What effects the recent changes, and the matrimo nial connection with the French monarch, may pro duce or, the state of this empire, we cannot pretend to foretel. Many salutary consequences, in the in terim, May be The greatest is, that the monarchy preserves its integrity : for it'is not pro bable, that Austria shall undergo any further dilapi dations during-the continuance of the present alliance with France ; nor is it the interest of Europe That she should. Some years of peace are necessary for re-establishing her public credit, and for restoring to her paper-money the value to which the vast re sources of this empire, and the good faith of the go vernm2nt, unquestionably entitle it. Such years she is now in a fair way of enjoying ; and such repose is a great blessing after a long series of disastrous wars.
Russia will not soon be in a condition to give her any alarm. Prussia is levelled with the dust. Ba varia will probably receive no more augmentations of territory at the expense of Austria. Turkey will be fortunate if she preserves her own dominions entire. ' No enemy then threatens to disturb the tranquillity of Austria in her present political attitude : And we may therefore be permitted to hope, that she shall day recover the rank which she formerly main tained in the scale of our great European powers ; that she shall adopt such military and ceconomical arrangements as correspond with her immense na tional resources ; and that she shall, sooner or later, prove an useful ally of our country, in checking the -usurpations, and restraining the ambition of France.
Austria Upper and Lower, (ob der Ens, and enter der Ens,) lies in latitude 47° 20'-48° 5'V north, and in longitude 13° 50'-17° 2' east of Green wich. The whole province above and below the Ens, and on each bank of the Danube, is about 140 English miles long, and at an average 70 broad, con taining 9800 English square miles, or 6,172,000 sta tute acres, almost one eighth of the British island. One-third of this extent consists of mountains, forests, lakes, summer grazings, and pasture; and two-thirds of meadows, corn-fields, vineyards, and the scites of cities, villages, churches, and country houses, &c..
Austria is bounded by Bavaria on the West, Stnia on the south, Hungary on the east, and Bohemia and Moravia on the north. It lies almost in the centre of our European population, nearly at the same dis tance from Madrid and Petersburg, London and Con stant inople.
The soil of Upper Austria, especially on the banks of the Danube, and of the larger streams which run into that river, is either a clayey loam, or the deposi tion of and calcareous rocks, which are hur ried down by the torrents from the mountains. In
the higher wallies the soil is thinner and lighter, but very sharp and fertile, and upon the whole well adapted to corn and grass husbandry. The climate is there too precarious and boisterous for the cultiva tion of the vine. The surface of the whole province is a gradual slope from the southern mountains and -northern hills towards the Danube, which flows through the heart of the country, and receives• every river or stream that pervades it. These rivers run into their majestic receptacle nearly at right angles from both sides, like the ribs into the keel of a ship ; and indeed the general surface of Austria bears no small resemblance to the inside bottom of a ship, supposing the ribs to descend gradually and gently, andsto be much less straight at a distance from the `keel than near to it. The traveller, accordingly, who walks nearly along the banks of the Danube, can see more of the country on each hand, whether he ascend or descend the river, than he can from the banks of any stream of any other region with which we are acquainted. This declivity, which is uniform and gradual for many leagues on each bank, gently facilitates the draining of the ground, and the car riage of bulky commodities from the interior of the province to the markets and places of resort on the river. The ground is accordingly well cultivated, and yields a rich and beautiful prospect. The nu merous towns and villages on the Danube; the varie gated and majestic woods which skirt the hills that gradually rise on either hand; the monasteries, castles, spires, farm-houses, and villages, here and there peep ing out from the trees; the roads crowded with car riages, travellers, soldiers, &c. ; and the river with swiftly-sliding barks now and then appearing and dis appearing amidst its wooded islands ; the whole scene crowned by a fantastically varied range of distant mountains, frequently re-echoing the solemn peals of church bells or of martial music; all these strike every stranger who visits Austria, in a degree proportion ed indeed to their natural effect, but inconceivably heightened both by the unexpectedness of the ap parition itself, for which he is never prepared by reading of it in the works of travellers, and by the bon-hommie of the natives, and the universal hap piness which smiles around.