice of dissembling, with which he is charged, when for the purposes of concealment only, is in many cases perhaps allowable. Among Among the circumstances related of this Prince in these memoirs, is an account of the two interviews which took place between him and Frederic. The first of these, it is generally believed, was occasioned solely by motives of curiosity in both sovereigns to see and converse with each other. At the second meeting, (in September 1770,) the terms of the partition of Poland were adjusted. On this occasion, the address of Frederic was conspicuous: During the two first days, no cloud arose to indispose the two monarchs towards each other; but, on the third, the king received letters by a courier from Petersburgh, the nature of which he did not immediately communicate to the Emperor; who, conceiving that he had a right to know their tenor, manifested some little ill humour at their concealment; Frederic then grew in turn sour, and out of temIn this frame of mind they separated next morning, alienated from each other as much, as they had been prepossessed favorably at their first interview. But, Poland was not less sacrificed to their mutual ambition. These particulars are derived from the best information.' per. Mr. W. visited the mines of Schemnitz and Cremnitz in Upper Hungary, into the depths of which he descended, and which consequently he has described. At Vienna, he met the celebrated traveller Count Beniowsky, who was by birth an Hungarian, and of noble extraction. The adventures of this enterprising man contain so many extraordinary circumstances, that it is not surprising if the veracity of his accounts, unaided by other testimony, should have been questioned.-The late Mr. Gibbon, in a letter written from Paris to Dr. Robertson, has mentioned Bagniouski, and has said that his journal was lodged in the Depot des Affaires Etrangères: but he has spoken of him as one to whose accounts, he thought, very little credit was due. Bagniouski (or Beniowski) related that he followed the coast of Asia as far as 67 degrees of north latitude, where he was stopped by the ice in a straight between the two continents, which was only seven leagues broad. This particular corresponds so well with the subsequent discoveries made by Captain Cook, that it is impossible not to believe that Beniowski's accounts merited a more favourable reception. Mr. W. has given a brief sketch of the Count's adventures, collected from his own conversations*. . From Vienna, Mr. Wraxall travelled into Poland, and afterward to Dresden and Munich: whence he returned to Vienna. At these places, his communications are not limited to the circumstances or descriptions of things which fell im * See Memoirs of this singular person, Rev. vol. iii. N. S. p. 169. mediately mediately under his own observation: but he has added such information, as serves to give a general idea of the situation of public affairs in the different states at the time at which he wrote. The picture drawn of Poland is most reproachful to human nature. Robbed and oppressed by foreign powers; in a condition too helpless or too dispirited for resistance; with a consequent decay of exertion and neglect of all improvement; the nobility seeking in the most dissolute licentiousness a relief from corroding reflections; the peasantry in a state of poverty, filth, and wretchedness, unequalled in any other part of Europe :-These are some of the evils to which that miserable country has been subjected, in consequence of the defects in its constitution of government, and of the politics of its neighbours. An extraordinary distemper, peculiar to this country, called Plica Polonica, which is almost, if not absolutely irremediable, is thus described: The seat of the disorder is in the hair, which entangles, and by degrees forms into a solid mass resembling a mat: every separate hair becomes a blood vessel, or tube of putrid matter. I have seen them stand out from the head, or hang in ropes from it; and nothing can be more loathsome. All attempts to shave the part, or to cut the hair, in however early stage of the disease such operations are tried, produce either blindness, or maladies still more fatal; at least I am so assured by every body with whom I have conversed on the subject. Upon the physical causes of the "Plica," I find different opinions. Many assert that it arises from some morbid though hitherto unascertained qualities of the air or water in Poland. The latter element is, in general, bad, stagnant, and corrupt. But so it is likewise in many other countries where the "Plica" is unknown. On the whole, a more general, as well as rational belief is, that its rise and progress is owing only to the horrid nutriment and inconceiveable filth of the Polish people.' The distemper is almost exclusively found among the lowest class, and much more common in the remote provinces, than in the metropolis, or its vicinity.' We shall now present our readers with the author's account of his visit to the salt-mines of Vielicza near Cracow : After being let down by a rope to the depth of two hundred and thirty feet, our conductors led us through galleries, which, for loftiness and breadth, seemed rather to resemble the avenues to some subterranean palace, than passages cut in a mine. They were perfectly dry in every part, and terminated in two chapels composed entirely of salt, hewn out of the solid mass. The images which adorn the altars, as well as the pillars and ornaments, were all of the same transparent materials; the points and spars of which, reflecting the rays of light from the lamps which the guides held in their hands, produced an effect equally novel and beautiful. Descending lower into the earth by means of ladders, I found myself in an immense hall or cavern of salt, many hundred feet in height, length, and dimensions, the .floor and sides of which were cut with exact regularity. A thousand persons might dine in it without inconvenience, and the eye in vain attempted to trace, or define, its limits. Nothing could be more sublime than this vast subterranean apartment, illuminated by flambeaux, which faintly discover its prodigious magnitude, and leave the imagination at liberty to enlarge it indefinitely. After remaining about two hours and a half under ground, I was drawn up again in three minutes, with the greatest facility.' Mr. Wraxall has been one of our most useful travellers: he has united great diligence with good opportunities of acquiring information: the style of his Memoirs is clear and polished, without other ornament than what naturally occurs; and his accounts of political and military transactions are concise, and without obscurity. In some instances, however, too much complaisance is shewn to the misdeeds and failings of indivi duals; and sometimes he is led aside by a desire of setting difficulties in the most formidable array, so as to make their being surmounted appear little less than miraculous; a defect which few writers of history (in which character we consider Mr. W. in our application of this remark) have taken much pains to avoid. The general character of the present memoirs may be estimated from the particulars which we have noticed : but we shall add that they abound throughout with enlivening anecdote, and that the reader's time and attention will be amply repaid, whether his search be for information or amusement. ART. VII. Capt. B....y. Review of Poetry, ancient and modern. A Poem. By Lady M****** 4to. 2s. 6d. Booth. 1799. time past, than by the condescension with which the fair writer of the work before us has enlisted into the corps of Reviewers; and, in spite of the reverence with which we have been always impressed by the wise apophthegms of our forefathers, we will presume for once to combat that which asserts that " two of a trade can never agree." So far from quarrelling with Lady Manners, we most readily subscribe to all her awards, in her compressed REVIEW of Poetry, antient and modern; and, which we fear seldom happens between brethren of the family of Zoilus, we most avowedly, and free from all envy and reserve, will disseminate and abet her opinions, to the last drop in our pens. The |