N TME CUSTODY Or ThE

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.

SHELF N°

1%

TRAVELS

THROUGH

HOLLAND,

FLANDERS,

GERMANY,

DENMARK,
SWEDEN,

LAPLAND,

RUSSIA,

The UKRAINE,

AND

POLAND,

I N T H E

Years 176B, 1769, and 1770.

In which is particularly Minuted,,

THE PRESENT STATE

O F

THOSE COUNTRIES,

RESPECTING THEIR
AGRICULTURE. POPULATION,

MANUFACTURES, COMMERCE,
The ARTS, and USEFUL UNDERTAKINGS.

By

JOSEPH MAR

SHALL,

Efq.

THESE

C 0 N D

E D I T I ON.

V

0 L.

IL

LONDON:

Printed for J. Almon, oppofite Burlington-Houfe,
Piccadilly.

MDCCLXXin,

AUAMS>>t».F

CONTENTS of Vol. II.

Travels through Flanders.

CHAP. I.

yourney from Middlehurgh to Bruges^ and
thence to Dunkirk — Great Fertility of the
Country — St, Omer*s — Arras — Cambray —
Ddway — 'Tournay — Admirable Hufhandry
in this Country — L,ijle — Manufactures — •
Ghent — Rich manuring of their Fields in
Flanders — Bruffek — Converfation on the
prefent State of the Netherlands^ Politicks,
Ma.nufadiures, Commerce, page 3

CHAP. II.

From Brujfels to Mechlin — Antwerp — Defcrip-
tion of that City, and of its fine Paintings —
Journey to Ruremond— ^General Obfervatio?is
on Flanders — Number of Cities — Population
Vol.. II. a "^Trade—

u CONTENTS.

— Trade — Manufadiurei — Agriculture —
Situation — Political importance. 23

Travels through Germany.

CHAP. III.

From Ruremond to Cologne — Defcripfion of that
City — To Munjier — The Country — Hujban-
dry — Adventures — Bijloopric of Ofnaburgh
— Minden — War in Germany — Hanover —
Prefent State of the Elector ate— Agriculture
■ — Manufactures —Revenues — To Hamburgh
— Defcription of that City — State of its
Trade, &c. 73

Travels through Denmark.

CHAP. IV.

Altena — Lubeck — Curious Clock— Journey acrofs
Holjiein and Slefwick — Defcription of the
Country — Denmark — Accidental meeting
with a Danijh Nobleman — His great Im^
provements defcribed — Manufadiures—Com-
merce — Agriculture — His enlarged views — •

Journey

CONTENTS. ill

'Journey through the Northern Parts of
Denmark ■ ' ■ 123

CHAP. V.

Defcriptlon of the IJlands of Funen and Zea^
land — Copenhagen — Prefent State of Den-
mark— 'Trade — Manufadlures — Agriculture
^-Population — Revenues — General Prof-
perity — Manners — — 2 1 6

Travels through Sweden.

CHAP. VI.

From Copenhagen to Flfneur — Journey to Got-
tenburg — Defcription of the Country and the
Hujbandry — Gottenhurg — hake IVener — •
^he State of the Country — To Upfal — Con-
'Derfations with Sir Charles Linn<^us — State
of Agriculture in Sweden — Journey to
Stockholm 295

CHAP. vir.

Stockholm — State of Agriculture — Arts — Com-
merce— Government — F anions, ^Jc. 330

CHAP.

iv CONTENTS.

CHAP. VIII.

'Journey from Stockhohn to OregroncL — Hede-
mora — Defcrlptmi of the Country — Journey
through the Province of Dalecarlia — JDe-
fcr'iption of the Country — Its F eoplc-^Man-*
ners-^~HuJbandry — Employment 35 S

TRAVELS

Travels through Flanders,

Vol, IL

I s 1

CHAP. I. '

yourney from Mlddleburgh to Bruges, and
thence to Dunkirk — Great Fertility of the
Country — St. Omer*s — Arras — Camhray —
Doway — 'Tour nay — Admirable Hufbandry
in this Country — Lijle — Manufactures —
Ghent — Rich manuring of their Fields in
Flanders — Brujfels — Converfation on the
prefeni State of the Netherlands, Politicks,
Manufactures, Commerce,

FROM Middleburgh I fet out for Sluys,
the 27th of June j part of the way, I
was forced to take a failing boat. There
is nothing in that town, which is worth the
ihorteft flay ; I only dined there, and in
the afternoon reached Bruges, having pafTed
through a country pretty well cultivated.
I fixed my quarters by recommendation at
the Half Moon, where I found extreme
good accommodation, and much civility.

Bruges is an antient and extenfive city,

walled in, the circumference being near five

miles. There are near three hundred flreets

B 2 in

4 TRAVELS THROUGH

in it, and a vaft number of canals ard rivers;
but notwithfcanding a degree of fpaciouf-
nefs, yet it is not an agreeable place ; the
houfes are in genei"al very old, and extremely
ugly, and the whole place fliews evident
figns of decay, and a lofs of that trade and
manufadlure, for which it was once famous.
They reckon fix fquares, {even gates, eight
churches, and no lefs than fixty monafteries;
a woeful fort of population, in (lead of the
induflrious manufa6lurers, which once filled
the city ; among the reft, there is a nunnery
of Englifh, which feveral Roman Catholic
families in England have contributed to
fill.

The churches of Bruges have not any
thing m them very remarkable ; the befl: is
the Jefuits, which is an elegant edifice. In
the church of our Lady, there are two fine
monuments of Charles the Bold, Duke of
Burgundy, and his daughter and heirefs,
Mary of Burgundy ; they are of brafs, with
much enamelling; the workmanlhip good.

What makes this place have a very me-
lancholy air, are the vaft houfes, ftanding
empty in every part of the town, which
once were the refidence of wealth and fplen-
dor. Among others, they have feventeen
palaces, which, in the times of their prof-

perity,

FLANDERS. 5

perity, were formerly the refidence of con-
fuls from various kingdoms and ftates iit
Europe. This town was famous for trade^
before Antwerp arofe, being the greatell mart
in'Europe; England made it the flaple for
her wool, and its cloth manufactories were
much more confiderable, than thofe of any
other place or country. Bruges, at pre-
fent, is not without trade. The Oftend
canal admits fhips of from 2 to 300 tons
up to the heart of the city, which makes
more trade here, than in any other town in
Flanders. The merchandize, imported by
the Shipping on this canal, is, fent to many
places from Bruges, particularly, by the
Scheld to the city of Ghent, and from
thence, by other canals, to various cities; and
that river, with the Scarpe and the Lys,
reach to Tournay, Menin, Lille, and
Doway : they have likewife a communica-
tion with Antwerp, Louvaine, Mechlin, and
BrufTels. They have alfo fome manufac-
tures, which employ many of their poor,
particularly, in broad fays, bays, and other
fabricks.

From Bruges .to Oilend, I took the treck-
fchuyt ; the diflance is twelve miles, which
they perform in three hours. It paffes
through a level country, the foil inclinable

B 3 to

6 TRAVELS THROUGH

to fand, but very fertile, and well cultivated.
That town is fmall, but well built, and clean,
and does not exhibit fo much decay of an-
tient greatnefs as Bruges. It is fituated in
the midft of a fait marfh, with ditches, into
which the fea is let ; this fituation makes it
ftrong, but the improvements, in the modern
art of attacking places will not allow it the
fame of fuch another fiege, as that, which it
flood againft the Spaniards, which lafled
three years, and in which above an hundred
thoufand men on both fides fell -, the French,
in 1745, took it in eight days open trenches.
It has of late years been mofl noted by the
Eaft India company, which the Emperor
cftablifhed here, and which the maritime
powers perfifled in bullying him out of. It
is fomewhat extraordinary, that thofe powers
ihould have the modefly to pufh that affair
in the manner they did ; for why the Em-r
peror fhould not have the liberty to form
what eftablifhments he pleafed, in a fea port,
in his own dominions, is much more than
any of the Englifh or Dutch memorials
fatisfy us in.

The 29th, I got to Newport, by a canal
from Ofcend thither ; this is a mofl; pitiful
fifhing town, ill built, difagrecably fituated,
and has nothing to afford a traveller any

amufement.

FLANI3ERS. 7

amufement. After dinner, the landlord of
the inn, who is by birth an Irifhman,
brought me a bill, in which he had charged
a pair of foals at fixteen fhillings, though
they were of a moderate fize, and notwith-
ilanding my reckoning, honeflly reckoned,
came to near a guinea : it was a piece of
impolition which I was determined not to
fuiFer. Upon my refufal to pay the bill,
he was exceedingly impudent ; he would
carry me before the Efchevin : *' Very well,"
replied I, "let us go to the Efchevin ; I
** will attend you now." This eafe of re^
turn difappointed him. I wanted much
to get to Dunkirk that night, which was
not more than four and twenty miles, and
had befpoke a chaife for myfelf, and a horfe
for my fervant -, and the rafcal of a landlord,,
finding that I did not purpofe making any
flay at Furnes, took it for granted, that
time mufl of all things be moil precious ta
me, and therefore thought, that rather than
lofe any, I fhould wilHngly fubmit to any
impofition ; but finding me refolute, he was
at a nonplus. He offered to abate a fhiU
ling : " No, no. Sir, that will not do, you
** fhall go to the Efchevin with me." This
threat had its effed: j the rafcal at once dropt
his fixteen ihilling to a crown, well fatis-

S 4 fied

8 TRAVELS THROUGH

fied, I have no doubt, with double, what the
magiftrate would have allowed him. Had
he gone to him, he would probably have
been more feverely mulcted. Here let me
take occalion to warn my countrymen, in
travelling through any part of Holland or
Flanders, to avoid inns kept by any of their
own countrymen ; I know very few excep-
tions to the rule of finding all the inns, kept
by Englith, Scotch, or Irifli, mere traps to
catch the unwary travellers.

Furnes is a little paltry place of no confi-
deration, but Dunkirk demands more at-
tention. This place, which has made fo
much noife in modern hiftory, is twenty-
four miles from Oilend, twenty from Calais,
and fifty from Dover. Trade, and privateer-
ing, with the King's bulinefs, which is in
courfe executed here, make it populous and
flourilhing. It is very well built ; the ftreets
are broad, wide, and well paved. The for-
tifications, before their demolition, I imagine,
were very good; what they are prefent, I
know not, but moft certainly not demolifhed ;
the harbour never was any thing formidable
to England, not admitting any larger ifliips
than frigates ; but the lituation is fo advan-
tageous to cruizers, that the King's frigates,
and multitude of privateers, made an infi-
nity

FLANDERS. -9

nity of prizes, and it proved, in this manner,
one of the mofl pernicious thorns, that could
be in the fides of the trade of England.
There are five fquares in the town, all of,
them planted v^^ith trees, but they have not
any thing very flriking in them. The
method alfo of building is not favourable
to the beauty of the ftreets, for all the beft
houfes have court-yards before them, and
great gates into the ftreets. In one of the
churches there is a picture of St. George, by
Rubens, which has very great expreffion.
The arfenal was once very well worth fee-
ing, but is fo no longer. Dankirk carries
on a confiderable commerce, not only by
being a free port, but alfo from principally
fupplying Lifle, and feveral other places of
importance, with every thing they import,
and fending forth whatever they export.
The whole way from Bruges to Dunkirk is
through a moft rich foil, the grafs and corn
all as fine as ever I faw.

The fecond of July I left Dunkirk, taking
achaife for St. Omer's -, the diftance is twenty
miles, and through a country very richly
cultivated. I obferved great quantities of
clover in the fields, which was a fecond
growth, the firft having been cut fome time
before j it was now thick, and of a luxurious

growth

10 TRAVELS THROUGH

growth ; the wheat crops were not at all
fuperior (judging by the eye) to what is often
feen in England. Cole feed they cultivate
alfo ; they were tranfplanting it on fmall
ridges, which, if I recolle6l right, is contrary
to the Englifh way of managing that crop ;
we fow it like turnips ; the Flemings think
their way much the befl ; and certainly it
cleans the ground better, than if all of it was
fo covered, as to let the weeds arife. I re-
marked feveral fields of turnips, but nothing
in them extraordinary. Some tra6ls of
country between thefe towns is light and
fandy, but none in which the foil is bad.

St. Omer's is a large, and apparently a
populous town, well and regularly built, and
very flrongly fortified ; but what mofl con-
tributes to its ftrength is the fituation, which
is in the midfl of a morafs, fo that by means
of fluices, (of which they have an amazing
number) they can lay the whole neighbour-
hood, for fome miles, under water. The
Jefuits college here is a very handfome build-
ing, confining of two large fquares -, they
are called Englifli Jefuits, and a great num-
ber of them were born in the Britifh domi-
nions. The Abbey of St. Bcrtris is a fine
edifice; from the tower, the condu6lor
^fTures you, that you may, in a clear day, fee

the

FLANDERS. tr

the coaft of England j but it is a falfhood.
There are fome very confiderable manufac-
tories at St. Omer's, particularly of cloth,
druggets, duroys, fhalloons, and flockings,
which are flourifhing ; thefe are moftly car-
ried on by means of wool fmuggled from
England.

The fame country and cultivation extends
from St. Omer's to Bethune, as from Dun-
kirk to St. Omer's, only the woods are more
frequent : it is but a fmall town, but neat ;
the fortifications are very flrong.

The fourth of July I reached Arras, which
is a confiderable city, the capital of Artois ;
it is a populous and induftrious place, fitu-
ated upon a hill, at the foot of which runs
a branch of the river Scarpe. The fortifi*
cations are reckoned very ftrong, efpecially
the citadel. The buildings are handfome,
the ftreets fpacious, and well paved. The
principal market-place is an oblong, with
piazzas round it, but they have a difagree-
able effed. They talk of having above an
hundred churches and chapels belonging to
this city, which founds very magnificently,
but they are moft of them too trivial for
notice, mean buildings, or crowded into
holes and corners. The edifice, mofl worth
feeing, is the Bcnedidiine abbey, which en-
joys

12 TRAVELS THROUGH

joys a revenue of thirty thoufand crowns a
year -, the pidures, carving, and monu-
ments, are very v^ell v/orth notice. Arras
poflelTes a confiderable trade in her own ma-
nufactures, particularly in linen and woollen
fabrics, and is very famous for tapeftry.

From hence I made a fmall excurfion to
Cambray, through a very fertile country,
that is extremely v ell cultivated ; I was in-
formed, that that city was as \yell worth
viewing as moil in Flanders, but I cannot
fay it aniwered my expectations. The for-
tifications arc curious, particularly the citadel
built by Charles V. which is a regular pen-
tagon, cut moftly out of a rock. The man-
ner in which the principal ftreets are laid
out, to point to the market-fquare, like
the rays of a circle to the center, is flriking:
that fquare is remarkably large, and the
Stadthoufe, which fronts it, is a fine build-
ing. In the great church, they Ihow a
chiming clock, the work of a country fel-
low, which, as fuch, deferves notice, but has
not, in any other refpect, merit enough to
flrike a fpeCtator, ufed to fuch fort of works.
But my principal view in coming to Cam-
bray, was to fee the famous cambric manu-
factory, which has been eflabllflied here fo
long, and is fo defervedly famous. They

certainly

FLANDERS. tj

certainly make that kind of linen to a per-
fe6lion unknown at any other place in
Europe ; pieces of a great length weigh but
a few ounces 3 they make it up to feventeen
fhillings an ell, but it is of an amazing fine-
nefs. I made numerous enquiries into the
flate of this manufacture, and from feveral
perfons well informed, and they feemed uni-
form in their opinions, that it is much upon
the decline : they attribute much of this
evil to the prohibition of it in England, to
which kingdom their exports Ufed to be very
greats but now they are confined to the
fmuggling trade, which, though not trifling,
bears no proportion to what they once pof-
feffed. The numbers of men, women, and
children, employed in Cambray, and fome
adjacent villages, on the manufa6lure of
cambric, does not fall fhort of feventeen
hundred. The men earn at an average, at
the rate of five (hillings and fixpence a week,
Englifii ; women, that are good hands, two
fhillings to three and fixpence, and children,
from a penny to fixpence a day ; but thefe
prices are, when the employment is full, for
at fome feafons, they have much time with-
out being able to get work.

Returning' to Arras, I took a chaife for

Doway the feventh, and found it a fine place,

■ fituated

14 TRAVELS THROUGH

fituated very well in the midft of a territory
remarkably fertile, fuperior, I think, to any
I have lately feen ; it is large, feems full of
people, and is ftrongly fortified, like Cam-
bray ; the ftreets in it point regularly to the
market-place, where is alfo the Town-houfe.
The univerfity conlifts of fourteen colleges,
which they fay are in a flourifhing condition.
Fort Scarpe is a vaft out- work to Doway, fo
well placed, that by means of fluices at
command, it can drown all the adjacent
country.

From Doway to Tournay the country is
very rich, and much of it cultivated in a
maflerly manner : the account, which a far-
mer gave me of their method of managing
their lands, is, I think, curious. They
never give, what we in England, call a fal-
low ; that is, a year of mere tillage to kill
all weeds and meliorate the exhaufted foil.
They think, the only good purpofe of fuch a
fallow is to kill weeds, but that the foil
receives no other benefit from it. That on
the contrary, they can fow it with crops,
which will kill the weeds equally with any
fallow, and at the fame time much enrich it:
this appeared to me fo very defirable, that I
Jiftened to it with attention. Of thefe crops,
turnips, rape, beans, and clover, were, I

found.

FLANDERS. i^

found, the principal ; what peculiarity they
may have in their management, I do not
know, but thefe plants are as common in
England, as they are in Flanders, and yet
the hufbandry does not feem near fo good.
Rape they cultivate for the fake of the feed,
from which they extra6l oil, for which pur-
pofe, there are many mills through all this
part of Flanders. They prepare their lands
richly for it, both by tillage and manuring ;
plough it into regular ridges, and then plant
on them : it mull be very expenfive -, they
hand-hoe the plants carefully, to keep them
free from weeds. As to the produce, the
accounts, they gave me, were not very clear,but
from the beft computation I could make, it
amounts one year with another to fix or feven
pounds an Engliih acre. Turnips they pre-
pare for in the fame manner as rape, but
tranfplant only a part of their crop ; fome
they fow, where they are to remain: they
likewife hand-hoe their turnips as well as
the rape ; ufe them chiefly for the winter-
food of cows and oxen, all which animals
are regularly houfed, and the turnips given
in mangers. They do not approve the Eng-
liih way of feeding turnips on the land j
but as I wanted to know their reafon for
this, I enquired their motives : they think

the

i6 TRAVELS THROUGH

the land would parch and be damaged, and
the crop would not go near fo far : whether
they are right or wrong, I am no judge to
decide, but what they urge, feems to have
reafon in it. An Englifli acre of turnips
they reckon worth four pounds : fome crops
they leave for feed to make oil from, mixed
with rape feed ; and fuch crops pay as well,
and fometimes better, than rape.

But their principal fallow crops they
reckon the clovers, of which they have three
forts, bearing a red, a yellow, and a white
blofTom; the firft produces the greateil crops,
but will not lail more than two years -, the
other forts yield a fweeter food for cattte,
and will lafl five or fix years, but the red is
moft in ufe. They fow it with barley and
oats, in the fame manner, that, I believe, is
common in fome parts of England : aftfcr
harveft, the field is covered with a full crop,
which fupports a great number of cattle
almofl till Chriftmas ; and this paflurage
on their bed lands is fo great, that it fome-
times pays all the expences of the year's
crop, and leaves the barley clear profit. The
following year, they mow the clover for hay^
and get no lefs than three crops ; and from
what I viewed, I fliould fuppofe, each would
produce a ton and a half on an Englilh acre,

and

FLANDERS. 17

and fometimes more. The next year, if
they leave it fo long, they ufually feed it :
and thefe crops of clover, though fo very
plentiful, they aflert, improve the land,
which is poffible, to be fure, but I cannot
eafily comprehend, hovsrfuch ample produc-
tions can do that benefit to the land ; how-
ever, the Flemifii farmers have experience
on their fide; for, upon giving thefe clover
fields only one ploughing, they harrow in
wheat, and get very fine crops, and as clean,
I think, as any I ever faw in England : whe-
ther our management of clover is upon this
method, I am not acquainted, but if not, I
apprehend, it would be worthy the imitation
of the Englifh farmers. This clover prepa-
ration for wheat is in general on a pale red-
difli loam ; here and there, they have fields of
clay, where it will not fucceed. Another
ufe, to which they put their clover, is, I be-
lieve, quite unknown in thofe parts of Eng-
land, with v^^hich I am acquainted ; it is that
of mowing, and giving it green to cattle in
houfes, inftead of letting them eat it in the
field; they affert, that in this mode of con-
fuming it, one acre goes as far, as feveral :
certainly it merits a trial.

Their bean crops confift of many of the
large forts, common in England, and whole

Vol. 11, C fields

i;8 TRAVELS THROUGH

fields of the kidney fort, which we call
French beans : all thefe they fow in rows> and
keeping them very clean by hoeing, get great
crops, and fallow them with wheat or bar-
ley. Their wheat, I do not think, appears
finer, than what I have feen in England, but
their barley is much fuperior. They feem
to be very attentive hufbandmen in the article
of manuring their lands : I obferved feveral
pits in the country, paved and roofed for
keeping mixtures of dungs in ; the human,
they elleem the beft.

There is a fine range of rich meadow land
about Tournay. That town is large and
well built, and the river Schelde, running
through it, has many bridges, with feveral
handfome quays, planted in the Dutch man-
ner. It appears to be populous. In 'the
cathedral are feveral monuments of brafs
and marble, that are very well worth view-
ing. The altar-piece of St. Martin's is of
marble, richly adorned, and is fine ; but the
moft deferving of attention in this church, is
the picture by Rubens, of the crowning of
our Saviours in which the defign, dignity
of expreflion, and colouring, are remarkably
fine. The fortifications of Tournay are
fome of the fineft in Flanders ; the citadel
being efleemed the mafter-piccc of Vauban }

all

FLANDERS. 19

all the works of it are undermined. There
are feveral flourifhing linen manufaftures
here, with fome of ftockings and woriled
pieces, but the former are the principal.

From Tournay to Lille, the country is all
fertile and rich : I faw fome fields, planting
with colefeed, in which I counted more than
thirty hands to a field, and they feem to
execute it with great celerity. Lifle is tlie
principal city of all thefe parts, at the dif-
tance of fifteen miles from Tournay. It is
a large city, and more populous, than any I
have been in, fince I left Holland, to which,
indeed, its garrifon does not a little contri-
bute, for it confifts of ten thoufand of the
bell troops of France. The regularity and
fpacioufnefs of the ftreets, with many of the
buildings, make it really a very fine city : in
the center 'of it is a great fquare, to which
tlie principal ftreets lead. La Rue Royal'e
extends above a mile, and is one of the fineft,
I have any where feen.

The fortifications are among the mofl:
famous in Europe, not having been taken,
fmce the Duke of Marlborough took the
city, after three months open trenches. The
citadel is not regular, but very large, and
lancommonly flrong. In France, they
C 3 reckon

20 TRAVELS TH.ROUGH

reckon this place, next to Paris, the moA
important in the kingdom.

They have a French opera, and a theatre
for comedies, but neither of them abound
with capital performers ; the prices are
cheap, yet the company is often very good.
There are people enough in Lifle to main-
tain a great number of hackney coaches.

They carry on fome very confiderable
manufadures here, particularly of linens,
broad and narrow cloths, and druggets,
many forts of fluffs and flockings, and more
than feven hundred looms are employed in
making camlets. Great numbers of cali-
mancoes, and other fluffs, wrought of filk and
mohair ; thefe fabrics are in general flourifli-
ing, though not equal to what they were
above twenty years ago ; there are, however,
many thoufands of hands employed in
them.

It may not be wrong to add here, that I
met with an excellent reception at the Palais
Royale, in St. Martin's-flreet ; excellent
rooms, a good bed, and provifions and wine
unexceptionable ; but, in return, the bill is
not moderate; I could not live there under a
guinea and half a day, though I had.no
liorfcs. Dcarnefs, when every thing is good,
IS to be fubmittcd to> but when met with,

as

FLANDERS. zx

a-s is often the cafe, where every thing is
bad, it is not a Uttle grating.

July 1 1 th, I took a chaife from Lifle ta
Courtray, which is fifteen miles, moft of the
way through a country equally rich with the
preceding. It is a pretty tov/n, and very
populous from the manufad:ures carried on
in it, particularly of woollen ^nd linen goods;
for the latter of which, they are very famous :
none, however, are in fo flourifhing a con-
dition, as they v/ere for fome years before the
laft war.

From Courtray to Ghent, the country
does not appear to be quite fo fertile as that,
through which I have lately trave;lled, but
the hufbandryis very good. They are here
extremely attentive to manuring j \ remarked
fome labourers carting out the compoftfrom
a bricked ftercorary ; upon enquiry, I found.,
it was filled with the riddance of privies from
Courtray, mixed with fine molds, and a
fmall quantity of a(hes. It had been before
turned over, to mix the ingredients well :
they informed me, that a large quantity of
earth (hould be mixed with the dung, and,
that this compoft is of all manures, the moil:
fertilizing. A lefTon, which I fliould appre-
hend, very important to the farmers vyithiri
fen miles of all great cities.

• • ^3 ^ Ch^nl

iz TRAVELS THROUGH

Ghent is one of the largeft cities in Eu-
rope, being near fifteen miles in circum-
ference. It is built on a large number of
little iflands, formed by four rivers, and
many canals, over which there are an hun-
dred bridges : bat large and pompous as this
account is, I muft obferve, that the reality
bears no proportion to the defcription^
more than half the ground within the walls,
being occupied by gardens, and there are
fome fields. As to the fortifications, they
are contemptible, being little more than lines
for an army to encamp within. Some of
the flreets are large, well paved, and tolerably
built. Among the public buildings, there
are none worthy of any attention, but a few
churches. They have very flourifhing linen
manufaclures throughout all this country ;
but they are not confined to Ghent, though
there are many in that town, but all the vil-
lages, and almolt every farm, is a flax manu-
factory. Flax is a principal crop upon all
the fandy parts of this country, and the far-
mers and labourers do not only grow it, but
alfo drefs and weave it, and the women and
children fpin it. Every little farmer has one
or two looms, many of them five or fix, and
fome feven or eight, according to the num-
ber of hands in the family. This makes

the

FLANDERS. 23

the whole race of country people remarkably
a^iive and induftrious ; the fervants, and the
farmer, and his fons, will weave linen of
nights, and in wet days, when they have
not employment in the farm, and, in this
manner, contribute greatly to earning a bet-
ter income and maintainance for their fami-
lies, than in other countries, where fuch time
is appropriated to idlenefs. Befides thefe
linen fabrics, they have at Ghent fome filk
and woollen manufadures.

The 1 3th, I took a chaife from Ghent for
BrufTels ; the diftance is about thirty miles,
which I performed with eafe before dinner,
and made two or three flops, to have fome
converfation with the country people. The
foil is middhng, but not fo good, as I have
feen in other parts of Flanders, but it is very
well cultivated. I faw many fields of flax,
which they keep remarkably clean from
weeds : the crops feemed good. I alfo faw
much fine clover, and pretty good corn
crops.

I was drove direclly to the Duke of Bra-
bant's inn, where I fixed m^y refidence,
defigning to flay a few dajs j my intention
was to have hired private lodgings, but J
lilced the inn fo well, and the treatment I
received, that I changed m.y mind, and deter^

C 4 mined

i4 TRAVELS THROUGH

mined to remain at the inn. BrufTels is far
more beautiful, for the bombardment (he
fuffered from Marihal Villeroy^ for fmce
1696, the mifchief he did, has been all made
good by many new ftreets and public build-
ings, in a much better tafte, than they were
before. Many of the ftreets are well paved,
fome of them broad, and all the new houfes
large and well built.

Among the churches of BrulTels, there are
fome, that well deferve a traveller's notice.
St. Gudula is a very remarkable Gothic pile,
highly ornamented with monuments, cha-
pels, pidures, &c. The Jefuits church has
alfo feveral objects, deferving notice.

The great market fquare is one of the
iineft, I have any where feen : one whole fide
of it is taken up with the Town Houfe,
which is certainly a flupendous building;
there is a very magnificent apartment, in
which the States of Brabant meet; thehiflory
of Charles V. is wrought in the tapeftry
with a flrength and brilliancy of colouring,
that cannot be exceeded. There are other
apartments, which contain numerous ori-
guial paintings by the bcft Flemil]i mafters.
Other great advantages the market place
enjoys, is being furrounded with the corpo-
ration halls of different trades, the fronts of

which

FLANDERS. as

which being uniform, and adorned, make a
fine circumference.

The regent's palace, though an old irre-
gular building, ere6led at different times,
Ihould not be paifed over by any traveller.
It is a very large edifice, and the apartments
are extremely fpacious and well furnifhed.
Behind it, after crofling fome filly unmean-
ing parterres, you enter a large park, well
planted and flocked with deer. There arc
many very agreeable walks in it. On one
fide of it is a fummer-houfe, built by the
Emperor Charles V.

Among the other edifices, that are ufually
viewed, are the palaces of Orange, now be-
longing to the King of PrulTia -, the Princes
DeLigne, Epinoy, Rubengue, and Egmont ;
and the Dukes of Aremberg, Arfchot, and
Bournonville. In the gardens of the
latter, you have a very fine view of the
greatefl part of BrufTels, and much of the
adjacent country. I remarked, that the
only obje61:s of much confideration in thefe
palaces, were the paintings, among which,
and particularly in that of the Duke d'Arem-
berg's, are many very fine capital pieces,
rot only by the Flemifh, but alfo by the
Italian mailers. A connoiiTeur will find no

flight

26 TRAVELS THROUGH

flight entertainment among thefe collec-
tions.

In refpedl to the diverfions of Bruilels,
there is a large Opera Houfe, and two
theatres, upon which French comedies are
reprefented. The Opera Houfe is very large,
being more fpacious than that in the Hay-
market. Inftead of boxes, in the London
tafle, it has large clofets, after the Italian
manner, which are hired for the feafon by thg.^
nobility and foreign minifters at a cheap
rate -, they contain tables, chairs, a fire, ^c»
fo that parties are formed for cards and con-
verfation, during the performance. But the
prices of admillion are too low to allow of
great entertainrnent 5 their performers are
but very moderate, and bad mufic is certainly
an entertainment, that will not be relifhed by
thofe, who have been the leafl acquainted
with the luxurious entertainment, which the
Englifh and Italian operas yield.

The fountains, of which they have above
twenty, at the corners of the principal ilreets,
add much to the beauty of the city, and at
the fame time fupply it well with water.
They have a vaft number of monafteries,
nunneries, and hofpitals, fome of which I
viewed, but found nothing in any of them

remarkable.

The

FLANDERS. 27

The keeping up a court, gives an air of
iivelinefs to Bruffels, that is more agreeable,
than what is found in moft of the other cities
in Flanders. What v/ith the officers about
the perfon of the governor-general ; the refi-
dence of a confiderable military ; the chief
courts of juftice -, with no .flight portion of
trade and manufa6lure, altogether render the
place the moftpleafing andchearful refidence
^n Flanders. They are famous for the ma-
jiufadtory of lace, which is in a flourifhing
fituation y and alfo that of tapeflry, which is
known very well all over Europe.

I had a recommendatory letter to the
Baron de Walmode, who received me with a
pplitenefs and affability, which I cannot but
acknowledge : he invited me to his table fe-
veral days, and from his converfation, I
learned more irnportant information, than I
could otherwife have gained. His eftates in
Brabant and Flanders are confiderable, and
he lives in a fplendid and elegant manner.
The Baron b a man of enlarged ideas, has
travelled through the principal countries of
Europe, and feen much of the bufy world,
while he was in the Imperial fervice -, but he
quitted it at fifty years of age, and retired tq
Bruffels, dividing his time between the city
and his eftates in the country, wherein he

hag

28 TRAVELS THROUGH

has two houfes, which he has furnifhed for
his reception, when inclined to rural diver-
fions, or retirement from the city. I wanted
to be informed of the political ftate of
Auftrian Flanders, the benefits accruing to
the Houfe of Auflria from the pofleffion,
the revenues, ^c. And in feveral of thefe
points, the Baron gave me accounts, which
are much more to be depended on, than the
vague relations, which we meet with in the
Gazettes of the age.

He faid, that it was a miftaken notion,
common in feveral of the courts of Europe,
that the Houfe of Auftria received fo little
benefit from thepoiTefTion of thofe provinces,
that they were fcarcely worth keeping, from
the expences running away with all the
profit. But all this, he remarked, was a mif-
take, as more regularity has been thrown
into the government of the provinces, into
the receipts of the revenue, and the expen-
diture of it : encouragement has been given
to trade and manufactures, and the effe6ls
have been very beneficial. But fuppofe,
continued the Baron, that profit was not
received in the treafury at Vienna, flill the
advantage of a confiderable body of troops
heing paid and maintained, is one of the
moft important nature. The provinces pay

the

i^ L A ISf 0 E R S. 29

tile troops in garrifon, and the forces of all
forts, that are quartered here, which amount
at different times, from fix to twenty thou-
fand men, and the opportunity of advancing
numerous fubje6ls to pofls of honour and
advantage, is valuable to any court.

Thefe provinces, continued he, are popu-*
lous, and are found highly ferviceable in re*
cruiting regiments ; and as they pofTefs much
trade, and numerous thriving manufadures,
they are a body of fubjedts of undoubted im-
portance. However, thefe advantages arc
not all, for it is very well known, that con-
liderable remittances are made to Vienna,
notwithftandingthe expences of maintaining
a court here.

Many fchemes of improving the trade and
manufadlures of this country have been
ftarted, and laid before the council for the
provinces at Vienna; fome of them have
been approved of, and begun to be executed,
but fuch things do not proceed with any
very quick pace ; yet fomething good will
probably refult from them by and by.

The acquifition of a fliare in foreign trade,
by means of a good port on the ocean, pro-
mifes moft, and Oftend would certainly
admit of very great exertions of this fort ;
they have been confidered of at court more

than

30 TRAVELS THROUGH

than once; but the remembrance of the ill
fuccefs, attending the Eaft India company
eflabhfhed there, from the oppofition of the
Maritime Powers, prevented their execution.
All thefe improvements, though only a
few of them are completed, have had aftor
nifliing tendency to raife the revenues of the
country, and alfo the population of it ; the
Baron aflured me, that in the laft war, the
Emprefs Queen drew confiderable fums from
the revenues of thefe provinces, and great
numbers of recruits. I obferved to him,
that there was, in that war, a report of her
Imperial Majefty's alienating them to France,
in confideration of afliftance to recover
Silefia. He replied, that the out- line of
that idea would have had a great appearance
of probability, if France had been in a fitu-
ation to undertake pofitively for the fuccefs
of a Silefian conqueft ; for that province,
from its fituation, was certainly more valua-
ble to Auftria, than Flanders : but the utter
inability of France was fo viiible and great,
that it was impofTible, the Emprefs Queen
Ihould be fo deceived in her politics : nor is
it clear, added he, whether fuch a revolution
would not have brought the Dutch into the
war againfl France, in fpite of all their fear
and caution j for the Aullrian provinces, ia

the

-F L A NDE R S. 31

the hands of France, would be death to the
liberty of Holland, as all the ideas of a bar-
rier would be thereby defLroyed, and the
Dutch provinces lie open to every fudden
inroad, that might be attempted. \¥hat the
rulers in Holland would fay to it, is not
eafily conceived, but the populace, and lower
ranks, would drive them into oppofition.

The juftnefs of the Baron's obfervations,
I think, is clear ; and I own, he convinced
me, that there is no danger of feeing the Au-
flrian Flanders in the hands of France,
which would be almoft as dangerous an event
to England, as it would to Holland.

Refpe6ting the prefent ftate of their manu-
fadlures, he informed me, that the govern-
ment had exerted itfelf greatly in their
favour, and in feveral inftances with high
iuccefs, but that it muft in general be little
further, than preventing a greater decHne :
that they had not one manufadure, com-
parable to what flourilhed in Flandei's many
years ago -, that of laces was flourifliing, but
not near fo confiderable as formerly ; and the
fame obfervation was applicable to thofe of
fine linen andtapeftry : indeed, the attention,
given to manufactures in every country and
ftate in Europe, cannot but have drawn
much from the old fabric long eftabliPaed :

no

52 TRAVELS "IH ROUGH

no article of manufa6lure is found in Flan-
ders, which is not flrongly rivalled by fomc
neighbour or other. This, with the inter-
nal mifchiefs, refulting from freedoms of cor-
porate towns, cramping the workmen, are
very prejudicial to all induflry in thefe pro-
vinces : the latter obftacle is much remedied
by new regulations, but the former remains
in full force.

Notwithftanding thefe impediments, the
fabrics of the Auftrian provinces are by no
means inconfiderable ; the towns are thick,
and all of them have fome manufadure or
other : their linens, laces, ftockings, caps,
cloths, druggets, carpets, &c. &c. are all
confiderable, employing great numbers
of hands, and bringing much money into
the country.

It was not tvithout pain, that I took my
leave of the Baron, on my quitting Bruffels ;
I found very few people, who had attended
fo much to the fuperior interefts of their
country, or that underftood them better.
He hftd an enlarged idea of the politics of
Europe, and feemed perfc6lly well to under-
jftand the true condud: of every neighbour-
ing power,

CHAP.

f 33 ]

CHAP. IL

^rom ]Srtt[fels to Mechlm-'—Ati'i'werp^—-T>efmp'
t'lon of that City, and of its fine Paintings-^
Journey to Ruremon'd— General Ohfervations
on Flanders— Number of Cities — Population
■< — Trade — Manufadiures — - Agriculture-—'
Situation-^P olitical importance.

JULY 20th, I left Bruil^ls, taking the
road to Mechlin in my way to Antwerp;
the diftance is twelve miles, through a light
fandy country,, not near fo rich as what I
had lately travelled, .but their management
of it feemed very good ; though fome of it
was not cultivated at all, yet all, that was
under crops, feemed to yield very good ones.
Flax I obferved to grow very well on thefe'
fands, but they manured them very richly
for the crop. I faw much clover, that
was very fine, and many fields of barley and
oats, that almoft rivalled the produ6fs of
much better foils ; but I do not remember
feeing one crop of wheat. They plough here
with much greater dexterity, than -ever
Vol. II. D " I faw^

34 TRAVELS THROUGH

I faw in England; for the ploughman has-
no driver, although they ufe four horfes at a
time ', he has reins to all the horfes, and a
long coach-whip, which he fticks into a
focket, made on purpofe to receive it, in the
beam of his plough : they ufe only wheel-
ploughs, and the country people think, that
no plough in the world can equal their true
Flemifli one. I remarked their furrows,
and found, that they went very fliallow >
their motive for which, is keeping the good
foil at top, which has been manured, and
notploughingdown to the (harp fand, which
has never received any improvement. On
fome low fpots, between little fandy emi-
nences, they plant hops, which, by means
of good manuring, and much cultivation,
they make a profitable crop.

Mechlin is a confiderable city, very well
fituatcd for communication and trade with
Antwerp, Bruffels, and Louvaine, by means
of the rivers Dyle and Demer, which join,
before they arrive at this place, and united,
run through it ; there are befides, feveral
eanals, and a great many bridges thrown over
them. The ftreets are in general well built,
and the market-place is large. Mechlin is
famous for the manufacture of the lace, that
goes by its name. It is chiefly made in the

nunnery

FLANDERS. 35

fiunnery of the Beguines ; a kind of nuns,
without thofe vows, which bind the common
ones to the monaftic Hfe, being at Hberty, at
any time, to quit the confinement and marry 5
there are generally feven or eight hundred
young women in it, employed upon the lace,
which brings a good price all over Europe.
They are alio famous in this place for foun-
deries of bells, and great guns, and, in an
inferior degree, for brewing good beer, which
they export in confiderable quantities. Mech-
lin is an agreeable place to refide at, from
the diverfions, which are going on at
it 5 this is principally owing to the number
-of nobility, who make it their refidence.

From Mechlin to Antwerp, the voad runs
through a poor fandy country, much of it
Walle and covered with heath. That city is
iitnated in a low fenny fpot ; but it is feven
miles in circumference, furrounded with a
good wall, and many baftions, faced with
.ftone. Thefe fortifications, however, are of
nootherconfeqiienpe, than to defend it againft;
fudden incurfions, but they are very be^.uti-
ful, for the top of the wall is an hundred
feet broad, and doubly planted with rows of
trees. The only ftrength of it is the citadel,
which is the famous one,cre6ted by the Duke
©f Alva. It (lands clofe to the river Schelde,
P 3 pa.

36 TRAVELS THROUGH

on the South fide of the city ; it is a regular,
fortification, and very flrong, commanding
all the town, and the adjacent country for
fome diftance. There are five principal
baftions to it, which command each other,
and defended by two very deep and wide
ditches. It w^as the eredion of this fortrefs,
that gave the great blow to the vaft trade,
which Antwerp once carried on. Here was
the ftatue, which the Duke of Alva caufed to
be made, reprefenting himfelf in a military
attitude, trampling the nobility and people
under feet; and which roufed the fpirit of the
populace fo much, that they broke into the
citadel on a holiday, and utterly demolifhed ,
the ilatue. Here are many confiderable
magazines for mifitary ftores, and barracks
for a garrifon of four thoufind men.

The river at Antwerp is twenty feet deep,
and, at high water, rifes twenty feet more,
which makes it an excellent harbour, into
which fliips of the greatefl burthen may be
admitted to unload their cargoes at eight oi'
the principal canals in the town. Thefe were
the advantages, which carried their trade to
fuch a height; but the Dutch, building Fort
Lillo, which totally commanded the approach,
and, in confequence, making all fliips, that
paifed pay toll, was a fatal ftrokc to their

trade.

F L A N D E R S. 37

trade, and drove the chief of it to Am-
flerdam.

Antwerp has many remains of its former
magnificence, particularly in the breadth,,
length, and regularity of the principal
ftreets, and many of the public buildings
and churches. It has twenty two fquares,.
two hundred and twelve ftreets, and feven
gates, from each of which runs a ftreet,
terminating at the cathedral fquare. The
ftreet, called La Mere, is the lineft in the city;
it is very well paved, and is fo wide, that five
coaches may pafs in it abreafl with great eafe;
it is alfo very well built, and in' general of
free ftone : many of the other ftreets alfo
make a very good appearance, being broad,
flrait, and handfome. The better fort of
houfes, throughout the city, are in general
large, lofty, and contain good apartments.
From the decay of trade, many of them arc
lett at very low rates : moft have court-yards
and gardens, which make them very agree-
able to live in ; many of them are indeed in.
the antient llile of building, which is not fa
graceful in appearance.

The markets here are numerous, and moft

of them wxll fupplied j that for fiih is near

the river, and abounds with great plenty, that

is excellent : and that for fruit and garden-

D 3 ' fluff.

38 TRAVELS THROUGH

ftufF is well fupplied by numerous country
carts, in which the peafants bring the pro-
duce of their little farms 3 but much coqies
by water. One fquare is called the Friday
market-place, in which, of a market day,
are to be feen many fales by ^u6lion-of fur-
niture, and fome of pictures, where are to be
picked up fometimes yaluable pieces by
Flemifh mafters.

Nothing can be more melancholy, than
to view the houfe of the Hanfe towns, built
in 1468, (a time in which this city was fo
flourifhing) for the ufe of the merchants,
trading to the Baltic It is a fquare edifice
of 230 feet, and all of flone: the upper floors
were ample magazines for all forts of dry
merchandize, with vaft cellars for the wet
goods, which are now converted to ftabling
for troopers horfes, and the magazines to
hay-lofts; a fad fpedacle of the building,
which once was the refidence of wealth and
induftry, and fliews, how miferablc a fall any
place undergoes, that lofes a once eftabli(hed
trade.

Very near the ftrcet La Mere, is the Ex-
change, faid to be the firll building of the
kind, raifcd in Europe ^ and from which. Sir
Thomas Grefliam is faid to have taken his
idea of that of London. Four ftreets meet

at

F L A N P E R S. i 3^

tt it, and it has four great gates, anfwerable
to them : the parades are fupported by above
forty marble pillars ; the length of it is i 8q
feet, and the breadth 140. Beneath it, are
vaults and magazines for goods -, and over it,
are the apartments of an academy of paints
ing, fculpture, and architedlure. The ex-
pence of this building is faid to have amount-
ed to three hundred thoufand crowns, at
a time when money was much dearer, than
it is at prefent.

