RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. 1 53

The religion of the court of this place is not well calculated to leffen the prejudicesof the Saxon public againft Catholicifm. It is formed upon the Jefuit plan, and I havealready told you, that the German Jefuits are of all monks the greateft. I was told ananecdote, which is certainly true, and does the court ecclefiaftics no great honour. Atthe beginning of the prefent reign, the Jefuits were afraid that the fovereign might changethe national religion ; for, Befides that he was at that time very young, he loved hispeople, and had overtures made him on the fubjedl. Ihe Eledlrefs too, a very pene-trating, and in every refpefl:, amiable woman, was much diffatisfied with the Jefuits. Toprevent innovations, a fpedtre appeared to the Duke, and after having threatened himwith all the torments of hell-fire, if he ventured to make the purpofed change, forbadhim to fay any thing of what had happened, and promifed to return again at a certainperiod. The Duke was very penfive for fome time, at length his wife, who loved himas he deferved, wrung the fecret from him, and told it to the prince of '—— who waitedfor the fpirit on the appointed night, and put him to death with his Spanifh toledo. 1 hefollowing day he came into company and faid, “ I have faved myfelf the payment of5oo thalers, by accidentally killing my confeifor.”

Notwithftanding his little tinge of German jefuitifm, the Elector is a mod amiableprince ; he knows none of the vices, which princes who are obliged to trull the greateftpart of their bufinefs to their mini Hers, generally addict themfelves to. He has alfounderftanding and activity fufficient to form a right judgment of important affairs, whichhe often carries through entirely, either by his perfonal exertions, or the orders he givesfor the purpofe. All his minifters likewife are men who defervefus confidence. Theyare well informed and induftrious patriots, who, both with regard to foreign affairs andinternal adminiftration, follow a uniform fyflem, a thing amongfl many others, by whichthey dillinguifh themfelves from the Bavarian minifters. ' Their entering intaJ:he Ba-varian war, as they did fome years ago, was a certain proof of their not being wantingin fpirit, though their hands were fomewhat cramped by the internal circumftances ofthe country. When once the money, which now goes towards difcharging the intereftand principal of the debts, can be applied to the augmentation of the army, and thecourt is enabled to make ufe of its whole ftrength, no doubt the minifter will take otherground than that he now Hands upon. The country will then be in a ftate to keep upan army of forty or fifty thoufand men, without any uncommon exertion, and of courfe■will be always able to maintain a neutrality. As things are now circumftanced, it muftneceffarily take a fide, and attach itfelf either to Pruffia or Auftria. As long as thepeace .lafts, it gives equal hopes to both fides; but in cafe of a bieach, it will, in myopinion, incline rather to the Pruffian than the Auftrian party, not merely on accountof the attempts which the Auftrians are daily making to enflave the empire, and theweight which their enormous power gives to thole attempts, but becaufe the Saxons , ontheir part, have many private reafons for being diifatisfied with the conduit or theImperial court towards them.

1 he difference there is betwixt the religion of the Prince and that of the people, hasno effeQ; 0 n the national bufinefs. It is not therefore probable that this court will everfacrifice its religion to its temporal interefts, as Auguftus did when he afcended thethrone of Poland , if they fhould come into competition.

In Germany religion is naturally various. The Houfe of Wirtemberg has every fe&°f Chriftendom in it. The family of Prince Frederic Eugene is Lutheran j the. GreatDutchefs has embraced the Greek religion, and the bride of the Hereditary Prince ofTufcany will, no doubt, turn Catholic. As there are likewife princeffes of Brandenburgin this houfe, it has alfo a mixture of Calvinifm in it. Certainly this is the fureft way

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