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northern extremity of the canton of Fribourg,
in going from Lausanne to Berne,
and had been struck with the difference in
the appearance of the houses and inhabitants,
from those of the Pays de Vaud. The
protestant cantons are almost always characterised
by a greater attention to cleanliness
and comfort than those which are
catholic; but in the part o f the canton of
Fribourg we were now travelling through,
tlie appearance of the people was respectable,
and the land was well cultivated. The
men were dressed plainly, with brown coats,
and broad-brimmed hats. The costume
much resembled that worn by the society of
friends; their countenances were serious and
intelligent, and had I not known that I
was in Switzerland, I should have supposed
all the male population were quakers. The
young women looked healthy ; ‘ they had
fine clear complexions and round faces,
and wore their hair platted and twisted
round the head in rouleaux of extraordinary
size ; to increase the bulk, they stuff these
rouleaux with flax. This head-dress, when
worn by the old women, had a very grotesque
appearance. The city of Fribourg
is truly remarkable for its situation; its
walls inclose as much space as the old city
of London, though it contains less than
six thousand inhabitants. Part of the city
and the great church stand on a high rock
of sandstone, the other part is situated in
a valley below. Within the walls there are
many deep and romantic wooded valleys,
as sequestered as the least frequented dales
in Derbyshire, and the space that is not
occupied by houses, churches, or monasteries,
is covered with orchards, fields, and
meadows ; indeed, Fribourg is wholly unlike
any other city that I have seen.
The great number of monasteries and
religious institutions in this small metro-
polis, indicate the extent of priestly power
in the canton.
The cathedral is one of the finest Gothic
churches in Switzerland. The tower is
very lofty. Over the principal entrance is
seen a singular exhibition of sculpture, representing
the last judgment. There is
some force and expression in the figures,
but they display the barbarous taste and
spirit of the age in which they were executed.
Below the figure of Christ on the
judgment-seat, a large pair of scales are
hung up, and the merits of mankind are
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