WILKEY ' S WANDERINGS IN GERMANY.

MR. WILL is lucky enough to be able to pass his summers in a tour ; and the events and observations of the day he is in the habit of writing down at night. In 1837 he travelled through Germany as far as Presburg in Ilungary,--starting from Hamburg, passing through Berlin, Leipsig, Dresden, Prague, and Vienna, and return- ing by the Rhine: the result of what he saw, thought, and did, on this occasion, he has published in a goodly octave.

It required peculiar ability, or a professional knowledge of some kind, to impart much of value or novelty to a tour over so well-fre- quented a route ; and Mr. WILKEY'S eminence in either way is not conspicuous. either were his acquirements or his mode of travel of a nature to enable him to extract the largest amount of profit from the scenes through which he passed. Ile had small acquaint- ance with German,—getting on by means of a Conversation-book, where French was not spoken ; and so little was be able to follow a speaker, that he rarely visited the theatre, because he could not understand the play. Ile travelled for the most part by public conveyances, and often by night. Hence his "wanderings" were along the high-roads; and not only did the remoter old-fashioned places and people escape him, but many sights: for example, after leaving Dresden in the eilwagen, "we saw," says he, "the summits of a few of the eminences of that interesting district called the Saxon Switzerland,' but our route" lay another way. Some- times, however, he did not see any thing.

" We entered Tiiplitz," he writes, " as the shades of evening were closing over it. We left Tiiplitz, (after supper,) with three pretty long-tailed grays harnessed abreast, and attached to the vehicle as usual with traces of small rope. It was now dark, and I saw nothing of the agreeable environs of the town, except the small portion illuminated by the lamps in the street and the lights in the places of refreshment, where people were laudably occupied hn eating their suppers.

" ecan say nothing of the country we passed through, except that it was hilly for some distance, and that it was deluged this evening with pitiless torrents of rain."

And this is by no means the only occasion when the darkness pre- vented him from seeing the country.

Yet the book is readable, and not without amusement ; for Mr. 'WILKEY, though superficial enough, is fluent and unati■A:ted. lie is also a character in his way—a modern Englishman, a successor of the old "John Bull," with the average ideas and acquirements of his class; and his volume reflects the impressions which foreign scenes and manners make upon this description of mind, except that Mr. WILKEv's annual summer-tours may have enlarged his intellects and smoothed down his prejudices. A few extracts, how- ever, from the better parts of the book, will convey a clearer idea of the manner and matter of Mr. WILKEy than descriptive criticism.

SUNDAY AT VIENNA.

Soon after twelve, I reached the promenade on the Olacis ; which was thronged with a gay multitude, chattering almost every language of Europe,—

a multitude engrossed with the fleeting enjoyments of present hour, of the past and of the future alike unmindful. The band was playing merrily, and the seats around were occupied by listeners; differing in lineament, in manners, and in dress, as in station and in tongue. 1 could not help contrasting all this with the quiet aspect English towns usually present on Sundays, and with the comparatively unmixed character of their population. .lm the afternoon, how- ever, 1 witnessed a scene still less sabbath-like, and still more variegated. About five I walked to the Prater, which may be described as a kind of Champs Elysdes, and answers to the Thiergarten at Berlin. I was surmised to see so few carriages on the drive; but on quitting the roadway, and betiding my steps across the green sward, I found no want of life and fun. At the places of re- freshment and recreation, the people—emphatically the people—of Vienna were assembled, amusing themselves in every variety of manner : some were swinging, on two or three different Mang ; others, men, women, and children, were whizzing round in a roundabout, seated in little carriages, on hobby- horses, stags, and eameleopards: in some places were buffoons, jugglers, and singers ; m others loud bands of music ;am. I till s.... further were those histrionic performers so well known to all Europe—Punch and Judy—surrounded by a crowd of admiring spectators. At one exhibition of this sort two of the little figures were playing a variety of tricks with a rabbit, which they put into a little coffin, and closed up ; they then took it out, and placed it in a swing, when one little fellow stood on either side, and swung it backwards and for- wards with all the precision of little men. There were other things, too numerous to mention,' equally amusing and ridiculous. Amongst the multi- tude I observed a few bearded Orientals, surveying the scene in silent and sub- dued astonishment, and smoking the pipe of satisfitetion.

