possessions of the line of Walram. The Rhenish confederacy, into which he entered in 1806, procured to the prince of Nassau an increase of territory, and the title of a duke. He afterwards joined the German confederacy, by which he obtained a new augmentation of territory. The predecessor of the present duke William, gave a new constitution to the country in 1814. The younger line began with the above-mentioned Count Otto; but only became remarkable in history in the 16th century, with the celebrated count of Nassau-Orange, who bore so important a part in the revolution of the Netherlands. But we shall relate the history of this line to which the present king of the Netherlands, and William, king of England belong-in our history of the Netherlands.

Physical Features.] The surface of this country is partly mountainous, and partly intersected with hills. Two systems of mountains run into this country. On the N. the Westerwald, and on the S.E. the Höhe, or Taunus, which rises, on the boundaries of Hessen in the Feldberg, to an elevation of 2,605 feet, and then sinks towards the Rhine. The principal river is "the lovely Rhine," which here waters the most beautiful of all German valleys, the Rhinegau. The other rivers are the Mayne or Main, the Lahn, the Niester, and the Sambach. There are no lakes, but a number of mineral springs, of which several are highly celebrated.

Climate and Productions.] The climate is mild and pleasant, particularly in the south. A part of the country is very fertile; but in some districts the soil is not productive, though agriculture is well-conducted. Fruit is grown in great quantity, and exported; but the principal production of the country is wine, and it is here that the best Rhine wines are produced. There are also extensive forests. The rearing of cattle is another very productive branch of industry. Mining is important in some districts which produce iron, lead, and silver ore. The manufactures are insignificant; and although the situation of the country is favourable for commerce, there is no commercial town in the territory.

Population, Revenue, &c.] The population of Nassau was returned to the assembly of the confederacy in 1817, at 302,769. Stein states it at 316,787, and Balbi estimates it to have been, in 1826, 337,000. The Lutherans and Calvinists are here united under the name of the Evangelical Church; but the Catholics, of whom there are 9000, enjoy equal political rights. The establishments for education are numerous, and carefully organized and inspected. The revenue is stated by Hassel to amount to 1,557,781 florins. Stein says 1,800,000 florins, and the debt 6,000,000 of florins. Balbi makes the revenue, in 1826, to have been about £250,000, and the debt £448,000. The military force is about 2,800, and the contingent for the confederacy 3,028. The duke holds the 13th place in the German confederacy with Brunswick, and has two votes in plenum.

Topography.] The duchy is divided into 28 bailiwicks. Wiesbaden, the capital, with 7000 inhabitants, lies in a charming situation, and has 14 warm springs, among which there is one of the temperature of boiling water. There are excellent establishments for bathing at this town, which are, during some seasons, visited by several thousand strangers.— Diez, on the Lahn, with 2,089 inhabitants, is celebrated for its nurseries. in which are grown above 700 species of apples, 300 species of pears, and 100 of prunes.-Fachingen, with 446 inhabitants, has a mineral spring, from which about 200,000 bottles of water are exported every year. Niederselters, with 822 inhabitants, possesses a celebrated mineral spring,

of which the water is sent all over Europe, to the extent of 24 millions of bottles. At the little village of Johannesberg, on a high mountain at a little distance from the Rhine, the best of all Rhenish wine is grown. The vineyard which yields this wine was first planted by the monks of the abbey of Johannesberg, about the end of the 11th century. The grapes are gathered as late as possible. The choicest produce is called Schoss Johannesberger, and is indebted for its celebrity to its high flavour and perfume, and the almost total absence of acidity. Formerly, the best exposures of the hill were the property of the bishop of Fulda, and it was only by favour that a few bottles of the prime vintages could be obtained from his lordship's cellars. On the secularization of the ecclesiastical States, the Prince of Orange became the possessor of the domain; and latterly, it has been transferred to Prince von Metternich.-Next to Johannesberger may be ranked the produce of the Steinberg vineyard, which belonged to the suppressed monastery of Eberbach, and is now the property of the duke of Nassau. It is the strongest of all the Rhine wines, and in favourable years has much sweetness and delicacy of flavour. That of 1811 has been sold on the spot as high as five and a half florins, or about 12s. the bottle. The quantity annually made is about 300 hogsheads, of which 60 are of first-rate quality. Some persons, however, give the preference to the Rudesheimer wine, which is manufactured at the little village of Rudesheim opposite to Bingen. The Orleans grape is here chiefly cultivated, the wine from which combines a high flavour, with much body, and is freer from acidity than most of the other growths of the Rhine. The Rudesheim Hinterhauser, so called from its growing immediately behind the houses of the village, and the Rudesheimer Berg, or Mountain wine, approach in excellence to the first rate Johannesberger. The vineyard of Grafenberg, an appendage of the wealthy convent of Eberbach, is distinguished by its choice growths. The Hochheimer is, strictly speaking, a Mayne wine. Its name, corrupted into Hock, is employed in this country to designate the first-growths of the Rhine. The abundant produce of the surrounding lands frequently passes in this, as in many other cases, for the first rate.64

CHAP. XXVIII-THE DUCHY OF ANHALT-DESSAU.