The Stadthoufe is very well worth view-
ing i it is all of free ftone, furrounding three
courts, with a very magnificent front, de-
corated with flatues and a cupola. The
Dutch, from an obfervation, that the trade of
Antwerp began to decline the year this
building was finiihed, have fuperftitioufly
delayed completing the Stadthoufe at Am-
flerdam, left the fame fate fhould attend
the commerce of that city -, but their pre^
caution has been vain, for their trade has
greatly declined, notwithflanding the un|i-
nifhed ftate of their Town-houfe.

In this edifice are feveral paintings much,
deferving tlie attention of the connoifleurs.
jn that art;, and among others, are the fol-
lowing ;

D 4 TUs.

^o TRAVELS THROUGH

The virgin of Antwerp, by Abraham
JanfTens. This is' a very capital piece, it is
naturally executed, yet with a minutQ
expreffion.

A holy family, by Gerard Zeghers.

Game and fowls, by Snyders -, the figures
by Rubens. This is one of the fineft pic-
tures in the colledtion j nothing can be
more exa6l than the imitation of the game,
and the figures are touched in Ruben's maf^
terly manner.

Three triumphal arches, by Rubens.

A whole chapel, painted by Henry Ver-<
bruggen, and very well executed. The altar
and crucifix are the work of Michael Ver-»
voort the elder -, they are very fine.

Concord, by Abraham Janffens.

An altar-piece, admirably executed, by
Cornelius Schut.

The elders, exercifing the bow, byBiget;
the archite6lurc by Herdenberg, and the
landfcape part by Himmetraet. This ap-
pears to be a very valuable piece.

Antwerp was once the grand emporium
of almoil all the commerce in Europe,
which was owing to three principal caufes.
Firft, To the liberty, which reigned here.
Second, To the, advantages of its fituation
and port, for above four thoufand fail of

fliips

FLANDERS, .41

ihips could lay in perfed fafety in the canals
at a time. And thirdly, To the near neigh-
bourhood of the moll flourilhing manufac-
tures then in Europe, which were carried
on in all the Flemiih towns. Bruges pof-
fclTed tl^e greateft Ihare of trade, before Ant-
werp arofe to fuch a height -, but the wars,
which broke out in Flanders in the beginning
of the lixteenth century, drove moil of the
merchants from the former place to the lat-
ter. They reckon the trade of the city at
its height about the year 1568, when they
computed the inhabitants at two hundred
thoufand : their harbour, at that time, con^
tained very often 2500 lliips at a time, and
500 were commonly feen to go out, or come
in, in a day. The annals of the city inform
us, that in the year i ^^Oj the trade amounted
to one hundred and thirty-three millions,
exclufive of the bank. The Antwerpers, to
this day, are fond of telling the flory of
John Daens, their famous merchant, who
lent the Emperor, Charles V. a million of
gold, and afterwards entertained him mod:
magnificently ; had a fire of cinnamon, and,
in the Emperor's prefence, threw the bond
into it. But fuch a tale, as little becomes
the modern city, as the adliondidthe antient
one.

But

4t TRAVELS THROUGH

But all their profperity was no fecurity
againft the tyranny of their Sovereign, Phi-
lip II. who I take to be a much more
deteftable monfter, than Tiberius, Nero,
Caligula, Domitian, or Heliogabalus, for he
had all their faults, (except low buffoonery)
without any of their good qualities: this
wretch of a monarch, and his blood-hound
the Duke of Alva, prefently drove all trade
from Antwerp, fo that the fall of the city
was much quicker than its rife. After being
twice facked, there was much of it burnt
down in 1576, and brought into fuch a
condition, as was utterly incompatible with
trade : the merchants therefore fled in whole
troops ; the Dutch received them 3 they had
juft formed their infant republic, Amfter-
dam began to be a place of trade ; they
removed thither, and carried with them their
correfpondence and induftry. At the fame
time, the Dutch built Fort Lillo, in Zealand,
which commanded the entry of the harbour,
and made all fhips pay toll ; this gave the
finidiing llroke to the trade of Antwerp,
which afterwards retained but few marks
of that amazing commerce, fhe once pof-
feffed.

Upon the lofs of their trade, the inhabi-
tants eavc their attention principally to

banking,

FLANDERS. 43

banking, jewelling, and painting. In the
firft, they have always been proficients, and
carried it to a great extent, even in the prefent
;times : during the Duke of Marlborough's
war, two brothers, the De Konnings, paid,
one the army of France, and the other that
of the Allies. Some of their painters were
of note in the Flemifh fehool, before the
time of Rubens^ but that great mafter laid
the principal foundatipn of their fame ; he
eflablifhed their fchool, and, under the influ-
ence of his genius, painting long flouriihed
here -, fo that Antwerp has produced more
good artifls in this way, than any other
town in the Netherlands. Antwerp has
likewife been famous for printing, the Plan-
tin editions, being much efleemed in the
learned world. Plantin's printing-houfe
^remains (though imperfe6l) at this time, and
is faid, by the Antwerpers, to be the befl
in Europe, having been fupplied v/ith near
^n hundred different forts of fonts of letters,
two of which were Syriac, forty-feven Ro-
pian, nine Greek, and ten Hebrew.

But Antwerp, though fo much reduced
from its antient fplendor, is yet a place of
<;;onfequence : here is fome trade carried on,
for which it is yet well fituated, and has>
|)ehind it, numerous cities in Flanders, &c,

to

44 TTIAVELS THROUGH

to fiipply with foreign commodities : they
have alfo feveral flourifliing manufadures,
a confiderable lace tjade, and a fhare of the
linen fabrics, &c. It is alfo an agreeable place
to refide in, from the number of nobility
and people of large fortune, who live in it.
Through their patronage a theatre has been
rebuilt, and alfo an apartment for the per-
formance of concerts. The firft is a very
beautiful and well contrived edifice, well
furniihed with fcenery and machines; it is
alfo richly ornamented with paintings by
D'heur and Michael Vervoort the younger.
A company of French com.edians exhibit
here three times a week in winter. The
fame mafters ornamented the concert-room,
where a concert is performed once a week,
for two months, in winter.

From my firft coming to Antwerp I was
made to expecl much entertainment in fe-
veral of the churches ; and I fhould have
been better fatisfied, had not my expediation
been raifed too much : however, there are
numerous pi6lures in them of moil: capital
merit, and they are indeed the richcfl, that
Antwerp has to beftow on lirangers.

In the church of the Dominican nuns is
^n altar-piece, reprefenting a crucifixion ; a
large pi6lure by Vandyke. It is a capital

performance

FLANDERS. 45

perfarmance of that very capital painter,
and an inftance of tliat remarkable chaf-
tity of colouring, in which he was fo ex-
cellent.

In the church of the nuns of the Annun-
ciation is a fmall altar-piece by Rubens,
reprefenting the holy child Jefus : there is
merit in it, but not equal, to what is often
{eea in the works of this mafter. Here is
alfo a portrait of the founder of the Cloifler,
by Vandyke, which defervcs much admi-
ration.

In the church of the Beguines is an altar-
piece, reprefenting the defcent from thecrofs,
by Vandyke, which is extremely capital;
the ideas are great, and the colouring pure.
Near it are two figures, finely executed in
white marble, by Scheemaeckers.

The refurreftion, the annunciation of the
Virgin, and the afcenfion, all by Langen
Jan, done in Vandyke's manner, and equal
to many of the pieces of that celebrated
painter.

St. Francis, by .Guido, but not com-
parable to the beft works of that mafter.
A crucifixion, by Jordaens, which has merit.

In the church of St. James, an elevation
of the crofs, by Vervoort the elder, defer ves
to be mentioned.

Another

46 TRAVELS tHROUGH

Another piece o£ the laft fupper, by Otton
Van Veen, is finely done. Alfo the ftatues
of St. Paul and St. Peter, executed by Wil-
liamfens and Verbruggen, which will call
for attention from every one, that fees
them.

An altar-piece, by Gerard Zegers.

A bafs relief, by Scheemaeckers, excel-
lently done. Among the chapels in this
church, thofe of Zumalos, Candoles, and
Rubens, are highly adorned. In the latter
is an altar-piece, painted by himfelf, in
which is his own portrait "under the figure
of St. George. Alfo the portrait of his firft
and fecond wives, executed better than in
moft of the numerous pieces, in which he
introduced them. Over one of them is a
ftatue of a virgin in white marble, brought
by Rubens from Italy; it is an exquifite
piece, but the fculptor unknown.

Our Lady, with an accompaniment of
faints, byjordaens.

A ftatue of the Virgin, with two cherubs
weeping, by Van Beveren, finely executed.

Two others of St. John and St. Paul, by
Michael Vervoort } thcfe have great merit.

In the Peteer's monument, a pi6lure of
eternity, by Vervoort ; a ftrange idea, but
difplays the hand of a maftcr.

The

FLANDERS. 4^

The cathedral of Antwerp is a vaft build-
ing, and full of ornaments of painting, fta-
tuary, and rich carving. Among other oh-
j-edts, which attracted my notice particularly,
are the following :

In the Grand Almoner's apartment, the
portrait of a burgomafter, by Vandyke, an
.excellent piece.

Two ladies, and a butcher with a broken
head, finely executed, by Cocberger. St.
Paul, a tinker, and a monkey, might be clapt
together with as much propriety : but the
painters of the Flemiih fchool, Rubens and
Vandyke, with a very few others excepted,
are utterly deftitute of a chain of great ideas,
ever thrown into one piece ; you look in vain
to their works for an a6lion, complex in its
nature, but rendered one, by the genius of
the artift : good colouring, and a maflerly
imitation of flill life, are their great excel-
lencies ; minute finifliing is carried by them
to the higheft perfedlion.

The miracle of the loaves and fifhes, by
-Martin de Vos, is a ftriking piece.

Children turning a wine-prefs, a bafs relief,
by Quillin, admirably performed.

The fall of the rebellious angels, by Fran-
cis Floris.

The laft fupper, by Otton Van Veen,

The

48 TRAVELS THROUGH

f The taking down from the crofs, hy
Rubens 5 one of the fineft pieces I have
ieeh by this mafler 3 it is a very large pic-
ture, with many figures, and all executed in
the highefl llile of this painter : it has two
great folding doors before it, on one of which
is reprefented the vifitation, arid on the
other the purification of the Virgin. On
the infide of one of them is painted St.
Chriflopher, carrying Jefus acrofs a river;
and on the infide of the other, a hermit, with
his eyes fixed on that Saint. The whole
executed by Rubens, and have fo much of
that famous mafter's befl manner in them,
that they cannot fail of being highly ad-
mired by all lovers of painting. This per-
formance was copied in 1 704, by Opflal, a
Dutch artifl, for Marflial de yilleroy.

The marriage of the Virgin with Jofeph,
by Van Eyck.

A very fine landfcape, by Moniper*

A nativity, by Martin de Vos.

The refurreflion, by Rubens, not in his
bed manner. There are two folding doors
before it, painted by the fame artift ^ St.
John on one, and St. Barbe on the other,
and an angel on the infide of each, all by the
fame hand.

The

FLANDERS. 4f

- iThe day of judgment, by De Backer.
Ther€ is much accuracy in the delign of this
pi6lu're.

An altar-piece, reprefenting our Sa-?
Viour in the midft of the Dodors, by Fran-
cis Francken the elder. The faces of moft
of the Dodors are portraits of many of
the principal reformers, fuch as Luther,
Calvin, &c. &c. On one of the folding doors
is St. Ambrofe; baptizing St. Auguftine ; on
th^ other, the miracle of Elifha -, both by the
fame artift.

A Iw^l-x/ xatnily, with two iigures in a
pofture q£ adoration, finely executed by
Rubtps.

The martyrdom of St. Crifpin and Crif-
pianus, by Ambrofe Francken ; it is a good
pi^^lure^ notwithitanding many faults.

The marriage at Cana, by Martin de Vos,
The land of promife, by ditto.

Th€ incredulous 'Thomas a Didymus, by
Martin de Vos. One of the folding doors
reprefents the baptifm of our Lord ; and the
other, the decollation of St. John. Thefe
pieces have a very fuperior merit.

The painters, drawing the Virgin, by
Martin de Vos. Not a bad piqce, but infe-
rior to that laft mentioned.

Voj-, n, E St.

'.$» TRAVELS THROUGH

St. John, preaching in the wildernefs, by
Henry Van Balen. The pidlure has merit,
but the figure ot St. John is totally wanting-
in dignity.

The temptation of St. Anthony. One of
the folding doors reprefents St. Hubert; and
the other, St. Rock. All by Martin de Vos,
and equal to any thing I have {qcii of that
artift's performance.

Chrifl's triumphant entry into Jerufalem.
On one folding door the baptifm of St. Con-
flan tine; on the other, the church of St. Peter
at Rome ; on one fide St. George on horfe-
back, on the other St. Margaret and a dra-
gon ; with three other fmall pieces, all by
Martin deVos.

The defcent from the crofs. On one of
the folding doors, St. John, thrown into a
cauldron of oil ; on the other, Herodias dan-
cing, in order to procure the head of St.
John, by Quintin Matfis, the famous black-
fmith painter of Antwerp. In the trouble-
fome times of the city this piece was fold,
but the magiflrates of the city afterwards
redeemed, it by the advice of Martin de Vos,
for the fum of fifteen hundred florins. There
is great force of imitation in it, in that
painter's well-known ftile, with a minute
expreffion j but Herodias is void of all grace

an4

FLANDERS. 51

and elegance : indeed the difficulty of catch-
ing the grace of motion, which fcarcely
gives an attitude, is fome excufe for the
execution, though none for the attempt:
the great Italian mailers underftood their
art too well to attempt it, for I do not recol- .
led: an inftance of their giving the reprefen-
tation of a perfon dancing.

The Virgin, accompanied by angels, by
Cornelius Schutj excellently done in his flile
of painting.

St. Anne, by Michael Coxie. The con-
dudor tells you, that this piece always was
much efteemed by Rubens.

The nativity, by Francis Floris. One of
his lall pieces.

A dead Chrifl, leaning on the bofom of
his mother. On one of the folding doors
is painted the Virgin with an infant Jefus j
and on the other, St. John the Evangelifl.
On the infide of the fame doors are painted
our Lord, and the Virgin his mother ; the
whole by Rubens, but not in his finefl:
manner.

There is nothing ftriking in the monu-
ment of Quintin Matfis, but it is always
fhewn to Grangers for the fmgularity of his
hiflory. The iron work of the pump, near
the monument, which is very curious, was
E 2 wrought

52 TRAVELS THROUGH

wrought by him, and only with a hammer ;
he executed many fuch works, and it is ob-
fervable, that he never made ufe of a file ia
the polifhing any piece of any iron work
whatfoever.

This cathedral is upon the whole very no-
bly ornamented, and its architedure, in the
Gothic ftilc, is not inferior to any edifice in
all the Low Countries. It is five hundred
feet long, and two hundred and forty feet
broad. The height is three hundred an4
fixty feet, and it is fupported by one hun-
dred and twenty-five large pillars. It was
eredled in the thirteenth century. Thefirft
flone of the choir was laid by the Emperor
Charles V. in the year 1521. In the year
1 533, all was reduced to aflies by fire, except
the choir and the tower. The next year it
\yas rebuilt in a fuperior flile. The tower
is a fine building, light and ftriking. The
height is four hundred and fixty-fix feet
high; it was begun in 1422, and not com-
pletely finished, till 15 18. Strangers arc
conducted up to the height of four hundred
feet, by a fi;air-cafe of fix hundred and
twenty-two fteps. Nothing can well be
finer, than the view, exhibited from the top
of this fine fieeple, not only of a vaft tra6l of
country for many miles round, but of feveral

yeiy

FLANDERS. S^

very confiderable cities ; fuch as Malines,
Bruffels, Louvaine, Liere, Ghent, &c. There
is a mufical clock, which plays chimes
every hour, half hour, quarter, and half
quarter, conlifting of near eighty bells. The
largeft bell weighs lixteen thoufand pounds,
and was eredted in the year 1440.

In the church of the Capuchins, among
other pidures, is a crucifixion, by Rubens,
which is fine.

St. Francis, by the fame mafter.

A dead Chrifl, greatly done, by Vandyke.

A defcent from the crofs, by Cocberger.

In the church of the Recolle(Ss I obferved
particularly a crucifixion, by Rubens, very
well done, with a brilliancy not always
found in the produ6lions of his pencil.

A Crucifix, by the fame mailer ; very fine.

Chrifl) fhewing his wounds, and the por-
traits of burgomafler Rock and his wife, by
Rubens 5 a piece, that does honour to the
genius of this great painter.

A Virgin, with an infant Jefus on her lap,-
by Holbein ; very fine.

A fmall crucifix, by Rubens.

A defcent from the crofs, by ditto.

A St. Catharine, by Vandyke.

St. Francis, by Rubens, There are many
figures very nobly executed/

E 3 A large

54 TRAVELS THROUGH

; A large defcent from the crofs, by Van-
dyke ; one of the finefl works I remember to
have feea by that great painter.

A portrait of Alexander Scaglia, by Van-
dyke. It is fine, and large as the life.

The Virgin in her glory, by Rubens.

We alfo find in the church of the Domi-
nicans, feveral very fine pieces. Among
others, a Chrift, threatening to punifh the
world, by Rubens ; which is fine.

The altar-piece, executed in marble, by
Verbruggen, is flriking. The ftatue of St.
Paul, remarkably beautiful.

The Virgin, diftributing the rofary to the
world, by Michael Angelo Caravaggio.

Near it, g flatue of St. Rofa in white
marble, by Quillin.

A large picture of the nativity, by Rubens,

St. Dominic, by Michael Angelo Buono-
rotti.

Chrifl, bearing the crofs, by Vandyke.

A council, by Rubens; this piece is incom-
parably fine.

Jefus fcourged, by Rubens ; admirably
executed.

The Jefuit's church is one of the moft
beautiful edifices to be feen in all Flanders ;
the archite6ture has uncommon merit ; the
workmanfhip is very mallerly, and it is full

of

F L A N D E k S. 5S

^f fine paintings ; the fineft marble, inter-
mixed with jafper, porphyry, and gold ;
nor can any thing be more magnificent,
than the chapel adjoining. Among other
paintings, the following are particularly
admired :

The alTumption of the Virgin, by Rubens ;
finely done.

The holy family, by John Lievens. This
piece has merit.

Chrifl's appearance after his refurreclion,
and St. John and the Virgin, both by Gerard
Zeghers.

The circurncifion, by Cornelius Schut.

A holy family, by Zeghers.

Angels, by Rubens ; finely executed.

A holy family, by Rubens. The deCign
excellent.

St. Ignatius, exorcifing a perfon pofielTed,
by Rubens. The defign and execution of
this pi6lure are equally to be admired.

St. Xavier, raifing a man from the dead.
This is alfo by Rubens, and much admired.

The eredtion of the crofs, by Zeghers.
Boldly done in dark mafifes of ihade.

A holy family, by Carrache.

Four large ftatues of St. Ignatius, St.

Francis, St. Xavier, and St. Stanillaus, all by

Quillin, There is merit in the execution,

E 4 but

56 TRAVELS THROUGH

but not equal to the other works of thi§
artift.

St. Xavier, on his knees before the Virgin,
by Zeghers.

In the hbrary is feen a portrait of Rubens,
drawn in pen and ink by himfelf, and exe-
cuted in the moft inimitable manner -, with
a minute expreffion, fo mixed with freedom,
that it is beyond the power of the graver to
equal it.

A holy family, with many figures, by Van-
dyke. A very fine pidure.

The portrait of St. Herman Jofeph, by
the fame hand, and moil admirably exe-
cuted.

This apartment is ornamented with
twenty-feven cieling-pieces, fome of which
are very well executed ; they are by various
maflers.

The little head of an angel in marble,
executed by Qaillin, is much admired, and
with juftice.

The annunciation of the Virgin, by
Rubens.

A crucifixion, by Zeghers.

In the church of the bare-footed Carme-
lites, the marriage of St. Jofeph with the
Virgin, by Zeghers, is one of the finefl
pieces, I have (cqh of tlut mailer.

A dcfcent

FLANDERS. 57

A defcent from the crofs, by Rubens.

The Virgin with St. Anne, &c. by ditto ;
which is very fine.

Chrift, appearing to St. Therefa, by the
fame hand. This piece, they fay, is much
admired, but I mufl own, it does not flrikc
me.

St. Therefa, by Zeghers.

In the church of the Grand Carmelites,
among other pieces, are.

The Virgin and St. Catharine, by Wille-
brots, has very great merit,

A portrait, by Vandyke.

A dead Chrift, by Rubens.

The adoration of the Magi, by Otton Van
Veen.

The chapel of the Virgin is remarkably
beautiful ; it is entirely compofed of white
marble, defigned and executed by Schee-
maeckers : it is furrounded with bafs reliefs.
The altar is all of marble, with various de-
corations of filver, with a flatue of the Vir«
gin in that metal. The door of the chapel
is very neatly executed, and over it are three
bronzes of very fine workmanfhip.

Chrift's interment, by Abraham JanfTens.

In the church of the Friars of St. Auguftin
are,

A holy

58 TRAVELS THROUGH

A holy family, a very large pi6ture, hy
Rubens, with many figures ; it is one of his
fineft pieces,

St. Auguflin, in a tranfport of devotion,
by Vandyke. He is lifting up his eyes to
heaven, vi^here he is fuppofed to fee Jefus-
Chrift. This, their catalogue tells you, is the
very beft performance of that great painter :
it certainly has a wonderful merit -, there is
a ftrength and majefty of expreffion, with
an elegance and freedom of defign, that is
feldom feen -, the colours are chafte and
agreeable, and, . in a word, the whole piece
ilrikingly fine.

The martyrdom of St. Apollonius, by
Jordaens. Very ftrongly executed.

A crucifix, by Vandyke -, admirably fine.
Upon painting the above-mentioned capital
picture of St. Auguftin he demanded fix
hundred florins as his price ; but the monks
difputing with him, he infiftcd on his terms,
but let them have this crucifix very cheap.
They could now be fold for thirteen thoufand
o-.uineas. Such is the fate of the moft inge-
nious part of mankind ! they can fcarcely
live by the fale of their produdions, but long
after they are dead and buried, the world
begins to find out their merit, and values ,

fingle

Flanders; 59

llngle efforts of their genius, at ten times more
than their whole fortune.

In the church of St. Michael's abbey, the
altar-piece, reprefenting the adoration of the
Magi, is by Rubens, and exceedingly fine.

The portrait of an abbot, by the fame
mailer.

St. Norbert, by Rubens.

St. Norbert, by Cornelius de Vos. It is
done in Vandyke's manner, but not equal to
the befl of his pieces, as the catalogue of the
monks tells you.

The hiftory of the fick man in the gofpel,
by Erafmus Quillin. What the fathers
mean by afferting in their catalogue, that
this pidure is not inferior to any perform-
ance of Paul Veronefe, I cannot conceive;
for I have feen many works of that mafter,
infinitely fuperior.

In the Fort church, nothing is more wor-
thy of attention, than the monument of
the Marquis del Pico," one of the governors
of the citadel. He is reprefented, as fud-
denly flarting from fleep, and in amazement
at the fight of two fkeletons, (landing before
him. Over his head two cherubs weep, one
holding ^ fhield, and the other a helmet^^
Between them {lands Fame, with the arms
of the Marquis in one hand, and her trunt-

pet

eo TRAVELS THROUGH

pet in the others the whole decorated with
a great number of military infignia. It is
the work of Scheemaeckers, and is, I think,
one of his beft performances. In the year
1746, at the fiege, a bomb damaged it con-
liderably, but it is fmce repaired very well.
The altar, by the fame artift, is alfo a moft
jnagnificent piece of fculpture.

In the church of St. Andrew, among other'
pieces, are,

A guardian angel, by Quillin.

The laft fupper, by Eyckens the elder.

Chrift, faftened to the crofs, by Vandyke^
inferior to his beft manner.

In the church of St. George :

A portrait of Velours, by Vandyke.

A laft fupper, by Martin de Vos.

The monument of the Van Delfts, by
Scheemaeckers, is a fine piece of fculpture.

A portrait of Smellinck, a painter, by
Vandyke.

In the church of St. Walburge :

A crucifixion, by Rubens. This pi6lure
has very great merit, it is executed with great
force andfpirit.

St. Eloy, and St. Catharine, with two
others, all belonging to the above crucifixion,
by Rubens,

The

FLANDERS. 6i

The Lord's fuppcr, by Martin de Vos.
This is well executed.

I may, upon the whole, remark, that thefe
churches at Antwerp aiford the curious tra-
veller infinitely more entertainment, than
-thofe of any three other cities in all the-
Netherlands. It is for this reafon, that I
have been fo particular in my notes j they are
very little known in England, not having
been vifited by the travellers, who have pub-
lifhed their remarks : and the only account I
have feen of them, is a little catalogue, fold
at the inns at Antwerp, and by the bookfel-
lers there, written in French 5 but this is no
more than a catalogue, the author having
feldom ventured to make any remarks, and
thofe, that have efcaped him, are not always
juft.

July 27th, I left Antwerp, and enquiring
the beft way ofgetting to Cologne in Germany,
which was the route, I intended taking:, I
found the road ran thro' a country, in general
fandy and wafte : the diftance to Ruremond,
the firft place of any confideration, is eighty
three miles -, that I fhould meet with no
town by the way, better than a large village;
Tournhout, Poftel, and Wert, were the only
ones, I fliould fee. I agreed w^ith my land-
lord, at Antwerp, for a chaife and faddle-

horfe

62 TRAVELS THROUGH

horfe to Ruremond, and he engaged, that I
fliould perform it in two days. I was to pay
at the rate of fix and twenty fliillings Englidi
a day, which I did not think high, as the
diflance was confiderable.

I found the road bad, and the country very
dreary : fo many miles of it was a deep fand,
tliati doubted very much, whether my Ant-
werp landlord had given horfes fufficiently
good for anfwering his engagement, and my
fufpicions proved true : from that city to
Tournhout is twenty miles, which took us
eight hours ; I mads but a fliort ftay at a very
bad inn, and puflied on for Poftel, which is
twenty miles further. This place, however,
we could not reach that night, but were
forced to take up our lodging at a miferable
cabaret on the road, where I flept in a great
chair, wrapped up in a HuiTar cloak. It was
eleven o'clock next day, before I got to Pof-
tel : the country is all but indifferent ; fome
of it is cultivated, but not, by many degrees,
fo well as the other parts of Flanders. The
country people were bufy in their harvefl:,
and, I obferved, were fuch flovens, as to carry
in their wheat crops loofe, like barley and
cats, and not bound up inflieaves: the crops
of all forts appeared but indifferent. Much
of the foil I pafTed, would do as well for

flax.

!flanders. 63

flax, &c. as any in the beft part of Flan-
ders, but they cultivate none : much of this,
I fuppofe, is owing to a want of that popu-
loufnefs, for the thick towns, near the coaft,
bring a market for fuch produdions, and
indeed for all others, v/hich thefe wafle trads
do not enjoy : and it is moft certainly of the
higheil importance to the agriculture of any
tra6l, that a market for every thing fliould
be ready and good. The manufactures in
BruiTels, Ghent, Antwerp, Mechlin, Lou-
vaine, &c. enrich all the country around,
and induce the farmers to culti'/ate flix on
foils, which would not otherwife probably be
cultivated at all.

From Poftel I went to Wert, a little place,
but much fuperior to the former. 1 he inn is
kept by a clean Dutch woman, who gave me'
fome greens, a fowl, and a difh of eggs, fo
that I fared, all things confidered, very
decently : here I difcharged my chaife and
horfes, finding, upon enquiry, that I could
get poft-horfes to Ruremond for myfelf and
fervant, and a conveyance the next day for
the baggage. This faved my time,, and
enabled me to reach that town at night.

Ruremond is iituated on the Maefe, at its
jun6lion with theRoer,"from whence it takes
its narne. It is a large and populous town,

and

64 TRAVELS THROUGH

and rich, from carrying on an advantageous
commerce on the rivers. The fortifications
are pretty ftrong, and might be much more
fo, with the addition of a hw out-works.
There is a very rich monaflery of Carthu-
fians here, but they have not anything, much
worthy of notice to fhew, except a chapel
richly adorned.

And here, as I take my leave of the pro-
vinces, which commonly go under the name
of Flanders, it will be proper to give a few
general remarks, which I made, in pafling
through the country.

The mofl ftriking objed', which mufl
llrongly catch the attention of a traveller, is
the number, greatnefs, and populoufnefs of
the cities and towns, and the beauty of many
of the public buildings. Thefe towns a-
bound with trade, manufadlures, induftry,
amufement, and pleafure; and although
fome of them are vaflly declined from that
pitch of profperity, in which they once
figured, yet they, at prefent, form, upon the
whole, a richer and more confiderable coun-
try for its fize, than any in Europe, the pro-
vince of Holland alone excepted ; and this
degree of prefent importance is a remarkable
inftance of a country, retaining its conlidera-
tion, after it has loft th^ principal part of its

commerce i

FLANDERS, d^

commerce ; this can be owing only to two
circumftances, which are the happinefs of its
fituation, and the great fertihty of its foil.

Some writers have rematked, that thebeft
hufbandry is ufually found in the moft bar-
ren and fterile fpots, and have quoted Swit-
zerland, where agriculture frourifhes remark-
ably ; but Flanders is a ilrong exception ta
this rule, which, it muil: be confefTed, has
much of philofophy in it ; for this country
is cultivated, in a degree of perfedion, not to*
be found any where elfe, at the fame time,
that the foil is efteemed the richeft and moft
fertile in Europe. They have the principal
effentials of good hufbandry in their prac-
ticc^r .keeping the land perfedlly free from
weeds, and at the fame time cropping it per-
petually, fo that they hardly know, what a
fallow is.

Another obfervation T have to make is,
that agriculture has here maintained its em-
pire for many ages ; for we learn from hif-
tory, that thefe provinces were cultivated
in a manner much fuperior to the reft of
.Europe, fo early as their being firft confider-
able for their woollen manufa6lures, which
\& between iix and feven hundred years ago,
^v&r lince the Flander husbandry has been-
j>^i'overbial,and it isnow^asfa:mous> as when
Vol. II. E thp

t6 TRAVELS THROUGH

the reft of Europe was almoft covered with
marfhes and fandy defarts : this great excel-
lency of their management has ilood all the
attacks of the violent civil wars in the reign
- of Philip the Second, it being the common
theatre of moft of the wars in Europe, from
the Duke of Parma's time, in 1580, Sec. to
1748, which is one of the moft remarkable
inftances of the ftability of good hufbandry,
that is to be met with in the annals of hif-
tory. Their trade and manufa6lures both
fled, but the induftry of their peafants never
failed.

The fituation of thefe provinces render^
them, in the views of ambition, a very impor-
tant obje6l in the politics of Europe. There
is no other fpot of ground of the fame fize,'
that is of equal confequence ; a truth, amaz-
ingly exemplified by the variety of fucceflive
contefts and wars, which have for more than
two hundred years engaged all the neigh-
bouring potentates, to get poflefiion of them.
Had Philip the Second of Spain avoided the
long wars with the Dutch, which quite
wafted his ftrength, the entire pofTeflion of
this territory, more complete, than ever it
has been to any Sovereign fince, would have
enabled him to become much more formi-
dable to the reft ^ Europe. It was froni

Flanders

F L A K D E R S. 67

Flanders, that he principally exerted his great
ftrength, as if from the feat of his empire.
Not only the war with Holland took its
direction from thence, but alfo his expedi-
tions into France ; and a principal part of the
invincible Armada, indeed the moft impor-
tant of it, was the Duke of Parma's army
in Flanders. When Lewis XIV. became
the principal aclor upon the theatre of Eu-
rope, he made great exertions to conquer the
Netherlands; he gained confiderable pro^
vinres, and had he been able to mafter the
whole, there can be little doubt, but hi<s
power would have been fo folidly founded^
that the oppofition of the reft of Europe
would have been of but little confequence.
Holland would have been left utterly at his
mercy, and become at once dependant on his
will : England would have had a whole coaft
of Dunkirks extending to the very mouth o^
the Thames; and neither fbe., nor any other
power, would have been able to have made
a trad of country, the theatre of war againil
the common enemy, that was equally opea
to her and Germany for uniting their arms ;
a point of fuch importance, that nothing
could make amends for the want of it. In
whatever light, the acquilition of thefe pro-
vinces is viewed with relation to France^

,F % while

bS TRAVELS THROUGH

while her power was on the increafe, there
can be no doubt, but they would have ren-
dered her too flrong for all her neighbours.
The gaining a dominion fo full of people,
trade, manufactures, induftry, and cultiva-
tion, thronged with cities and towns, cut in
every part by navigable canals, commanding
a good extent of coaft ; this alone would
have been an objed of very great confe-
quence ; but when the peculiar circumftan-
ces of ftrength and fituation are added, the
cafe becomes too clear for hefitation.

As the neighbours of France were for-
tunate enough to preferve the principal part
of the provinces from the rapacioufnefs of
her ambition, they therein fecured the liber-
ties of Europe ; and luckily, there is no other
rifing power, whofe greatnefs gives reafon
to fear her aiming at univerfal monarchy :
the pofTelTion of thehi, in the Houfe of
Auftria, can give umbrage to no part of Eu-
rope, unlefs fo flri6l an alliance was formed
between her arid France, as to force the
Dutch into a war -, and in fuch a cafe, Hol-
land might be in danger. That republio
would for ever be fecure in her independency^
whatever ills befell her trade, if thefe pro-
vinces were added to her dominion by a
union, as compkte, as that, which binds the

Seven.

FLANDERS.^ 6^

Seven. She would then, in all probability,
have never any thing to dread from the power
of France.

On the other hand, there might be a do-
minion formed by an union of the Anfi:rian
Netherlands with the biilioprics of Liege,
Cologne, &c. and fome other German ter-^
ritories^ which, in many exigencies of the
affairs of Europe, might tend flrongly tQ
preferve peace^ by holding a balance between
the three powers that are moil likely to break
it, France, Auilria, and Pruffia.

At any rate, thefe provinces are of fuch
importance, that the neighbouring powers
of Europe fliould, at all events, make it a
ilanding rule in their politics, not to fuifer
them, on any account, to fall into the hands
of France. That kingdom, it is true, is a
finking power, but no-body knows, what
confequences might attend, what renovation
might follow, fuch an acquifition ; certainly
Holland, and all her trade, would be in the
moil imminent danger j and if a Prince of
real abilities mounted the throne of France,
fully bent upon refloring the luilre of that
monarchy -, if he became an encourager of
trade, of manufa6lures, agriculture, and all
the ufeful arts, he would, with thefe pro-
viaces ir\ his hands, carry his people to fuch
F 3 a height

yd TRAVELS THROITGH

a height of power, that any fuccefTor of mo-
derate parts would find none able to oppofe
him in feizing Holland, and fecuring thq
pofleflion of it. Of fuch vaft importance
are thefe Provinces ?

*3j:^vols

Travels through Germany,

[ 73 3'

CHAP. III.

Prom Ruremond toCoIogne — Defcripiion of that
City — To Munjier — The Country ^Htijban-
dry— -Adventure s^-B'iJldoprlc cf Ojnahiirgh
— Mindtn — War in Gernia/ny-^tla/nover —
Prefenf State of the Eledioraie — Agriculture
— Mafiufa^iures — Revenues — ToHambtirgh
— Defer iftion of that City — State of its
Trade, t^c.

FROM Ruremond to Cologne, the road
leads firft to Juliers, at the diftance of
eighteen miles : it is through a very indiffe-
rent country, being much of it wafte, and a
great deal, a poor fand. Some of this poor
foil is, however, cultivated, for they v^ere
mowing feveral fields of buck wheat, I paf-
fed, which feemed to be pretty good crops.
I ordered my fervant to make fome enquiries
into the advantages of applying thefe fands
to the culture of it -, and he was told, that
ihey were too poor to produce any thing elfe,
but of this grain, their crops were fometimes
confiderable. Their method was to take a

crop.

74 mAVELS THROUGH

crop of buck wheat, and then leave the land
fallow for a year, but without giving it any
tillage : the year following, they take ano-
ther crop on one ploughing, and fo on, but
I could not underftand, that they paid any-
rent for this land -, it feemed wafte, and no
body prevented the peafants from taking what
crops, they pleafed frorr- it. ■ They applied
the buck wheat to feeding hogs and horfes,
and gave the llraw to their cows. But all
tliefe fands, I apprehend, might be much
improved, by fpreading their yello^v clays
upon them, of which I faw, in broken places
pp the road, many fpots.

The town of Juliers is not large, but it Is
neatly built, and contains feveral good flreets,
which are broad and ftrait. The place is
well fortified, having a very ftrong citadel,
in which are the ruins of an ancient palace,
once the refidence of the Dukes of Juliers.
They have a rich monaflery of Carthufians
in the fuburbs. At Juliers, and feveral other
places in the Duchy, there is a very advan-
tageous manufa6lure of woollen goods, and
a Itill more confiderable one of thofe linens,
called, in England, Gullc Hollands; thefe
manufadures fpread fomething of an in-
induftry through the country, and enrich it,
much more than it would otherwife be.

Frojra

GERMANY. 71

From Juliers to Cologne is twelve miles,
through a country, father better than that to
Juliers : towards the Rhine, it improves
greatly, and is w^ell fpread with fine mea-
dows, and other rich tracks. I arrived at
Cologne, the 30th, at night, fixing my quar-
ters at the City of Amfterdam inn.

Cologne is a very large and well built city,
in the form of a crefcent, fituated in a fine
plain on the banks of the Rhine. There is
fome appearance of fortifications about it,
but it is a place of no firength, from its
great extent^ the walls, inclofing much
ground, that is not built upon, and many
gardens and vineyards of more than three
hundred acres. There are four and twenty
gates, and a vaft number of public build-
iags; they reckon twenty-feven churches,
thirty chapels, twelve monafteries, twenty-
two nunneries^ and four large hofpitals.
Thefe public edifices are fo numerous in
proportion to the city, that moft of it is
t^kcn up with them. Among the bed
houfes in the town are thofe belonging to
the Chapter, rnoft of which have handfome
gardens ^nd yineyards. The fiireets arc
large and well paved, but there are only two
fquares or market-places. The cathedral is
g large building, but uafinifhed, though

begun

TRAVELS THROUGH

begun fo long ago, as 1 254 ; there is nothing
flriking in it. The Jefuit's church is an
handfome building : I went to fee two mo-
nafteries, and the chapel of a nunnery, which
1 was told, were heft worth viewing ; but I
found fo little entertainment, that I defifted
from enquiring after any more.

I propofed crcffing V/eflphalia in my way
to Hamburgh, which is a journey of near
two hundred miles, but I had fuch a defcrip-
tion of the roads, and the miferablenefs of
the inns and accommodation, that I deter-
niined to purchafe a chaife at Cologne, and
fo to depend on the road fur nothing, but
horfes and drivers. It was with much trou-
ble, that I found one, that had the conve-
niency of carrying plenty of baggage; at
laft I bought one with a large boot before,
and a flill more ample one, behind : I pur-
phafed likewifc fome flieets, a mattrafs, and
pillows, with a very large coverlid, that
would go all over the bedding, when made.

Auguft the lit, I fent my chaife acrof^
the Rhine, on its way to Duffeldorp, deter-
mining myfelf to go by the river, as much
the more agreeable way. I took my paiTage
in a large boat, which plies upon the Rhinaj;
the voyage is extremely agreeable ; for where-
- ever the banks are high, which is the cafe in

rn^ny

G £ R M A N Y. f7

many places, they are generally planted
with vines, which has a mighty pretty efFe61:,
and the woods, intermixed with corn fields,
have a fine appearance. It v/as a good day's
journey to reach Duffeldorp. That town is
a pretty place from the neatnefs of the build-
ings, and being well paved. The fortifica^
tions are of no great account ; but there is a
well built citadel, which commands the
Rhine. The Jefuit's college is a handfomc
edifice. In the palace is the gallery, which
was once filled with a famous colleclion of
paintings ; I was greatly concerned to find,
that they were removed, as I expelled much
pleafure from feeing them.

Having entertained myfelf with walking
about the place, I again took boat the fecond
for Duyiburgh, and which I did not reach,
till late in the afternoon ; the voyage was ex-
tremely pleafant, the views pi61:urcfque, and
the country, in general, very fine and rich;
the cattle, they feed in the meadows on tho
Rhine, arc the large Dutch fort, and they
feem to have a great plenty of them. Some
of thefe meadows are lett at very high prices,
but mofl of them are farmed by the owners,
by means of ftewardsv and bailiffs. Duyf-
burgh is but a poor infignificant place, with

nothing"

78 TRAVELS THROUGH

nothing worthy of attention. I walked to
fee an old caflle near it, but it is in ruins.

From Duyfburgh to Munfter, the diflance
is about fixty-eight miles; and I found, by
the enquiries I made> that the principal part
of it was over barren heaths and waftes ;
that there were fcarcely any towns, unlefs I
turned much out of my way, and but a few
villages, with wretched accommodations i
however, as I had ~ an inclination to crofs
Weftphalia, I determined to encounter this
dreary journey. I fet out in my chaife the-
qS. of Auguft, having loaded it with fome
loaves, cold fowls, ham, beef, and half a
dozen bottles of good wine. This precau-
tion, they afTured me at Duyiburgh, was
very neceflary, for a llice of bacon, and a
piece of black barley bread, was the moft, I
could expe£l at any of the hedge ale-houfes, I
Ihould meet with.

For fome miles from Duyfburgh, the
country is tolerably fertile and pleafant ; but
as you advance northwards, it grows worfe,
and the foil poorer : about twenty miles dif-
tance, I pafled through a territory, where
the hulbandry furprized me, from being fo
much better, than in the country I had palled;
thj foil is fandy and not rich, but the inha-
bitants cultivate it with fome degree of atten-
tion ;

GERMANY. 14

tion i the fields are inclofed regularly with
neat and ftrong hedges of horn-bearrt, and
appear to be pretty well cultivated ; I ob-
ferved feveral, entirely cropped with pota-
toes ; this root they plant with great fuccefsi
on fandy grounds, and ufe it for fattening
their hogs. I made many enquiries among
the peafants, concerning their methods of
managing their hogs, from knowing the ex-
cellence of their hams and bacon; and I
found, that their principal food was, what
they got wild in the woods, where many
chefnuts grow, and to which, I fuppofe, the
flefh is indebted for its fine flavour.

I flopped at niglit at a houfe here, called
an inn, but which was in reality a fmall
farm houfe, ftanding fingly in the fieWs,
with only a few fcattered inclofures about
it. I arrived at this manfion in the afiier-
noon about five o'clock, and immediately
took a furvey of the premifes : what I had
taken for a houfe, J found to be no more
than a large barn, which ferved for parlour,
kitchen, bed-chamber, ilable, cow-houfe,
and hog-flye : a man very readily came out,
and unharneffing the horfes, cond!j.6i:ed them
to a rack and manger ; but as to myfeif, no
body took the leaft notice of me : I ordered
33:iy (ervajxt to find out fome detached build-

80 TR^AVELS THROUGH

ing, or room, to make my bed in, and, if it
was to be had, another to eat in; he went to
the landlord of the inn, who was bufy in the
field, and prcfently came back to let me
know, that I muft do, as other travellers did
at his inn, or I might, if I pleafed, go feek
a better : this anfwer let me fully into oUr
landlord's chara6ler, and convinced me, that
I muft make a virtue of neceffity, and fubmit
to do, as other travellers did. I found,
however, that my requeft had been an un-
reafonable one, for the barn was the only
apartment in the pofleffion of the family.

We then fixed upon a part of it, the leaft
ofFenfive from unfavoury fmells, and fpread-
ing a napkin upon the ground, began to
devour a part of the provifions, I had brought
fromDuyfburgh; one table, vi^hich was the
ground, ferved both mafter and man, and
that ferved us alfo for chairs, for no others
were to be found at this Weftphalian inn :
a hearty repaft, after almofl a day's hunger,
had its charms, though taken in fo homely
a manner : we difpatchcd a couple of fowls,
a piece of beef, and fome flices of ham, and
were emptying a bottle of Rhenifli, when the
landlord came up, and with an appearance
of fome civility, addrefiing himfelf to me,

faid.

GERMANY. Sr

faid, as I underftood by my fervant, whow^s
my interpreter :

Much good may do you, Sir; you have
taken care to lay in good ftore for your
journey.

Why, yes ; it feems to be rather necefTaijy
in this country.

