letters on sweden, norway, and denmark- 第24部分

This　work　is　carried　on　by　a　company；　who　employ　daily　nine　hundred　men；　five　years　was　the　time　mentioned　in　the　proposals　addressed　to　the　public　as　necessary　for　the　completion。　　A　much　more　considerable　sum　than　the　plan　requires　has　been　subscribed；　for　which　there　is　every　reason　to　suppose　the　promoters　will　receive　ample　interest。

The　Danes　survey　the　progress　of　this　work　with　a　jealous　eye；　as　it　is　principally　undertaken　to　get　clear　of　the　Sound　duty。

Arrived　at　Trolhaettae；　I　must　own　that　the　first　view　of　the　cascade　disappointed　me；　and　the　sight　of　the　works；　as　they　advanced；　though　a　grand　proof　of　human　industry；　was　not　calculated　to　warm　the　fancy。　　I；　however；　wandered　about；　and　at　last　coming　to　the　conflux　of　the　various　cataracts　rushing　from　different　falls；　struggling　with　the　huge　masses　of　rock；　and　rebounding　from　the　profound　cavities；　I　immediately　retracted；　acknowledging　that　it　was　indeed　a　grand　object。　　A　little　island　stood　in　the　midst；　covered　with　firs；　which；　by　dividing　the　torrent；　rendered　it　more　picturesque；　one　half　appearing　to　issue　from　a　dark　cavern；　that　fancy　might　easily　imagine　a　vast　fountain　throwing　up　its　waters　from　the　very　centre　of　the　earth。

I　gazed　I　know　not　how　long；　stunned　with　the　noise；　and　growing　giddy　with　only　looking　at　the　never…ceasing　tumultuous　motion；　I　listened；　scarcely　conscious　where　I　was；　when　I　observed　a　boy；　half　obscured　by　the　sparkling　foam；　fishing　under　the　impending　rock　on　the　other　side。　　How　he　had　descended　I　could　not　perceive；　nothing　like　human　footsteps　appeared；　and　the　horrific　crags　seemed　to　bid　defiance　even　to　the　goat's　activity。　　It　looked　like　an　abode　only　fit　for　the　eagle；　though　in　its　crevices　some　pines　darted　up　their　spiral　heads；　but　they　only　grew　near　the　cascade；　everywhere　else　sterility　itself　reigned　with　dreary　grandeur；　for　the　huge　grey　massy　rocks；　which　probably　had　been　torn　asunder　by　some　dreadful　convulsion　of　nature；　had　not　even　their　first　covering　of　a　little　cleaving　moss。　　There　were　so　many　appearances　to　excite　the　idea　of　chaos；　that；　instead　of　admiring　the　canal　and　the　works；　great　as　they　are　termed；　and　little　as　they　appear；　I　could　not　help　regretting　that　such　a　noble　scene　had　not　been　left　in　all　its　solitary　sublimity。　　Amidst　the　awful　roaring　of　the　impetuous　torrents；　the　noise　of　human　instruments　and　the　bustle　of　workmen；　even　the　blowing　up　of　the　rocks　when　grand　masses　trembled　in　the　darkened　air；　only　resembled　the　insignificant　sport　of　children。

One　fall　of　water；　partly　made　by　art；　when　they　were　attempting　to　construct　sluices；　had　an　uncommonly　grand　effect；　the　water　precipitated　itself　with　immense　velocity　down　a　perpendicular；　at　least　fifty　or　sixty　yards；　into　a　gulf；　so　concealed　by　the　foam　as　to　give　full　play　to　the　fancy。　　There　was　a　continual　uproar。　　I　stood　on　a　rock　to　observe　it；　a　kind　of　bridge　formed　by　nature；　nearly　on　a　level　with　the　commencement　of　the　fall。　　After　musing　by　it　a　long　time　I　turned　towards　the　other　side；　and　saw　a　gentle　stream　stray　calmly　out。　　I　should　have　concluded　that　it　had　no　communication　with　the　torrent　had　I　not　seen　a　huge　log　that　fell　headlong　down　the　cascade　steal　peacefully　into　the　purling　stream。

I　retired　from　these　wild　scenes　with　regret　to　a　miserable　inn；　and　next　morning　returned　to　Gothenburg；　to　prepare　for　my　journey　to　Copenhagen。

I　was　sorry　to　leave　Gothenburg　without　travelling　farther　into　Sweden；　yet　I　imagine　I　should　only　have　seen　a　romantic　country　thinly　inhabited；　and　these　inhabitants　struggling　with　poverty。　The　Norwegian　peasantry；　mostly　independent；　have　a　rough　kind　of　frankness　in　their　manner；　but　the　Swedish；　rendered　more　abject　by　misery；　have　a　degree　of　politeness　in　their　address　which；　though　it　may　sometimes　border　on　insincerity；　is　oftener　the　effect　of　a　broken　spirit；　rather　softened　than　degraded　by　wretchedness。

In　Norway　there　are　no　notes　in　circulation　of　less　value　than　a　Swedish　rix…dollar。　　A　small　silver　coin；　commonly　not　worth　more　than　a　penny；　and　never　more　than　twopence；　serves　for　change；　but　in　Sweden　they　have　notes　as　low　as　sixpence。　　I　never　saw　any　silver　pieces　there；　and　could　not　without　difficulty；　and　giving　a　premium；　obtain　the　value　of　a　rix…dollar　in　a　large　copper　coin　to　give　away　on　the　road　to　the　poor　who　open　the　gates。

As　another　proof　of　the　poverty　of　Sweden；　I　ought　to　mention　that　foreign　merchants　who　have　acquired　a　fortune　there　are　obliged　to　deposit　the　sixth　part　when　they　leave　the　kingdom。　　This　law；　you　may　suppose；　is　frequently　evaded。

