The liberality thus shown in religious matters, indicates no small degree of refinement and intelligence to exist in the country where it is exhibited. Prussia, accordingly, in point of literature and the diffusion of liberal knowledge, is probably inferior to no country in Europe, hardly even excepting England and France. In this respect, however, it must be confessed, it has attained to different degrees of eminence in the different provinces: those districts where the majority of the inhabitants are of the Catholic faith, are the most deficient ; but, taking the whole Prussian dominions together, the remark made above is perfectly applicable. And the remark has been cable to Prussia in a sense more or less limited for cen turies. The great Copernicus, born 1472, was a native of Thorn. Cluverius, the celebrated geographer, and the friend of Sealiger, was born in Dantzick in 1560. Maier (commonly called Rcgiomontanus, from his being a native of Konigsburg) holds a high rank among the *astronomers of the 15th and 16th centuries. Wolff, a man of unrivalled science, learning, and philosophy, was born at Breslau in 1679. Mendelsohn, a Jew, was one of the best supporters of the religious principles and views of his brethren that have yet appeared, and in general polemical divinity he has few superiors. We may also mention the poet ; Nicolai, a writer of romances ; Busching, the geographer; Spalding, Klaproth, Humboldt, &c. Nor must the name of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, be omitted ; a prince vs ho, though one of the most distin guished statesmen and generals of his clay, is probably more frequently quoted and spoken of as an author and as a patron of literature, than in any other capacity. During his long reign, he not only cultivated literature himself, but exerted himself in promoting the advancement of it among all ranks in his dominions. He established schools in the various parts of the kingdom. Before his time, indeed, schools were pretty general, but the subsistence gained by the teachers was at best hut small, and in most cases precarious, so that some other profession was gene rally found combined with that of instructor. " This was especially the case," says Mr. Adam, "in Upper Silesia. Frederick therefore issued an ordinance, that a school should be kept in every village, and that a competent sub sistence should be provided for the schoolmaster by the joint contributions of the lord of the village, and of the tenants themselves." Seminaries were instituted (at the head of which was Felbiger, an Augustine monk) for the proper instruction and discipline of those who were to be come teachers. With each of these seminaries are con nected schools where the young candidates for the pro fession of a teacher are obliged to attend to learn the practice of the method, the theory of which they had previously obtained at these seminaries themselves. No young man can be admitted to teach without a recommen dation of his fitness for the office from one of these semi naries, " The school-tax," continues Mr. Adam, " must be paid by the lord and tenants without distinction of re ligion. The bo) s must all be sent to school from their sixth to their thirteenth year, whether the parents are able to pay the school-tax or not. For the poor, the school money must be raised by collections. Every parent or guardian, who neglects to send his child or pupil to school, without sufficient cause, is obliged to pay a double school tax, for which the guardian shall have no allowance. Every curate must examine weekly the children of the school in his parish." A general examination takes place annually ; and a report on the condition of the schools, of the talents and success of the teachers, on the state of the buildings, and the attendance of the children, is transmit ted to government This is probably the most enlightened and effective system of national education to be found in Europe. In addition to these village seminaries, there is what are called burgher schools ; and larger institutions still, termed gymnasiums, similar to the great schools or colleges of Eton and Winchester in England, The number of gymnasiums are 105, each containing from four to twelve masters, and the pupils are divided into five or six classes, and are taught the classics, mathematics, the modern languages, drawing, and similar accomplishments. There are various 'universities of eminence :—Berlin, Konigsburg, Breslau, Halle, Frankfort on the Oder, Geiss walde, Bonn. There are also an almost infinite number of other seminaries for instruction respectively in medicine, surgery, midwifery, natural philosophy, the veterinary and military professions, rural econo ny, &c. There are also separate theological academies for the Catholics and the different denominations of Protestants. The number of books published in Prussia is great ; periodical literature, particularly newspapers, (no less than seventy-nine being published weekly in 1819) arc also extremely common ; and learning and intelligence are thus diffused throughout every corner of the kingdom. In almost every city may be found museums, sonic of them large and valuable— and libraries, which are conducted on the most liberal footing; every respectable person, even though a stranger, having it in his power to avail himself of the advantages they can confer. The libraries of Berlin contain 300,000
volumes, those of Breslau 1000, those of Halle 50,000, while those of the other cities are seldom less than the number last mentioned.