THIS Country consists of several detached districts. The largest connected tract stretches on the left banks of the Elbe, and on both sides of the Mulde. The superficial extent is about 360 square miles, and the population, which was returned to the confederacy in 1817 at 52,947, is now nearly 57,000, chiefly Calvinists and Lutherans.

History. The house of Anhalt derives its origin from a count Esiko, who, in the 11th century, possessed the castle of Ballenstadt, and the surrounding country. His descendants acquired considerable possessions between the Elbe and Saale, which were greatly increased by count Otto, who married the heiress of duke Magnus of Saxony; his son,

The Rhenish wines, when old and good, are very dear, even on the spot where they are produced. In 1817, the Rhine wines at Mentz were at from 150 to 500, and 700 florins for the cask of 38 gallons. When the wine is kept old in bottle, its value is greatly enhanced. The price of the older vintages is proportionably increased. That of 1794, was from 4s. 6d. to 12s. per bottle. That of 1783, from 6s. to 14s., and 1726, from 14s. to 168. per bottle. The old Stein wine, from 10s. to 16s., and to those prices we have to add the duty, and all the other charges of bringing them into this country.

Albert the Bear, possessed Lusatia, Brandenburg, and a part of Thuringia, all which he divided amongst his seven sons, one of whom, Bernhard, was the ancestor of the present dukes of Anhalt. The house divided in 1686 into the four branches of Dessau, Bernburg, Kothen, and Zerbst, of which the latter became extinct in 1793; the three others are still existing. The prince of this little district is almost an unlimited severeign. The Landstande is only summoned when it is agreeable to the prince. The revenue is said to amount to 710,000 florins, and Balbi states it to have been, in 1826, about £76,000, and the debt £85,208: 6: 8d. The contingent to the army of the confederacy is 529 men.

Physical Features.] Anhalt-Dessau is a perfect plain. The principal river is the Elbe, into which the Mulde flows. There are several small lakes. The territory on the left banks of the Elbe is as finely cultivated as a garden, and the rearing of cattle forms an extensive branch of industry; but there is little or no commerce.-Dessau on the Mulde, with a population of 10,000 souls, of whom 900 are Jews, is the capital.— Zerbst on the Elbe, a town of 7,300 inhabitants, is remarkable as having been the birth place of Catherine II. empress of Russia.

CHAP. XXIX.-THE DUCHY OF ANHALT-BERNBURG.

THE possessions of the duke of Anhalt-Bernburg lie dispersed between the Harz, and on the Saale and Elbe. They amount to about 330 British square miles. That part of the dukedom which borders on the Harz is intersected with several fine valleys. In the neighbourhood of the rivers the land is fertile; the mountains produce wood and metal, particularly iron. There are few manufactures, except the iron-smelting works. The population now amounts to about 38,500, among whom are 400 Jews. The religious sects are Calvinists and Lutherans. The schools are very well-regulated. The revenue is estimated at £48,536:8s. and the debt at about £85,000. The contingent for the confederacy is 370 men; but there are not above 120 in active service. Bernburg, on the Saale, with 5,400 inhabitants, is the capital.-In the neighbourhood of Wilhelmhof, a farm belonging to the duke, are the ruins of the ancient castle of Anhalt, built by count Esiko of Ballenstadt in 906.

CHAP. XXX. THE DUCHY OF ANHALT-KOTHEN.

THIS duchy, comprising about 300 British square miles, consists of four discontiguous districts, lying on the left and right banks of the Elbe, and bounded by the Prussian states, Anhalt-Bernburg, and AnhaltDessau. It is a level country, with the exception of one district, in which a few sand-hills occur. The climate is temperate, and the soil fertile. The population now amounts to 34,000 souls: the revenue is about £35,000, and the debt about £125,000. The contingent is 324 men. Köthen on the Zittau, with a population of 5,600 souls, is the chief town.

CHAP. XXXI.-THE PRINCIPALITY OF SCHWARZBURG-
SONDERSHAUSEN.

