transferred this country to the Grand
Duke of Baden, who continues to reside at Carlsruhe.

It would now require vast sums to restore this edifice; which will
probably be soon as desolate as the Castle of Heidelberg, with which,
however, it could never stand a comparison, either in point of
situation or architecture. There are some handsome walks near the
palace, which extend along the Rhine, where the fortifications have been
demolished. There are some spacious squares in the city; that before the
town-house is adorned by a handsome _bronze fountain_. The population of
the city has been estimated at 24,000; but it has probably rather
diminished of late. Several of the tradespeople exhibit the arms of
Baden over their shops, and boast of supplying their sovereign's family
with various articles; but trade has every appearance of being here at a
very low ebb. The road for some leagues beyond Manheim was by far the
worst we had yet passed in Germany; but then we had made a _detour_ in
visiting Manheim, which does not lie on the direct road to Frankfort.

The next place of any note was Darmstadt, the residence of the grand
duke of Hesse Darmstadt: it seems a place of recent origin, where much
has been attempted and but little completed. There are several spacious
streets marked out, and a few good houses dispersed over a considerable
extent of ground, which give it a melancholy appearance.

Its situation is not well chosen, as it is in a sandy plain, without any
river in the vicinity.

We visited the old castle or palace, situated in the centre of the town,
which seems now used as a barrack. The number of troops seemed very
considerable, and they are not inferior to the Wurtembergers in
appearance. Near the old palace are handsome gardens laid out in the
English taste, which were much frequented on Sunday. The present grand
duke inhabits a palace in the suburbs, which has little to boast of.

A few hours drive brought us to Frankfort. The country for the most part
is flat, and abounds with woods, but, except near Frankfort, has little
to interest the traveller. We found that great commercial city fully
answerable to our expectations. Every thing announces the opulence of
its inhabitants. The streets are spacious, and adorned with houses far
surpassing any that either Paris or London can boast of. Some of the
great merchants maybe literally said to inhabit palaces. There are a
vast number of inns; some of them are on a