letters on sweden, norway, and denmark-第26部分

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One　of　the　best　streets　in　Copenhagen　is　almost　filled　with　hospitals；　erected　by　the　Government；　and；　I　am　assured；　as　well　regulated　as　institutions　of　this　kind　are　in　any　country；　but　whether　hospitals　or　workhouses　are　anywhere　superintended　with　sufficient　humanity　I　have　frequently　had　reason　to　doubt。

The　autumn　is　so　uncommonly　fine　that　I　am　unwilling　to　put　off　my　journey　to　Hamburg　much　longer；　lest　the　weather　should　alter　suddenly；　and　the　chilly　harbingers　of　winter　catch　me　here；　where　I　have　nothing　now　to　detain　me　but　the　hospitality　of　the　families　to　whom　I　had　recommendatory　letters。　　I　lodged　at　an　hotel　situated　in　a　large　open　square；　where　the　troops　exercise　and　the　market　is　kept。　　My　apartments　were　very　good；　and　on　account　of　the　fire　I　was　told　that　I　should　be　charged　very　high；　yet；　paying　my　bill　just　now；　I　find　the　demands　much　lower　in　proportion　than　in　Norway；　though　my　dinners　were　in　every　respect　better。

I　have　remained　more　at　home　since　I　arrived　at　Copenhagen　than　I　ought　to　have　done　in　a　strange　place；　but　the　mind　is　not　always　equally　active　in　search　of　information；　and　my　oppressed　heart　too　often　sighs　out　…


〃How　dull；　flat；　and　unprofitable　Are　to　me　all　the　usages　of　this　world：　That　it　should　come　to　this！〃


Farewell！　　Fare　thee　well；　I　say；　if　thou　canst；　repeat　the　adieu　in　a　different　tone。



LETTER　XXII。



I　arrived　at　Corsoer　the　night　after　I　quitted　Copenhagen；　purposing　to　take　my　passage　across　the　Great　Belt　the　next　morning；　though　the　weather　was　rather　boisterous。　　It　is　about　four…and…twenty　miles　but　as　both　I　and　my　little　girl　are　never　attacked　by　sea…　sicknessthough　who　can　avoid　ennui？I　enter　a　boat　with　the　same　indifference　as　I　change　horses；　and　as　for　danger；　come　when　it　may；　I　dread　it　not　sufficiently　to　have　any　anticipating　fears。

The　road　from　Copenhagen　was　very　good；　through　an　open；　flat　country　that　had　little　to　recommend　it　to　notice　excepting　the　cultivation；　which　gratified　my　heart　more　than　my　eye。

I　took　a　barge　with　a　German　baron　who　was　hastening　back　from　a　tour　into　Denmark；　alarmed　by　the　intelligence　of　the　French　having　passed　the　Rhine。　　His　conversation　beguiled　the　time；　and　gave　a　sort　of　stimulus　to　my　spirits；　which　had　been　growing　more　and　more　languid　ever　since　my　return　to　Gothenburg；　you　know　why。　　I　had　often　endeavoured　to　rouse　myself　to　observation　by　reflecting　that　I　was　passing　through　scenes　which　I　should　probably　never　see　again；　and　consequently　ought　not　to　omit　observing。　　Still　I　fell　into　reveries；　thinking；　by　way　of　excuse；　that　enlargement　of　mind　and　refined　feelings　are　of　little　use　but　to　barb　the　arrows　of　sorrow　which　waylay　us　everywhere；　eluding　the　sagacity　of　wisdom　and　rendering　principles　unavailing；　if　considered　as　a　breastwork　to　secure　our　own　hearts。

Though　we　had　not　a　direct　wind；　we　were　not　detained　more　than　three　hours　and　a　half　on　the　water；　just　long　enough　to　give　us　an　appetite　for　our　dinner。

