284 RIF-SBECR’s TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY .

the fea fervice; go, however, where you will, you meet with nothing but labors, whoexprefs their abhorrence and detection of the fervice. '

Far from its being able to fhine as a firft-rate power, it will be neceffary for the repub-lic to exert every nerve, if it means to hold rank even amongft the fecond order of navalpowers in Europe . In order to do this, the inhabitants muft become patriotic enoughto contribute largely, even in time of peace, to the neceffities of the ft ate, which is aspoor as they are rich. The India Company , whofe adminitlration is frill more miferablethan that of the Englilh, and which, incredible as it is, is loaded with-debt by the rob-bery of itsfervants, and the intereftednefs of the proprietors, mult be entirely fuppreffed,and its poffeffions governed by the republic; the land troops,, a miferable jetb uponarmies, and of which the Swifs and Dutch alone deferve the name of foldiers, muft beentirely difbanded, and their immenfe pay employed in the fervice of the navy. Whenall this is done, poffibly the ftate tnay be in a fituation to keep up a conflant navy of fiftyor fixty {hips of the line; but in the prefent ftate of things, even if the fifty or fixtyfhips that are promifed could be got ready, the beft thing that could be done with them,would be to fell them directly to the neighbouring power of Europe , which would givemod; the republic itfelf has neither ftrength enough to keep them manned and in aftate of fervice for a courfe of years, nor good will and power enough to preferve themat the end of the war 5 they muft of courfe rot again in a fhort time. As the republic ha-smade conquefts abroad, the defence of which, in the prefent times, far furpaffes herpower, fire has the good will and jealoufy of her neighbours to thank for {fill continuingin pofleffion of them.

But fmail as the refources of the republic appear to be, when confidered’with regard tothe prefent political fyftem of Europe , the conftitution of the country does not allow herto make all the ufe of them they might be put to. Not only abroad, but in Holland it-felf, the republic paffes for a confederacy of feven, or, taking in the country of Dfienthe,of eight fovereigns. Nothing can be falfer than this eftimate ;• there are a greater num-ber of independent dates in Holland than in Switzerland , or the whole German empire;and whatever appearances may fpeak the contrary, the bond'of union is much ftrongerin tbefe laft countries than it is in Holland. Every city, every country of this republicis a free ftate ; the members of every province fhoukl indeed be only the reprefentativesof the ftates of a country, as they formerly were; but they are in fat: become trueftates, according to their titles. The States General are no reprefentatives. of feven oreight fovereigns, but only the refults of the deliberations of many ftates, which areunited by a fpecial bond, and call themfelves a province. The cities of Amfterdam,Rotterdam , Leyden, and many others, have, during this war, not only very frequentlyforgot the provincial judicature, which, with the other ftates of the province, they haveerected as a kind of congrefs, but have behaved as if they were in every refpect inde-pendent ; I fay, as a kind of congrefs, for that they are no fuperior tribunal, but onlythe members of a congrefs, who, in particular cafes, pdffefs the higheft authority, is evi-dent from feveral affairs having been removed from this judicature to the particularones of each city. All the tribunals of Holland muft be looked upon as congreffes ofdifferent fovereigns, who can difunite at pleafure. Even the council of war, pre-emi-nent and important as it is, is of the fame kind. The diftridts of Oftergo, Weftergo,the Seven Woods in Friefland, See. although only properly bailiwicks, are at this inftantoccupied in feparating entirely from the provincial affembly, and eredling their own tri-bunals, . en dernier_ refort , among themfelves. In feveral reprefentations which theyhave made to the Stadtholder in their own names, and without the participation or ad-vice