letters on sweden, norway, and denmark-第25节

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late　fire。

Entering　soon　after；　I　passed　amongst　the　dust　and　rubbish　it　had　left；　affrighted　by　viewing　the　extent　of　the　devastation；　for　at　least　a　quarter　of　the　city　had　been　destroyed。　　There　was　little　in　the　appearance　of　fallen　bricks　and　stacks　of　chimneys　to　allure　the　imagination　into　soothing　melancholy　reveries；　nothing　to　attract　the　eye　of　taste；　but　much　to　afflict　the　benevolent　heart。　　The　depredations　of　time　have　always　something　in　them　to　employ　the　fancy；　or　lead　to　musing　on　subjects　which；　withdrawing　the　mind　from　objects　of　sense；　seem　to　give　it　new　dignity；　but　here　I　was　treading　on　live　ashes。　　The　sufferers　were　still　under　the　pressure　of　the　misery　occasioned　by　this　dreadful　conflagration。　　I　could　not　take　refuge　in　the　thought：　　they　suffered；　but　they　are　no　more！　a　reflection　I　frequently　summon　to　calm　my　mind　when　sympathy　rises　to　anguish。　　I　therefore　desired　the　driver　to　hasten　to　the　hotel　recommended　to　me；　that　I　might　avert　my　eyes　and　snap　the　train　of　thinking　which　had　sent　me　into　all　the　corners　of　the　city　in　search　of　houseless　heads。

This　morning　I　have　been　walking　round　the　town；　till　I　am　weary　of　observing　the　ravages。　　I　had　often　heard　the　Danes；　even　those　who　had　seen　Paris　and　London；　speak　of　Copenhagen　with　rapture。　Certainly　I　have　seen　it　in　a　very　disadvantageous　light；　some　of　the　best　streets　having　been　burnt；　and　the　whole　place　thrown　into　confusion。　　Still　the　utmost　that　can；　or　could　ever；　I　believe；　have　been　said　in　its　praise；　might　be　comprised　in　a　few　words。　The　streets　are　open；　and　many　of　the　houses　large；　but　I　saw　nothing　to　rouse　the　idea　of　elegance　or　grandeur；　if　I　except　the　circus　where　the　king　and　prince　royal　reside。

The　palace；　which　was　consumed　about　two　years　ago；　must　have　been　a　handsome；　spacious　building；　the　stone…work　is　still　standing；　and　a　great　number　of　the　poor；　during　the　late　fire；　took　refuge　in　its　ruins　till　they　could　find　some　other　abode。　　Beds　were　thrown　on　the　landing…places　of　the　grand　staircase；　where　whole　families　crept　from　the　cold；　and　every　little　nook　is　boarded　up　as　a　retreat　for　some　poor　creatures　deprived　of　their　home。　　At　present　a　roof　may　be　sufficient　to　shelter　them　from　the　night　air；　but　as　the　season　advances；　the　extent　of　the　calamity　will　be　more　severely　felt；　I　fear；　though　the　exertions　on　the　part　of　Government　are　very　considerable。　　Private　charity　has　also；　no　doubt；　done　much　to　alleviate　the　misery　which　obtrudes　itself　at　every　turn；　still；　public　spirit　appears　to　me　to　be　hardly　alive　here。　　Had　it　existed；　the　conflagration　might　have　been　smothered　in　the　beginning；　as　it　was　at　last；　by　tearing　down　several　houses　before　the　flames　had　reached　them。　　To　this　the　inhabitants　would　not　consent；　and　the　prince　royal　not　having　sufficient　energy　of　character　to　know　when　he　ought　to　be　absolute；　calmly　let　them　pursue　their　own　course；　till　the　whole　city　seemed　to　be　threatened　with　destruction。　　Adhering；　with　puerile　scrupulosity；　to　the　law　which　he　has　imposed　on　himself；　of　acting　exactly　right；　he　did　wrong　by　idly　lamenting　whilst　he　marked　the　progress　of　a　mischief　that　one　decided　step　would　have　stopped。　　He　was　afterwards　obliged　to　resort　to　violent　measures；　but　then；　who　could　blame　him？　　And；　to　avoid　censure；　what　sacrifices　are　not　made　by　weak　minds？

A　gentleman　who　was　a　witness　of　the　scene　assured　me；　likewise；　that　if　the　people　of　property　had　taken　half　as　much　pains　to　extinguish　the　fire　as　to　preserve　their　valuables　and　furniture；　it　would　soon　have　been　got　under。　　But　they　who　were　not　immediately　in　danger　did　not　exert　themselves　sufficiently；　till　fear；　like　an　electrical　shock；　roused　all　the　inhabitants　to　a　sense　of　the　general　evil。　　Even　the　fire…engines　were　out　of　order；　though　the　burning　of　the　palace　ought　to　have　admonished　them　of　the　necessity　of　keeping　them　in　constant　repair。　　But　this　kind　of　indolence　respecting　what　does　not　immediately　concern　them　seems　to　characterise　the　Danes。　　A　sluggish　concentration　in　themselves　makes　them　so　careful　to　preserve　their　property；　that　they　will　not　venture　on　any　enterprise　to　increase　it　in　which　there　is　a　shadow　of　hazard。

Considering　Copenhagen　as　the　capital　of　Denmark　and　Norway；　I　was　surprised　not　to　see　so　much　industry　or　taste　as　in　Christiania。　Indeed；　from　everything　I　have　had　an　opportunity　of　observing；　the　Danes　are　the　people　who　have　made　the　fewest　sacrifices　to　the　graces。

