letters on sweden, norway, and denmark-第27节

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fore；　prolonged　till　it　be　perfectly　convenient　to　marry：　　the　intimacy　often　becomes　very　tender；　and　if　the　lover　obtain　the　privilege　of　a　husband；　it　can　only　be　termed　half　by　stealth；　because　the　family　is　wilfully　blind。　　It　happens　very　rarely　that　these　honorary　engagements　are　dissolved　or　disregarded；　a　stigma　being　attached　to　a　breach　of　faith　which　is　thought　more　disgraceful；　if　not　so　criminal；　as　the　violation　of　the　marriage…vow。

Do　not　forget　that；　in　my　general　observations；　I　do　not　pretend　to　sketch　a　national　character；　but　merely　to　note　the　present　state　of　morals　and　manners　as　I　trace　the　progress　of　the　world's　improvement。　　Because；　during　my　residence　in　different　countries；　my　principal　object　has　been　to　take　such　a　dispassionate　view　of　men　as　will　lead　me　to　form　a　just　idea　of　the　nature　of　man。　　And；　to　deal　ingenuously　with　you；　I　believe　I　should　have　been　less　severe　in　the　remarks　I　have　made　on　the　vanity　and　depravity　of　the　French；　had　I　travelled　towards　the　north　before　I　visited　France。

The　interesting　picture　frequently　drawn　of　the　virtues　of　a　rising　people　has；　I　fear；　been　fallacious；　excepting　the　accounts　of　the　enthusiasm　which　various　public　struggles　have　produced。　　We　talk　of　the　depravity　of　the　French；　and　lay　a　stress　on　the　old　age　of　the　nation；　yet　where　has　more　virtuous　enthusiasm　been　displayed　than　during　the　two　last　years　by　the　common　people　of　France；　and　in　their　armies？　　I　am　obliged　sometimes　to　recollect　the　numberless　instances　which　I　have　either　witnessed；　or　heard　well　authenticated；　to　balance　the　account　of　horrors；　alas！　but　too　true。　　I　am；　therefore；　inclined　to　believe　that　the　gross　vices　which　I　have　always　seem　allied　with　simplicity　of　manners；　are　the　concomitants　of　ignorance。

What；　for　example；　has　piety；　under　the　heathen　or　Christian　system；　been；　but　a　blind　faith　in　things　contrary　to　the　principles　of　reason？　　And　could　poor　reason　make　considerable　advances　when　it　was　reckoned　the　highest　degree　of　virtue　to　do　violence　to　its　dictates？　　Lutherans；　preaching　reformation；　have　built　a　reputation　for　sanctity　on　the　same　foundation　as　the　Catholics；　yet　I　do　not　perceive　that　a　regular　attendance　on　public　worship；　and　their　other　observances；　make　them　a　whit　more　true　in　their　affections；　or　honest　in　their　private　transactions。　　It　seems；　indeed；　quite　as　easy　to　prevaricate　with　religious　injunctions　as　human　laws；　when　the　exercise　of　their　reason　does　not　lead　people　to　acquire　principles　for　themselves　to　be　the　criterion　of　all　those　they　receive　from　others。

If　travelling；　as　the　completion　of　a　liberal　education；　were　to　be　adopted　on　rational　grounds；　the　northern　states　ought　to　be　visited　before　the　more　polished　parts　of　Europe；　to　serve　as　the　elements　even　of　the　knowledge　of　manners；　only　to　be　acquired　by　tracing　the　various　shades　in　different　countries。　　But；　when　visiting　distant　climes；　a　momentary　social　sympathy　should　not　be　allowed　to　influence　the　conclusions　of　the　understanding；　for　hospitality　too　frequently　leads　travellers；　especially　those　who　travel　in　search　of　pleasure；　to　make　a　false　estimate　of　the　virtues　of　a　nation；　which；　I　am　now　convinced；　bear　an　exact　proportion　to　their　scientific　improvements。

Adieu。



LETTER　XX。



I　have　formerly　censured　the　French　for　their　extreme　attachment　to　theatrical　exhibitions；　because　I　thought　that　they　tended　to　render　them　vain　and　unnatural　characters；　but　I　must　acknowledge；　especially　as　women　of　the　town　never　appear　in　the　Parisian　as　at　our　theatres；　that　the　little　saving　of　the　week　is　more　usefully　expended　there　every　Sunday　than　in　porter　or　brandy；　to　intoxicate　or　stupify　the　mind。　　The　common　people　of　France　have　a　great　superiority　over　that　class　in　every　other　country　on　this　very　score。　　It　is　merely　the　sobriety　of　the　Parisians　which　renders　their　fetes　more　interesting；　their　gaiety　never　becoming　disgusting　or　dangerous；　as　is　always　the　case　when　liquor　circulates。　Intoxication　is　the　pleasure　of　savages；　and　of　all　those　whose　employments　rather　exhaust　their　animal　spirits　than　exercise　their　faculties。　　Is　not　this；　in　fact；　the　vice；　both　in　England　and　the　northern　states　of　Europe；　which　appears　to　be　the　greatest　impediment　to　general　improvement？　　Drinking　is　here　the　principal　relaxation　of　the　men；　including　smoking；　but　the　women　are　very　abstemious；　though　they　have　no　public　amusements　as　a　substitute。　I　ought　to　except　one　theatre；　which　appears　more　than　is　necessary；　for　when　I　was　there　it　was　not　half　full；　and　neither　the　ladies　nor　actresses　displayed　much　fancy　in　their　dress。

