BERLIN, a city in Germany, the capital of Bran denburg, and the residepee of the Prussian court, is situated on the banks of the Spree, a considerable stream which falls into the Havel, one of the tribu tary rivers of the Elbe. The situation of Berlin is by no means agreeable, for it stands on an unvaried and sandy plain, but it combines almost every advan tage of appearance and utility, which art, seconded by the beneficent policy of an enlightened monarch, has been able to confer. Frederic II., who employ ed all his intervals of peace in improving the internal condition of his states, bestowed much care and ex pense on the embellishment of his capital. Before the war of 1756, he had already reared several public edi fices, and entirely rebuilt the suburb called Neuvoigt land, the houses of which he gave gratuitously to the proprietors. In that dreadful period of convulsion which ensued, Berlin fell twice into the hands of the enemy. Haddik, the Austrian general, entered that city in the year 1757, and in the space of 24 hours, carried • off 200,000 German crowns. Three years after, it was seized by the combined army of the Austrians and Russians, who exacted from it two millions of crowns, a sum which it was necessary to borrow. The debt was liquidated by Frederic after the Conclusion of the war, nobody knows at what period, nor was any additional burden ever imposed on. he inhfbitants for that reimbursement. Scarcely was peace restored, when he resumed, with new eager. ness, his schemes of improvement. In eight years, (from 1769 to 1777,) he caused to be rebuilt 149 private houses, which he presented as free gifts to the proprietors ; and during the last six years of his reign, (from 1780 to 1785 inclusive,) he expended 4,561,200 livres on the embellishment of this favou rite city. Besides all this, he often gave wood and materials to those who wished to build ; and any person who engaged in that speculation, upon applying to government or the police, and-conforming his plan to their general design, received gratuitously from the quarry of Rudersdorf the quantity of lime stone necessary for the foundations, and for mortar. The liberal schemes of Frederic were eagerly adopted by his successor Frederic William II. ; who, besides erecting many houses which he gave gratuitously to private individuals, constructed the gate of Branden burg,in the style of the Propyleum of Athens ; part of the walls of the city ; a stone bridge, and one of iron. The reigning monarch, too, after the example
of his predecessors, has expended considerable sums in the embellishment of Berlin.
Berlin is about 11 miles in circumference. It is about 41 miles long, from the Muhlenthor on the south-east, to the Oranienburgerthor on the north west ; and its breadth is about three miles from the Bernaverthor on the north-east, to the Potsdammer thor on the south-west. The town has 15 gates, 268 streets, 36 bridges, 6922 houses, besides 33 churches, and numerous public buildings. The streets are in general pretty regular, and of a convenient breadth. Those in the south-west part of the town, called the new town, cross one another at right angles. Several of these streets are a mile long, and Frederick street is fully 21 miles in length. The houses, which do not exceed two stories, are generally built either of fine white free-stone, or of brick covered with a thin coating of plaster.
There are several magnificent and interesting build ings in this metropolis. The royal palace is a splen did edifice. It was begun in 1699 by Frederic I., and though built at different periods, is chiefly from the designs of Schluter. Its length is 430 Rhinland feet ; its width, 276 feet ; and its height, 101 feet. It is four stories high. The apartments, are remark ably spacious, and adorned with valuable paintings, rich tapestry, and numerous articles of furniture made of solid silver. There are likewise here several an. cient statues, and a Roman chair decorated with bag reliefs. The plain and simple apartment of Frederic the Great, contains only four portraits representing his particular friends. In the bowling-green before the palace, is a fine statue of the prince Dessau, ex ecuted by Professor Schadow. The library contains 100,000 volumes. Among these books are 500 Bibles, the most remarkable of which are, the Bible used by Charles I. when he was beheaded ; the first Bible printed in German in 1150, and the first Bible printed in America. There is also here a singular copy of the Koran, written in such a small character, and on such a thin paper, that it is only II inches in bulk. This library is composed of five different li braries, which have been successively combined in one, and is under the direction of the Academy o(8ciences.