The return of Bonaparte from Elba produced most gigantic efforts on the part of all those smaller sovereigns who had been reinstated in their domi nions by his downfall. The number of troops actu ally mustered and prepared to march when the battle of Waterloo took place and suspended them, amount ed to more than 1,200,000 men. They were not indeed all armed, but many more men could have been raised if arms for them could have been pro cured. These efforts, added to the costly exertions made in the war of the deliverance, have encumber ed with debts almost every state, as is noticed in the detailed account of them. These debts, however, have not been solely created by those events. The ephemeral kingdom of Westphalia, formed for Je rome Bonaparte, extended over Hanover, Bruns wick, and Camel, as well as the circle from which it was denominated. During his government, all the different portions of his kingdom had incurred vast debts in executing his projects. These debts were owing to individuals or corporate bodies within the dominions attached by the Congress to their new sovereigns, and those princes, for the sake of the people, were compelled to assume the debts and pro.
vide means for their liquidation, and the payment in the meantime of the interest. Thus the ungrateful task of for the expenditure attending the subjection of their states, as well as for their libera tion, has become one of the first duties on their re sumption of power. This odious consequence of former circumstances has been industriously im proved by the enemies of tranquillity, and has created considerable discontent. It has indeed been attend. ed with no violence, and recently the people have appeared to be convinced that the taxes which are imposed are necessarily owing to circumstances over which their rulers had no control.
The best account of the present state of Germany is the large work produced from the joint labours of Gaspari, Hassel, Cannabich, and Gutsmutb, printed at Weimar, 1819; but every state, besides, has its local history, description, and statistics, which will not admit of enumeration in this place. Many of the preceding statements were collected by the com piler of this article, from various sources, whilst re cently in Germany.