the country is almost throughout as much cleared of wood as the generality of Europe.

The mountains known under the name of the Lehigh Mountains, are, properly speaking, the first chain which we meet from Philadelphia, the preceding ones being rather detached hills than mountains. This chain, which croffes the Sufquehannah near Harrisburg, lofes its name at the Delaware near Easton, and continues through Jersey under another name. On the other fide of that mountain ftands Bethlehem, built on the conflux of the river Lehigh, which falls into the Delaware near Eafton, and of the creek Manokify, which falls immediately at Bethlehem into the river Lehigh.

BETHLEHEM.-DETAILS RESPECTING THE MORA

VIANS.

Bethlehem is inhabited by the Moravian brethren. It is the firft and most confiderable of their fettlements in America, and has thence acquired much celebrity. I have read in books of travels fo many different recitals refpecting the internal government of their fociety, their community of goods, their children being even taken away from the authority and fuperintendance of their parents, as belonging to the fociety at large,

and

and respecting several other points of their government, that I was defirous to judge myself of the truth of thefe affertions; and I have found at Bethlehem fresh reafon not to credit, without proof, the recitals of travellers. This indisputable truth is, however, rather delicate, to be avowed by one who is writing travels.

I fhall not go back to the origin of the Moravians, which their hiftorians fix at the year 1424; to their perfecution in Europe; to the almost total diffolution of their fociety at the commencement of the seventeenth century; nor to their reunion in 1722, under the aufpices of Count ZINZENI fhall fay nothing of their doctrines; all these facts are unconnected with their temporal government at Bethlehem, which is the only point I wished to know, and which I think is at this time interesting.

DORFF.

In 1740, the Count Zinzendorff purchased from Mr. ALLAN, who held it of Willam Penn, the district now called Bethlehem, with the view of there forming an establishment for the fociety of the Moravians. Although fome trees were cut down in 1741, it was not till 1742 that the fettlement was begun. One hundred and forty Moravian brethren and fifters arrived from Germany, and fettled there. These families were poor, had no other dependence than their labour,

and

and every thing was to be done to form a fettlement in this defert. They lived then in one general community, contrary to the rules and ufage of their fociety, but only from the neceffity of circumftances, which would have rendered the general progrefs of their fociety more flow, and the fituation of the individual families more inconvenient, if their labours and productions had been divided. This deviation from the conftitution of the Unity (for thus they call their whole fociety) was prescribed by the fynod, which makes and alters the laws of all the Moravian people. Thus, under the order of the chiefs of the congregation eftablished at Bethlehem, they cleared the woods, made roads, and cultivated the lands; the women span, wove, made their cloaths, and prepared their victuals. One fingle will animated the whole, and the product of each individual's labour ferved indifcriminately to the fupport of the whole brother and fifterhood. The fathers and mothers being conftantly employed in labour, could not, without inconvenience to the community, give their attentions to their children. The fociety therefore appointed fome of the fifters to take care of the whole; the authority, however, and the fuperintendance of the parents, was neither taken away nor diminished. At that time even, notwithstanding their community of goods,

goods, the brethren who received any money from their families or friends had the free difpofal of it. If any of them vefted their property in the common stock it was voluntarily, and the effect of a zeal and difinterestedness of which there were but few examples. The brethren. poffeffed of any private property, had frequently their children with them; they clothed them better; and the care which they took of them in infancy, a charge confidered a relief to the fo

ciety, was a proof that at Bethlehem the children were not, as has been alleged, the property of the community, and that it was no part of the inftitution to make the members renounce all private property. In proportion as the fettlement advanced, and their labour became lefs urgent, the fociety of Bethlehem faw the inconveniences attending a community of labour, produce, and enjoyment. The paffions, the vices, and the virtues of man, have every where nearly the fame character. The active brethren killed. themselves with work, while the idle took little trouble. Thofe who reflected difcovered, that whatever fatigue they endured, their situation was nowife ameliorated; and that industry, the indifputable property of every man, afforded them not a fingle advantage. Reflection then had the fame effect on the industrious, as their natural VOL. IV. K difpofition

difpofition had on the idle; the ardour for labour no longer continued; the fociety did not profper, and the moft of its members were difcontented.

Thefe joint confiderations induced them, in 1762, to change the fyftem of the community. The fociety of Bethlehem was now eftablished on the rules of the focieties in Europe, and recalled to the true conftitution of the fociety at large; it is under this fyftem that it has been regulated fince that epoch, as well as all the other Moravian congregations cftablished elsewhere in America.

By the prefent ordonnances, the communion of property is done away in favour of the individuals; it only continues as to the government of the fociety, and it exifts partially. The territorial property, as well as the profits of the tavern, the store, the farm, the faw-mills, oilmills, corn-mills, and fulling-mills, the tannery, and the dyeing manufactory, belong to the fociety, which from these funds is enabled to provide for the poor, for the payment of debts, and

of the public taxes. In all other refpects every brother enjoys the abfolute property of whatever he can earn by his labour, be it what it may, and of the gifts which he may receive.

The

government of the fociety is vefted in the bifhop, the minifter, the intendant, and the in

fpectors,