letters on sweden, norway, and denmark-第19部分

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mprisonment。　Still；　as　they　are　allowed　to　associate　together；　and　boast　of　their　dexterity；　not　only　to　each　other　but　to　the　soldiers　around　them；　in　the　garrison；　they　commonly；　it　is　natural　to　conclude；　go　out　more　confirmed　and　more　expert　knaves　than　when　they　entered。

It　is　not　necessary　to　trace　the　origin　of　the　association　of　ideas　which　led　me　to　think　that　the　stars　and　gold　keys；　which　surrounded　me　the　evening　before；　disgraced　the　wearers　as　much　as　the　fetters　I　was　viewingperhaps　more。　　I　even　began　to　investigate　the　reason；　which　led　me　to　suspect　that　the　former　produced　the　latter。

The　Norwegians　are　extravagantly　fond　of　courtly　distinction；　and　of　titles；　though　they　have　no　immunities　annexed　to　them；　and　are　easily　purchased。　　The　proprietors　of　mines　have　many　privileges：　they　are　almost　exempt　from　taxes；　and　the　peasantry　born　on　their　estates；　as　well　as　those　on　the　counts'；　are　not　born　soldiers　or　sailors。

One　distinction；　or　rather　trophy　of　nobility；　which　I　might　have　occurred　to　the　Hottentots；　amused　me；　it　was　a　bunch　of　hog's　bristles　placed　on　the　horses'　heads；　surmounting　that　part　of　the　harness　to　which　a　round　piece　of　brass　often　dangles；　fatiguing　the　eye　with　its　idle　motion。

From　the　fortress　I　returned　to　my　lodging；　and　quickly　was　taken　out　of　town　to　be　shown　a　pretty　villa；　and　English　garden。　　To　a　Norwegian　both　might　have　been　objects　of　curiosity；　and　of　use；　by　exciting　to　the　comparison　which　leads　to　improvement。　　But　whilst　I　gazed；　I　was　employed　in　restoring　the　place　to　nature；　or　taste；　by　giving　it　the　character　of　the　surrounding　scene。　　Serpentine　walks；　and　flowering…shrubs；　looked　trifling　in　a　grand　recess　of　the　rooks；　shaded　by　towering　pines。　　Groves　of　smaller　trees　might　have　been　sheltered　under　them；　which　would　have　melted　into　the　landscape；　displaying　only　the　art　which　ought　to　point　out　the　vicinity　of　a　human　abode；　furnished　with　some　elegance。　　But　few　people　have　sufficient　taste　to　discern；　that　the　art　of　embellishing　consists　in　interesting；　not　in　astonishing。

Christiania　is　certainly　very　pleasantly　situated；　and　the　environs　I　passed　through；　during　this　ride；　afforded　many　fine　and　cultivated　prospects；　but；　excepting　the　first　view　approaching　to　it；　rarely　present　any　combination　of　objects　so　strikingly　new；　or　picturesque；　as　to　command　remembrance。　　Adieu！



LETTER　XIV。



Christiania　is　a　clean；　neat　city；　but　it　has　none　of　the　graces　of　architecture；　which　ought　to　keep　pace　with　the　refining　manners　of　a　peopleor　the　outside　of　the　house　will　disgrace　the　inside；　giving　the　beholder　an　idea　of　overgrown　wealth　devoid　of　taste。　Large　square　wooden　houses　offend　the　eye；　displaying　more　than　Gothic　barbarism。　　Huge　Gothic　piles；　indeed；　exhibit　a　characteristic　sublimity；　and　a　wildness　of　fancy　peculiar　to　the　period　when　they　were　erected；　but　size；　without　grandeur　or　elegance；　has　an　emphatical　stamp　of　meanness；　of　poverty　of　conception；　which　only　a　commercial　spirit　could　give。

The　same　thought　has　struck　me；　when　I　have　entered　the　meeting…　house　of　my　respected　friend；　Dr。　Price。　　I　am　surprised　that　the　dissenters；　who　have　not　laid　aside　all　the　pomps　and　vanities　of　life；　should　imagine　a　noble　pillar；　or　arch；　unhallowed。　　Whilst　men　have　senses；　whatever　soothes　them　lends　wings　to　devotion；　else　why　do　the　beauties　of　nature；　where　all　that　charm　them　are　spread　around　with　a　lavish　hand；　force　even　the　sorrowing　heart　to　acknowledge　that　existence　is　a　blessing？　and　this　acknowledgment　is　the　most　sublime　homage　we　can　pay　to　the　Deity。

