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nature, I cannot but regret that the artist has not more gracefully disposed the robe round the figure.

The attitude is thus: the right hand holds an olive branch; the left, the rudder of an ancient galley. The design seems to refer to the Peace of Vanela, and the Victory of the Galleys. He is resting on his left foot; the other is thrown back, giving the statue a kind of expected motion. Indeed the whole of the composition resembles the Apollo Belvidere. The dress is that of the Swedish navy, worn some time ago; and being of the. Spanish fashion, corrected by a simple Grecian taste, is admirably adapted either for the pencil or the chisel.

During my visits to this statue, and they were not unfrequent; for the faults I have noticed were by far outnumbered by its beauties; my Swedish friend was often my companion, who seldom approached the image of Gustavus III., without recounting some event redounding to his fame. But the circumstances of his death, which, though sad, seemed, in repeating, to gratify his sorrow, by giving him an opportunity to indulge it, were his favourite theme. He made it apparent that parties disturbed the late king's reign with a violence they have never attempted in this. Gustavus, by pardoning their defection, emboldened them to greater audacity; and so proved, that generosity often only arms its enemy. Few who are base enough to injure, know how to estimate forgiveness; either too hard to repent, or too proud to be grateful, they repay forbearance with insolence, and clemency with treason. The revenge a man will not take, their meanness thinks he cannot; and what springs from the strength of goodness, is by them despised as a proof of weakness.

Three young men, of whom Ankarstroem was the leader, in a fit of political fanaticism, took a solemn oath to destroy the king. When we hear of these invocations of the Deity amongst infamous conspirators, does it not make us tremble at the dreadful inconsistency of man. What is it they swear? and to whom do they swear? Murder,and to God! It is tremendous blasphemy: and even with them can only arise from inconsideration or art. What can bind him who, by the act he swears to commit, determines to break through the most powerful of

all bonds, the law not less of nature than of heaven? They who think there is any thing in a traitor's oath, more than the words which convey it, are as ignorant of man as of virtue.

These Swedish traitors cast lots for the first stroke at Gustavus. The bloody prize fell to Ankarstroem, who, armed with a dentelated dagger, and a pair of pistols charged with bullets and nails, (both weapons being calculated to render the death he gave more than usually agonizing), wrapped himself in his cloak, and entered the masquerade, where the king was to be present. The other conspirators were also in the apartment; but the deed was to be attempted by their leader. After hovering about his majesty for some time, they observed him retire for air into a less crowded part of the saloon, and lean against a pillar with his mask in his hand. Ankarstroem slid cautiously behind him, and lodged the contents of one of the pistols in the small of his back. The monarch fell. "It is a Frenchman!" cried he. But alas! he lived to learn it was a Swede; and felt a more deadly wound at that information than even his ball had inflicted. He was shot on the fifteenth of March, and died the twenty-ninth, in a state of sufferings which the surgeons said they would have declared intolerable, had not the magnanimity of the king endured it all, without a groan.

The agitation of my narrator, though so many years have past since the event, was so great when he spoke particularly on the subject, that while I respected the steadiness of his affection, I could not but increase my reverence of a prince, the loss of whom could awaken such never-ceasing regrets.

Among other anecdotes which my friend related to me of his deceased monarch, he described several gallant instances of a bravery seldom seen in kings since the romantic ages. One or two I cannot but repeat.

When Gottenburg, the most considerable city in Sweden next to Stockholm, was beleagured by the Norwegians under prince Charles of Hesse, Gustavus, having been basely betrayed by a refractory part of his army, 'flew to the mountains of Dalecarlia; and throwing himself upon the loyalty of that hardy people, informed them of the extremity in which the country lay, and called upon them, by the memory of their former

fame, to follow him to the walls of Gottenburg. Three thousand came forward at once; the example was contagious; Gustavus soon found himself at the head of a large army, and directed his march to the coast. But doubting that Gottenburg might surrender before it could have intimation of the coming succours, he determined to run every personal risk to save the city. Leaving the brave Dalecarlians under a trusty general, to follow with rapidity, he disguised himself, and attended by a single domestic, penetrated even through the camp of his enemies to the walls of Gottenburg. On appearing at the gates, he with much difficulty persuaded the Swedish guard to allow him to pass." If you doubt my being a friend," said he, "at least take me before your commander; should I prove the reyerse, I shall then be your prisoner."

