as at Zuric; the academical studies are almost folely directed to those branches of knowledge more effentially neceffary for entering into the church. The fociety for the promotion of agriculture, is almost the only establishment that directly tends to the progress of the arts and sciences: and even this meets with no great countenance from government. There is but

little trade in the capital: fome few manufactures indeed (chiefly of linen and filk) have been established; but they are carried on by those only who have no prospect of being admitted into the fovereign council, For, those families who have any influence in public affairs, would hold themfelves. degraded, were they to engage in any branch of commerce; and as offices of the ftate, except bailliages, are in general not very profitable, nor indeed numerous, many. of them enter, as their fole refource, into foreign armies. With respect to those. among them who have fufficient intereft to be chofen into the fovereign council; they. must have attained the full age of twentynine before they are eligible: in the mean while, as very few of them apply their minds to literary pursuits; they usually,

from

from mere want of employment, waste the' interval in an idle and diffipated course of life. Nevertheless, there are feveral members of the fovereign council, who are juftly distinguished for their political abilities: and, being thoroughly acquainted with the respective interests of the different powers of Europe, they know perfectly well how to avail themselves of every conjuncture which may be turned to the advantage, or the glory, of their own republic.

The inhabitants of Berne value themfelves much upon their politenefs to ftrangers and indeed it is but doing them strict' justice to acknowledge, that they have shewn us (with that peculiar franknefs and unaffected affability, I have fo often had occafion to admire in the Swifs) every civility in their power.

According to the hiftorians of Berne, this town was built by Berchtold V, duke of Zæringen; and was,

tion, an imperial city.

from its founda-

Upon the death

of the duke in 1218, the emperor Frederic II. conferred upon the inhabitants confiderable privileges, and drew up alfo a code of legiflation, which forms the bafist of their present civil laws. The liberty A a 2 which

which this town enjoyed, attracted great numbers of inhabitants from the adjacent country, who found here a fure afylum from the oppreffion of the nobles. From its first foundation, Berne was engaged in perpetual wars with its neighbours, and for fome time with the house of Austria: notwithstanding which, the town continued to aggrandise itself by degrees, and confiderably to enlarge its territory. In the year 1352, Berne acceded to the Helvetic confederacy; and fo great was its power, even at that early period, that it obtained the fecond rank after Zuric, among the allied ftates. Since the acquifition of the Pays de Vaud, the domains of this canton form nearly the third part of Swifferland, and about the fourth of its actual population: it contains about three hundred and fifty thousand souls, befides about eleven thousand in the capital. By the introduction of the reformation into the town in 1528, the government acquired a large encrease of its revenues, arifing from the ecclefiaftical poffeffions, which were very confiderable. Not long after that period, the whole canton followed the example of the capital, and the reformed religion

religion was univerfally established throughout its extensive dominions.

The Pays de Vaud having been conquered from the house of Savoy, as the German divifion of the canton was from the ftates of the empire; justice is administered, and the taxes regulated in those two provinces by a set of laws and customs peculiar to each: for, they have refpectively preferved the feveral diftinct ufages which were in force among them before they came into the poffeffion of Berne. Each of these divifions has its treasurer and its chamber of appeal, refident at Berne: the chamber of appeal belonging to the Pays de Vaud, judges in the laft refort; but the inhabitants of the German district may again appeal from theirs to the sovereign council.

I am, &c.

LETTER XXXIV.

Wexact difquifition concerning the

ERE I to attempt entering into an

government of Berne; my letter would not

A a 3

only

only exceed its proper limits, but would hardly be contained within the extent of an ordinary pamphlet. I am persuaded, therefore, you will readily excufe me from putting your patience to fo tedious a trial: but you would probably think me very inconsistent indeed, if, after having already, in the course of our correfpondence, defcended, too minutely perhaps, into less interesting details; I should totally pass over in filence a government, the wisdom of whofe administration is fo generally and fo juftly admired. Let me endeavour then, fenfible as I am of my inability to treat the fubject as it deferves, to fketch at least the general outlines of this conftitution.

The fovereign power refides in the great council of two hundred; which when compleat confifts of 299 members. They are chofen from the burghers of the town; from whom they are confidered as deriving their power, and as acting by deputation. The authority with which they are invested, is in fome refpects the most abfolute and uncontrouled of any of the aristocratical states of Swifferland. The government of Lucerne is called, indeed, the most aristocratical of all the cantons;

and