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

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！



These　corps　are　mostly　composed　of　the　sons　of　the　cottagers；　who　being　labourers　on　the　farms；　are　allowed　a　few　acres　to　cultivate　for　themselves。　　These　men　voluntarily　enlist；　but　it　is　only　for　a　limited　period　（six　years）；　at　the　expiration　of　which　they　have　the　liberty　of　retiring。　　The　pay　is　only　twopence　a　day　and　bread；　still；　considering　the　cheapness　of　the　country；　it　is　more　than　sixpence　in　England。

The　distribution　of　landed　property　into　small　farms　produces　a　degree　of　equality　which　I　have　seldom　seen　elsewhere；　and　the　rich　being　all　merchants；　who　are　obliged　to　divide　their　personal　fortune　amongst　their　children；　the　boys　always　receiving　twice　as　much　as　the　girls；　property　has　met　a　chance　of　accumulating　till　overgrowing　wealth　destroys　the　balance　of　liberty。

You　will　be　surprised　to　hear　me　talk　of　liberty；　yet　the　Norwegians　appear　to　me　to　be　the　most　free　community　I　have　ever　observed。

The　mayor　of　each　town　or　district；　and　the　judges　in　the　country；　exercise　an　authority　almost　patriarchal。　　They　can　do　much　good；　but　little　harm；as　every　individual　can　appeal　from　their　judgment；　and　as　they　may　always　be　forced　to　give　a　reason　for　their　conduct；　it　is　generally　regulated　by　prudence。　　〃They　have　not　time　to　learn　to　be　tyrants；〃　said　a　gentleman　to　me；　with　whom　I　discussed　the　subject。

The　farmers　not　fearing　to　be　turned　out　of　their　farms；　should　they　displease　a　man　in　power；　and　having　no　vote　to　be　commanded　at　an　election　for　a　mock　representative；　are　a　manly　race；　for　not　being　obliged　to　submit　to　any　debasing　tenure　in　order　to　live；　or　advance　themselves　in　the　world；　they　act　with　an　independent　spirit。　　I　never　yet　have　heard　of　anything　like　domineering　or　oppression；　excepting　such　as　has　arisen　from　natural　causes。　　The　freedom　the　people　enjoy　may；　perhaps；　render　them　a　little　litigious；　and　subject　them　to　the　impositions　of　cunning　practitioners　of　the　law；　but　the　authority　of　office　is　bounded；　and　the　emoluments　of　it　do　not　destroy　its　utility。

Last　year　a　man　who　had　abused　his　power　was　cashiered；　on　the　representation　of　the　people　to　the　bailiff　of　the　district。

There　are　four　in　Norway　who　might　with　propriety　be　termed　sheriffs；　and　from　their　sentence　an　appeal；　by　either　party；　may　be　made　to　Copenhagen。

Near　most　of　the　towns　are　commons；　on　which　the　cows　of　all　the　inhabitants；　indiscriminately；　are　allowed　to　graze。　　The　poor；　to　whom　a　cow　is　necessary；　are　almost　supported　by　it。　　Besides；　to　render　living　more　easy；　they　all　go　out　to　fish　in　their　own　boats；　and　fish　is　their　principal　food。

The　lower　class　of　people　in　the　towns　are　in　general　sailors；　and　the　industrious　have　usually　little　ventures　of　their　own　that　serve　to　render　the　winter　comfortable。

With　respect　to　the　country　at　large；　the　importation　is　considerably　in　favour　of　Norway。

They　are　forbidden；　at　present；　to　export　corn　or　rye　on　account　of　the　advanced　price。

The　restriction　which　most　resembles　the　painful　subordination　of　Ireland；　is　that　vessels；　trading　to　the　West　Indies；　are　obliged　to　pass　by　their　own　ports；　and　unload　their　cargoes　at　Copenhagen；　which　they　afterwards　reship。　　The　duty　is　indeed　inconsiderable；　but　the　navigation　being　dangerous；　they　run　a　double　risk。

There　is　an　excise　on　all　articles　of　consumption　brought　to　the　towns；　but　the　officers　are　not　strict；　and　it　would　be　reckoned　invidious　to　enter　a　house　to　search；　as　in　England。

The　Norwegians　appear　to　me　a　sensible；　shrewd　people；　with　little　scientific　knowledge；　and　still　less　taste　for　literature；　but　they　are　arriving　at　the　epoch　which　precedes　the　introduction　of　the　arts　and　sciences。

Most　of　the　towns　are　seaports；　and　seaports　are　not　favourable　to　improvement。　　The　captains　acquire　a　little　superficial　knowledge　by　travelling；　which　their　indefatigable　attention　to　the　making　of　money　prevents　their　digesting；　and　the　fortune　that　they　thus　laboriously　acquire　is　spent；　as　it　usually　is　in　towns　of　this　description；　in　show　and　good　living。　　They　love　their　country；　but　have　not　much　public　spirit。　　Their　exertions　are；　generally　speaking；　only　for　their　families；　which；　I　conceive；　will　always　be　the　case；　till　politics；　becoming　a　subject　of　discussion；　enlarges　the　heart　by　opening　the　understanding。　　The　French　Revolution　will　have　this　effect。　　They　sing；　at　present；　with　great　glee；　many　Republican　songs；　and　seem　earnestly　to　wish　that　the　republic　may　stand；　yet　they　appear　very　much　attached　to　their　Prince　Royal；　and；　as　far　as　rumour　can　give　an　idea　of　a　character；　he　appears　to　merit　their　attachment。　　When　I　am　at　Copenhagen；　I　shall　be　able　to　ascertain　on　what　foundation　their　good　opinion　is　built；　at　present　I　am　only　the　echo　of　it。