We　travelled　the　remainder　of　the　day　and　the　following　night　in　company　with　the　same　party；　the　German　gentleman　whom　I　have　mentioned；　his　friend；　and　servant。　　The　meetings　at　the　post…houses　were　pleasant　to　me；　who　usually　heard　nothing　but　strange　tongues　around　me。　　Marguerite　and　the　child　often　fell　asleep；　and　when　they　were　awake　I　might　still　reckon　myself　alone；　as　our　train　of　thoughts　had　nothing　in　common。　　Marguerite；　it　is　true；　was　much　amused　by　the　costume　of　the　women；　particularly　by　the　pannier　which　adorned　both　their　heads　and　tails；　and　with　great　glee　recounted　to　me　the　stories　she　had　treasured　up　for　her　family　when　once　more　within　the　barriers　of　dear　Paris；　not　forgetting；　with　that　arch；　agreeable　vanity　peculiar　to　the　French；　which　they　exhibit　whilst　half　ridiculing　it；　to　remind　me　of　the　importance　she　should　assume　when　she　informed　her　friends　of　all　her　journeys　by　sea　and　land；　showing　the　pieces　of　money　she　had　collected；　and　stammering　out　a　few　foreign　phrases；　which　she　repeated　in　a　true　Parisian　accent。　　Happy　thoughtlessness！　ay；　and　enviable　harmless　vanity；　which　thus　produced　a　gaite　du　coeur　worth　all　my　philosophy！

The　man　I　had　hired　at　Copenhagen　advised　me　to　go　round　about　twenty　miles　to　avoid　passing　the　Little　Belt　excepting　by　a　ferry；　as　the　wind　was　contrary。　　But　the　gentlemen　overruled　his　arguments；　which　we　were　all　very　sorry　for　afterwards；　when　we　found　ourselves　becalmed　on　the　Little　Belt　ten　hours；　tacking　about　without　ceasing；　to　gain　the　shore。

An　oversight　likewise　made　the　passage　appear　much　more　tedious；　nay；　almost　insupportable。　　When　I　went　on　board　at　the　Great　Belt；　I　had　provided　refreshments　in　case　of　detention；　which　remaining　untouched　I　thought　not　then　any　such　precaution　necessary　for　the　second　passage；　misled　by　the　epithet　of　〃little；〃　though　I　have　since　been　informed　that　it　is　frequently　the　longest。　　This　mistake　occasioned　much　vexation；　for　the　child；　at　last；　began　to　cry　so　bitterly　for　bread；　that　fancy　conjured　up　before　me　the　wretched　Ugolino；　with　his　famished　children；　and　I；　literally　speaking；　enveloped　myself　in　sympathetic　horrors；　augmented　by　every　fear　my　babe　shed；　from　which　I　could　not　escape　till　we　landed；　and　a　luncheon　of　bread　and　basin　of　milk　routed　the　spectres　of　fancy。

I　then　supped　with　my　companions；　with　whom　I　was　soon　after　to　part　for　everalways　a　most　melancholy　death…like　ideaa　sort　of　separation　of　soul；　for　all　the　regret　which　follows　those　from　whom　fate　separates　us　seems　to　be　something　torn　from　ourselves。　　These　were　strangers　I　remember；　yet　when　there　is　any　originality　in　a　countenance；　it　takes　its　place　in　our　memory；　and　we　are　sorry　to　lose　an　acquaintance　the　moment　he　begins　to　interest　us；　through　picked　up　on　the　highway。　　There　was；　in　fact；　a　degree　of　intelligence；　and　still　more　sensibility；　in　the　features　and　conversation　of　one　of　the　gentlemen；　that　made　me　regret　the　loss　of　his　society　during　the　rest　of　the　journey；　for　he　was　compelled　to　travel　post；　by　his　desire　to　reach　his　estate　before　the　arrival　of　the　French。

This　was　a　comfortable　inn；　as　were　several　others　I　stopped　at；　but　the　heavy　sandy　roads　were　very　fatiguing；　after　the　fine　ones　we　had　lately　skimmed　over　both　in　Sweden　and　Denmark。　　The　country　resembled　the　most　open　part　of　Englandlaid　out　for　corn　rather　than　grazing。　　It　was　pleasant；　yet　there　was　little　in　the　prospects　to　awaken　curiosity；　by　displaying　the　peculiar　characteristics　of　a　new　country；　which　had　so　frequently　stole　me　from　myself　in　Norway。　　We　often　passed　over　large　unenclosed　tracts；　not　graced　with　trees；　or　at　least　very　sparingly　enlivened　by　them；　and　the　half…formed　roads　seemed　to　demand　the　landmarks；　set　up　in　the　waste；　to　prevent　the　traveller　from　straying　far　out　of　his　way；　and　plodding　through　the　wearisome　sand。