Odds my hfe. Sir, we have fome nice
dried tongues, and I could give you a flag-
gon of as good brandy, as any in Murvfter.

Thinking it would be proper to lay out
fome money with him for myfelf, as well as
for my horfes, I defired, he would let me
tafle one of his dried tongues, and bring us
fome brandy; and if he would affift us in
difpatching both, I fhould be obliged to him.
The German took the hint; he brought five
fmall tongues, and a piece of hung beef, all
excellent, fo that I was induced to eat a
fecond courfe ; his brandy he drank himfelf,
. as if it had been but fmall beer, and he wa$
_ not long in clearing the table of the tongues.
I took this opportunity to enquire into their
hufbandry, and alking him many queftions;
, he anfwered me bat coldly at firft, but grow-
ing into better humour, as he fwigg'd the
brandy, he was more communicative, and
gave me tlie following accounts : 1 am not
farmer enough myfelf to difcrirainate in his
.VoLaiL G particulars,

8.2 TRAVELS THROUGH

particulars, but muft take all on the fame
authority.

The lands, throughout thefe parts, are in
general cultivated by peafants, who are in a
flate of villainage ; but fome of them are lett
in the manner of our farms in England, and
thefe are much better managed, than the
others j but it is only of late years, that this
has been done, though from the fuccefs, and
the land yielding the owner a greater profit,
it is fuppofed, that a greater freedom will be
diffufed among the peafants. The foil is in
general fandy, but it is not a barren fand,
for few tradls are fo bad, but what will yield
fome advantages, when managed with any
care. The plants, they cultivate principally
are rye, oats, buck wheat, a little barley,
potatoes, fome turnips, and, of late years, a
plant, between a turnip and a cabbage ; but
they have no wheat : they depend much on
their cattle for the profit of their hufbandry :
their meadows, except on the banks of
brooks and rivers, are very indifferent -, but
they feed their flocks on wafles, having
herdfmen to take care of them -, they gene-
rally houfe them every night : the barn, in
which the family and cattle refide, is large
enough to hold all the flock. They have
very few horfes among them, all their work

belnir

GERMANY. ^83

being performed by oxen or cows, for they
find no inconvenience in working the latter.
They are troubled very much in winter, to
find provifions for th^ir cattle; their ftraw
is all eaten, and they feed them alfo with the
tender branches of feveral forts of trees;
their turnip leaves and cabbage leaves they
pluck feveral times,andboil them in a large cop-
per, until the liquor is a kind of hodge-podge,
and this they give their oxen and cows warm,
and find, that this method of giving it makes
the materials go much farther; they alfo
think, it highly neceffary to give cows fome
warm food every day in winter ; their pota-
toes they ufe chiefly for their hogs. I made
enquiries concerning the fattening them, and
found, that they are made fat chiefly by run-
ning in the woods, where they find plenty of
chefnuts ; but in tra<5ls, where thefe woods
arc not within a farmer's right, they pro-
cure chefnuts, and give them in flies : in the
laft ftage of their fattening, which is after
their range abroad in the woods is over, they
give them potatoes baked. I expreffed much
furprize at this intelligence, but it was re-
peated feveral times, and very ferjoufly.
They have large ovens for baking potatoes;
and they find, that thus prepared, they are
the moft fattening of all food, and that the
G 2 flavour

«4 TRAVELS THROUGH

flavour of their bacon is owing, not to tfe
chefnuts, but to the baked potatoes; what
truth, or rather what propriety, there is in
this pradice, I am totally unable to afcer-
tain, it is a point, that muft be referred to
the connoifTeurs in hog- fattening ; but I
much queftion, whether the farmers in Eng-
land will ever give credit enough to this
account, to try it in their pradtice. They
think it, equally necelTary, to give hogs their
food, warm in winter, as cows.

Buck wheat they think the moft profitable
grain, they can fow on their fandy lands ;
they ufe it principally for their own eating,
making bread, puddings, and pancakes of it,
and with the llraw they partly feed their
oxen in winter.

I before remarked, that the barn ferved
for every ufe of cattle, as well as the family:
they are univerfally attentive to houfe all
throughout the winter, and they fupply them
with litter in as great abundance, as they are
able, either with ftraw, heath, fern, or other
fluff; and their dung, as cleaned away, is
formed into a great heap, near the barn,
which they add to, by all the family doing
their neceflities upon it, and which they
would, on no account, omit, being very fen-

fible

GERMANY. 85

fible, how much they add to the vh'tues
of it.

It was with feme difhcuhy, that I could
find a fpot in the barn, on which I could
fubmit to fpread my bed : my man raifed a
floor of fern upon the ground, and laid on
that, a layer of ftraw, and then my bedding :
I had, on one fide of me, feven oxen, ranged
to their racks and mangers, the neareft of-
whom was within three feet of me, and I
was not a little difturbed with the idea of
his breaking or flipping his halter, and fa-
vouring me with his company in thq night,
to the diflocation of all my bones : my neigh-
bour, on the other fide, was a cow, and near
her, a large fow with a litter of pigs, whofe
grunting ferved inftead of foft mufic to lull
me to fleep. This lodging among the cattle,
I much preferred to the other end of the
barn, where the family, the pofl-boy, and
man, and another traveller repofed them-
felvesi men and women all together: as I
was forced to have company, I chofe thofe
animals, which, I was fure, were clsanefl,
and would fend forth the fewefl unfavoury
fmells. Here it was I repofed myfelf for
lleep, and much fooner facrificed to Mor-
pheus, than I expeded : in other words, I
was prefently faft and comfortably ailcep,
Q 3 w.

86 TRAVELS THROUGH

without dreaming either of cows, oxen, or
fwine J but, as if I was deftined to have the
Weftphalian barn, prove as fertile of adven-
tures, as any of Don Quixote's inns, J was, in
the middle of the^night, fuddenly awaked
with a great weight^' tiropping at once upon
me. I immediately fuppofed, it was nothing
lefs than my friend the ox, and dire6tly be-
laboured his bones with a large cane : a
Voice, not lefs fonorous, th^n that of an ox,
rpar'd out in High Dutch, as if the devil had
juft caught him ; the whole barn was pre-r
ipntly in confufion, oxen and cows bellow-
ing, the fows grunting, the horfes neighing,
the pigs fqueaking, the women fquallin^,
and the landlord curling ; nor was our theatre
of difcord quiet, till the cafe was explained
by the wounded trayeljer, who viewing the
barn, thought rqy bed, the mofl promif;ng
part, to take his reft upon.

After this adventure, we once more ap-
plied to ileep, which met with no more dif^
turbance ; and by five o'clock in the morn-
ing, my chaife, &c. being ready, I beat a
march froni this yery deledtablQ inn, pur-
fuing my journey towards Munller.

The country was, for many miles, 4 wafte,
wild track, generally a heath, or ftraggling
woods : in one part we travelled, I believe,

ten

GERMANY. 87

ten or eleven Englifh miles, without feeing a
fingle houfe. About noon, I flopped to reft
thehorfes, and refrefh ourfelves on the banks
of a pretty ftream, which I thought far pre-
ferable to taking refuge in another country
inn : the place, where I dined, was not want-
ing in rural beauties; the river was {qqh
winding through a fmall plain for about a
mile ; the foil, tolerable meadow, with fomc
verdure -, from the flat ground, fome gentle
hills rofe in a various manner, whofe tops
were prettily tufted with trees j it was a
charming day, which made this little pro-
fpeft, appear quite enchanting, after the
dreary wafte we had juft paffed. Here I got
a moil refrefhing dinner, and refling the
horfes an hour and half, fet forwards again
for Munfter, and arrived there late at night,
on the 4th. It is a miferable place, though
the capital of the bifhopric. It is large and
populous, but a very ugly, ill built, and
dirty town.

Here I took frefh horfes, and fet forward
again next morning> after a walk through
the city, for Tecklenburgh ; the diftance
twenty three miles. The firft part of this
journey is pleafant enough, for Munfter is
iituated in a large plain, which is the richeft
and beft cultivated part of the whole
G 4. biftiopr"::^^

S& TRAVELS THROUGH

billioprlc ; but the latter part of the journey
is through a country, ahiioft wafte, though
with fome cultivated tracks ; and the pea-
fants feem to be in a very miferable flate,
Tecklenburgh is but a very infignificant
place, without one objecl worth feeing:
there is an oldcaflle, w^hich they talk of, as
once a famous fortification, but it is a place
of no ftrength. I met with fo miferable an
inn here, that I had my own bed, made on the
floor of my room, and for provifions fared
very badly) but I would not touch my tra-
velling ftore, as we found, it would be want-
ing the next day, though I had added pretty
confiderably to it at Munfter.

From Tecklenburgh to Ofnaburgh is
about twelve miles ; the country rather im-
proves. The bifhopric of Ofnaburgh is, in
general, a pretty good foil, far better culti-
vated than mofl part of that of Munfter.
Through part of it, before I came to the
capital, I remarked^ that the enclofures were
very well made with horn-beam hedges, fet
in quincunx order, and neatly kept; the
peafants fcemed to have confiderable herds
of cattle, and particulary hogs. The fitua-
tion of Ofnaburgh on the river Ofe is plca-
fant, and around it, is a very fertile plain.
The flreets, in general, arc not very handfomc

GERMANY. H9

©r regular, but they have fome very good
buildings. It is famous for its bread and
beer, being the befl in all Weftphalia ; and I
allow, their beer is tolerable, and their bread
middling, but neither of them comparable,
to what is met with in every county of Eng-
land. The palace is a melancholy and dif-
agreeable place, from its being fortified in
the caftle flile.

From Ofnaburgh I took the road to Mln-
den j the diflance is near forty miles, and
which took me a day and part of the night
to travel : the country is much fuperior to
Munfter, the foil fertile, and tolerably culti-
vated ; vail fields of corn are fpread over it to
the South, which, in fome places, would make
a very fine appearance before harveft, but
the ftubbles, pointed them out to me.,
Throughout moil of this country, the pof-
feiTors of the lands are nobles or ecclefiaflics,
who farm them themfelves, under the care
of bailiffs ; the peafants are generally in a
flate of villainage; they find teams for
ploughing and carting on their Lord's land,
and do him much work befides -, in return
for which, they are allowed cottages, with
fmall parcels of land, of which they cannot
piake near the value, from the hard fervices^,
^hey are bound to perform. I pafTed feveral

villages

9* TRAVELS THROUGH

villages, newly built by order of the King of
Pruffia, who is Sovereign of Minden ; and I
was informed, that that very able Monarch
had made fome regulations, relative to the
villainage of the peafants, which would be
attended with very good efFe6ls. Upon the
Ducal lands, which are in his poflefiion, he
has lett many farms in the Englifh way, and
the fuperiority of their culture and produce,
proves fufficiently clear, that it is a mofl wife
meafure.

The town of Minden is fituated on the
"banks of the Wefer ; it is a large place, but
very poorly built ^ the ftreets crooked, and
the houfes but indifferent : the cathedral is a
very antient building. Early the next morn-
ing, I took a guide to fliew me the plain,
where the famous battle was fought : I
viewed the ground attentively, examining it
wjth a plan of the battle. The account of
fome woods, which I have read of more than
once, does not feem to be at all accurate.

The retreat of the French from Haflen-
bach, and this battle, were the only brilliant
touches, we had for about forty millions of
money, moll vilely wafted in this country.
Of all the paradoxical arguments, which ever
difgraced the head, pr rather the heart, of a
n^an of abilities, that of urging the propriety,

an4

GERMANY. 9f

j?.nd even neceffity of renewing the lafl Gertr
ijian war, was the moft humiliating to the
individual, and the moll unfortunate to Bri-
tain. The prefervation of the electorate of
Hanover, after it had been fleeced by Riche-
lieu, was not, nor could be, the real reafon,
the only apparent one, was keeping a French-
army from attacking Pruffia ; but that was
ijot in the whole effe6led, witnefs the battle
of Rofbach : but, in the name of common
fenfe, >yould not fix or feven millions a year,
employed in attacking France upon her own
coaft, with an army as numerous, as that we
kept up in Germany, with the addition of all
that was expended in our expedition thi-
ther ', would not, I fay, fuch a plan of ope-
rations have called back all French armies
from Germany, much more effe6luall) than
cur's could drive theni ? Would not the
French be far more alarmed^ and have much
greater reafon to dread an enemy's army in
Normandy, than in Minden, Hefle, or Ha-
nover ? We Ihould have been able to fupply
all the wants of an army, on the other fide
the channel, two hundred per cent, cheaper
than one in Germany, with the infinite ad-
vantage of fo very confiderable a part of all
the expence, being laid out among ourfelves.
Thefe ad v^ptages would have been enjoyed

92 TRAVELS THROUGH

at the fame time, that thev/arwas transferred
into the enemy's country ; a point of no flight
importance, and one, which is ever the fureft
means of difaWing any country. Every ar-
gument of weight was againft the German
war ; none, but weak or falfe ones for it.
The idea of our conquefts, in other parts of
the world, being made in confequence of the
diverlion in Germany, is fully anfwered, by
fuppofing the fame diverfion in the provinces
of France. There can be no doubt, but
conquefts in America, andtheEaft, from any
power, muft be owing to a degree of their
weaknefs in thofe places; and that weaknefs
may be materially owing to a confuming
expenfive diverfion elfewherc. But why did
we make it in Germany under every dif^d-
vantage ? The diverfion conlifts in the ex-
penditure of fix or feven millions annually,
in the maintainance of a great army -, but it
matters not the leaft, whether it be on the
Rhine, the Rhone, or the Seine, if we look
no farther, than the mere matter of diverfion -,
tut it is of infinite confequence, that the
fum be expended, where it will caufe the
greateft effecls, and that moft affuredly will
be in the enemy's counlry. If it is faid,
that the fea is a bad country to retire to in
cafe of ill fortune ; it may be replied, that it

was

GERMANY. ^

was the fea, that the Duke of Cumberland
was driven to at Haflenbeck; and it was the
fea, that Duke Ferdinand would have been
driven to, had ill fuccefs attended him, un-
lefs he had fallen back on the King of Pruffia,
and therein counteraded, the only pretended
purpofe of the war. But the argument is
falfe, nothing could be better to retire to,
than ports on the Channel, which would, in
cafe of fuch a war, be moft certainly ready
to receive any part of the army, in cafe of
need. Cherburgh, Dieppe, Havre, St.
Maloes, &c. &c. not one of which could
hold out half an hour againfl fcventy thour-
fand men; but which would make moil
fccure quarters for feventy thoufand to retreat
to, while a vidorious fleet, rode upon the
coafl. Had the lafl war been carried on
upon fuch principles, we fhould have found
the French, in no condition to fend armies to
Germany : a battle of Minden in Normandy,
if I may be allowed the Iricifm, would have
proved a little more fatal to the French,
than in Weftphalia.

If it is faid, that the event of the lafl war
was as glorious, as could be wifhed, and that
it is invidious to complain of, or regret the
conduct of any part of it ; I reply, that the
German part of it was highly inglorious, and

very

94 TRAVELS THROUGrf

very far from reflecting any honour on the
author of it, or on this nation. Above forty
miUions of money were fpent to fave Hano-
ver from the French armies, and even that
purpofe not efFe6led : but if it had been ef-
feded, the whole eledorate, in fee fimple
for ever, is not worth more than half the
fum ; fo that never was fuch a vafl fum ex-
pended to fo poor a purpofe. And at the
fame time, the fum might have been expended,
to have anfwered numerous good and great
purpofes, highly for the honour and advan-
tage of England. Nor was this a fum in the
annual income of a nation, that could well
fpare it -, on the contrary, it ran up the ex-
pences of the war to fuch a height, and in-
creafed the national debt to fuch an enor-
mous degree, that it is very much to be quef-
tioned, whether any war of diverfion, with
all the fuccefs, that could be defired, could
poflibly equal the ruin, it occafioned : debts
may certainly increafe in a free government,
until they ruin the nation, as much as any
unfuccefsful war, but certainly more, than
any event that could have happened In con-
fequence of faving the money. This digref-
fion, I allow, has little to do with the fub-
je6l of my travels, but the view of the field
of battle at Minden brought up thefe re-
flexions i

GERMANY. gS

^exions ; and I think, that on fubje6ls of
fuch importance, every good citizen fliould
ever take fuch opportunities of arraigning
a public condu6l, fo reprehenfibie.

From Minden to Hanover is about forty-
miles, and which journey I could not per-
form under tv^^o days, and flept a night in
my chaife, v\^hich I thought better, than ano-
ther barn adventure : the country is, in ge-
neral, poor and fandy, or moors and forefts,
not well inhabited, and as badly cultivated ;
thofe parts I mean, that pretend to culture :
the hedges are not kept in fuch nice order,
as in feme diftrids I have palled -, and this
article of hedges has a remarkable efFe6l, as
it is a criterion of their hufbandry in this
country ; for I found, where they kept them
in good order, they feemed to be better huf-
bandmen, than in thofe tracks, where they
negle(3:ed them. I paffed feveral turf moors,
from out of which, the inhabitants of all the
adjaceru parts have their firing, which, I
fuppofe, is a good thing for the poor, for
this climate in winter is much more fevere,
than any thing we feel in England.

There is one circumftance, which I muft
here remark, and that is, that from the banks,,
of the Rhine to Hanover, which is near two
hundred miles, I have not feen one chateau

iU'

96 TRAVELS THROUGH

in all the country; nocaftle, the refidenceof
fome old Baron ; no country feat of a private
gentleman ; in a v/ord, nothing but mife-
rable villages, or fcattered cottages, the reli-
dence of poverty. What a contraft is this,
to travelling in England, or even in Holland.
In our counties, even in the moil diftant
parts of the kingdom, we fee feats of all
ranks and degrees, thickly ftrewed over the
parifhes, with a Itrong appearance of com-
fortablenefs, and eafe among the gentlemen*
even of very moderate fortunes ; our clergy
too are fpread over the whole kingdom, in-
ftead of being cooped up in cathedrals, mo-
nafteries, and towns : this difFufion of the
middling and higher ranks, as well as of the
loweft, is infinitely advantageous to the
kingdom.

Hanover is the capital, not only, of the
Duchy of that name, but alfo of all the
King's German dominions ; it is fituated in
a plain, more fruitful, than moft that 1 have
palTed lately, and is a tolerably pleaf^nt coun-
try. There is a wall, a ditch, and a few
other fortifications round it, but they are
obje6ls, rather of policy than llrength. Part
of the town, which they call the old city, is
fituated on one fide of the little river Leina,
and is very poprly built ; the llreets are

crooked.

GERMANY. 97

crooked, and not well paved ; nor have they
any buildings, which make amends for
thefe defeds : but the new city, on the other
iide of the river, is much handfomer, being
tolerably well built, and pofFelTes feveral
flru6lures, that ornament it greatly. The
churches are not remarkable for their flruc*
ture, but the infides are well decorated with
marble, and contain fome paintings by the
Flemifh mafters, which are in their ftile
iine, though not equal to what I have men-
tioned at Antwerp. The opera houfe is a
handfome edifice, and holds a great number
of fpedators ; but it is fcarcely ever full,
nor have operas been perform^ed in it- for
-fom€ time. The ele6lor's palace is an old
caftle, but not in the town; it is near it;
jt is an irregular building, without any
beauties of archite6lure ; it is, hov^ever, a
building of confiderable fize, has feveral
courts, and contains a vaft deal of room.
In one of the apartments are a great num-
ber of portraits of the Ducal family, fome of
which are admirably executed, four of them
have been Emperors. The library is a large
apartment, well filled with many fcarce
books, and the colledion of manufcripts is
a valuable one. But what is much finer
than the palace, are the flables, which in-
Vol. II. H finitely

gS TRAVELS THROUGH

finitely exceed thofc, which his Majefly has
at any of his palaces in England; and though
he is never there, yet they are kept well
filled : the fame obfervation is to be made,
refpeding the apartments in the palace, for
there is a compleat court kept up, with
all the great offices of flate and pcrfon, with
attendants, guards, &c. which makes Hano-
ver much more lively and agreeable, than it
would otherwife be, and occafions more
diverfions, than would be found under dif-
ferent circumflances : there is a theatre for
French comedians, on which a company
from Paris, containing feveral good perform-
ers, regularly exhibit : balls and concerts
are not uncommon, and alTemblies very nu-
merous, in which is much deep play.

I had an invitation to the public table,
kept at the King's expence, from the Great
Chamberlain ; this is the cuflom of the prin-
cipal courts in Germany, and is indeed imi-
. tated at many of the inferior ones : the
converfation is general and polite, and the
£tate of a court, in moft particulars, kept
up with regularity and decency, and in fome
inftances, with magnificence.

Herenhaufen lies near this city j it is fa-
mous only for a fmall hunting palace, with
very magnificent gardens, in which the wa-

ticrworks

GERMANY. 99

tcrworks are particularly admired : but thefe
gardens, like all others I have {cQn on the
continent, are in the old tafle, of flrait lines
arid compafs <work ; water hedges, lawns,
walks, every thing regularly fatiguing j the
jet-d'eauis, in its kind, fine; but the man,
who has been in England, and can admire -
a jet-d'eau, muft have a miferable tafle in-
deed : nothing in thefe gardens, which arQ
fituated on. a fandy flat, will be admired,
or even endured by thofe, who have viewed
the mafter-pieces in this art, which are now
to be feen in England.

The 13th of Auguft I left Hanover,
taking the road to Zell, at the diftance of
about thirty miles, which was a day's jour-
ney. After travelling a few miles from Ha-
nover, I pafTed through fcarcely any thing
but a fandy wafte ; here and there are fpots
of cultivation, fufEcient to fliew, that the
foil is highly capable of yielding very bene-
ficial produ6ls, had it inhabitants for per-
forming the neceflary work; but the appear-
ance of moft of it is perfedtly melancholy,
and the inhabitants have a favage look and
manner, which I did not find, even in the
deferts of Weftphalia. The inn at Zell was
fo indifferent, that I was forced to make
ufe of my portable bed, which made it more

H 2 bearable

iGo TRAVELS THROUGH
bearable, than I lliould otherwife have'fbund
it. The figti is the Eledoral Arms.

The 14th, I entered on the road, if it
may be fo called, to Hamburgh j the dif-
tance is near fixty miles, and the whole way,
nothing to be found but flight villages, in
the midfl of one continued foreft, defart,
or marfh : this was the defcription my land-
lor^d at Zell gave me; and I took the pre-
caution of laying in a good (lore of cold
provisions and wine, as I found, that bacori
iand black bread were all, I had to expert
on the road. I went the firft day to Wer-
zendorf, a paltry village, at near the dif-
tance of forty miles, through a country,
as wild, as if it belonged to nobody, but
inuch of it feemed highly capable of cul-
tivation ', the foil rich and deep, and yet
left defolate. At that village, I flept in my
chaife. The next day's rout to Harburgh,
which was between thirty and forty miles
further, the country rather improved. I
went through much foreft, but alfo paiTcd
fome cultivated country, in which, the in-
habitants appeared much eafier and hap-
pier in their' circumrtances : I remarked in
feveral fields,' that they cultivated a plant,
much refenibling a cabbage in the leaves,
but with a root,^ like a turnip 3 they plant

them

GERMANY. loi

tKem,for theii: cattle, as it is hardy, and will
ftand their winter, which is very fevere :
thinking it might be of benefit to England,
where I have heard complaints of turnips
rotting, I bought a pound of the feed.
They have it in plenty. , ,

Harburgh is a fea port on the Elbe, di-
rectly oppofite to Hamburgh, and with
which^ a little good management might
make it a rival; but the trade, carried on here
at prefent, is but inconfiderable t their har-
bour is as good for.fhips, and the Elbe
opens all the interior part of Germany to
them, as well as to that city : but liberty,
^nd llocks already in trade, overbalance
all other advantages. Harburgh is in the
feleclorate, where the government is abfo*
lute, and her merchants have not an hun-
idredth part of the flock in trade of thofe
^t Hamburgh.

The 1 6th, I pafled the river to that cityji
but before I enter on a defcription of it, I
Tnuft make a few remarks, on the prefent
ftate of the Eleftorr.te of Hanover^

During my journey through it, I had
been particular in my enquiries, concerning
the damage, v/hich the French had commit-
ted in the laft war, after they had conquered
it. I received different accounts ; fome af-
H 3 furing

t02 TRAVELS THROUGH

furing me, that they had almoft ruined it >
and others, on the contrary, infifling, that
the mifchiefs of all kinds, which they occa-
fioned, had been repaired in one year after
the peace : the latter intelligence I found to
he nearefl the truth ; and feveral perfons af-
fured me, that the Ele6lorate, upon the
whole, gained more by fupplying Duke Fer-
dinand's army, after the convention of Clof-
terfeven was broken, than they had loft by
the French before. I obferved very few build-
ings in ruin, but many, that had been
rebuilt and repaired, fmce the peace ; nor
were there, in the parts of the countiy,
through which I travelled, any figns of an
enemy having been in it ; and yet J palTed,
where the hotteft work had been.

Regarding the prefent ftate of the Electo-
rate, it is to be confidered under the heads
of agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and
revenue ; all which important divifions arc
to be difpatched in a page or two. The
inhabitants poflefs many tra6ts of fertile
land, and fuch, as would enrich any people,
that applied with underftanding and induf-
try to its culture j but they are greatly de-
ficient in both. The laws and cuftoms
of the country are much againft it : in
moft parts, the lands are cultivated by
the peafants, not for themfelves, but

for

GERMANY. 103

for the nobility, being in a ftate of villain-
age. But if they would try the experiment
of letting lands, on long leafes, to farmers,
as in England, and expedt no work or re-
turn, but rent alone, paid in money, leav-
ing it to the farmer to cultivate his farm in
the manner he liked beft, they would foon
fee the advantages; induftry would then fhew
itfelf. As to underftanding and knowledge
in the bufmefs, it would be eafy for the King
to eftablifh one farm, cultivated in the Eng-
lifh way, in each diftridl in his dominions,
as a pattern for others to imitate.

There are not many manufa6lures in
the Electorate, that are of any confe-
quence ; they have a few fabrics of linen,
and fome of coarfe woollen cfoths ; the fitua-
tion of the country is not unfavourable,
and it has feveral good ports for exporta-
tion and importation, which would allow
it an adive commerce, if proper encourage-
ment was given ; and would confequently
carry off many manufadures, or at leafl
animate them to fupply themfelves : there
is a fort of a council of trade, but its opera-
tions are very languid. The revenues of
the eled:orate, before the laft war, were
Reckoned at feven hundred thoufand pounds
a year : but while the war lafted, they de-
H 4 clined

104 TRAVELS THROUGH

clined much, and, for fome time, they vverc
in the hands of the French; fmce that period,
they have been riling very quick, and arc
now faid to be equal to what they were be-
fore the war ; this is a veiy confiderable in-
come, but out of it twenty thoufand troops
are paid.

The general aggregate of the interefls of
the Electorate might be greatly advanced,
if agriculture met with encouragement
enough, to produce an improvement of the
wafle lands, if fabrics were eftabliflied in
the towns, and if commerce was fixed in
the ports -, I do not mean a flourifhing ex-
tended commerce, but an eftablifhment of
an infantine one, fuch as would increafe of
kfelf, and draw from foreigners that profit,
which they, at prefent, make by exporting^
and importing for the Hanoverians. This
policy, in thefe circumftances, would na-
turally raife the revenues; but before a
great income can be drawn from a people,
the people muft- be enriched, and nothing
can enrich any nation but agriculture, ma-
nufadures, or commerce: mines might be
added, but their wealth is more for enrich-
ing certain individuals, than fpreading a ge-
neral wealth through the flate.

While

• GERMANY. lo^

While there are fuch numerous tfads of
tyafte land, the firfl objea: ought to be
their firft improvement. This, I believe^
will, in all countries, hold good, eyen to
a maxim t; if fifty thoufand pounds .are ready-
to he expended in the national encourage-
ment of fomething, it will yield more ge-
neral profit to a people^ to employ it on
thofe wafles, rather than on any other ob-
je6l.; for the foil ihould always be fully cul-
tivated, before the attention of the Prince,
is drawn to the encouragement qi other
obje6ls. There are two circumftances^ which
are favourat)k to the improvement of the
wafles in, the Ele6tor^te; firfl, the foil is
capable of it ; I paged feveral tracks, evert
in Holland, and m^ny, in Weftphalia, that
are much more flerile in appearance j and the
information, I received, concerning them,
convinced me, that ippfl of the wafles in this
country might be improved, comparatively,
at a cheap rate. Secondly, the Germans
are a heavy, phlegmatic people, who are
<;ondu(3:ed, with no great difficulty, in im-
provements and undertakings, which do
not extend beyond the fphere of their Ufual
pradi^^, but are very obflinate in their op-
pofition to thofe, which are quite new :
novel eflablifhments in arts, manufa<5lures,
©r comm:erce, fcarcely ever fucceed well^

unlefs

io6 TRAVELS THROUGH

unlefs the attention of the Sovereign is
acute and unremitted; but the improve-
ment of waftes is but a line beyond the
pradlice, they regularly purfue in common
agriculture, and w^ould, at once, be under-
ftood in the defign of the undertaking.
Moft of the inhabitants of the empire, and
all, in thofe countries, that have not flourifh-
ing manufa6lures, fubfift entirely by agri-
culture; and the nobility are, in general,
the cultivators of their own eflates ; where-
ever this is the cafe, it cannot be difficult
to perfuade them of the importance of
bringing all the vfaftes into culture.

Hamburgh is incomparably the fineft
city, I have feen, fmce I entered Germany ;
and it is well known to be the moft flou-
rifhing and populous in, the whole empire.
The fituation, on the great river Elbe, is
what has raifed it to fo much wealth by
commerce ; that river gives it a very good
harbour,andfpreads its merchandize through-
out a moft extenfive part of the empire ; it
ftands near feventy miles from the ocean.
The walls form nearly a circle of five
miles and an half circumference, inclu-
ding fevcral iflands in the river, on which,
a part of it, is built: the number of
inhabitants fluctuate, between one hun-
dred and ten and one hundred and

twenty

GERMANY. 107

twenty thoufand. A channel of the river
runs through the center of it, and confe-
quently brings fhips moft advantageoufly
to the very merchants doors : there are alfo
fome canals, which, with the channels, form-
ed by the river, fpread the trade through mofl
parts of the city. The city is fortified by a
high wall and vaft ditch, with fome out*
works of no great confequence ; they have
thrown up lines to encompafs them, and
united them with the Elbe ; and built a
ftronger fort near the river, which they call
the Star Fort., The ramparts are pleafant to
walk on, being covered with grafs, and
doubly planted : the garrifon never exceeds
two thoufand five hundred men, which are
too few by ten thoufand to defend the town ;
but Hamburgh does not depend fo much
on the ftrength of her walls and her garri-
fon, as being a free city of the empire, and
being claimed by feveral neighbouring
Princes, who are wonderfully jealous of each
others defigns on it.

The town has fix gates towards the land,
and three to the river. It contains eighty-
four bridges, thrown over the canals, and
the branches of the river : they have alfo in
the city forty water-mills, fix windmills,
fix (luices, and fix l^rge market places.

The

168 TRAVELS THROUGH

The ftreets are by no means pleafing ; they
are narrow, crooked, and badly paved ; and
the houfes, being very high, are, many of
them at noon day, half dark -, and what
makes them ftill more deteftable, is the plant-
ing them with a row of trees on each fide.
The buildings are all of brick j and which are
not the befl coloured. Upon the whole,
the city, though much larger, does not ex-
ceed Briftol in elegance j the principal houfeS
are thofe of the great merchants, which;
though they are thus deficient in agreeable-
nefe, are well contrived for the convenience
of trade, as they are generally fituated on
the water-iide, and a part of them are ware^'
houfes with open doors and cranes ; fo that
their {hips are unloaded at their doors,which,
in their buiinefs, is a circumftance of very
great importance. The houfes of fome
of their warehoufes are from five to feven
ilories high ; this is owing, very much, to
a general want of cellaring in the city ; for
all vaults and cellars are rendered almoft
ufelefs by the annual floods, that rife the
Elbe fo much, as to fill moft of them with
water : even their wines are kept two or
three ftories high, which is a very great in-
convenience. A very inelegant cuftoni
among the merchants, is to make their halls

intg'

, G E B. M A N y. ip9

into warehoufes ; you enter the beft houfes
in town, and find yourfelf at once among
hogfheads and bales of goods 5 and what is
full as bad, they ufe it alfo for a coach houfe
and harnefs room; and in fome houfes,
the Hables are under the fame roof with the
apartments i

The churches are the principal public
buildings, but they have not much to re-.
commend them. St. Catharine's is a large
edifice, with a very lofty fteeple, and con-
tains a prodigious organ with fix thoufand
pipes; but this, I fuppofe, was a lye of my
tondu6lors, ufually told tp fi:rangers. St.
Michael is' a modern building, light and
pleafing. "

' Hamburgh contains many well endowed
hofpltals, ' under admirable management.
Their Foundling hofpital has a revenue of
more than fix thoufand pounds a^ year, and
it is under fuch a wife regulation, that great
numbers of lives' are faved by it; they
have another for poor travelfers, and a
third for difabled feamen. Their work-
houfe is alfo a large building, wherein they
confine, to hard labour, all firolers and
vagabonds ; tlie effed: of which is fo great,
that I have not feen a beggar in the city.
Their town houfe is a very old and irregular
building, though it is the place, where the
" ' ' ' Senate

no TRAVELS THROUGH

Senate (which is the government of the
city) meets ; where the Courts of Judicature
are held, and the feat of the two banks,
&c. with the cuftom-houfe, excife, admiralty.
Sec. The exchange is near it, and a poorer,
more paltry, and tumble-down building, I
do not remember to have feen. Another
ftrange place, to which they give the name
of a public building, is the Boom-houfe,
which was formerly a guard-houfe to the
booms, which fecure the river: it is at
prefent a tavern, and has, at the top of
the houfe, a very large room for public en-
tertainments, being quite furrounded with
windows, which command all Hamburgh,
a large track of country on both fides
of the Elbe, the courfe of that river for a
great way, with a vaft number of ihips in
it. This tavern is famous for the retale of
wines, and all forts of beer, that are to be
found in Germany.

But Hamburgh, though a city of no
elegance, makes ample amends by the pof-
fefiion of the grcateft trade of any place in
Germany. For this commerce, it is in-
debted to the Elbe, which opens a com-
munication with Upper and Lower Saxony,
Auftria, Bohemia j and by means of the
Havel and Spree, with the Ele6torate of
Brandenburgh ; and by the canal from the

Spree

GERMANY. iir

Spree to the Oder, with Silefia, Moravia,
and Poland itfelf. By means, of this very
cxtenfive inland navigation, Hamburgh
pofTeffes the great advantages of being the
center of export to all thefe countries, and
alfo furnifhes them with the principal part
of their foreign importations, linens, lawns,
&:c. of feveral forts fhe receives from Silefia ;
feveral linens of the flronger kind from Weft-
phalia, and Lower Saxony; great quan-
tities of linen yarn from Silefia and Lu-
fatia; plates of tin, and wire of iron, brafs,
and fteel, from Upper Saxony; pipe and
hogfliead ftaves, wainfcot plank, clap-
boards, oak plank, oak timber, with va-
rious Ikins from Bradenburgh and Saxony.
In return for thefe various articles, which
Germany exports by way of Hamburgh,
flie receives, by the fame channel, among
other articles, various woollen manufa6lures
from England, particularly Yorkfhire cloths,
to the amount, as they afTert, of one hun-
dred thoufand pounds; alfo Eafl-India
goods, fugar iri great quantities from Eng-
land, and yet more froni France, wines, bran-
dies, &c. and various manufactures from
pngland, France, and Holland. Two hun-
dred EngUfh fhips annually enter the Elbe ;
$he chief of which come back freighted

from

ni TRAVELS THROUGH

from Spain, Portugal, and Italy. They
have twenty-two fhips ; the largeft, belong-
ing to them, are regularly employed in the
trade of London, making each one voyage
every year, there and back; thefe fhips
are the principal ones for this trade ; for it
is found much more advantageous to em-
ploy them than Englifti fhips. The Dutch
alfo carry on a very confiderable trade with
this city, in which they have great advan-
tages by means of their Eafl-India goods,
their monopoly of fpices, and their bar-
relled herrings. The French likewife come
in for a fhare ; their trade hither has much
increafed of late years, fo that they rival
England in feveral branches.

They have feveral confiderable manufac-
tures within the city, of which the moft
important is fugar-baking or refining -, this
bufmefs is fo flourifhing, as to employ no
lefs than three hundred fugar-bakers -, for
they fupply all Germany, and the principal
markets of the North. This trade depends
very much on the commerce with Great
Britain, as from thence, they have moft of
their Mufcovado fugars. France fupplies
them with fome, and before the lad war,
with more than atprefent; for the conqucft
of the Preach iflands, throwing tlic trade

totally

GERMANY. 113

totally into the hands of the London mer-
chants, they made fo good a ufe of their en-
larged correfpondence, as to preferve a
greater fhare at the peace, than they enjoy-
ed before the war. This is one inftance,
and a very ftriking one, that a correfpond-
ence once fixed, and fupportcd by Hocks
in trade, is very difficult to be overthrowri
by any nation.

The weaving velvets, brocades, damafks,
and other rich filks, forms another branch
of manufa6lUie, which has much increafed
of late years. The fober Hambur-ghers
complain of the increafe of luxury in their
own city, and, indeed, it would be furprizing,
if they efcaped entire from the contagion,
while they employed fo many hands in
feeding the luxury of the German cities,
and the North. Thefe rich filks find a vent
in the Baltic, and in the interior countries
©f Germany.

The flocking manufaclory is another fa-
brick, which is highly beneficial to the city,
by employing great numbers of their poor
fn knitting, who could not other wife find a
fubfiftance. Another very confiderable trade
is that of callico-printing, which is carried
on here to a very great amount ; they rival
the Dutch in this article, and alfo the Eng-
■ Vol. II. I ij^l^

;i4. l^RAVELS THROUGH

lilli in common goods ; but, for the elc*.
gant patterns on very fine linens, no nation
equals the printers about London, whofe
works are fought after with fuch avidity,
through mofl parts of Europe, that the
Dutch fend over vaft quantities of linens to
be printed in England : the Hamburghers
lend great quantities of their printed good^
into Germany, and alfo to the North. Py-n
ing is another branch of their manufaclures,
which employs a great number of hands y
they are reckoned the befl dyers in Ger-
?nany. Whalebone is another manufaclure*
in which they excel ; nor is this an incoDt-'
fiderable fabrick : they have entered largely,
i)f late years, into the Greenland fiihery,,
and with pretty good fuccefs i they reckon
themfelves, the moil dangerous rivals in this
iifhery, that the Dutch have^ and certainj/)^
they have employed fuch ftocks in the un-
dertaking, and conducted it with fuch fpirit,
that they have conflantly fent a large num-
ber of lliips, well built, fitted out, and man-?
ned, \o the fifliery ; this has increased theic
trade in other articles, from an abihty of
fupplying oil and manufaftured whalebone
at tlie firft hand : fo true is it ever foundji
that the pofTefTion of a confiderable com-
merce, is the bcil: foundation in the worlds

whereon

GERMANY. ji$

whereon to ere<5t a ftill greater^ and the ac-
quifition of one branch is generally follow-
ed by that of another^ for a fixed corref-
ponderice, and large eftablifhed ftoeks, have
iuch weight in trade^ that fcarce any thing
is able to oppofe then^.

For the convenience of trade, they have
Jong had a well eftablifhed bank of depoiit,
which is generally reckoned to be one of
the beft and moft fecure in Europe ; it is
under the direction of fome of the moll
confiderable merchants in the city, who are
appointed annually by the whole republic,
and the government is anfwerable for any
failure or deficiency.

The foreign commerce and fliipplng of
Hamburgh is rifeh to a very extraordinary
height, confideririg, that the whole republic
confifts-only of the Tingle city, with fcarcely
any- territory : they alTured me, that they
oncq poflefTed fix thoufand three hundred
fhipsf, great and fmall ; but, at prefent, the
nUii^ber was not more than four thoufand
four hundred, though their burthen is
grca-ter than formei'ly; they apnually fend
from fifty to eighty fhips to Greenland alone.
The largeft velTeis; that ufe the port, cannot
eqnie up to the city, but are forced to cafl
Anchor at New Mills, which is four mile^s
,-^ "* below

^i6 TRAVELS THROUGH

below the town. The tide flows fixtecn
miles higher up the river than Hamburgh,
which is in all about ninety miles from the
fea, and is thought to be as long a courfe, as
in any river in Europe.

Hamburgh is fo occupied by trade an4
manufacture, that fcarce any diyerfions are to.
be met ^vith in it, except billiards, coffee-
houfes, ^nd concerts. They are fond of^
. mufic, and are expenlive in their public eila -
blifliments in its favour. The. principal mer-
chants have private concerts at their houfes,
^t which, one. fometimes meets pretty good
company, that is, with people, who have fome^
ideas beyond their counting-houf^.s. I havcL
been introduced to fome of the moft consider-
able families in the ^ity, and can aflert,
that there are, among them, fome, who have
improved themfelves by the liberal converfe
of the world, in mofl parts of Europe; and
throughout the city are many perfons, that
have travelled. In general, there is ai} in-
elegance runs through every thing here -, but.
we muft make an exceptipn in favour of
fome of the moil wealthy inhabitants, ii^
whofe houfes, I have feen as much appear-
ance of tafte and luxuiy, as in any houfes of
perfons of equal fortune in London. But
amongft the inferior people, not the lower

clafles.

G E R M A ^ 1". a?

Haffes, but merchants and tii^hufaaurers; •
Whole circumftances are not great, the very
contrary is the cafe; they are in nothing
^lial to the finiilar tanks in the trading
towns in England.

There is one fpecie's of luxury, in which,
however, none of the Hamburghers vie with
our Englilh merchants, I ni^an ill the ex-
penfivenefs and feleganc'6 of thfeir houfes, and
in their coflly arid ornatfiehtfil fiifriiturej
fome of the merchants houfts in London are
furniihed, like the palacts of Prilices -, but
the houfes of the richeft people in this city
have nothing in them, that even reaches me-
diocrity; When luxury is entered, it high-
ly behoves the government 0f a country, or
ftate, or city, to dire<ft that luxury into fuch
channels, as may prove of mofl fervice to
the lower ciafTes of the people. In this re-
fpect, the taile of the Englifli traders, is of
an infinite advantage to their country, by
finding cohftarit employment to great num-
bers of ufeful artizans and manufaclurers ^
and it cannot be doubted, but this is far more
beneficial, than expendihg the fame money
in exceihve eating and drinking.

The hjghefl appearance of luxury at Ham-
burgh, or at lead of uhnecefTary experice,
is in the entertainments, which are given at
I 3 taverns.

iiS TRAVELS THROUGH

taverns, upon occalion of weddings, chriften-
ings, name-days, &c. in thefe, many of the
wealthy people expend as much, as would
build houfes, and furnifh them, when they
had done.

The Hamburghers much affecl the man-
hers of the French, particularly the Women>
in their drefs and coriverfation -, but the imi-
tation is not that, which will pleafe any
other nation ; the men are full of French in
language, drefs, ceremony^ and compliment.
Coaches at Hamburgh are not confidered
there, as an article of luxury ; they are kepf
by vaft numbers of tradefmen, from whomj,
one could not exped fuch an exertion of ex-
pence.

I before remarked, that the Hamburghers
are very fond of mufic> and particularly of
giving concerts ; their tafte once carried
them to the maintenance of an Italian opera,
which, in fuch a city, was, I think, running
into luxury too far, and fo they found ; for
they could not fupport it properly, and fo
it dropped. They have a theatre, on which
German and French comedies are exhibited
in the winter; and of this amufement they
are very fond* Another diverfion, of which
. they partake a good deal, is that of walking
dicfled on i mall, which, thev call the Maii-

den's

iien's Walk: it is a beautiful one, on the
banks of a bafon, formed by the river Alfter;
it is a thoufand feet long^ but not liiore thaii
thirty broad ; it is planted on each fide, and
nothing parts it from the water, biit a rail i
and as there are ftairs for taking boats and
bafges> the whole is uncommonly chearful
and agreeable.

