NO LIBEKTY IN PRUSSIA.

433

your German blood is but poor, tepid stuff, compared withthe hot liquid tliat flows through English veins; and the nationwhich, in former times, permitted an Emperor to send a crierthrough the town, announcing tliat it was the imperial willand pleasure that Herr So-and-so should many FräuleinSuch-an-one, still lacks manly spirit enough to feel any in-dignity in having a royal padlock put upon its tongue.

Nor do the professors, and the physicians, and druggists,and stonemasons, and a hundred other professions and trades,think it in any way despotic that the right, or " concession," asit is called, to pursue their occupation should be at the disposaland consequently the mercy of the government; so that anydisaffected member of the State can be immediately deprivedof liis bread as well as his license, and thus, by bis utter ruin,be rendered an example to others. Operatives, moreover,must satisfy the police as to the quality of their work beforethey can be allowed to set up as masters; so that a politicaljourneyman is compelled to hold his peace, unless he wishes tobe doomed to manual labour for life. In other trades, again,a large sum of money must be deposited with the State autho-rities, and hence such depositors would hardly dare to raisetheir voice against the government; whilst even the servantsare under the special charge of the Polizei-Direction.

Consequently it will be seen that the Prussian governmenttakes care to have a finger in every person's business, so thatthe bread of the several members of the Community may bemore or less dependent upon the favour or "concession" ofthe functionaries, and thus silence at least be ensured, if posi-tive good will cannot be obtained.

At present the government is but seldom called upon toexercise its power of ruining, by withholding the licenses ofthe different tradesmen and professional men of the kingdom.It is enough for English minds, however, that it possesses such

VOL. IL F F