In　fact；　the　laws　here；　as　well　as　in　Norway；　are　so　relaxed　that　they　rather　favour　than　restrain　knavery。

Whilst　I　was　at　Gothenburg；　a　man　who　had　been　confined　for　breaking　open　his　master's　desk　and　running　away　with　five　or　six　thousand　rix…dollars；　was　only　sentenced　to　forty　days'　confinement　on　bread　and　water；　and　this　slight　punishment　his　relations　rendered　nugatory　by　supplying　him　with　more　savoury　food。

The　Swedes　are　in　general　attached　to　their　families；　yet　a　divorce　may　be　obtained　by　either　party　on　proving　the　infidelity　of　the　other　or　acknowledging　it　themselves。　　The　women　do　not　often　recur　to　this　equal　privilege；　for　they　either　retaliate　on　their　husbands　by　following　their　own　devices　or　sink　into　the　merest　domestic　drudges；　worn　down　by　tyranny　to　servile　submission。　　Do　not　term　me　severe　if　I　add；　that　after　youth　is　flown　the　husband　becomes　a　sot；　and　the　wife　amuses　herself　by　scolding　her　servants。　　In　fact；　what　is　to　be　expected　in　any　country　where　taste　and　cultivation　of　mind　do　not　supply　the　place　of　youthful　beauty　and　animal　spirits？　Affection　requires　a　firmer　foundation　than　sympathy；　and　few　people　have　a　principle　of　action　sufficiently　stable　to　produce　rectitude　of　feeling；　for　in　spite　of　all　the　arguments　I　have　heard　to　justify　deviations　from　duty；　I　am　persuaded　that　even　the　most　spontaneous　sensations　are　more　under　the　direction　of　principle　than　weak　people　are　willing　to　allow。

But　adieu　to　moralising。　　I　have　been　writing　these　last　sheets　at　an　inn　in　Elsineur；　where　I　am　waiting　for　horses；　and　as　they　are　not　yet　ready；　I　will　give　you　a　short　account　of　my　journey　from　Gothenburg；　for　I　set　out　the　morning　after　I　returned　from　Trolhaettae。

The　country　during　the　first　day's　journey　presented　a　most　barren　appearance；　as　rocky；　yet　not　so　picturesque　as　Norway；　because　on　a　diminutive　scale。　　We　stopped　to　sleep　at　a　tolerable　inn　in　Falckersberg；　a　decent　little　town。

The　next　day　beeches　and　oaks　began　to　grace　the　prospects；　the　sea　every　now　and　then　appearing　to　give　them　dignity。　　I　could　not　avoid　observing　also；　that　even　in　this　part　of　Sweden；　one　of　the　most　sterile；　as　I　was　informed；　there　was　more　ground　under　cultivation　than　in　Norway。　　Plains　of　varied　crops　stretched　out　to　a　considerable　extent；　and　sloped　down　to　the　shore；　no　longer　terrific。　　And；　as　far　as　I　could　judge；　from　glancing　my　eye　over　the　country　as　we　drove　along；　agriculture　was　in　a　more　advanced　state；　though　in　the　habitations　a　greater　appearance　of　poverty　still　remained。　　The　cottages；　indeed；　often　looked　most　uncomfortable；　but　never　so　miserable　as　those　I　had　remarked　on　the　road　to　Stromstad；　and　the　towns　were　equal；　if　not　superior；　to　many　of　the　little　towns　in　Wales；　or　some　I　have　passed　through　in　my　way　from　Calais　to　Paris。

The　inns　as　we　advanced　were　not　to　be　complained　of；　unless　I　had　always　thought　of　England。　　The　people　were　civil；　and　much　more　moderate　in　their　demands　than　the　Norwegians；　particularly　to　the　westward；　where　they　boldly　charge　for　what　you　never　had；　and　seem　to　consider　you；　as　they　do　a　wreck；　if　not　as　lawful　prey；　yet　as　a　lucky　chance；　which　they　ought　not　to　neglect　to　seize。

The　prospect　of　Elsineur；　as　we　passed　the　Sound；　was　pleasant。　　I　gave　three　rix…dollars　for　my　boat；　including　something　to　drink。　　I　mention　the　sum；　because　they　impose　on　strangers。

Adieu！　till　I　arrive　at　Copenhagen。



LETTER　XVIII。COPENHAGEN。



The　distance　from　Elsineur　to　Copenhagen　is　twenty…two　miles；　the　road　is　very　good；　over　a　flat　country　diversified　with　wood；　mostly　beech；　and　decent　mansions。　　There　appeared　to　be　a　great　quantity　of　corn　land；　and　the　soil　looked　much　more　fertile　than　it　is　in　general　so　near　the　sea。　　The　rising　grounds；　indeed；　were　very　few；　and　around　Copenhagen　it　is　a　perfect　plain；　of　course　has　nothing　to　recommend　it　but　cultivation；　not　decorations。　　If　I　say　that　the　houses　did　not　disgust　me；　I　tell　you　all　I　remember　of　them；　for　I　cannot　recollect　any　pleasurable　sensations　they　excited；　or　that　any　object；　produced　by　nature　or　art；　took　me　out　of　myself。　　The　view　of　the　city；　as　we　drew　near；　was　rather　grand；　but　without　any　striking　feature　to　interest　the　imagination；　excepting　the　trees　which　shade　the　footpaths。

Just　before　I　reached　Copenhagen　I　saw　a　number　of　tents　on　a　wide　plain；　and　supposed　that　the　rage　for　encampments　had　reached　this　city；　but　I　soon　discovered　that　they　were　the　asylum　of　many　of　the　poor　families　who　had　been　driven　out　of　their　habitations　by　the　lat