I
Witnessed The Representation Of Mozart's Nozze Di Figaro.
The King was
present and was greeted with much affection.
He has a very benignant
expression of countenance. He is much beloved by his subjects, for he has
governed them paternally. He has given to them a constitution unasked;
for they were so contented with the old Government, that they desired no
change; but he, with his usual good sense, saw the propriety of consulting
and complying with the spirit of the age. A German writer of some eminence
at the time of the French Revolution, when the aristocrats and alarmists of
all countries were crying out against it, and proposing harsh measures to
arrest its progress, said: "Sovereigns of Europe, do you wish to set bounds
to the progress of French principles? Nothing can be more simple; you have
only to govern your people like Maximilian of Bavaria and Frederick of
Saxony, and your subjects will never desire a change."
At the German (national) theatre which is a fair sized one, I saw a tragedy
performed called Der Wald bey Herman-stadt (the Forest near
Hermanstadt),[122] It was an interesting piece taken from a feudal legend.
The part of Elisene was performed by Mlle Vohs, a very good actress. I
missed very much one thing in Munich, and that is the want of cafes like
those in France and Italy, which have so brilliant an appearance. They make
coffee here at the inns; and there are two or three dull places up one pair
of stairs, where they play at billiards, and make as indifferent coffee as
is made in England. The hour of dining at Munich is in general one o'clock.
A slice of ham or sausage with beer form the gouter, usually taken at
five or six o'clock; and at nine follows a supper as solid as the dinner.
The Germans are not loungers as the French and Italians, who, for the most
part, spend all their spare time in coffee-houses. When I mentioned to a
Bavarian that I could find no cafes in Munich resembling those in France
and Italy, he said with emphasis! Gott bewahre (God forbid)! I could not
help thinking he was in the right; for those splendid cafes are very
seducing to young people and tend to encourage a life of idleness and to
keep them from their studies. The lower bourgeoisie and Stubenmaedchen
(maidservants) wear a singular head dress. It is made of stuff worked
with silver or gold and resembles two horns sticking out one at each ear.
This head dress must be costly. This class of women wear also on fete
days gold crosses, collars and earrings.
The Bavarians seem a frank, honest set of people, tho' sometimes a little
rough, in their exterior deportment. The character of Otto of Wittelsbach,
in the tragedy of that name, gives the best idea of the Bavarian character.
I have made acquaintance here with a Mr F - - -, an Austrian gentleman, and
two Polish gentlemen, the one an officer and the other a medical man.
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