BADEN, the capital of the above district, is an agreeable city, moderately large, seated on the side of the Limmet, in a plain flanked by two high hills, between which the river runs. This city owes its rise to its baths, which were famous before the Christian era. Several monuments of antiquity have been found here from time to time, particularly in 1420. When they were opening the large spring of the baths, they found statues of several heathen gods, made of alabaster; Roman coins, made of bronze, of Augustus, Vespasian, Decius, &c.; and several medals of the Roman emperors, of gold, silver, copper, and bronze. There are two churches in Baden; one of which is collegiate, and makes a good appearance; the other is a monastery of the Capuchins, near the town-house. This last building serves not only for the assemblies of their own council, but also for those of the cantons. The diet assembles there in a handsome room made for that purpose; the deputies of Zurich sit at the bottom behind a table, as the most honourable place; the ambassadors of foreign powers are seated on one side to the right, and the deputies of the other cantons are ranged on each side the room. The bailiff of Baden resides in a castle at the end of a handsome wooden bridge, which is covered in. Before this castle there is a stone pillar, erected in honour of the emperor Trajan, who paved a road in this country 85 Italian miles in length. The inhabitants are rigid Roman Catholics, and formerly behaved in a most insolent manner to the Protestants, but they are now obliged by their masters to be more submissive. The baths which are on each side the river are a quarter of a league from the city. Joining to the small baths there is a village, and to the large a town which may pass for a second Baden. It is seated on a hill, of which the ascent is steep. There the baths are brought into inns and private houses, by means
means of pipes, which are about 60 in all. There are also public baths in the middle of the town, from a spring which rises in the street, where the poor bathe gratis, but they are exposed quite naked to all that passes by. All the baths are hot, and one to so great a degree as to scald the hand; and they are impregnated with a great deal of sulphur, with some alum and nitre. They are useful for drinking as well as bathing; and are said to cure all diseases from a cold cause, headaches, vertigos, &c. They strengthen the senses, cure diseases of the breast and bowels, asthma, and obstructions. They are peculiarly excellent for women's diseases. E. Long. 8. 25. N. Lat. 47. 27.