In　the　year　1788　he　travelled　through　Norway；　and　acts　of　mercy　gave　dignity　to　the　parade；　and　interest　to　the　joy　his　presence　inspired。　　At　this　town　he　pardoned　a　girl　condemned　to　die　for　murdering　an　illegitimate　child；　a　crime　seldom　committed　in　this　country。　　She　is　since　married；　and　become　the　careful　mother　of　a　family。　　This　might　be　given　as　an　instance；　that　a　desperate　act　is　not　always　a　proof　of　an　incorrigible　depravity　of　character；　the　only　plausible　excuse　that　has　been　brought　forward　to　justify　the　infliction　of　capital　punishments。

I　will　relate　two　or　three　other　anecdotes　to　you；　for　the　truth　of　which　I　will　not　vouch　because　the　facts　were　not　of　sufficient　consequence　for　me　to　take　much　pains　to　ascertain　them；　and；　true　or　false；　they　evince　that　the　people　like　to　make　a　kind　of　mistress　of　their　prince。

An　officer；　mortally　wounded　at　the　ill…advised　battle　of　Quistram；　desired　to　speak　with　the　prince；　and　with　his　dying　breath；　earnestly　recommended　to　his　care　a　young　woman　of　Christiania；　to　whom　he　was　engaged。　　When　the　prince　returned　there；　a　ball　was　given　by　the　chief　inhabitants：　　he　inquired　whether　this　unfortunate　girl　was　invited；　and　requested　that　she　might；　though　of　the　second　class。　　The　girl　came；　she　was　pretty；　and　finding　herself　among　her　superiors；　bashfully　sat　down　as　near　the　door　as　possible；　nobody　taking　notice　of　her。　　Shortly　after；　the　prince　entering；　immediately　inquired　for　her；　and　asked　her　to　dance；　to　the　mortification　of　the　rich　dames。　　After　it　was　over　he　handed　her　to　the　top　of　the　room；　and　placing　himself　by　her；　spoke　of　the　loss　she　had　sustained；　with　tenderness；　promising　to　provide　for　anyone　she　should　marry；　as　the　story　goes。　　She　is　since　married；　and　he　has　not　forgotten　his　promise。

A　little　girl；　during　the　same　expedition；　in　Sweden；　who　informed　him　that　the　logs　of　a　bridge　were　out　underneath；　was　taken　by　his　orders　to　Christiania；　and　put　to　school　at　his　expense。

Before　I　retail　other　beneficial　effects　of　his　journey；　it　is　necessary　to　inform　you　that　the　laws　here　are　mild；　and　do　not　punish　capitally　for　any　crime　but　murder；　which　seldom　occurs。　Every　other　offence　merely　subjects　the　delinquent　to　imprisonment　and　labour　in　the　castle；　or　rather　arsenal　at　Christiania；　and　the　fortress　at　Fredericshall。　　The　first　and　second　conviction　produces　a　sentence　for　a　limited　number　of　yearstwo；　three；　five；　or　seven；　proportioned　to　the　atrocity　of　the　crime。　　After　the　third　he　is　whipped；　branded　in　the　forehead；　and　condemned　to　perpetual　slavery。　　This　is　the　ordinary　course　of　justice。　　For　some　flagrant　breaches　of　trust；　or　acts　of　wanton　cruelty；　criminals　have　been　condemned　to　slavery　for　life　time　first　the　of　conviction；　but　not　frequently。　　The　number　of　these　slaves　do　not；　I　am　informed；　amount　to　more　than　a　hundred；　which　is　not　considerable；　compared　with　the　population；　upwards　of　eight　hundred　thousand。　　Should　I　pass　through　Christiania；　on　my　return　to　Gothenburg；　I　shall　probably　have　an　opportunity　of　learning　other　particulars。

There　is　also　a　House　of　Correction　at　Christiania　for　trifling　misdemeanours；　where　the　women　are　confined　to　labour　and　imprisonment　even　for　life。　　The　state　of　the　prisoners　was　represented　to　the　prince；　in　consequence　of　which　he　visited　the　arsenal　and　House　of　Correction。　　The　slaves　at　the　arsenal　were　loaded　with　irons　of　a　great　weight；　he　ordered　them　to　be　lightened　as　much　as　possible。

The　people　in　the　House　of　Correction　were　commanded　not　to　speak　to　him；　but　four　women；　condemned　to　remain　there　for　life；　got　into　the　passage；　and　fell　at　his　feet。　　He　granted　them　a　pardon；　and　inquiring　respecting　the　treatment　of　the　prisoners；　he　was　informed　that　they　were　frequently　whipped　going　in；　and　coming　out；　and　for　any　fault；　at　the　discretion　of　the　inspectors。　　This　custom　he　humanely　abolished；　though　some　of　the　principal　inhabitants；　whose　situation　in　life　had　raised　them　above　the　temptation　of　stealing；　were　of　opinion　that　these　chastisements　were　necessary　and　wholesome。

In　short；　everything　seems　to　announce　that　the　prince　really　cherishes　the　laudable　ambition　of　fulfilling　the　duties　of　his　station。　　This　ambition　is　cherished　and　directed　by　the　Count　Bernstorff；　the　Prime　Minister　of　Denmark；　who　is　universally　celebrated　for　his　abilities　and　virtue。　　The　happiness　of　the　people　is　a　substantial　eul