BERN, one of the cantons of Switzerland, which holds the second rank among the 13; but as it is by far the largest in extent, containing almost one-third of the whole country, it seems justly entitled to the first. It is bounded to the north by the cantons of Basel and Solothurn, and the Austrian forest-towns; to the south by the lake of Geneva, the Valais, and duchy of Savoy; to the east by Uri, Unterwald, Lucern, and the county of Baden; and to the west by Solothurn, Neuchatel, Franche-Comte, the district of Biel, and the land of Gex. It is the most fruitful, the richest, and by much the largest, of all the cantons, extending in length about sixty leagues, and about thirty where broadest. It yields not only plenty of grain, fruit, and pasture; but also good wine, a variety of coloured earths and clays, sand-stone, mundick, gypsum, pit-coal,
coal, sulphur, and iron-ore. Here likewise are large herds of cattle, great and small; and, in consequence of that, great quantities of milk, butter, and cheese. The rivers that water this canton are the Aar, the Emmat, the Wigger, the Aa, the Ruz, the Limmat, the Sanen, the Senfen, and the Kandel. The principal lake is that of Geneva: the length of which is about 18 leagues, and the greatest breadth between three and four. The depth in some places is near 400 fathoms, in others not above 40. The Rhone enters it at the east end, near Bouveret, and issues out again at the west close by Geneva. In summer its waters are much swelled by the melting of the snow on the mountains. This lake, however, is not entirely surrounded by the territory of Bern, but partly by Savoy and the country of Gex (the former of which belongs to the king of Sardinia, and the latter to France), and the territory of Sion. Its borders are extremely fertile and beautiful, being much embellished with vineyards, which yield excellent wine, and interspersed with towns and villages, betwixt which a considerable commerce is carried on. The other great lakes, that are wholly or partly within this canton, are those of Neuchatel, Biel, Murie, Thun, Brien, and Halwyl, which all abound in fish, particularly that of Geneva, where trouts are sometimes caught weighing 40 or 50 pounds. In that of Biel, called also the Nydau-lake, are two small islands, one of which is very beautiful. This lake is about three leagues in length and one in breadth. Along the whole west and north-west sides of the canton runs that chain of mountains called by the general name of Jura; but the several mountains of which it is composed have all their particular names. This canton is well cultivated, and very populous, the number of its subjects being computed at 400,000. German is the prevailing language, but almost all the people of fashion speak either French or Italian; even the common people in the Pais de Vaud, and other places that lie towards France or Italy, speak a corrupt French or Italian, or a jargon composed of both. The established religion here and in the other Protestant cantons is Calvinism, the same both in doctrine and discipline as in Holland; nor is any other tolerated, except in the common bailiages, and the vale of Frick. The ministers are divided into deaneries and classes, and hold yearly chapters or synods. They are kept in a greater dependence on the civil power here than in the other cantons, and not suffered to interfere with matters of state. The city of Bern first joined the confederacy in the year 1353. Towards the defence thereof the canton now furnishes 2000 men. Every male from 16 to 60 is enrolled in the militia, and about a third of them regimented. There are officers for every district, whose province it is to see that the men be regularly exercised; that their arms, ammunition, and clothing, be in good condition; and that they be kept in constant readiness to march. Once a-year they are drawn out to a general review. The same attention is paid to those that belong to the train of artillery. Some regiments consist of married, and some of unmarried men; some of foot, others of dragoons. There is also one regiment and a troop of cuirassiers. The latter consists entirely of burghers of Bern. Both the horsemen and footmen find their horses, arms, and accoutrements. Besides the arms and artillery in the arsenal at Bern, all
the castles, where the country governors or bailiffs reside, are well furnished with them. At Bern is a constant guard or garrison of 200 men, and a small garrison at Fort Arburg. In the same city is also an office, which grants licenses for levies to foreign powers, and where the recruits make their appearance and are registered. The bailiffs have the chief direction of affairs in their several districts, being generals of the militia, and presiding in the courts of justice; but, in civil causes above a certain value, an appeal lies from them to Bern; and, in capital cases, their sentence must be confirmed by the great council before it can be executed. When any bailiwick is to be disposed of, as many balls as there are competitors are put into a bag, whereof one is gilt, and he that draws that has the bailiwick.
Mr Keysser observes, that the wealthiest peasants in Switzerland are those of Bern; it being difficult to find a village without one, at least, who is worth between 20,000 or 30,000 guilders, and sometimes even 60,000. He says, the common people of both sexes wear straw hats, and that the women's petticoats are tied up so near their arm-pits, that hardly an hand's-breadth is left for their shape; that the ills, not only in this canton but throughout Switzerland, are in general very good; that the manners of the people were in many respects, greatly changed within 50 years before he visited them, which was about 50 years ago, and consequently must be much more so now; that instead of the plainness and honest simplicity of their ancestors, the love of superfluities and high living greatly prevailed; that luxury, pomp, and that intimation for foreign productions which had infected most parts of Europe, had also extended its contagious influence to Switzerland, though not to such a degree as in many other countries. Dr Burnet says, that drinking is so common; and produces so many quarrels and disorders, that the bailiffs not only subsidize by the fines payable for them, but often get estates, carrying perhaps 20,000 crowns at the end of five years to Bern; that their law is short and clear, inasmuch that the most intricate suit is ended after two or perhaps three hearings, either in the first instance before the bailiff, or in the second at Bern; that the civility expressed in this country to women, at first meeting them, is not by saluting them, but by shaking them by the hand, and that none but strangers take off their hats to them. Mr Addison says, that the peasants are generally clothed in a coarse kind of canvas, the manufacture of the country, and that their holiday-clothes go from father to son; so that it is not uncommon to see a countryman in his great-grandfather's doublet and breeches; that the belief of witchcraft prevailed among them so much, that there were some executions on that account while he was in the country; that the question, or torture, is used not only in this canton but all over Switzerland; that though the subjects of the state are rich, the public is poor; and though they could oppose a sudden invasion, yet that their unkindly soil requires such a number of hands to cultivate it, that they could not spare the reinforcements and recruits that would be necessary in a long war. Upon extraordinary occasions, however, they boast that they could raise 80,000 men in 24 hours. This canton is divided into the German country, that is, that part of the canton in which the German tongue is spoken, and which is also called
called the ancient canton, extending from Morat to the county of Baden; and the Roman, called also the Waal and Pais de Vaud. The former of these contains 35 bailiwicks and about 300 parishes.