letters on sweden, norway, and denmark-第11部分

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common　life。　　They　have　no　university；　and　nothing　that　deserves　the　name　of　science　is　taught；　nor　do　individuals；　by　pursuing　any　branch　of　knowledge；　excite　a　degree　of　curiosity　which　is　the　forerunner　of　improvement。　　Knowledge　is　not　absolutely　necessary　to　enable　a　considerable　portion　of　the　community　to　live；　and；　till　it　is；　I　fear　it　never　becomes　general。

In　this　country；　where　minerals　abound；　there　is　not　one　collection；　and；　in　all　probability；　I　venture　a　conjecture；　the　want　of　mechanical　and　chemical　knowledge　renders　the　silver　mines　unproductive；　for　the　quantity　of　silver　obtained　every　year　is　not　sufficient　to　defray　the　expenses。　　It　has　been　urged　that　the　employment　of　such　a　number　of　hands　is　very　beneficial。　　But　a　positive　loss　is　never　to　be　done　away；　and　the　men；　thus　employed；　would　naturally　find　some　other　means　of　living；　instead　of　being　thus　a　dead　weight　on　Government；　or　rather　on　the　community　from　whom　its　revenue　is　drawn。

About　three　English　miles　from　Tonsberg　there　is　a　salt　work；　belonging；　like　all　their　establishments；　to　Government；　in　which　they　employ　above　a　hundred　and　fifty　men；　and　maintain　nearly　five　hundred　people；　who　earn　their　living。　　The　clear　profit；　an　increasing　one；　amounts　to　two　thousand　pounds　sterling。　　And　as　the　eldest　son　of　the　inspector；　an　ingenious　young　man；　has　been　sent　by　the　Government　to　travel；　and　acquire　some　mathematical　and　chemical　knowledge　in　Germany；　it　has　a　chance　of　being　improved。　He　is　the　only　person　I　have　met　with　here　who　appears　to　have　a　scientific　turn　of　mind。　　I　do　not　mean　to　assert　that　I　have　not　met　with　others　who　have　a　spirit　of　inquiry。

The　salt…works　at　St。　Ubes　are　basins　in　the　sand；　and　the　sun　produces　the　evaporation；　but　here　there　is　no　beach。　　Besides；　the　heat　of　summer　is　so　short…lived　that　it　would　be　idle　to　contrive　machines　for　such　an　inconsiderable　portion　of　the　year。　　They　therefore　always　use　fires；　and　the　whole　establishment　appears　to　be　regulated　with　judgment。

The　situation　is　well　chosen　and　beautiful。　　I　do　not　find；　from　the　observation　of　a　person　who　has　resided　here　for　forty　years；　that　the　sea　advances　or　recedes　on　this　coast。

I　have　already　remarked　that　little　attention　is　paid　to　education；　excepting　reading；　writing；　and　the　rudiments　of　arithmetic；　I　ought　to　have　added　that　a　catechism　is　carefully　taught；　and　the　children　obliged　to　read　in　the　churches；　before　the　congregation；　to　prove　that　they　are　not　neglected。

