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the castle of Buonas, and all round the northern extremity to Zug, the shores are indented with fine bays, and the adjacent country gradually declines to almost a level, behind which we see hills of comparatively moderate height, and those far receding into a distant horizon.— The Righi, the Rossberg, and Mount Pilate are grand objects as viewed from the north in our approach to Zug; at which place we arrived after a pleasant voyage of an hour and a half, and found our calèche already arrived from Lucerne, at the Grand Cerf Inn.

After dining at the table-d'-hôte, we took a hasty promenade through the town, which for a capital is the smallest, and the most antiquated in appearance, of any we had seen even in this country. In size, however, it bears a just proportion to that of the canton itself, which is about five leagues long and four broad;* and of all the small cantons Zug is the only one which has a walled town for its capital. We went to the principal parish church; and afterwards visited the conventual church, a larger building, situated some little way beyond the walls, in a very agreeable part of the environs, at the foot of the beautifully wooded and fertile Zugherberg. Both are venerable edifices, but as usual, overcharged with votive pictures, gilded ornaments, and superstitious imagery. The great church was attended by a numerous congregation. The women arranged on one side and the

It produces corn and fruits, particularly chesnuts. In some parts the vine is cultivated; and every where the pasturages are good. The chief magistrate is called the Amman, who is taken successively from each of the five districts into which the canton is divided, his term of office never exceeding three years. The general assembly of the people, where every man, from 16 years of age, has the right to assist, is held every year at Zug.

men on the other, chanted the Latin service alternately. The shrill voices and elevated key' of the former contrasted themselves with the deep mellow tones of the latter, whilst occasionally

"The pealing organ swell'd the note of praise."

The high altar, with all its shewy if not costly decocations, was dressed in a blaze of light, which, eclipsing that of day so dimly admitted through small windows filled with stained glass, illumined the figures of "the stoled priests," who passed and repassed before it in the administration of Mass. Presently the responses cease; the organ pours forth its fullest diapason of triumphant notes, and the choir commences a hymn. Incense from many a high-swung censer issues in curling volumes at the foot of the altar, and rolls slowly upwards to the fretted roof-the anthem is raised in a louder and yet louder strain, while the cloud of perfumed smoke ascends, and sinks at last in a dying fall, as the factitious vapour gradually melts away into the circumambient air. Thus concluded a service, whose general effect is not a little adapted to take the fancy captive. The eye and the ear at least may be pleased by it; but on a comparison of such ceremonies with their general influence over the votaries of the Creed to which they are accessory, I feel no reason for qualifying in the slightest degree my sentiments of concurrence in the justice of Mr. Gilly's remark “that simplicity of worship is the best promoter of active and efficient Religion."-Nevertheless it is interesting to see the inhabitants of these particular districts of Switzerland flocking with zealous alacrity to the temples where their forefathers prayed with fervent though often misdirected

piety; and where, in these times of greatly increased facility both for giving and receiving instruction, it is not the fault of the descendants of those patriots, that their "Religion," surrounded as its externals are by the dazzling glare of consecrated tapers, should remain in a form so little calculated to endure the searching torch of Scriptural Truth. From their urbanity and decorum of behaviour (an urbanity and a decorum that would do no discredit to a wealthier and more fashionable society) I am persuaded that this simple-mannered and kindly disposed people want only that proper knowledge, which nothing but priestcraft now withholds, to render their faith as enlightened aud pure, as their intentions are good and their feelings devout.

Our ride from Zug to Baar displayed to us a continued tract of the best meadow land with arable intermixed. The quantity of fruit trees is remarkably great: each side of the road presents to view one universally productive orchard. If the Swiss had only a little more land capable of tillage, they would never have occasion to resort to other countries for a supply of corn-their vallies are so fertile, and they themselves such assiduous and successful cultivators. The steepness of the ascent beyond Baar requiring a third horse, we applied at the Inn and their whole stud being out, the master very gravely made us the offer of-a cow. "Not accepted."

At Silhbruk we entered the Protestant Canton of Zurich; and soon after, reaching the top of a lofty hill which looks down upon the little peninsula of Aa, and the pretty little town of Horgen, were treated with a most extensive view of the Lake: its superb plain of water here spreads itself before you to the extent of five or six

leagues: the borders are cultivated from their very edge with vines, studded with villages and single dwellings, and crowned with majestic woods. From this commanding eminence looking to the south-east the eye embraces a most magnificent bend of the lake, whose extent seems to terminate with the town of Rapperschwyl on one neck of land and the village of Hurden on the other, between which a wooden bridge of 1800 yards long serves for the communication.

We observed some of the apple and pear trees, of great size, so loaded with produce as to be obliged to have their branches propped up. Of this fruit, we were informed, the people do not make either Cider or Perry; but, after cutting them in slices, hang them up in the sun to dry: thus preserved during the winter, they eat them stewed or in puddings.-In the houses we already begun to remark a character of greater substantiality and an air of superior comfort to any that we had hitherto seen in Switzerland, even the canton of Berne not excepted—numerous and respectable are the mansions; and the parish churches are neat, venerable, commodious structures without any nonsense about them. The road is good and the lands are fenced with excellent hedges or thick walls of white stone. In short there is every where an appearance of ORDER, propriety, and comfort.

The prospects from the church-yard of Thalwyl are uncommonly fine: on the left a grand and beautiful water scene finishes with the city of Zurich-on the right, a yet more extensive, lovely, and sublime perspective-each bay and promontory of the lake, enriched with large villages-the mountains of Schwytz, Uri, and Underwalden, with the stupendous chain of the Bernese Alps

in the glorious distance. We have reason to speak of the Inn as a most creditable specimen of neatness and cleanliness, of old fashioned but good housewifery and civility. The vineyards are patterns of husbandry: the grapes made a fine shew but seemed backward in point of ripeness. The innkeeper charged 5d. for a bottle of vin ordinaire blanc, pleasant beverage. Our further progress, through a constant succession of charming hamlets, was rendered additionally delightful by the truly picturesque tints of the setting sun-not exhibiting all the rich warmth which we witnessed in them during our visit to the Borromean Isles; but gilding with a milder yet not less transparent glow, a landscape, whose verdant brightness resembles that with which Nature decks our English vallies, plains, and hills. The countless habitations of this populous and prosperous district were, at the moment to which I allude, reflecting a lustre of transcendant but indescribable beauty. It was in the captivating splendour of a fine summer evening, that the capital of the canton presented itself to our sight, as we approached the northern extremity of the lake on which it is situated between two gently swelling hills. It was with Mount Albis on one side of us, and the Zuricher-See and its lovely borders on the other, that we passed through a land teeming with abundance, embellished by the hand of care and of taste, and happy in a peasantry of whom any country might be proud-a land where the men are robust, active, industrious, well informed; and where, with respect to the softer Sex, we had within the compass of a few short hours, seen more handsome faces and comely figures than it had been our lot to cast eyes upon in France or Italy, from Paris to Milan.

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