The canton of Soleure is very small. It is situatedon the North of Berne, and on the South of Basle; andis watered by the Aar, and embellished by the Jura, onwhich mountain, indeed, a great part of it lies.
The capital, called Soleure , is said to be extremelyancient. Historians allow it to be older than Rome ,and affirm that inscriptions have been found whichestablish that fact. It was certainly a place of con-siderable importance in the time of the Romans, andstill retains many marks of antiquity and grandeur. Itis beautifully situated at the foot of the Jura , whosesoft blue sides, as they rise above its towers, are sweetlyreflected on the crystal waters of the Aar, over whicha very handsome bridge has been constructed, leadingto the principal street. At the the extremity of thisstreet, which is broad, clean, and regular, stands abeautiful modern cathedral, raised above it by a flightof steps, from each side whereof two fountains per-petually spout the clearest water into marble cisterns,whence it overflows into other basins. Even with the