delusions; and admire the magnanimous firmness with which, on the bed of death, he atoned for his past errors, by bequeathing, in a moment of extraordinary gloom, the flag of England unlowered to his successors. CHAPTER XLIII. CAMPAIGN OF JENA-FALL OF PRUSSIA. tion increasing with such steady rapidity.* 1. No monarchy in Europe is less indebted than the Prussian, for its political power and importance, to the 2. If Prussia owes little to her naadvantages of nature. Its territory, tural advantages, she is indebted still flat, sandy, and in great part compara- less to the political facilities of her tively sterile, can only be brought to a situation, or the homogeneity in chahigh state of cultivation by long-con-racter of her inhabitants. Her territinued efforts, and the unsparing ap- tory, which has gradually been enplication of human industry. Its sea- larged by the talents or good fortune coast has few advantageous harbours; of her rulers, is widely scattered from its rivers, though numerous, and in the Rhine to the Vistula, with other general navigable, descend for the states in some places intervening, and greater part of their course through in general in such long shreds as equally the territories of separate or rival to expose her to attack and to deprive states. Without the natural fertility her of the advantages of a compact of the Sarmatian plains, or the mineral formation of defence. Her population wealth of the Bohemian mountains; is composed of different races, speakdestitute alike of the flocks of Hungary and the herds of Switzerland; enjoying neither the forests of Norway nor the vines of France-it depends entirely on grain crops and pastures, and for them the bounty of nature has afforded no peculiar advantages. Vast tracts of gloomy heath, or blowing sand, hardly less unproductive, form a large part of its surface; in other places, cheerless, desolate plains, thickly strewn with rushes or stunted firs, convey a monotonous, mournful impression to the mind of the traveller. Yet have Forests, the industry and perseverance of man conquered all these disadvantages: the arid sands have been covered with waving crops, the rushy fields with rich pastures; and in no country in Europe is agriculture now advancing with more vigorous strides, or popula ing in some places different languages, ARPENTS. 47,295,716 1,024,176 14,326,429 16,072,714 23,800,000 8,986,347 112,405,382 Or nearly 111,000 square English geographical miles. Twenty-one thousand four hundred and ninety arpents make a square German FORSTER and WEBER, Statistiques de la Prusse, geographical mile.-TCHOBORSKI, i. 115; and 17, 21. Silesia, conquered by the Great Frede- | leagues, and their average is not above rick in the middle of the eighteenth forty. These straggling territories are century, is a province of Bohemia, in many places interrupted by the posand is chiefly inhabited by Slavonian sessions of foreign princes, enclosed tribes; while Prussian Poland was the within those of Prussia, which, on the fruit of the iniquitous spoliation of other hand, has no inconsiderable porthat unhappy state in 1772 and 1794, tion of its dependencies imbedded in and its inhabitants retain all the the dominions of other states. Thus mournful recollections and national the Prussian dominions present an irtraditions by which the Sarmatian regular strip stretching along the whole race is characterised in every part of north of Germany, having its back to the world. Yet does the Prussian mon- the Baltic Sea and German Ocean, the archy now form a united and pros- harbours of which are liable to be perous whole its rise during the last blockaded by the superior fleets of century has been rapid beyond ex- Britain; while its long front is exposed ample; it singly defeated, under the to the incursions of Austria, and its Great Frederick, a coalition of the two extremities lie open, with no nathree most powerful monarchies in tural frontier capable of defence, and Europe; and it yields to no country but few artificial strongholds, to the in the world in patriotic spirit, and incursions of the great monarchies of the glorious efforts which it has since France and Russia-the former posmade to maintain its independence. sessing above twice, the latter nearly four times its military resources. 3. Augmented as it has been by the acquisitions made at the treaty of Paris in 1814, the Prussian monarchy now contains upwards of fifteen millions of inhabitants, who are diffused over a territory embracing one hundred and eleven thousand four hundred and eighty-eight square English miles -a surface little less than that of Great Britain and Ireland, which contain one hundred and twenty-two thousand. At the commencement of the war of 1806, however, both were much less considerable; the former only amounting to nine million five hundred thousand souls, the latter to seventy-two thousand square miles of territory. If this considerable population was placed on a compact and defensible territory, it would form a great and powerful monarchy, having nearly the resources, in population and territory, of the British empire in Europe at the commencement of the Revolutionary war; but both population and territory are so scattered over a long and narrow extent of level surface, that they seem at first sight to be a source rather of weakness than strength. They extend from the banks of the Niemen to those of the Sarre, over a space three hundred leagues, or nine hundred miles in length; while the greatest breadth does not exceed a hundred and thirty of the general increase of rural produce is to be found in the fact, that though population in Prussia is now advancing more rapidly than in any country of Europe, so as to double, if the present progress should continue, in twentysix years, yet no importation of foreign grain is required.