association, and judgment, rather than loading the memory with indigested materials, according to the ancient method. It was found, on comparing the old and the new system together in this canton, that, as nearly as could be ascertained, out of an equal number of children, those who acquitted themselves well in several branches in which they were examined, were in the proportion of about twenty-seven to fifteen, in favour of the new method.

The School of Industry at Hofwyl, near Bern, was founded by Fellenberg, with the design of combining intellectual education with the pursuits of agriculture, as part of a system which might also be extended to manufacturing employments. Pupils have attended this institution from Germany, France, and England, who have afterwards been eminent for literature and science.

The exclusively academic or university institutions, are at Basle, Geneva, Zürich, Bern, and Lausanne :-and in this country in general, the sciences belonging to natural philosophy, and natural history, are much pursued.

LETTER XVIII.

Departure from Basle-Huningen-St. Louis - Alsace-History -Douane Müllhausen - Béfort-Vesoul-Langres-Chaumont-Nogent-Provins-Nangis-Road to Paris-Military Operations and Events of 1814.

MY DEAR FRIEND:-We left Basle at an early hour in the morning, to proceed to Paris, having taken places as far as Chaumont, the chief town in the department of the Upper Marne, distant from Basle about sixty leagues.

On the left bank of the Rhine, and not far from the city of Basle, is the fortress of Huningen, celebrated during the invasion of France by the allied armies in 1815, in consequence of the resistance here made by a hundred and forty men, who were shut up within its walls, to a force of twenty

five thousand Austrians. When half the number of the defenders had been slain, the rest capitulated; and the fortifications were demolished by the victors. The town of Huningen itself, which had previously contained nearly eight thousand inhabitants, now possesses scarcely a thousand; such are the ruinous effects of war, and so disastrous is the glory acquired by its most applauded deeds!

At one period of the same memorable war, waged by the European powers for the dethronement of Bonaparte, the inhabitants of Basle itself were in much consternation, as shots were repeatedly exchanged between the fortress and the allied camp across some parts of the city. The allies afterwards marched through Basle to the number of eighty thousand, and entered France. We understood that some religious commemoration of this event was instituted, as an expression of the gratitude of the inhabitants to Providence for their preservation.

The first town in France is St. Louis, distant from Basle about a league, consisting chiefly of one long, wide street, and having a considerable air of poverty and misery, compared with places of equal size in the Protestant part of Switzerland. Here the diligence was detained about half an hour, and fresh passports were necessary, for Paris. The luggage was also searched, for the first time since

we had left Strasburg, but in a very lenient

manner.

We were now in the department of the Upper Rhine, the Roman Alsatia, anciently inhabited by the Triboci. After the overthrow of the Roman dominion, this province became a part of Germany. Like other border countries, Alsatia has experienced many changes;-at one time belonging to the Franks, who under Clovis took it from the Germans, in 496; then in 752, being united with the kingdom of Austrasia; and subsequently forming a part of that large portion of France which fell to Lothaire, son of Louis le Débonnaire, and which was called the kingdom of Lotharingia, or Lorraine. In 869, this fertile country was united to the German empire, and was governed by dukes. When the line of these feudal lords became extinct, Alsatia was divided among several sovereigns of the empire; and by the peace of Münster, in 1648, a large portion of it was ceded to France. In 1697, by the peace of Ryswick, Strasburg, and the whole neighbouring country on the left bank of the Rhine, were added to the French dominions.

At the time of the revolution of 1789, several sovereigns of the empire had still considerable possessions in Alsatia, which the first National Assembly declared to belong naturally to France, as lying west of the Rhine. The difficulty of adjusting the opposing claims, was one principal

cause of the war which took place soon after between France and Germany. By the peace of Paris, in 1815, Landau, which is north of the department of the Lower Rhine, was again separated from France, and united to Germany. During the reign of Napoleon, few parts of France were more attached to his government than the provinces of the Upper and Lower Rhine.

Alsatia is considered as one of the most fertile countries in Europe, abounding in the fruits of the earth; and containing many mines of different metals. The district through which we passed was rich, but not picturesque: the cattle were numerous; but the wealth of this part of Alsace is chiefly to be attributed to the manufactures to which the mines of copper, lead, and iron, have given rise, to the woollen and cotton stuffs,-and to the coal-mines, and the forests.

Two thirds of the population of the Upper and Lower Rhine departments, are Roman Catholics, and have the character of being greatly attached to their ancient customs. The neighbouring Swiss have been much employed to do the work of the hay and corn-fields, and to manage the vintage, in some parts of Alsace: this may have occasioned the notion which has been entertained that the Alsatians have so rich and fertile a country, that they are disposed to indolence and inaction.

On the Swiss side of Müllhausen, the govern