levy Taxes, make Alliances among themfelves, and alfo with foreign States, provided they do not tend to the Prejudice of the Empire, raife Fortifications, and make Peace or War, under fome Reftrictions. Befides thefe Electors, there are many other Princes who exercife a Sovereign Power over thofe in their own Dominions. The General Diet, or Affembly of the Empire, confifts of the Diet. Electors, Ecclefiaftical Princes, Secular Princes,

tives.

the Reprefentatives, or Deputies, of the Imperial or Free Cities, which are a kind of little Commonwealths: This great Body comprehends above 300 different Sovereignties, which are the Subdivifions of the Nine Circles of the Empire. The Authority of the Emperor over Emperor's the States confifts, 1. In prefiding at the Im- Prerogaperial Diets, and in having a Negative Voice therein. 2. In that all the Princes and States of Germany are oblig'd to do him Homage, and fwear Fidelity to him. 3. That he, or his Generals, have a Right to command the Forces of all the Princes of the Empire, when united together. 4. That he receives a kind of Tribute from all the Princes and States of the Empire, called the Roman Months. 5. That he can enfranchife Cities, inftitute Univerfities, and the like; and is the Fountain of Honour in his Dominions. But his Imperial Majefty has not the Power of making War or Peace, or of levying Taxes, without the Confent of the Electors, and other Princes of the Empire; neither can he make Laws, or fufpend them, without Confent of the Diet, or Affembly of the States. Each of the Thirteen Cantons of the Switzers forms a Republic apart; but all are leagued together, and conftiture what is called the Commonwealth of the Swiffes, or the Helvetic Body, from their ancient Name, Helvetii. The Government, in fome of the Cantons, is Ariftocratical, and, in others, Democratical: The Seven Ariftocratical Cantons are thofe of Zurich, Bern, Lucern, Bafil, Friburg, Soleure, and Schafhaufen; the other Six are Democratical.

Government of the Savitzers.

REVENUES and FORCES.] As to the Forces which the feveral Princes and Dominions of the Empire are, by their Revenues, or Taxes, able to maintain, they are computed to amount to upwards of 400,000 Men, whereof near 260,000 are ufually kept in Pay in Time of Peace. As

land.

neither the Product, or Trade of Switzerland, of Switzer. are confiderable, the public Revenues are not large: But, as they are very frugal, they lay up fomething every Year; which, in a long Tract of Time, fur

Q3

nished

nishes them with a confiderable Treasure. Standing Forces have ever been thought inconfiftent with the Welfare of these Republics, fince their first Inftitution; but there is no-where, in Europe, a better regulated Militia: With these they have, from time to time, maintain'd their Liberties against all the Attempts of the Houses of Auftria, and France. Of Pruffia. The Addition of Silefia to the King of Pruffia's Dominions, is a very confiderable Acquifition; and this Prince may now maintain upwards of 50,000 Men; for it has been calculated, that, before this Conqueft, he could maintain 40,000 Men and upwards.

Religion in
Pria,

RELIGION.] The Laws of the Empire give free Toleration to the public Exercife of the Popish, Calvinist, and Lutheran Profeffions. The Doctrine of Calvin now bears a great Sway in Pruffia, and fome other Territories belonging to the Elector of Brandenburg. However, the greatest Part of the Empire In Hungary. ftill adhere to the Popish Religion. The prevailing Religion in Hungary is that of the Church of Rome; next to it is the Doctrine of Luther and Calvin ; and befides these there are moft Sorts and Sects of Chriftians, as alfo many Jews and Mahometans,

CUSTOMS.] Hunting the wild Boar, or Deer, is the Sport moft generally follow'd in Germany by the Quality. There is no Nation more in Love with Travelling than the Germans; but this Paffion frequently ruins their Eftates, and impoverishes their Country; for a German Nobleman will not be seen in a foreign Court, without an Equipage fuitable to his Quality, and often beyond it. In their Houfes Fire is feldom feen, except in the Kitchen; but their Rooms are heated by a Stove, or Oven, to any Degree they defire. In the Winter, they lay one Feather-bed over, and another under them,

Of the UNITED PROVINCES.