+ Subsistence, under the influence of increased production, so far from becoming scarce, is constantly declining in price, and the augmented comforts and wants of a prosperous people are amply provided for by the labours of the agricultural portion of the community. size of towns indicates either extraor- | in 1825 to 14,156,000-that is, nearly dinary riches in the adjacent territory, doubled; and the most decisive proof as in Lombardy and Flanders, or considerable manufacturing advantages, such as those which have raised the cities to such a stupendous magnitude in the north of England and the west of Scotland. Such, accordingly, is the case; and the manufacturing industry of Prussia, in spite of the prohibitory system adopted generally by the Continental states, is very considerable. Inferior, of course, by more than a half, in proportion to the square league of territory to that of Britain, it is considerably superior to that of France. The iron-works and manufactories of zinc and copper, as well as the salt-works, in its dominions, are very extensive; and the cotton manufactures, though recently established, are making, under the shelter of the heavy protective duties established against those of England, rapid progress. The total amount of its exports in 1828 was 24,102,000 thalers, or nearly £4,000,000, and four thousand merchant vessels bore the flag of Frederick-William. * Horse-power of machines in proportion to the square league of territory:In Great Britain, In Prussia, In France, 415 horses. 6. It was by slow degrees, however, and by the successive efforts of more than one generation of great men, that Prussia was raised to its present prosperous condition. The monarchy, in reality, dates from the accession of Frederick the Great; but during the short period which has since elapsed, it has made unexampled progress. The treasure, indeed, amassed by that great warrior and able prince, had been wholly dissipated during the succeeding reign; but, both under his sway and that of his successor Frederick-William, the monarchy had made important advances in territory, wealth, and population. By withdrawing from the alliance against France in 1794, the cabinet of Berlin succeeded in appropriating to itself a large portion of the spoils of Poland; while the open preference to French interests which they evinced for the ten years which followed the treaty of Bâle, was rewarded by a considerable share of the indemnities-in other words, of the spoils of the ecclesiastical princes of the empire; and a most important increase of influence, by the place assigned to Prussia as the protector of the neutral leagues situated beyond a fixed line in the north of Germany. During this long period In 1828, the total population of the Prussian provinces, exclusive of the Canton of Neuchâtel, was 12,672,000 inhabitants. In In proportion to her extent of surface, 1832, it was 13,843,000; and it is now (1843) Prussia has fewer steam-engines than France, upwards of 15,000,000. The proportion per but more hydraulic machines; and, on the square league in the first period was 892; in whole, a greater amount of mechanical power. the second, 993-a prodigious difference to -EGEN, Untersuchungen uber den Effekt, &c.—have taken place in so short a period as four Berlin, 1831; and MALTE BRUN, v. 291. years.-MALTE BRUN, v. 276. of peace, the industry and population | rent revenue, and some progress was of the country rapidly advanced; a even made in the reduction of the debt. large portion of the commerce of Ger- The large share of the German indemmany had fallen into its hands, and the nities, obtained through French and whirl and expenditure of war, so deso- Russian influence by this aspiring lating to other states, was felt only as power, made a considerable addition to increasing the demand for agricultural the public resources: the acquisition of produce, or augmenting the profits of 526,000 souls raised the population to neutral navigation. 9,500,000 souls, and the increase of 2,375,000 thalers yearly revenue swelled the income of the public treasury to 38,375,000 thalers, or £5,750,000 sterling-a sum equivalent, from the difference in the value of money, to at least ten millions sterling in Great Britain. This revenue, as in Austria, was the net receipt of the exchequer, and independent, not merely of the expenses of collection, but of various local charges in the different provinces. The regular army was nearly 200,000 strong, brave, and highly disciplined, but not to be compared to the French, either in the experience and skill of the officers, or in the moral energy which had been developed by the events of the Revolution. 