letters on sweden, norway, and denmark-第21部分

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vinced　me　that　it　was　but　too　true。　　The　boisterous　merriment　that　almost　every　instant　produced　a　quarrel；　or　made　me　dread　one；　with　the　clouds　of　tobacco；　and　fumes　of　brandy；　gave　an　infernal　appearance　to　the　scene。　　There　was　everything　to　drive　me　back；　nothing　to　excite　sympathy　in　a　rude　tumult　of　the　senses；　which　I　foresaw　would　end　in　a　gross　debauch。　　What　was　to　be　done？　　No　bed　was　to　be　had；　or　even　a　quiet　corner　to　retire　to　for　a　moment；　all　was　lost　in　noise；　riot；　and　confusion。

After　some　debating　they　promised　me　horses；　which　were　to　go　on　to　Uddervalla；　two　stages。　　I　requested　something　to　eat　first；　not　having　dined；　and　the　hostess；　whom　I　have　mentioned　to　you　before　as　knowing　how　to　take　care　of　herself；　brought　me　a　plate　of　fish；　for　which　she　charged　a　rix…dollar　and　a　half。　　This　was　making　hay　whilst　the　sun　shone。　　I　was　glad　to　get　out　of　the　uproar；　though　not　disposed　to　travel　in　an　incommodious　open　carriage　all　night；　had　I　thought　that　there　was　any　chance　of　getting　horses。

Quitting　Quistram　I　met　a　number　of　joyous　groups；　and　though　the　evening　was　fresh　many　were　stretched　on　the　grass　like　weary　cattle；　and　drunken　men　had　fallen　by　the　road…side。　　On　a　rock；　under　the　shade　of　lofty　trees；　a　large　party　of　men　and　women　had　lighted　a　fire；　cutting　down　fuel　around　to　keep　it　alive　all　night。　They　were　drinking；　smoking；　and　laughing　with　all　their　might　and　main。　　I　felt　for　the　trees　whose　torn　branches　strewed　the　ground。　Hapless　nymphs！　your　haunts；　I　fear；　were　polluted　by　many　an　unhallowed　flame；　the　casual　burst　of　the　moment！

The　horses　went　on　very　well；　but　when　we　drew　near　the　post…house　the　postillion　stopped　short　and　neither　threats　nor　promises　could　prevail　on　him　to　go　forward。　　He　even　began　to　howl　and　weep　when　I　insisted　on　his　keeping　his　word。　　Nothing；　indeed；　can　equal　the　stupid　obstinacy　of　some　of　these　half…alive　beings；　who　seem　to　have　been　made　by　Prometheus　when　the　fire　he　stole　from　Heaven　was　so　exhausted　that　he　could　only　spare　a　spark　to　give　life；　not　animation；　to　the　inert　clay。

It　was　some　time　before　we　could　rouse　anybody；　and；　as　I　expected；　horses；　we　were　told；　could　not　be　had　in　less　than　four　or　five　hours。　　I　again　attempted　to　bribe　the　churlish　brute　who　brought　us　there；　but　I　discovered　that；　in　spite　of　the　courteous　hostess's　promises；　he　had　received　orders　not　to　go　any　father。

As　there　was　no　remedy　I　entered；　and　was　almost　driven　back　by　the　stencha　softer　phrase　would　not　have　conveyed　an　idea　of　the　hot　vapour　that　issued　from　an　apartment　in　which　some　eight　or　ten　people　were　sleeping；　not　to　reckon　the　cats　and　dogs　stretched　on　the　floor。　　Two　or　three　of　the　men　or　women　were　on　the　benches；　others　on　old　chests；　and　one　figure　started　half　out　of　a　trunk　to　look　at　me；　whom　might　have　taken　for　a　ghost；　had　the　chemise　been　white；　to　contrast　with　the　sallow　visage。　　But　the　costume　of　apparitions　not　being　preserved　I　passed；　nothing　dreading；　excepting　the　effluvia；　warily　amongst　the　pots；　pans；　milk…pails；　and　washing…tubs。　　After　scaling　a　ruinous　staircase　I　was　shown　a　bed…chamber。　　The　bed　did　not　invite　me　to　enter；　opening；　therefore；　the　window；　and　taking　some　clean　towels　out　of　my　night…　sack；　I　spread　them　over　the　coverlid；　on　which　tired　Nature　found　repose；　in　spite　of　the　previous　disgust。

