quifite for enabling an army to act with effect, and in combining or directing a variety of military operations. The other has no equal in rapid, decifive and fuccefsful execution. Lacy is more refpected at Vienna: Laudohn more dreaded at Berlin. The former enjoys all the confidence of Joseph: the latter poffeffes all the efteem of Frederic. If the Auftrian officer looks up to the first; the Austrian foldier has his eye fixed on the fecond, crowds to his ftandard, and efteems himself certain of victory, under fuch a leader. Both have performed the moft fignal fervices. But, it would be unjust to compare the affair of Maxen, or the retreat of Torgau, where Lacy acted in a fubordinate capacity under Daun; with the capture of Glatz and Schweidnitz, or the victory of Landfhut, in all which Laudohn commanded without a fuperior. If Lacy is more confidered by the prefent age, in the circle where he moves; Laudohn will probably fill a much higher place in the volume of fame, in diftant times, and among foreign nations, when the little malignities, prejudices, and partialities of the hour are bu ried in oblivion.' Vol. i. P. 343.

Some particulars refpecting Vienna are mingled with the account of the preparations for war in 1778; and a sketch of Metaftafio varies the fcene. The author's travels in Hungary form the fubjects of two letters. He foon became fenfible of the difference between the Germans and the Hungarians; but he has mentioned few fpecific points of contraft.

Never were two nations more diffimilar in manners, drefs, and appearance, than the German and the Hungarian. Even the fuperftition of Vienna is far outdone by that of Buda. The first object which I faw from my windows, on the morning after my arrival, were flagellants, marching flowly through the streets, covered with blood, and dragging along croffes of a vast weight, followed by crowds of people. It was Good Friday, and the whole city feemed to be animated by the fame fpirit of penitential and gloomy devotion. I could have fancied myself at Madrid, half a century ago. The flagellants wore hoods or facks over their faces, in order to conceal them; but their backs, which were entirely naked, bore the fanguinary marks of the scourge at every step. I am affured that the persons who inflict on themselves this voluntary punishment, are frequently men of rank, and that the practice is by no means confined to the inferior orders.' Vol. i. P. 369.

The mines of Schemnitz being visited by our traveller, we will extract fome of his obfervations upon them.

Though gold, filver, copper, and lead, are all found in the mines of Schemnitz, the last forms the predominant metal. Their original discovery is almost loft in the barbarifm and obfcurity of the middle ages; but it is indifputable that they have been worked for eleven hundred years. At this time they find employment for CRIT. REV. VOL. XXVII. Sept. 1799. C

near twenty-fix thoufand men, women, and children, in the dif ferent departments or proceffes. An admirable police is main tained; no criminal or malefactor being ever fent there, and no female permitted even to enter the mines. Unlike thofe of Sweden, Carniola, and many others in various parts of Europe, which are a fort of fubterranean colonies, the workmen never fleep below. After fix, eight, or twelve hours of labour, they remount, and are relieved by others. The Turks, who were fo long fovereigns and mafters of the far greater part of Hungary, never took poffeffion of Schemnitz, though they penetrated to a village only two miles diftant. Content with exacting an annual tribute of fome thousand florins, they indolently abandoned the mines to the Auftrian princes.

Nothing can be fo precarious, fluctuating, and incapable of calculation, as the annual profits derived from them to the crown; because, at moments when the veins of ore are most abundant, they fuddenly disappear, and frequently deceive or difappoint the guess of the most experienced miners. About twenty-three years ago, juft before the great war of 1756, they yielded fo little, that it became a queftion, when all the expences attending them were de frayed, whether the empress queen was a gainer or a lofer. But, precifely at that time, when fhe ftood moft in need of pecuniary aid, the workmen difcovered veins fo rich and productive, that during fome years the gains were prodigious, amounting annually to feveral millions of florins. They have fince been gradually diminishing, though by no means to fo reduced a degree as in 1756. At prefent they continue to be highly profitable; and besides employing fuch numbers of people, bring in a confiderable revenue to Maria Therefa.' Vol. i. p. 380.