Degrees；　to　enable　any　one　to　practise　any　profession；　must　be　taken　at　Copenhagen；　and　the　people　of　this　country；　having　the　good　sense　to　perceive　that　men　who　are　to　live　in　a　community　should　at　least　acquire　the　elements　of　their　knowledge；　and　form　their　youthful　attachments　there；　are　seriously　endeavouring　to　establish　a　university　in　Norway。　　And　Tonsberg；　as　a　central　place　in　the　best　part　of　the　country；　had　the　most　suffrages；　for；　experiencing　the　bad　effects　of　a　metropolis；　they　have　determined　not　to　have　it　in　or　near　Christiania。　　Should　such　an　establishment　take　place；　it　will　promote　inquiry　throughout　the　country；　and　give　a　new　face　to　society。　　Premiums　have　been　offered；　and　prize　questions　written；　which　I　am　told　have　merit。　　The　building　college…halls；　and　other　appendages　of　the　seat　of　science；　might　enable　Tonsberg　to　recover　its　pristine　consequence；　for　it　is　one　of　the　most　ancient　towns　of　Norway；　and　once　contained　nine　churches。　　At　present　there　are　only　two。　　One　is　a　very　old　structure；　and　has　a　Gothic　respectability　about　it；　which　scarcely　amounts　to　grandeur；　because；　to　render　a　Gothic　pile　grand；　it　must　have　a　huge　unwieldiness　of　appearance。　The　chapel　of　Windsor　may　be　an　exception　to　this　rule；　I　mean　before　it　was　in　its　present　nice；　clean　state。　　When　I　first　saw　it；　the　pillars　within　had　acquired；　by　time；　a　sombre　hue；　which　accorded　with　the　architecture；　and　the　gloom　increased　its　dimensions　to　the　eye　by　hiding　its　parts；　but　now　it　all　bursts　on　the　view　at　once；　and　the　sublimity　has　vanished　before　the　brush　and　broom；　for　it　has　been　white…washed　and　scraped　till　it　has　become　as　bright　and　neat　as　the　pots　and　pans　in　a　notable　house…　wife's　kitchenyes；　the　very　spurs　on　the　recumbent　knights　were　deprived　of　their　venerable　rust；　to　give　a　striking　proof　that　a　love　of　order　in　trifles；　and　taste　for　proportion　and　arrangement；　are　very　distinct。　　The　glare　of　light　thus　introduced　entirely　destroys　the　sentiment　these　piles　are　calculated　to　inspire；　so　that；　when　I　heard　something　like　a　jig　from　the　organ…loft；　I　thought　it　an　excellent　hall　for　dancing　or　feasting。　　The　measured　pace　of　thought　with　which　I　had　entered　the　cathedral　changed　into　a　trip；　and　I　bounded　on　the　terrace；　to　see　the　royal　family；　with　a　number　of　ridiculous　images　in　my　head　that　I　shall　not　now　recall。

The　Norwegians　are　fond　of　music；　and　every　little　church　has　an　organ。　　In　the　church　I　have　mentioned　there　is　an　inscription　importing　that　a　king　James　VI。　of　Scotland　and　I。　of　England；　who　came　with　more　than　princely　gallantry　to　escort　his　bride　home　stood　there；　and　heard　divine　service。

There　is　a　little　recess　full　of　coffins；　which　contains　bodies　embalmed　long　sinceso　long；　that　there　is　not　even　a　tradition　to　lead　to　a　guess　at　their　names。

A　desire　of　preserving　the　body　seems　to　have　prevailed　in　most　countries　of　the　world；　futile　as　it　is　to　term　it　a　preservation；　when　the　noblest　parts　are　immediately　sacrificed　merely　to　save　the　muscles；　skin；　and　bone　from　rottenness。　　When　I　was　shown　these　human　petrifactions；　I　shrank　back　with　disgust　and　horror。　　〃Ashes　to　ashes！〃　thought　I〃Dust　to　dust！〃　　If　this　be　not　dissolution；　it　is　something　worse　than　natural　decayit　is　treason　against　humanity；　thus　to　lift　up　the　awful　veil　which　would　fain　hide　its　weakness。　　The　grandeur　of　the　active　principle　is　never　more　strongly　felt　than　at　such　a　sight；　for　nothing　is　so　ugly　as　the　human　form　when　deprived　of　life；　and　thus　dried　into　stone；　merely　to　preserve　the　most　disgusting　image　of　death。　　The　contemplation　of　noble　ruins　produces　a　melancholy　that　exalts　the　mind。　　We　take　a　retrospect　of　the　exertions　of　man；　the　fate　of　empires　and　their　rulers；　and　marking　the　grand　destruction　of　ages；　it　seems　the　necessary　change　of　the　leading　to　improvement。　　Our　very　soul　expands；　and　we　forget　our　littlenesshow　painfully　brought　to　our　recollection　by　such　vain　attempts　to　snatch　from　decay　what　is　destined　so　soon　to　perish。　　Life；　what　art　thou？　　Where　goes　this　breath？this　_I_；　so　much　alive？　　In　what　element　will　it　mix；　giving　or　receiving　fresh　energy？　　What　will　break　the　enchantment　of　animation？　　For　worlds　I　would　not　see　a　form　I　lovedembalmed　in　my　heart　thus　sacrilegiously　handled？　　Pugh！　my　stomach　turns。　Is　this　all　the　distinction　of　the　rich　in　the　grave？　　They　had　better　quietly　allow　the　scythe　of　equality　to　mow　them　down　with　the　common　mass；　than　struggle　to　become　a　monument　of　the　instability　of　human　greatness。