With　the　grey　of　the　morn　the　birds　awoke　me；　and　descending　to　inquire　for　the　horses；　I　hastened　through　the　apartment　I　have　already　described；　not　wishing　to　associate　the　idea　of　a　pigstye　with　that　of　a　human　dwelling。

I　do　not　now　wonder　that　the　girls　lose　their　fine　complexions　at　such　an　early　age；　or　that　love　here　is　merely　an　appetite　to　fulfil　the　main　design　of　Nature；　never　enlivened　by　either　affection　or　sentiment。

For　a　few　posts　we　found　the　horses　waiting；　but　afterwards　I　was　retarded；　as　before；　by　the　peasants；　who；　taking　advantage　of　my　ignorance　of　the　language；　made　me　pay　for　the　fourth　horse　that　ought　to　have　gone　forward　to　have　the　others　in　readiness；　though　it　had　never　been　sent。　　I　was　particularly　impatient　at　the　last　post；　as　I　longed　to　assure　myself　that　my　child　was　well。

My　impatience；　however；　did　not　prevent　my　enjoying　the　journey。　　I　had　six　weeks　before　passed　over　the　same　ground；　still　it　had　sufficient　novelty　to　attract　my　attention；　and　beguile；　if　not　banish；　the　sorrow　that　had　taken　up　its　abode　in　my　heart。　　How　interesting　are　the　varied　beauties　of　Nature；　and　what　peculiar　charms　characterise　each　season！　　The　purple　hue　which　the　heath　now　assumed　gave　it　a　degree　of　richness　that　almost　exceeded　the　lustre　of　the　young　green　of　spring；　and　harmonised　exquisitely　with　the　rays　of　the　ripening　corn。　　The　weather　was　uninterruptedly　fine；　and　the　people　busy　in　the　fields　cutting　down　the　corn；　or　binding　up　the　sheaves；　continually　varied　the　prospect。　　The　rocks；　it　is　true；　were　unusually　rugged　and　dreary；　yet　as　the　road　runs　for　a　considerable　way　by　the　side　of　a　fine　river；　with　extended　pastures　on　the　other　side；　the　image　of　sterility　was　not　the　predominant　object；　though　the　cottages　looked　still　more　miserable；　after　having　seen　the　Norwegian　farms。　　The　trees　likewise　appeared　of　me　growth　of　yesterday；　compared　with　those　Nestors　of　the　forest　I　have　frequently　mentioned。　　The　women　and　children　were　cutting　off　branches　from　the　beech；　birch；　oak；　&c；　and　leaving　them　to　dry。　This　way　of　helping　out　their　fodder　injures　the　trees。　　But　the　winters　are　so　long　that　the　poor　cannot　afford　to　lay　in　a　sufficient　stock　of　hay。　　By　such　means　they　just　keep　life　in　the　poor　cows；　for　little　milk　can　be　expected　when　they　are　so　miserably　fed。

It　was　Saturday；　and　the　evening　was　uncommonly　serene。　　In　the　villages　I　everywhere　saw　preparations　for　Sunday；　and　I　passed　by　a　little　car　loaded　with　rye；　that　presented；　for　the　pencil　and　heart；　the　sweetest　picture　of　a　harvest　home　I　had　ever　beheld。　　A　little　girl　was　mounted　a…straddle　on　a　shaggy　horse；　brandishing　a　stick　over　its　head；　the　father　was　walking　at　the　side　of　the　car　with　a　child　in　his　arms；　who　must　have　come　to　meet　him　with　tottering　steps；　the　little　creature　was　stretching　out　its　arms　to　cling　round　his　neck；　and　a　boy；　just　above　petticoats；　was　labouring　hard　with　a　fork　behind　to　keep　the　sheaves　from　falling。

My　eyes　followed　them　to　the　cottage；　and　an　involuntary　sigh　whispered　to　my　heart　that　I　envied　the　mother；　much　as　I　dislike　cooking；　who　was　preparing　their　pottage。　　I　was　returning　to　my　babe；　who　may　never　experience　a　father's　care　or　tenderness。　　The　bosom　that　nurtured　her　heaved　with　a　pang　at　the　thought　which　only　an　unhappy　mother　could　feel。