The　play　was　founded　on　the　story　of　the　〃Mock　Doctor；〃　and；　from　the　gestures　of　the　servants；　who　were　the　best　actors；　I　should　imagine　contained　some　humour。　　The　farce；　termed　ballet；　was　a　kind　of　pantomime；　the　childish　incidents　of　which　were　sufficient　to　show　the　state　of　the　dramatic　art　in　Denmark；　and　the　gross　taste　of　the　audience。　　A　magician；　in　the　disguise　of　a　tinker；　enters　a　cottage　where　the　women　are　all　busy　ironing；　and　rubs　a　dirty　frying…pan　against　the　linen。　　The　women　raise　a　hue…and…cry；　and　dance　after　him；　rousing　their　husbands；　who　join　in　the　dance；　but　get　the　start　of　them　in　the　pursuit。　　The　tinker；　with　the　frying…　pan　for　a　shield；　renders　them　immovable；　and　blacks　their　cheeks。　Each　laughs　at　the　other；　unconscious　of　his　own　appearance；　meanwhile　the　women　enter　to　enjoy　the　sport；　〃the　rare　fun；〃　with　other　incidents　of　the　same　species。

The　singing　was　much　on　a　par　with　the　dancing；　the　one　as　destitute　of　grace　as　the　other　of　expression；　but　the　orchestra　was　well　filled；　the　instrumental　being　far　superior　to　the　vocal　music。

I　have　likewise　visited　the　public　library　and　museum；　as　well　as　the　palace　of　Rosembourg。　　This　palace；　now　deserted；　displays　a　gloomy　kind　of　grandeur　throughout；　for　the　silence　of　spacious　apartments　always　makes　itself　to　be　felt；　I　at　least　feel　it；　and　I　listen　for　the　sound　of　my　footsteps　as　I　have　done　at　midnight　to　the　ticking　of　the　death…watch；　encouraging　a　kind　of　fanciful　superstition。　　Every　object　carried　me　back　to　past　times；　and　impressed　the　manners　of　the　age　forcibly　on　my　mind。　　In　this　point　of　view　the　preservation　of　old　palaces　and　their　tarnished　furniture　is　useful；　for　they　may　be　considered　as　historical　documents。

The　vacuum　left　by　departed　greatness　was　everywhere　observable；　whilst　the　battles　and　processions　portrayed　on　the　walls　told　you　who　had　here　excited　revelry　after　retiring　from　slaughter；　or　dismissed　pageantry　in　search　of　pleasure。　　It　seemed　a　vast　tomb　full　of　the　shadowy　phantoms　of　those　who　had　played　or　toiled　their　hour　out　and　sunk　behind　the　tapestry　which　celebrated　the　conquests　of　love　or　war。　　Could　they　be　no　moreto　whom　my　imagination　thus　gave　life？　　Could　the　thoughts；　of　which　there　remained　so　many　vestiges；　have　vanished　quite　away？　　And　these　beings；　composed　of　such　noble　materials　of　thinking　and　feeling；　have　they　only　melted　into　the　elements　to　keep　in　motion　the　grand　mass　of　life？　　It　cannot　be！as　easily　could　I　believe　that　the　large　silver　lions　at　the　top　of　the　banqueting　room　thought　and　reasoned。　　But　avaunt！　ye　waking　dreams！　yet　I　cannot　describe　the　curiosities　to　you。

There　were　cabinets　full　of　baubles　and　gems；　and　swords　which　must　have　been　wielded　by　giant's　hand。　　The　coronation　ornaments　wait　quietly　here　till　wanted；　and　the　wardrobe　exhibits　the　vestments　which　formerly　graced　these　shows。　　It　is　a　pity　they　do　not　lend　them　to　the　actors；　instead　of　allowing　them　to　perish　ingloriously。

I　have　not　visited　any　other　palace；　excepting　Hirsholm；　the　gardens　of　which　are　laid　out　with　taste；　and　command　the　finest　views　the　country　affords。　　As　they　are　in　the　modern　and　English　style；　I　thought　I　was　following　the　footsteps　of　Matilda；　who　wished　to　multiply　around　her　the　images　of　her　beloved　country。　　I　was　also　gratified　by　the　sight　of　a　Norwegian　landscape　in　miniature；　which　with　great　propriety　makes　a　part　of　the　Danish　King's　garden。　　The　cottage　is　well　imitated；　and　the　whole　has　a　pleasing　effect；　particularly　so　to　me　who　love　Norwayits　peaceful　farms　and　spacious　wilds。

The　public　library　consists　of　a　collection　much　larger　than　I　expected　to　see；　and　it　is　well　arranged。　　Of　the　value　of　the　Icelandic　manuscripts　I　could　not　form　a　judgment；　though　the　alphabet　of　some　of　them　amused　me；　by　showing　what　immense　labour　men　will　submit　to；　in　order　to　transmit　their　ideas　to　posterity。　I　have　sometimes　thought　it　a　great　misfortune　for　individuals　to　acquire　a　certain　delicacy　of　sentiment；　which　often　makes　them　weary　of　the　common　occurrences　of　life；　yet　it　is　this　very　delicacy　of　feeling　and　thinking　which　probably　has　produced　most　of　the　performances　that　have　benefited　mankind。　　It　might　with　propriety；　perhaps；　be　termed　the　malady　of　genius；　the　cause　of　that　characteristic　melancholy　which　〃grows　with　its　growth；　and　strengthens　with　its　strength。〃

There　are　some　good　pictures　in　the　royal　museum。　　Do　not　start；　I　am　not　going　to　trouble　you　with　a　dull　catalogue；　or　stupid　criticisms　on　masters　to　whom　t