The　argument　of　convenience　is　absurd。　　Who　would　labour　for　wealth；　if　it　were　to　procure　nothing　but　conveniences。　　If　we　wish　to　render　mankind　moral　from　principle；　we　must；　I　am　persuaded；　give　a　greater　scope　to　the　enjoyments　of　the　senses　by　blending　taste　with　them。　　This　has　frequently　occurred　to　me　since　I　have　been　in　the　north；　and　observed　that　there　sanguine　characters　always　take　refuge　in　drunkenness　after　the　fire　of　youth　is　spent。

But　I　have　flown　from　Norway。　　To　go　back　to　the　wooden　houses；　farms　constructed　with　logs；　and　even　little　villages；　here　erected　in　the　same　simple　manner；　have　appeared　to　me　very　picturesque。　　In　the　more　remote　parts　I　had　been　particularly　pleased　with　many　cottages　situated　close　to　a　brook；　or　bordering　on　a　lake；　with　the　whole　farm　contiguous。　　As　the　family　increases；　a　little　more　land　is　cultivated；　thus　the　country　is　obviously　enriched　by　population。　Formerly　the　farmers　might　more　justly　have　been　termed　woodcutters。　But　now　they　find　it　necessary　to　spare　the　woods　a　little；　and　this　change　will　be　universally　beneficial；　for　whilst　they　lived　entirely　by　selling　the　trees　they　felled；　they　did　not　pay　sufficient　attention　to　husbandry；　consequently；　advanced　very　slowly　in　agricultural　knowledge。　　Necessity　will　in　future　more　and　more　spur　them　on；　for　the　ground；　cleared　of　wood；　must　be　cultivated；　or　the　farm　loses　its　value；　there　is　no　waiting　for　food　till　another　generation　of　pines　be　grown　to　maturity。

The　people　of　property　are　very　careful　of　their　timber；　and；　rambling　through　a　forest　near　Tonsberg；　belonging　to　the　Count；　I　have　stopped　to　admire　the　appearance　of　some　of　the　cottages　inhabited　by　a　woodman's　familya　man　employed　to　cut　down　the　wood　necessary　for　the　household　and　the　estate。　　A　little　lawn　was　cleared；　on　which　several　lofty　trees　were　left　which　nature　had　grouped；　whilst　the　encircling　firs　sported　with　wild　grace。　　The　dwelling　was　sheltered　by　the　forest；　noble　pines　spreading　their　branches　over　the　roof；　and　before　the　door　a　cow；　goat；　nag；　and　children；　seemed　equally　content　with　their　lot；　and　if　contentment　be　all　we　can　attain；　it　is；　perhaps；　best　secured　by　ignorance。

As　I　have　been　most　delighted　with　the　country　parts　of　Norway；　I　was　sorry　to　leave　Christiania　without　going　farther　to　the　north；　though　the　advancing　season　admonished　me　to　depart；　as　well　as　the　calls　of　business　and　affection。

June　and　July　are　the　months　to　make　a　tour　through　Norway；　for　then　the　evenings　and　nights　are　the　finest　I　have　ever　seen；　but　towards　the　middle　or　latter　end　of　August　the　clouds　begin　to　gather；　and　summer　disappears　almost　before　it　has　ripened　the　fruit　of　autumn　even；　as　it　were；　slips　from　your　embraces；　whilst　the　satisfied　senses　seem　to　rest　in　enjoyment。

You　will　ask；　perhaps；　why　I　wished　to　go　farther　northward。　　Why？　not　only　because　the　country；　from　all　I　can　gather；　is　most　romantic；　abounding　in　forests　and　lakes；　and　the　air　pure；　but　I　have　heard　much　of　the　intelligence　of　the　inhabitants；　substantial　farmers；　who　have　none　of　that　cunning　to　contaminate　their　simplicity；　which　displeased　me　so　much　in　the　conduct　of　the　people　on　the　sea　coast。　　A　man　who　has　been　detected　in　any　dishonest　act　can　no　longer　live　among　them。　　He　is　universally　shunned；　and　shame　becomes　the　severest　punishment。

