TO
LETTER IV.
Stutgarf , May 20, 1780..
MY excurfions In the neighbouring ftates of the circle of Suabia , did not produce therich booty I had promifed to myfelf. I vifited a dozen free imperial towns, in which,notwithftanding the republican form of government, not a l'park of liberty or patriotifmwas to be feen. The inhabitants of thefe have, through the oppreffion of more powerfulneighbours, long fince loft all fenfe of the value of independence ; but though alhamedto mention the name of their native country out of their own walls, within them theymimic the,forms of old Rome , and after the manner of thofe governors of the world,infcribe their public buildings of ftate with Senatus Populufque Hallenjis , Bopfingenfis,Nordlingen/is , &c.
In the fifteenth century, the imperial cities of Suabia afted a very different part..They were then united in leagues, not only with each other, but with the cities of Fran-conia and the Rhine. Even the Emperor had fometimes caufe to be alarmed at theirincreafing power, which indeed made Charles V. difunite them. From the time of theaffociation of the Ilanfe towns, the gold had flowed from all the country into the cities.Thefe were the exclufive feats of induftry, and their wealth drew into their dependance-the neighbouring princes, who at that time lived by robberies.
If the fpirit of trade which then prevailed, had fuffered them to place more value onthe poffeffion of landed property, they would to this day have preferved fomewhat oftheir former fplendour, as with their power they might have made many conquefts, andwith their wealth many purchafes.
All hopes are now vanifhed of their ever becoming again confpicuous. As foon asthe princes difcovered the value of induftry, and gave it free encouragement in theirdominions, it fled into their protection, and abandoned the dark walls of cities in which.a fyftem of monopolies, little policy, and narrow-minded envy of the fuccefsful, laid itunder fo many reftraints. In confequence, the towns are fo reduced, as to be obliged:to fell the little landed property they have, to difcharge their debts. This has latelybeen the cafe with Ulm ; the largeft town in Suabia , next to Augfburg. Of the im-perial towns which I have vifited, I can lay nothing particular, but that Heilbron isbeautifully fituated, and Halle has a fait manufactory, which brings in three hundred,thoufand florins, or thirty thoufand pounds per annum.
Having left thefe ftates, I ran over in a very fhort time, about a dozen principalities,,and prelacies, with the names of which I fhall not trouble you. Almolt the wholecountry confifts of well-wooded mountains and hills, and fertile vales,, all in high culti-vation. 1 he great population which prevails here is wonderful, when you- confider the-untoward circumftances of the country. By untoward circumftances, I mean the extor-tions of petty mafters, who all keep their miftreffes, their ftag-hounds, their French cooks, and English horfes; the perpetual quarrels amongft neighbours, which arife fromthe various perplexed governments of the empire; the fmall profits attendant on in-duftry within fuch a confined fpot; and laftly, the conftant decreafe of coin, owing tothe fums of money expended by the governors of the country in. fearch of foreign lux-uries. As religion, manners, attachment to the native fpot, temperance, and frugality,,all of which 1 am willing to allow that thefe people poffefs, do not appear to me fuffi-cient of themfelves to counterbalance thefe evils, I have but one way of accounting forthe profperity I fee; which is this :
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