speaking of the mode of spending Sunday at Vienna, I should say,

that although, alter the conclusion of mass at mid-day, most of the citizens seem to devote their whole souls to amusement and recreatbm at the numerous places of diversion in the neighbourhood and at the theatres, yet the shops re- main closed, and the streets, unlike those of Paris on Sunday, have almost RS sabbath-like an aspect as those of London on the same day.

THE SWAN AT PRESSBURG

Is by no means the first inn in the place, but it was the one to which we were recommended by the captain, and had the advantage of being situated near the river. It has a table d'hote at one o'clock, and at eight its the even- ing. The charge for a meal at either hour (including a considerable variety of dishes and a seitel of wine) was about sevenpence, a price which is low even for Pressburg—too low, 1 ion told, to pay the provider. It is a new speculation, and time will show how it succeeds. The dining-room is arched like a bomb- proof; and, although it is small, about thirty persons (ladies and gentlemen) manage to dine and sup in it every day. Smite pick their teeth with their forks and the points of their knives; others, of the ungentle sex, to keep them- selves cool during the heating and all-important business of manducation, pull off their coats; and all—jovFal souls that they are 1—talk and laugh as if un- happiness and ennui were feelings they had never experienced. Most of the men here wear mustachios ; one of the waiters amongst the rest.

"CLASSICAL" AMPHITHEATRE AT PRESSBURG.

In the evening, for the first time in my life I witnessed a theatrical perform- but it

since in the open air. It was at a. place styled the " Arena," situated in tellnectr°e1; menage across the river ; and the performance was aeon:score:se—ate:lauds:n(1g; to me, but much more so to those who understood the whole of the dialogic This arena certainly cannot boast either the grandeur or extent of the Coli- seum at Rome, nor can it even vie with the Plaza do is commodiously arranged with pit, boxes, and gallery, all open to the blue eon, cave of the sky. Muck of the scenery consisted of artificial trees, and some- times the teal ones of the promenade were brought into use. The whole mil. lice is surrounded by lofty trees, which rise far above the highest row of spec. tators. The arena, is the surmises theatre of Pressburg, and is the only one open during this season of the year. In the winter it is not used, and the tows theatre then takes its place. There is an advantage (if indeed it be so) that the arena possesses over an in-thaws theatre, which 1 should not omit to mention-- that of affording an opportunity to smoke. Neatly all the gentlemen are sup- plied with pipes or cigars, and the ladies sit and inhale the "curling clouds of incense." The price of admittauce is very moderate, being only eightpence to the first division of the parterre, fiverence to the second, and to the other places in proportiOn.

GERMANIC TITLES.

Speaking of poor noblemen, the captain of the Arpad steamer told ate he had a sailor amongst his crew who had that highly-prized monosyllable " Von " prefixed to his name, in token of his aristocratic birth. An English gent/e»ma, or even tradesman, nay, even a nuelmnie, has little cause to envy ninny of these men of title. To illustrate how much the inhabitants of this part of the world are addicted to the use of high-sounding appellations, I in„, mention, that the people of my inn at Vienna wrote at the head of my bill, " file seiner Gamlen,- (or "jar his Grace',") not a little to my amusement.

CHEAPNESS 01' UPPER AUSTRIA.

In speaking of the country through which I am travelling, I must not emit to mention its cheapness. At Lambach, I supped, breakfasted, dined, supped again, and spent two nights, for three shillings and sixpence English ! The fare from Lambach to Salzburg, in that slow conveyance the stellwagen, was four shillings and eightpene:: breakfitst of coffee on the mad cost less than threepenee--Intlfpenny ; and my tii::ner amounted to eightpence, including a handsome fee to the pretty handwaiden,—for which, m her simplicity, she thought the hand of the giver deserved a kiss.