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Geneva, as a city, possesses few objects to recommend it to the notice of those travellers who view only "the surfaces of things." The public buildings are devoid of beauty, the streets are dull, and the houses, though lofty, appear massive and heavy; they are built of sandstone, and covered with dark tiles. There has been only one new house built in the city during the last forty years; the fortifications prevent its extension on each side.

Many families live under the same roof, as at Paris, each family generally occupying one story, or what, in Edinburgh, is called a flat; but among the poorer citizens, one room often serves for a whole family. A census was taken while we were at Geneva, in 1822, and` there was one instance of twenty-two families living under the same roof; several houses in the lower part of the city contained upwards of fifteen families, more or less numerous.

The streets of Geneva generally feel cold, as from the height of the houses the sun's rays rarely shine into them; and as these rays are far more powerful here in the winter months, at mid-day, than in England, when you enter the streets, on returning from the country, a sensation is felt like that of descending from a warm atmosphere) into a cold vault. To this sudden change may, I think, be partly attributed the disorders in the teeth, so prevalent at Geneva; but the proximity of the city to such a large extent of fresh water, is sup-: posed to be the principal cause of this malady. Part of the city is built on a level with the lake, and the Rhone passes through it, separating the parish of St. Gervaise from the main city. The river is crossed by four wooden bridges. The Rhone divides into two branches, which soon unite again, thus forming a small island, over which you pass in going to St. Gervaise. In this island, the earthquake which shook Geneva while we there, was most forcibly felt. The upper part of the city is situated about 100 feet above the lake; it is here that the cathedral of St. Pierre, and the houses of the more opulent and ancient families are situated, the lower streets being occupied by tradesmen and artizans. This division of the city into upper and lower, is supposed to have perpetuated the strong feelings of aristocratical distinctions, which have caused so many political dissentions among the citizens. Geneva has only three gates, so that you are obliged to traverse a great part of the town to go into the country. The gates are shut at an early hour, after which a trifling toll is paid on passing through; and at eleven o'clock they are finally closed for the night, and no one can pass without a written order from the commander of the garrison. Formerly the gates were closed at an earlier hour. The readers of Rousseau's Confessions will remember in what affecting language he describes his agony of mind when a boy, on seeing the draw-bridge raised as he was returning in haste from a truant excursion into the country. The inexorable guard refused his entrance; he slept without the walls, and being afraid to return to his master, he threw himself, a friendless fugitive, upon the world. To such a trifling event may be ascribed the circumstances of his future life, and the influence which his writings have produced in society. Had he remained in Geneva, he. would probably never have been known beyond its walls.'

It is this punctilious closing of the gates, that Sir William Gell so bitterly complains of, in his book against the Greeks, in which he goes out of his way to draw a comparison between the Turks and the Swiss, giving the preference to his friends of the Circumcision. It seems that this is felt as a grievance by some of the Genevese themselves. Good houses in the city are few, and although some of them are admirably situated, the rest of the town is either melancholy and dull, or mean and noisy. M. Simond says, that, if the liberal party once ob"tained of the legitimate party access in and out of town all "night, most of the nearest country-houses would be inhabited "winter and summer.' As things are, in the summer season, all Geneva is out of town.' The more opulent citizens gene rally retire to their country-houses in April or May, and reside there till the approach of winter. Though Geneva, however, is regularly and strongly fortified, the fortifications would be of little avail in a siege, as they are commanded by heights within gun-shot. The inhabitants are computed to be about 22,000. The lower classes of citizens are, in general, neatly dressed, and the labourers have their clothes well mended, and appear: clean. Beggars, or persons in rags, are rarely seen in the streets, unless it be a few stragglers from Savoy. Of the state of morals, Mr. Bakewell gives a very favourable account.

The police, without being oppressive, is vigilant; the watchmen do not adopt the sage practice of the English watchmen, of calling the hour as they parade the streets, to tell all the rogues to hide themselves till they have passed by, but they walk along silently in list shoes, so that no notice whatever is given of their approach. The unfortunate females who make a traffic of their persons, are obliged to reside in one street, and are under the cognizance of the police. They are required to comport themselves with strict decorum in public. The morals of the higher orders of citizens in Geneva, of the negotiants, the professors, and the gentry who live upon their incomes from land and foreign funds, are correct and exemplary; instances to the contrary are of rare occurrence. In a town of small extent, where every one is known to his neighbours, and may be said to be under their surveillance, moral restraints are more potent than in large cities; but there is a correct tone of feeling at Geneva, which would occasion any one to be coolly received in society, and even shunned, whatever were his wealth, who was a guilty of any great breach of moral duty. Moderation is the characteristic virtue of the Genevese; and if Voltaire speaks truly when he says,

"La modération est le partage du sage,'

the citizens of Geneva may justly claim the title of wise, being tem perate and moderate in all their enjoyments. Gaming, as a vice, is scarcely known, except by the example of foreigners; though the

Genevese are great card-players in their evening parties, it is merely for amusement, and they play for very low stakes. The sumptuary laws enforce early hours; dancing, whether in public or private, is forbidden after twelve o'clock, under a penalty of ten napoleons; but wedding balls, and the ball on the 31st of December, to commemorate the emancipation of Geneva from the French, are exceptions to this law, and the dancing may be continued till morning, without any restriction whatever.

