The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 138: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

120 REYNOLDS’ WORKS Christian perceived what was passing in his mind, and being curious to glean all he could in respect to his German friends, he thought it more prudent to abstain from inti- mating that he himself held a temporary post in his Royal Highness’s service. “Tf it be not impertinent,” he said, “‘ do you come from that part of Germany in which the duke’s dominions are situated? ”’ : “Ah bah! his dominions!” ejaculated the German, evidently no longer able to restrain himself. ‘ Pretty dominions indeed, a few hundred acres! Why, you have plenty of noblemen and gentlemen in your country possessing estates any one of which is as large as the whole duchy of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha.” “Do you disparage your own native institutions? ”’ asked Christian, with a smile. “T hate and detest the institutions,” responded the foreigner, with strong emphasis, “‘ which have parcelled out that fine country into all these wretched trump- ery principalities, miserable in extent and of the mean- est poverty. I am for German nationality, — Germany to be one and indivisible; and therefore you may readily conceive that I am no friend to its present partition. It is nothing but a nest of execrable despotisms — all the more execrable, too, because so thoroughly paltry and insignificant. A traveller may contemplate with a certain reverential awe, even if not with love, a mighty chain of mountains that bars his way, but if he find himself stopped by a wretched anthill, he would be overwhelmed with shame and disgust, he would be shocked at his own miserable self-abasement at not being able to clear such a barrier. In the same way would he contemplate with awe the spectacle of a broad and ample river impeding his course, but what would be his feelings if he found himself compelled to stop short on the edge of a dirty and insignificant puddle! Thus is it with these paltry German despotisms, in comparison with the huge ones of other nations that I might name, and yet they all alike serve as barriers to human progress.” “It is true,” said Christian, at once appreciating the truth of his companion’s reasoning. “And you will be all the more struck by what I have said,” continued the latter, “‘ when I inform you that I EORMICLOOOKS.C@