The　teeth；　nails；　and　skin　were　whole；　without　appearing　black　like　the　Egyptian　mummies；　and　some　silk；　in　which　they　had　been　wrapped；　still　preserved　its　colourpinkwith　tolerable　freshness。

I　could　not　learn　how　long　the　bodies　had　been　in　this　state；　in　which　they　bid　fair　to　remain　till　the　Day　of　Judgment；　if　there　is　to　be　such　a　day；　and　before　that　time；　it　will　require　some　trouble　to　make　them　fit　to　appear　in　company　with　angels　without　disgracing　humanity。　　God　bless　you！　　I　feel　a　conviction　that　we　have　some　perfectible　principle　in　our　present　vestment；　which　will　not　be　destroyed　just　as　we　begin　to　be　sensible　of　improvement；　and　I　care　not　what　habit　it　next　puts　on；　sure　that　it　will　be　wisely　formed　to　suit　a　higher　state　of　existence。　　Thinking　of　death　makes　us　tenderly　cling　to　our　affections；　with　more　than　usual　tenderness　I　therefore　assure　you　that　I　am　yours；　wishing　that　the　temporary　death　of　absence　may　not　endure　longer　than　is　absolutely　necessary。



LETTER　VIII。



Tonsberg　was　formerly　the　residence　of　one　of　the　little　sovereigns　of　Norway；　and　on　an　adjacent　mountain　the　vestiges　of　a　fort　remain；　which　was　battered　down　by　the　Swedes；　the　entrance　of　the　bay　lying　close　to　it。

Here　I　have　frequently　strayed；　sovereign　of　the　waste；　I　seldom　met　any　human　creature；　and　sometimes；　reclining　on　the　mossy　down；　under　the　shelter　of　a　rock；　the　prattling　of　the　sea　amongst　the　pebbles　has　lulled　me　to　sleepno　fear　of　any　rude　satyr's　approaching　to　interrupt　my　repose。　　Balmy　were　the　slumbers；　and　soft　the　gales；　that　refreshed　me；　when　I　awoke　to　follow；　with　an　eye　vaguely　curious；　the　white　sails；　as　they　turned　the　cliffs；　or　seemed　to　take　shelter　under　the　pines　which　covered　the　little　islands　that　so　gracefully　rose　to　render　the　terrific　ocean　beautiful。　　The　fishermen　were　calmly　casting　their　nets；　whilst　the　sea…gulls　hovered　over　the　unruffled　deep。　　Everything　seemed　to　harmonise　into　tranquillity；　even　the　mournful　call　of　the　bittern　was　in　cadence　with　the　tinkling　bells　on　the　necks　of　the　cows；　that；　pacing　slowly　one　after　the　other；　along　an　inviting　path　in　the　vale　below；　were　repairing　to　the　cottages　to　be　milked。　　With　what　ineffable　pleasure　have　I　not　gazedand　gazed　again；　losing　my　breath　through　my　eyesmy　very　soul　diffused　itself　in　the　scene；　and；　seeming　to　become　all　senses；　glided　in　the　scarcely…agitated　waves；　melted　in　the　freshening　breeze；　or；　taking　its　flight　with　fairy　wing；　to　the　misty　mountain　which　bounded　the　prospect；　fancy　tripped　over　new　lawns；　more　beautiful　even　than　the　lovely　slopes　on　the　winding　shore　before　me。　　I　pause；　again　breathless；　to　trace；　with　renewed　delight；　sentiments　which　entranced　me；　when；　turning　my　humid　eyes　from　the　expanse　below　to　the　vault　above；　my　sight　pierced　the　fleecy　clouds　that　softened　the　azure　brightness；　and　imperceptibly　recalling　the　reveries　of　childhood；　I　bowed　before　the　awful　throne　of　my　Creator；　whilst　I　rested　on　its　footstool。

You　have　sometimes　wondered；　my　dear　friend；　at　the　extreme　affection　of　my　nature。　　But　such　is　the　temperature　of　my　soul。　　It　is　not　the　vivacity　of　youth；　the　heyday