It is from the date of that treaty (1801) that we are to look for the direct interference of Bonaparte in the affairs of the interior of the empire, where the disunion of Austria and Prussia parahzed every wish to assert the independence of the Germanic name. That wish, however, was net strongly felt in Bavaria, where Bonaparte's Character was not understood, and where the predominant feeling was a dread of Aus tria. An alliance was accordingly contracted be tween Bavaria and France; and when, in the summer of 1805, there remained no farther doubt of the hos tile movements of Austria and Russia, Bon thought proper to delay his notice of war Imperialists had passed the frontiers of his new ally, The consequence of the disastrous campaign that en. sued was the aggrandizement of Bavaria by the ces sion of various provinces, particularly Tyrol, and the elevation in 1806-of the Elector to the title of Nine subsequent resignation of the rank of Emperor of Germany by Francis IL the formation of the Confederation the Rhine, but, above all, the over throw of Prussia, rendered the power of France pa ramount throughout the empire, and enabled her, in 1809, to find, even in a German force, the means of resisting the efforts of Austria. The connection of Bavaria and France, now farther confirmed by the marriage of Bonaparte's step-son to a princess of the reigning filmily, seemed to rest on an immoveable basis, when the intoxication of success produced at last the memorable march to Moscow, and made the possession of unparalleled power the cause and in strument of its own overthrow.
The Bavarian force engaged in the Russian expedi. Lion perished chiefly in the latter part of the retreat, between the Berezina and the Niemen. The horror excited by so melancholy an event, and the hatred inspired by Bonaparte's tyranny for some years back, created a general desire in the Bavarians to make common cause with their countrymen in the north, and vindicate the independence of Germany. The public, however, both there and elsewhere, imagined that the court would not go along with the people ; and, after the rupture of the armistice in August 1813, Bavaria stood ostensibly on the side of France. Two months elapsed, before it was discovered that this attitude formed part of the plan concerted with Austria, and discovered to the world only by the sudden march of the Bavarians to interrupt Bona parte's retreat at Hanau. General Wrede com manded on that occasion with great spirit, and caus ed a severe loss to the French; but found it imprac ticable to arrest the progress of a mass which push ed on in close order, regardless of the havock made on its flanks and extremities.
Bavaria now followed, without interruption, the line of policy concerted with Austria, and was not supposed to waver for a moment on the temporary resumption of power by Bonaparte when he landed from Elba. Her unexpected abandonment of him in 1818, is to he attributed to a guarantee from Russia and Austria that she would be maintained in the possession of her actual acquisitions, subject, however, to partial changes, of which the principal was the restitution of Tyrol. That country, pro verbially poor, was attached to Austria with all the ardour natural to a retired and simple population. Its relinquishment was, therefore, a slight sacrifice for Bavaria, when compared with the fate that would have awaited her had she ventured, like Saxony, to resist the allies. The proceedings of the Vienna Con gress, as well as the subsequent treaties,". placed Ba varia on the footing of a power of consequence, con firming the title of the King, granting him a share of the contribution-money paid by France, and stipulat ing the support of a division of Bavarians, along with the other allies, at the expense of that country.
The military establishment of Bavaria has lately been raised to nearly 60,000 men ; in peace, it will probably be somewhat below the half. The popula tion, including the late acquisitions, is understood to exceed 3,000,000; the revenue about L.1,500,000 Sterling, Considerable progress has been made dur ing the last half century in redeeming the reproeC11 of ignorance, so long cast on the inhabitants of this, in common with the other southern provinces of Ger many ; for it must be confessed, that all that we had occasion to lament in regard to the backwardness of education and knowledge in our account of Austria, is applicable to Bavaria. The misfortune of countries has been a bigoted and ignorant priesthood, who, not content with absorbing in their own hand' a very valuable portion of the lands of the country, have all along insisted on the expulsion of the Protest:uns, and on the observance of the endless holidays and ab surd usages which impede the progress of industiy a mong their followers. Hence, a general habit of indo lence, and miserable backwardness in agricult ilro; and, in point of learning, a complete contrast to the north, ern part of Germany. It would be wrong, however, to carry this unpleasant picture so far as to represent the present generation as worse than their ancestors, or the population as in a state of diminution. On the contrary, Munich hopes ere long to rank among the literary cities of Germany ; but ages will be re quired to bring the population on a level with their northern neighbours.
Bavaria, like Austria and the rest of Germany, has, all along, had the semblance of a representative government, composed of prelates, noblesse, and de puties from the towns. Munich is their place of assemblage ; but they have met very seldom for a long time past. That city contains a population of between 40,000 and 50,000 inhabitants, and is one of the handsomest towns in Germany.
As to soil, Bavaria is mountainous and woody to wards the south ; the ground rising in the direction of the Alps, and containing a number of lakes and marshes, with little that has as yet been brought under tillage. To the northward are plains, exten sive and rich, until we reach the Palatinate, which is, in great part, mountainous and woody. The word Palatinate being ambiguous, it may be well to ob serve that the Palatinate, properly called Bavarian, lies to the north of the Danube, and has Amberg for its capital. But the Rhenish Palatinate belonged likewise, until recent exchanges, to the dominions of this house, the late Elector of Bavaria having been originally a member of the Imperial Diet, in the ca pacity of Elector Palatine, and having, by his suc cession to the government of Bavaria, combiued the possessions of the two houses. His chief error was, like that of his neighbour, the Emperor Joseph, a desire to introduce improvements without making sufficient allowance for the ignorance of his subjects. He abolished the monastic orders in parts of his do minions, which were by no means ripe for such a change. A great deal has been said about the ma sonic and other secret societies formed in this coun try, at the time of the French Revolution, and com bining, as was pretended, their efforts with similar societies in Prussia, for the purpose of shaking the established government. These rumours, we are in clined to think, had but slender foundation, there being very little in the condition of Bavaria to afford a promise of success to so strange a project. The present King succeeded to the Electorate in 179s ; he was formerly Duke of Deuxponts, and cousin of the preceding Elector.