to their being governed by
a king who keeps them united, not merely by his personal qualities, but
also by the laws and ordinances of the realm which are still maintained
with vigour. In Germany, however, we do see signal excellence and a
devout religious spirit prevail among the people, giving rise to the
many free States which there maintain themselves, with such strict
observance of their laws that none, either within or without their
walls, dare encroach on them.

That among this last-named people a great share of the ancient
excellence does in truth still flourish, I shall show by an example
similar to that which I have above related of the senate and people of
Rome. It is customary with the German Free States when they have
to expend any large sum of money on the public account, for their
magistrates or councils having authority given them in that behalf, to
impose a rate of one or two in the hundred on every man's estate; which
rate being fixed, every man, in conformity with the laws of the city,
presents himself before the collectors of the impost, and having first
made oath to pay the amount justly due, throws into a chest provided for
the purpose what he conscientiously believes it fair for him to pay, of
which payment none is witness save himself. From this fact it may be
gathered what honesty and religion still prevail among this people. For
we must assume that each pays his just share, since otherwise the impost
would not yield the sum which, with reference to former imposts, it was
estimated to yield; whereby the fraud would be detected, and thereupon
some other method for raising money have to be resorted to.

At the present time this virtue is the more to be admired, because it
seems to have survived in this province only. That it has survived there
may be ascribed to two circumstances: _first_, that the natives have
little communication with their neighbours, neither visiting them in
their countries nor being visited by them; being content to use such
commodities, and subsist on such food, and to wear garments of such
materials as their own land supplies; so that all occasion for
intercourse, and every cause of corruption is removed. For living after
this fashion, they have not learned the manners of the French, the
Italians, or the Spaniards, which three nations together are the
corruption of the world. The _second_ cause is, that these republics in
which a free and pure government is maintained will