m m S W I S S E R L A N D .
G overn
went.
Laws.
Population..
Ärmy.-
Eeveuue.
practical eulogy on the conftitution, as thefe fiinple and honeft vaflals
were n o t influenced by theories o f fedition, b u t afted folely from their
own feelings o f oppreffion. In the eye o f the moft candid obfervers'
the ariftocracy had degenerated into a venal oligarchy, more intent on
procuring the lucrative governments o f the Bailliages, than on the pro(-
motion o f the general advantage. T h e other cantons were more
democratic; b u t the recent fubverfion o f the. government by the French
has for fotae time reduced Swiflerland to a d ep endantprovince , with
n ew ilivifions and arrangements, which, as th ey may prove o f very
fliort duration it is unneceflary here to defcribe. T h e laws o f courte
partook o f the nature o f the government ' o f each canton ; and under
th e ariftocracies was fufficiently jealous an d Severe. Yet.1*Swiflerland
was one o f th e happieft countries itf;Eûrdpë ; and recommended" itfelf
to th e molt intelligent obfefvers" equally fly m o ra l'an d b y phy-flcal
grandeur and béauty.
i T h e population o f this iiiterefting country is g e ^ r a l l y 'c â n ^ t e a at
2,000,000, ’o r about 130 to the fquarê mile. Bût fo la rg e a*pa?froh-Tfl|
Uninhabitable, that on a fubtradtion o f fuch p a rts'th e number might be
about 2Cfo to the fquare mile.'
The mifîtary^fôrcé was reckoned at about 26,006^fljnMn'thé'fàte
ftrugglë with France this force appears'tefhave been- dfyM.eWTnd''littIO
effëauali. The Swifs ferments in foreign ferVicVikeire ctfmphfed at
29 ; but they returned weakened- in frame-add morals, and fèlddlm
proved ferviceable to the ftate. The- permiffion to TerVe1 * in foreign
countries has been lbudfy blamed as à moral deformity ; ^tdit ryhen fee
confider the poverty and population of Swifl'erland,' w-e mày-coricSfeë
that th e want o f native refources confpired with the ambition and
curiofity, interwoven with the character o f man, to ftimulate the
youth to this path of |mftrudfion and preferment, while t h e ; government.
only connived- with the national with.
T h e ruinous effects o f French extortion c annot be divined ; but the
revenue of Swiflerland was formerly computed at fomewhat more than
a million fterling, arifing from moderate taxation,.»from tolls, national
domains,,
CHAP ; II. P O L I T I C A L G E O G R A P H Y . g yr
domains,-and foreagmHfhbfidies. • T h e cantoW o f B e rn ,a n d Zurich Revenues.,
were^ c o n f id e ^ as:-opulent; while b in others the refohrees hardly ”
equalled the expenditure.
T h e political importance and relations^, o f Swiflerland are for a time Political Im-
immerged in thofe . ^ the, FWpch;VepubliS P ||p h 3d the Swifs eman- E w ”d
j^ipate their country, th u i, c llL f objcdli would be jfrote&iou againft the
power o f France1 $ and in , this yiew(nothkig^eQqld be fo ferviceable as -
fe ftri£t alliance’ feith Auftria; '