The　heaths　were　dreary；　and　had　none　of　the　wild　charms　of　those　of　Sweden　and　Norway　to　cheat　time；　neither　the　terrific　rocks；　nor　smiling　herbage　grateful　to　the　sight　and　scented　from　afar；　made　us　forget　their　length。　　Still　the　country　appeared　much　more　populous；　and　the　towns；　if　not　the　farmhouses；　were　superior　to　those　of　Norway。　　I　even　thought　that　the　inhabitants　of　the　former　had　more　intelligenceat　least；　I　am　sure　they　had　more　vivacity　in　their　countenances　than　I　had　seen　during　my　northern　tour：　　their　senses　seemed　awake　to　business　and　pleasure。　　I　was　therefore　gratified　by　hearing　once　more　the　busy　hum　of　industrious　men　in　the　day；　and　the　exhilarating　sounds　of　joy　in　the　evening；　for；　as　the　weather　was　still　fine；　the　women　and　children　were　amusing　themselves　at　their　doors；　or　walking　under　the　trees；　which　in　many　places　were　planted　in　the　streets；　and　as　most　of　the　towns　of　any　note　were　situated　on　little　bays　or　branches　of　the　Baltic；　their　appearance　as　we　approached　was　often　very　picturesque；　and；　when　we　entered；　displayed　the　comfort　and　cleanliness　of　easy；　if　not　the　elegance　of　opulent；　circumstances。　　But　the　cheerfulness　of　the　people　in　the　streets　was　particularly　grateful　to　me；　after　having　been　depressed　by　the　deathlike　silence　of　those　of　Denmark；　where　every　house　made　me　think　of　a　tomb。　　The　dress　of　the　peasantry　is　suited　to　the　climate；　in　short；　none　of　that　poverty　and　dirt　appeared；　at　the　sight　of　which　the　heart　sickens。

As　I　only　stopped　to　change　horses；　take　refreshment；　and　sleep；　I　had　not　an　opportunity　of　knowing　more　of　the　country　than　conclusions　which　the　information　gathered　by　my　eyes　enabled　me　to　draw；　and　that　was　sufficient　to　convince　me　that　I　should　much　rather　have　lived　in　some　of　the　towns　I　now　pass　through　than　in　any　I　had　seen　in　Sweden　or　Denmark。　　The　people　struck　me　as　having　arrived　at　that　period　when　the　faculties　will　unfold　themselves；　in　short；　they　look　alive　to　improvement；　neither　congealed　by　indolence；　nor　bent　down　by　wretchedness　to　servility。

From　the　previous　impressionI　scarcely　can　trace　whence　I　received　itI　was　agreeably　surprised　to　perceive　such　an　appearance　of　comfort　in　this　part　of　Germany。　　I　had　formed　a　conception　of　the　tyranny　of　the　petty　potentates　that　had　thrown　a　gloomy　veil　over　the　face　of　the　whole　country　in　my　imagination；　that　cleared　away　like　the　darkness　of　night　before　the　sun　as　I　saw　the　reality。　　I　should　probably　have　discovered　much　lurking　misery；　the　consequence　of　ignorant　oppression；　no　doubt；　had　I　had　time　to　inquire　into　particulars；　but　it　did　not　stalk　abroad　and　infect　the　surface　over　which　my　eye　glanced。　　Yes；　I　am　persuaded　that　a　considerable　degree　of　general　knowledge　pervades　this　country；　for　it　is　only　from　the　exercise　of　the　mind　that　the　body　acquires　the　activity　from　which　I　drew　these　inferences。　　Indeed；　the　King　of　Denmark's　German　dominionsHolsteinappeared　to　me　far　superior　to　any　other　part　of　his　kingdom　which　had　fallen　under　my　view；　and　the　robust　rustics　to　have　their　muscles　braced；　instead　of　the；　as　it　were；　lounge　of　the　Danish　peasantry。

Arriving　at　Sleswick；　the　residence　of　Prince　Charles　of　Hesse…　Cassel；　the　sight　of　the　soldiers　recalled　all　the　unpleasing　ideas　of　German　despotism；　which　imperceptibly　va