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HINTS of OCCURRENCES, &c. 5

A colledlion of two-pence each was made from a company confifting of eighteen perfons for the performers: theywere very thankful, and went away well fatisfiecL.

The town of Baffil, which is the capital of a Canton, is divided by the Rhine; one part of it lying on the fide ofSwitzerland, and the other on that of Germany.

1 made a fketch of the town, including the bridge, by which the two parts are united. The cathedral is a largegothic building, in good prefervation, but has little elfe to recommend it; being much more worthy of notice for con-taining the alhes of Erasmus, than for the grandeur or beauty of its decorations. The will of that great man, writtenwith his own hand, : is preferred in the library of the univerfity, and is reckoned among its moll valuable curiofities.This library had formerly the reputation of being the beft in Switzerland: but the greater part of the books and ma-nufcripts, which are very numerous, being on fubje&s that have had their day, the value of them is greatly reduced.The room is fpacious and handfome, and its furniture judicioufly arranged. Among other objedfs of curiofity, it con-tains a valuable colle£tion of medals, many fine prints, and fome invaluable paintings: of the latter, the produdfionsof Holbens’ pencil form a confiderable part. This fmgular artift was bom here, and being cotemporary with Eras-mus, who chiefly refided at Baflil, was honoured with his patronage and friendfhip. This town has likewife to boafl,that it was the place at which the art of making paper was firfl difcovered. Its chief articles are, wine, filk, ribbons,and gloves.; in which it carries on a flourifhing and extenfive trade. The BafTilians think their form of governmentthe mofl perfedl in the world: and if the fatisfadlion and happinefs of the people; the equal diftribution ofjuftice; andthe prefervation of decency and good order in the community, are proofs of its excellence, they have great reafonto be fond of their conflitution. The privileges it confers on the lower orders of the people, muff for ever fecuretheir allegiance and attachment to it; for the meaneft citizen is eligible, and has an equal chance with the greateft andmoft opulent to obtain a feat in the fovereign councils of the republic. Indeed their method of chufing the membersof their legiflature, is not in fpeculation very favorable to the formation of a good government; for the members of itare not chofen for their virtues, their talents, their influence, or their birth: the appointment of them is left whollyto the caprice of fortune; who fills offices, and makes counfellors of Bate in the republic of Baflil, in the fame mannerand with as little refpedl to perfons, as fhe diftributes prizes in an Englifh lottery. This fanciful method of conducingeledlions and bellowing offices, may fometimes have a ludicrous or inconvenient effedt; but as fuch accidental eventsneither leffen the dignity of their legiflature, impede the operation, or weaken the efficacy of the laws ; the preventionof them is not worth the trouble of a thought. It might not perhaps be without its benefits, if the fame pradliee wasintroduced into fome countries where matters of this fort fland in great need of regulation: for it is beyond difpute, a

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