Something has been already said of the present condition of this city:
upon a review it appears, that from the mention of churches, palaces,
burgesses, quays and streets, we might be supposed to represent it
as a considerable place, either for splendour, or commerce, or for
having its middle classes numerously filled. Any such opinion of Mentz
will be very incorrect. After two broad and somewhat handsome streets,
all the other passages in the city are narrow lanes, and into these
many of the best houses open, having, for the most part, their lower
windows barricadoed, like those of Cologne. The disadvantage, with
which any buildings must appear in such situations, is increased by
the neglected condition of these; for a German has no notion, that the
outside of his house should be clean, even if the inside is so. An
Englishman, who spends a few hundred pounds in a year, has his house in
better condition, as to neatness, than any German nobleman's we saw; a
Dutchman, with fifty pounds a year, exceeds both.
The Elector's palace is a large turreted building of reddish stone,
with one front towards the Rhine, which it commands in a delightful
point of view; but we did not hear, that it was so much altered, by
being now used as a barrack, as that its appearance can formerly have
been much less suitable than at present to such a purpose.
On the quay there is some appearance of traffic, but not much in
the city; so that the transfer of commodities from vessels of other
districts to those of the Electorate may be supposed to contribute
great part of the show near the river. The commerce is not sufficient
to encourage the building of warehouses over the quay. The vessels are
ill rigged, and the hulls are entirely covered with pitch, without
paint. About thirty of these, apparently from forty to seventy tons
burthen, were lying near the quay; and the war could scarcely have
diminished their usual number, so many being employed in carrying
stores for the armies.
The burgesses are numerous, and have some privileges, which render
their political condition enviable to the other inhabitants of the
Electorate. But, though these have invited manufacturers, and somewhat
encouraged commerce, there is not wealth enough in the neighbouring
country, to make such a consumption, as shall render many traders
prosperous. In point of wealth, activity and address, the burgesses of
Mentz are much below the opinion, which must be formed, while German
cities are described and estimated by their importance in their own
country, rather than by a comparison of their condition with that of
others. A trader, it will be allowed, is at least as likely to appear
to advantage in his business as in any other state. His intelligence
may surely be, in some degree, judged of by those, who deal with him;
and that we might know something of those of Mentz, we passed some of
the little time we were left to ourselves in endeavouring to buy
trifles at their shops.
The idleness and inadvertence we generally saw are difficult to be
conceived; perhaps, the trouble, experienced in purchasing a book,
may give an idea of them. We wanted the German pamphlet, from which
most of the above-mentioned particulars of the siege are extracted;
and, as it related to a topic so general within the place, we smiled,
when our friends said they would _assist_ us to procure it, during a
walk. Two booksellers, to whom we applied, knew nothing of it; and one
supposed, that an engraved view of the works would do quite as well.
Passing another shop, a young German gentleman enquired for it of the
master, who was at the door, and heard, that we might have it, upon our
return, in half an hour. The door, when we came back, was shut, and no
knocking could procure it to be opened; so that we were obliged to
send into the dwelling-house. When the shopman came, he knew nothing
of the book; but, being assured that his master had promised it, went
away, and returned with a copy in sheets. We paid for this, and left it
to be sewed, which was agreed to be done, in three hours. At that time,
it was not finished, but might be had in another hour; and, after that
hour, it was again promised, within two. Finally, it could not be had,
that night, but would be ready in the morning, and, in the morning, it
was still unfinished; we then went to Franckfort without it, and it was
sent after us by a friend. This was the most aggravated instance we saw
of a German trader's manners; but something like it may be almost every
where met with.
From such symptoms and from the infrequency of wealth among the middle
classes it is apparent, that Mentz could not have been important, as
to commerce, even if there had been no siege, which is here mentioned
as the cause of all deficiencies, and certainly is so of many. The
destruction of property, occasioned by it, will not be soon remedied.
The nobility have almost forsaken a place, where their palaces have
been either destroyed, or ransacked; the Prince has no residence there;
some of the Germans, who emigrated on account of the last siege, fled
into France; the war-taxes, as well as the partial maintenance of the
garrison, diminish what property remains; and all expenditure is upon a
reduced footing.
The contribution of the inhabitants towards a support of the garrison
is made by the very irksome means of affording them lodging. At the
best houses, the doors are chalked over with the names of officers,
lodged in them; which the servants dare not efface, for the soldiers
must know where to find their officers. In a family, whom we visited,
four officers and their servants were quartered; but it must be
acknowledged, that the former, so far from adding to this inconvenience
by any negligent conduct, were constantly and carefully polite. We,
indeed, never saw Prussian officers otherwise; and can testify,
that they are as much superior to those Austrians in manners and
intelligence, as they are usually said to be in military qualities.
