letters on sweden, norway, and denmark-第6部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


nding　artist　has　improved　the　labourers；　whose　unskilfulness　tormented　him；　by　obliging　them　to　submit　to　the　discipline　of　rules。　　Adieu！

Yours　affectionately。



LETTER　IV。



The　severity　of　the　long　Swedish　winter　tends　to　render　the　people　sluggish；　for　though　this　season　has　its　peculiar　pleasures；　too　much　time　is　employed　to　guard　against　its　inclemency。　　Still　as　warm　clothing　is　absolutely　necessary；　the　women　spin　and　the　men　weave；　and　by　these　exertions　get　a　fence　to　keep　out　the　cold。　　I　have　rarely　passed　a　knot　of　cottages　without　seeing　cloth　laid　out　to　bleach；　and　when　I　entered；　always　found　the　women　spinning　or　knitting。

A　mistaken　tenderness；　however；　for　their　children；　makes　them　even　in　summer　load　them　with　flannels；　and　having　a　sort　of　natural　antipathy　to　cold　water；　the　squalid　appearance　of　the　poor　babes；　not　to　speak　of　the　noxious　smell　which　flannel　and　rugs　retain；　seems　a　reply　to　a　question　I　had　often　askedWhy　I　did　not　see　more　children　in　the　villages　I　passed　through？　　Indeed　the　children　appear　to　be　nipt　in　the　bud；　having　neither　the　graces　nor　charms　of　their　age。　　And　this；　I　am　persuaded；　is　much　more　owing　to　the　ignorance　of　the　mothers　than　to　the　rudeness　of　the　climate。　Rendered　feeble　by　the　continual　perspiration　they　are　kept　in；　whilst　every　pore　is　absorbing　unwholesome　moisture；　they　give　them；　even　at　the　breast；　brandy；　salt　fish；　and　every　other　crude　substance　which　air　and　exercise　enables　the　parent　to　digest。

The　women　of　fortune　here；　as　well　as　everywhere　else；　have　nurses　to　suckle　their　children；　and　the　total　want　of　chastity　in　the　lower　class　of　women　frequently　renders　them　very　unfit　for　the　trust。

You　have　sometimes　remarked　to　me　the　difference　of　the　manners　of　the　country　girls　in　England　and　in　America；　attributing　the　reserve　of　the　former　to　the　climateto　the　absence　of　genial　suns。　　But　it　must　be　their　stars；　not　the　zephyrs；　gently　stealing　on　their　senses；　which　here　lead　frail　women　astray。　　Who　can　look　at　these　rocks；　and　allow　the　voluptuousness　of　nature　to　be　an　excuse　for　gratifying　the　desires　it　inspires？　　We　must　therefore；　find　some　other　cause　beside　voluptuousness；　I　believe；　to　account　for　the　conduct　of　the　Swedish　and　American　country　girls；　for　I　am　led　to　conclude；　from　all　the　observations　I　have　made；　that　there　is　always　a　mixture　of　sentiment　and　imagination　in　voluptuousness；　to　which　neither　of　them　have　much　pretension。

The　country　girls　of　Ireland　and　Wales　equally　feel　the　first　impulse　of　nature；　which；　restrained　in　England　by　fear　or　delicacy；　proves　that　society　is　there　in　a　more　advanced　state。　　Besides；　as　the　mind　is　cultivated；　and　taste　gains　ground；　the　passions　become　stronger；　and　rest　on　something　more　stable　than　the　casual　sympathies　of　the　moment。　　Health　and　idleness　will　always　account　for　promiscuous　amours；　and　in　some　degree　I　term　every　person　idle；　the　exercise　of　whose　mind　does　not　bear　some　proportion　to　that　of　the　body。

The　Swedish　ladies　exercise　neither　sufficiently；　of　course；　grow　very　fat　at　an　early　age；　and　when　they　have　not　this　downy　appearance；　a　comfortable　idea；　you　will　say；　in　a　cold　climate；　they　are　not　remarkable　for　fine　forms。　　They　have；　however；　mostly　fine　complexions；　but　indolence　makes　the　lily　soon　displace　the　rose。　　The　quantity　of　coffee；　spices；　and　other　things　of　that　kind；　with　want　of　care；　almost　universally　spoil　their　teeth；　which　contrast　but　ill　with　their　ruby　lips。