Notwithftanding the numerous markets
at Hamburghj the city is not a place for
ieating and drinking luxurioufly : their but-
thers meat is not excellent, and their fifh
1$ little of it of fine forts, nor have they
any Oyfters 5 the garden ftuifs and poultry^
I think, is the beft fare : claret^ that is good,
is rarely founds but the old hock and rhe-
nifh they have, is in good perfection. My
quarters were at the KeyzerhofF, where I
met with extreme good entertainment, a
good bed, rooms cleaner, than in any inn, I
have been at in Germany^ and attentive
waiting, but the expence runs high j I did
Bot efcape under a guinea and half a day.

Upon the whole, this city is not a place^
to which a Granger fhould refort for plea-
fure: the people are enveloped in trader
from which they do not break forth, but to
fome great exertion of entertainment, fome
chriftening^ burial (for they entertain at the
I 4 deatHi

I20 TRAVELS THROUGH

death, as well as the birth of their relations)
or wedding ; and then, thefe times of luxury
and expence are not under the influence of
tafte or elegance : the manners of the peoplof-
do not pleafe, for they are an aukward mix-
ture of German plainnefs with French eclat;
of German honefty with French infnicerity ;
and make, in the whole, but a motley
figure. Their amufements do not deferve
the name, mufic excepted, and that is
often bad j and the places of reception
for ilrangersj vile, except one houfe, and
that is extravagantly dear -, from whence it
may eafily be judged, that Hamburgh is no
place for a traveller to flay long at^

Travels

Travels through Denmark.

I 123 j

CHAP. IV.

Altena — -Luheck— -Curious cloch—yourney a^
crofs Holjlein andSkfwick — Defer iption of the
Country — Denmark — Accidental meeting
*with a Danljh Nobleman-^Hls great Im^
^rovements defcrlbed—Manuf azures — Com^
merce— Agriculture — His enlarged views
—-'Journey through the Northern Parts of
Denmark.

I Left Hamburgh, tke 21 ft of Auguft,
Falling down the Elbe to Altcna is
jpleafant enough; that town is the well
knbwn rival to Hamburgh, built profefTedly
to Heal its trade -, and it muft be confeffed,
that the iituation is very well adapted for the
pilfering defign i nor has it failed, for fhe
has proved a thief in earneft. The merchants,
at this place, have been encouraged fo much
by its being declared a free port, and
by the open liberty of confcience allowed her,
that they have made the town flourifh :
there is more trade, carried on here, than the

iU TRAVELS TJHROUGrI

Hamburghers will own ; nor is this at all
furprizirlg, for the city of Hamburgh has
done fo much mifchief to her own trade,
by cuftoms arid exeifes; whilil Altena, be-
ing free, hath taken immediate advantage
of any fuch errorso On£ great inftance of
this is in Silefia linens j a fmall duty was
laid upon them at Hamburgh, which threw
at once the commiffion bulinefs in theril to
the Altenefe. The Senate, feeling their
error, reverfed the duty, and gained fome
of their trkde back again, but not ail;
much of it remained with their rivals, and
has continued D.owly increafmg ever fmce.
This {hews, among a thoUiand other iri-
ftances, how dangerous a thing trade is to
meddle with 5 it cannot be burthened, of
clogged ever fo little, without danger of itsi
taking flight. With Hamburgh, the cafe
is particularly delicate, for Altena is on the
fame river, commands the fame inland na-
vigation, and has the great advantage of be-
ing a free port 5 fo that it is impoffible, an
error fliould be committed on one fide
i>f the water, without advantage being
taken of it on the other;

The buildings at Altena are better in ap-
pearance, than thofe of Hamburgh ; tlie
ilreets are ftrait and regularly built, wide,

and

DENMARK. ^^

and well paved. There is a new Town^-
Houfe ereded, and feyeral other public
buildings fhew, tha|: the place is on a flou-
rifhing and improving hand. The nierch ants
houfes, like thofe of Hamburgh, are on the
water-fide^ fo that fhips unload and load at
their doors. The King of Denmark made
it the ftaple of the Danifli Eafl: India com-
pany, which has been of very great import-
ance to the town : this meafure was an ad-
mirable one i: for Altena, by rneans of her
fituation, diftributes the India goods, v/here
no other town in Denmark could ; (he fends
large quantities into moil parts of Germany,
and herein rivals the Hamburghers, who are
forced to buy theirs of the Dutch. In all
thefe points, the intereil: of Denmark has
been very well confidered for this lafl cen«
tury, from a noble attention in their Kings
to promote, whatever has been rqoft for the
interefl of their fubjed:s.

But while I mention the advantages, that
Jdngdom receives from the eflablifhment of
Alterna, and the confiderable trade, carried
on in it, I mull:, at the fame timc^ qbferve
that the great freedom of reception, which
reigns here, brings all forts of wretches
here; even malefadors, from Hamburgli,,
here find an afylum ; nor does a merchant

or

26 TRAVELS THROUGH

or tradefmen of any kind fail, and defraud
their creditors, but he appears here agaia
on the ftage, and carries on a frefli trade^,
a"S if nothing had happened : no flews, or
ftreet-walkers are allowed at Hamburgh,
but both abound at Altena in the grcateft
plenty; and the place fwarms with Jews,
who are not of that advantage to its com-
merce, which fome have thought.

Xhe way from Altena to Lubec, which
was the route, I propofed taking, is back near
Hamburgh, and then turning off to the
left, the dift'ance near forty miles ; and
there being no place on the road, at which,
the accommodation for lying would be to-
lerable, I determined to ftay the night at
Altena, and go off early next morning, fo
as to reach Lubec by night : my landlord^,
who, by the way, is an impofing rafcal, in-
trodaced to me a gentleman, a profeffor, he
called himfelf, in one of the univerfities of
Saxony, who had travelled much in Hoi-
flein and Denmark -, that he might give me
fome intelligence of the proper meafures, to
be taken in the journey. I invited the man of
learning to dine with me : he proved a very
fenfible intelligent man : fortunately for me,
he fpdkc French fluently, and I had much

con-

B E N M A R K. n?

co^yerfation with him, which proyecl of
great ufe tq me afterwards.

He aflured rne, that I fhoujd not find
travelling in Holilein and Denmark, near fo
difagreeable, as in Weftphalia and the Elec-
torate of Hanover; that the people were
cleaner, and infinitely more civil ; but that
I fhould, by all means, buy horfes, infteadof
depending on thofe at the poft town ; horfes,
he faid, were cheap at Altena, and I fhould
travel quicker with my own, than with
hired.. I followed his advice, and bought
three, a pair for my chaife, and one for my
man; I alfo hired a German poftilion to
^rive me through Dentnark^ and alfo Sweden,
in cafe^ I ihould go over thither. This man 1
confidered as a treafure, for I could under-
ftand him very well in French, and he coul4
fpeak German, Danifii, and S wedifli ; this was
juft fuch an interpreter, as I wanted. I made
ibme enquiries of the worthy profeffor, eon-?
cerningthe ilate of Holflein an4Denmark,and
the tracks of country in them, the moft worth
feeing,: he told rne, I fliould find much en-
tertainment in the great irnprovernents n^ade
wherever I turned my felfj that government
had eftablifhed manufa(5lures in various
places^ which were of the greateft fervice to
tlifi country ; and that uncommon encou"

ragement

n§ TRAVELS^ THROUGH

ragement had been given to ngriculture,
which had been attended with valuable
effects. When I afked him concerning the
roads, he fhook his head ; upon that point
he could give me no fatisfadlion : I found, I
was to expeft no good ones. He afked me,
in his turn, if I propofed travelling through
Saxony ? I replied, I believed, I fliould re-
turn to England, through that part of Ger-
many, after having compleated the tour of
the northern kingdoms. He then afTured
me, I fhould find nothing in Germany,
Comparable to Saxony ; I find, continued
he, you do not confine your obfervations to
the produ6lions of fine arts, but take notice
of the ftate of agriculture, majiufa6lures, and
trade; that is averyufeful way of travelling,
and believe me, you will find full entertain-
ment in the Eledorate and Duchies of Sax-
ony. I exprelTed fome furprize at this,
laying, that I iliould have thought the mif-
chiefs, occafioned by the late war, muft have
been too fevere, yet to be recovered : he
laid, they were by no means recovered, but
that I fliould be pleafed to fee the quicknefs
and alacrity, which the people applied them-
felves to remedy thofe feverities, they had
luffered i in which they are much more al-
fifted by the government, than they have

been

D E N M A R K» 129

httn for an age before. The ProfelTor fa-
voured me with his company for tkt beft
part of the evening, during which time,
we had a very great variety of converfation.
about the Hate of Germany, the progrefs of
literature, the events of tlie laft v/ar, and the
profpecfl of a new one.

The next morning I took chaife for Lubeck.
The country is, in general, fandy, ftoney,
or woodland j but I palled federal tracks,
in which are meadows and paftures of a to-
lerable appearance. I could not perceive
any of thofe improvements, which my
friend, the Profeflbr, aflured me, I fhould
fee very thickly ftrewed over the country.
I obferved fcarce any inclofures, which
is alone a mark of a general bad manage-
ment. I baited at Schoenbar, and again at
Stenhorft, a village, about twelve miles on
this fide Lubeck. I had no great reafon, from
thefe flops, to praife the cleanlinefs or the ci-
vility of the people ; and the country, for
moil of the way, till you get within a few
miles of Lubeck, is poor and difagreeable,
but there it begins to mend much.

Lubeck is pretty well lituated on a river?

that falls into the Baltick, about eight miles

-from it, at a village, where the port for fhips

is, for only fmall craft can come up to the

Vol. II • JC ' citv.

130 TRAVELS THROUGH

city. It is odly built on two fides of a
hill, but is romantic to look at, for that
reafon ; at the bottom of each declivity is
a river. The ftreets are better laid out, than
thofe of Hamburgh, broad and regular, and
the houfes, in general, pretty well built.
The city is kept very clean, by means of itp
•uneven fituation, for Qvery Ihower of rain
wallies down all dirt, and leaves it in better
•order, than any fcavengers could. Here are
fome public buildings, v/hich they make a
parade of (hewing to flrangers j but there is
very little remarkable in them ; it hath five
churches, a town-houfe, an arfenal, and an
hofpital.

St. Mary's church is the mod confiderahle
in the place -, it is a lofty edifice, ftanding in
the midft of the city : it has a double fleeple,
two hundred and feventeen yards high,
built in 13043 the infide of it is profufely
ornamented with pillars, mpnumpnts, &c.
but there are few of theoi, which deferve
much notice. The great altar is very richly
executed in marble, by Qulllin, who did fo
many at Antwerp; near it, is a famous clock,
which is the molt remarkable obie6t at Lu-
beck ; it exhibits the ecliptic, zodiac, equa-
tor, and tropics, and the planets in their fe-
Veral cpurfcs ; which arc fo minutely done,

thai

■ D E -N M A R fc; i^r

that the flation of any of them, is to be found'
aft every hour of the day : it fhews the regular
Variations of the celeftial bodies, fun rifing
and fetting, the echpfes, feftivals, and other
remarkable days ; all which, it will continue
to fhew, till the year 1875. B^elides all
this, there are feveral automata j among
others, a figure of Jefus Chrifl, with a door
on its right hand, which opening at twelve
^t noon, out come in order of proceffion,
the Emperor and the feven eldefl Ele6lors,
and turning to the image, make a profound
obeifance ; this the figure returns, by a v/ave
gf his hand ; after which, the whole group
retires in the fame order, through a door 011
the left, and both doors fhut direclly. In
the tower, is another piece of machinery, and
a much more agreeable one, the chimes ;
they play the hours with a mofi pleafing me-
lody, and minute exad;nefs. Under them
is the bell, on which is ftruc{i the hour ;
this , is performed by a figure of Timcj
whilll a leffer figure, reprefenting Mortality,
and {landing at the other fide of the bell^
turns afide its head at every ilroke. This
work, for its prefervation, is furrounded
with a frame of wire : by the infcription,
it appears to have been ereded in 1405?
K 2 .' • T\if

132 TRAVELS THROUGH

The Dance of Death, a famous painting here,
as old as 1463, makes a great noife in thefe
parts of Germany ; it is curious, but will
not call for much attention.

The cathedral at Lubeck is a building of
very great antiquity, being erccled in the
year 1170, by Duke Henry the Lion, an-
ceilor of the prefent Elector of Hanover.
The occalion of building it, is mentioned
in an infcription on one of the walls, viz.
That Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony,
hunting in this part of the country, caught
a flag, with a gold collar and crofs about its
neck, on which was this infcription. Hoc mc
Co'jar donavity containing the date of the
year, which was in the reign of Charlemain :
and the Duke, from furprize at this accident,
creeled this cathedral for commemoration
of it on the fame fpot, and endowed it
with an handfome revenue. In the top of
the church is to be feen the figure of the
ftag.

Hiflory tells us, that Lubeck was once the
head of the famous Hanfeatick League. A
confederacy, which made for fo long a time
fuch a noife in Europe, had a very trifling
origin : it v/as nothing more, than Lubeck
and Hamburgh, making an agreement in
1 241 to defend their property, jointly

againft

DENMARK. 133

againft the banditti, that much iiifislled the
roads. The good effe6ts of the union were
fuch, that Wifmar, Roftock, and Grypfwald
joined it, for the fecurity of their commerce
by fea, as well as for clearing the roads of
robbers. The confederacy went on, increa-
ling to the number of eighty-five in all ;
thefe were divided into four claiTes, at the
head of each of which, were Lubeck, Co-
logne, Brunfwick, and Dantzick : but find-
ing themfelves much more refpe6led from
their union, and better able to keep the
fea free from pirates, and the roads from
robbers, they, by degrees, enlarged their views,
and took part in the quarrels of their neigh-
bours, fo as foon to arrive at a very confi-
derable influence upon their affairs. They
alfo extended their union, to cementing the
trade of all the cities into one aggregate; and
for this purpofe, they erected four principal
magazines or ftapies for the better vending
their commodities, which proved the original
of factories, fo well known fince in Europe.
Thefe were at Novogrod in Ruffia, after-
wards removed to Revel, and from thence
to Narva in Livonia; another at Berghen
in Norway ; a third at Bruges in Flanders,
but removed, with the commerce of that
city, to Antwerp, to the famous houfe of
• K 3 EafterlingSj

73'4 TRAVELS T K R O U G El
Eaflerlings ; and the fourth at London, m
the Steel-yard. In the times of their moft
ilourifliing flate, the Hanfe towns were for-
midable to all Europe -, they fitted out more
than' once, above two hundred fliips of war^
and, in their military expeditions, corftmitted
the fupreme direction to Lubeck j this was
the occafion of that city's having fo much
power and profperity. She governed the Bal-
tic, as if it had been her patrimony ; fhe made
war upon the Dukes of Mecklenburgh, and
other German Princes, and even againfl the
Kings of Denmark and Sweden, making de-'
fcents on their coafts -, putting every thing
they met to fire and fword ; burning and
plundering great tracks of country. But it.
was this haughtinefs, that proved the ruin of
the league; for the neighbouring Prkices
falling feparately on the towns that were in-
their dominions, forced them to dilTolve it ;
and with their confederacy, their trade
fell by degrees, till it came at laft to no*
thing. The only cities,, at prefent, in the
league, and whicli have from it the Icaft ap-
pearance of any union, are Lubeck, Ham--
burgh, Bremen, Roflock, Dantzick, and
Cologne.

Lubeck has yet a trade,, that is not defpi-
cable : hcrfituation andexcellentport arc ex-
tremely

t) E N M A R K. 135

tremely advantageous for the commerce of
the Baltick. She imports the products of
Denmark, Norway^ Sweden, Ruffian and Po-
land ; and, by her inland navigation, diflri-
butes them through many parts of Germany.
They import from the fouth of Europe, and
from the countries on the Rhine, much
wine, v/hich they fend into all the countries
on the Baltick ; and the places, with Vvhich
flie has moft trade, are, Riga, Revelj Narva^^
and Peterfburgh.

In many particulars, there is a refemblance
between the way of living, diverfions, and
manners .of the people of Lubeck, with
thofe of Hamburgh : there is not much to
admire in either, but the former^ 1 think,
are more cleanlyj and their houfes better,
and much more agreeably furniihed. Ano-
ther circumftance, I think right to mention,
is the goodnefs of the inns ; I found a good
houfe, extreme good provisions, cleanlinefsj
and much civility, at the King of England's
Head, and> at the fame time, fall as cheap
again, as at the Keyzerhofr at Hamburgh.

The 24th I left Lubeck, and took the
road to Travemund, which is at the dif-
tance of about eight miles : it is properly the.
port to Lubeck, for here the ilnps of great
burthen take in, and deliver their cargoes :
K 4 the

J3^ TRAVELS THROUGH

the harbour is very fafe and convenient; and
that, and the town, are well fortified at
the expence of the Lubeckers. Having
breakfafted, and been civilly entertained, I
tookchaife again for Eutyn, at the diftance
of about fixteen miles. All the country, from
Lubeck thither, except a few moory places,
is pretty well cultivated, and the foil rich ;
they feem fond of pafturage, and have large
droves of black cattle, and numerous herds
of fwine ; and the bacon, they make, is, I
think, little, if any thing inferior to that of
Weftphalia. Eutyn is a little town in a low
fituation, furrounded with fome rich mea-
dows. I dined there at a very indifferent
inn, but the landlady managed to get me a
very good difli of fifli, which fhe dreffed to-
lerably well ; a thing, not common through
this country. From hence, I again took
chaife for Ploen, where I lodged that night.
The country, I pafTed, w^as various, but has
many marflies, which feed numbers of cattle
at this feafon of the year ; but they are not
dry enough, till June or July, to turn into.
Ploen is very romantically fituated on the
fide of a hill, hanging to a very fine lake of
the fame name, which is, in fome parts, fur-
rounded by hills, all one continued forefl
of timber. From the window of my bed-
chamber.

DENMARK. 137

chamber, I looked down on a part of the
town beneath me, then over the lake, which
is a fine expanfe of water, agreeably va-
ried by fifhmg boats, and the whole fur-
rounded, in the ampitheatre ftile, with hills,
covered with wood: I was fortunate in a
very fine day, and fcarcely ever faw a more.
flriking landfcape. The town is llrong,
from the neighbourhood of a marfli behind
the hill, and it is further lirengthened by a
caflle.

In the morning of the 25 th, I fet out for
Kiel, the diftance, as the crow flies, is not
more than fifteen miles ; but the lakes fur-
round it fo, and interrupt the road, that I
made it twenty-four. The country is va-
rious, fome of it pretty well cultivated;
much forefl, fome flony tracks, and others
of fand ; nor is it wanting in large marfhes.
I flopped at fome of the cottages for ma-
king enquiries into their hufbandry; and
I obferved, that they appeared very eafy and
chearful in their circumftances ; the go-
vernment does not feem to be fevere, I
think the peafants are much more at their
eafe, than they are in the Electorate of Ha-
nover, or in Weftphalia; they were fow-
ing wheat in their fields, which, upon exa-
mination, did not feeiT^ to be badly pre-
pared :

-T38 TRAVELS THROUGH

pared : I remarked, they fowed no. land witif
wheat, but what was well manured ; for
which purpofe, they ufe a compoft, which
they are very attentive and careful in ma-
king : it confifts in litter, the dung of their
cattle, earth, dug out of bogs, and wood
aflies ; this they mix together, by turning
over feveral times, and once or twice a week,-
they water it well, by throwing up the emp-
tyings of a little refervoi|« near it, which
fills, with the drainings of the dunghill, from
rains : this fyilem appears to be very enlight-
ened 5 whether it was recommended by au-
thors, who have written on hufbandry, I dor
not recoiled, but it certainly deferves at-
tention.

Kiel is a town of fome note in this coun-
try, from its trade, which is carried on by
means of a bay of the Baltick, that comes
vip to it, and mixes its waters with thofe of
the lake. It is pretty well built, the ftreets
ftrait and wide, and has fome public build-
ings, deferving of notice; particularly a ducal
palace, an univerfity, a town-houfe where
the eftates of the Duchy ufed to meet, and
an hofpital, together v/itli a caftle on a hilU
which once was flrong; a wall divides it
into an old and new town ; the new is the
befl: built, but the bcft ftreets in it are dif-
figured by rows of trees, which Dutch cuf-

tom.

B E N M A R Tt'. 'j.31

torn, of rus in urbcy is deteftable. The rows
-of trees on the harbour are better, and form
fome walks, agreeable enough.

From Kiel I reached Rendfburgh hj
flight, through a country, principally ad-
di6led to feeding cattle, I found the pea-
fants, feemed to be eafy in their circum-
ftancesi moil of them are little farmers,
and mafters of large herds of cattle and
hogs. I found in fome parts, that they hired
little farms of the nobility, upon leafe, which
is, what I had not feen for a long while ;
and thefe people appear to profit by the
favour, though their farms are too fmall
to fhew it much, and fome of them, con-
fifting in nothing more, than a regular li-
cence of turning a certain number of cattle
and hogs into certain woody tracks of fo-
reft land. Rendfburgh is pretty ftrongly for-
tified, but I -do not think it, within many
degrees, of being impregnable, which the
inhabitants give out. I met with excellent
entertainment at the Lubeck Arms in this
place, and at a very reafonable rate : I had
wild fowl, lobfters, potted moor game, and
feveral other dilhes for my fupper, with a
bottle of wine, which they called claret, but
refenlbled the port, we drink in England,
from Guernfey; and the v^^hole reckoning,
for m'^kWj two fervants^ and three horfes.

140 TRAVELS THROUGH

came to no more than fifteen fhillings Eng-
liOi.

The 26th, I took the firft ftage to Slef-
wlck, which is the capital of the duchy of
the fame name j the diflance is near twenty
miles, through a much better cultivated
country, than any I had feen, fince I left
Lubeck. It is iituated on the river Sley,
which falls into the Baltick within five miles
of it. It is fortified pretty flrongly, well
built, the flreets wide, and fome of them
well paved, and the place very populous for
its fize. Among the public buildings is a
ducal palace, which they fhew to ftrangers :
it does not contain much, that is worthy of
notice, except a library, which contains a
few antient manufcripts, and a cabinet of
rarities in natural hiftory, which has a few
things, that are really curious. In the gar-
dens, are fome water- works, and many walks
in the old tafte, which the poor people of
this country think great exertions of mag-
nificence. The principal church is antient,
and a very large fabric : it contains many
monuments of the ducal families, but none
that will yipld much entertainment to a tra-
veller.

From Slefwick I reached Flenfburgh by
nirht, which is at the diflance of about fe-

ventcen

DENMARK. 141

^enteen miles. This ftage was through a
country, which, upon the whole, is pretty-
well cultivated. I obferved in many of the
farms, that they were fowing rye, the foil
being a light, fandy loam : upon enquiring
why they did not apply it to wheat, they
faid, they had no compoft for it ; from
whence I underftood, that the dilHndion,
they make between thefe grains, is, that
rye will do upon the fame J and as wheat,
though no manure is fpread ; and that wheat
will do upon the rye land, if well manured.
The farms, I flopped at, were cultivated by
peafants, for a nobleman in the neighbour-
hood. It is a miflake to fuppofe, that the
peafants in Denmark are fold with the land,
like cattle -, from what I obferved, they
feem to have fome degree of property in
the farms, they cultivate ; but I am fenfible,
that they owe much of their eafe, under
which they live, to fome new regulations,
which have lately been iffued by the miniftry
^t Copenhagen. I obferved feveral fields of
turnips with cabbage leaves, of which I
made mention before; thefe they cultivate
for their cattle in winter, and they find, they
^re hardy enough for the feverefl winters,
which is certainly a very valuable quality.
In^ fummer, they have tolerablq paflurage

for

$42 TRAVELS THROUGH

for their cattle, but in winter, they are often

much troubled to find food enough.

The town of Flenfburgh is very well fitua-
ltd at th? bottom of a bay of the Baltickr
It is very well built of brick ; the ftreets be^
ing broad, ftrait, and fome of them very well
paved > but others, very deep and niiry.
The harbour is a good one, admitting ftiips
of four hundred tons burthen up to the
town ; this is fuch an advantage, that the
town carries on a pretty good trade. The
principal buildiijg in the town is St. John's
church, which is an handfome edifice : the
fituation of the town is romantic, being
nearly furrounded with mountains, at a
fmall diftance. I found very decent accom-
modation here, at the fign of the Prince i
and upon explaining to my landlord my
defign of travelling through the whole Pe-
lunfula of Jutland, before I took the tour
©f the iflands to Copenhagen, and that J
ihould gofiril to Rypen, he allured me, that
Ifhould find it, but a difagreeable journey ^
that I had near forty miles to Rypen, with-
out one public accommodation, at which I
could think of lodging ; that even for my
dinner^ he would recommend me to take
fome cold fowl and ham, with a lobiler or
|wo, and fome wines ; he told me, that I

{hould

D E N M A R K. 14^

Aould find the people very civil, and that
my horfes would be taken good care of,
and well fed. This advice of my landlord
i thought very rational, and therefore de-
termined to purfue it ; and I had no reafon
to repent of the precaution. I found the
country, very well cultivated, much better,
than any I had been in, iince I entered
Denmark. I palTed by very little wafle land ;
moft of it was occupied by corn, not yet
reaped, by flubbles, by turnips, or by mea-
dows and paftures. There was an eflential
difference, I found, between the flate of the
countrymen in fome tracks, from what I
obferved in- others j for I pafled through
fome eftates, in which they had no property,
but feemed to be as entirely dependant
on the will of the landlord, as the cattle
in the fields ; and it was vifible, in the mi-
fery, which I found in the cottages, that
this flate of villainage is pernicious to the
interefls of their country. Another circum-
fiance I remarked was, the country feats,
which are fpread, though thinly, over the
country : through Germany, I took notice
fcarcely of one; but in this country I rec-
koned five between Flenfburgh and Ry-
pen. They have, in general, a melancholy,
fecpeflered appearance^ being ufually the

remain^

144 TRAVELS THROUGH

remains of old caftles, with large moats of
water around them -, and the whole half
furrounded with a thick wood. Thefe houfes-
belong, either to nobles or gentlemen ; but
the latter have almofl as many privileges, as
the former : they are all occupied in cul-
tivating their eftates ; but it is very extra-
ordinary to fee,, that the land thus managed
hj the owner, is not better conduced, than
the other tracks in the hands of the far-
mers and peafants.

The town of Rypen flands on the river
Nipfaw, which forms three channels, and di-
vides the place into as many parts : it falls
into the North fea about three miles below
th^ town, and forms one ef the befl har-
bours in. Denmark. This advantage occa-
£ons trade here in fiflieries, alfo fome to
Hamburgh, a little to Amflerdam; and they
have a few fmall fhips, which ufe the trade
from Norway and the Baltick to England.
There is a univerfity here, but it is not in a
flourifhing fituation ; it is likewife the fee of
a Bifhop j and they have for their defence
a fortified caftle. Their church is built of
Iiewn flone ; the {leeple is fo high, that it
lerves as a land-mark to failors on this coaft,.
¥/hich is generally cfleemed very dangerous.

The

D E N M A R K. 145

The 28 th, I dined at Warde, a little town
twenty miles from Rypen, on a river, which
falls into the German ocean, and which main-
tains a few fifhermen. One merchant only
refides here^ who carries on a tolerable trade^
with a few mafters of fliipSj who likewife
are in trade ; but the amount of all is very
inconfiderable. The twenty miles, I tra-
velled to this place, is through a country,
containing very little wafle land : there is
much corn land in it, and plenty of good
paflure, with numerous herds of cattle 5 yet
the inhabitants complain bitterly of the
murrain, which has ruined many farmers
here. I remarked feveral farms in this dif-
trid, which appeared to be in as good order,
as moll I had feen in England, and managed
in a manner, that made them much refemble
thofe of England, and particularly in the
enclofures : the fields were divided by hedges,
kept in excellent order, and fecured by deep
and well made ditches; there were borders
of grafs around them, and the corn^ tur-
nips, and ftubble, all (hewed a hufbandry,
fuperior to the common run of the North.
Another circumftance alfo was, the tillage
being performed with only four oxen;
whereas I have ken many plopghs here
drawn by fix or eight, or by fix Jlolfteii;!
Vol. 11, L horfes:

146 TRAVELS T M R O IT G H

horfes t the peafants in all Denmark are
very cautious of working any more ploughs>
than they can poflibly help, as they pay a
tax for every one ; this appears to be as
great an inflance of impolicy in the govern-
ment, as ever I met with in any country j
there is not, in the circle of political oeconomy,
any objed:, more important than that of the
proper method of impofmg taxes : fuppoling
it was right, that the hufbandry of a coun-
try fhould be faddled with a great propor-
tion of them, yet is it of vaft importance
to lay them on in fuch a manner, that they
fhall not occafion evils, greater than their be-
nefits, and be lofles, inflead of gains to a
government. Every fhilling, that is laid
upon ploughs, weavers fhuttles, or mer-
chants fhips, robs the ftate of pounds.

Advancing with fome expedition, I got
to Ringfkopping, feven and twenty miles
from Warde, through a country, part of
which is pretty well cultivated ; but it con-
tains much wafte. That town is a port,
which, by means of a long peninfula run-
ning before it, is very fecure from all winds;
they have a little trade here. I fi\w three or
four fhips in the harbour, which had been
in theBaltick, and at England : I find, there
are many fhips, kept in thefe little ports, in

Den-

DENMARK. 147

l)enmark, which are chiefly maintained by
carrying deals to London, and other parts
of England, principally from Norway -, and
at thefe little towns, they are generally the
property of the captain, at leaft, he has a
principal fhare in them. There is nothing
worthy of note inRingfkoppingj and the inn,
I took up at, was a miferable one, but the
people were civil.

The 29 th in the morning, I pafTed on
towards Hodfedbrugh, the diftance is twenty
three miles ; part of the country is rnoun-
tainous, and has the appearance of a black
moor j but the flat parts are pretty well
cultivated. I paffed through two noble-
mens eftates, whofe caftles were within
fight ; and I found, on enquiry, that they
were all cultivators of their own lands, by
means of the peafants, who are generally in
a flate of villainage. I had the accident of
my chaife, breaking down on a ftoney piece
of road, near one of thefe caftles, which
would have been an unlucky circumftance,
for fmiths and wheel- wrights are wonder^
fully fcarce, but in the larger villages;
fortunately, however, the owner of the
caflle. Count Roncellen, as they called him,
was on horfeback, in fight of my diftrefs :
Jie rode up to us, and viewing the accident.

La fpoke

148 TRAVELS THROUGH

fpoke to me in Danifh and German, but
my pollillion replying to him, he addrefled
me in French, upon finding, that I did not
underftand thofe languages. He enquired
very politely, from whence I came, and
where I was going ? I told him, my bufmefs
was a journey of curiofity, to view the dif-
ferent kingdoms of the North -, that I was
an Englifhman, and came Jaft from Ham-
burgh. He then, in a very eafy and agreea-
ble manner, defired me to walk up to his
chateau, and he would take care to fend a
fmith, and other people, to repair my car-
riage for me. This adventure pleafed me
much, not only for its extricating me out
of fuch a difficulty, but alfo for giving me an
opportunity to make enquiries into thofe
circumftances of the country, in which I
was defirous cf gaining information. Ac-
cepting, therefore, his invitation, we moved
towards the caftle, and the Count, alighting
from his horfe, walked with me, leading
him.

He made feveral enquiries into the mo-
tives of my journey. This, fays he, is but
a wild negled:ed country, containing very
little to be feen, and fcarcely ever vifited by
travellers ; nobody, I believe, conies into
Denmark, faid he, but fuch as go dire6lly

to

DENMARK. 14^

to Copenhagen 1 and we, being out of that
route, are fcarcely ever vilited by travellers,
I replied, that I had, many years ago, tra^
veiled through France, Italy, and the beft:
part of Germany ; but upon my return to
England, I found, I had been the tour, that
every body elfe goes, and which has been
defcribed a thoufand times 1 that I had a
great curioiity to fee the Northern parts of
Europe, which are feldom vilited by tra-
vellers of my country j and upon my re-
turn from Italy, I determined, whenever
I could ealily command the time, to exa-*
mine them attentively ; that I had this year
carried it into execution, having pafled
through Holland, Flanders, Weflphalia,
Hanover, and was now on the tour of Den^
, mark. The Count replied, that I might
meet with entertainment in Holland andi
Flanders, but as to Weilphalia, the Elec-
torate of Hanover, and Holilein and Sief-
wick, they could afford very little enter-^
ment to a man, who had travelled in France
md Italy, and who had relided in England.
Jn anfwer, I faid, that I did not come into the
North to iee pi£iures and ftatues, or to hear
operas, but to obferve the manners of the
people, the ilate of agriculture, the nature
of manufaOiures, and the general appear-

L3

150 TRAVELS THROUGH

ance of the country. Oh ! Oh ! fald he,
you travel then philofophically; Iran through
England, France, Italy, and all Germany,
but, unfortunately, not with the view, that
you now make the obje6ls of your journey.

This converfation held us, till we got to
the caftle ; the Count carried me through
feveral large rooms, to one, in which the
breakfaft equipage was fpread -, prefently, a
lady of middle age appeared, and alfo a
young gentleman -, the Count introduced
me to them ; the one was his fifter, and the
other his nephew, a young Lord, who was
juft going upon a journey of pleafure to
England, being related to the Baron de Fur-
ftentein, Ambaffador Extraordinary from
Denmark at the court of London. They
both received me very politely, and entered
into converfation in French upon my tra-
vels. Breakfaft was prefently ferved up, it
confifted only of coffee, milk, and a bafon
of water gruel for the Count, which feemed
to be his regular diet. The young noble-
man, whofe name was Baron de Raden,
made many enquiries concerning England,
all which I replied to, as well as I was able :
I found, he intended making a refidence there
long enough to gain the language. The
Count alked me feveral particulars of my

ideas

DENMARK. i^i

ideas concerning Denmark : he faid, I mufl
fee a great difference in the country, in the
population, and the induilry of the inhabi-
tants, between England and their country,
I obferved, that our peafants in England were
in much happier circumftances, and which
mufl necefTarily occafion a greater populouf-
nefs i and that the cuflom in Engand, of
letting the lands in farms, was the reafon,
that our agriculture made a fo much better
figure than in Denmark. That, replied
the Count, is very true, but we have the
advantage of you in other circumftances;
our nobility ^nd gentry of large fortunes
cultivate their own eftates, though of great
extent ', and certainly this makes the foil
yield a greater produce, than if it was under
the management of a parcel of miferable
peafants. True, Sir, replied I, but our foil
is not managed by miferable peafants, but
by rich farmers, many of them men of con-
j(iderable fubftance and independance ; if
they were all as poor as the peafants of Den?-
jnark, I fhould agree with you at once.

The Count then obferved to me, that I
was in an error, in fuppofmg, that they had
no farmers in Denmark -, we do not call
them fo, continued he, but boors and pea-
fants indifcriminately, whether they hjre
h 4 laiidsK

152 TRAVELS THROUGH

lands of us, or whether they are in a ftate of
villainage ; and to convince you of this, I
will, before dinner, ihew you fome farms,
that I have lett, almoft in the Englifh man-
ner ^ and I will, at the fame time, have the
pleafure of (hewing you a little manufadlory,
which I have eftablifhed on my eftate, for
the employment of the poor. A fervant
foon after came in, to let me know, that my
chaife was repaired, and ready to proceed.
I made a motion to take my leave ; but the
Count, in a moft obliging manner, afTured
me, that I fliould fpend the day with him ;
and not hearing any excufes, ordered the
horfes to be taken off, and put into his fta-
bles, and the fervant and poftillion to be
taken care of. I thanked him for his ci-
vility, but he faid, the pleafure would be all
his own. He then ordered horfes to be got
ready for us, that he might fhew me fome of
his undertakings.

As we rode along, he exprelTed himfelf
in general as follows : The trade and ma-
nufaftures. Sir, that have been fpread through
moft parts of Europe, have leffened every-
where the value of money; this we have
found in Denmark, though perhaps not in
fuch a degree, as you have in England; the
jjonfequence has been, that the nobility, who

live

DEN MARK. js^

live upon the ftated income of their eftates,
|ind themfelves every day poorer and poorer :
this is ocGafioned by the produ(fts of their
lands, not felling at a price proportioned to
the rates of thofe commodities, they chiefly
buy: this, I apprehend, is not the cafe
with you, as I hear, and indeed fee, by
fome of your news-papers, that there
are raany complaints among you, on ac-
count of the high prices of the necelTaries of
. life ; this proves to me, that the value of
the eftates in England muft be greatly
raifed, which then throws your nobility
upon a par with thofe, whofe incomes vary
with the variations of money : this, I fup~
pofe, is owing to the great number of ma-
nufadures among you, which occalions an
increafe of population, and that brings
with it an increafe of the value of all the
articles, confumed by manufa6lurers. Now
it is, in this particular, that Denmark is
unfortunate : it is true, our gracious King
is really the father of his people, and has
formed more eftablifliments in favour of
the arts and commerce, than half the mo-
narchs of Europe j he has fixed manufac-
tures of feveral forts in various parts of his
dominions, but thefe are too inconliderable^
yet, to have a general effe6l: they are,

however.

•j54 TRAVELS THROUGH

however, of great utility to their refpedive
neighbourhoods -, and it is the obfervation
of this, that has induced me to attend to
the bell methods of improving an extenfive
property around this caftle, which yielded,
when 1 came to it, but an inconfiderable
income.

From what I have obferved, continued
the Count, in England, France, and Hol-
land, the value of land, that is the income
of it, depends exactly on the neighbour-
hood of manufadures ; for land, no where
letts fo well, as clofe to great cities. What
we want in Denmark, is a market; we
have had feveral edicts in favour of agricul-
ture, but giving us a market for our pro-
duds, would be better than ajfthoufand
edi6ts : with thefe ideas, it is, that I have
been fo felicitous to increafe the number of
people on my eitate, and to add to their
confumption, being under the convi6lion,
that if I can fix an induftrious colony of ma-
nufa6lurers on it, I fhall, of courfe, im-
prove the agriculture of it.

Here I obferved to him, that agriculture,
if left to itfelf, would not thus b^e fufficientf
ly improved.

I comprehend you, replied the Count ^
old cuftoms will continue among the pea«r

fantSji

DENMARK. 155

fants, however abfurd they may be ; but I
did not meap, that I had left them to them-
felves entirely, only, that the providing a
market was the firft objed, as all other
means or changes in the common praclice
would, without that, do nothing: for of
what confequence is it, that you teach your
people to be excellent hufbandmen, if they
do not find it eafy to get money for their
good crops ? I can further have the fatisfac-
tion of telling you, that I find from experi-
ence, that thefe ideas are jufl ; for fince I
fully entered into the fpirit of this condud:,
I have feen the truth of it, exemplified on
my own eftate ; for fince I have fixed fome
manufacturers here, and built a village for
them, the products, which the farmers have
raifed, have found a much better market,
and paid them better for their trouble, than
ever was known before.

We had arrived, by this time, on the con-
fines of a little town, which made a very
agreeable figure, upon the fide of a hill, in
^ fruitful fpot, with a river at the bottom of
the declivity.

Here, faid the Count, is a little town,
every houfe of which I have built myfelf,
and filled them with manufaflurers. We
entered it 3 he {hewed me the fabrics, which

he

J56 TRAVELS THROUGH

he had eftabliilied ; they were chiefly of wool :
there were great numbers of fpinners,
combers, and weavers; they made coarfe
cloth, worn by the poor people of all this
country. The manager of the works was an
Englifliman from EiTex, who, I fuppofe,
|:he Count had brought with him, when he
was upon his tour through England. I am
no judge of thefe fort of works, but the peo-
ple, native Danes, as well as the English-
men, carry on their work with quicknefs
«©nd intelligence. The Count informed me,
that he had four hundred hands employed
upon woollen goods alone j that he wrought
up all the forts of cloathing, which found
a ready market in this country, that is, fuch
as all the country men and women wore. I
alked him, how he fucceeded as to profit ?
He replied, very indifferently, if I fpeak as
a manufacturer ; for had I been a mere
mafler of it, 1 fliould have been ruined.
"What this is owing to, I know not -, but I
fuppofe, to my not being able to give that
attention to the bulinefs, which a man
would do, who is to make his bread by it.
However, Sir, continued he, I make all, I
wifh for, by it ; I pay my expences, and
there is enough left to anfwer all the de-
mand^, which are made on me, on occount

of

DENMARK. j^f

of the buildings I have ereded ; fo that I
am a clear gainer of the number of people,
I have fixed on my eftate ; and I dare fay,
you comprehend my meaning fufficientiy
to fee, that this was the only profit, I wished
to reap.

The Count fhevved me another manufac-
tory, v^hich was that of leather 5 he had
cred:ed feveral tanneries, which prepared
the hides for manufadluring into doublets,
breeches, boots, (lockings, and fhoes 3 of
thefe various artifts, he has to the number
of near three hundrjed: j and the products of
their labour find, like thofe of his woollea
manufa6lare, a free and quick fale in the
neighbouring country. M. le Count infor-
med me, that this manufafture was more
profitable to him, ,than that of woollen
^oods. The next fabric he (hewed me, was
that of turners ware. He had laid in large
Hocks of beech wood, elm, horn-beam,
hOiUy, and feveral other forts -, and fixed
mawy artifts, in this way, to turn difhes,
platen, platters, cups, faucers, bowls,
fcoops, and various otlier articles, which
are in common ufe among the people in all
the adjacent towns and villages ; of thefe
artifts, he f eckons one hundred and twenty

peribns.

158 TRAVELS THROUGH
perfons, employed in preparing and working
up the raw materials.

He has alfo a fmall linen manufa6tory,
which employs above forty hands, and of'
which, the fuccefs is fo advantageous, that
it increafes every day : they work up only
coarfe cloths for fheets, fhirts, and other
purpofes, among the lower ranks of peo-
ple.

But none of his works feemed to pleafe
this moll patriotic nobleman, equal to his
manufadturies of iron ; of thefe, he worked
all forts of implements in common ufe,
whether for the furniture of houfes, or do-
meftic utenfils; the machines for artifls,
fuch as wheelwrights, carpenters, black-
fmiths ', the implements of hufbandry, fuch
as ploughs, harrows, rollers, carts, wag-
gons, fpades, fhovels, forks, rakes, axes,
&c. all thefe he worked in great numbers,
and found a ready vent for them. Thefe
fabrics employed above two hundred men.

All thefe undertakings employ above a
thoufand hands, and the fuccefs of them has
proved fo great, as to fix above two thou-
fand inhabitants in the town, he has built for
them. It confifts of about three hundred
houfes, all of which the Count either built
at his own expence, or advanced part of

the

DENMARK. 159

fhoney towards them, or granted certain
privileges to thofe, who made him propofals
of building. The ftreets are laid out very
regularly, interfe6ling each other at right
angles ; in the center is a large market-
place, and in the midft of it, a fmall, but
neat church; all the town is well paved;
the houfes are fmall, but all raifed with
brick, and covered with tiles, and make a
very regular and agreeable appearance.

The bricks and tiles are all burnt in
kilns adjoining the town, belonging to the
Count, and the timber is cut in his forefts ;
fo that the expences were very fmall, com-
pared to what they would have been in dif-
ferent circumflances 5 but notwithftanding
thefe advantages, the Count afTured me, that
in three and twenty years, fmce he began
thefe works, he has expended in them the
fum of above thirty three thoufand ducats,
which make near lixteen thoufand pounds.
This account includes the church, the pav-
ing the town, and the erefting the works
and buildings for the feveral manufadures
above mentioned, befides the houfes and
fhares of houfes : excluiive of this expence,
he has been employed three years in eredt-
ing a handfome bridge over the river, a
wharf on the banks of it, with warehoufes

r_ ^

t6o TRAVEL^ THROUGH

for merchandize, and dry and wet docks
for building bargesj and decked floops ori
the river : the tide flows up to the town,
though at a confiderable diftance from the
fea ', and the Count* among his noble plans,
has fchemed the fixing a trade at it. This
town is fituated between Pallifberg and
Wingaard : the river falls into the gulph,
that Ringlkopping ftands on, but he is at
prefent employed in cutting a canal, about
two miles long, to gain a better navigation
into a bay to the northward, near Wof-
borg. By this means, he hopes to be able
to navigate brigs of one hundred tons;
whereas he has, at prefent, only five floops,
each of fifty tons. Thefe he employs ali
himfelf, in bringing materials for his ma-
nufa6lures from the Baltick, England, and
Holland. His bridge, wharf, docks; and
warehoufes, he calculates, will coft him
fixteen thoufand ducats, and his navigation,
above three thoufand.

