RIESBECK’g TRAVELS T'E-IROUGH GERMANY.

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the fame influence on religion as the air has on the barometer? Religious enthufiafm isnot of itfelf hurtful to induftryand focial virtues, as is evident by the, example of theEnglifh independants and Quakers , who are aftive and alert enough, notwithdandingtheir religious creed. No religion neceffarily requires a corruption of manners, wan-tonnefs, or lazinefs. When, therefore, a religion proves hurtful to the date, it arifesfrom the mode of education, the manners, the government, and other local circum-ilances. Under a weak adminiftration religion breaks out into abufe, from the intereftedviews of its miniders, and the folly and flupidity of the people ; but every other humaninditution does the fame ; fo that I believe every religion, like every government, to begood, when it is well adminidered. A wife and efficient regency is omnipotent; andthe example of Peter the Great has ffiewn clearly enough, that a wife man may makeevery religion contribute to render a date flourishing. With refped to opinions, thereligion of the multitude is nearly alike in all places. It almoft univerfally conlifts in ablind fubmiflion to the authority of the pried. I have feen enough to convince me ofthis, in fome Protedant countries, which pafs for the mod enlightened in religious mat-ters. The great difference betwixt mankind, that by which fome are made good andothers bad citizens, depends upon the morals, which are a confequence of the education,and with which religious opinions have little to do. I fliall make you underdand myfentiments on this fubjeft better in my next letter, in which I mean to fay Something ofthe reformation, but, in the mean time, I cannot help communicating fome remarks Ihave made upon the fubjedl in my journey through Germany , as they ferve toilludratemy pofition.

In almod ail the Catholic dates I have travelled through, I have met with Italians whowere mod of them in affluence. All thefe came beggars into Germany , and have madetheir fortunes in a foreign country, without any domedic affidance whatfoever. It is not:more than thirty or forty years ago, that almod all the rich merchants in the middlingand leffer dates of Germany were Italians . I think this fufficient to prove, that the in-dudry and frugality by which thefe people have made their fortunes, are no attributes ofa particular mode of religion, but arife from circumdances in the local character, whichmodly takes its colour from education. The frugal, deep-thinking and indudriousWaljhes have capital fufficient in their character, eafily to gain an advantage in the ma-nagement of worldly matters, over the lazy, diffipated, and dupid German RomanCatholics , though the religion of both be the fame. I have fpoken with fome of thefeItalian parvenus, who complained bitterly, that it was much more difficult to make a for-tune in Germany now than it had formerly been. No doubt but that this is owing to amuch better mode of education having been introduced by the government amongft thepeople with whom they have to do. Is there any man who is not adonifhed at the differentdegrees of indudry which prevail among the Italians themfelves ? and yet they have allthe fame religion. There is, perhaps, lefs fuperdition at Rome , than in any part of theRoman Catholic world ; but are the Romans therefore more indudrious than the Ge-noefe, who are the groffed bigots known ? Mind, I am not fpeaking of the difcipline ofthe church, nor of the riches of the cloyders, nor yet of Annates , Paliiums , difpenfations,and other popiffi tributes, nor even of the ufurpation of the fpiritual power and the like,all of which may be very hurtful to a date, but do not belong to the effence of religion..1 lie difpute is only on the influence which fpeculative opinions have on the indudry ofmen. In my opinion they have none. It is an obfervation every day made, that^a manwiav be the mod fuperditious of mortals in fome things, and yet the Iharped and modclear-fighted of all mankind in others; nor are the Saxons , according to my way ofthinking, indebted to their more philosophical religion, for the greater degree of happi-nefs they enjoy as citizens.

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