HE Seven United Provinces are, Holland. 2. Zealand. 3. Utrecht. 4. Overyfel. 5. Friefland. 6. Groeningen.

7. Guelderland.

CLIMATE.] The Air of this Country would be all Fog and Mift, if it was not purify'd by the Sharpness of their Frofts, which never fail to vifit them, with every Eaft Wird, for about Four Months in the Year, and are much feverer than with us, tho' there is fcarce any Difference in the Latitude: For the Wind comes to them over a long Tract of frozen Continent; but is moisten'd by the Vapours, or foften'd by the Warmth of the Sea's Motion, before it Freaches us. This Country lies very low; and tho' the Sol

is

is naturally wet, yet the induftrious Inhabitants do fo drain it by vaft Multitudes of artificial Canals, that the Ground is made very fit for excellent Pafturage and Tillage. They employ the greateft Part of their Land in grazing of vaft Herds of Kine. The natural Products of Holland are, chiefly, Butter and Cheese.

GOVERNMENT.] The United Provinces are a Confederacy of many independent States; for not only every Province is fovereign, and independent of any other Power, but there are, in every Province, feveral Republics, independent of each other, and which are not bound by the Decrees, or Acts, of the States of the Province, till fuch Decrees are ratify'd by each particular City, or Republic, which fends Deputies, or Representatives, to the Provincial Affembly. But all these, join'd together, make up one Republic, the most confiderable in the World; which Republic is govern'd by the Affembly of the States General, confifting of Seven Voices, each Province having One. As these States General can neither make War or Peace, enter into new Alliances, or raife Money, without the Confent of every Province; fo neither can the States Provincial determine these Things without the Confent of every Republic, or City, which, by the Conftitution of the Province, hath a Voice in the Affembly: Which fhews, that thefe Provinces and Cities are not united by fo ftrong a Tye, as those who are govern'd by one Sovereign, except so far as Neceffity obliges them to keep together. This Commonwealth grew to that Grandeur in the Space of Fifty Years, as to rival the moft formidable Powers in Europe; and to dispute the Dominion of the Sea even with Britain, which rais'd them from Obfcurity.

TRADE.] There is not a Nation under the Sun, where the People apply themselves with more Diligence to all manner of mechanic Arts, than the Inhabitants of this Country. The Manufactures formerly peculiar to other Countries are here almost brought to Perfection; not fo much by the Ingenuity of the Dutch, but, in Imitation of ancient Rome, this once diftrefs'd People invited all others, in the like fhatter'd Condition, to join them, and set up the fame Employments as they carried on in their refpective Countries. In Harlem they make the finest Linen, and give it fo pure a White, that they bring it from all the reft of the Provinces, and even from Germany, and other foreign Countries, to bleach it here: At this Place are alfo manufactured Fine Silks, Gauzes, Coarfe Flower'd Velvets, Gold and Silver Brocades, and other rich Stuffs. Their Woollen Manufactures flourish most at Leyden, where they make Broad and Narrow Cloths, Serges Q4

and

and Camblets; but ftill inferior to thofe of Britain, or they would not purchase our Woollen Manufactures to export to other Nations. Their Wool they have from Spain, Germany, and Turkey: Nor are the Silk Manufactures of Holland fo good as thofe of France or Italy; but being cheaper, they go off better. As to the Navigation of this mighty State, it is frequently faid, that the Number of large Ships, and Veffels of Burden, is nearly equal to that of England; for, to the Baltic, it is computed, the Dutch employ a Thoufand more Ships than the English; but this is balanc'd by the Number of Ships we fend to our Plantations in America, where the Hollanders have little or no Trade; but, however, in every other Country almoft, whither the English and Dutch trade, more of our Ships are found than of the United Provinces: And, upon a late Computation, the Quantity of Shipping belonging to the English, amounts to 930,000 Tons; and to the Dutch, 900,coo Tons. The Trade of the United Provinces with the Britif Ifles is very great: From England, particucularly, they import Broad-cloth, Druggets, Long-ells, Stuffs of many Sorts, Leather, Corn, Coals, and fomething of almoft every thing that this Kingdom produces; befides all Sorts of India and Turkey re-exported Goods, Sugars, Tobacco, Rice, Ginger, Pitch and Tar, and fundry other Commodities of the Produce of our American Plantations. England takes from Holland great Quantitics of Fine Hollands, Linen, Threads, Tapes, Incles, Whale-fins, Brafs Battery, Madder, Argol, Lint-feed, &c. The Trade is faid to be confiderably to the Advantage of the Subjects of England. The Dutch manage a prodigious Trade in most of the known Parts of the World; and fo induftrious are they, and fo numerous, that Holland may very properly be compar'd to a large Bee-hive; the Multitude of Ships, daily going out and in, livelily reprefent the Swarm of Bees, and the Hive is juftly reckon'd the Warehouse of the richeft and beft Commodities of all Nations.