I do not remember ever receiving fb much
real pleafure, as from viewing thefe great
and noble exertions of princely magnifi-
cence, which infinitely exceed all the coftly
ornaments, which, in fome countries, are
given to the feats of the great. They re-
fle<5l immortal honour on the worthy

County

DENMARK. i6i

Count, who has the fpirit, thus to profe-
cute the noblefl works, which Europe can.
exhibit. Other noblemen, in Denmark, have
fortunes, equal to this illuftrious Count;
in England, we have fortunes double and
treble to his; but where are we to find an
expenditure of a great eftate, that refle6ls
equal luftre on the owner ? I muil confefs,
1 never yet met with an example, compara-
ble to this, nor can I pollibly dwell on it in
the manner, it moil richly deferves.

It was the employment of the day for the
Count to carry me through all the manu-
fadures, and the different parts of the
town; he returned to the caftle to a late
dinner. I mentioned, taking my leave of him,
but, with great politenefs, and in the mofl
obliging manner, he defired me to defer my
journey, faying, he had fhewn me only his
manufadures, but he had the effects of
them on agriculture, yet to let me fee. At
dinner, and in the evening, we had abund-
ance of converfation, concerning the objeds,
I had feen in the day ; and, particularly, on
the means, by which the Count had
been able to effe<5l the eilablifliment of the
manufa.dtures, I had feen.

The beginning of all ray undertakings,
faid that illuftrious nobleman, I found

Vol. II. M ever

i62 TRAVELS THROUGH
ever the moft difficult. In eftablifhing the
woollen fabrick, I had infinite difficulties
at firft, in opening a regular channel, by
which to receive the wool, for our own
was fo bad, that I could ufe fcarce any of
it ', and then to get people, ufed to the dif-
ferent works, from picking and forting for
the fpinners, quite to the weavers, who
finifhed the working of it, Moft of the
people, I procured from Germany and
Flanders ; but a few, who proved more
ufeful to me, than all the reft, from Scot-
land, and two or three, from England.
To all thefe people I have been forced to
give great falaries, to build them fine
houfes, and to put up with many irregu-
larities ; but I was indefatigable, in making
my own people learn of them, what they
could perform ; and the beft way of doing
this, I found, was to give a premium to the
foreigners, for every hand they perfeded in
every branch of work. Several of thefe
people are dead, and I have not taken Smy
pains to recruit their number; for my
Danes are now, many of them, as expert
as their mafters. I have, however, very
often draggling parties of Germans, who
come to afk work, which I never fail giving
them 3 and building houfes immediately

for

DENMARK. 163

for them, if they continue in the mind of
fettling. This has, in general, been my con-
du6lwith everyone of the fabrics, except one,
which has hitherto been entirely conduced
and worked by native Danes -, but I medi-
tate attempting fome new manufa6lures,
for which, I muft have recourfe to other
countries, for a few hands to inftrucft us.
From the beginning of the undertaking,
I found the neceflity of uniting the charac-
ters of merchant and manufadlurer ; for
had it not been for the pofTeffion of a lit-
tle fhipping, which fupplied me with what-
ever materials were wanting, I fhould never
have been able to bring my works to the
height, at which they are now arrived.
My Hoops are ftrong and well built, and
run, without difficulty, wherever I fend
them, to the Baltic, to England, Scotland,
Holland, France, and even to the Mediter7
ranean i with the advantage of coming up
into the heart of my town. I once had a
brig of two hundred tons, but I found too
much inconvenience and expence in fend-
ing fuch a velTel for a cargo of not more
than forty or fifty tons, unlefs I turned
trader, and loll by the bufmefs 3 befides,
her being forced to lye in the gulph, in-
flead of coming up to the town, fo that I
M 2 fold

i64 TRAVELS THROUGH

fold her in Holland, and have found my
floops, far more convenient and profitable,
as v^ith them, I can always take a full cargo,
of whatever they are fent for. I have a
Dutch {hip-carpenter, who builds them for
me, and he has fix Danes under him, two
of whom have worked in the King's yard
at Copenhagen. This eftablifhment is not
more than three years old, but I purpofe to
keep it regular, and even to increafe it :
they have built me five floops, each of fifty
tons, which have performed their bufinefs
exceedingly well, and are excellent failors.
You faw two more on the flocks, both
which are herring bufies, built exa6lly on
the fame plan, as thofe in Holland ; with
them I purpofe attempting the herring
fifliery -, for I have obferved in my travels,
and you certainly mufl have remarked the
fame thing, that nothing fpreads more in-
duflry, or maintains fo many people, as
fifheries -, and at the fame time, the Danes
make excellent ones ; and I have no doubt
of fucceeding, as I have, though at a great
expence, got three Dutch fifhermen, ufed
to their art of barrelling ^ if I meet with
fuccefs, I fliall increafe the bufies -, and
when the canal, I fliewed you, is finiflied,
I fliall build feme larger floops, and a brig

or

DENMARK. 165

or two of an hundred tons, for carrying the
produdl of the filhery up the Streights ; from
whence, I hope to return home loaded with
fah, which, by that time, I fhall have fixed
a market for.

My great objed is to make every part of
my general plan, unite to form one whole,
by rendering each divifion of it, the fupport
of another : At iirft, I was forced to fend
out my Hoops, wherever they went, empty ;
but as my manufadures have increafed, I
have fent out fome loads of them, which
have obtained a very good market ; I have
loaded others with corn, having a perpetual
licence from the King for that purpofe ; if
my fifhery proceeds, I fhall never be oblig-
ed to go out empty, which is a very effen-
tial objedt.

All thefe works, I find, have a wonderful
efhcacy in increafing the people on my eflate.
I before told you, that the town has above
two thoufand inhabitants in it, though not
a hut was flanding there, three and twenty
years agoj my buildings increafe confide-
rably every year -, I have a great number of
brick and lime burners, mafons, fmiths, and
carpenters, that do nothing elfe, but build
houfes for the new comers. This work re-
gulates all the reft, for it is the firft, I pro-
M 2 vid^

i66 TRAVELS THROUGH

vide cafli for, being the great object of all
the reft; and what fum is fpared from this,
I expend upon the other works. I raifed
five and thirty houfes laft year, and the
number this year will be near forty. From
the applications, I have received, I appre-
hend, I {hall, next year, build more than
fixty ', but the expence will be fo large, that
I fhall be forced to retard my other under-
takings. You fhall to-morrow fee the
effeft, which this population has had upon
my hufbandry.

We pafTed the evening in converfation of
this fort, in which the young Baron joined
occafionally, and fhewed, that he had a
proper idea of the great works, which his
uncle was carrying on. The Count fhew-
ed me a map of his eflate, as it was, when
his father left it him. The extent is nine Eng-
lifh miles one way, and more than four
another; but fomewhat indented. It is a
fine variegated country of hill and dale,
with fome mountains, well watered with
rivers, flreams, and lakes ; and part of it,
nobly fpread with exceeding fine timber.
This was the defcription, he gave me of it on
explaining the map.

In the morning early, horfes were ready
for us, and the Count, riding fome miles

fron^

D E N I^ A R K. 167

from his caftle, came into a track of culti-
vated country, all his own, at the extremity
of his eftate, oppofite to the part, on which
the town is built. Here we rode through
many valleys, and fides of hills, all culti-
vated, with great numbers of farm houfes
and cottages, the inhabitants of which
feemed as eaiy, chearful, and happy, as if
they had been relident in England, inftead
of Denmark -, they all appeared to be pleaf-
ed with the prefence of their lord, and I
have no doubt, but they efleem him, as their
father, as well as mailer. This part of my
eftate, faid the Count, addreffing himfelf to
me, was cultivated of old, and it is all, that
was fo ; I found it farmed by my father's
bailiiFs and villains, and the appearance it
made, was very uninviting, and the people
extremely miferable ; I arranged it a-new,
formed moft of the inclofures you fee, built
moft of thefe houfes j and to all the people,
that were induflrious and faving, X lett farms,
according to their ability of living and
flocking s and I found very foon, that this
•way of managing the land, brought me in
a better revenue, than the cultivating it on
my own account; for the bailiffs, I trufled,
generally turned out great rafcals, and
cheated me, at the fame time, that they iii-
M 4 initel\p

i68 TRAVELS THROUGH

finitely opprefTed the peafants. In my tra-
vels through England, I had fixed the de-
fign of letting farms, from the great fiic-
cefs, I faw attending it there ; I liked the
flan, every day better and better, and by
giving encouragements to fuch, as tilled their
land well, and kept their farms in good or-
der, and by fhewing no favour to idle per-
fons and flovens, I brought them to be won-
derfully attentive, fo that, at prefent, I do
not think, you have many eflates in Scot-
land, or Ireland, better cultivated, than this
part of mine, and fome, not better in Eng-
land. I ihould, however, tell you, that I did
not leave them to the cuftoms of their own
country entirely, but procured workmen
and implements from Flanders, to inftrucSt
them in the pradice of methods, to which
they were unaccuftomed. This I did not
find fo difficult a bufinefs, as might be ex-
peded ', for very luckily, the people, I pro-
cured, were fenfible and intelligent, and
pointed out with great propriety the courfes
of management, moft proper for the lands s
our foil, they thought not good enough for
the Flemifli crops of colefecd, madder, &;c,
but ought rather to be applied to the pro-
du6lions of wheat, barley, oats, peafe,
beans, turnips, clover. Sec. I was entirely

of

DENMARK. 169

of the fame opinion, and rewarded them
for their advice, fending them home, after
they had fully inftrucled my Danes in the
ufe of their implements ; we have lluck very
clofely to thefe ever fince, except the in-
trodu6lion of fome others from England,
which have likewife been well approved by
them. I have given premiums for the befl:
ploughmen ; others, more confiderable, for
the beft crops of all forts ; and have been
very attentive to fpread among them the cul-
ture of turnips and clover, as the moft ad-
vantageous means of wintering their herds
pf cattle.

The attention of this fort, which I have
given to their management, has been attend-
ed with great effects, for though I have
been all over Denmark more than once, I
know fcarcely any fpot, fo well cultivated as
this ; and you will readily allow, that I have
found the work profitable, when I tell you,
that great tracks of this improved land yield
me a rent of a ducat and half for an Englifh
acre ; and fome of it two ducats, (which is
from fourteen to eighteen fhiliings) but it
has not been fo high rented, many years ; it
hath been fo, only fmce the increafe of my
town has been confiderable, which, by pro-
viding them the market, they fo much want-
ed.

syo TRAVELS THROUGH

ed, has enriched them all, and is a flrong
proof of the juflnefs of the principles, upon
which I firft undertook all my works.

You obferve, continued the Count, that
there are wafle tracks on yonder hills, which
join the inclofures ; they are very extenfive,
Spreading for fome miles ; but the inclofures
inereafe every year, and in great numbers :
the way, I manage, is this, I allow the far-
mers the expence of inclofing, whatever
they like to take contiguous to their farms,
provided, they never have more land, than
they keep well cultivated, and I take no rent
for fuch fields, during the firfl five years ;
after that they pay me for them about half
the value, which continues, as long as the
improver lives, but on his death, I raife it
to the full value. Thefe terms, they think
fo reafonable, that there is not a peafant
among them, but what makes a fmall ad-
dition every year ; and others, who get or
fave money, have frelh farms compleat, on
the fame terms, except, paying me further
the intereft of the money I expend in build-
ings for them. I am very attentive to thefe
new tracks of cultivated land, to fee that
they do not neglcdl them j for I never fuf-
fer an inclofure to continue uncultivated.
I have attended to the expences, and the

producQ

D E N M A R K, 171

produce of thefe improvements, and it is
jiot eafy to be conceived, what advantage J
find in them. The greateft expences, thofe
of the buildings, I at once enter upon inte-
reftfor, and the rents, in five years after the
firft beginnings, yield me an ample return
for the expences of the inclofure, fo that J
find no vi^ay of laying out money, more be-
neficial than this. Thefe cultivated tracks
are feven miles from the town, which I
.ere6led at a diftance, not only for the con-
venience of a port, (which originally did
not flrike me, as a matter of the greateft im-
portance) but chiefly, on account of the
great extent of wafte land at that extremity
of my eftate. I built the town, with a view
to force improvements there ; but the in-
creafe of inhabitants has made it a market
of fuch confequence, that thefe farmers all
refort to it, and carry thither their pro-
duds ; and I find^ from very minute enqui-
ries, that they never raife any commodity,
which does not then bring them a ready
price. While this is the cafe, I am per-
fedly fatisfied with my fuccefs, for it was
|:he grand objedt, I had in view from the be-
ginning; and nothing can hardly prevent
the improvements of the waftes, I pofTefs,
while this continues the cafe ; nor have 1

much

172 TRAVELS THROUGH

much fear of it, for the town increafes Co
much, that its demand will, on courfe, occa-
iion an improvement of fuch wafte lands.

Another circurrifl:ance,obfervedthe Count,
is the nature of the foils, around this culti-
vated part of my eflate. I made it a rule
fome years ago, that every peafant, who
wiflied to encreafe his farm, fhould take the
wafte, that was contiguous to him, without
any regard to the goodnefs or the badnefs of
the foil. This occafioned me fome difficul-
ty at firfl, for fome of them came to por-
tions of hilly land, that w^as very flony, and
of a moil unprofitable countenance ; and
others to boggy places, which would,
through wetnefs, admit of no fort of ufe.
Such of them made reprefentations to me
upon this head, afTerting, that they were de-
firous of increafmg their farms, but the
lands, that joined them, were fo very (lerile
and unprofitable, that they could not ven-
ture on them, requefting me, to allow them
to pafs by fuch defert fpots, and take in
more promifing ones. Thefe petitions I
made it a rule never to grant, as I was very
fenfible, that if I once gave into the idea of
the real unproiitablenefs of thefe fpots, they
would never meet with any culture, and
confequently, remain barren to eternity : I

therefore

DENMARK.., 173

therefore replied to them, that fuch pieces
of land, as they mentioned, were, by no
means, fterile, if once they were attempted
with becoming fpirit ; that I fliouid look
with a very favourable eye on all fuch as
tried the culture of them with true induftrj
and perfeveraiice ; that as an encourage-
ment to them, I would, on the dry lands, be
at half the expence of removing the iloness
and on the bogs, I would be at half the ex-
|)ence of draining, and, at the fame time^
find them an engineer gratis, to mark out
their cuts, and overfee the execution of
them ; but that I would, on no account, havs
one acre of wafte pafTed by.

This condu6t. Sir, continued this excel-
lent nobleman, had its efFe6tj they made
no more coniplaints of bad foils, but at-
tacked all they met with, and have been
every where victorious 5 when feme of them
got into the bogs, the draining of half of
which was €ven too much for their ability,
I took care, that the works fliould not flop,
but advanced money to them to enable them
to overcome all difficulties ; and fuch has
been my fuccefs, that feveral tracks of rich
meadow, now within our fight in yonder
valley, worth two ducats an Englifh acre»
were a bog, that yielded no fort of advan-
tage

17+ TRAVELS THROUGH

tage to any one; and the peafants them-
felves allow, that no land, they meet with, an-
fwers fo well, as the boggy tradls, efpecially
for meadows -, and I find, by various trials,
which they have made, as well as by others,
executed more immediately under my own
dire6lion, in another part of my eftate, that
no foils are found in our waftes, but what
will pay extremely well for improving. By
adhering ftrictly to the condud: I mention-
ed to you, feveral of thefe people have im-
proved fome pieces, which you would have
pronounced irreclaimable, but which are
now covered with very fine crops of corn
and grafs.

During the time, that this mofl intereiling
converfation lafted, the Count carried me
through feveral of their farms. I am no
connoiffeur in hufbandry, but from the ob-
fervation, which I have made in England and
in Flanders, which are, I think, gardens
compared with other countries, mofl of
thefe farms appear to be under an excellent
management. The articles, which the Count
pointed out particularly, were a freedom
from weeds, neat fences, large dunghills,
and plenty of winter food for cattle. In all
thefe circumftanccb', thefe farms are in high
order 5 the lands in general very clean, thofe

preparing

DENMARK. 275

preparingfor wheat, particulafty^fo, the corn
crops the fame. The fences are chiefly of
hornbeam and holly, and interlaced fo llrong-
ly, as to be impenetrable, with deep and
well cut ditches to them every where. As
to dunghills, I never faw any track of coun-
try, where the hufbandmen feemed more
attentive to them. The men from Flanders
taught them the importance of compofl
heaps, by which are meant mixtures of va-
rious forts of manures i they form them chief-
ly of earth, dung, and litter, burnt clay,
and peat afhes j the latter, the Count inftruc-
ted them in, from hints he had in England,
which furprifed me, as I do not remember to
have feen any thing of that fort in any of
our countries ^ it is a fine, foft, moory fort of
bog burnt : What ufe the burnt clay can be
of, I know not, but they fay, they find the
advantage of it. Thefe compofts, they keep
two years, before they ufe them, turning
them over feveral tinies, and ufually fpread
them either for turnips or clover, generally
the latter. In refpe61: to winter food for
cattle, they cultivate much clover and na-
tural grafs, mowing both for hay ^ and alfo
many fields of turnips, generally the fort,
that has cabbage leaves. Thefe are fecure
from damage by frofls 5 and with their hay

and

,76 TRAVELS THROUGH

and ftraw, enable them to winter-keep great
flocks of cattle. In general, the farmers of
the country did not make fuch advantage by-
cattle, as they ought, for want of a market
for fuch, as they fat, or for the butter and
cheefe of the dairies 5 but the Count's new
town has brought an entire remedy for this
evil to all his tenants, as the inhabitants of
it form a ready market for all fuch provi-
fions, which proves a very great advantage
to the peafants. Formerly, their cattle was
all fold lean to the Dutch drovers.

The viewing all thefe circumftances con-
fumed the day, and the hofpitable Count in-
filled on my making a further flay with him,
faying, that I had not yet feen his own farm,
which he referved for the next day ; and I
muft own, I never palTed any time with grea-
ter fatisfadtion ; for this very patriotic noble-
man appeared rather a being of romance, a
vifion of perfe6lion, than a real inflance of
fo many public and private virtues -, but I
confidered myfelf, as peculiarly fortunate in
meeting with an objedl, that much more
than recompenced me for all the trouble
and expence, I had beflowed on my travels,
had I feen nothing elfe.

The next morning, he condu6led me a
different way, taking a rounding courfe to-
wards

DENMARK. 177

wards the town, at the diftance of three
miles from the cafile j the principal part of
the way was through a territory, extremely
well cultivated, fome of it was lett in farms
to the peafants, but we foon came into his
own farm, which is of a vaft extent, and
fpreads itfelf almofl around the town. From
the riling grounds in this part, I could fee
no wafle land, but all the diftant views, for
two or three mile^ every way, were all under
culture.

This part of my eflate, faid the Count, was
once reckoned the very worfh of it all, and
not an acre in cultivation ; this, I believe,
I told you, was one inducement for placing
the town here. Nobody would even hire
farms here, fo bad an opinion had they of
the foil ; but by building the town upon it,
I gave it a double value ; firft, the conve-
nience of vicinity to a market ; and fecondly,
the cafe of procuring manure 3 ftill, however,
it continued, in general, wafle for feveral
years, except a few bogs, near the town,
which they drained and improved for the
more convenience of keeping their horfes,
and a few cows. Finding this backward-
nefs of the peafants, I undertook the Work
myfelf, knowing, that in cafe I fucceeded,
of which I had very little doubt, they

Vol. II. N would

178 TRAVELS THROUGH
would be ready enough to take farms, after
they were improved. The foil was in ge-
neral thrown into broad extending flats,
which were all either marfh or bog ; and
the rifing grounds of confiderable extent
alfo, and hills, were all fand, fome of it
red, and fome a black fand i none of the
fpontaneous growth at all promifmg.

My firfl bufmefs was to fix upon a fpot in
the center of very large track of thefe lands,
wdiere I built a houfe for a bailiff, and put
into it one, I had procured from Flanders.
This was not a wife choice, for the man
was much too full of a rich foil, he had
been ufed to, and had not patience fufficient
with this poor one > but then I found him
a treafury in docility, and one, on whom I
could ever depend for a punctual obedience
of my orders 5 qualities, which I have fince
found to be much better in fuch a mana-
ger, than knowledge. I raifed fome large
barns, many houfes for cattle, granaries,
llore rooms, and all conveniencies for a
very large farm, which I had any where
feen in my travels. While thefe edifices
were ereding, I made a found and firm road,
. dire6lly from them to the town ; this was
a work of much expence in the bogs, but
I knew it to be indifpenfable. The build-

ings

D E N M A R K. 179

Ings I had raifed in the center of a fmail
rifing ground, which were in the middle of
a very extenfive flat of marrti and bog.
There, faid he, you fee it extends a great
diftance. The fandy track, in the middle,
was about a mile over every way, and lying
neareft to the buildings, I improved it firil.
On my beginning this work, I turned over
all the writers on hulbandry in my poffeffion,
to fee what were their dire6lions for the im-
provement of a poor^ fandy foil. I found
nothing fatisfa6tory 5 but they recommend-
ed marl, which totally depended on the cir-
cumftance of having it ^ nor did they give
,any dire6lions, how to judge, if marl was
likely to be found. The hufbandry of marl-
ing light land, I had feen myfelf in your
country, in the province of Norfolk, but as
well as I remembered, the marl was fo near
the furface, as to be difcovered in every ditch;
however, as the objedl was important, I
. bored, in feveral places, for marl, but found
nothing but fand, and under it, at a vaft
.depth, flint, and then clay. I was there-
fore obliged to improve this land without
any marl.. . I formed the whole hill into in-
clofures, and my bailiff tilled, manured,
and fowed the fields with various crops,
which he had feen put into fandy grounds
N 2 in

i8o TRAVELS THROUGH

in Flanders -, thefe were very poor and
lofing produ6ls, except three, buck wheat,
carrots, and potatoes. Buck wheat my
baiHiT defpifcd, but we know it, in Den-
mark, to be a very vahiable crop j and as to
the roots, they did not content him; he
was for trying to force this fand, by means of
manure, brought from the town, to produce
every thing, he had feen in Flanders. This
rafhncfs I checked, and diredled him to ex-
tend the above three crops to a large amount;
he did fo, and fucceeded well in the fame.
The buck wheat was of great ufe, both as
corn and ftraw for the cattle ; and the roots
were, part of them, fold to my manufacfturers,
at a great profit, and the reft, confumed by
all forts of cattle. The trials were again re-
peated on a yet larger fcale, and the fuccefs
the fame ; and on the fifth year from the
beginning, the whole fpace of fand, about
the buildings, was under thefe three crops in
fuccefllon, fo as every year to be covered with
one or other of them : And they were raifed
with fuch fuccefs, as enabled us to win-
ter fuch vaft heads of cattle, that the Flan-
derkin allowed, we could never have more
profitably applied the land.

But while this bufinefs was going on, the
flats demanded attention, for the fuccefs of

the

DENMARK. i8f

the winter roots flievved, that we flioiild
want meadow for fummer food, and all, my
cattle had at firft, was what they picked up
on the edges of the marilies. Nothing
therefore could be a more important objeft,
than to drain and improve thefe marfhes
and bogs, which would enable me to keep
as many cattle in fummer, as the fand yields
ed food for in winter: keeping cattle, I foun4
. very profitable, for my town was a conftant
market for whatever quantities of butter,
milk, and cheefe, could be carried to it,
and alfo for every kind of fat meat, that was
killed. The method, I took with my cows,
was to lett them to peafants, in dairies of
ten each, for which they gave me an an-
nual rent per cow; and I found tl^em in
conftant food, winter and fummer. I pro-
fecuted the work of draining ^v^ith unremit-
ted diligence, employing great numbers of
hands, and doing the work effedually, as I
went i and they were thrown, as foon ag
drained, into a courfe of arable hufbandry^
to prepare for grafs ; and my Flanders bai^
liff put me upon one crop for them, which
proved far more beneficial than any^ which
was cabbages ; the drained bogs, anfwere^
greatly in them. But as grafs was the ob-^
jed-j they were all laid down to meadow, aa
N 3 (qqu

i82 TRAVELS THROUGH

foon as in order; and this regular work of
draining and improving them I have carried
on ever fince, having done all this extent of
flat, that you fee, and am, at prefent, going
on expeditioully v^^ith other tracks out of
fight, nor fhall I flop, while I have a marfli,
or a bog left. The improvement of the
fands went on at the fame time, with no
other variation, than throwing into the
courfe of management of carrots, buck wheat,
and potatoes, that of rye, which is my
bailiff's addition, in order, to be mafter
of the more flraw. But in profecuting the
improvement of the hills, I made a difco-
very, which proved of vaft confequence, as
the inclofures multiplied, for we came to a
rifmg ground, that had never been bored for
marl, and upon boring in it, we difcovered
a vaft ftratum of fhells, almofl pov/dered,
I had no doubt of fuch an animal fubftance,
proving a good manure, and accordingly
tried them over a large field of poor fand ;
the fertility, it produced, was amazing ; it
was fo great, that the crops of buck wheat,
carrots, and potatoes, were doubled, and
even trebled. This was fuch an acquifition,
that I immediately fpread thefe powdered
fliells over all the lands within reach, ^yhich
amounted to more, than feyea hundred of

D E N M A R K. 183

your Englifh acres, and thefe have flnce
b^en the mofl fertile fields of my efbate.

This improvement has had a great cllqci^
inftead of rye, my bailiff introduces clover
on them, and fovi^s wheat after it, which
adds greatly to the profit -, and the fhells
have proved fo good a manure, that thefe
fands produce now, more wheat, than they
did before of rye. The tracks of land, kept
in my own farm of grafs and arable, amount
to above three thoufand of your acres 1 and
from the neighbourhood of the town, which
for feveral years, has increafed very quickly,
the produds are carried to fo good a market,
that my revenue, frorn this farm alone, is,
clear of all expences, not lefs on an average,
than fix thoufand ducats a year, which is
much more, than I could make of it, if it
was lett. However, as that track is as much,
as I can keep in regular order, and without
any lofs from confufion, I lett the neigh-
bouring ones, as they are improved, and build-
ings raifed, topeafants, who hire fmall farm:^
of from forty to two hundred acres each,^
paying m.e a very good rent for the land.

The increafe of the town, and that of the-
improvements, anfwer to each other ex-.
tremely well, but the latter goes on, rather
with the greater celerity ; but to keep, up

N 4 tlm

184 TRAVELS THROUGH

the market price, and never fufFer provifions
to be too cheap, which, I think, for many
reafons, is efTential to the welfare of all fuch
undertakings as thefe, I export in floops
corn, cheefe, butter, falted beef, 6cc. &c. to
Holland, whenever the rates of my market
are lower, than I think, they ought to be; I do
not get fo good a price for fuch goods, as I
fhould, if they were all confumed at home,
but they yield enough to make it anfwer
well on the principles, upon which I do it.
In all the improvements, which 1 have
made on my lands, by letting them to the
peafants, I have adhered flriftly to the rule
of proceeding, on the very contrary condu6l,
which is common among nine tenths of the
nobility of the kingdom. They keep their
peafants as poor, and as humble as pofTible^
I, on the contrary, do every thing to ena-
ble them to enrich themfelves, and would
rather infpire them with the manly bold-
nefs of the poor in your country, than keep
them in the jQavery of our's. We have a
great power over them, and they are bound
to perform fo many fervices to their Lord,
in perfon, and with their cattle and teams,
if they have any, fo that they have very lit-
tle time to themfelves, if they are fo unfor-
tunate, as to be fubjc«5l to an unpi tying

fuperior.

DENMARK. 1^5

fuperior. People, in fuch a lituation, are by-
no means fit to allift me in my general plan of
improvement, hence therefore, all, that hire
land of me, or have rights of commonage
or cattle, pay me given rents, exclulive of
all fervices, without a particular bargain ;
as I make it a rule, never to call on them for
any thing, and the fweets of being left to
themfelves, are fo great, that they are indU'-
ced to pay me the better rents, and make up
the fur plus by a greater degree of induftry ;
as they find, that whatever they make, is
to be for the advantage alone of themfelves
and families. I find, everyday, the advan-
tage of this conduct : my peafants grow into
wealthy farmers, or, at leaft, are all in eafy
and happy circumftances -, they marry, and
beget numerous poflerities ; the population
of my eflate increafes, and, with the people,
the general markets for produ6ls, which I
have all along aimed at, and which is juft
fo much clear gain into my pocket. I have
not a man upon my eflate, that is not pro-
fitable to me, in fome way or other -, and it
is incredible, how quick they increafe. There
is not fuch a thing, as a marriagable
man or woman upon it, that are unmar-
ried; every maa and women, that apply to
me for a houfe, are fure of having one

built

i86 TRAVELS THROUGH

built for them, if I know them to be of
good characters, and induftrious -, and they
have all a fmall piece of land, and none, but'
what are chearful and contented. In fuch
-a fituation, marriages cannot but abound,
and the people increafe, in a manner,
which none of the countries in Europe have
any idea of. Among all my people, there
is not one, that is burthenfome to the reft;
no old peafant, or labourer, but what has
faved enough, before he was in years, to
live happily in his latter days; very few,
but what become little farmers, before they
are old, and in a ftate, in which their rela-
tions would think it fhameful, to let them
want their affiftance.

The Count, having fhewn me this part of
his eftate, returned home by a circuit of
above five miles, all through an uncultiva-
ted wafte. You fee, faid he, addrefling him-
felf to me again, that I have yet, a great deal
of work to do ; all this track of country,
with fome others, almoft as extenfive, are as
barren, as I found them ; but as my im-
provements advance very quick, I am not
without hopes of feeing the whole, fome
time or other, under culture -, in the mean
time, it is not totally ufelefs, for I have
many fliepherds, who attend very confider-.

able

DENMARK. 187

■able flocks of fheep, which pafture here 1
thefe are all of an improved breed, which
I efFeded, by importing rams from Flanders
and from England, in order to provide
wool for my manufactory : my flocks fully
anfwered that eiiid fome years ago, but fince
I have increafed my fabrics fo much, I can-
not fupply them from my own lands, with
all they work up, and am therefore obliged
to import from other countries ; and what I
get, I have chiefly from England, which I
freely confefs to you. This is not, how-
ever, an objed: of real importance ; for the
improvement of the land, to yield plenteous
crops of corn and roots, is a far more advan-
tageous application of it ^ and here, by the
way, let me ftart a refledion, which has
fl:ruck me more than once, in the courfe of
my undertakings. In your country, fheep is
made the great objed:, even in improved
territories : Now this appears to me^ to be an
erroneous policy 5 I have not yet found out
the means, nor do I think it poffible, to
make the utmofl: value of improved land, by
feeding it with fheep ; and from all the ex-
perience, which I have been able to gain, the
advantages, which arife from the culture of
lands, improved in arable crops, much ex-
ceed any thing, that flieep can yield, even

igg TRAVELS THROUGH

if all the profits of the manufa6lure are ad-
ded : this has made me wonder very much
at the condu(a of England, in giving fuch
exclufive favour to every thing, concerning
that animal. I replied, that in England,
no exclufive favour was given to fheep, as
every man was left at liberty to keep and
feed, whatever ilock bed pleafed him ; but
that the fupport of our growth of wool,
was in the pafturage of wafte countries, or,
at leaft, of thofe, which were fuch, in com-
parifon, with our befi: ; that fuch countries,
where great tracks in them were totally ap-
plied to feeding Iheep, though the land was
as applicable to producing grain, &c. as
moft others, was owing to the indolence,
cr want of fpirit of the owners.

Returning home, the Count further dif-
courfed as follows : The example of my own
eflate, faid he, proves to me, that nothing is
wanting to make a country populous, and
confequently rich, but giving the people
an object for their induftry to work upon ;
the mofl idle will, of themfelves, be con^
verted to induftry, if their induftry is bene^
ficial to them, and if they have no other de-
pendancebut on it. I know no people, na-
turally more indolent, than the common
people in Denmark -, but in the moft popu-
lous

DENMARK. 1^9

lous parts of Holland, they are not more
adive and induflrious, than all the people
on my eftate -, which change has been ef-
feded merely, by throwing them into the
purfuit of gain, and letting them quietly
enjoy it. The natural increafe of mankind
is prodigious, when marriages are no bur-
then, but children riches ^ and I am fb
ftrongly convinced of this truth, that I can-
not help confidering, with fome degree of
furprize, the conduct of feveral potentates,
who feek to people their defarts by impor-
tations of foreigners, and, at the fame time,
continue to keep their peafants in an ab-
folute ftate of flavery. Nothing can effec-
tually people any country, but the natural
increafe of its own inhabitants, accelerated
by fuch good and wholefome laws, and in-
ftitutes, as fecure their freedom and pro-
perty, and take off every idea of children
being burthenfome.

Another reflection, which- 1 have made
from the progrefs and event of my own un-
dertaking, is on the balance, if I may fo
exprefs myfelf, of agriculture and com-
merce. My view, in eftablifhing manufac-
tures on my eftate, and opening fome de«
gree of trade, was to give a fubliilance to
people, for whom I wiflied to form a mar-
ket.

1^0 TRAVELS THROUGrf

ket, for the produds of my lands. Th3
hands, employed in cultivating them, even
in the higheft perfe6lion, to vi^hich huf-*
bandry is capable of being carried, cannot
confume the produ6t,the furplus mufl there-
fore be fold J but a regular market, at a
good price, was not to be had, and the
confequence of which is always an obflruc-
tion to all improvement ; to remedy this,
I faw clearly, that nothing would be ef-
fe6lual, but increafing the people, and giv-
ing the new hands other means of employ-
ment, than agriculture , becaufe, if I em-
ployed them in raifmg food alfo, I fhould
only be increafing the former evil; here
therefore, I called in commerce to my aid,
I eftablifhed fome fabrics, and raifed a town,
that provided no food, but was confequently
to be fed by the furrounding country ; this
gave me the market, I wanted for the
land produ6ls. Here now arifes the quef^
tion, fhould the manufadures and trade be
pufhed on to as great a height as poflible, or
fhould they be kept in the even proportion
to the market wanted by the farmers ? In
other words, fhould the trade be made a
principal object, or fhould it be kept en-
tirelv fubfervient to agriculture ?

This

i) Ei N M A R-X. 191

This is a queftion, which involves in it the
whole circle of all the politics, which have
fo long agitated the world. I am far enough,
from being able to give a definition of the
direct line of propriety, but I will tell you,
what is my idea of condu6l, for my own
little concerns, and you will be able to judge,
whether it will be at all applicable to
the condu61: of nations. I was ever of opi-
nion, that in all improvements of the fort,
which I have undertaken, permanency is
an objed, that is never to be loll: fight of,
for ever fuch brilliant promifes, if they are
not evideiitly lafling; an improvement of
land, of manufa6ture, of trade, delerves
not the name, if it lafts, but for a feafon :
hence it is, that the greatefl immediate effect
is not always the moft inviting, if the pei%
manency of fuccefs be not equal to it. My
firfl motive of undertaking improvements,
was to increafe my revenue ; and in reafoning
upon the effedl, we ought to fuppofe, I have
never fince had any other motive, though,
in reality, the pleafure of beholding my
riling fuccefs, in making fo many people
happy, has been, by degrees, a much ftronger
inducement ; this, however, is to be thrown
out of the queftion, and the principal aim
of all the undertakings, fuppofed to be the

I gaining

19a TRAVELS THROUGH

gaining from my eftate, as great, clear, and
permanent revenue, as poffible.

In this view of the cafe, I am inclined to
believe, that trade and manufacture iliould
be carried no further, than the benefit of
land improvements require ; that they may
be made to bring in a great revenue, I have
not a doubt ; but I am equally clear, that
they become very precarious, the moment ^
you pu{h them beyond their conneflion with
agriculture ; they arc then open to the ri-
valfhip of other places and countries ; they
have no real foundation, depending upon
the fi6litious amount of fobriety and mo-
deration, which are the effentials of induflry ;
and at the fame time, the quantity of wealth
gained, is a fure means of introducing a de-
gree of expence, commonly called luxury,
which mull inevitably deftroy both. Pufli-
ing fabrics and commerce, as far as poffible,
is the fure way to become immenfely rich -,
but my memory gives me no inftance, in
which, great wealth has not accelerated the
ruin of every nation, in which it has been
found. Another circumflance, tending to
the fame point, is, that manufa6lures, in
their infancy, and the beginning of their
progrefs, have always for their obje6ls,
works of real and lalling utility, works,

which

DENMARK. i$3

which every where command a ready price ;
but when they come to attain great fplen-
dor, they bufy themfelves more upon objeds
of hixury and elegance, the confequence
of which is a precarious fale, and fpeedy
competition.

I have not a doubt, bvit I could, by con«
centrating my attention to the fabrics, I have
eftablifhed, and increafmg the trade of my
port to a great degree, make in houfe-rents
alone, and tolls, with a few other articles of
profit, a very great revenue ; but as reafon
teaches me to look to the permanency of
fuch a revenue, and as I am clear, it would
not have that ample duration, v/hich I co-
vet, my prefent intention is to make both
fabrics and trade, entirely fubfervient to my
hulbandry ; only with an intention, to apply
that quantum of trade to the beft purpofe,
by having enough, to freight my veilels in,
as well as out, and out, as well as in, and
to make every part, be affiilant to every
other part. With this view, when once
every acre of my ellate is fully improved*
arid a market provided for all its produds,
at a good price, not an high one, (becaufe
extremes are not permanent) I fhall then
ftop the increafe of the town, by railing no
more buildings; and alfo build no more

Vol. II, O fhips.

#

194 TRAVELS T II R 0 U G Ft
llilps, than fufficient to keep up the num-
ber, proper for that degree of trade, which
the manufactures require. If I ani content
with that degree of fuccefs, I have no doubt,
but it will be lalling ; becaufe the agricul-
ture, manufaclures, and commerce of my
territory, will be, v/hat I efheem, balanced
and dependant on each other, exa6lly to the
refpe6live amount of -each; and as there
will be no fabrics wrought, but what are
of univerfal demand, and no commerce
puflied on, but what the fabrics employ,
and as all the people, in each of thefe
branches, will be dependant, for their pro-
vifions and other necefTaries, on the track of
culture around them, and on no other;
hence, I think, all dangerous excefs is guar-
ded again ft, and a regular induftry will main-
tain itfelf, without being hurt, by the
acquifition of great riches.

I have not a doubt of this being the mofl
profitable condud, relative to my own
eftate, and muft own myfelf, equally clear
in its being the defn*able balance, even for a
whole kingdom ; and the benefit of it is fo
great, that I can conceive but one caufe,
of its not being attended to, by thofe na-
tions, who have made any progrefs in
trade. They are eager to keep all their

money

DEN M ARK. 19^

money at home, gold and lilver fluffs are
worn at court : why, fays the manufadur-
ing minifter, fhould not your Majefty's fub*
jeds make thefe fluffs, if they wear them,
and keep the money at home, which we
have paid to foreigners for them ? Such is
the origin of the eftabhfhment of fiich ma-
nufa6lures ; but furely miniflers Ihould re-
flect, that there are few luxurious countries
in the world, and none in Europe, wherein
all things ufed, can be made at home, and
the exportation of money confequently
flopped : it is a chimerical idea, and fearch-
ing for a phantom here. Look into the
richeft countries in the Eaft Indies ; are
they flourifhing, in proportion to their
wealth ? Is it not almoft in the inverfe
proportion ? Why therefore feek for a de-
gree of riches, which cannot be attained, but,
if once gained, would be ruinous ? Had I
the honour of being a miniller of flate,
therefore, I would recommend to my maf-
ter, to encourage none, but manufa6lurers,
which work upon obje6ls of the firfl utility,
and make them fubfervient to the higheft
improvement of the lands, of which they
were capable of attaining. I fhould not
then leave a poflerity, to fall into that un-
happy declenfion, Vvdiich all nations, flates,
O 2 and

10.6 TRAVELS THROUGH

and cities experience, who drive their manu-

fadlures and trade to the utmofl bounds.

Upon this reifoning of the Count's, which
I thought, in general, as conclulive as
pofiible, I made only one objedion. I re-
plied, that there feemed to be one circum-
liance, of which he did not. appear to be
guarded againft, and that -was, the impof-
iibility of rendering any thing permanent;
that ail human affairs were expofed to vicif-
fi^ades, that nothing could be permanent,
not agriculture, any more than manufac-
tures or commerce, and therefore, if he
founded his argument upon the permanency
alone, of his eflablifliments, it might not
prove io if rongly againft a great trade. To
this the Count returned as follows :

The want of flability, of which you
complain, has in all the inftances at pre-
fent in my memory, been owing to the ex-
cefs I fpoke of. Tlie ruin of all the great
empires, kingdoms, fcates, and particular
cities, which hav^e been famous in the worl,
has been entirely owing to that excefs
of luxury, which ever fprings from the
acquifition of vaft wealth. That there is'
fuch a thing as permanency, is furely evi-
dent, from thofe nations, being now in be-
ing, who arc the lineal defccndants of tlie

people,

D E N A/[ A R K. 197

people, who overturned the Roman em-
pircj and although fucceffive revolutions
happened, in the various kingdonis they
formed, yet the nations, from which they
fprung, depending entirely on agricul-
ture, or other produ6ls of the earth, have
ever' contmued permanent on the fame
ground; witnefs your own neighbours, the
highland Scots and the Welch -, aUo the
Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes ; from
whence, I think, it is extremely evident, that
this want of ftability is totally owing to the
dependance on trade, manufadures, and
the wealth, which they procure. Another.
inftance, to prove that agriculture, is a very
different predicament from fabrics and com-
merce, is, that of Flanders, which I take to
be the beft cultivated country in Europe ;
. no part of the world has feen more nume-
rous revolutions, or become more often the'
feat of inceffant wars, yet cultivation is,
at this day, in very high perfed:ion ; and
this, in a good meafure, I take to be owing
to manufactures and commerce having
•maintained only a moderate footing there,
about fufficient, to give the peafant a quick
and good market for all his produ6ts.

But it is time, Sir^^ faid he, to have done

with national interefts, which to the moll

O 2 in»

rgS TRAVELS THROUGH

ingenious and penetrating perfons, are very
difficult to be underflood, and yet more
difficult, to reduce to practical rules, I fhall
therefore again return to myfelf. There is
one circumftance to be noted, which is the
levying the royal revenue. The King has
the tenth of all land produds, and this, in
many parts of the kingdom, is gathered in
kind, and fold by his fuperintendants ; but
landlords may compound, though the com-
pofition is generally high. I would not
have the real tenth, taken from my peafants
on any conlideration whatever, and there-
fore pay a pretty high compohtion for the
part of my eftate in old culture -, as to all
the reft of it, by a late edi£l, which de-
ferves to be written in letters of gold, all
new improvements are exempted from all
taxes, for the life of thofe, who effe6l them;
which is a meafure, that I am amazed, does
not infligate more of the nobiUty to im-
prove their wafte tracks. I have remarked,
in travelling through the kingdom, that the
peafants, in thofe parts, where taxes are col-
leded in kind, through a miftaken avarice
in their landlords, are the moil poor and
miferable in the nation, and the lead; in-
clinable to make any efforts of improvement.
But, however, I muft remark another cir-
cumftance.

DENMARK, 199

cumftance, which is a mortal enemy to
all cultivation of wafte tracks, which is the
rage, our nobility have for hunting ; their
wild uncultivated eftates are fitter for this
diverfion, than if the whole was covered
with corn and grafs ; and this, I believe,
keeps many of them from any fuch thoughts,-
and even thofe, who do fmall matters in
hufbandry, will allow of no fences, being
made to interrupt their hunting; no won-
der, therefore, that they continue wafte.
Thank heaven, our laws confine every man
to his own land, unlefs he has licence from
his neighbours, which is common to give;
but I have never had it from others, and
have always refufed it ; the ravages, com-
mitted by hunting, in this country, much
exceed any thing, you have any conception
of in England. Had I followed this diver-
fion myfelf, or allowed it to others upon
my land, all my wifhed for improvements
would have been infinitely retarded, and al-
ways fubje6l to unbounded mifchiefs. I am
lucky,inhavingnoforeft of the King's, conti-
guous to me ; though, if I had, I fliould have
furrounded all my cultivated tracks, with
fences impenetrable to the deer and boars i
btjt in general, no care is taken to keep them

O 4 QUt

20O TRAVELS THROUGH

out of the farms, and the mifchief they do,
is prodigious.