Such　a　contempt　have　they；　in　fact；　for　every　species　of　fraud；　that　they　will　not　allow　the　people　on　the　western　coast　to　be　their　countrymen；　so　much　do　they　despise　the　arts　for　which　those　traders　who　live　on　the　rocks　are　notorious。

The　description　I　received　of　them　carried　me　back　to　the　fables　of　the　golden　age：　　independence　and　virtue；　affluence　without　vice；　cultivation　of　mind；　without　depravity　of　heart；　with　〃ever　smiling　Liberty；〃　the　nymph　of　the　mountain。　　I　want　faith！

My　imagination　hurries　me　forward　to　seek　an　asylum　in　such　a　retreat　from　all　the　disappointments　I　am　threatened　with；　but　reason　drags　me　back；　whispering　that　the　world　is　still　the　world；　and　man　the　same　compound　of　weakness　and　folly；　who　must　occasionally　excite　love　and　disgust；　admiration　and　contempt。　　But　this　description；　though　it　seems　to　have　been　sketched　by　a　fairy　pencil；　was　given　me　by　a　man　of　sound　understanding；　whose　fancy　seldom　appears　to　run　away　with　him。

A　law　in　Norway；　termed　the　odels　right；　has　lately　been　modified；　and　probably　will　be　abolished　as　an　impediment　to　commerce。　　The　heir　of　an　estate　had　the　power　of　re…purchasing　it　at　the　original　purchase　money；　making　allowance　for　such　improvements　as　were　absolutely　necessary；　during　the　space　of　twenty　years。　　At　present　ten　is　the　term　allowed　for　afterthought；　and　when　the　regulation　was　made；　all　the　men　of　abilities　were　invited　to　give　their　opinion　whether　it　were　better　to　abrogate　or　modify　it。　　It　is　certainly　a　convenient　and　safe　way　of　mortgaging　land；　yet　the　most　rational　men　whom　I　conversed　with　on　the　subject　seemed　convinced　that　the　right　was　more　injurious　than　beneficial　to　society；　still　if　it　contribute　to　keep　the　farms　in　the　farmers'　own　hands；　I　should　be　sorry　to　hear　that　it　were　abolished。

The　aristocracy　in　Norway；　if　we　keep　clear　of　Christiania；　is　far　from　being　formidable；　and　it　will　require　a　long　the　to　enable　the　merchants　to　attain　a　sufficient　moneyed　interest　to　induce　them　to　reinforce　the　upper　class　at　the　expense　of　the　yeomanry；　with　whom　they　are　usually　connected。

England　and　America　owe　their　liberty　to　commerce；　which　created　new　species　of　power　to　undermine　the　feudal　system。　　But　let　them　beware　of　the　consequence；　the　tyranny　of　wealth　is　still　more　galling　and　debasing　than　that　of　rank。

Farewell！　　I　must　prepare　for　my　departure。



LETTER　XV。



I　left　Christiania　yesterday。　　The　weather　was　not　very　fine；　and　having　been　a　little　delayed　on　the　road；　I　found　that　it　was　too　late　to　go　round；　a　couple　of　miles；　to　see　the　cascade　near　Fredericstadt；　which　I　had　determined　to　visit。　　Besides；　as　Fredericstadt　is　a　fortress；　it　was　necessary　to　arrive　there　before　they　shut　the　gate。

The　road　along　the　river　is　very　romantic；　though　the　views　are　not　grand；　and　the　riches　of　Norway；　its　timber；　floats　silently　down　the　stream；　often　impeded　in　its　course　by　islands　and　little　cataracts；　the　offspring；　as　it　were；　of　the　great　one　I　had　frequently　heard　described。

I　found　an　excellent　inn　at　Fredericstadt；　and　was　gratified　by　the　kind　attention　of　the　hostess；　who；　perceiving　that　my　clothes　were　wet；　took　great　pains　procure　me；　as　a　stranger；　every　comfort　for　the　ni