Adieu！



LETTER　XVII。



I　was　unwilling　to　leave　Gothenburg　without　visiting　Trolhaettae。　　I　wished　not　only　to　see　the　cascade；　but　to　observe　the　progress　of　the　stupendous　attempt　to　form　a　canal　through　the　rocks；　to　the　extent　of　an　English　mile　and　a　half。

This　work　is　carried　on　by　a　company；　who　employ　daily　nine　hundred　men；　five　years　was　the　time　mentioned　in　the　proposals　addressed　to　the　public　as　necessary　for　the　completion。　　A　much　more　considerable　sum　than　the　plan　requires　has　been　subscribed；　for　which　there　is　every　reason　to　suppose　the　promoters　will　receive　ample　interest。

The　Danes　survey　the　progress　of　this　work　with　a　jealous　eye；　as　it　is　principally　undertaken　to　get　clear　of　the　Sound　duty。

Arrived　at　Trolhaettae；　I　must　own　that　the　first　view　of　the　cascade　disappointed　me；　and　the　sight　of　the　works；　as　they　advanced；　though　a　grand　proof　of　human　industry；　was　not　calculated　to　warm　the　fancy。　　I；　however；　wandered　about；　and　at　last　coming　to　the　conflux　of　the　various　cataracts　rushing　from　different　falls；　struggling　with　the　huge　masses　of　rock；　and　rebounding　from　the　profound　cavities；　I　immediately　retracted；　acknowledging　that　it　was　indeed　a　grand　object。　　A　little　island　stood　in　the　midst；　covered　with　firs；　which；　by　dividing　the　torrent；　rendered　it　more　picturesque；　one　half　appearing　to　issue　from　a　dark　cavern；　that　fancy　might　easily　imagine　a　vast　fountain　throwing　up　its　waters　from　the　very　centre　of　the　earth。

I　gazed　I　know　not　how　long；　stunned　with　the　noise；　and　growing　giddy　with　only　looking　at　the　never…ceasing　tumultuous　motion；　I　listened；　scarcely　conscious　where　I　was；　when　I　observed　a　boy；　half　obscured　by　the　sparkling　foam；　fishing　under　the　impending　rock　on　the　other　side。　　How　he　had　descended　I　could　not　perceive；　nothing　like　human　footsteps　appeared；　and　the　horrific　crags　seemed　to　bid　defiance　even　to　the　goat's　activity。　　It　looked　like　an　abode　only　fit　for　the　eagle；　though　in　its　crevices　some　pines　darted　up　their　spiral　heads；　but　they　only　grew　near　the　cascade；　everywhere　else　sterility　itself　reigned　with　dreary　grandeur；　for　the　huge　grey　massy　rocks；　which　probably　had　been　torn　asunder　by　some　dreadful　convulsion　of　nature；　had　not　even　their　first　covering　of　a　little　cleaving　moss。　　There　were　so　many　appearances　to　excite　the　idea　of　chaos；　that；　instead　of　admiring　the　canal　and　the　works；　great　as　they　are　termed；　and　little　as　they　appear；　I　could　not　help　regretting　that　such　a　noble　scene　had　not　been　left　in　all　its　solitary　sublimity。　　Amidst　the　awful　roaring　of　the　impetuous　torrents；　the　noise　of　human　instruments　and　the　bustle　of　workmen；　even　the　blowing　up　of　the　rocks　when　grand　masses　trembled　in　the　darkened　air；　only　resembled　the　insignificant　sport　of　children。

One　fall　of　water；　partly　made　by　art；　when　they　were　attempting　to　construct　sluices；　had　an　uncommonly　grand　effect；　the　water　precipitated　itself　with　immense　velocity　down　a　perpendicular；　at　least　fifty　or　sixty　yards；　into　a　gulf；　so　concealed　by　the　foam　as　to　give　full　play　to　the　fancy。　　There　was　a　continual　uproar。　　I　stood　on　a　rock　to　observe　it；　a　kind　of　bridge　formed　by　nature；　nearly　on　a　level　with　the　commencement　of　the　fall。　　After　musing　by　it　a　long　time　I　turned　towards　the　other　side；　and　saw　a　gentle　stream　stray　calmly　out。　　I　should　have　concluded　that　it　had　no　communication　with　the　torrent　had　I　not　seen　a　huge　log　that　fell　headlong　down　the　cascade　stea