From what we have advanced respecting the literature and literary institutions of Prussia, it may be inferred that the liberty of the press has been fully recognized. This, indeed, is virtually the case in as' great a degree as in Britain, except with regard to low cheap political writings, which the censors of the press interdict. All books, it is true, must be submitted to censors ere they can be publish ed ; but the inspection thus exercised is merely nominal, with the exception just stated. The universities have an un limited right of printing, without a previous censurate ; and there.are no restrictions on the importation of foreign works.
The provinces of which the Prussian dominions are com posed having, till lately, belonged to different countries, a corresponding variety may be expected to obtain in the language of these newly united territories. This union is of too recent a date for the original difference between the several provinces to be softened down, or to have formed a universal standard dialect. And indeed centuries may elapse ere this result be obtained, as may be inferred from the analogous history of Wales, or the Highlands of Scot land, and various other places. The greater number of the inhabitants being of German origin, the high and low German is the predominant speech. The high German, indeed, is the national language, as it is the dialect of the court, and of the higher classes in society, and that in variably used in li,erary productions, in the churches, and in the courts of law. The French refugees, particularly those who sought an asylum in Prussia after the revocation of the edict of Nantes, (1685) so confused the German French tongues, that their descendants now speak a dialect peculiar to themselves, and formed by the union and amal gamation of the two languages in question. la the pro vinces wrested from Poland, the language of that country is carefully cherished as a relict and a memorial of its former independence. In Silesia, the German is gaining ground, though in the mountainous districts, and in the tracks bordering on Poland, the ancient dialect of the country, which scented to hold a twiddle rank between the Bohemian and the Polish, is still preserved. Some de scendants of the aboriginal inhabitants of Prussia, like the Poles, retain their original Sclavonic dialect; and in the most easterly parts of the kingdom about 50,000 people have a peculiar language of their own.
The manners of the people arc as various as their guage, and from the same cause. The character of the original Prussians is dull and heavy, approaching what to the phlegmatical features of the Dutch. Frederick the Great, who showed a decided taste for French manners, as well as French literature, imparted a tinge of ment and vivacity to his subjects which is still retained. The German character prevails—which consists in dustry, activity, a regard to good morals, a reverence bravery, patriotism, inquisitiveness, a thirst for knowledge, hospitality, attachment to their chiefs, and loyalty to their sovereign. The Prussians are inclined to emigration, particularly the inhabitants of the German provinces ; and except the British and Irish, they formed the largest proportion of emigrants in the New World. They are credulous, superstitious, proud of antiquity of family, and cherish the traditions and peculiar customs of their native country with uncommon eagerness and affec tion. They are, as in other countries, divided into classes. The high nobility, amounting to above 50 families, are those princes who were formerly petty sovereigns on their own estates. The lower nobility, above 200,000 families, enjoy preferable claims to certain offices in the army, the state, and the church. This division, however, into high and lower nobility, is merely nominal and practical, not recognized by law : and the exclusive privileges which they both long possessed have been gradually contracted, and they now enjoy few distinctions separate from the superior classes of society. The other classes are the burghers, or citizens, and the buzzers, or peasants. The latter were, till lately, slaves adscripti glebae, as in various other parts of Europe ; and having no direct interest in the commercial and political welfare of the nation, had very little spur to industry and patriotism, in neither of which, however, were they deficient. Their condition has been gradually ameliorated ; and by the liberality of the present monarch (in September 1811) the last vestiges of their thraldom have entirely disappeared. They are allowed not only to purchase land and become proprietors, a benefit of which they are rapidly availing themselves, but, as in Britain, a Prussian, however ignoble his birth, may, by talents, energy, and integrity, elevate himself to the highest situations either in the state, the church, or the army.