I find from experience, that all thefe at-
tentions are neceflary to the encouragement
of agriculture; and nothing, but fuch an
encouragement, can carry the eftates of in-
dividuals to that degree of improvement,
which v^^ill prove really advantageous to
their fortunes : nor fhoiild I have omitted
to have fhevvn you a farm on my eflate,
which is pregnant with another lefTon of
fome confeqAience : it is a track of land,
managed by a younger brother of mine,
who pays me rent for it, on the principal
part of which, I have built him fuch con-
veniencies, as he moft wants. It was a pro-
pofition of his own ; he was bred to the
army, and ferved fome years, but meeting
with fome difappointments in promotion,
he obtained leave to fell out, and retiring
in difguft to my caftle, he lived a year
with me in idienefs -, but having a conftant
picture of an adtive hufb-indry before his
eyes, it by degrees attracted his attention,
and he made the propofil himfelf to me,
faying, that he fliould like to try a little
farm, to fee if practice would give hitp a
degree of knowledge in it, and, at the fame
time, increafe his inclination for it. I was

plcafc4

DENMARK."^ aoi

pleafed with the thought, and immediately
told him, that he fhould have the choice of
all my farms : but he faid, he fhould lik^
beft a piece, taken out of the forefts, in a re-
mote fpot, where he iliould be byhimfelf;
end I accordingly built him a convenient
houfe, upon a plan of his own, with the
offices he defired, and inclofed for him fe-
veral fields, which he has increafed fince,
and which he cultivates and manages in a
whimfical manner, after his own fancy.
His houfe is fome miles out of the roads,
where I carried you, or I {l:iouldhave fhewn
you his farm -, but he is, at prefent, in Flan-
ders, where he is gone to execute a commif-
fion for me.

This inflance has furnhhed me v^^ith many
reflections. In moft of the European mo-
narchies, the profeffion of arms has been,
thought the only bufmefs, worthy the at-
tention of a young nobleman ; and this has
been carried to fo great a pitch, that all
fuch, who do not inherit the family eflates,
and, indeed, mofl that do, enter into the mi-
litary life; the confequence of this is, that
the culture of the earth is abandoned to the
attention, and the weak efforts of a poor,
<exhaufl:ed, and oppreffed race of peafants^
yVha.t can be expelled from fuch cultivators,

but

202 Travels through

but a hufbandry, that fcarcely ever rifes above
mediocrity ? Would our young nobility ap-
ply to agriculture, they furely would render
better fervice to their country, and would
find the life as agreeable, as that of arms ;
for if we examine the beft fervices in Eu-
rope, we fhall find, that the pay is utterly
incompetent to the expenfive life, they are
thrown into ; and this is fo generally and to
fo great a degree the cafe, that three fourths
of all the officers in Europe are but a re-
move from beggars. Un looked for promo-
tions, make, upon the whole, very poor
amends for fuch a regular life of poverty.
But in the culture of the earth, the young
nobility and gentry would find, if they gave
an active attention to it, far better revenues,
with much lefs expenfive life, than any fer-
vice can confer 3 and, at the fame time, the
profeflion has nothing difhonourable in it,
and every exertion made, would tend to pro-
mote, in the higheft degree, the interefts of
their country ; for it muft certainly be of
great advantage to any calling or profeflion,
to throw, into the practice of it, the people
of the firft rank, greateft fortune, and beft
education in the fl:ate, infiead of leaving it
totally to the very lowefl and poorell: ranks.
It would be amazing, if the Utter made

DENMARK:. 205

any improvements in the courfe of centuries,
and it would be equally furpriling, if the
pther did not.

I fpent four days moft agreeably with the
Count, in being fhewn wonders of his own
creation, and liftening to fuch philofophi-
cal difcourfes, as thefe. I thought his fen-
timents fo peculiarly juft, and his maxims,
drawn fo judicially from experience, that I
failed not, when retired to my apartment,
to throw upon paper the converfations of
the day ; and I muft be allowed to remark,
that I think, they would have done honour
to the brighteft genius of England, France,
or Italy, much more are they to be com-
mended, when found among the waftes and
bogs of Denmark. The Count, hearing
from me the route I was to go, gave me
letters of recommendation to the Count de
Smikelane, and the Baron Rofenburg, both
at Copenhagen ; adding, at the fame time^,
that they were men of underflanding and
refledion, and would give me fome infor-r
mation on the prefent ftate of Denmark,
more valuable, than I fhould gain from a
minifter. He alfo gave me a letter to M. de
Verfpot, at his caftle in the mountains of
Middlepade, Sweden ; a worthy patriot, he
faid, who would fhew me many improve-.

ments.

2C4 TRAVELS THROUGH

ments, more worthy of my attention, than
, his own ; but I replied to the impoffibility
of that. Then taking my leave of the Count,
and particularly requefting his company in
Northamptonfhire, in cafe he ever came to
England again, I fet forward once more
towards Hodfedburg, the fecond of Septem-
ber.

I got to that place to dinner, and alight-
ing at a very indifferent inn, I had reafon
enough to regret, leaving the hofpitable ta-
ble of the Count de Roncellen : The men-
tion of which, however, reminds me to ob-
ferve one thing, which is, that nobleman's
fortune is now, I apprehend, as confidera-
ble, as the greateft eftates in England^ and
yet his way of living in the caftle, is not fu*
perior to that of an EngHfh gentleman with
an eftate of two or three thoufand pounds a
year. His tabic was always well fpread with
plenty of every thing, that was in feafon, but
then his own eftate produces every thing, but
fugar, fpices, and wine ; he has river and
fea fifh in great perfe61:ion ; his foreft yields
him venifon and game, and other parts of
his land, plenty of wild fowl -, all which,
with the cultivated produ6ls, afford ample
materials for a regular table. In his wines,
he is by no means expenfive, and his drefs,

comparatively

DENMARK. 1J05

comparatively fpeaking, coils him nothing.
All his revenue therefore, which increafes
much every year, is expended, as fafl as it
comes in, in the noble undertakings, of
which I have given an account. Such an
expenditure does as much benefit to the
flate, as honour to himfelf, and is a way of
laying out a great income, that can never be
fufficiently praifed.

Perhaps alfo, it is as full of enjoyment, as
any other difpofition of it can be : Let us
fuppofe, an Englifh nobleman of thirty or
forty thoufand pounds a year, Hving in the
ufual courfe of diflipation, eledtioneering, and
gaming, (which are the three channels, that
ufually wafte the greateft eftates,) and you
will ever fee in them a fpecies of remorfe and
difgufl at the crampt fituatlon, which fuc-
ceffive mortgages bring on ; but if the in-
come is not exceeded, the expenditure of it
gives but a momentary pleafure, and never
a lafting fatisfa6lion, belides, being through-
out life continually under the regret of in-
celTant difappointmcnts. Such a life muH'
furely be many degrees, removed from an
happy or a chearful one ; but, on the con-
trary, let us figure to ourfelves, a noble-
man, fpendingfuchan income, the year round,
upon the fpot, that yields it him ^ in build-
ing.

2o6 TRAVELS THROUGH

ing, planting, improving waflies, making
roads, cutting canals, fixing manufadures,
opening harbours, attracting commerce, in
a word, executing fuch noble works, as the
Count deRoncellen has employed fo much of
his time in. Is it poffible to doubt of fuch an
employment of a great fortune, being infi-
nitely fuperior, in felf fatisfadlion and enjoy-
ment, to the other difpofition of it : There is
fcarcely any other, but what, at leaft threa-
tens a wafting and decline of it. This alone
infures an increafe; and adding every day
to a man's wealth, at the fame time, that
every fhilling he makes, is more beneficial
to the community, than to himfelf. It
would be furprizing, if every nobleman thus
laid out his fortune; but fure, it is equally
furprifing, that out of fo many great ellates
in every kingdom, the examples of it {hould
be fo very rare. We mufl attribute It to the
great power of a general luxury, which is
now fpread through all the kingdoms of
Europe ; which carries every thing and every
body to the capital of each country ; it is
the defertion of the country, which occafions
this univerfal expence in vanity, diifipa-
tion, and gaming. It is the general herding
together in great cities, and fixing all eyes on
the Court, and the prince, that brings all

landlords

DENMARK. lof

landlords of great eftates among the poorefl
people in a kingdom, or, at leaft, the moil
needy ; for they every day attempt to move
in a vortex, where the greateft eflates can-
not laft long. Throughout Europe, at leafi,
through all the countries, I have been iii,
this is generally the cafe. Eftates in the
provinces are left to the managementof ftew-
ards and agents, who make an equal pro-
perty of the landlord and his tenants, fleece-
ing both unmercifully. While things are
in fuch a train, it is not at all to be won-
dered at, that improvements in agriculture
are rare.

Hodfedburg, is a little town, well fitua-
ted on a pretty river, upon which I ob-
ferved fome fmall craft, a fign, that the in-
habitants carry on a trade ; I had good fiOi
here. The country is tolerably well culti-
vated, except the marfhes, which are all in
the flate of nature, having never been at^
tempted to be drained. They cultivate
many of the turnips here with cabbage
leaves ; but none of the crops, nor the ap-
pearance of the culture, were any thing
comparable to my friend the Count's.
Leaving this place, I reached Lemwijg by
night, the country continuing pretty good.
That town is oddly fituated on a fraall baf

withia

ao8 TRAVELS THROUGH

within ten miles of the fea, and is without
any trade or {hipping,- hut fmall filhing craft;
the reafon is, that it has no communication
with the German ocean ; the bay, on which
it flands, being in the great lake, which ex-
tends quite acrofs Jutland, and falls into
the Baltick, if I may fo call the gulf, which
leads to the Sound. There is nothing wor-
thy of obfervation in the town. I had the
misfortune of a dirty, difagreeable inn, where
I found my own bed, a comfort ; I ihould
have been in a bad plight, had I been with
out it.

The third of September was fully em-
ployed in reaching Nikiobing, at the dif-
tance of about four and twenty miles -, but
I was much detained by two ferries, the wa-
termen of which were fo aukward, and their
boats fo fmall, that I was very near lofmg a
horfe, and breaking my chaife in pieces.
Nikiobing is {ituated on an illand in the
Lake, which they call the gulph of Limford.
It is chiefly applied topafturage; I fawfcarce-
ly any corn or ftubbles. The town is pretty
large, but feems very poor. I met again
with very bad accommodation, and ther
people of the inn were not at all cleanly.
On the fourth, I reached. Aalburg, which is
on the gulf of Limford, and fituated

where

D E N M A R IC. 20^

wliere it is contraded to the fize of k une
river. This voyage is near forty miles, but
a fine brifk wind carried us along at a great
rate 5 they made me pay five ducats for the
iloop. It is a moll: pleafant and romantic
voyage, the gulf, running through a variety
iof country, fome cultivated, but moil: waftco
There are many hills, mountains, forefls,
and heaths, vi^ith feveral illands in the gulf,
which are inhabited by fishermen ; and the
fpots, being woody, make a very agreeable
appearance. One or two of thefe iflands are
Very beautiful.

Aalbourg is the fee of a bidiop, and a
place of fome trade, and there are alfo a few
fabricks here of wdollen goods, fixed at the
King's expence ; but they do not feem to be
in any fiourifliing fituation, chiefly from
v/ant of fupport and attention to the con-
du61: of them. The introduclion of any
thing of this fort is of but little confequence,
unlefs there is a fi:anding attention to their
increafe and welfare.

Leaving Aalburg, I fet out on the fifth
for Wyburg, which I reached by night, the
diftance is thirty miles j it Was a hard day's
work for the extreme badnefs of the roads,
which run, moft of the way, through barren,
mountainous tracks, and boundlefs moors

Vol. II. P and

210 TRAVELS THROUGH
and foreftsj a difmal dreary track, which
wants a Count de Roncellen for its pofleffor j
fuch a man would preiently make it carry a
very different countenance. Thefe waftes
are all well watered with flreams, and the
foil is, in general, very good, much of it deep
and free from ftones, though fome tracks
are full of them, and rocky, but none, that
might not be applied to many very ufeful
purpofes, were they in the hands of adive,
and wealthy induftry. Wyburg is the fee of a
bifliop, and alfo the relidence of a provin-
cial court of juftice; but it is, neverthelefs, a
very inconfiderable place.

In the morning of the fixth, I took the
road for Randers ; the diftance is fourteen
miles, and the road being tolerable, I got
there to breakfafl ; the road runs by the fide
of a pretty river, moft of the way, upon the
banks of which, are fome cultivated mea-
dows, and alfo fome arable lands in culture.
All this country is thinly fcattered with lit-
tle ftraggling villages, the refidence of the
peafants; but from Aalburg hither, v/hich
is near fifty miles, I have feen but tw^o gen-
tlemens country feats, and thofe make no
great figure. I dined at Arhus, a place of
fome trade, being a fea port, about twelve
miles from Randers, after which, I had thir-
teen

DENMARK. 2ti

tell more to Horfens, where I got to Tap-
per. This is alio a fea port, and here I met
with very civil people at the inn, and clean-
ly, who gave me a difh of excellent iifh for
my fupper, and a bottle of as good claret,
as I remember to have drank, which fur-
prized me much. The King has great de-
liiefns in the country, I had paiTed, and
upon which, has been planted fome colonies
of poor Germans ; they had lands lett them
upon leafe, which they cultivate better, than
their neighbours the Danes ; but they do
not feem to be good hufbandmen, as they
fix only upon the dry lands, whereas the
marfhes drained, v/ould prove much the
richer of the two. Though this attention
had been given to peopling thefe waftes, yet
I found, very little care hadfmce been taken
to increafe the numbers, or to give fuch
encouragement to them, as to enable them
to execute any thing confiderable in im-,
provements.

Leaving Horfens, I breakfafted on the
feventh at V/eile, which, though a fmall
place, is pretty well built. The ilreets are
ftrait and tolerably paved, and the houfes
well built of brick. It has a commodious
harbour, on a bay, which falls into the Bal-
tic, by means of which, it carries on a

212 TkAVELS THROUGH

pretty good trade. But I may remark, that
the inhabitants of all thefe little poft towns
feem much to want encouragement in their
trade -, they would all flourifh very tolerably,
if they had a cultivated country, with fome
manufactures behind them. Many favour-
able circumftances muft unite in a port, to
create a trade, where the export confifts of
nothing, but a fcanty produ6l of mere natural
commodities ; trade conlifls of, and depends
upon, exportation reciprocal to the impor-
tation 3 but the general misfortune, in the
commerce of fuch little ports, is a failure of
the exportation part j all of them, as far as
the demand reaches, are free enough at im-
porting. This is a fure trade to the mer-
chant, as mod: branches are, in which gold
and filver are the commodities exported for
the products and manufactures of other
countries. Indeed, the Danifli ports have the
general misfortune of being deficient in in-
land navigation, having nothing to depend
upon, but the mere circulation of the town,
which is in general very confined. Trade
depends much on manufactures, and not a
little on a flourifliing agriculture. Neither
of thefe are common in Denmark ; we are
not therefore to wonder, that the general
commerce of the kingdom is confined.

From

D E N M A R K, 213

From Weile I reached Kolding by din-
ner; the diitance is twelve miles. This is
a very pretty tovs^n, beautifully fituated ; it
contains fame trade, and a royal palace ;
but it has nothing in it, that is worthy of a
traveller's notice, though the inhabitants
make a great matter of it, as if it was the,
Verfailles of the North. The King has fome
coniiderable demefns around this tov/n, and
raifes a revenue by a toll upon all cattle,
which pafs the bridge, and which amounts
to a confiderable fum ; for mofl, that are
driven from Jutland for the Dutch drovers,
which are very numerous, pay here half a
dollar ahead. The country, from Horfens
to Weile, is tolerably well culivated. The
peafants were carrying in part of their har-
vefts, as I paffed, and I remarked, that they
did not flow their corn in barns, but built it
on Hacks. This is not common in Den^
mark, which made me enquire into their
jnotives for it; they told me, that the corn,
which they flack, proved much fuperior h\
quality, to that which they laid up in barnsj,
it drying fo much better. 1 had apprehend-
ed, that it v»^as through the landlord's being
fparing in the expence of their buildings,
but this was a reafon, of which I was not at
^11 aware, but its juflnefs, I leave to the

P 3 judgment

214 TRAVELS THROUGH

judgmeni: of my readers. They affured me,
that not only the grain, but alio the flraw,
was much more valuable out of a ftack,
|:han out of a barn.

From Kolding, I got to HadeiTnelbe by
night, which was fourteen miles, through g.
country, much fqperjor in cultivation to any,
I had lately paiTed; moil: of their wall^
tracks had been of late improved, and many
acres, that not many years lince, werq
all covered with forefts, are now in a fcate of
profit for their owners. This has been to-
tally owing to an emancipation of the pea-
sants, It v/as found, that the earth would
never be well cultivated by mere ilaves, and
a6ting confiilently with this juft idea, has
had the defired effect.

The eighth, I fej; out in the morning for
Ferftede, a place on the Baltic, on the Lit-
tle Belt, within fight of the lile of Funen j,
the diftance about eleven miles, through^
country, which continues all well cultivated;
part of it belongs to the King, and part to
a. nobleman, who feems to have a notion of
good hufbandry, from the appearance of the
inclofures, near his houfe. At Qfoy, near
the fea, 1 remarked, the peafants were ma-
nuring a large field, with fomething, that
looked like a recidifli marl; but on enquiry,

I

DENMARK. arj

I found, it was a mixture of fea-weed, fhore-
mud, and fand, which they had laid in very
great heaps, and v/ere now carting it intq
a fallow for, wheat. They informed me,
that the improvement, brought by this fort
of manure, was very great and lafting; that
they reaped crops more abundant for it, as
five to three after feveral years, but at firft
-doubly good. They were not however exe-
cuting this for themfelves, but their Lord,
who relide^ in the neighbourhood.

P 4 CHAP.

^iS TRAVELS THROUGH

CHAP. V.

Tiefcriptiofi of the I/lands of Funen and Zea--
land— Copenhagen — Prefent State of Den-
mark— Trade-'— Manufactures-^ jlgricuhure,
'—Population — Revenues — -General Prof-
ferlty^^Manners,

'AVING breakfafted at Ferfled, and
ordered the float, as they Call it, to bq
ready to carry us over, I left it, and was
ferried fafely to AfTens, in the Ifle of Funen,
by one o'clock, which is a little port town
of fome trade. Having made a dinner on
fifh, I reached Odenfee, in the center of the
illand, at the diftance of nineteen miles, by
night. The country is much fuperior to
any part of Denmark, I had yet feen, all I
viewed, was as well cultivated, as mofl of the
counties of England j fomc, inclofed with
low neatly kept hedges, and what is open,
is all covered with crops; the flubbles of
this'year's corn, and the crops, yet in the
field, fhewcd, that the land produced well.
They were very bufy, the whole v/ay, in fow-

ing

DENMARK. zij

Jng wheat 5 and I obferved, that it was all
on ploughed ground, and not on clover flub-
ble j and all the wheat land was manuring.
Funen has no mountains or rocks, but con-
iifis of gentle hills and declivities, with fine
fpreading vales; fome of the higher grounds
are prettily topped with v/oods, and there
being many rivulets, the v/hole country is
beautiful, and refembles many agreeable
jtracks in England. The peafants here are
in many parts free, but in others, they con-
tinue in a ftate of villainage ; and it is very
eafy to fee, by the different appearance of the
lands, the bad effeds of keeping them fo.
There is alfo plenty of goodpaflures andmea^
dows in this country, and numerous herds
of black cattle and hogs ; and the horfes, I
think, have a better appearance than elfe-
where. I obferved many colts, marked,
which I found, on enquiry, were for the
King, who demands a certain number, every
year, at a fixed price ,- and thefe are trained
for the cavalry.

Early on the 9th, I went to Nuborg, be-
ing the port, at which you take (liipping to
crofs. the Great Belt into Zealand. It con-
tains a good port, and has a little trade ; it
once was very flrong, but now has nothing,
but the ruins of its old fortifications and

caftle.

2i8 TRAVELS THROUGH

caflle. From delays, and the want of a
good wind, it was late in the afternoon, be-
fore we reached the coafl of Zealand, and
I could get no further, than Slagel that
night, which is a little infignificant town,
where I met with very bad accommodation of
all forts.

On the morning of the loth, I fet out for
Rofkild, on the way to Copenhagen, the
diftance of twenty two miles. This country
is nearly equal to Funen ; it is all well
fpread with cultivation, and riling and fal-
ling in pretty hills and dales, with woods
and meadows, fome of which have late-
ly been marfiies, but drained; and their
hufbandry feems to be very good. In the
great church here, I was fhewn the monu-
ments of many Kings of Denmark ; this
being their burying place : here is one of
Harold VI. King of Denmark, England, and
Norway, who was the founder of this
church ; there is alfo one in black marble,
of the famous Queen Margaret. They like-
wife fhow a great whetftone here, which,
they fay, was fent to this Queen by Albert
King of Sweden, in derifion, intimating
thereby, that women flioiild lliarp their
needles, inflcad of aiming at war 3 but the
wit, wiiich is very poor, was better nn-

fvvercd

D E N M A R K. 219

/>vered by her, that me fhould apply it to
the edges of her foldiers fwords; and Ihe
was as good as her word 5 fhe fought him
in a pitched battle, and gave him an entire
overthrow, and made him prifonerj in
which fituation, ihe kept him {QYQn years,
and then did not releafe him, but under
yery hard terms.

From Rolkild, I reached Copenhagen by
pinner, the diftance fourteen miles, through
one pf the finefl parts of Denmark ; an ex-
tremely agreeable and well cultivated coun-
try^ in which all the peafants carry a much
more chearful countenance, than any where
elfe I have feen, except on my friend Count
Rpnceilen's territory ; this, and the good-
nefs of the cultiire, with the general ap«
pearance of the country, is owing to the
neighbourhood of the city, which a6ls upon
^he Count's principles, as a market for them
to bring all their commodies to, and there-
by encourages them to that a^livity, which is
feen more here, than in other places.

I fixed my quarters at the King of Eng-
land inn, where I found as good entertain-
ment, as in mofl of the cities in Europe.
Copenhagen is a fine place, and the flrong-
eft town belonging t'o the King. It is fitua-
^ed in a low^ marlli, furrounded by the

country

220 TRAVELS THROUGH

country, I have juft defcribed j this makes
it by nature flrong, and the numerous
works added to it, in the modern ftile of
fortification, increafe the ftrength greatly.
The moft ftriking obje6l, is the harbour and
the naval arfenal ; it is capacious enough
to hold five hundred men of war, and yet
only one ihip can come in at a time } the
entrance, fmall as it is, is defended by feve-
ral batteries of great guns ; and there are
feveral platforms near it, with three forts.
There are no tides in the Baltick, but the
depth of water in the harbour, renders it
perfectly fecure for the greatefl fl^ips, fo
that it is juftly reckoned one of the beft ha-
vens in the world. The King's fleet (for this
is the principal port for his men of war, and
the only one for great fliips) lies regularly
arranged between booms, and againft them
magazines, with the name of each fhip on
the door of the ftore rooms, belonging to her;
and every thing is kept in the compleateft
order. The admiralty is on the haven, which
contains, befides thefe magazines, nume-
rous others -, the arfenal is very well fur-
nifhcd with cannon, and other military
ftores; and adjoining to thefe buildings, is
a citadel, which commands the harbour.

The

DENMARK. 2izi

The King's palace is a fine building, very
fpacious, and fome of the apartments mag-
nificent, but I had heard it reprefented in
fuch a pompous manner, that I was much
difappointed. The court is as brilHant, aS*
any I have feen 3 it is a military one, for
the number of officers is great j the very
garrifon of Copenhagen alone amounts to
near ten thoufand men, befides the King's
guards, which are a very fine, fhewy, and
Well difciplined {et of men. The iland-
ing forces of the kingdom are about forty
thoufand men, fourteen thoufand of which
are cavalry, and the refl infantry ; a con*
fiderable number of thefe are militia, but
then the militia of this country is as re-
gularly, and as well difciplined, as the re-
gular troops 5 and for about two months
in the year, they are embodied, and in ac-
tual difcipline ; a part of which time, they
form the garrifon of Copenhagen, and are
immediately under the eye of the King*
This fyftem makes them as good troops,
as any others in the fervice -, and by allow-
ing them to follow their refpedive trades,
the kingdom does not reteive quite fo much,
mifchief, as if they were in arms all the
year rounds -

The,

222 TRAVELS THROUGH

The troops of Denmark, have a very gcTod
charader for braverv and obedience, the
two great efTentials in a foldier ^ but the
number kept up is much greater, than it
ought to be, fince Denmark furnifbes nine
tenths of them, Norway fupplying only fea-
men ; and their rocky, boifterous ccaft:
forms them {o bold and hardy, that none
are accounted better. None of the do-
minions> except partial diHrifts, are well
peopled; and fuch a numerous body of
troops, many of whom are taken from
their own peafants, is doing a great mif-
chief to agriculture. Indeed, the defpotifm
of the monarchy is fo great, that many of the
regiments are filled with foreigners, parti-
cularly Germans and Poles ; and there are
great numbers of foreign officers in all
the corps ; this is to keep the nation in
the more fevere obedience, a precaution,
that does not feem very necefTary, for fince
the unaccountable revolution, which threw
the liberties of the people into the hands of
the crown, there has fcarcely been the flia-
dow of a revolt ; the Princes, that have fat
upon the throne of Denmark, have been,
fuice that revolution, remarkable for their
abilities, and for purfuing the real interefts
of the country, as well as defpots can do

iti

DENMARK. 223

It ; which has probably been attended with
this great eiFed:, in keeping the nobles from
all thoughts of throwing off the yoke.

It has been common, in many hiftorians
and political writers, to fpeak of the go-
vernment of Denmark, as an abfolnte mo-
narchy, founded on the right and juftice of a
free gift, but nothing can be more prepof-
terous t indeed, there is fomcthing fo repug-
nant to the common fenfe, and the rights of
humanity in a defpotic government, that no-
thing can be more contradictory to truth,
than a pretence to fix it upon fuch founda-
tions. The account of the tranfatftion, as
given us, by the beft authors, fets forth,
that the commons, difgufted with the ty-
rannical behaviour of the nobles, went in a
pet to the palace, and made an offer of
their lives, liberties, and properties to the
King, without ever aiking the concurrence
of the third eftate ; the nobles, which was
the principal of the three, vvqvq utterly
againft the meafure, as the moil unheard
of monfler in the world ; and though
they agreed in it at laft, yet every writer
is fufhciently clear, that it was by force,
they came into the agreement, and not till .
the gates of Copenhagen were fhut and
guarded, and troops pofled all over the

town.

224 TRAVELS THROUGH

town. This was the free gift, fo mucll
boaftcd of by fome of the flavifh hiftorians
of this country. It is extremely evident,
from the face of the tranfadtion, that
the final and complete agreementi which
gave an appearance of validity to the ad,
was forced, and confequently null and
void; but when once arbitrary power is
ereded, hov/ever unjuftly, who is to over-
turn it ? who is to oppofe it ? who is to
lliew the rottennefs of the pretences, oil
which, the right to it is founded ? None but
fome bold, defperate, and enthuiiaftic lovers
of liberty, who, rifing from the flavifh con-
dition of their brethren, dare to draw the
fword of liberty, by defpots, mif-called that
of rebellion. The chance of fuch men be-
ing found, and of circumftances, which may
give them fuccefs, is too great to be looked
for. But where is the right to that def-
potifm, which the Kings of Denmark have
alTumed ? Not in the free gift of the States, t
think, is very clear; but even fuppofing, the
nobles had agreed in the meafure, did it from
thence follow, that the States of the day,
have an unlimited power to make flaves of
all their pofterity ? I am very fenfible, that
there arc more univerfities than one, who
would very readily give a decifion in the

affirmative ;

DENMARK. 225

affirmative -, but for the honour of huma-
nity, I hope there are numerous bodies of
men, who would difdain the reafoning^ but
the. records of the orio;inals of all jjovern-
ments tell us very plainly, that every coun-
try had originally freedom y but in every
kind of government, there w^as, at the origin
of it, a neceffity of granting a certain de-
gree of power to rulers ; , and afterv/ards
chicanery, treachery, bribery;,, force, and a
thoufand efforts v/ere fucceilively made ufe
of by them, to enlarge the power, which was
originally granted and entrufted to them,
for , the good of the community, until by
a , jCu^cefHon of frauds, a moil limited mo-
narchy became a defpotifm ; fuch is the
turn of human affairs in general, that mif-
chiefs will, and do abound in every confli-
tution i but the greateil of all others, is
that of fuch changes in a government, as
\YP have jufl been fpeaking of; but why
fhould men give, the fandion of right, to
what has not a pretence of demanding it ?
Why fliould they not fubmit to the monfter
of defpotic authority, without reafoning,
like (laves, upon the right and property of
ai^r" being fo ? All the world muft know,
that where thefe governments fubfift, they,
fubiiil by force, and nothing, but force, can
Vol, II. Q_ keep

226 TRAVELS THROUGH

keep them from being overturned by the
united efforts of all the people, except a
few, who are kept in pay by the Sovereign :
the number of Handing forces, fupported
by all abfolute monarch, Ihews plainly,
wherein they think their fecurity lies. But
to return :

At Copenhagen are feveral new manufac-
tories, called Royal ones, from being ef-
tabliflied at the King's expence ; the chief
of thefe, are the woollen ones ; here are
more than four hundred looms for weav-
ing moll forts of cloths, from the fineft,
for the wear of the King himfelf and
his Court, to coarfer forts for cloathing
the army. There are a great number of
hands employed in thefe, and fome late mea-
fures have been taken to increafe them, and
with fuch fuccefs, that feveral perfons, I
converfed with, allured me, if they went
on with as good a progrefs in future, as
they have done hitherto, they would not
only cloath all the army, but completely
fupply the whole demand of Copenhagen,
and alfo make all, that was wanted to ex-
port to the Eaft-Indies, in their India lliips ;
but I mull own, I doubt the truth of this
intelligence, but whatever degree of accu-
racy there may be in it, flill I mull allow,

that

DENMARK. 2x7

that thefe ^ftablilliments are very princely,
and arifing from a real and commendable at-
tention to the interefls of the kingdom.

Having viewed whatever was worthy of
attention in the city of Copenhagen, I wait-
ed upon the Count de Smikelane, and
the Baron de Roff^nburg, with the letter,
with which my good friend the Count de
Roncellon had favoured me. Accidentally,
I met with them both at once, for the
Baron was at the former nobleman's when
I waited on him : upon reading the letters,
they received me wdth the utmoft poiitenefs,
and aiTured me, that they fhould efteem
themfelves very happy in giving me, what-
ever information 1 defired, that was in their
power, relative to the prefent ftate of Den-
mark. The Count defired me to dine with
him, and the Baron faid, he would be of
the party : I accepted the invitation readily,
and the converfation, I had with theie noble-
men, proved very inftrudive to me.

I found, the Count lived in a very mag-
nificent manner; he eat on a very fuperb
fervice of plate, and the number of his gen-
tlemen and attendants, (hewed, that he made
an unufuai figure. This is not the plan of
life, that M. de Roncellon delights in, but
this nobleman is, neverthelefs, a very worthy

0^3 , and

228 TRAVELS THROUGH

and a very fenfible man, but without that
enthufiaftical love of improvements, which
has led the Count de Roncellon to fix his
reiidence entirely in the country. But al-
though this nobleman had not, thus facri-
ficed at the fhrine of utility, he allowed
full honour to his friend, v/ho had, and
fpoke of him in the warmefl terms of friend-
Ihip and approbation. In difcourfmg on his
wny of life, the Baron de Rofenburg faid,
I readily acknowledge, that M. de Roncel-
lon deferves all, that both of you can fay
in his favour, but I think, there is an effcn-
tial fault in his fyftem -, his plans are all ad-
mirably laid, and executed with a fpirit,
that commands fuccefs, and fo they will
be, as long as he lives -, had he ten lives, all
would be employed and exhauiled in an
eternal round of bulinefS;» but when is the
end to be anfwered ? When is he to enjoy
himfelf ? When is he to fay, the work is
done, and, with Pynhus, we will now kt
down at our eafe and be happy ?

I did not think this, by any means, a juft
idea of the Count and his great exertions ;
and therefore replied, that it appeared to me
a miftake, in thinking, that the Count ever
fixed his happinefs in the conclufion or
completion of his undertaking; but, on

the

DENMARK. 229

the contrary, in the carrying them on : the
greatefl enjoyment, he can pofTefs, is to
view daily the progrefs, he makes ; to at-
tend to the circumftances, as they arife, and
from an increafe of income, regularly com-
ing in, to pofTefs a power of as regularly in-
crealing all his'v/orks. In a word, his liap-
pinefs lies in the work itfelf, and not in the
fuccefs of it; and I have no doubt, but if
his whole eftate was fnlly cultivated, his
town full of manufactures, and his port of
commerce, that he would then buy more
"wafte land, for the fatisfadion of employ-
ing his money in the way, which moft con-
duces to his happinefs.

The Count de Smikelane acknowledged,
that this was the proper light to view his
friend in ; but the Baron did not feem to
think, that mnch happinefs could be en-
joyed fo ve^y obfcurely. During the courfe
of the converfation, I made enquiries into
the ftate of the Danifli trade and manufac-
tures, and into the policy, refpeCling them
of late years. The Count, replying to me,
faid, that their government had, for many
years, given great attention to everything,
that feemed promifmg in favour of thole
objefts ; that the means chiefly taken, v/ere
to lower, and, in fome inflances, totally
0.3 take

230 TRAVELS THROUGH

take off the duties upon exportation, which,
in feveral material articles, had been lb
high, as much to cramp the induftry of the
people. Another means taken, added he,
has been to encourage the building of fliips,
and the tranfport of all commodities on
Danifh bottoms; in this, there has been
fome ■ progrefs made in feveral towns
of Denmark, and a few, in Norway ; for
the government has a lift of every fhip, be-
longing to the King's dominions, and
regular advice of every one, that is built
or broken up. This intelligence, which is
had without any expence, is of the utmoft
importance, as the miniftry fee at once the
variations in the fliipping ; if they incrcafe
at one place remarkably, they enquire, and
make themfelves mafters of the reafon,
that the fame caufe may be rendered alike
a61-ive in other places. If they decreafe,
the fame knowledge is gained, and by dif-
covering the evil, the moment, it is in being,
are able to provide a: remedy -, when they
know, why the {hipping decrcafes, they can
properly apply their encouragement, fo as
to make it the moft efFedual. The utihty of
this mcafure, has beft manifcfted itfelf in the
effects; for I have been affured on very good
authority, thfit in the laft twelve ycarjj,
there has b;,en an increafe of above thirty

fail

D E N M A R Ka 231

fail of fhips, and at the fame time, that
the general burthen of all is alfo much
higher. This is an extreme good fign, for
nothing marks fo well the ftate of com-
merce, as the increafe or decreafe of national
fhippingj no nations have ever made any
figure in trade, without great quantities of
{hipping J the thing, we know, is poiTible,
but flill, all the fafts, that hiftory gives us,
are againft it : that nation, that is carrier
to all the reft, will prefently be mafter of
the trade of all the reft. He went on :

Denmark, it is true, polfeffes very few
commodities, to fend out to our neighbours ;
Norway, in this refped, however, is rich,
her timber is an inexhauftible ilore, for ex-
porting in her own lliips ; but this is not the
t)nly objea, for the Danilh miniftry have
juftly obferved, that the trade of no nation
is in proportion to its produ6ls. Your
commerce in England is infinitely beyond,
what your produdls would, originally feem
to entitle you to; and what are the produces
of Holland; yet the trade of the Dutch
has been by far the greateft in the world.
We think, in general, in the North, that
the poor nations are to draw the trade to
themfelves from their rich neighbours, and
not upon very bad grounds ; for the great
O 4 wealth

232 TRAVELS THROUGH

wealth of thofe countries, which have long
been in polTelTion of much commerce, ren-
ders every thing in it fo dear, that its ma-
nufadiures cannot find a fale any where, but
at home, the confequence of which is, that
their trade, by degrees, migrates to much
poorer countries. Upon thefe foundations
it is, I apprehend, that our Danidi poUti-
cians look for a greater commerce, than the
mere line of our products, at firil fight, en-
titles them to.

I replied, that I thought the efforts made,
of late yeai-^, in the northern kingdoms, in
favour of commerce, deferved the acknow-
ledgment of all their true patriots ; but that,
if he would permit me, I would give him
my reafons, why Denmark could not expe6l
the fame fuccefs in trade, that the Englifli
and Dutch have had. The Count anfwered,
that he fliould be happy in hearing my opi-
nion. I then obferved, that they had three
very material circumfi:ances, much againft
tliemi government, climate, and a want
of produfts ; I will mention the laft, firll,
as you have juft touched upon it. The
trade of England is, I believe, exadly re-
gulated by her products, which are more
confiderable and fortunate for commerce
than thofe of any other countries. The co-
lonics

DENMARK. 233

lonles in America are, in this light, the
fame, as if a part of our countries j and if
you conlider the immenfity of their produdl,
added to that, which refults from our Eaft
' India trade, our Newfoundland fiihery, and
the products of our land, which in corn,
wool, leather, metals, &cc. are very great,
you will find the amount to be a very noble
and coniiderable foundation, whereon to
conftrud: the great edifice of Britiih com-
merce. Then if we turn to Holland, we
fhall not find that nation to be wanting in
produ6ls j for what are we to efteem their im-
menfe Eaft-India trade, and pofTeffion of
ibme of the richeft countries in the known
world, , and the monopoly of fpices ? Alfo
their herring and whale fifheries, which
they carry on to fo great an amount ? Thefe
are articles, with fome others, which migKt
be named, that lliew plainly the Hollanders,
though they have not fuch materials as Eng-
land, have yet fomething very folid, where-
on they build their trade. The fame con-
clufions will, I apprehend, be drawn, look
to whatever nation, you pleafe. France
comes next in the commercial world, a
kingdom, whofe trade is minutely depen-
dent on her produ6ls.

Now,

234 TRAVELS THROUGH

Now, Sir, the producls of Denmark will
not allow of fuch great commerce as thofe,
which I have mentioned. It is not of con-
fequence to be minute, as you admitted a
want of products. The next reafon, againfl
your poflelling a great commerce, is the cli-
mate. None of the finer manufa6lures can
be carried on, fo as to execute them in the
brilliancy, now requifite, in very cold coun-
tries ; hard frofts interrupt the workmen
even in England, what therefore muft they
do in Denmark ? There is no fa6l clearer
than this. But the greateft obftacle remains
to be fpoken of, which is the government ;
you want to create a commerce, without ma-
terials to conftrud: ; and fuppofmg the
thing poffible, fhould you think it fo in an
abfolute monarchy ? Such an a6live fpirit of
induftry and trade, as a people muft polfefs,
who carry on fuch a commerce, could not
exift, but in a government of perfe6l freedom
and equality. This is fo undoubtedly true,
that we feel the efFe6ls in England, even of
a limited monarchy. Wherever you have a
King, you will have a court, and flrong dif-
tinclions in the ranks of fociety; a nobiUty,
with privileges, which fet them above the
reft of the fiibjeds. Such pofTeflbrs of land,
enjoying greater privileges, and meeting

with

DENMARK. 235

with more refped, than the mere merchant
and manufadurer, is an obflacle to trade
and commerce. Thefe are circumftances,
that we feel in our trade. In England, we
fcarce ever fee a merchant, or manufadurer,
raife an hundred thoufand pounds, but he
longs to be in the mofl refpedable clafs ; he
purchafes land, and his counting-houfe is
prefently filled with a coufin, or a nephew.
This keeps immenfe fums of money out of
trade. Now in Holland, a man never leaves
off trade, but the father keeps in it, as long
as he lives, and his fon fucceeds him in it.
But go into France, an abfolute monarchy,
and you there find, that men enter into
commerce, not with a view to make very
great fortunes, but to gain enough to pur-
chafe fome eftate, that fliall take them out of
a clafs of people, much defpifed, and rank
them among the nobleffe j while a manufac-
turer or trader continues among the bour-
geois, he is generally regarded by the whole
body of the noblefiTe with fome degree of con-
tempt. How then can commerce and manu^
fa6lures flourifh ? If you fay, they have flou-
rifhed, I reply, the produd are fo great in
that kingdom, that they flourifh in fpite
of obflacles ; and that all the reft was the ef-
fed of regulations and Colbert's encourage-
ment J

236 TRAVELS THROUGH

merit -, which were admirable for promot-
ing and increafing their commerce ; but his
creations were much fewer, than generally
fuppofed. Nor is it foreign to the argu-
ment, to obferve the hard fate of the French
manufa(5tures and commerce. In 1683, they
were advanced to a great height, and on the
increafe; in 17 14, all were in one general
ruin. After this, a wife condud:, and a
long peace, re-eftablifhed by degrees, many
of them; fo that in 1740, the fabrics and
commerce of France were flourifliing. In
1740, all were once more in ruin, and from
a fuccefsful war, fome of them again revi-
ved and carried an outfide fhew of fuccefs in
1754; but a new war breaks out, and in
1763 all were again involved in a worfe
ftate than ever. They have not again revi-
ved ; and let me remark, that every blow,
which that kingdom has received, hath done
it a lading damage, for although it has foon
fhewn a kind of renovation, yet it has ever
been but a partial one. Since the death of
Lewis XIV. they have never pofTelTed either
the trade or fabrics, they did in his reign ; and
every fucceflive war did them a degree of
mifchief, which has never been repaired.
This has not been the cafe in free kingdoms
and ftates; evils, in fuch countries, want no-

thir.g

DENMARK. 237

thing but patience to remedy themfelves.
England has been highly flourhhing for a
century and a half, and ihews not a lign of
decay, and Holland for more than two cen-
turies ', and though fheis not fo powerful in
war as formerly, is yet in pofleffion of a vaft
trade. This great difference lies in the go-
vernments. In France, the reparation of
misfortunes, or the making any great exer-
tions, is done by a weight of taxes, laid on
all the lower ranks of people, out of propor-
tion to the others. But in England and
Holland, all claffes bear an equal burthen j
give whatever encouragement you will to
commerce, flill there will be evils inherent
in the adminiflration of abfolute power,
which no care or attention can overcomCi

Both the Count and the Baron heard me
with politenefs and attention. The Baron
declared himfelf of my opinion, and at once
condemned the idea • of- making Denmark a
great trading pov/er. Our King/'-faid he,
keeps forty thoufand foldiers in pay, and
that is a degree of power inconfiflent with
trade and commerce, for it is certainly
againft trade to keep fuch an army ; but
what would become of Denmark, in the

prefent

238 TRAVELS THROUGH

prefent ftate of the North, if fhe was not
armed ?

The Count did not carry matters thus far:
He faid, that I was certainly right in fome
of my principles, but that the kingdom, we
were then in, proved againft me in others.
He delired me to confider the difference in
the trade of England, or any other country
at different periods. You had more wool in
Henry the eighth's reign, than you have
now 5 but what comparifon is there between
the benefit, refulting to the kingdom in the
two periods ? Then look at your corn trade,
you had as many acres of land in the time
of the ancient Britons, as now ; but proper
attention, and putting all the fprings of in-
duftry in motion, have changed the poffibi-
lity in one cafe, to a certainty in the other.
You alio beg the queftion, by ftating as pro-
ducts, what are received by different na-
tions from colonies or fidieries. Such may,
for any thing you can affert to the contrary,
be in the power of every nation, that chufes
to accept of them. Why may not Den-
mark plant colonies in the Terra Auftralis ?
Why may (lie not gain a fpice trade in the
iflands of the ocean, that bound the Philip-
pines ? Why may fhe not have her herring
and whale fifhery, as well as the Dutch ?

Mod-

DENMARK. 239

Moft certainly, there wants little more than
an animated fpirit, in pufliing all thefe mat-
ters to the utmoft extent, in order to gain
polTeflion of many things, which at prefent
are thought far beyond the power of a na-
tion to attain to. The encouragement of
commerce, manufa6lures, the arts and agri-
culture, will efFed: every thing ; it is of Jit-
tie confequence to afk, what government
a country is under. The moft trading na-
tions in the world inhabit Afia, and live^
under defpotic monarchs, and have not even^
the advantage of any encouragement, but ^
that of lucre. Look at France, when fhe
was a mixed government, and behold her -
new 5 fee the amazing improvements, which
have taken place in Ruffia, and all effeded
by the abfolute will of a monarch.

I replied, that this was all very true, and
that I believe, I might have ufed expref-
iionSj rather too general; the truth is, I did
not want arguments, fo much as informa-
tion, concerning the prefent ftate of Den-
mark ; and therefore dropping the prefent
fubjedl, by bringing the obje6l of our con- '
verfation nearer home, the Count gave me ■
the following account.

