ce called Lang-Wasser, we found precisely the sort of
hotel of which we were in search. It was just one degree elevated above
a pot-house; and its owner contrived to accommodate us with a chamber
to ourselves. Here, then, in the character of Russians, we fixed our
head-quarters, and right well and cheaply we fared and were attended
to.

I have nothing to say about Lang-Wasser, except that it is a small
straggling township, of which the keeper of our hotel was the
burgomaster; and that the great majority of the inhabitants being Roman
Catholics, a Romish priest was in possession of the benefice. I found,
likewise, that there prevailed among his flock, that attachment to
their own communion which the Roman Catholics are never ashamed to
avow, even though it may subject them to the charge of bigotry. One of
the first questions put to us was, whether we were Catholics? and on
our taking advantage of the equivoque, and replying in the affirmative,
the tongues of the whole family seemed to be loosed. They had no
predilection for the creed, or the worship, or the persons of their
evangelical neighbours. How different, in this respect, has been the
bearing of all among the Protestant population of Prussia with whom I
have conversed. If the subject of religion chanced to be introduced at
all,--and unless introduced by me, this never once happened,--it was
treated as something not only not interesting to the feelings of the
speaker, but of the power of which to excite an interest in anybody, he
could form no notion. Is it not a pity that, under a government
avowedly Protestant, such a line of policy should be taken up, as to
root out all zeal for the truth, among such as profess to be its
followers, while the followers of error continue enthusiastically
attached to it?

We fared well that night, both as to eating and sleeping. Our supper
was excellent, our beds clean, and the charge for the whole barely two
shillings,--a practical illustration of the soundness of the advice
which we had received from our friendly Hernhuter. It was difficult,
indeed, to conceive how, even in Silesia, the people could afford to
treat us as they did, for so small a sum. Yet we paid our bill without
expressing, even by a careless word, that its amount surprised us; and
restrained our very mirth till a turn in the road placed us beyond the
hazard of being detected in its indulgence.

There had been a considerable fall of rain while we slept; so tha