sum toward the support of this little republic. In the rich cantons the people are charged, for the state, with those duties which the archdukes of Austria and the lords of the land used to exact. The Protestant cantons are, in proportion, twice as rich as the Catholic, because the state, in the first, possesses the lands of the monks. Those who were formerly subjects to the archdukes of Austria, to the duke of Zähringen, and to the monks, are now the subjects of their own country. They pay to that country the same tithes, the same fines of alienation, that they paid to their former masters, and as the subjects, in general, have very little trade, their merchandise is liable to no charges, except some small staple duties. The men make a trade of their courage, in their dealings with foreign powers, and sell themselves for a certain term of years, which brings some money into their country at our expense; and this example is as singular a one in the civilized world as is the sole tax now laid on by our new legislators.
The Man of Forty Crowns.—So, sir, the Swiss are not plundered, jure divino, of one-half of their goods; and he that has four cows in Switzerland is not obliged to give two of them to the state?
The Geometrician.—Undoubtedly not. In one canton, upon thirteen tons of wine, they pay one and drink the other twelve. In another canton, they pay the twelfth, and drink the remaining eleven.
