may be called, of certain German eccentricities. Yet we
should have thought that so keen an observer of men and manners, might
have made more than he has done of the peculiarities of German society
and habits; but unfortunately M. Dumas appears to understand little, if
any, of the language, and this has doubtless been a great hindrance to
him, and has prevented him from making his book as characteristic as his
Italian sketches. Nevertheless he is piquant enough in some places. We
will give his droll account of his entrance into Rhenish Prussia. After
being robbed by the innkeeper at Liege, he gets into the Aix-la-Chapelle
diligence; and, on reading the printed ticket that has been given to him
at the coach-office, finds that he has the fourth seat, and that he is
forbidden to change places with his neighbours, even by mutual consent.

"This military sort of strictness, still more than the abominable jargon
of the postilion, made me aware that I was about to enter the dominions
of King Frederick William. As I had a corner of the coach, the tyranny
of his Prussian majesty was tolerably endurable, and I soon fell fast
asleep. About three in the morning, just as day was breaking, I awoke,
and found that the diligence was standing still. I at first thought
there was an accident, and put my head out of the window to see what was
the matter. No accident had happened; no other coach was near--the road
was excellent. We were alone and motionless. I took my ticket out of my
pocket, read it from one end to the other, and having satisfied myself
that it was not forbidden to _speak_ in the diligence, I asked my
neighbour if we had been standing there long.

"'About twenty minutes,' was the answer.

"'And pray,' continued I, 'can you tell me what we are doing here?'

"'We are waiting.'

"'Ah! we are waiting. And for what?'

"'For the time.'

"'What time?'

"'The time at which we are allowed to arrive.'

"'There is a time fixed for arriving, then?'

"'Every thing is fixed in Prussia.'

"'And if we arrived before the time?'

"'The conductor would be punished.'

"'And if after?'

"'He would also be punished.'

"'Ah! that is very well arranged.'

"'Every thing is well arranged in Prussia.'

"I bowed assentingly. Not for worlds would I have contradicted a
gentleman possessed of such an exalted opinion of his country and its
institutions, and who answered my questions so courteously and
laconically. My acquiescence ap