to a new war, and Bohemia was again ravaged by fire and sword. Peace was restored in 1745, since which time, the •-ight of the house of Austria to the Bohemian crown has never been disputed. As a prince of the empire, the king of Bohemia is the first secular elector, and does homage- to the emperor for his states. In every other respect he acts as an in dependent sovereign, nor is there any appeal from the decrees of his tribunals to the tribunals of the emperor. He is hereditary archbutler of the holy Roman empire, and from this office derives a right of voting for the king of the Romans. Bohemia, though a genuine state of the Roman empire, was exempted by Ferdinand II. from contributing to its taxes, and rendered independent of the of the su preme judicatory of the empire. At an act of the diet, called the Admission, held in 1708, it was ac knowledged by the three colleges of the empire, that the king of Bohemia has an unquestionable right to sit and vote in all its assemblies ; and, at the same time, the emperor came tinder an engagement to pay for his hereditary kingdom of Bavaria, and the coun tries belonging to it, his electoral proportion of all taxes and imposts to the empire and circle, besides 300 florins annually to the chamber judicatory. The states of the empire resolved, at the same time, to take the kingdom of Bohemia under their protection.
Bohemia was fomerly divided into sixteen depart ments; but a new division was adopted by the states assembled in diet in 1714, according to which it was distributed into twelve circles, Haurzimer, Pilsner, Leutmeritzer, Konigingratzen, Rakowitzen, Chrudi mer, Prachiner, Slaner, Bunzlawer, Saatzer, Czas lawer, and Bechiner. To these circles must be add ed the territory of Eger, which is not included in any of them. This division was approved of by Charles VI., who ratified it•by a particular decree.
The government of Bohemia is entrusted to six courts, viz. the council of the regency, or great royal council, which is composed of the great judge, or burgrave of Bohemia, with eighteen lieutenants of the king, and other assessors; the council, or superior chamber of justice, in which the grand master of the kingdom presides) the chamber -of fiefs ; the new tribunal, for judging the appeals of the German •as sals, having a president, vice-president, and other as sessors ; the royal chamber of finances, having a pre sident, and vice-president ; and the chancery, which always follows the court. The states consist of the clergy, nobility, and deputies from several towns, who meet annually at Prague, rather to receive the orders of the court than to enact any decrees of their own.
The Bohemians are in general handsome, active, and strong. Dubravius, bishop of Olmutz, who wrote in the 16th century, thus describes his cowl, trymen in the fanciful language of that age. " As this land is under thd influence of the lion, so its inha bitants have the qualities of that noble animal. Their
high breast, their sparkling eyes, their long and thick hair, their vigorous limbs, their strength, their cou rage, their resistance to obstacles, every circumstance chews evidently that the lion is their star, as lie is their emblem." They are without comparison the best of the imperial troops. None of those troops can bear up, as the Bohemians do, under the fatigues of war. The state of poverty in which their pea santry live, gives them habits of temperance, which at once invigorate their constitution, and render them incredibly patient of hunger, to every German sol dier more formidable than death ; and the system of feudal servitude which here prevails in all its rigour, accustoms them from their infancy to unli mited obedience, the first of military virtues.—No middle rank is known in Bohemia ; for there every man is either a petty sovereign or a slave. Of late, indeed, the peasantry on the imperial demesnes have been released from the bonds of feudal slavery, and it is to be hoped that the benevolent example of the emperor will be generally followed by the Bohemian nobility. Till that time, it is in vain to expect any improvement in science or the arts; for a land of free dom is their only congenial soil.—Bohemia can boast, indeed, of several public seminaries ; an university, twelve gymnasia, 2219 German schools, 200 schools of industry, and 33 ladies' schools. Yet learning is almost wholly neglected ; though the success of those few who have applied to study prove that this ne glect is owing rather to the circumstances of the country, than to any want of genius in its inhabi tants. They are uncommonly fond of music; and the orchestras of Prague are said to excel even those of Paris in exactness of harmony, and brilliancy of execution. In general they are addicted to tra velling ; and when in foreign countries, live in the greatest amity, and repose in one another unbounded confidence.
Bohemia contains 250 cities, the principal of which is Prague • 308 borough towns; 11,455 villages; and 430,000 houses. The following official Table, pub lished in .1786, will give an idea of the proportion which exists in Bohemia between the different kinds of rural economy : • Its contrib'utions to the empire, according to the manual of Frankfort in 1803, amounted to 15,736,000 florins ; according to Hoeck, 15,500,000 ; according to Ochart, (1803) 16,500,000 florins. Population 3,022,000.
The established religion of the country is Popery; but by the humane and • judicious regulations of Joseph II. both Protestants and Jews are allowed the free exercise of their worship. 'See Topographie et, Statistique de la Boheme, par Schaller, Rieggei, • Schreger, and Stransky. Tableau Statistique de la. Monarchie Autrichienne, par M. M. Raymond et Roth, (1809). Annalcs des Voyages, par Make Brun, tom. vii. (1809.) Peuchet's-Dictionnaire la Geographic Connuergante. Encyclopedic Metho dique. Ricsbeck's Travels, vol. ii. (k)