REVENUES.] The Subjects of the United Provinces are liable to a great Variety of Charges and Impofitions. The Council of State draw up, every Winter, an Eftimate of the Expences of the enfuing Year, which ufually amount to near 3,000,000 Sterling in Time of Peace. This Sum is rais'd by an almoft general Excife, and Customs, the chief of which are, 1. A Duty upon Salt; 2. upon Beer; 3. upon Victuallers; 4. upon Candles; 5. upon Turf for Firing, and Coals from England; 6. upon English Cloth, the Third Part of the Value; 7. upon Wheat, Rye and Barley; 8. upon all Cattle, Sheep and Hogs

that

that are kill'd, a Seventh Part of the Price; 9. for every horned Beast, above three Years old, Three-pence per Month; 10. upon all Farms and Lands, One Pound in Sixteen; 11.upon Soap, Eleven Shillings the Barrel; 12. upon Houfes, the Eighth-part of the Rent. In fhort, there is not that Thing fcarce in the whole Country but fome Duty or other is laid upon it. Their extraordinary Taxes, in Time of War, are, 1. Poll-money, which is ufually Twenty-pence per Head: 2. Chimney-money, Twenty-pence every Hearth: Or, 3. Land-tax, being Ten Shillings for every Hundred Pounds per Ann. The conftant Charges, or Taxes laid upon them, to defend their Country against the Seas and Floods, amount to Sixty Pounds Sterling for every Rod of Sea-dyke; and, against the Rivers alfo, the Charge of maintaining the Banks is very great: But the greatest Charge of all is the Draining the Country, when it is overflowed, and their Dykes broken through, as they frequently are.

FORCES.] The Land Forces confift of 25,000 Men, compos'd of Switzers, Scots, and other Foreigners, as well as national Troops. To the Standing Forces we may add the Troops they are obliged to keep in the Barrier Towns of the Auftrian Netherlands. Ifhall not pretend to guess what Forces the United Provinces are able to maintain; but, from their extenfive Commerce, Riches, and Number of People, we may, I prefume, conclude, that there are not many Kingdoms in Europe able to equip out larger Fleets, or more numerous Armies, than the States General.

RELIGION.] The Calvinifts are the establish'd Church; but no Country in Europe can boaft of more Religions than this State; for here all Sects and Parties, in the open Profeffion of their refpective Tenets, are tolerated for Trading fake; and yet 'tis faid that no Part of Christendom is less religious.

CUSTOMS.] Their ufual Way of Travelling is in Trechtfchutes, or cover'd Boats, drawn by a Horfe, at the Rate of Three Miles an Hour, for which the Fare does not exceed a Penny a Mile, and you have the Conveniency of carrying a Portmanteau or Provifions, fo that you need not be at any Expence at a Public Houfe by the Way. A Perfon is not in the leaft expos'd to the Weather in these Veffels, and can scarce feel any Motion; and a Paffenger may read, or divert himself, upon his Journey as he thinks proper; and there is fcarce a Town to which one may not go this Way every Day, and, if it be a confiderable Place, almoft every Hour, at the Ringing of a Bell; but they will not ftay a Minute afterwards for a

Paffenger,