iv

author contends, is the only fair way to make truth triumphant. He denounces, in unequivocal terms, the use of the strong hand in putting down any sect of religion, however noxious to the welfare of society it may be, and looks for the establishment of truth through the exhibition of her in her beauty, and by placing her in collision with artifice or fanaticism.

But although this is evidently a leading purpose with him, he has been far from unmindful of other important matters. In Belgium he has briefly but rapidly traced her history, her intrigues, her struggles, and her occasional sufferings from the earliest inroads of the Franks to the later days of Leopold. In Germany he has given a summary of her political history, from the victories of the Roman Marius to the establishment of the present Germanic confederation. With equal despatch, yet with equal skill, he has sketched out the struggles of Switzerland for independence, and the changes and revolutions that have happened to Savoy. His epitome of the French history shows him capable of seizing the precise points which constitute the most marked outline of that history, and his speculations and descriptions of the origin and progress of the French Revolution are well worthy of perusal.

However, therefore, the reader may fancy himself familiar with the countries, the people, the manners, politics, religion, and arts, which are included within the bounds here set down, it may afford him satisfaction to see subjects brought under investigation which never before struck him, or seen through a medium in which they were never beore presented. They are the production of one who has a high professional reputation at stake, they present numerous new ideas and views of the matters on which they treat, they are liberal and candid in expression, and their style imparts an interest which, whilst it is pleasing to the reader, reacts upon the work itself, and gives it an increased authority and weight.

PREFACE.

HE who ventures to add to the list of travels, over regions that have become familiar to so many who leave their native shores in quest of health, or relaxation, may, perhaps, hazard, from some, the imputation of vanity, or presumption.

Others may be disposed to a more lenient construction of his motives: he received, it may be, intense gratification from many of the objects which came under his observation :-they appeared to him in. vested with as great a charm of novelty, as though no one had trodden the same ground before him; and this might have been the impulse which prompted him to compose his journal on the spot, and afterwards to begin transcribing it, originally with the view of fixing in his mind, by a permanent record, scenes which he might never more revisit. After some attention had been devoted to this review of his notes, the impression might easily be felt, that he had materials for a volume, which might gratify some indulgent friends,-especially if they themselves had thrown into the scale, the weight of their own expressed wishes for some details.

In a manner similar to this, the author has been induced to submit the following pages to the candor of his readers; and it occurred to him that by adding some compendious historical notices, connected with the several countries, he might render the publication in some degree instructive to Young People; and that by interspersing an ordinary subject with references to that which, of all others, is the most momentous in its bearing on the welfare of nations, and of individuals -the State and Progress of Religion, his work might not be destitute of a Moral Use.

If the author has expressed himself freely respecting the Roman Catholic religion, or the tenets that have boen avowed by many of the Protestants on the Continent, he has taken the common liberty of giving utterance to his own views of Truth:-but it is his entire convic tion that no body of men ought to suffer any inconvenience whatever, as members of the State, on account of their religious opinions,—or their mode of worship, so long as the latter does not necessarily involve, in itself, some overt breach of public order, or morality. Argument and persuasion are the only proper weapons of Truth, and perfect Religious Liberty is the best arena on which she may achieve her triumphs. To withhold equal civil rights, benefits, or advantages, from any portion of our fellow-men, on account of religion, is bigotry, intolerance, and persecution:-to regard all religious opinions alike, is incompatible with maintaining the idea of a revelation.

iv

author contends, is the only fair way to make truth triumphant. He denounces, in unequivocal terms, the use of the strong hand in putting down any sect of religion, however noxious to the welfare of society it may be; and looks for the establishment of truth through the exhibition of her in her beauty, and by placing her in collision with artifice or fanaticism.

But although this is evidently a leading purpose with him, he has been far from unmindful of other important matters. In Belgium he has briefly but rapidly traced her history, her intrigues, her struggles, and her occasional sufferings from the earliest inroads of the Franks to the later days of Leopold. In Germany he has given a summary of her political history, from the victories of the Roman Marius to the establishment of the present Germanic confederation. With equal despatch, yet with equal skill, he has sketched out the struggles of Switzerland for independence, and the changes and revolutions that have happened to Savoy. His epitome of the French history shows him capable of seizing the precise points which constitute the most marked outline of that history, and his speculations and descriptions of the origin and progress of the French Revolution are well worthy of perusal.

However, therefore, the reader may fancy himself familiar with the countries, the people, the manners, politics, religion, and arts, which are included within the bounds here set down, it may afford him satis. faction to see subjects brought under investigation which never before struck him, or seen through a medium in which they were never betore presented. They are the production of one who has a high professional reputation at stake, they present numerous new ideas and Views of the matters on which they treat, they are liberal and candid in ex¡ ression, and their style imparts an interest which, whilst it is pleasing to the reader, reacts upon the work itself, and gives it an increased authority and weight.

PREFACE.

HE who ventures to add to the list of travels, over regions that have become familiar to so many who leave their native shores in quest of health, or relaxation, may, perhaps, hazard, from some, the imputation of vanity, or presumption.

Others may be disposed to a more lenient construction of his motives: he received, it may be, intense gratification from many of the objects which came under his observation :--they appeared to him invested with as great a charm of novelty, as though no one had trodden the same ground before him; and this might have been the impulse which prompted him to compose his journal on the spot, and afterwards to begin transcribing it,-originally with the view of fixing in his mind, by a permanent record, scenes which he might never more revisit. After some attention had been devoted to this review of his notes, the impression might easily be felt, that he had materials for a volume, which might gratify some indulgent friends,—especially if they themselves had thrown into the scale, the weight of their own expressed wishes for some details.

In a manner similar to this, the author has been induced to submit the following pages to the candor of his readers; and it occurred to him that by adding some compendious historical notices, connected with the several countries, he might render the publication in some degree instructive to Young People; and that by interspersing an ordinary subject with references to that which, of all others, is the most momentous in its bearing on the welfare of nations, and of individuals -the State and Progress of Religion, his work might not be destitute of a Moral Use.

If the author has expressed himself freely respecting the Roman Catholic religion, or the tenets that have boen avowed by many of the Protestants on the Continent, he has taken the common liberty of giving utterance to his own views of Truth:-but it is his entire conviction that no body of men ought to suffer any inconvenience whatever, as members of the State, on account of their religious opinions,-or their mode of worship, so long as the latter does not necessarily involve, in itself, some overt breach of public order, or morality. Ar gument and persuasion are the only proper weapons of Truth, and perfect Religious Liberty is the best arena on which she may achieve her triumphs. To withhold equal civil rights, benefits, or advantages, from any portion of our fellow-men, on account of religion, is bigotry, intolerance, and persecution:-to regard all religious opinions alike, is incompatible with maintaining the idea of a revelation.