The feventeenth and fome following letters relate to Poland, which then exifted as a feparate ftate, though deprived of confderable provinces by the rapacity of royal confederates. An unpleafing picture is given of Cracow and Warfaw; yet the latter city was rendered highly agreeable to Mr. Wraxall as a temporary refidence, by the hofpitality which he experienced from many of the principal inhabitants.

The caufes of the decline of Poland are briefly traced, and the first plan of partition developed. The fcheme, he fays, unquestionably originated in the cabinet of Prufha. The king, however, was not the projector of it; for his brother 'Henry's deep and capacious mind first seised, digested, and ripened it in filence.'

The late king of Poland attracts much of our author's attention. In drawing the character of that prince, he notices a want of œconomy as his greatest defect. He pays a just tribute to the elegance of his manners, but is unwilling to allow that he pofelfed a folid and penetrating undertanding.'

From Poland Mr. Wraxall paffed into Silefia, and then returned into Saxony, at a time when the Pruffians and Auftrians were at war. The campaign of that year (1778) was unproductive of great events; and many did not fcruple to arraign with extreme feverity the conduct of Frederic, as if he had been deferted by his former courage and military fkill. But our author defends him with plaufibility and propriety.

In the memoirs of the Saxon court, the elector, Frederic Auguftus, is reprefented as a prince of a cold referved difpofition, but of a cultivated understanding and of fome virtues. The electress is mentioned as a woman of merit; but Mr. Wraxall was more particularly pleased with the mother of the elector, of whom he says,

'In spite of so many natural disadvantages, an air of sense and intelligence illuminates her countenance. Few princeffes poffefs more knowledge of the world, more gracious manners, or greater powers of pleafing in converfation. Miftrefs of various languages, acquainted with the human heart, and ingratiating in her addrefs, The conduces not a little to render the Saxon court agreeable to ftrangers. Her ambition is not inferior to her talents; but he has at prefent no field on which to exert them, as her fon the elector no longer confults her on matters of a public nature, nor allows her to interfere in political affairs. Fruftrated of the crown of Poland by her husband's death, at the moment when the feemed about to be raised to the throne; and now removed from the active scenes of state, she happily finds refources in her love of letters.' Vol. ii. P. 193.

The character of the elector Palatine, who died lately, is thus delineated:

Endowed with judgment, and poffeffed of no mean abilities, he is nevertheless unambitious, and more attached to his pleatures, than defirous of aggrandizing his houfe, or extending his dominions. In attention and application to public bufinefs he is not deficient. His leifure is principally divided between the gratifications of appetite, and the pursuits of literature, to both of which he alternately facrifices. He no longer rides or hunts, having renounced, for thefe ten or twelve years paft, the diverfion of the chace, on account of a dizziness to which he is fubject: but in the conviviality of the table he indulges freely. Vol. ii. P. 201.

Few princes now living, none perhaps except the king of Pruffia, have cultivated their minds more affiduoufly, or with greater faccess. His reading is extensive; and to the information derived from books, he adds the advantages of travel, as well as a perfect knowledge of mankind. He has vifited Italy, and reads the works of the poets and hiftorians of that country, ancient and modern, in

their original languages. In English, I am affured he is not lefs converfant. Though a catholic, he is by no means a bigot; and if we try him by the ordinary standard of princes, he certainly oc cupies a place much above mediocrity.' Vol. ii. p. 202.

All the remaining epiftles are dated from Vienna. They treat of historical particulars, military operations, courtly intrigues, affairs of government and policy, the ftate of fociety, &c. Maria Therefa, and the chief individuals of her family, are frequently mentioned; and various features of their chaacters are exhibited.

The manner in which the fuperftitious yet politic empres was accustomed to pals her time, is noticed in the following

terms.

Pleasures, in the common acceptation of the term, the can fcarcely be faid to have any. She rifes generally at a very early hour; during fummer at five, and even in January at fix in the morning. After her private devotions fhe hears a mass, and proceeds immediately to dispatch business.