The attention, which our two or three
laft Kings have given to the encouraeenjent

of

240 TRAVELS THROUGH

of every thing ufeful, but efpecially his late
Majefly, has had fuch a ftrong efte6l:, as is
vifible to all Denmark. The people are in-
creafed confiderably, which I take to be the
bell: fign of all others; and this has been
pretty general, through Norway, Jutland,
Slefwic, Holilein, and the illes. An e.xa6t
regifter of population has been kept for near
thirty years, by which it appears, that the
increafe is pretty regular in all thofe coun-
tries, which fhews, that it is owirig ta a ge-
neral order, and attention in government,
which fpreads equally over the kingdom;
nor is this increafe without another reafon,
and that not an impolitic one, it is the ac-
ceflidn, which the King's territories receive
from foreigners; great encouragement has,
for fome years, been given to all, who will
fettle in any part of his dominions, which
has been fuch an inducement, that the num-
ber of Germans, who have arrived, is very
confiderable. Many tracks of the King's de-
mefnes in Slefwic and Holflein, are entire-
ly peopled vv'ith Germans, who have fet-
tled there for the fike of lands, being given
them to cultivate for many years, without
paying any rent. Some of the great king-
doms in Europe complain of a decHning
population, and with reafon, according to

the

DENMARK. ^ 2A.t

ihe general accounts ; it is certain, that
France fails fhort four millions of peopk,
from the number, fhe had in the befl: time
of Lewis XIV's reign. And this decline of
population in the richeft kingdoms, and the
increafe of it in Denmark, is certainly a iign,
that the affairs of this country are on the
flourifhing hand.

The next article^ I fhall mentioil to you^
is our commerce. There is no comparifon
between the prefent trade of Denmark, and
what it was thirty years ago ; fcarcely any
thing has been omitted by the government,
that could promote and enlarge the com-
merce of the kingdom^ Befides the regif-
try of fhips, and the increafe of the number
and tonnage of them, there have been nu*
merous advantages given to trade, which
fhew themfelves in moft of the branches of
the nation's dealings with other countries.
Thefe have fuch an effed, as leaves no
room to be midaken. After numerous ob-
flacles were overcome, we fucceeded in efta-
blifhing an Eaft India company 3 the com-
merce of which does not indeed make the
figure of ibme others, but th^ affairs of it
are in good order, the trade increafing, and
the profit confiderable and regidarj v/hich
is more than can be afTerted of feveral others.
Vol. II. R Our

242 TRAVELS THROUGH

Our colonies, In the Weft Indies, thrive
more than ever, though not very confidera-
ble j and our general commerce of Europe
is greatly increafed, of which there cannot
be better proofs, than a rife in the crown
revenues, and an increafe of population and
fhipping.

But our trade depends on, and is much
connected with the manufactures of the
kingdom. I can (hew you twenty books,
which afTert, that the Danes have no fabrics j
thofe, who vv'rote fo fifty years ago, fpoke
truth j but unfortunately, they have been
copied by others, down to the very prefent
day, although the former truth is fuch no
longer. There has been a great turn in our
commerce, from the change in this point; for
formerly, we imported every thing, we ufed,
even to the moft common articles of cloath-
ing, and the implements, inllruments, ma-
chines, furniture, 6cc. that we ufed. Thefe
ruinous importations are not totally done
with yet, but many of them are cut off, by
iupplying ourfelves through the excellent
means of eftablifliing manufactures, which
has been fet about with great and real fpirit>
and attended to with fo much care, that the
number increafes every day, fo that there is
tlie grcateft rcafon to expect a conftant di-
minution

DENMARK. 243

rniniitlon In our expexifive imports, v/hich
has been hitherto, and cannot fail of being
in future a circunifiance> infinitely advan-
tageous to the kingdom. You muft not
mifunderfcand me, I am not afferting, that
Penniark is become a manufadiuring coun-
try ; on the contrary, what, we yet make*
bears no proportion, to v/hat we import, but
only, that meafares have been fome time in
execution for leiTening thofe imports > and
that, from the fuccefs, which attends them.,
there is no doubt, but the kingdom is in
this inilance, on the improving hand.

The improvements, in agriculture, which
have been made v/ith the fame attention and
jcare, are very great and confplcuous in di-
vers parts of all the King's dominions ^ and
nothing can exceed the means, v/hich have
been taken in this work, to accomplifli the
end. The form-^r bad ftate of the kingdom
was greatly owing to the mifery, under which
the peafants groaned. This has been ^ -ery
where mollified ; they have had numerous
edi6ls in their favour, villainage is in many
diftrifts abolillied, and the nobles and gen-
try prevented, by fsvere lav/s, from tramp-
ling upon the lower clafles, in the manner
they too commonly did formerly. The late
King feat feveral very able men to travel

R 2 through

244 TRAVELS THROUGH

through England, in order to report to him,
on their return, the peculiarities, laws, cuf-
toms, and condu6l, which, in that kingdom,
feemed moft conducive to the v/ell being of
hufbandry* Their journey was executed
with great ability, and from their memoirs,
his Majefty and his minifters were enabled
to judge what was, and what \vas not, prac-
ticable in Denmark. The grand articles
were to 2:ive more freedom to the clafs of
cultivators, to fecure their property, to abo-
lifli mukipliable taxes, and to lett farms on
long leafes, with covenants of improvement.
Thefe were the great heads of the report, and
the points, upon which they moft infifled, as
thofe, which were of the greatefl benefit in
England. They offered numerous inferior
ones, upon the particular conduct of certain
foils, upon draining, manuring, plough-
ing, Sec. Implements w^ere fent over as pat-
terns, and fome ingenious men to inftru6l
us in the ufe of them ; and the King, in
order to preferve the knowledge, thus gain-
ed, fixed thefe, with handfomc falaries, on
his crown lands, with their implements,
and dire6led each to manage a given quan-
tity of land, according to the Englifli huf-
bandry. The men, who w^orked under them
for three years, were then changed, and fent

to

DENMARK. 245

lo other eftates, and frefh ones inftrucled,
and the implements were on courfe multi-
plied with all of them j fo that, at this time,
there are a vaft number in conftant ufe in
different parts of the kingdom. The ef-
feds of fuch meafures as thefe muft, in the .
nature of them, be very flow, but ftill they
are real and increafing. But the confe-
quences of the principal parts of tlie fcheme
have been rapid and great, particularly the
letting lands on leafes of improvement,which
the King put in execution upon the
crown lands immediately, and upon a large
fcale ; and by his recommendations to the
nobility, Sec. and granting privileges to es-
tates, in this management, the method
fpreads fo much, that if the fpirit, which
now animates the kingdom, lafis but for half a
century, I believe Denmark will be as well
cultivated, as fome parts of England, and
thofe, not the worft. Another encourage-
ment, which his late Majefty gave to agri-
culture, was ordering the beft books on that
fubje6l in the French, Englifli, and German
languages, to be tranflatcd into Danifli, and
many complete fets of thefe he made pre-
fents to fuch of his fubje6ls, as made them-
felves at all known, by any undertakings in
agriculture, that were beyond the common.
R 3 pra^^ice.

24-6 T RAVELS T H R O U G H

practice. He alfo pablifhed the offer of con-
liderable prerniums, to be annually diitri-
buted among the tenants oF the lloyal dc-
mefnes, who excelled the mari, in fuqh and
fach works.

Now, Sir, you mud once more allow me
to remind you, that I have mentioned none
of thefe inftances, to fhew, that the agricul-
ture, maniifadurcs, or commerce of Den-
mark are nearly advanced to perfe6lion, or
that great changes have already been elted:-
ed, that is, by no means, the purport of my
difcourfe 3 but the facl is, that we, in all
thefe branches, are undoubtedly improving,
and that, not llowly j and this, I conceive, is
all, that any kingdom or people can wifli for,
as fuddcn acquifitions are feldom lafiing.
The improvement, v/hich I fliould appre-
hend, a fenfiblc people would be molt de-
iirous of feeing, is a ulent, gradual increafe,
and induftry every where fpread and always
(though fiowly) active 5 the happieft and
befl days fcen by any nation, are not thole
brilliant ones, when every undertaking is, iia
every view, ripened into completion ; for
then a thoufand evils are continually (hew-
ing thcmfclvcs in dangerous confcquences,
arifiug from the poffeiiion of too much
wealth } but this has no being witli a na-

tior\

DENMARK, 247

tion, that is only on the improving hand 1
there can be only wealth enough to animate
the induflry of the people, and to keep every
thing from langaifhing. In a word. Sir, if
we could reduce all the interefts of a na-
tion, fach as commerce, the arts, manu-
fa6tures, agriculture, population, income, -
&c. to one aggregate, we fhould then have
but one queltion to enquire and be fatisned
in, whether fuch nation was to be efleemed
in a good fituation, and that is, does that
aggregate, improve, or decline ? While an
improvement goes on, however {low, the
nation mufi be efteem.ed flour! diing ; and
the contrary, the mon;ent it ftops increa-
sing-

In a fucceffive converfation I had v.dth the
Count, he enlarged his information on cer-
tain points, upon which, I took the liberty'
to make enc^uiries, I had mentioned the
ftate of their Eail India trade ; and he faid,
that feveral plans had been laid before the
miniflry for increafmg it, and among others,
there v/as one, which had aftually been fo,
much approved, as to be put, partly, in ?xe-
tion, and this was, to purchafe by treaty,
the port and territory of Mofambique.on the.
^oaft Qf Africa, from the Portuguefe; a
R 4 ^'C)lony

248 TRAVELS THROUGH

colony which is of little national advantage
to that kingdom, fince the declenfion of
their affairs in the Eaft-lndics, but which
v/ould be of infinite importance to the
Danes, in cafe they fet heartily about an
increafe- of their India commerce. The
Count farther alfured me, that, in fome ne-
gociations v/ith the Court of Lifbon, mat-
ters had gone fo far, as fixing the terms,
which, though they were too high to con-
clude on, yet they brought on a further
treaty, relative to other fettlements in the
Indies, and which it was evident they
feemed ready enough to part with, in cafe
they could get high terms. Mofambique,
from its fituation, might be a port and co-
lony of as great importance, even as the
Cape of Good Hope ; all our fliips, going
and coming to and from the Indies, might
water and take in their lefrefhments there ;
behind it lie the richeft countries in Africa,
and it is open to the trade of the reft of that
vafl coafb, to Arabia, Perfia, 6cc. fo that
there can be no doubt, but it would turn
out a place of iniinite importance in the
hands of an a6live, induftrious nation. The
treaty, upon this affair with Portugal, is
broke off, without coming to any conclu-

fion.

DENMARK. 249

Hon, but on what account is more^ than I
am able to tell you.*

There

* The idea of purchafmg this fettlement, was cer-
;tainly an admirable one ; the following is the account
given of itby the very ingenious editor of the laft edition
of Harris's Voyages and Travels. Vol. I. p. 697. " The
foeft of all governments, that ftill belongs to the viceroy
of the Indies, is that of Mofambique, which is an ifland
fituated near the coaft of Africa, in the lat. of 15''
fouth, within half a league of the continent. They have
a. ftrong fort there, with four good baftions, which com-
mand the channel, and in which there are fev^enty
pieces of brafs cannon ; and here there is always kept a
good garrifon, and in tolerable order. The governor is
honoured with the title of General of the river Senna,
where he has his Lieutenant, v/hich employment was
worth to him feveral hundred thoufand crowns a year;
there are but a few houfes about the fort, the inhabitants
keeping their effects on the neighbouring continent.
But notwithftanding the narrownefs of the place, there
there are monafteries of Jefuits, Dominicans of St. Joha
de Dios, befides the chief church, and that of Miferi-
cordia. The merchandize brought to this place, by
jthe fhips of the company, are bought at a fet price by
the royal fa£lory, which afterwards fends them to
Chelimani, the mouth of the river Senna, running
three hundred miles along thecoaft, in galliots and fmall
yeffels, becaufe of the fiats from Chelimani ; the goods are
fent up the river, againft the ftream, in almandies, or
little boats, which are ten days going up, and about
five coming down. It is very difficult going up for
thofe who are not acquainted with the Ihallows and
windings of the river. Cafres and blacks refort to this

port.

i50 TRAVELS THROUGH

There is no object in our trade, that has
been more confidered of late years, than the

Eaft

port, from provinces and kingdoms three or four
months journey diflatit, to buy and take up goods upon
truft, for fo much gold, which they never fail to bring
punilually the next year, unlefs death prevents them.
This trade yields above cent per cent, fo that the Por-
tu'^ueze may b<? faid to have another India in Africa.
Senna is a little tovi'n, on the right hand of the river,
inhabited by fifty Portugvieze families, who make it po-
pulous enough by the great number of blacks they
Jceep. They till the ground, and dig the mines, and
by that means maintain their mafters, inftead of being
kept by them. About fifteefi days journey frqm hence,
lies Sofala, where the Portuguese have likewife an efta-
blifiimenr, fubject, however, to the General of Mofam-
bique ; and here a prodigious trade is driven on, of
which the Portugueze are or might be mafters. It c£)n-
fifts chiefly of gold, of which there are greater quanti-
ties here, than in any other country in the world, fmcc
the annual produce oft! '5 market is computed, by the
beftjudp^es, at forty fix thoufand ounces. There ^rc
vaft quantities of Span 1 and Canary wines, oil, filks,
linens, cottons, coral, and other European goods fold
here, which are carried by the inhabitants of the little
kingdom of Sofala, through all the great empire of
Monomopata, which the Portugueze ftile the empire of
gold, from the prodigious quantities of that precious
metal which is brought to them from thence. There
arelikewife fome very rich commodities brought hither
by the negroes j fuch as the moft excellent ebony in the
world i great quantities of ivory; abundance of fiiie.

matf.

DENMARK. a^t

Kail India commerce^ for it muft certainly
ilrike you, that what we want to gain, is

a greater

mats, which are much efl-eemed in the Indies, and a
great number of fiaves ; fo that Goa, and all the reft of
the Portugueze fettlements, are furniftied from hence.
One may juftly wonder, that, confidering the value of
this fettlement, and its convenient fituation, the Dutch
had not made themfelves mailers of it long ago, as well
as all the other places, belonging to the crown of Por-
tugal, on this coaft/ As for the fhare, which the Por-
tugueaic ftill retain, the gold obtained thereby is fent to
Goa and to Diu, Where it is coined into fmaii pieces,
called St> Thomas's, which are not worth above half a
crown of our money j and it is obferved, that this coin
js of a worfs touch, that is, of a bafer alloy, than- any
other in the Indies, which is another lign of a declining
trade J for the Sarafins, which were formerly coined at
Ormuz, when in the Portugueze hands, were efteemed
the beft gold in the Indies, but they are now become
extremely fcarce ; and the St. Thomas's are faid to be
coined in lefs quantities every year. '

" Thefe poffeffions are faid to produce fo little to the
Kino- of Portugal, that it has beea more than once de-
bated, in the council of that Prince, whether it would
not be for the intereft of the crown to abandon thcui
all - together, withdrawing their artillery and efFe6ls ;
and we are likev/ife told, that it is not any political,
but purely a religious motive, that has hindered this
jefolution from being taken, the priefts having fuggefted,
that, in that cafe, a multitude of fouls would be loft to
the church. We fljall the lefs wonder at this, if we
(ppfifider^ that fuch as are beft acc^uainted with the Eaft

India

252 TRAVELS THROUGH

a greater plenty of commodities, to form a
trade with in Europe, and nothing anfwers

better.

India trade, afTure us, that a fingle merchant, and a
fmgle fhip of a reafonable burthen, may carry on as
great a commerce as what at prefent fubfifts between
Lifbon and Goa ; this matter, however, deferves fome
explanation. There are yet a great many fliips employed
from Goa, Diu, and Daman, to the coafts of Perfia,
Pegu, Manilla, and China, but they are moftly on ac-
count of Indian merchants, there being fcarce a Portu-
gueze trader at Goa able to furnifh a cargo of ten thou-
sand crowns ; and it is very much doubted, whether in
the whole of their trade they employ above two hun-
dred thoufand crowns ; fo that it is not at all ftrange,
that one year with another, there are not above two
fhips fent dire6l:ly from Goa to Lifbon, and thofe not a
foorth part fo rich as when they annually fent twenty.

*' Yet there has been a late regulation made at Goa,
for the prefervation and promoting of trade, which
thofe, who underftood that fubjeft beft, agree, com^^
pleated its ruin.

'' This is an exclufive company, which has the fole
right to the commerce of Mofambique and Mocha,
which company has taken upon itfelf the payment of the
royal ofEcers, who are alfo two thirds employed therein ;
which has given fuch a blow to the natural commerce of
Goa, that the befl part of the Indian merchants that
)vere left, are now retired from thence. To fay the
truth, it was the great fhare the Viceroys, Governors,
;ind other ofEcers, always took in commerce, without
contributing any thing thereto, except protcifling the
merchants from the violence committed by themfelves,

en

DENMARK. isT

better, in this refpecl, than good and great
affortments of Eaft India goods : we have

re-

on fuch as did not admit them to a fhare of their trade,
that firft deftroyed the extenfive commerce they enjoyed.
And upon this fubjeft, the wits of the Indies have
framed a very pretty allegory : they fay, that when the
Portugueze came firft to them, they had a fword in one
hand, and a crucifix in the other ; but that they might
fill their pockets the fafter, they quickly difpenfed with
the firft, and foon after laid down the laft, by which
they have loft all. But though their power and their
commerce are fo much declined, their pride is as great
as ever, infomuch that they refufe the natives of the
country, who are called Canarins, the wearing of
ftockings, though they employ them as phyficians, law-
yers, and merchants j by which many of them are fo
rich, thai they keep a dozen or fourteen flaves, and are
in much better circumftances than the Portugueze
themfelves.

*' The revenues of the church hava fufFered very little
by this moft furprizing change in the ftate; there is hardly
a monaftery, that does not receive four or five thoufand
crowns out of the treafury, at the fame time, the fol-
diers ftarve and mutiny for want of pay; which is
fo much the harder upon the government, becaufe
the reverend fathers know very well, how to take care of
themfelves, infomuch, that it is affirmed, the Jefuits in
Goa have a better revenue than the crown of Portuo^ah

o

It is not eafy to know, what becomes of the money thefe
church men raife; but it is very evident, that the wealth
they poflefs, together with the eftablifhment of the inqui-
fition at Goa, is fuch a dead weight on the fettlement, as

muft

254 TRAVELS trfROUGrf

remarked, not only in the trade of oiir
neighbours, but alfo in the fmall fhare of

that

muft fooner or later deftroy it. The wifeft of the Por-
tugueze in Europe, undcrftand this very well, and
would be glad to fee fome proper remedy applied, not
from a prejudice againft the church or churchmen,
which is far enough from being the vice of that nation,
but out of pure regard to the crown and to the nation ;
and one would think, that the clergy themfelves, inftead
of grafping at more, ought to be willing to part with
fome proportion of what is already in their hands, in
order to render the ftate more able to protedl them in
the pofleffion of the remainder. Befides there is nothing
clearer, than that the erecting of religious houfes, ia
diredly oppofite to the very fcheme of planting, and
muft always ruin the fettlements wher-e it prevails,
and confequently the religious houfes themfelves, which
is even an argument that ought to prevail with
Popifh Princes, to lay more reftraint on the miffionarics
that are fent abroad ; unlefs they prefer the reputation
of zeal, among fuch as are no competent judges, not
onlv to maxims of policy and good government, but to
the principles of true religion, for if there be any
piety in converting pagans to the chriftian faith, it fol-
lows, that there is ftill greater piety in doing this ef-
fectually, and in maintaining for ever the cftablifhmcnts
necelTary to fupport them, which reafon and experience
ihews, the building monafteries, and maintaining num-
bers of idle people in them, will not do ; but on the
contrary, will bring on, in time, the dcllru6tion of thofe
colonics, in which this humour is fuftered to prevail.

"The

D E N M A R. ^. 255

that commerce, which we poffefs ourfelves,
that no other is a better introdu61ion to

other

"^ The very laft advices frori) this part of the world iii-»
form us, that feveral Indian Princes were driven from
before Goa, which they had blocKed up with a nu-
merous army? hy the powerful fuccours fent by the
King of Portugal, and by the excellent condu^h of the
late viceroy, who was the Count de Lauricalj and who,
if I miftalce not, was twice in the Indies, and behaved
there with great reputation. Such expeditions, how-
ever, are to be confidered as expedients only, which
may for a time preferve that fettlement, but can never
reftore it, or bring the affairs of the nation, in thefe
parts, into fo good order as to make them worth the
attention of a Prince^ who has the honour of his crown,
and the good of his people at heart.

" It is morally certain, that the eftablifliments which
the crown of Portugal ftill have in the Eaft Indies, might
in the hands of an aiStive, an induflrious nation, turn to
cpnfiderable account; for it has been long ago obferved
by Mr. Tavcrnier, that the port of Diu is as v/ell fitu-
ated for trade, and as capable of improvement, as any
in that part of the world, or more fo ; and if put under
oroper regulation's, that is, if made in fome meafure a
tree port, it muft neceflarily come in for a large ftiare of
that commerce now carried on at Surat, and in all pro-
bability, retrieve much of the Arabian and Perfian com^
nierce, that has been fo long loft to the Portugueze : On
the other hand, as they have ftill fome factories at Bifnagar,
and other places on that coaftj it would be no difficult
matter to re-eftablifh their commerce in theheaitof India,
at the fame time, that the port of Macao vs^ould furnifii
tliem with the means of fupplying the China market,

as

25^ TRAVELS THROUGH

other branches of trade throughout the
world; for that nation, which can brins

thefe

as cheap, or cheaper than any other European nation ;
becaufe their colony at Mofambique is fo fituated, as
to ferve them for the fame purpofe that the Cape of
Good Hope does the Dutch, or the ifland of St. Helena
does the Englifli.

" But all thefe advantages fignify nothing in the hands
of thofe, who are fo far from pofTefling the virtues re-
quifite to fuch improvements, that, on the contrary,
they are not only tainted with, but over-run by fuch
vices, as muft unqueftionably overturn the beft eftablifh-
ment in the world. We may therefore fafely predidtp
that the continuance, even of that flender power which
the Portugueze have ftill left, cannot continue long,-
and that for thefe two plain reafons ; firft, becaufe it
has been long, and is ftill in a declining condition j fo
that its force being extremely decayed, and at the fame
time continually employed in refifting the efforts of its
enemies, it is impoflible, in the nature of things, that
it fhould fubfift for any time : fecondly, the manners of
the people are entirely ruined, fo that there is not the
leaft probability that any fuch reformation will ever be
effected, as might enable them to make fuch ufc of the
convenient ports, of v/hich they are ftill pofTefled, as is
necefiary to revive and reftore their commerce in the
Indies. I venture therefore to pronounce, that iiT
the compafs of twenty or thirty years, their eftablifb-
ments in thefe parts will be quite loft, and that, in all
likelihood, Goa, Diu, and Daman, will be loft firft ;
which will neceflarily draw after them the defertion of
Macao, which cannot long fubfift by its own force, and

lies

DENMARK. 255^

thefe to the befl: market, will generally have the
choice of commerce among various nations^
Germany is without an Eaft India compai^iy ;
her neighbours fupply her and Poland,
Hungary, part of Ruffia, all Italy, Swit-
zerland, and part of Turkey. Thef? coun-
tries together, form a market for India
goods, of infinite confequence.; and it
highly behoves us, wlio lie extremely welV
for the tranfportation of commodities to
many of thofe countries, to aim at coming,
in for a fhare of this profitable commerce ;
what we have carried on for fome years,
from Altena, has been of much fervice to
the kingdom, by opening an extenfive cor-
refpondence into the heart of Germany, by
means of the Ir^dia warehoujfes, there efta-
blifhed. The flate of our trade is this, we
have never been able to exceed the fend-
VoL.II, S ing

lies at much too great a diftance. to receive a_ny eiFeiStual
fuccour or fuppprt from Portugal dire£lly."

I have given this long quotation, for two very efTen-
tial reafons ; firft^ the iSook is fcarce and dear, and of
too great a fize ta be. in every perfon's hands ; and
fecondly, becaufe the whole turn of the paffage fhews,
that the idea of the Danifli miniftry's pyrchafmg Mo-
fambique, and the other fettlements of the Portugueze,
is highly probable; fince it is evident, the pofTcflbrs
know not what to do with them.

258 TRAVELS THROUGH

ing GVTt more than four fhips to the Indies,
and but once, have received fo many fron;^
thence -, we have had, very often three, and
fometimes, only two, though the fhips are
of great burthen. The fales are regular,
and the profit, that is made on the flock,
very confiderable i the point, therefore,
which is effefted, is the fupplying ourfelves
with commodities, which, formerly, wewere
forced to take of other nations ^ this a very
eflential object in every trade ; we have fur-
ther gained a fmall export to Germany,
but the amount of two or three fhips makes
fo poor a figure, with what might, with
management, be effeded, that the miniflry,
in entering into a treaty with Portugal,
certainly aimed at a much more exteniive
commerce : had Mofambique been ours, we
calculated to have fent fix fhips annually,
without any other acquifitions i but had the
treaty been extended, and we had purchafecl
their fettlements in the Indies, we fhould
foon have had a more f^ourifhing India
trade, th^n any natioft in Europe, the Eng-
lifli and Dutch only excepted.

Here the Count finiflnng his difcourfe,
the Baron de Rofenburg continued the con-
verfation -, his obje(5lion was flated as fol-
lows. I have more than once heard, this

India

DENMARK. 255^

India fcheme debated, and I remember an
argument, not againft it, but again ft preci-
pitation in it, which, I think,, was never
clearly anfwered. Ii; the India commerce,
you fend out iilvei*, and bring home com--
^modities ^ with the filver, it is true, there
goes fame large aiTortrnenta of European ma--
tiufa6tures, particularly fine cloths : now
the export of filver by the Eaft India comr-
pany, has nothing obj eatable in it, to the
amount of fupplying the home confump-
tion with India commodities, becaufe if we
did not buy them of our own company, we
Should of the Dutch; and the amount in
filver would certainly gp out of the coun-
try the fame in either cafe ; only in one,
vve have the profit of the trade purfelves,
and the employment of the fhipping and
feamen ; but in the other? thofe advantages
goto our neighbours. Thus far, I admit
there is no difpute ^ but when this trade is
extended further, and you fupply other na-
tions with India goods, you muft fend out
greater quantities of (ilver, without any cer-
tainty, that you will get it again ; you will
fell thofe goods to other nations, who moil
certainly will not pay all in money for them,
but, in the way of trade, pyt off many of
their own. commodities in ^xchan2[ which
■ ' o z will

i€9 TRAVELS THROUGH
will either be introduced into Denmark, tq
the prejudice qf our own, or elfe the India
commerce decline, as foon as railed : but
there is another obje6lion ; in the prefent
confined trade we carry on with the Indies,
we buy cloths of the Englifh, to fend out
in our fhips, our own manufacturers, not
being yet able to fupply enough of the finer
forts for that export, or our own confump-
tion ; what therefore would they be able tO|
do, if the trade was trebled or quadrupled I
Why, this part of the profit of it, which iS;
one of the moft confiderable, would go di-
redly to England j fo you would confequently
pay filver in Europe, for an abilit , jf paying
more filver in the Eafl, for gooes, which,
when fold, would be paid for in m:anufac-
tures, that rival our own. Such h my idea
of this fine fcheme : I am fenlible, that you
may quote the Englifh, Dutch, and French,
but the cafes are eflentially different ; they
would be ^reat trading nations, full of ma-r
nufadures, if they had no India com-
merce ; they fend out their own manu-
fadures, and in the fale of fuch India goods,
as they difpofe of to other nations, their
great trade enables them to forir^ univer-
sal cargoes, in which, one affortment
carries off another, and all pays well;

befides

DENMARK; 261

Ibefides the home confamption of the Eng-
liih and French is immenfe -, and the Dutch
monopoly of fpice gives them equal and fu-
perior advantages, for which reafonsi it
cannot be jufl to draw any conclufions from
the Eafl India trade of thofe nations;

The Count to this replied, that he ac^
knowledged much of, the truth of thefe ob^
fervations, but, at the fame time^ there
were two anfwers, which would in general
remove the objeftions. Firft, the friends of
the Eafl India commerce in Denmark^ never
thought of encouraging that commerce to
the prejudice of any other, and, in particular j
of their manufactures ; that they had always
propofed the India commerce, as a means
of promoting the manufadlures of fine
cloths, camlets, ferges^ &;c. which are al-
ready eflabli(hed at Gopenhagenj and other
•places ', that thefe manufactures were on
the inereafe, and if a quifck demand was
raifed by the India company for their fa-
brics, it would be a great means of railing
thofe manufactures 3 that the proportion
was fuppofed to be dependant on this cir*
eumftance, viz; on the home manufacturers
being able to fupply all the gobds carried
to the Indies ; that it was an error to fup-
pofe^ they did not now work iip fufficient

S 3 for

i62 TRAVELS THROUGH

for our prefent India commerce ; that they
made, on the contrary, of many forts, as
much, as they could vend ; that if they
wrought to twenty times their prefent a-
mounf^ ftill certain cloths, of a particular fa-
i>rici would be imported from England; and it
would anfwer better fo to import, than to
make them, front the fuperior profit at-
tending other forts. Upon the whole, that
the fabrics of cloths, 6cc. eflablifhed, were
in fo flolirifhing a fituation, that there was
not a doubt of their fupplying ally demand^
we could gain for therh > and that we con*
fequently ought to procure a demand, as
elTential to their increafe and profperity.
Secondly, That the objedtion to the trade,
on the fcore of occalioning an import of fo-
reign commodities to rival our own, is an-
fwered at once, by afl'iing, if fuch importa-
tions cannot be prohibited, or obflrucled by
high duties ? All the neighbours of Den-
an ark, might pour in manufacflures or pro-
duels of fome fort or other, if permitted, to
the: ruin of our own, but prohibitions, or
duties, are the means taken to prevent it ;
and what has been already mentioned, is
proof fa fficlerit, that the trade itfelf would
inot fall in confequcnc€ of them..

Upon

D 1: N M A R. K: 263

upon this argument, I think the Count
llad much theben: fide, and ihewed> by his
in an iter of handHng itj that he had not only-
great abilities, but aifp a deep knowledge ill
the trade of thie \yof Id.

In a fucceeding converfatiori, which I had
with the Count, at v/hich. the Baron de
RofenbUrg was not prefent^ he explained to
me another feheme of trade, which had
been laid before the miniftryj' ih the ^late
king's reign, and which was much approved
by themi but which, for fbme reafoti or
other j that was never known, the King
would not come into ; for whenprefled upon
this head, more than once, his only anfwer
wae, I do not approve it, let me hear ho
more of the matter ; and this was the rea-
ion, thit no attenipt was ever made. The
plan was, to open a commerce with the
great fouthern unknown continent^ called
the, Terra jAuftral is? d memorial wa^ de-
livered to the miriifter, pointing oiit the ad-
vantages, which v^ould certainly accrue from
carrying on a commerce with numerous na«
tiOns, fituated in the richefl climates of the
World j arid who are unknowti to the traffick of
the world, and who would confequently give
their mod valuable produ6ls for Our com-
modities of the leaft worth ; iliatirig the pro-
pev means of making the -requifite difcoveries

S 4 at

-264. TRAVELS THROUGH

at the leaft expence, and fhewing, that there
was nothing thimerical in the plan, buf
that every pari of it was of eafy execu-
tloiii the rifque little, the probable advan-
tage very great. But fo it was, the King
would not allow of its being attempted,
though feveral of the members of the coun-*
t;il of commerce, took upon them to anfwer
any objedtions, that might be darted to it.

This plan was, I think, that which bid
Taireft, to throw Denmark upon a par with
"Other nations in commerce. The Englifh>
■Dutch, French, Spaniards, and Portuguefe>
have all fuch extenfive colonies and fettle-
•ments, that they Jiave enough to improve
/and promote, without feeking for n^w dif-
coveries j this has heen a general anfwer in
ihofe countries to all propofals of new expe-
-^ditions; but however juft it may be with
aJiem, it is, by no means, fo with us, wha
have been long much in want of divers ways
«f increaling the trade and wealth of the
*kingdom5 for it is for want of wealth, gain-
ed by induftry, that our national revenues,
notwithftanding all our improvements, arc
yet fo fmall in the eyes of the other king-
4doms of Europe* The opening new dif-
coveries, ere6ting A few forts, eftablifliing
^faftori§s among populous nations of Indians,

vnknowi3

D E N M A R K. tlS^

unknown to Europeans, and the carrying
on an extenfive Gommerce with them, would
not only pour in a flood of wealth upon this
kingdom, but, what is alfo of vaft eonfe-
quence, keep numbers of iiout fhips and
iiardy feamen in conftant employment; not
the employment of fhort trips from Norway
to London or Amflerdam, but in long voy-
ages, which train up and breed a fpecies of
mariners, infinitely! valuable to any nation,
that pretends to the leaft degree of naval
force. This point is, I think, of fuch im-
portance, that nothing can at any time be
more feafible, than fuch long voyageSj and
diftant expeditions, for the difcovery of fet^-
tlements, and planting of fertile and rich
countries^ and fuch expeditions ought, as
I before obferved, to be particularly un-
dertaken by thofe nations of inferior confe-
quence in trade, who want fpurs to animate
them to great undertakings.

And if I was not fearful, that the conver-
fation would be tedious to you, I ihould
more particularly infifl on the amazing dif-
ference between this and the laft century,
and that preceding, in re-entering on dif-
tant expeditions for the difcovery of un-
Icnown countries. It is aftoni{hing to think
-«f fuch a bold and adventurous ipirit, as then

animateJ^

m TRAVELS THROUGH

animated fuch numbers of men to undci*"^
takings, which would nov/ Be thought dii*
rherical. The difcovery of the continent of
America was immediately followed b"y plant*
ingj ttadingi and conquering, with innu-
ftierabl'e expeditions thither. But wliat a
difference is there between that age^ and
thofe, which have followed ! There is at pre-
fentno doubt of a Terra Auftralis: a great
part of it, in the richeft climates in the World,
has been aeeuratedly caafted, and laid dowrt
in maps.' Other vafl difcoveries have been
made, at different times, in the South-Sea;
of lands, yet it is unknown^ whether they be
HlandS or a continent; Nothing is pur-
fued, no further notice taken of the greateft
difcoveries, that could ever be made. Map^
have been made nedr tWo centuries of New
Guinea, New Holland, Carpentaria, and
other tracks, part of the Terra Auftralis, and
yet the world has been fatisfied with feeing a
broken partial line of coaft minuted, with-
out any prince having the curiofity of mak-
ing further difcoveries, to afcertain the real
truthi concerning the people, manners, pro-*-
du6ls. Sec. Never was the^e fuch a eontraft,*
as is to be found in this condu6l, from tha't
of the great men, who, two hundred years
agOj, made the moll glorious efforts with*-

out

D E N M A R tC. v.6^

•but half the prorpe6l of fuccefs. . It is a mofi:
certain f^^,^ that America contains not any
pr.odudjvvhich thefe unknown countries do
not.ppffefs i in fame, the latter are fuperior,
3S. for inflance in fpices. The befl judge-
ment to be' formed, of any country, is by
the latitudes 5 indeed, it is a criterion, that is,
in general, rdeeilive. Now the latitude of the
trackS;, already difcovered to the South, ard
in the, fame latitude, with all the richefh cli«
mates in the reft of theglobe,extending to the
line. Who therefore can doubt, but that
all the produfls, for which the European
nations have been fo eager in their Ameri-
can views, are to be found here? There^
they are already engrolTed and monopolized
hy two or three powerful nations^ the iirft
-difcoverers of them ; but here, they are
open to thofe, who will take the trouble to
iaccept them. Colonies in America have been
attended with infinite advantages to the Eng-
lifh and the French; indeed, they proved the
great fupport and foundation of the former's
power and opulence, and added infinitely
to thofe of the latter '; why therefore fhould
not other nations, not yet polTeffing the fame
advantages, endeavour to attain them by
the fame means ? The only opportunity
ieft in the world, lies in the Great Conti-
nent

ti68 t II A V E L S f H ^w O tJ G H

nent, or iflands to the Southward ; the na-
vigator, who fhall now attempt their difco-
very, has iidt the difficulties to encounter^
which proved obftacles td Golumbus ; he
does not fail in purfuit only of an idea ; oti
the contrary, he fets fotth under the com-
flete knowledge, that fuch a country, as he
feeks, really exifts ; and that he has no-
thing to do, but to folldw a rdute^ already
chalked out, to bring him to the countries^
he wifhes to vifit. If this plain ftate of the
cafe does iiot fhew the expediency of the
ineafure, I muft own myfelf, utterly igno-
rant of all the principles of trade and navi-
gation.

Thefe ideas of the Count's, I had riot the
leaft inclination to contradi6t, for I thought
them, and do yet think them, perfectly
founds and they fhew, that their author has
well conlidered the whole fubje6t; nor have
I the kafl doubt, but that Denmark, or any-
other country, would reap all the advantages,
here fet forth, by attempting a full difcovcry
of thofe unknown regions, ^nd of fixing
a trade with them. But let me remark,
that fuch a nobleman's complaint of the
want of that fpirit of enterprize, which fo
Inuch diflinguifhed the laft age but one, is
the ftrongeft proof in the worH of the troth

«f

DENMARK. 269

f>f the affertion. Every one now, who thinks
of, or mentions fuch an idea, immediately
recurs to kings, minifters, cquncils of
trade, or eompanies; whereas the great
things, that were done in the fifteenth cen-
tury, were all executed by private people,
almoft folely on their own ideas ; and with
fuch {lender means, that the ability of this
very nobleman exceeds, I apprehend, the
whole of what was executed by half a fcore
of the heroes of old. This was the true
fpirit of enterprize, which brought to light
fuch amazing difcoveries, and which occa-
fioned the moft heroical condud in almofl
every commander employed. A fhip of an
hundred tons was, in that age, thought fuf-
ficient for an undertaking, which would now
require an army and a fleet, fuch is the dif-
ference between the genius, that actuated
men then, and now -, and that all this diffe-
rence lies only in the manners of the ages,
is certainly known, by the real objeds of fuch
expeditions, being the fame now as then,
only much lefs hazardous, from the im-
provements, that have been made in the art
of navigation, and from the examples and
experience of fo many circumnavigators. The
difficulties and dangers are therefore lefs,
but the bold fpirit of enterprize is wanting^

whicib

^a TRAVELS THROUGH

whkh was alone fufficient to level thoufands
of difficulties, and face every, .danger, that
tould arifq.

And as th(^ converfation with this worthy
nobleman, has brought me into tl^efe re-
|ie6lions, I lliall trefpafs on the reader's pa-
tience, in making another. The Count's
remark, that thefe attempts of new difcovery,
not being deiirable to nations, who have
already colonies and fettlements enough, I
do not think is jufl. All experience tells
us, that when once a nation fets down con-
tented, and fays to herfelf, we have indullry
enough, vye have colonies fufficient, we
want no more tj'ade, let us confine ourfelves
to make the rnoft, of what we have already
gained. Whenever a nation a61s (or rather
ceaies to be active) on fuch principles, we
may fafely venture to pronounce her decline
at hand. It is irnpoffible, that indnftry and
commerce ihould be ftationary -, if it ceafes
to advance, it will go backward; aflivity,
and motion, are the foul of its fuccefs ;
trade never makes fuch gigantic ftrides, as in
the midft of wars, enterprizes, and a conti-
nual bufllc. The cafe of the Dutch is a
llriking inflance of this ; for the moment,
they were contented with their prcfent pof-
Icffioiis, they began to decline ; but their

progrcfs

DENMARK. 271

progrefs had been inceflant from one hardy
enterprize to another. The Portuguefe in
India are another very ftriking inftance of
this truth 5 for after a great number of con-
queils made, fettlements eftabhfhed, and
colonies planted, thinking, they had ex-
tended themfelves fufficiently^ and poiTelTed
enough, they then gave over their perpe-
tual enterprizes, and a luxurious effemi-
nacy prefently came upon them. Everyone
v^rill allow, they were right in thinking,
that they had conquered and fettled enough,
provided all that candour and fpirit, which
fiad gained the Indies, had been exerted to
improve them. But this was not the cafe^
nor ever can be, for the fpirit of adventure
brings acquifitions eternally, and the mo-
ment you ceafe to acquire, you begin to lofej
it being the general bent of human nature,
|iot to make great exertions, when they are
unnecefTary. 'Might I -not ihew, that this
IS not peculiar to forming fettlements of
trade, but that it is the fame in all the af-
fairs of lifQ. Great fuccefs, in every walk, is
gained by the bold enthuliafm, which at-
tends the a6livity of purfuit, but falls oiF,
when a feries of fortunate events have blunt-
ed the edge of this adivity, and brought on
a ilothful poli'eilion. This is the cafe in

ComrjioA

2721 TRAVELS THROUGH

common life, in war, in politicks, in com-
merce. Em{5ire6 flourifh, while they bold-
ly go on from one conqaeft to another j but
decline inftantly, when they fix bounds, and
feek only the quiet pofTeffion, of what they
have got. It is the nature of man to lofe
his powers and his faculties by reft and in-
activity; and on the contrary, a conftant
and harralling fatigue gives him the ability
Df undertaking and executing, what, in a
ftate of reft, he would never have dreamed of
being able to eifeft. It is upon the folid
foundation of thefe reafons, that I am an
enemy to fentiments, which I have often
heard in England, concerning the greatnefs
of our colonies and commerce; that we
have colonies enough, and more than we
know what to do with; that commerce
will be our ruin ; that we fhould content
ourfelves with lefs ; that moderation is in
every thing a virtue. Thefe are moft erro-
neous dodtrines, which can only arife from
taking a very fuperficial view of things. If
the men, who ftarted thefe ideas, and com-
plain of the extent of our colonies, and the
greatnefs of our commerce, had read the
hiftory of all colonies, and all the trade, that
has been carried on in the world, and had
refle^led on vvhat they read, they would have

made

■ : D E N M A R K. 273

made very different dedu6lions. They would
then have found, that the number of fettle-
ments are never butheiifome in themfelves,
but that all vi^eaknefs mUil be looked for at
home. When the Portuguefe fpread them-
jfeives, and. built fortreffes and cities in every
corner of the Indies, they did not complain
of the burthen of their fettlements -, but now
'they have, through a want of that fpirit,
made their acquifitions negleded, and
loft nine tenths of them, they find the re-
mainder fuch a weight, as to debate, whe-
ther they fhould not abandon them : and if
ever England falls into the fame delufion,
fhe will feel the fame confequences. Are
Jamaica, Barbadoes, and Antigua burthen-
fome to this nation ? Is the pofTeffion of Ca-
rolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Maryland,
too much for her ? Suppofe flie gives up
fome of them, will fhe better preferve and
make the greater profit of the reft ? She
has found difficulties of many forts with her
colonies, but it has been with thofe, which
are fituated. in a climate like her own, and,
of courfe, have rivalled her ; this was a
grand error in the firft fettling, but wife and
a6live meafures in transferring the inha-
bitants would do much to remedy it.