The　manners　of　Stockholm　are　refined；　I　hear；　by　the　introduction　of　gallantry；　but　in　the　country；　romping　and　coarse　freedoms；　with　coarser　allusions；　keep　the　spirits　awake。　　In　the　article　of　cleanliness；　the　women　of　all　descriptions　seem　very　deficient；　and　their　dress　shows　that　vanity　is　more　inherent　in　women　than　taste。

The　men　appear　to　have　paid　still　less　court　to　the　graces。　　They　are　a　robust；　healthy　race；　distinguished　for　their　common　sense　and　turn　for　humour；　rather　than　for　wit　or　sentiment。　　I　include　not；　as　you　may　suppose；　in　this　general　character；　some　of　the　nobility　and　officers；　who　having　travelled；　are　polite　and　well　informed。

I　must　own　to　you　that　the　lower　class　of　people　here　amuse　and　interest　me　much　more　than　the　middling；　with　their　apish　good　breeding　and　prejudices。　　The　sympathy　and　frankness　of　heart　conspicuous　in　the　peasantry　produces　even　a　simple　gracefulness　of　deportment　which　has　frequently　struck　me　as　very　picturesque；　I　have　often　also　been　touched　by　their　extreme　desire　to　oblige　me；　when　I　could　not　explain　my　wants；　and　by　their　earnest　manner　of　expressing　that　desire。　　There　is　such　a　charm　in　tenderness！　　It　is　so　delightful　to　love　our　fellow…creatures；　and　meet　the　honest　affections　as　they　break　forth。　　Still；　my　good　friend；　I　begin　to　think　that　I　should　not　like　to　live　continually　in　the　country　with　people　whose　minds　have　such　a　narrow　range。　　My　heart　would　frequently　be　interested；　but　my　mind　would　languish　for　more　companionable　society。

The　beauties　of　nature　appear　to　me　now　even　more　alluring　than　in　my　youth；　because　my　intercourse　with　the　world　has　formed　without　vitiating　my　taste。　　But；　with　respect　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　country；　my　fancy　has　probably；　when　disgusted　with　artificial　manners；　solaced　itself　by　joining　the　advantages　of　cultivation　with　the　interesting　sincerity　of　innocence；　forgetting　the　lassitude　that　ignorance　will　naturally　produce。　　I　like　to　see　animals　sporting；　and　sympathise　in　their　pains　and　pleasures。　Still　I　love　sometimes　to　view　the　human　face　divine；　and　trace　the　soul；　as　well　as　the　heart；　in　its　varying　lineaments。

A　journey　to　the　country；　which　I　must　shortly　make；　will　enable　me　to　extend　my　remarks。Adieu！



LETTER　V。



Had　I　determined　to　travel　in　Sweden　merely　for　pleasure；　I　should　probably　have　chosen　the　road　to　Stockholm；　though　convinced；　by　repeated　observation；　that　the　manners　of　a　people　are　best　discriminated　in　the　country。　　The　inhabitants　of　the　capital　are　all　of　the　same　genus；　for　the　varieties　in　the　species　we　must；　therefore；　search　where　the　habitations　of　men　are　so　separated　as　to　allow　the　difference　of　climate　to　have　its　natural　effect。　　And　with　this　difference　we　are；　perhaps；　most　forcibly　struck　at　the　first　view；　just　as　we　form　an　estimate　of　the　leading　traits　of　a　character　at　the　first　glance；　of　which　intimacy　afterwards　makes　us　almost　lose　sight。

As　my　affairs　called　me　to　Stromstad　（the　frontier　town　of　Sweden）　in　my　way　to　Norway；　I　was　to　pass　over；　I　heard；　the　most　uncultivated　part　of　the　country。　　Still　I　believe　that　the　grand　features　of　Sweden　are　the　same　everywhere；　and　it　is　only　the　grand　features　that　admit　of　description。　　There　is　an　individuality　in　every　prospect；　which　remains　in　the　memory　as　forcibly　depicted　as　the　particular　features　that　have　arrested　our　attention；　yet　we　cannot　find　words　to　discriminate　that　individuality　so　as　to　enable　a　stranger　to　say；　this　is　the　face；　that　the　view。　　We　may　amuse　by　setting　the　imagination　to　work；　but　we　cannot　store　the　memory　with　a　fact。

