Of the peculiarities which we remarked in the character of the great body of the Austrians, espe cially when travelling through the country at a dis tance from towns, we mention three as the most con spicuous.
I. The Austrian betrays complete indifference about public affairs, whether they respect his own country or Europe, and the world in general. He never asks for news, or listens to any discussions upon politics, or indeed any other general topic's of a se rions cast, but with the most evident indifference, or even aversion. In no company is there a word heard concerning any public transactions or characters; and if a stranger chances, out of mere lack of conversa tion, and to avoid the necessity of yawning, to make any allusion to subjects which he might think inte resting to all who hear him, he is soon constrained to change his topic by the mortifying apathy with which his observations are received. We first imagined that this disposition to reject every thing serious or va luable in public life, as the occasional ground of converse, arose from timidity and the fear of giving offence to the government, or to persens in power; and we had frequently heard this reason assigned by the northern Germans as the cause of what they are pleased to call Austrian slavery and submission; but this is a mistake. The Austrian loves his sovereign, perhaps more than any other European, and has in deed good reason for so doing, in as far as the mild ness of the government, and the humanity of its civil polity, are concerned. But this love does not incite him to any talking, or any praises. Neither do fhe reverses experienced by his prince extort from him any censure of the government, or any impatience under a system which threatens the dissolution of the mo narchy. He seems to be naturally and instinctively averse to any speculations upon such matters, and to have received from his first entrance into the world, a bias the very reverse of that which is the characteristic of the British character. What a con trast, indeed, do these two yield on a stranger's ar rival in a remote valley in Upper Austria and in the Highlands of Scotland! The Austrian landlord re ceive.; him with a good natured countenance, and slowly shews him a room, and asks what he wants to have for dinner, &c.: then, perhaps, enquires about the roads, and what he paid for his horses and car riage; and how long he has been in Austria, &c.; but never dreams of asking news, or talking of any thing connected with public affairs. The Highland
Scot torments his guest with a torrent of questions. " Whence lie came to-day ? Has he seen the last news papers ? What he thinks now of our ministry? How are matters going on in Germany, Spain, India, Ame rica, and in all parts of the world?" with a geogra phy of which he betrays a most wonderful' acquain tance and familiarity ; and, When this war is to have an end ? What he thinks of the last taxes, of the local militia, of the national debt now amounting to 500,000,000, and of the general state of the coun try ? A striking peculiarity in the Austrian charac. ter; is the union of great physical vigour and ardent love of pleasure, with the most astonishing self-com mand, forbearance, and good nature. Quarrels, even among persons intoxicated with spirituous liquors, are the most harmkss things imaginable. They hardly ever come to any height, even ih words; blows are scarcely heard of in many towns during a whole year ; and maiming or murder is, on such occasions, com pletely unknown. There is probably more blood shed at one country market in Ireland, or at a quar relsome drinking match in Wales, or the Highlands of Scotland, in one evening, than in the whole of Austria in twelve months.
3. An amiable peculiarity in the Austrian charac ter, is the profound veneration paid to the memory of their deceased friends. This iff the more striking, because the people are generally reckoned giddy and thoughtless, and believed to be affected chiefly by objects of present sensation. The proofs of it, how ever, constantly appear. Wheresoever a person has perished, either by a fall from a horse, by drowning, by being crushed to death by a tree or a carriage, or in short in any way out of the common run, a board, containing an inscription and paintings relative to the event, is hung up, on the spot, and stands for many years as a monument in honour of the departed. Such boards or tickets, sometimes attended with consider able expense,, are particularly numerous on the banks of lakes, and near precipices, and the ferries or fords of rivers. We have seen any of 'them which exhibited marks of wantonness in being defaced by boys or passengers. The natives regard ' them with profound veneration, take off their hats as they pass by them, and mutter a prayer for the happiness of their friends. There is something peculiarly affect ing in seeing this done with folded hands by young boys and girls as they go to the schools.