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 1240. 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 townhouse. 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
Baden more submiffive. The baths which are on each fide of the river are a quarter of a league from the city. Joining to the fmall baths there is a village, and to the large a town which may pafs for a fecond Baden. It is feated on a hill, of which the afcent is fteep. There the baths are brought into inns and private houfes, by means of pipes, which are about 60 in all. There are alfo public baths in the middle of the town, from a fpring which rifes in the ftreet, where the poor bathe gratis, but they are expofed quite naked to all that pafs by. All the baths are hot, and one to fo great a degree as to fcauld the hand; and they are impregnated with a great deal of fulphur, with fome alum and nitre. They are ufelefs for drinking as well as bathing; and are faid to cure all difeafes from a cold caufe, headaches, vertigoes, &c. They ftrengthen the fenfes, cure difeafes of the breaft and bowels, afflmas, and obftruftions. They are peculiarly excellent for women's difeafes. E. Long. 8. 25. N. Lat. 47. 27.