Conjugal fidelity, and durable affection between parents and their children, are nowhere preserved more undeviatingly than at.. Geneva and this is the more remarkable, as marriages here most frequently take place from interested motives, and seldom originate from the spontaneous affection of the parties. The authority of the parents, however, is rarely, if ever, carried so far as to compel marriage, where there is a decided aversion; but it often operates to prevent a union from affection, where one of the parties is inferior to the other in wealth or consideration in society. The education of females is more intended for use than show; they are made rational companions to their husbands, and valuable instructors to their children. Perhaps there is no town in Europe, of equal size, where the females are generally so well-informed, particularly in the principles of the religion they profess, and the duties it enjoins. As many of the young men emigrate for employment, the Genevese ladies often marry foreigners, who become acquainted with them in visiting the city.'

• The societies called Sociétés des Dimanches have been correctly described by Dr. Moore; I shall therefore briefly state, that they still exist on the same footing as formerly, but not to the same extent. The parents, soon after their children are born, and sometimes before, endeavour to arrange with the parents of other children, nearly of the same age, for the formation of a society, or for the admission of their sons and daughters into societies already formed. This, where a family is large, is extremely embarrassing, and we have heard of parents complaining that it was more difficult to form eligible societies for their infant daughters, than to get them married and established in life. There are separate societies for each sex; they consist of twelve or fifteen children, of nearly the same age, a difference of two or three years only being allowed. Thus it often happens, that two sisters belong to separate societies. As the parents are desirous that their children should associate with the children of parents in the same station of life, or a little higher. than themselves, the difficulty of forming these societies becomes greater among the higher and less numerous class of citizens. These societies meet at the houses of the parents in rotation, on Sunday evenings. While the children are very young, they are attended by the bonne or nursery-maid of the house, but when they are nine or ten years old, they are left entirely to themselves, and the parents. are never present. They partake of tea, cakes, and sweetmeats, and pass the evening with music, dancing, or amusing games, according to their taste or ages. When any one of the young ladies

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$100 1019 Mr. Bakewell states, that the habits of the Genevese ladies are not, in some respects, so well suited to ensure domestic comfort as those of English ladies in the middle class of society. But he does not favour us with any further illus tration of this remark, than that the business of marketing is left entirely to the servant. M. Simond, while he informs us that they are great readers, and draftswomen, and very musical, affirms that they attend methodically to their house keeping and the education of their children. And you meet with these accomplishments, he says, in families where you. might wonder there should be found time to acquire them; but there are no morning visits at all.' He describes the ladies of at least the best part of the Genevan world, as pious, well-informed, good mothers of families. And as to the allegation that they are chargeable with pedantry, want of ease, and coldness except towards their immediate friends, he pronounces them not guilty.

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In Mrs. Montague'stime,' he remarks, the London ladies of her society, denominated blue-stocking, might probably have hesitated about attending the lectures of the British Institution, and taking notes, although ladies now are not deemed blue for doing both; and fifty years hence, those now obnoxious to the name, would be lost in the crowd of still deeper-read ladies. It is all a matter of comparison. Somebody has said, that he did not object to blue stockings, provided the petticoats were but long enough; and that is, in fact, the main point. When learning is generally diffused, and good morals quite common, both prudery and pedantry are necessarily out of the question; for we cannot be said to affect the qualities we really possess, and we are not proud of advantages every body enjoys. I think there is here very little affectation of wit or smartness in conversation, which is much in favour of the state of society; for, of all sorts of pretensions, this is the most unfortunate,

for him who has it, as well as for those who must endure it.... Undoubtedly the mother of a family, devoted to her husband and children, may have less sensibility to spare for the people of her society; but they may, in their turn, seek a compensation where she finds hers, and suffer her to remain a living contradiction of the witty, but false aphorism, that, in this world, pleasures are all either unwholesome or sinful.' Vol. I. pp. 339-41.

These are admirable sentiments. We said that our Author was English in his taste; we would that all Englishmen felt thus.

Speaking with one of the most respectable and opulent citizens in Geneva, I mentioned the opinion which prevailed respecting their attachment to money. He said it was true, that few families spent as much as half their incomes, and many not more than one fourth; but then, he added, it is not uncommon at Geneva for persons to expend more annually in charity, than on their own account; not in large pompous subscriptions to public institutions, but privately in assisting families in declining circumstances, and enabling them to live in the style of comfort to which they had been accustomed. If this be so, and I have no reason to doubt it, they are just stewards of the bounties of heaven, and nothing can be more unjust than to accuse them of avarice. The Genevese are generally liberal supporters of their own charitable institutions; and, as they have no poor-laws, their indigent poor are supported by the voluntary aid of the opulent. On many occasions, the Genevese have also assisted their neighbours the Savoyards, very extensively, in times of scarcity, and have saved numbers of families from starving, particularly in the year 1816. Their charitable and well-timed aid at that period, gave great offence to the Sardinian government, which we had recently restored. That humane and liberal government was highly indignant that its own subjects could not be left to starve to death quietly, without the officious interference of the Genevese.'

Bakewell, Vol. II. p. 88.

A more serious allegation against the Genevese than that of exorbitant charges to foreigners or love of money, is the number of suicides in proportion to the population. This has been ascribed to French principles, to the influence of the writings of Voltaire and Rousseau; but Mr. Bakewell remarks, that Dr. Moore noticed the frequency of suicides at Geneva forty years ago. Gaming, the occasion of so many suicides in Paris and in London, is not the vice of the Genevese. I speak "hesitatingly,' says Mr. B., on such a subject, but I feel in'clined to believe, that the prevailing cause of self-destruction "at Geneva is pride.'.

To explain the reasons for entertaining this opinion, it may first be necessary to mention, that the Sovereign People, the citizens of Geneva, would consider it a degradation to follow the common useful VOL. XXI. N. S. 2 B

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