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 Fs 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

own English carriage by all means; as there is nought you can hire along the roads, in the shape of vehicles, but mere rustic

carts.

To proceed with rapidity, it is requisite to send forward to the various posts a forbode or courier (what antiquary will gainsay that our verb to forebode sprung from this very noun? Indeed, there are clear traces in the language of Britain of the former visits of our northern neighbours to this island). The foreboding, foreseeing, foredoing gentleman, or by whatever name you choose to call him, orders horses to wait you at every station, according to the fixed hour when he expects you will arrive. By him, all your heavy baggage is sent; and so honest are the people, that there would be no hazard of any being stolen, should it remain, without your appearance, from this to doomsday. But should you not appear at the different stages to the time your forbode has appointed, this inconvenience ensues; the boors may return to their respective homes with the horses; you are obliged to pay double for them on your arrival, and have the additional punishment of waiting until others are brought. An error of this kind at the first post, generally occasions a default of time to all the rest; and so disappointment, delay and expense accompanies you throughout the journey.

The peasant who brings the animals, is contented with two or three schillings for his douceur; about two pence English. Charioteers, or postillions you have none: you are obliged either to hire a person expressly for that purpose, or to drive yourself, which, if travelling day and night, would be no very agreeable amusement. The actual tax for each horse per mile, (six English), fixed by law in 1800, is twelve schillings rix money, about nine pence of ours. This, in starting from the country; but if from any city, the price is double.

The variation in the length of the mile of different countries, is very troublesome to travellers, who may not be exactly aware of the allotted ground in each. I found it very vexatious at first; and that you may not stumble where I fell, and be benighted where I expected day, I shall, while I think of it, give you a little calculation of miles according to the measurement of our neighbouring nations: ten five-eighths of Swedish miles

make a degree, and are equivalent to fifteen German, twentyfive geographical French miles, fifty English, seventy-five Italian miles, and one hundred Russian versts.

Having taken the necessary precaution for a journey into the interior, of providing our sledge with eatables, I set forth with my friend. The velocity with which we passed over the frozen lakes and high grounds, was even more amazing than that which I had experienced in Russia; and we arrived at Upsal about eleven at night, having quitted Stockholm at five the same evening, being a distance of seven Swedish miles. In summer the circuit is longer, as the waters, being then released, do not allow the short cuts now made by crossing over their icy bosoms. The borders of these glassy plains are richly wooded, and adorned with numerous country residences belonging to the nobility.

It being dark when we entered this ancient town, you must pardon me that I gave you no account of its approach. It is built on the banks of the river Fyris, and altogether exhibits a very venerable appearance. Old historians tell us, that Upsal was a city in the year of our Lord 240, when Ingo, on being elected king of Sweden, after the death of his father, a wise and brave monarch, fixed his residence here, choosing often to be called king of Upsal. At present, instead of a royal palace, it boasts a fine cathedral, in which the monarchs of Sweden are usually crowned. From the earliest times, erudition does not seem to have been neglected at Upsal; some of its kings, from their superior learning, acquired the name of magicians, the general appellation given to sages by the northern barbarians. In later ages, in the year 1247, Eric XI. instituted a university here, which was afterwards very richly endowed both by Gustavus Vasa and Gustavus Adolphus. One part of this establishment being built by the latter monarch, is called Academic Gustaviana. These places I purpose going particularly through, and then I will duly initiate you into all their mysteries.

Upsal is the see of the primate of Sweden. His dignity once. overtopped that of the throne: he was a senator by his office; and possessed such an immense church patrimony, that nothing could withstand the power of his riches. His palace and retinue

were more magnificent than the king's; and, indeed it may be said, that until the accession of Gustavas Vasa the archbishop of Upsal was sovereign in Sweden. Since the protestant profession in that kingdom, the overweening power of the metropolitan is limited within the proper bounds; and we now see that holy simplicity, blended with the grandeur of sacerdotal dignity, which best becomes a representative of the apostles. Through the kindness of one of my Swedish friends in the capital, I was provided with letters of introduction to Lindblome the present archbishop, and also to the professors of the university.

Being so well introduced, the morning after our arrival we paid our respects to his grace, and delivering our credentials, were received with a suavity and kindness which left us at ease in a moment. There was no cold stateliness in his demeanor; nothing to remind us that he was the first religious character in the kingdom, and we two humble travellers in our one horse sledge, visiting him perhaps out of curiosity. He welcomed us as friends, insisted upon our making no other house but his palace our home while we staid at Upsal. It was not a mere civil offer, but sincerely insisted on with a cordiality that persuaded, more than the comforts he promised. Thus established in his family, he gave orders to the people about him, that every object in, and near the city, worthy notice, should be shown us; and that our wishes should be obeyed in all things. There was something, I would have said, royal in this primate's hospitality; but I ought rather to have said, it was most eloquent of the religion he professed, all munificence, cheerfulness, and dignity. The kindnesses he dispensed seemed so much a part of his own nobleness, that he did not condescend to consider them obligations. They were friends whom he received, not dependents. Endowing his guests with every consideration belonging to his own honour, he maintained his dignity by asserting theirs; and while behaving to them with the same courtesy he would have used to a prince, he elevated his character at the moment he raised theirs. This is a refinement in hospitality practised by none but the greatest minds. Little ones, thinking their dignity cannot afford to allow much to

others, in general treat their guests with indifference; not aware that in so acknowledging, by their conduct, that their friends are contemptible, they lower themselves in the eyes of observers to the level they affect to contemn. Intimates must ever seem on a par.

The archbishop was an invalid: and owing to his indisposition, he told us, he had been obliged to transfer a ceremony he was that day to perform, from the cathedral to his palace. It was the inauguration of a bishop. Naming the hour, he invited us to be present, and meanwhile sent one of his librarians to see that we were conducted to all the noteworthy quarters of the town.

We first visited the university of Gustavus Adolphus, and were ushered into the grand public library. The repository of learning is richly stored with volumes of all ages, languages, and authors; besides above a thousand manuscripts of great value and antiquity. One, esteemed the most precious in their possession, bound splendidly in solid silver, was laid before us. The celebrated Codex Argenteus. It was found at Prague; and long afterwards presented to this library by the count de la Gardé. A beautiful edition with notes and illustrations printed at the Clarendon press, Oxford, lies near it; to render the examination of the original more easy to the curious. This interesting book contains a translation of the four Evangelists into the Mesogothic language, by Ulphilas, bishop of Thrace. He acquired that title from having converted the Thracians to christianity. To make you a little better acquainted with Ulphilas, I shall scribble you a rough learner-like translation of a few particulars related in an old account of Upsal, written in Swedish.

"This holy man, Ulphilas, bishop of Thrace, lived in the fourth century, during the reigns of the emperors Valens and Valentianus. His translation of the gospels is consequently older than that by Hieronomy, which, of all the Latin versions, is supposed to be of the greatest antiquity. The book of Ulphilas is in all respects a valuable acquisition: it not only gives us a most interesting acquaintance with the old Gothic language, but also affords us a knowledge of its letters. It likewise shows