THE County of Schwarzburg is divided into two parts, of which the two houses of Sondershausen and Rudolstadt possess different parts. The upper part, belonging to Sondershausen, lies on the Thuringian forest, and is bounded on the N. by the Prussian, Weimar, and Gotha territories ; on the E. by Coburg; on the S.E. by Meiningen; on the S.W. by Hildburghausen; and on the W. by Weimar and Gotha. Some insulated districts lie towards the N.E. The lower part lies quite enclosed in the Prussian province of Saxony. The surface of the whole is about 390 British square miles. The ancient house of Schwarzburg possessed in the 11th century considerable estates in Thuringia. A count Gunther of Schwarzburg, was in 1349 elected German emperor. His elder brother Henry kept the county, and from him descends the present line. Gunther XL. introduced in 1541 the Lutheran religion into his country. His sons founded in 1552 the two reigning lines of Sondershausen and Rudolstadt, who obtained in 1697 and 1710 the princely dignity. In April, 1807, they entered the Rhenish confederacy, and in 1815 the German confederacy, in which both together hold with Anhalt and Oldenburg the fifteenth place, but have each one vote in plenum. The surface of the upper part of this county is very mountainous, the lower part is less so. The principal rivers of the upper part are the Gera and the Ilm; in the lower part are the Helbe and the Wipper. Agriculture is the principal branch of industry; but there are no manufactures of any extent. 1817, the population was 45,120; it now amounts to 48,000, all of whom are Lutherans, except a few Catholics. The revenue is about 200,000 florins. There is no regular military. The contingent is fixed at 451 men. Sondershausen, the capital, and residence of the prince, contains 3,400 inhabitants. Near this town is the village of Guntherstadt, with a sulphurous spring, and bathing establishment.

In

CHAP. XXXII.-THE PRINCIPALITY OF SCHWARZBURG-
RUDOLSTADT.

THIS principality contains about 450 British square miles. It lies, like Sondershausen, in the upper and lower part of the country of Schwarzburg. The upper part belongs to the Thuringian forest, and is very mountainous; the lower has only moderate hills. The principal rivers of the upper part are the Saale, the Schwarza, and the Ilm. In the lower part are the Great and Small Wipper, and the Rotter. The soil is not fertile, but agriculture is conducted with great skill; there is also some mining. In 1817, there were 53,940 inhabitants. They now amount to 57,000, most of whom are Lutherans. granted by the present prince Gunther in 1816. 260,000 florins: Balbi says 840,000 francs. except a small body-guard, and militia. Rudolstadt, on the Saale, the capital, and tains 4,500 inhabitants: Balbi says 3000. burg, on a steep rock, is the old romantic family-seat of the princes of Schwarzburg.

A constitution was The revenue is about There is no military, The contingent is 539 men. residence of the prince, conNear the village of Schwarzcastle of Schwarzburg, the

CHAP. XXXIII.-THE PRINCIPALITY OF HOHENZOLLERNHECHINGEN.

THIS country takes its name from the ancient castle of Hohenzollern. It is bounded on the N. and S. by Wirtemberg; and on the E. and W. by Sigmaringen. The surface is about 100 British square miles. The princes of Hohenzollern, descend from the counts of Zollern, who are also the ancestors of the royal house of Prussia. At the end of the 16th century, they divided into the two lines of Hechingen and Sigmaringen, which still exist. This little country forms a part of the Suabian Alb. The population now amounts to 15,000, the majority of whom are Catholics. The establishments for education are in the hands of the clergy. There is a representative assembly of 12 citizens, who determine the taxation. The revenue amounts to 120,000 florins. The contingent is 145 men. The prince holds, together with Sigmaringen, Lichtenstein, the two lines of Reuss, the two of Lippe, and that of Waldeck, the sixteenth place in the confederacy, and has one vote in plenum. Hechingen, with 3000 inhabitants, is the capital, and residence of the prince.

CHAP. XXXIV.-THE PRINCIPALITY OF HOHENZOLLERNSIGMARINGEN.

THIS principality is bounded on the N. and E. and W. by Wirtemberg; and on the S. by Baden. Its superficial extent is about 400 British square miles. It lies at the foot, and on the Suabian Alb. The soil is stony; but some fertile tracts extend on the right banks of the Danube, which is the principal river. Agriculture has been of late greatly improved, and in spite of the stony soil, there is more corn grown than is needed for consumption. Some mining is carried on upon iron. The population was returned in 1818 at 37,032 inhabitants; it now amounts to 39,000, the majority of whom are Catholics. A constitution has not yet been introduced. The revenue is about 300,000 florins. The prince holds the sixteenth place in the confederacy, with the already-mentioned States, and has one vote in plenum. The contingent is 370 men. Sigmaringen, on the Danube, with 777 inhabitants, is the capital, and contains a castle, in which the prince resides.

CHAP. XXXV.-THE PRINCIPALITY OF LICHTENSTEIN.

THE principality of Lichtenstein consists of the two lordships of Vadutz and Schellenberg. It is bounded on the N. and E. by the Tyrolese circle of Vorarlberg; on the S. by the Helvetic canton of the Grisons; and on the W. by the canton of St. Gall. This little territory does not exceed 50 British square miles, and is on the S. and S.E. covered by high Alps. The Rhine runs along its boundaries on one side. It produces corn, flax, wine, fruit, cattle, and wood. The population is now estimated at nearly 6000, who are chiefly Catholics. The revenue is 30,000 florins; and the contingent 55 men. Besides this little sovereignty, the prince of Lichtenstein possesses certain principalities and lordships lying within the Austrian monarchy, and extending altogether to above 2,100 square