As　I　wish　to　give　you　a　general　idea　of　this　country；　I　shall　continue　in　my　desultory　manner　to　make　such　observations　and　reflections　as　the　circumstances　draw　forth；　without　losing　time；　by　endeavouring　to　arrange　them。

Travelling　in　Sweden　is　very　cheap；　and　even　commodious；　if　you　make　but　the　proper　arrangements。　　Here；　as　in　other　parts　of　the　Continent；　it　is　necessary　to　have　your　own　carriage；　and　to　have　a　servant　who　can　speak　the　language；　if　you　are　unacquainted　with　it。　Sometimes　a　servant　who　can　drive　would　be　found　very　useful；　which　was　our　case；　for　I　travelled　in　company　with　two　gentlemen；　one　of　whom　had　a　German　servant　who　drove　very　well。　　This　was　all　the　party；　for　not　intending　to　make　a　long　stay；　I　left　my　little　girl　behind　me。

As　the　roads　are　not　much　frequented；　to　avoid　waiting　three　or　four　hours　for　horses；　we　sent；　as　is　the　constant　custom；　an　avant　courier　the　night　before；　to　order　them　at　every　post；　and　we　constantly　found　them　ready。　　Our　first　set　I　jokingly　termed　requisition　horses；　but　afterwards　we　had　almost　always　little　spirited　animals　that　went　on　at　a　round　pace。

The　roads；　making　allowance　for　the　ups　and　downs；　are　uncommonly　good　and　pleasant。　　The　expense；　including　the　postillions　and　other　incidental　things；　does　not　amount　to　more　than　a　shilling　the　Swedish　mile。

The　inns　are　tolerable；　but　not　liking　the　rye　bread；　I　found　it　necessary　to　furnish　myself　with　some　wheaten　before　I　set　out。　　The　beds；　too；　were　particularly　disagreeable　to　me。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　I　was　sinking　into　a　grave　when　I　entered　them；　for；　immersed　in　down　placed　in　a　sort　of　box；　I　expected　to　be　suffocated　before　morning。　　The　sleeping　between　two　down　bedsthey　do　so　even　in　summermust　be　very　unwholesome　during　any　season；　and　I　cannot　conceive　how　the　people　can　bear　it；　especially　as　the　summers　are　very　warm。　　But　warmth　they　seem　not　to　feel；　and；　I　should　think；　were　afraid　of　the　air；　by　always　keeping　their　windows　shut。　　In　the　winter；　I　am　persuaded；　I　could　not　exist　in　rooms　thus　closed　up；　with　stoves　heated　in　their　manner；　for　they　only　put　wood　into　them　twice　a　day；　and；　when　the　stove　is　thoroughly　heated；　they　shut　the　flue；　not　admitting　any　air　to　renew　its　elasticity；　even　when　the　rooms　are　crowded　with　company。　　These　stoves　are　made　of　earthenware；　and　often　in　a　form　that　ornaments　an　apartment；　which　is　never　the　case　with　the　heavy　iron　ones　I　have　seen　elsewhere。　Stoves　may　be　economical；　but　I　like　a　fire；　a　wood　one；　in　preference；　and　I　am　convinced　that　the　current　of　air　which　it　attracts　renders　this　the　best　mode　of　warming　rooms。

We　arrived　early　the　second　evening　at　a　little　village　called　Quistram；　where　we　had　determined　to　pass　the　night；　having　been　informed　that　we　should　not　afterwards　find　a　tolerable　inn　until　we　reached　Stromstad。

Advancing　towards　Quistram；　as　the　sun　was　beginning　to　decline；　I　was　particularly　impressed　by　the　beauty　of　the　situation。　　The　road　was　on　the　declivity　of　a　rocky　mountain；　slightly　covered　with　a　mossy　herbage　and　vagrant　firs。　　At　the　b