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saw several store-houses of salt: the only salt merchant in the Prussian dominions is the King, who has the monopoly. The exportations of corn from this city are amazing; and it may justly be considered as the grain depot of Europe.

In Dantzig, every thing partakes of that petty spirit which is too often engendered by traffic amongst small communities of mercantile men. Heaven protect the being who visits this city without a commercial commission!

-The road to Berlin has, in one respect, a great advantage, there is a constant and rapid succession of towns and villages, but no scattered cottages: upon every acclivity the traveller commands six or seven spires rising from little clumps of trees, and clusters of houses; the road to each of these small communities for about a quarter of mile is paved with large rough angular stones, which constitute the pride of the parish, and are brought from a great distance, and with considerable cost. Upon wishing them at the devil one day, which I never failed to do aš often as I had to contend with them, my driver turned round and said, "Do not wish them there: do you know that each of those fine stones cost four good groschen?"

"The winter was now rapidly setting in, and in every post-house the stoves were warmed; before one of them sotme peasant children were reposing upen forms, and their mother standing with her back against it, fast asleep. The peasants erect their ovens, which are made of clay, about seven feet high, in the shape of a dome, at the extremity of their orchards, removed as far as possible from any thatch. All the reads and bye-lanes in Prussia are abundantly supplied with legible and intelligent directing posts, representing a negro's head, with large white eyes and a pig tail, whilst two long stiff arms point the wanderer on his way.

Between Gruneberg and Freyenwalde I passed the

Oder, which flows to the walls of Olmutz, rendered eminently familiar to the memory by the cruel captivity of La Fayette, and the spirit of British genero sity which restored him and his lovely Marchioness to light and liberty.

Upon our leaving Freyenwalde, we ploughed our way through the dark forests and trackless sands of Brandenbourg, the latter of which Frederic the Great highly valued as a national barrier, capable of impeding and embarrassing an approaching enemy.

Of their depth and dreariness no one can judge, but those who have waded through them: we quitted them with great joy to roll merrily along over a noble new royal road, of about ten English miles in length, lined with sapling lindens; aud early on the eighth day from my leaving Dantzig, I passed the gate of the wall which surrounds Berlin, and with fortyone ducats discharged my companion at the hotel de Russie.

Having refreshed myself, I sallied into the Linden walk, which is very broad, is formed of triple rows of the graceful and umbrageous, tree from which it re ceives its name, and is situated in the centre of the street, having carriage roads on each side, from which it is protected by a handsome line of granite posts connected by bars of iron, and illuminated at night by large, reflecting lamps, suspended over the centre by cords, stretched from corresponding supporters of wrought iron: its length is about an English mile, and presents, at one end the rich portico of the marble, opera-house and the palace, and at the other the celebrated Brandenbourg gate, designed by Monsieur Langhans from the Propylium of Athens, and raised in 1780. This superb monument of tasteful architecture is a stone colonnade, of a light reddish-yellow, colour, composed of twelve grand fluted Corinthian columns,, forty-four feet high, and five feet seven, inches in diameter, six on each side, leaving a space for the gates to fold between, presenting five colossals

portals, through which the park is seen in fine perspective. The wings composing the custom and guardhouses are adorned with eighteen lesser columns, twenty-nine feet high and three feet in diameter: the whole is crowned by colossal figures of the Angel of Peace driving four horses abreast in a triumphal car, below which are rich basso-relievos. This most elegant structure, and the walk of Lindens, are unique, and would abundantly repay any traveller for the fatigues of an eight days' journey to behold them. In the walk, although the weather was very cold, several ladies were promenading without caps or bonnets, and others were riding astride on horseback, according to the fashion of the country, in a long riding habit, pantaloons, and half-boots. In the streets scarcely any other objects were to be seen, than

"The soldier and his sword."