Another obstruction, which the siege has given to the prosperity of
Mentz, consists in the absence of many members of the Noble Chapter;
an institution, which, however useless, or injurious to the country,
occasions the expenditure of considerable sums in the capital. That
of Mentz is said to be one of the richest of many similar Chapters
in Germany. From such foundations the younger sons of noble families
derive sometimes very ample incomes, and are but little restricted
by their regulations from any enjoyment of temporal splendour. Their
carriages and liveries vie with those of the other attendants at
Court; they are not prohibited from wearing the ornaments of orders
of knighthood; are very little enjoined to residence; are received
in the environs of the Court with military honours, and allowed to
reside in their separate houses. They may wear embroidery of gold, and
cloths of any colours, except scarlet, or green, which, as well as
silver lace, are thought too gay. Being thus permitted and enabled to
become examples of luxury, their residence in any city diffuses some
appearance of prosperity over it.
One of the largest buildings in Mentz is the arsenal, which fronts
towards the river, and attracts the attention of those, who walk upon
the quay, by having armed heads placed at the windows of the first
floor, which seem to frown, with Roman sternness, upon the passenger.
In one of the principal rooms within, a party of figures in similar
armour are placed at a council-board. We did not hear who contrived
them; but the heads in the windows may be mistaken for real ones, at
the distance of fifty yards.
The Elector of Mentz, who is chosen by a Chapter of twenty-four Canons,
and is usually one of their number, is the first ecclesiastical Prince
in the empire, of which he is also the Arch-chancellor and Director
of the Electoral College. In the Diet, he sits on the right hand of
the Emperor, affixes the seal of the Empire to its decrees, and has
afterwards the custody of them among the archives. His revenues, in a
time of peace, are nearly 200,000l. annually; but, during a war, they
are much less, a third part of them arising from tolls, imposed upon
the navigation of the Rhine. The vineyards supply another large part;
and his subjects, not interested in them, are but little taxed,
except when military preparations are to be made; the taxes are then as
direct as possible, that money may be immediately collected.
The fortifications of his chief city are as much a misfortune to his
country as they are an advantage to the rest of the Empire. Being
always one of the first objects, on this side of the Rhine, since an
enemy cannot cross the river, while so considerable a fortress and so
large a garrison as it may contain, might, perhaps, check their return,
the Electorate has been often the scene of a tedious warfare. From the
first raising of the works by Louis the Fourteenth, their strength has
never been fully tried. The surrender in 1792 was partly for the want
of a proper garrison, and partly by contrivance; even in 1793, when the
defence was so furious and long, the garrison, it is thought, might
have held out further, if their stores had been secured in bomb-proof
buildings. A German garrison, supported by an army, which should occupy
the opposite bank of the Rhine, might be continually reinforced and
supplied, so as to be conquered by nothing but the absolute demolition
of the walls.
The bridge of boats over the Rhine, which, both in peace and war, is so
important to the city, is now in a much better state than the French
found it, being guarded, at the eastern end, by the fortifications of
Cassel. Notwithstanding its great length and the rapidity of the river,
it is so well constructed, as to be much less liable to injury, than
might be supposed, and would probably sustain batteries, which might
defeat every attempt at destroying it by fireships. It is 766 feet
long, and wide enough for the passage of two carriages at once. Various
repairs, and the care of a daily survey, have continued it, since
1661, when it was thrown over the river.
The practice of modifying the names of towns so as to incorporate them
separately with every language, is no where more remarkable than with
respect to those of Germany, where a stranger, unless he is aware of
them, might find the variations very inconvenient. The German name
for what we call Mentz, is _Maynz_; the French, which is most used,
_Mayence_; and the Italian _Magontio_, by descent from the Roman
_Magontiacum_. The German synonym for Liege is _Luttich_; for Aix la
Chapelle, _Achen_; for Bois le Duc, _Herzogenbusch_; and for Cologne,
_Cöln_, which is pronounced _Keln_. The name borne by every town in the
nation to which it belongs, should surely be its name, wherever it is
mentioned; for the same reason, that words, derived into one language
from another, are pronounced according to the authority of their
roots, because the use of the primary term is already established,
and there can never be a decision between subsequent varieties, which
are cotemporary among themselves, and are each produced by the same
arrogance of invention.