Her conftant breakfast is

milk-coffee. At noon he hears a second mass, and then her dinner is ferved, which by no means confifts of many difhes. Parfimonious of her time, fhe ufually dines alone, and inftantly refumes the confideration of public affairs. During the fummer, when fhe is moftly at the palace of Schonbrun in the vicinity of Vienna, if the weather permit, the frequently paffes feveral hours in a covered walk of the gardens, to which the can repair from her own apartments. The walk is on a level with her chamber, in order to facilitate her paffage to it. A centinel, ftationed at the entrance, prevents all interruption; and the emprefs has a little box, which is buckled round her waift, full of papers, letters, and memorials. She perufes them all, remains four or five hours at a time in this employment, marks fuch as appear to deserve attention, and enters into the minuteft detail upon every point. So wholly is the occupied with concerns of state, that it frequently happens, the archducheffes her daughters, though they refide in the fame palace, cannot procure a moment's access to her, from the hour of her getting up till evening. At fix o'clock the emprefs finishes her application to bufinefs, and hears benediction...... Between eight and half past, the commonly retires to bed. This is the exact relation of an or dinary day, as it is paffed by Maria Therefa.' Vol. ii. p. 315.

The reader will smile at her opinion of the English.

Neither exempt from, nor fuperior to the uncharitable notions which bigotry neceffarily infpires, the firmly believes every heretic excluded from the divine mercy; but of all heretics, the conceives the English to be the most impenitent, hardened, and irreclaimable. I know that she enjoined her youngest son, the archduke Maximilian, when she permitted him to visit France and the Low Coun

tries, on no confideration whatever to pass over into England. Her apprehenfion of his being corrupted by the contagious fociety of London, and lofing all his religious principles or impreffions, was the motive of this curious prohibition. She exacted a fimilar promife from the emperor himself, when he went to Paris. "The English," faid the to him," are almost all deists, infidels, and freethinkers. I tremble, left an intercourse with fuch a nation should contaminate your manners, and shake your belief in every thing facred among catholics." Vol. ii. P. 321.

A long letter is appropriated to the mention of various incidents of the life of the emperor Jofeph, and to the display of his character, both public and private. With some short extracts from this part of the work we will close the present article.

'In external address Jofeph the Second is not deficient. His manners are easy, his converfation lively, voluble, and entertaining; running rapidly from one subject to another, and displaying frequently a vaft variety of knowledge. Perhaps he manifefts too great a consciousness of poffeffing extensive information; and he may be reproached likewife with frequently anticipating the answers of the perfons with whom he converfes. A mixture of vanity and of impetuofity conduce to this defect. While he talks, especially if eager, he always plays with the money in his pocket. He writes with eafe, perfpicuity, and propriety. I have feen many of his notes, evidently compofed without premeditation, addressed to perfons who enjoyed his confidence, both men and women. They demonftrate feeling, enlargement of mind, and, as I have thought, goodness of heart. Yet, I know from indifputable authority, that he is a profound diffembler, rarely or never speaking his real fentiments upon any point of moment. On the other hand, he certainly permits thofe 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 occafion with feverity.

I have reafon to think, that his religious opinions are by no means contracted or illiberal. The bigotry and fuperftition which for ages have been hereditary in the house of Auftria, and which ftill furvive in all their force in Maria Therefa, will probably be extinct in her fucceffor. But, I am far from meaning to infinuate that he is therefore tinctured with infidelity, deifm, or any of the doctrines inculcated at Ferney, and at "Sans Souci." The very reverse is the fact. When he paffed through Switzerland, he declined feeing or visiting Voltaire; not lefs, I believe, from his own choice, than at his mother's requeft. Jofeph, though no bigot, is a catholic, convinced of the truths of the Chriftian religion, and conforming to its injunctions in his practice.' Vol. ii. P. 429.

At no period of his life has the prefent emperor been a libertine.