The　men　of　business　are　domestic　tyrants；　coldly　immersed　in　their　own　affairs；　and　so　ignorant　of　the　state　of　other　countries；　that　they　dogmatically　assert　that　Denmark　is　the　happiest　country　in　the　world；　the　Prince　Royal　the　best　of　all　possible　princes；　and　Count　Bernstorff　the　wisest　of　ministers。

As　for　the　women；　they　are　simply　notable　housewives；　without　accomplishments　or　any　of　the　charms　that　adorn　more　advanced　social　life。　　This　total　ignorance　may　enable　them　to　save　something　in　their　kitchens；　but　it　is　far　from　rendering　them　better　parents。　On　the　contrary；　the　children　are　spoiled；　as　they　usually　are　when　left　to　the　care　of　weak；　indulgent　mothers；　who　having　no　principle　of　action　to　regulate　their　feelings；　become　the　slaves　of　infants；　enfeebling　both　body　and　mind　by　false　tenderness。

I　am；　perhaps；　a　little　prejudiced；　as　I　write　from　the　impression　of　the　moment；　for　I　have　been　tormented　to…day　by　the　presence　of　unruly　children；　and　made　angry　by　some　invectives　thrown　out　against　the　maternal　character　of　the　unfortunate　Matilda。　　She　was　censured；　with　the　most　cruel　insinuation；　for　her　management　of　her　son；　though；　from　what　I　could　gather；　she　gave　proofs　of　good　sense　as　well　as　tenderness　in　her　attention　to　him。　　She　used　to　bathe　him　herself　every　morning；　insisted　on　his　being　loosely　clad；　and　would　not　permit　his　attendants　to　injure　his　digestion　by　humouring　his　appetite。　　She　was　equally　careful　to　prevent　his　acquiring　haughty　airs；　and　playing　the　tyrant　in　leading…strings。　　The　Queen　Dowager　would　not　permit　her　to　suckle　him；　but　the　next　child　being　a　daughter；　and　not　the　Heir…Apparent　of　the　Crown；　less　opposition　was　made　to　her　discharging　the　duty　of　a　mother。

Poor　Matilda！　thou　hast　haunted　me　ever　since　may　arrival；　and　the　view　I　have　had　of　the　manners　of　the　country；　exciting　my　sympathy；　has　increased　my　respect　for　thy　memory。

I　am　now　fully　convinced　that　she　was　the　victim　of　the　party　she　displaced；　who　would　have　overlooked　or　encouraged　her　attachment；　had　not　her　lover；　aiming　at　being　useful；　attempted　to　overturn　some　established　abuses　before　the　people；　ripe　for　the　change；　had　sufficient　spirit　to　support　him　when　struggling　in　their　behalf。　Such　indeed　was　the　asperity　sharpened　against　her　that　I　have　heard　her；　even　after　so　many　years　have　elapsed；　charged　with　licentiousness；　not　only　for　endeavouring　to　render　the　public　amusements　more　elegant；　but　for　her　very　charities；　because　she　erected；　amongst　other　institutions；　a　hospital　to　receive　foundlings。　　Disgusted　with　many　customs　which　pass　for　virtues；　though　they　are　nothing　more　than　observances　of　forms；　often　at　the　expense　of　truth；　she　probably　ran　into　an　error　common　to　innovators；　in　wishing　to　do　immediately　what　can　only　be　done　by　time。

Many　very　cogent　reasons　have　been　urged　by　her　friends　to　prove　that　her　affection　for　Struensee　was　never　carried　to　the　length　alleged　against　her　by　those　who　feared　her　influence。　　Be　that　as　it　may　she　certainly　was　no　a　woman　of　gallantry；　and　if　she　had　an　attachment　for　him　it　did　not　disgrace　her　heart　or　understanding；　the　king　being　a　notorious　debauchee　and　an　idiot　into　the　bargain。　As　the　king's　conduct　had　always　been　directed　by　some　favourite；　they　also　endeavoured　to　govern　him；　from　a　principle　of　self…　preservation　as　well　as　a　laudable　ambition；　but；　not　aware　of　the　prejudices　they　had　to　encounter；　the　system　they　adopted　displayed　more　benevolence　of　heart　than　soundness　of　judgment。　　As　to　the　charge；　still　believed；　of　their　giving　the　King　drugs　to　injure　his　faculties；　it　is　too　absurd　to　be　refuted。　　Their　oppressors　had　better　have　accused　them　of　dabbling　in　the　black　art；　for　the　potent　spell　still　keeps　his　wits　in　bondage。

I　cannot　describe　to　you　the　effect　it　had　on　me　to　see　this　puppet　of　a　monarch　moved　by　the　strings　which　Count　Bernstorff　holds　fast；　sit；　with　vacant　eye；　erect；　receiving　the　homage　of　courtiers　who　mock　him　with　a　show　of　respect。　　He　is；　in　fact；　merely　a　machine　of　state；　to　subscribe　the　name　of　a　king　to　the　acts　of　the　Government；　which；　to　avoid　danger；　have　no　value　unless　countersigned　by　the　Prince　Royal；　for　he　is　allowed　to　be　absolutely　aim　idiot；　excepting　that　now　and　then　an　observation　or　trick　escapes　him；　which　looks　more　like　madness　than　imbecility。

What　a　farce　is　life。　　This　effigy　of　majesty　is　allowed　to　burn　down　to　the　socket；　whilst　the　hapless　Matilda　was　hurried　into　an　untimely　grave。

〃As　flies　to　wanton　boys；　are　we　to　the　gods；　They　kill　us　for　their　sport。〃

Adieu！



LETTER　XIX。



Business　having　obliged　me　to　go　a　few　miles　out　of　town　this　morning　I　was　surprised　at　me