latter, clothing
in general, and more especially cotton, woollen, and worsted articles of
apparel, are nearly as costly as in London.

Of the social position of the workmen, and the rules of the trade Guilds,
I have endeavoured to treat under the head of "THE GERMAN WORKMAN;" but
there are some matters there omitted which may be worthy of mention. I
was forcibly struck, as well in Hamburg as in other towns and cities of
Germany, by the almost total want of that cheap serial literature which
is so marked a feature of popular education in England. There was,
indeed, a penny magazine published in Leipsic, after the type of the
original periodical of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge;
but it found no purchasers among any of my acquaintances, and was only to
be seen, with a few other literary magazines, at the better sort of
eating and coffee-houses. The workmen were gay, and fond of amusement,
but not recklessly so. They were passionately fond of music, and formed
little clubs among themselves for the practice of choral singing. There
was shown no want of respect for the Church and its institutions, quite
the reverse; and I well remember that we were gratified with a holiday on
a day set apart by the authorities for the public confirmation of the
youths about to be apprenticed, and the whole ceremonial of which wore an
imposing and solemn character. The conscription was, I believe, made
also on that day. With respect to the relation between employers and
employed, there existed a degree of amiability and consideration for
which we look too often in vain in England, while it must also be
confessed that every mark of respect was rigorously exacted by the
master, and that his affability towards the workmen sometimes assumed the
character of an affectionate condescension towards a favoured menial. I
did not personally know any one married journeyman in Hamburg; but there
was one jeweller who had entered into the silken bonds of wedlock, and
who was pointed out to me with a shrug of the shoulder and a shake of the
head, as a doomed mortal.

It might be imagined that as the city of Hamburg claims the title of
"free," such assumed liberty might extend to its social institutions; as
well as to its port and navigation. Indeed, the worthy citizens are
under some such delusion themselves, and boast of immunities, and
liberalities of government, such as would place them at the head of the
German nation. It w