By law, a school is established in every village; and there are several universities, the principal of which are Berlin, Konigsberg, Breslau, Halle, and Frankfort-on-the-Oder.*

Religion. All sects are not only tolerated, but are admissible to every office in the state. Nearly one third of the people are Roman Catholics, and the rest are principally Lutherans and Calvinists.+

Historical Sketch.-In 1701 Prussia was erected into a kingdom, under Frederick I. having been formerly only a dukedom. In 1740 Frederick II. deservedly called Frederick the Great, ascended the throne; and, by his extraordinary talents as a statesman and a warrior, he raised Prussia to a high degree of consequence among the nations of Europe. He added Silesia to his dominions; encouraged literature among his subjects; and improved his kingdom, by clearing waste lands, making canals, rebuilding and repairing desolated cities, and by various other means. He also acquired a part of Poland, in the partial dismemberment of that unfortunate country, in 1772. The present king, Frederick William III. ascended the throne in 1797. In 1806 and 1807, he was deprived by Bonaparte of almost all his dominions, and reduced to such a state of distress and humiliation, as to be obliged to receive £80,000 from the British treasury, for the support of his family and household. He afterwards assisted, however, in overthrowing the power of Bonaparte; and, at the congress of Vienna in 1815, all his former possessions, except a part of Poland, were restored to him; and his dominions were farther increased by the Lower Rhine, Juliers, Cleves, and Berg, Munster, Thuringia, Upper and Lower Lusatia, and Menneberg. At the same time, he acquired Swedish Pomerania, and the island of Rugen, from Denmark, partly by exchange, and partly by purchase.

For the masters of the schools above mentioned, a competent support is provided, by a tax laid on the lord of the village, and such of his tenants as are able to pay; and any parent or guardian who neglects to send a child to school without proper cause, is obliged to pay a double tax. The children of the poor are taught free. There are also in the kingdom 105 gymnasiums, each containing from four to twelve masters. In these are taught classics, mathematics, modern languages, drawing, &c. Of the learned men produced in this country, it may be sufficient to mention Copernicus, Cluverius, Muller or Regiomontanus, Wolff, Mendelsohn, Klaproth, and Humboldt. Frederick the Great was also distinguished not only as a warrior and statesman, but as the author of several works of high character.

The two latter bodies formed a union in 1817, the three-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation; and there is perhaps no country in which the different religious sects live in such harmony as in Prussia.

KINGDOM OF BAVARIA.

Situation, &c.-This country, which was erected into a kingdom by Bonaparte in 1806, lies between Bohemia, Austria, Wirtemburg, and Hesse.

Face of the Country, Soil, &c.-Bavaria is mountainous on the south. The rest of it is a flat country, at the height of more than 1600 feet above the level of the sea. Much of the soil is barren, and the fertile parts are badly cultivated.

Chief Towns.-MUNICH, Augsburg, Nuremburg, Ratisbon, Ulm, Wurtzburg, Bamberg, Anspach, Bayreuth.*

Population. The population is thought to exceed four millions.

Government. The government is a limited monarchy.

State of Education. There are five universities; but there are scarcely any schools for the education of the poorer classes, who are consequently very ignorant.

Religion. The religion is in general the Roman Catholic, in its strictest form.

KINGDOM OF HANOVER.

Situation. This kingdom, which belongs to the king of England, is situated between the German Sea, the Elbe, Prussia, and the Netherlands.

Face of the Country, Soil, &c.-Most of the country is flat, and some of it marshy. A considerable part of it is covered with wood, and much of it is bar

ren.

Chief Towns.-HANOVER, Hildesheim, Lunenburg, Zell, Gottingen, Klausthal, Emden, Osnaburg.+

* Munich is one of the finest and most beautiful cities in Germany, and has a population of 40,000 or 50,000. The population of Augsburg is about 36,000; of Nuremburg, 30,000; of Ratisbon, above 20,000; and the other towns above mentioned, contain from 10,000 to 20,000.

+ Hanover contains about 25,000 inhabitants; Hildesheim, about 13,000; and the other towns mentioned above, from 7000 to 10,000.,

Population and Government.—The population is a million and a quarter; and the government has been lately changed, so as to resemble that of England.

State of Education.-The only university is that of Gottingen, which is very flourishing.* There are many academies; and, in all the villages, there are elementary schools.

Religion. The established religion is Lutheranism; but Calvinists, Roman Catholics, and all others, are now free from penalties or privations, on account of their religious belief. • Historical Sketch.-In 1692 Hanover was made an electorate; and in 1714 the second elector, George Lewis, was made king of England, in virtue of his descent by his mother from Janies Ĭ. of that country. Since that time, Hanover has continued subject to the king of England; and in 1815 it was elevated to the rank of a kingdom, under his present majesty, then prince regent.

KINGDOM OF WIRTEMBURG.

Situation, Soil, &c.-Wirtemburg, which was made a kingdom by Bonaparte in 1806, lies west of Bavaria, and north of Switzerland. It is one of the finest and most fertile parts of Germany; producing grain, fruit, and rich wines, in great abundance.