Gustavus was conducted to the military governor; and what was his surprise at beholding in a man brought to him as a spy, his august sovereign! The news was the trumpet of victory. The Delecarlians arrived. The king appeared at the head of the garrison; and, aided by other favourable circumstances, the siege was raised, and Gottenburg rescued from a foreign yoke by the intrepidity of its monarch.

This action was not more gallant by land than the battle of the galleys was by sea. The Swedes fitted out a fleet of this kind of vessels with gunboats, to oppose one of a similar construction sent out by the empress of Russia under the command of the prince of Nassau. Gustavus put himself on board one of these galleys, and after a desperate battle with the prince, captured thirty of his ships; but being afterwards hemmed in by two immense Russian squadrons in the gulf of Viborg, the whole fleet must inevitably have surrendered, had his majesty been less determined to run every danger for the honour of Sweden.

Some on board recommended him to give up the day as lost: but like our dauntless Nelson, it may be said he never knew fear; and supported in his impregnable resolution by another of our thunderbolts of war, the king, pouring a broadside to the right and left, led the way; and cutting through the very centre of his enemies, not only escaped with honour, but turn

ing round to face the astonished galleys, before the rocks of Schvenko-sund, again grappled with the prince of Nassau, took from him nearly fifty vessels, with ten thousand prisoners, and returned to Stockholm covered with glory. Great bravery was displayed in the contest: and while both were admirable as enemies, who but must regret that they are not always friends? From this victory arose the peace of Vanela, which not only rejoiced the harassed Swedes, but filled St. Petersburgh with illuminations.

To express Gustavus' sense of the share our brave Englishman had in the success of the day, he knighted him on the spot with the grand cross of the noble order of the sword. Not satisfied with this, he asked Sir Sidney what he should give him as a remembrancer of Schvenko-sund? The knight replied, "Your majesty's picture."-" No, my brave friend," returned the king, "you shall have your own!" and he the next day sent him a fine portrait of Charles the Twelfth. The compliment was worthy of the prince, and of the British hero.

Like Cæsar, I say, " happy was Alexander who had arrived at the prize of his career, before the Roman had started!" Though I have also received the honour of knighthood, I yet consider my spurs are to be won; and in obedience to the higher powers, it will not be very long before I try their metal. A few days ago I was honoured by the official investiture of the Equestrian order of St. Joachim, electing me a knight commander, &c. &c. My diploma was dated May, 1807: but owing to continental disturbances, I did not receive it till now. You can believe, that as this is one of the orders of which our immortal Nelson was a brother, I consider the honour I bear as doubled, by its making me a knight of his fraternity; and all I now want to make my star shine without a cloud, is the approval of my own revered sovereign of the distinctions I have received. They are estimable to your friend, not because of the title they confer, but as a witness of that esteem having been adjudged to him by foreign nations, which will ever be his ambition to deserve in his own. I should be unworthy of your friendship were not these the sentiments of your faithful friend.

LETTER XXXIX.

Upsal, March, 1808.

IT happened as I expected: news arrived from the frontiers which put all Stockholm in consternation. The Russians had passed the Swedish lines, and, advanced as far as Louisa, a seaport town in the province of Nyland, on the north coast of the gulf of Finland. No information of this intended invasion having been intimated to the court of Stockholm by the Russian ambassador, the king issued orders for his arrest; and immediately he and his suite were confined to his hotel under a guard of cavalry, without permission to communicate with any person within or without the town.

Thus then the javelin has been mutually thrown; war is declared: and as there is no calculating on what may be its events, I shall make the most of my time; and at this early period of hostilities, set forward to take my intended tour of the interior. In this frame of mind, I prepared to bid a short adieu to Stockholm; and being provided with an agreeable companion in Mr. Fs (a son of the good Sir William F-s of Edinburgh, whose name need only be mentioned to excite the liveliest respect), I left the city: having previously received from a Swedish gentleman a useful route, with directions to render our northern travelling as easy and pleasant as possible.

His first advice was, that we should not hire a sledge, but purchase one, which might be done for a trifle. Did we commit ourselves to the chance of engaging vehicles on the road, the consequence might be dangerous; as the hackney sledges are in general insecure and very comfortless. One horse is sufficient for your machine, if you be content to adopt one of the season; but should vanity, or inexperience lead you to prefer a carriage on pattens, you must then have three or four horses; with the inconvenience in these narrow ways, of moving slowly, and very often at the imminent risque of being upset. The Swedish sledge is therefore the best conveyance in winter: but should the journey be in summer, then I recommend your

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