RIESBECK S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. -265

ceafed, when the neceffities they were meant to ferve (if indeed fuch a ufelefs and fu-perfluous canal can be called a neceflity) have been turned into perpetual imports*-The moft wonderful thing of all, however, for a politician, are the cuftoms of the Pa-latinate . Merely with a view of raifing thefe, the cuftom-houfes have been fo in-created, that almoft every place in the high road has fome particular cuftom payable init, and all the goods which pafs through it are likewife taxable. Prejudicial as thiseftablirtunent is, even to the internal police of the country, as in confequence of it avillage is often three times more remote from the dwelling-place of its bailiff than itought to be, if nature and the good of the fubjefts were more confulted than the bene -fit of the Eleftor and his fervants ; yet is every fpark of patriotifm fo extinguifhed inthis country, that there is no expe&ation of a change for the better ever being broughtabout. In many places on the road, the only mark of the cuftom-houfe is the greatflick, which enforces payment. The poor people, who export the commodities of thecouptry, are often compelled to go three miles out of the road to pay the tax. In fhortthe only difference betwixt the praftice of the ancient German nobility, who, even folow down as the times of the Emperor Maximilian , ufed to rob the merchant on theroad, or compel paffage-monev from him; and the prefent fyftem of taxation in thePalatinate is, that the old nobility did that at the hazard of their heads, which the go-vernment of- the Palatinate does without danger, and without confcioufnefs of doingWrong.

In order to give you a ftill better idea of the oeconomy of this country, you muftknow that there is a monopoly eftablifhed for the furnifhing of all the wood burnt, not°nly in the city of Manheim, but for fome miles round. This is not fuch a monopolyas that eftablifhed at Berlin, which you know rather helps the peafant to fell his wood,than otherwife. Here a natural fon of the Ele&or, raifed by him to the dignity ofcount, having entered into an agreement with the projector, procured the patent whichhas enabled him to live magnificently at the expence of the country.

The adminiftration of this country is fuch, that it is really difgufting to me to pick outfpecimens of it to lay before you. Every thing that you have ever heard of the feparategovernment of priefts, miftrefies, baftards, parvenus, proje&ors, eunuchs, bankrupts,an d the like, exifts in the Palatinate at one and the fame time. I have fpoken with fe-Ve ral minifters, who made no myftery of having bought their places. Indeed thereare more inflances than one of places having been put up at public auction, in the an-techambers of the miftrefies. One natural confequence of this is, the flagrant oppref-fi°ns of the little governors or cuftom-houfe officers, who are fo many Turkifh ba-fliaws; and are feared in their refpedtive diftrifls as the executioners of the vengeance ofheaven. I had the honour to dine with one of thefe bafhaws. The company wast ai 'ge and fplendid. He and his numerous family abounded in rings, watches, lace,and every appendage of the moft extravagant luxury : we had twenty-four diflies atdinner, and amongft the reft young peacocks. The defert was of a piece with the reft,and every thing in the higheft ton. Befides this, the man had a fnug liable, magni-ficent carriage, and hounds, and yet His falary was not more, than 2000 guilders, or=°oI. a year. How he could keep up fuch an eftablilhment on fuch a revenue, wouldh e s no doubt, eafily learned from the poor peafants under him, if we could obtain theirconfidence. With the rich peafants, a balhaw of this kind is naturally upon good terms.

I was Ihewn a man, who, though he had been publicly banifhed from another part of theempire, for his infamous conduct, had, notwithstanding, by following the turningsnnd windings of this place, raifed himfelf to a pl‘ace, from whence he was enabled tolook down upon his enemies with contempt. There is, indeed, no part of Germany ,vi. ’mm in