Upon ascending the gallery of the superb dome of the institution of the poor, in the grand market place, I commanded the wall of the city, the dimensions of which are small, I should not think larger than those of Bath; but having been the result of one design, and in a great measure built in one reign, it has the advantage of being regular. The river Spree runs through it, and is adorned by some handsome stone bridges. The streets are spacious, and, to the surprize of a stranger, are well paved for carriages and pedestrians, although nature has refused to furnish the country with a single stone; this denial has been supplied by the policy of Frederick the Great, who made all the vessels that came up the Elbe, the Hawel, or the Spree, take on board at Magdeburg a certain quantity of freestone, and disembark at Berlin gratis. The houses are generally built of brick stuccoed, but some are of stone, in the Italian style of architecture. The palace of Prince Henry, the brother of Frederick the Great, lately deceased, is built

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of stone; but, for want of ornament, possesses but little attraction for the eye: the royal palace is an enormous square pile of the same materials, whose massy and gloomy walls the reigning sovereign has wisely resigned to his courtiers, for a small pla'n mansion, opposite the common foundery. Monbijou, the residence of the queen-dowager, is a palace, or rather a long gallery, nearly the whole being upon the ground-floor, situated on the side of the river Spree, embosomed in a wood and gardens. The rotunda, or catholic church, partly designed by cardinal Alberoni, is a noble edifice, the grand altar of which was made at Rome, and is celebrated for its beauty. Soon after Frederic the Great ascended the throne, he conceived the sublime idea of building a vast pantheon, in which every description of devotion might, at an allotted time, find its altar. Policy, if not genuine charity, induced that sagacious prince to think that tolerance was necessary to the interests, as well as the dignity, of a nation; and he was desirous of not only seeing his subjects and foreigners worship their God in their way, but that, like brothers, they should prostrate themselves before him in the same temple. On account of the state of the treasury, Frederic was successfully advised to drop this benign plan, and it was never afterwards resumed. The generality of the Prussians are Calvinists.

In the evening after my arrival I went to the New Theatre, a superb building, on the entablature of which the following elegant inscription appeared in German, "Whilst we smile we mend the manners." All the front of the inside was occupied by the royal box, formed into a saloon, from the centre of the ceiling of which a rich lustre descended, and on each side were alabaster vases. The boxes were neat and well arranged. Over the curtain was a large transparent clock; the players were good; the orchestra very full and fine; and the scenery, particularly the drop, or curtain scene, very beautiful.

VOL. XXVIL

The statue of the celebrated general Ziethen, the favourite of Frederic the Great, and one of the greatest and bravest generals of Prussia, is well worthy the Notice of the traveller. It is raised in Wilhelm's Platz, or William's Place, upon a pedestal, on three sides of which are basso-relievos, representing the hero on horseback, in some of the most celebrated campaigns, surrounded by an elegant railing: the figure of the general, in his hussar regimentals, is as large as life; his hand is raised to his chin, which was his usual attitude of meditation: it is said to be a strong resemblance, and is a fine piece of statuary. In this little square there are several other statues of Prussian generals, who distinguished themselves in the seven years' war, without any inscription. Upon my German friend inquiring of some of the soldiers, who were standing near us, their names, they told us they knew nothing about them. It is well known, that no living creature is more ignorant than a. Prussian soldier.

As we passed to the royal opera-house, the cavalry were drilling; the wretchedness of their horses not a little surprized me: the same remark applied to those of every other regiment of cavalry which I saw. The opera-house, which is never open but during the carnival, is a superb and elegant building, raised by Frederic the Great. The audience are admitted gratis, by tickets issued by the king's authority: the pit is allotted to the regiments in garrison, each of which is permitted to send so many men. In the time of Frederic the Great, it was no unusual spectacle to see the wives of the soldiers sitting upon their husbands' shoulders: the internal decorations are, I was informed, very magnificent.

Berlin is justly celebrated for the excellence of its hotels in my sitting room, looking upon the Lindenwalk, I had every article of useful and elegant furniture, my bed-room, and sopha-bed and linen were remarkably neat and clean, and both rooms, although

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