Chief Towns and Population.The chief towns are STUTGARD, Hailbron, and Hall; and the population of the kingdom is rather above a million.

Religion and Literature.-The established religion is Lutheranism, without any distinction of rank among the clergy. The only university is that of Tubingen.

KINGDOM OF SAXONY.

Situation, Soil, &c.—The kingdom of Saxony is situated between the Prussian dominions and Bohe

* This university, which was founded by George II. of England, in 1734, has 42 professors; and the number of students in 1816 was 1152, about two thirds of whom were foreigners. The library is one of the most valuable in Europe. Of the eminent men connected with this seminary, may be mentioned Mosheim, Michaelis, Haller, John Mathew Gesner, and Tobias Mayer.

†The population of Stutgard is nearly 20,000, and of Hailbron and Hall about 7000 each.

mia. The climate is excellent; and the soil very fertile, except on the frontiers of Bohemia. The mines are also very valuable, particularly for silver, tin, copper, iron, and lead.

Chief Towns.-DRESDEN, Leipzig, Freyberg, Chemnitz.t

Population and Religion. The population is about one million; and the inhabitants are for the most part Lutherans, though for more than a hundred years the reigning princes have been Roman Catholics.

Literature. Science and literature have long been cultivated, with peculiar care, in Saxony; and there the German language is spoken in the greatest purity. The only university, in the present Saxon dominions, is that of Leipzig; but there are many schools and academies.

Historical Sketch.-The inhabitants of Saxony are of the same stock as the tribes who established the heptarchy in England. After a long contest, the country was conquered by Charlemagne, and the inhabitants embraced the Roman Catholic faith. At the commencement of the Reformation, in the sixteenth century, Frederick, elector of Saxony, was the friend and protector of Luther; and his subjects became Protestants. In 1697 Frederick Augustus abjured the Protestant religion, with a view, it is said, to obtain the throne of Poland; and all the sovereigns, since that time, have continued to be Roman Catholics. Saxony was entirely conquered by Frederick the Great of Prussia;

* The boundary passes near Leipzig, Weissenberg, and Gorlitz, on the north and east; and near Plauen and Hof, on the west. Much of the best part of the Saxon territories was given to Prussia by the congress of Vienna in 1815.

Prior to 1813, Dresden was one of the finest cities in Germany; containing many beautiful public buildings, and a population, accord ing to some writers, of more than 100,000, while others state it at 50,000. In that year, it was taken by the allies from the French, after a long blockade, and several destructive bombardments, the effects of which will long be felt. Leipzig has a population of nearly 40,000. It is one of the principal trading towns of Germany; and is remarkable for its three great fairs, which are held at the beginning of the year, at Easter, and at Michaelmas, and continue a fortnight each. These are attended by more than 800 merchants from almost every country of Europe, and even by some from Asia, as also by nearly 300 booksellers; and articles of almost every kind are exposed to sale. Printing is carried on here so extensively, that about 10,000 volumes are published every year. Freyberg and Chemnitz have each about 10,000 inhabitants,

but was restored at the peace of 1763. During the late wars, the elector was dignified with the title of king by Bonaparte, in 1806; and his dominions were enlarged by the addition of parts of the Prussian territories. In 1815, however, he was punished for his opposition to the Allied Powers, by the loss of a great part of his kingdom, which was then reduced to its present dimensions.

MINOR GERMAN STATES.

The GRAND DUTCHY OF BADEN is situated between Wirtemburg and the Rhine. It has a population of nearly a million; and the principal towns are CARLSRUHE, Manheim, Heidelberg, and Freyburg.

The GRAND DUTCHY OF HESSE CASSEL has a population of about 350,000; and the chief towns are CASSEL, Hanau, and Marpurg.

HESSE DARMSTADT has a population of upwards of half a million; and contains the towns of Mentz, DARMSTADT, and Worms.

The DUTCHY OF MECKLENBURG SCHWERIN contains about 300,000 inhabitants; and that of MECKLENBURG STRELITZ, about 70,000. The former contains the towns of SCHWERIN, Gustrow, and Wismar; and the latter, that of STRELITZ.

The DUTCHY OF BRUNSWICK WOLFENBUTTLE has a population of 300,000; and the principal towns are BRUNSWICK, Wolfenbuttle, and Helmstadt.

Besides these, there are the GRAND DUTCHY OF HOLSTEIN OLDENBURG; the PRINCIPALITIES OF ANHALT, SAXE GOTHA, SAXE WEIMAR, and several others of small extent and conse quence.

There are four free cities: Frankfort on the Mayne, Hamburg, Bremen, and Lubeck. These are cities of extensive commerce, and are independent of the surrounding states, each of them having a separate government of its own, of a republican form.*

* Hamburg has a population of about 110,000, or, with the territory that belongs to it, upwards of 130,000; while the others, with their respective territories, have each a population of nearly 50,000. These cities are the only remnants of the famous Hanseatic league, which commenced about the twelfth century, and comprehended 72 cities formed into a corporation for mutual defence against the feudal tyranny and anarchy of the times. This league was so powerful, about the beginning of the fifteenth century, as to be able to influence,