7. At the death of the Great Frederick in 1786, the population of the monarchy was 7,000,000 of souls, and its revenue 31,000,000 thalers, or about £4,600,000 sterling. By the shares obtained of Poland on occasion of its successive dismemberments, and the aquisition of Anspach, Baireuth, and other districts, its population was raised to 9,000,000; and although the treasure of 70,000,000 thalers (£10,500,000) left by the Great Frederick had disappeared, and given place to a debt of 28,000,000 of thalers, or £4,200,000, yet this was compensated by the increase of the revenue, which had risen to 36,000,000 thalers, or £5,400,000. Various establishments had been set on foot at Berlin, eminently calculated to promote the interests both of commerce and agriculture. In particular, a bank and society of commerce were established in that capital, and institutions formed in the provinces to lend money to the landed proprietors on reasonable terms. By the aid of these establishments, and the effect of long-continued peace and prosperity, the finances of the state were in the most flourishing condition in 1804; all the branches of the public service were provided for by the cur* The Prussian population was divided, according to its religion, in 1829, in the following manner : 8. Unlimited toleration prevails in Prussia. The Protestant is the religion of the sovereign and of the state, but persons professing all creeds are equally eligible to all offices under government, and, practically speaking, no difference is made between them. On the whole, two-thirds of the inhabitants are Protestants, one-third Catholics; but the proportions between these two great divisions of Christians vary considerably in the different provinces.* Each religion has its separate minis ters and bishops. Berlin is every five national resources are incomparably years the seat of a general synod; that greater, the expenditure generally excapital has a Protestant bishop, and ceeds the income by a very considerable Königsberg another; but the Catho- sum, and all thoughts of a sinking-fund, lies have two archbishops and six or of a permanent system for the reducbishops in the Prussian dominions. tion of the debt, have been practically Like the Austrian government, how-abandoned. This fact speaks volumes ever, the Prussians are careful not to as to the patriotic spirit of the Prussian admit the slightest interference in mat-people, and the economy and far-seeing ters not purely spiritual by the court policy of its government, especially of Rome, and Catholic ministers of when the large military establishment vacant livings are appointed by a they are obliged to keep up to secure variety of lay patrons as in Great Bri- their independence is taken into contain, without any serious collision with sideration. the Holy See. 10. The military establishment of 9. The revenue of Prussia, like that Prussia is greater, in proportion to its of all other countries in Europe, is de- population, than that of any other rived partly from direct, partly from in- country in Europe. It consists, in direct taxation.* The total revenue is time of peace, of one hundred and 79,180,000 florins, or nearly £8,000,000 twenty-two thousand men but so adsterling ― a sum at least equal to mirable are the arrangements for the £14,000,000 sterling in Great Britain, augmentation of this force in time of if the difference in the value of money war, and such the ardent and patriotic is taken into consideration. The ex-spirit of the people, that the state penditure is somewhat less, amounting could then without difficulty call forth only to 75,238,571 florins, or £7,523,857 an army of five hundred thousand comsterling, leaving a balance of above batants. The regular army is com5,000,000 florins, or £500,000 yearly posed of three classes. 1st, Of volunto go to the discharge of the princi- tary recruits, who are received from pal of the public debt.+ The public seventeen to forty years of age. 2d, debt of Prussia in 1833 amounted to Of young men who are balloted for: 723,450,000 francs, or £29,000,000 ster- a burden to which all the inhabitants ling. In 1823 the debt was 908,950,000 of the kingdom, without exception, francs, or £36,350,000; so that in ten are subject. 3d, Of veteran soldiers years they have reduced the debt by who prolong the period of their service £7,000,000, at which rate it will be voluntarily beyond the period required entirely extinguished in 1872. It would by law. Every Prussian, without exappear, therefore, that the finances of ception, from the royal family downPrussia are in a more prosperous state wards, between the ages of twenty and than those of Austria, France, or Great fifty, is liable to be drawn for the miliBritain, in all of which, although their tary service in some department or 79,810,000 florins, or £7,981,000 + The particulars are -TCHOBORSKI's Finances de l'Autriche et de la Prusse, i. 4, 5. Interest of public debt, including sinking-fund, 12,244,286 florins, or £1,225,428 Civil list and court, 33,180,000 2,090,574 3,318,000 5,300,000 530,000 3,318,572 831,557 75,238,571 florins, or £7,523,857 |