Vol. II. T But

^74 TRAVELS THROUGH

But do the poiTefiion of all thefe colonics,
and her fettlements in the Eaft-Indies, pre-
clude the benefit and propriety of planting
others in all the diftant regions of the world,
not yet colonized ? None, but men of nar-
row views, will reply in the affirmativei all
others will, on the contrary, aflert, that we
ought to take every meafure to increafe our
fettlements, and extend our commerce, upon
the moft effential principle of all, that if we
do not go forward, our motion will be re-
trograde, as it is impoffible in trade to ftand
ftill. Our great riches, and important co-
lonies, will naturally make many people fay,
is not this enough, for what fhould we have
more? But there is an inadivity in that con-
tent, which rufts all the fprings of enter-
prize, which opens the door to floth, and
which is much furer to deflroy, than tho
moft wild enthufiafm of attempting, even
impoffibilites. Thefe are but general ideas;
but if this was a proper opportunity of ex-
patiating more particularly upon obje6lions,
and giving them the faireil: play, it would
be extremely eafy to refute them ; and to
fliew, that no extent of colony, no com-
merce, however immenfe, ought in Eng-
land to be eftecnied enough 5 but that an
iv<5livity fliould ever be kept up, and every

meafure

DENMARK, 275

meafure followed, which promifed faireft
for continuing the fame condudl that raire4
the trade. But to return :

Upon another occafion, in which I had
the honour of a converfation with the Count
de Smikelane, I ventured to enquire into the
motives of their King's journey to England,
where he was at this time^ and the account
he gave me is as follows : There had been
feveral propofitions made to the minifter fdr
further improvements ■ in agriculture and
manufadlures, mofl of which were built on
the reports of fome perfbns whom they had
fent, and on whofe judgment they could re-
ly, into England. They were more than
once examined in the King's prefence, and
that is fuppofed to have been the caufe of his
journey; for he foon after mentioned the
icheme to M. d'Olore, and faid, that utility
and pleafure might be very well intermixed
in fuch a plan. However, it was foon after
determined on, much againft the inclina-
tion of the minifters. Certainly there may
be feveral good confequences refult from the
journey. He has feveral people with him,
who are very able to remark, in all the ufe-
ful arts, what will be moil fuitable to Den-
mark; and, if his majefty's attendants are
careful, to make the journey a lelTon to him

T 2 GJl

2/6 TRAVELS THROUGH

on the great importance of a high degree of
cultivation j of flourifhing maniifadturcs; of
an equal liberty, fpringing from a mild go-
vernment; and of the happinefs of the
lower clafTes of a nation, there is no doubt,
but Denmark will be the better for the jour-
ney ; but if he hurries froni place to place,
vv^ithout minutely attending to any thing;
and if the plan, which has its origin in uti-
lity, ends only in a fcheme of pleafure, it
cannot but be attended with pernicious con-
fequences ; for it will, in the firil place; be
very expenlive ; and in the fecond, it will
introduce into his court many luxurious me-
thods of expence, of which he would other-
wife have remained in ignorance. But how
it will turn out, we (hall by and by fee.

During my ftay at Copenhagen, which
was about three weeks, I had the uncom-
mon fatisfadion of being much with this
excellent nobleman, and of converfing with
him upon various fubje6ls, relative to the
preient flate of Denmark; and in all of
them, I found him a man of very fuperior
knowledge and ideas. I gained abundance
of good information from him, which proved
not a little entertaining to me, and I hope
not lefs indrudlive to the reader.

Before

DENMARK. 277

Before I conclude what I have to fay on
this kingdom, and its inhabitants, I muft
beg leave to remark, that moil of the perfons
with whom I converfed concerning them,
generally quoted Mr. Molefworth, whofe
book has been tranfcribed over and over
again by every author that has written any
thing concerning Denmark ; but almoft
every circumftance to be gathered from that
writer, is changed efTentially fince his time ;
infomuch, that although his book is a very
able performance, yet it is little more than
an old almanack for turning to, to gain in-
formation of the prefent times ; for I do
not apprehend, there is a kingdom in Eu-
rope in which greater changes have been
made. The reader is therefore defired not
to wonder at the accounts I have given, and
am about to give, being, in many particu-
lars, diredly contrary to the affertions made
by that gentleman.

From all the opportunities I have had of
feeing and converling with the Danes, which
I have done with all ranks, they appear to
be a brave, courteous, and humane people.
The .fuperior clalTes are of an high fpirit,
and have as much vivacity in them as any
people in Europe, the French alone except-
ed. They are Oiewy and fond of magni-

T 3 iicence,

r/S TRAVELS THROUGH

ficencCj and live in a mean between the Engr
lifh and the Germans, more fumptuous
than the latter, but not witif fuch a gene*-
ral confiftency as the former ; but I fpeak
here of their nobility only. In their drefs,
the French fafliions are principally follow-
ed, and the language of that nation is alfo
univerfal among them. In their houfes,
they are expenlive not only in the architec-^
ture, but alfo in the furniture, exceeding
in this rerpe6l the Germans, but not equal-
ling the Englifli; who, I take it, furnifh
their houfes in general far better than any
nation in the world. At their tables, they
refemble the Germans moft for cookery,
but do not fet fo long at their meals. In
Germany, four courfes and a defert will
hold, upon a moderate computation, four
hours and an half, which in England is dif-
patched in one ; but the Danes are between
the two, feldom rifmg however under the
two hours. Some of the nobility are very
expenfive in French cooks, but it is not ge-
neral. In their wines, they are particularly
curious ; nor do I in any country remember
tafting a greater variety, or better of the fort.
Their tables are admirably well fcrved with
fifh, particularly of frelTi water; and the fea
fifh is in great abundance, though not of

the

DENMARK. 279

tlie beft forts. Wild fowl they abound great-
ly in, and have a greater variety than we in
England. Their venifon is excellenf^MDut
their butchers meat is not, on the whole, to
be compared to that of the Englifh. All the
rich nobility have hot houfes, and hot walls,
fronted with glafs, in their gardens ; yet for
want of a complete knowledge in the ma-
nagement of the plants, their fruit in gene-
r;al i? b^d., In other forts of provifions, they
are upon' a par with their neighbours; and
their importations of various eatables of lux-
ury have much increafed of late years.

If an account is taken in all thefe parti-
culars of the next clafs of the people, the
gentry, there will appear a vaftly greater dif-
ference between them and the fame rank
in England, than between the Danifh and
the EngUfh nobility. They are not fo com-
fortable in their circamftances, fcarce any
of them are the mailers of fuch eftates -as to
carry them almoft to a par with the nobles,
which is fo common in our country. Con-
fidering that a great part of the nobility
make a very handfome figure, the gentry
do not proportionally equal them.

The lower claiTes are not comparable to
ours, in eafe and happinefs ; but they are
by no means in that ftate of abfolute flave-

T 4 IT.

28o TRAVELS THROUGH

ry they were in Mr. Molefworth's time.
Sem-al edids and regulations have been
publiflied by the crov/ii for reftraihing the
antient villainage; and a great number of
cafes fpecified, in which they gain their free-
dom; and as to the lower inhabitants of
towns and cities, they have the fame free-
dom as in other abfolute countries.

Refpecling the perfons and manners of
the lower clalTes, they are generally as well
made and as flout as the Germans ; they
make good foldiers, and with any gentle
iifage are very docile and tradable. Their
manners have nothing of difgufting bruta-
lity in them ; they are in the villages igno-
rant and clownilh; but I have travelled
through feveral countries where the poor
people are much more contemptible. With
proper inftrudlion, I believe there are none
in Europe would make better hufbandmen
and farmers ; for all the peafants, whether
free or not, are little farmers ; and many of
them manage their fmall fpots of ground in
fuch a manner, that there can be no doubt,
but under more favourable circumflances,
they would equal their neighbours in every
thing belonging to the culture of the earth.

The Danifh army finds employment for
many young men of fmall fortune, who

ferve

DENMARK. 281

ferve In order to gain a genteel maintenance y
and the employments about the court, of
the lower fort, provide for others ; fome apT
ply themfelves to trade voluntarily, in order
to raife fortunes, and freely embark for the
Eaft and Weft Indies ; and in the pfofe-
cution of thefe purfuits, they are remark-
ably diligent and indefatigable; and very
many of fuch as feek their fortunes abroad,
return home v^^ith very good ones, efpecially
lince the late encouragement that has been
given to commerce ; for during thefe latter
reigns, there has been a regular attention to
every thing that could promote the interefts
of trade -, and no a6ls of injuftice or oppref-
fion, againft thofe who have bettered their
circumftances by any kind of induftry, have
been known in the crowii, or fuiFered in any
of the great men.

In their diverfions, the Danes follow the
fafhions of the French and Englifh ; cards
make a greater progrefs than formerly ; and
the wives of the nobility, and of fuch other
clafFes as can afford it, have at Copenhagen
their affemblies almoft as regularly as any
at London. The men are great chefs-play-
ers 3 it is a game they are very fond of, and
which is more commonly introduced at their
yifits than in England. 3 billiards and tennis

are

2g2 TRAVELS THROUGH

are alfo common at Copenhagen. The thea-
tre is French, though they have lately efta-
blifhed a Danifh one, where pieces tranfla-
ted from the Englifli and French are indif-
ferently performed; attempts have been
made for an Italian opera, but w^ith no fuc-
cefs.

Learning of all kinds is but at a low ebb ;
to fay the truth, the encouragement, which
has flowed amply from the crown, during
the two laft reigns, has been almofl: exclu-
fively in favour of objeds of utility. Trade,
manufa6lures, and agriculture, have been
much more attended to than the cultiva-
tion of literature and the fciences -, though
&n academy was founded, but it has not
been very produdive. The laws of Den-
mark are very famous for their brevity and
excellence, fo that Mr. Molefworth thought
them almoft the only obje6l worthy of at-
tention in this kingdom. I made many en-*
quiries on this head, and am convinced, from
the information I received on very good au-
thority, that the only excellence they con-
tain, is that of freeing the fubjed: from long
and expenfive fuits ; but then it is no more
than fair on the other hand to obferve, that
their brevity leaves fo niuch in the bread of
the judge, that he is little more than a' de-
legate

D E N M A R K. 283

legate of defpotifm. I cannot by any means
agree with the abovementioned gentleman,
that this brevity, v/ith fuch an attendant
circumftance, is at all enviable. The throne
of .Denmark has, of late years, been filled
with three or four very able princes, who
have fhewn,in every department of the flate,
fuch a fpirited condu6l, with fo mnch atten-
tion to the welfare of their fubjeds, that I
have no doubt, but the laws have been well
and impartially executed; and v/hiie fuch a
tight hand is held over all orders of the peo-
ple in power, of whatfoever kind, I can ea-
{ily conceive many bleffings to flow from
thefe £hort laws; but what would they be
under a weak or a wicked Prince, or even
under a negligent one? Is it not fuffi-ciently
plain, that the weakeft would, in every in-r-
fiance, go to the wall; and that the power,
which necelfarily refls in the judge, would,
in very many inflances, be flagrantly abufed?
The evils which flow from the voluminouf-
nefs of our laws are certainly many and
very great, but they vanilh from one's ideas
when compared with the miferies that mull
refult from the Danifh fyftem ; which ne-
verthelefs is very well adapted for an abfolute
monarchy, but utterly inconiiflent with real
liberty.

In

2&4 TRAVELS THROUGH

In the fine arts, the Danes are no pro-
ficients; I will not attribute this wholly
to climate, though there is certainly much
in that caufe, but they have not encourage-
ment enough to make any progrefs ; the
kingdom is too poor to yield a market even
to great portrait painters ^ nothing can ever
carry the fine, which, in fa6l, are the luxu-
rious arts, to any degree of height, but a pe-
riod fiillof wealth; in which luxury abounds
to an high degree, and wherein the artifls
may find plenty of employ ment from the great
and rich, and be at the fame time very well
paid for it. The only art that makes any
decent figure at Copenhagen, is mufic,
which fiourifhes pretty much at their con-
certs ; I have heard feveral very capital Ger-
man and Italian performers there, who met
with pretty good encouragement.

Copenhagen principally flourlflies from
the refidence of the court : this is much
the moft brilliant objed in Denmark, by
the accounts they gave me, for I had no
opportunity of viewing it myfelf. There
are many great officers of fi:ate, with con-
fiderable appointments; thefe, with the
numerous inferior ones, and the guards,
niuft render the town very gay. The

Dani(h

D E N M A R K. 285

Danifh army is kept in very good order,
and well difciplined; the men are picked,
and their cloathing is in general very neat.
I before mentioned, that they are not all
embodied at a time, but they could draw
together, at no long notice, about 40,000
men, with a fine train of artillery, and all
ftores proportioned. This renders the King
a refpedlable monarch, in the military light,
among the powers of the North; and has
certainly been one reafon for the long peace,
in which two or three very wife Kings
have kept their dominions. Denmark has
nothing to fear from any of its neighbours,
except Ruffia, with whom (he cannot com-
pare in force -, and the difputes that have
long fublifted between the crown of Den-
mark and the Duke of Holflein, would have
brought her into no little trouble, had
Ruffia interfered, and called upon her for
an immediate fettlement of them : whether
this is likely to happen, cannot be afcer-
tained; but certainly, the fituation will re-
main very difagreeable and precarious, un-
til it is' compleatly decided. As the go-
vernfnent of Sweden is now modelled, Den-
mark is an over-match for her. But in any
quarrel with the powers of the Baltick,
Denmark would find her fleet of the greateft

ufe.

aS^ TRAVELS THROUGH

ufe, In prefer ving her from the refentmenf
of Ruffia i for the navy of this kingdom
is much fuperior to that of the Huffian
empire in every particular; in number and
goodnefs of the fliips, in artillery, order,
feamen, magazines, &c. and the harbour of
Copenhagen is beyond comparifon, better
than that of Peterfburgh, or any other port
belonging to the Ruffians on the Baltick ;
fo that it would be no eafy matter for that
empire, with all her ftrength, to bring it
to bear on Denmark ; nothing could effef^
it but making herfelf fuperior at fea ; and
the harbour and docks, &c. at Peterfburgh,
are not at all calculated for that end; and
I am inclined to believe, from the informa-
tion I have received, that the crown of
Denmark is much better able to increafe its
navy than Ruffia, and is in pofTeffion of
ten times the hardy, ready-bred feamen ; fo
that an attentive care to keep himfelf mailer
upon the Baltick fea, will fecure the King
againll any attempts from RufTia, much
better than any other means. By land, he
is very fecure, for no Ruflian army can get
at him.

The revenues of Denmark have been in-
creafmg gradually for fifty years ; but the
two lafl Kings, at the fame time that they

did

n j: N M A ^ It. rstj^

did many great things for the good of their
fubjedls, and the ornament of their kingdom,
" even abolifhed fome taxes that were the
moft burthcnfome, greatly improved the roy-
al income. Mr. Molefworth computed them
at fix hundred and forty thoufand pounds
a year -, but they are now, upon the bell
computation I could procure, near one mil-
lion two hundred thoufand pounds; and in
fome years much exceed that fum. This ap-
pears no great matter in England, but in
Denmark it is an immenfe fum, from the'
great cheapnefs of every commodity the
crown can want to buy at home. His
army, if fubfidies be reckoned, and the
great numbers to whom he finds nothing
but arms, coils him nothing, though there
have been fome years in which Denmark
has been without any treaties of fubfidy.
His navy is maintained at a very eafy rate ;
the number in conflant pay, in times of
profound peace, is not confiderable ; the
reft are retained by a month's pay in the
year, to be ready at a call, and which they
find a moft excellent way ; fo that the ex-
pence of the navy is little more than the
building and rebuilding Ihips, and filling the
ftores and magazines : an army and navy
moft certainly is not to be kept for nothing,
■ — or

y

2S^ TRAVELS THROUGH

or for a trifle. All I mean by thefe obferva-
tions is, that they cofl: the King, of Den-
mark incomparably lefs than the ufual fum
allotted in other countries for thofe fer vices;
which makes his revenue, which, at firfl
fight, appeared but fmall, to be in reality
very confiderable : it is, well known- that,
the two lafl Kings faved confiderable fums
out of it, and one of them cleared off all the
debts of the crown belides. Such a circum-
flance is efTential in the hiftory of the pre-
fent Hate of a country -, for it fhews in what
manner its affairs are conducted, and how
well its revenue is able to anfwer all the calls
of the flate ; which is, upon the whole, a
great proof that the country is flouriftiing;
and perhaps it is one that is not at all equi-
vocal ^ for I am doubtful, whether great
national debts, when they increafe to an
enormous amount, do not bring as much
mifchief with them, as they did fervice to
the ftate in contracting them.

It is alfo to be obferved here, that the
increafe of the royal revenue of Denmark
has been almoft folely owing to a general
improvement in the riches and welfare of
the nation, and not, in a Angle inftance,
to the addition of taxes. The increafe of
trade, the cltablifhment of manufactures,

and

DENMARK. 289

and the improvement of lands, have all
added to the general income of thepeople, and
increafed the number of the people themfel ves ;
and where taxes are at all general, as they
are in Denmark, and indeed in moft of the
countries of Europe, all increafe of income
immediately makes taxes more produ6live ;
becaufe the fame taxes produce more in pro-
portion, as the wealth of the people increafes,
and as they,confequently, can afford to make
a more free ufe of the things and commodities,,
that are taxed. From hencelt follows, that
Denmark is not to be fuppofed poor, in
proportion to the increafe of the King's re-
venues, but, on the contrary, rich ; and
while taxes continue without increafe or
alteration, the produd of them marks very
exadtly the general increafe or decreafe of
the national flock and revenue; which is a
circumliance, that fbould never be loft light
of, by thofe, who take any trouble in con-
fidering the ftate of Denmark.

I may, from thefe particulars, which ar©
colle<5led from fuch information, as I had
very good reafon to truft to, venture to
draw this general dedu6lion, that the ftate
of this kingdom is flourifliing, being in
every circumftance on the improvement.
The people increafe; they are richer j there-
venues of the crown is more than doubled.
Vol. IL U without

290 TRAVELS THROUGfJ

without the addition of frefli taxes 3 nu-
merous manufadlures are eftablifhed ; much
commerce acquired and encouraged -, and, in
general, the people are in a far better ftate
and condition, than fome years ago. Thefe
fd6ls are of importance to be known ; for
every man, who v/ifhes to be well acquainted
with the tranfaflions and prefent ftate of the
world, ought to know, how thefe circum-
ftances vary, particularly in the feveral
kingdoms of Europe, which, i\ is extremely
plain, cannot be learnt from books, written
Inany years ago : all the affairs of a king-
dom are liable to change very much, and
it is only from frefh intelligence, therefore,
that a juft idea can be carried on. Nor
ihould the inhabitants of Britain, of France,
or of any other great kingdom, or empire,
moft interefted on the theatre of Europe,
negled the affairs of their fmaller neigh-
bours. The greatefl empires rife from
fmall beginnings, and the mofl trifling king-
doms fometimes meet with opportunities
for appearing with diftinguifhed eclat in
the affairs of the world. Denmark is no
trifling kingdom ; though not confiderablc,
when compared with fome others in Europe.
It is for thefe reafons, that I have dwelt the
longer on many particulars concerning it,

in

DENMARK. 29;

in which the reader cannot gain any juft in-
telligence from former books -, for old ones
are no longer true, and modern travellers
have, in general, flighted all the North.

Having finifhed my enquiries at Copen-
hagen, I took my paiTage for London, in
the Anna-Maria, a large ihip bound for
that port, in which I was accommodated
with the total ufe of an agreeable cabbin ;
and having laid in plenty of fre(h provilions
for my voyage, made a very good one,
bringing over with me, in the fame fiiip,
my new poftillion, as v/ell as the fervant I
had carried from England : the former V\'as
much pleafed with the idea of feeing that
country. The climate of Sweden is too
cold for winter travelling, I defigned to
Hay therefore at London till May, and then
to return, and begin my travels through
that kingdom.

U 2 Tra-

Travels through Sweden.

U3

[ 2^r ]

CHAP. VI,

I^rom Copenhagen to Klfineur — 'Journey to Got-
tenburg — Defcript'ion of the Country and the
Hujhandry — Gottenhurg — Liake Wener —
'The State of the Country — To Upfal — Con-
verfations with Sir Charles Linnaus — State
of Agriculture in Sweden — Journey to
Stockholm.

I Returned from England to Copenhagen,
in May 1769, landing at that city the
24th 'y I waited the following day on M. le
Count Smikelane, and afterwards called on
the Baron de Rofenburg, but the latter was ab-
fent at his eftate at Funen -, the Count gave
me a letter of recommendation to the Baron
Milfter at Stockholm. I fet off for Elfineur
the 26th, and not getting out fo early in
the morning, as I might have done, loft my
pafTage for that day, and was forced to take
my night's lodging at a miferable inn, El-
fineur is a fmall town, and very poorly
built, and only remarkable for being the
U 4 place

296 TRAVELS THROUGH

place, where the Danes obHge fhips to flop,
in order to make them pay toll for paf-
fing the Sound. Near the town is the caflle
of Cronenburg, the cannon of which are
fuppofed, though very falfely, to command
the road ; for many are the fhips, that have
bid defiance to the guns, and paffed it toll
free.

I fhould remark, that having fold my
old chaife at Copenhagen, upon Embarking
laft year for London, I intended to pur-
chafe another at that place, far equipping
me on my Swedilli expedition ; but my
friend the Count, advifed me to trufl to
the chance of the road, till I reached Got-
tenburg, where I fhould be able to pur-
chafe another, much better adapted to the
roads of Sweden, which are very ftoney and
mountainous; and this advice I followed,
inftead of fupplying myfelf again at Copen-
hagen.

The 27th I crofTed the palTage, and land-
ed at Elfmburg, a town in the Swedifh pro-
vince of Schonen, which is tolerably well
fortified; the call le is a handfome edifice,
but I do not take it to be very ftrong.
From Elfinburg, I hired horfes to Laholm,
which is twenty-four miles diflance ; and
for my baggage I hired a cart, called here a

waggon,

SWEDEN. 297

waggon. This journey I performed very
well by night -, it lies through a country,
that is, in general, flat, of a rich foil, and well
cultivated; I think better, than moft parts in
Denmark. The people are evidently in a
very happy and contented fituation, and I
take it, they are more independent, and
more at their eafe, than the Danes, from
the plain fpirit of liberty, which acftuates
them in their attention, or rather, want of
attention to ftrangers ; for you do not meet
with the fame civilities here, as on the other
fide of the water : I do not mean eflential at-
tentions, but thofe little marks of obliging-,
nefs, which every foreigner looks for, in
vain, in England, where every boor, he
meets with, thinks himfelf as good, as a
French Duke. Wherever I meet vi^ith this,
I conclude at once, that I am in a very free
country. The peafants were ploughing
their lands, which are all open fields, with
oxen, two or three in a plough ; and it
went, I thought, as deep, as I have feen four
horfes in England, which flruck me very
much : they feem here to be very good huf-
bandmen.

Upon this iirft mention of the hulbandry
Jn Sweden, let me remark, that during my

reli-

agS TRAVELS THROUGH

refidcncc at London laft winter, I laid my
defign of a journey through Sweden, the
enfuing fummer, before my friend Mr.

y , informing him, that I had palTed

through Holland, Flanders, part of Ger-
many, and all Denmark j that I had made
minutes of the events of my journey, and
the obfervations, that had appeared moft im-
portant to me ; tbefe I begged of him to
look over ; he approved much of my defign ;
and I requefted him to point out thofe en-
quiries in agriculture, which would moft
probably turn . to account, and give me the
befl information to be gained in my jour-
ney through Sweden, Mufcovy, and Poland.
That gentleman granted my requeft in the
moft obliging manner, that was poflible ;
and among other articles of enquiry, gave
me a paper of the following, as important.
I fubmitted entirely to his knowledge and
judgment, in this matter, being myfelf ig*
norant of the pra6lice of agriculture, and
' obliged to repeated enquiries, for the little
knowledge I have of it.

'* Take notice of the foil, particularly, as
to the grand diftin6lions of clay, fand, and
rocky -, of chalk, I believe, they have none
in Sweden,

** The

SWEDEN. a99

" The crops, they cultivate, deferve no-
tice, and the fucceffion, in which they caft
them.

** The produ6i: is always of confequence

to know, .

«« The fort and application of manures
0iould be attended to.

" The winter food of cattle, in that
cold climate, is of efiential confequence to
know.

•' I need not^mention the general ftate of
farms, refpe6ling the number of hands,
cattle, and products, proportioned to the
given quantities of land ; this muft certain-
ly flrike you, as an efTential object of en-
quiry ; but you will not often be able to
gain the intelligence, you wifli in it.''

I was glad to find, that my friend had
pointed out feveral enquiries, that I had
made the preceding year in Flanders, Ger-
many, and Denmark ; had I been fortunate
enough to have made the pradlice of this
ufeful faience, earlier my ftudy, I fhould
have been able to have given much more
valuable and difl:in6l accounts 3 but, never-
thelefs, the enquiries which a perfon, ig-
norant as I am, in paffing through a coun-
try, which has fcarcely ever been travelled,
except on bufinefs, muft have fome ufe in

them I

300 TRAVELS THROUGH

them ; and accordingly, I fhall not fail to
make memorandums of the obje6ls, which
appear mofl ftriking to me, and which my
ingenious friend's memorandums point
out. •

Laholm has nothing in it, worthy of the
leaft notice : the next morning, viz. the
iSth, I took horfes to Helmftadt, at the
diftance of twelve miles, flill continuing
in a level country, which appeared very
fruitful ', all the countiy was in motion, til-
lage was every where going on for barley
and oats, &c. Helmftadt is a port town,
where there feems to be fome trade, by the
fhipping I faw in the harbour i but it is
not a confiderable place. From hence I
reached Ragelin by dinner, the diflance of
fix and twenty miles, through a country,
fimilar to the preceding ; it is near a coafV,
but there are fome higher grounds, which
are principally fand banks, and which they
plough and fow with various forts of grain :
there are likevvife fome mardies of vaft ex-
tent, which, I was informed, were applied
to fattening oxen, which are brought from
the breeding country of the mountains, and
having lived, in general, hardily, they fatten
very quickly in thefe marihes j from the beft:
intelligence I could get, I foi^nd, that

they

SWEDEN. 3di

they turned the beafts into them about the
beginning of June, and they were generally
fat by the end of Auguft: an ox, that,
by my guefs, would weigh forty ftone Eng-
lifti weight, 141b. to the ftone, requires as
much marfli, as amounts to the portion
of two Englifh acres to fatten him ; but
then there will be a little food afterwards
for the farmers cows. The Swedifli far-
""iiiers hire them at about twelve fhillings
Englifh an acre, and reckon them more
profitable, than their arable lands.

It is twelve miles from Ragelin to Got-
tenburg, which I rode in the afternoon,
but my baggage was not to arrive, till the
next day at night. In this journey, which
I have taken to Gottenburg, I have reafoii
to praife the pundluality, civility, and clean-
linefs, of the Swedifh innkeepers. I have
not received, in any inftance, the leaft rea-
■ fon for complaint ; they are very expeditious
in getting ready poft-horfes, and poftiliions^^
who are never fancy or difobliging, although
they live in a free country -, for, in fuch re-
ipe(5ts, I have generally found it more agree-
able travelling in kingdoms, under an arbi-
trary government: our Own country, how-
ever, is another exception, for in the world,
there is not fuch another to travel in -, and

belides.

302 TRAVELS THROUGH

befides, the infinite fuperiority of our roads,
to thofe of any other country, makes it,
beyond all comparifon, more delightful i
from the little I have as yet feen of the
roads in Sweden, I doubt, I fhall not have
much reafon to praife them, they feem to
have fcarcely any repairs.

Gottenburg is a very conllderable fea port
town, and from its fituation, much exceeds
any other in Sweden for trade ; yet there is
not fo much commerce carried on here, *s
at Stockholm -, formerly, Nordkopping ex-
ceeded it, but the eftabliftiment of the Swe-
difh Eaft India company here, has been of
very great advantage to it, by bringing
much other trade ; fo that now it is the fe-
cond port in Sweden. They have here
large magazines and warehoufes, with an
exceeding good dock for building, repairing,
and careening their ftiips. There are alfo at
Gottenburg feveral tolerable churches-; and
among other buildings, the arfenal and the
town-howfe are pretty confiderable. The
commerce of this place is very thriving, and
the number of fliips, belonging to it, have,
for thele twenty years laft pail, been much
upon the increafe. Indeed, trade feems to
be getting much more amongft thefe north-
ern nations, than formerly. At Gotten-
burg,

S %V E D E N. SOS

burg, I purchafed a Swedifh chaife aftd a
pair of horfes ', they told me, i fliould find
four necefTary, but I thought, I might as
well truft to poll ones for a pair, for the
fake of having a guide in the poftillion. The
30th, in the morn, I fet off and breakfalled
at Bahus, about eight miles diftance, which
is fituated'on an illand in a river -, it is a ro-
mantic place, and pretty well fortified for
Sweden, which does not abound v/ith very
regular fortifications.

Fram Bahus, I exped^d to reach Lidkop-
ping by night, but was difappointed ; they
told me, the diftance was only feven and
thirty miles, but, inftead of which, it is more
than fifty ; I was therefore forced to fet up
my bed at a village, twenty miles fhort,
where I -met with very civil, decent people ;
but the landlord's chief dependance was on
his hufbandry, for he was a pretty confider-
able farmer : his houfe ftands on a rifing
ground, commanding a good view of lake
Wener, which is a vafi water, above four-
fcore miles long, and in feme places, near
forty broad. He fhewed me, from his door,
all his farm, which is to be {ten very dif-
tinftly on the fide of his hill ; with fome
difficulty, and with the help of my inter-
preter, I made a near guefs at the meafure

of

304 TRAVELS THROUGH
of it, and judge his farm about orie him-
dred acres Englifh, and for which he pays
a rent of two and twenty pounds. He gene-
rally has twelve acres of wheat, and thrice
as many of oats, with twenty of the Swedifh
turnip, which is a very large, hardy plant,
that grows under ground like a turnip, with
broad fpreading leaves from it, of the co-
lour of cabbage leaves ; this plant, my land-
lord informed me, never was hurt by the
fharpeft feverity of their winters, and they
depended on it, principally, for the winter
fuflenance of the cattle. I further found,
that one acre of it was fufficient to carry
three head of cattle through the winter,
with the alliftance of fome flraw and hay,
if the crop was very good -, but if only mo-
derate, not more than two head, and that
many acres would not ferve more than one.
That they made their land very fine, to re-
ceive the feed, and generally dunged it well ;
if the feed comes up too thick, they thin the
plants ; but if it comes up regular, and as
it fhould, they then leave it. I aikcd, if
they beftowed no culture in hoeing or clean-
ing, while the crop was growing; he faid
only weeding by hand. They reckon the
culture of it a good preparation for oats, of
which they get fine crops -, and, as well as I

could

S V/ E D E N. 305

could make out, about three quarters and
half from an Englilh acre. Wheat they
have only attempted to cultivate of late
years, but have had much better fuccefs, than
they had expe6led. He told me, all their
farmers now had every year a field of vv^heat,
provided their lands were not of a very infe-
rior fort : the crops, generally, yield about
two quarters an acre, feldom more. The
foil here is various, but in general, the fields
they plough, are of a reddifh loam on clay
or flints, and in ploughing, carries a good
countenance. Their favourite foil is a fort
.of reddifh loam; when about eight inches
deep, on a' regular bed of rock, then they
fay, they are fure of getting corn enough j
but what this is owing to, I cannot conjec-
ture. In refpe6l to their cattle, they have
fmall oxen and cows, but the latter yield
well in milk, and they reckon them, the
mod profitable animal they keep ; there are
fome flieep here, but not in great numbers j
they do not think them advantageous, un-
lefs they have a very large range for them to
wander about ; their herds are fed in fum-
mer in meadows, which are generally the
bottom grounds betv/een the hills, and fer-
tile enough.

Vol. II. X The

3v6 TRAVELS T H R O U G H

The 31ft, I reached LIdkoppIng by break-
fail; the road v/as very- bad, but this ugly
circumftance was made amends for, by the
amazing fine views I commanded, moft part
of the way, of Lake Wenef; this country is,
iji general, beautifully romantic ; the hills
are not awfully great, and the vales are nu-
merous, fo that the whole is well diverfified.
From Lidkopping to Marieftad't, is about
twenty miles, which I reached fo late in the
afternoon that I could not venture further
that night. This line of country is yet more
beautiful than the former, for the lake en-
larges itfelf all the way, till you can fcarcely
fe^ the oppofite fhore ; and at Marieftadt,
there is one way, in which nothing can be
difcerned with the naked eye, but fky and
water. The creeks and promontories alfo,
%vhlch break the fhore of the lake in this
line, ma:ke it remarkably ftriking. In the
evening, I repeated my enquiries, upon the
fubject of their husbandry, and I found, that
in the neighbourhood of Marieftadt were
feveral gentlemens feats, who cultivated
confiderable tracks of land themfelves, and
that forne of them had to the amount of
fix hundred acres -, that they did it by means
of bailiffs, jind paid the peafants for all the
work, except what was performed by fer-

vants.

S W E 1:) E N. 307

vants kept in their houfes. Much wheat
is cultivated here, but all is fown in the
fpring, if it may be fo called, for fun^mer
fucceeds the winter, fo quickly, that their
fpring is of very fliort duration ; they are
equally fond of the Swedifh turnip here, as
their neighbours, with whom I lodged laft
night ; but the account is fomething diffe-
rent, for they allot an acre of it to every
head of cattle, they winter, but which feeds
their hogs befides. Swine is a principal ar-
ticle with them, they make a great profit
by keeping large herds in the low grounds,
on the banks of the lake, where they get
wild roots in fuch abundance, that great
numbers are maintained on them, without
any cofl to their owners.. The crop of oats
here is generally about three quarters and
an half per acre; wheat, in general, not more
than two 3 but fome good lands have been
known to yield four ; they know not of any
other hulbandry here, than fallowing for
that grain.

June the firft, I fet out for Rufcog, at
thirty miles diftance, but from the badnefs
of the roads did not get there before night.
The country is much the fame, as what I
fiad pafTed -, they were manuring many fields
ia it for fowing with Swedifh turnips, v/hich
X 2 are

3o8 TRAVELS THROUGH

are an article of culture, that increafts mucit
among them ; fome farmers, with whom I
converfed, informed me, that they enabled
them to keep large flocks of cattle in win-
ter, which they fed in the fummer on the
marllies -, a fyflem, which is more profita-
ble, they afiert, than any others keeping
great numbers of cattle, they think, is much
more advantageous, than growing corn>
which I did not comprehend clearly, as grain
fells well among them y but they explained
it very well to me by faying, that without the
affiftance of their cattle in raifmg dung, they
Ihould be able to grow, but very poor crops
of corn ; that their foil was not fo rich, as
in fome provinces, where they could get
wheat upon land, that had never been dung-
ed. Their fpeaking of dunging reminded
me of enquiring after their manures ; and I
found, their favourite one is wood allies, of
which they lay great quantities on heaps,.
mixing it very often with eai'th. Wood is
£b very plentiful among them, that it is of
very fmall value y and their way of reducing
wood land to corn land, is, to agree with
their landlord for fuch a quantity of wafte
wood land ; then they cut it down, and grub
up all the roots, and reduce every thing to
allies, of which they get fo vaft a quantity,

that

SWEDEN. ' 309

tliat one acre will yield enough to manure
not only itfelf, but alfo two others of their
old land ; and they efteem this method fo
much, that if the land is well covered with
wood, they will - give from five to feveri
pounds fterling per acre, for- liberty to ufe
it in this manner -, and, after two years, a
regular rent per acre for the land belides.

Rufcog is a fmall place, prettily fituated
upon the banks of a branch of Lake We-
ner ; but it has not any thing, that is wor-
thy of notice. Here, as well as at all the
places I flopped at, near the lake, I feafted
on tench, which they have of a fine colour
and admirable flavour, weighing from one
pound to three ; the frefli water fifh of all
forts are fo good and plentiful in Sweden,
that they make travelling wonderfully agree-
able. It is like carrying a fine filh-pond
with us, wherever we go.

The fecond, I got to Orebro, the diflance
thirty fix miles, through a country, that ap-
pears to be, in general, pretty good and fer-
tile. There are many tracks, I pafied, which
^re in cultivation, and the foil good j mofi
of the vales are either meadow or rich ara-
bi^^' Orebro is a fmall town, fituated on
another lake, v/hich is a pretty one, and .
Ji^tH feveral woody iilands in it, that make
X 3 a beau«

^10 tRAVELS THROUGH

a beautiful appearance. Here alfo I had
fine fill), and at a very cheap rate ; indeed
every thing is very low priced, quite from
Bahus hither. 4-11 the line of country, from
Oottenburg to Orebxo, is tole/ably peo-
pled ^ the villages are not thick, but I have
gone through many countries, where they
are much thinner, and you pafs, in no part
of it, for many miles over continued tracks
of heaths and moors without any cultivation j;
on the contrary, the vales, between the hills,
are generally in culture, and where the land
IS tolerable, there are not many fpots with-
out fome farms and cottages neai* them.

On the third, I got to Arofia ; the dif-
^ance is forty feven miles, through a country,
fimilar to that, I had palTed, but amazingly
interfefted with branches and creeks of Lake
Meier. I dined at a little inn, a fingle houfe,
about half way, where I had, according tq
^uflom, excellent fifh ; you dine very well in
this country, wine included, for five fhil-f
lings, and upon dilhes, which ^'culd come
to fifteen or tVvXnty at the inns between
London and Bath, exclufive of wine. I wasj
^t firft, troubled in this journey with their
cookery, for they fried the fiQj in greafe, not
])Utter, and feemed to have an admirable
hand at converting a good difli into a mofl

beaftly

SWEDEN.- 50.

beaftly one. My man Martin, who had
travelled with me through France and Ita-
l|r, and had made four campaigns, was not
at a lofs in the fcience of cookery, and took
upon himfelf the direction of the kitchen,
while it was employed in providing for my
table j by which means, I was always fure,
not only to find good fifh, but cookery equal-
ly excellent; and this is a circumftance,
which I would advife every gentleman to re-
member, who undertakes the tour of Swe-
den.

r arrived at Upfal on the fourth, the dif*
tance is 24 miles ; the country, Ipafled, was
much cut by branches of the Lake Meier,
but the hufbandry was rather better, than
what I had travelled through before. They
gain two quarters and an half of wheat per
acre, and four quarters of oats ; they fow
fome barley, which is a grain very little cul-
tivated in Sweden, and of which, I had be-
fore received no intelligence -, they fow it, in-
flead of oats, after their turnips, ploughing
twice for it, and the crops, they get, amount
jfometimes to four quarters per acre, feldom
lefs than three j but I fliould obferve, that
•the foil, upon which they fow it, is their
beft, and, at the fame time, very well ma-
nured. Some peafants, I conVerfed with, faid,
i 4 they

ill TRAVELS THROUGH

they did not like barley, they thought, oats
paid them much better ; but they called it
a new fafhion, and faid, that fome of their
great farmers liked it for that reafon. But
the truth feemed rather to be, that thefe
pdlJants dlfliked it, becaufe it was not an old
one. Relative to the winter food of cattle,
they informed me, that the raoft approved
methbd, they had among them, was to take
up their turnips in September, to cut ofF
the tops and the roots, and to ftow them in
caverns ir^ the fides of their hills, for win-
ter ufe. I faid, that the farmers, with
whom I had converfed, on my journey from
Go'ttenburg, had not mentioned any fuch
pra6lice. They replied, that they did not
ufe the method, but that it was, neverthelefs,'
much the beft. They allow two beafts to '
an acre of turnips, with afliftance from
flraw, &c. They manure their meadows
with wood afhes, gained in the manner, I
mentioned above, and afiured me, that they'
found it much the moft advantageous way :
Three acres of meadow will fatten a large

ox.

Upfal is a confiderable town, on a branch
of the Lake Meier ; there is nothing in it fo
worthy of notice, as the famous Sir Charles
Linn«us, the head of the univerfity here ;

*• and

SWEDEN. ^if

and whofe fame in natural hiftoryls as great,
as that of Charles the Twelfth for his vic-
tories.. I had no letters of recommendation to
this celebrated profefTor, and what was worfe,.
I was no botanift. Howevei*, I thought he"
would not flight my compliment^ if I de*
figned to wait on him, as a mere English
gentleman, travelling in Sweden through
curiofity. Accordingly, I wrote a card to-
him, fignifying myfelf a gentleman from~
England, on his travels through Sweden,
who was fo unfortunate, as not to have any
letters of recommendation to him, but who^
would be extremely happy in being admitte4»
to his converfation. I had a mofl polite
^nd obliging anfwer, requefting my com-
pany to fpend the evening that night, at his-
apartiiients in the college, which I obeyed'
with very great, readinefs. The old man re-,
ceived me with much civility, and kindnefs ;
he enquired my motives for yifiting' Swe-
den ; a country, he faid, fo much flighted
by the generality of travellers. I told him,
that was" the circumilance, which had moft
pngaged me in the defign of travelling
, through it ; for I had pafTed through France,
Italy, and the bell part of Germany, long
ago i but that finding the accounts of the
liorthern kingdoms of Europe, fo very im-

j)erfe6|:

p^ TRAVELS THROUGH

perfeft and deficient in the moft eflential
oarts, I had a ftrong curiofity to make my-
felf perfonally acquainted with them. He
commended me for the idea, but laid, that
I (hould not find much matter of entertain-
jnent in Sweden, if I travelled in purfuit of
fine buildings, pidures, and ft atues . To which
I anfwered, that thefe were not the objeds
of my enquiries, nor of my curiofity; that
I found entertainment in making myfelf ac-
quainted with the agriculture of the coun-
tries, I paffed through, with the various prac-
ttces of the peafants in the management of
their cattle and crops -, alfo, in the ftate of
manufadures, and the fuccefs of commerce,
and that I thought the manners of the peo-
ple of a country, more worthy attention than
fine ftatues 5 and that their cuftoms pleafed-
me much better than pi6lures. Your fenti-
ments. Sir, faid he, are very rational j and
if fuch objeds can give you any pleafure,
you may find entertainment in Sweden. I
fuppofe, you have made natural hiftory your
iludy ? This was a queftion, which hurt me
not a little ; however, I owned my igno-
rance, with the beft grace I could, but re-
gretted it at the fame time. Sir Charles
ihewed himfelf by the fucceeding part of the
convevfation, to be as polite as learned j for

finding

SWEDE N. 315

finding, that I was no naturallft, he conver-
fed on fuch matters, as he found, I had made
enquiries after, and particularly of agricul^
ture. He gave me feveral opportunities of
making encjuiries of him, concerning feme
points in the hulbandry of the country,
about which I want to be informed. I afked
him concerning the advantages of the Swe*
difh turnip, and the account, he gave me,
was as follows : It is a plant, that came x^
us originally froni Lapland ; obferve faid
he^ I mean relative to common cultivation,
for if I fpeak of it botanically, I fhouldf
name it, as the produ6lion of many other
countries ; our farmers had it from thence ;
from thence, it fpread by degrees through
the northern provinces of the kingdom, and
was found of more ufe, than all other winter
plants, put together j the great property of
it, is refifting the fharpeft and mofl conti-
nued frofts, which we have in this country; fo
that I have myfelf known the foil of a field
of them, frozen a yard deep, and yet the
crop not to fuffer the leaft damage. Befides
this, cattle are remarkably fond of them,
and will thrive on them better, than on any
ether winter plant, with which our farmers
^re acquainted. It is further a very hardy
plant, refpeding cultivation, liot requiring

any

316 TRAVELS THROUGH

any attention, that is beyond the ability of
the common farmers to give. It loves a
deep, rich foil, and pays the farmer well for
dung ', the crops of it are fometimes very
confiderable. I have feen crops of them,
even in the mountains of Dalecarlia,inwhich
the plants, one with another, weighed four
pounds, and fome fmgle plants rofe up fo
high, as twelve pounds; and I have no doubt,
if the farmers would give better tillage, while
they are growing, but they would rife, on an
average, to eight or nine pounds. They rec-
kon an acre, fufficient to maintain, during
winter, from one to four head of cattle ;
but you fhould obfcrve, that this variation
is not fo much from difference of produce,
as that of management -, many of the far-
tners giving their cattle but a certain allow-
ance of the turnip a day, and the other part
of their food is either flraw or hay; and fome
of the moft judicious among them, have af-
fured me, that the cattle do not thrive, or
keep themfelves fat and well, in proportion
to the quantity of green meat they have, for
very many will do as well, with a flated al-
lowance, made up with eating as much flraw,'
as they like, as if they had nothing but tur-
nips ; and which is a point very material to
be known among them, and, ind'eed, in all

Other

S W E D E -N. 317

other countries, where alimiliar ceconomy
is carried on. One of the greateft advan-
tages of the culture of this root is, its being
as good a preparation for corn, as a fallow
of mere ploughing, which is an object of
infinite importance j but the farmers do not
give it fuch fair play, as they ought, for the
culture they beflow, while it is growing, is
only to pluck out the weeds by hand; where-
as they ought to hoe them, as they do tur-
nips in England; :but a better plan would
be on your countryman TulL's principle,
to horfe hoe them in rows, by which means
the ground would be much better pulve-
rized.

The memoirs of the times have certainly
told you. Sir, that, not many years ago, Swe-
den produced no wheat, and it might al-
moft be faid with truth, that the quantity,
in her befl provinces, was fo fmall, that Li-
vonia and Poland nearly fupplied her; and
much came alfo, in feme years, even from
England. Seeing this conftant importation,
I, among others, made reprefentations to
the government, to fhew, that it was en-
tirely through ignorance in our farmers, that
they did not raife wheat enough for us, with-
out the kingdom fuffering fuch a continual
drain of money, I was applied to for the

means

3iS TRAVELS THROUGH

means of bringing in the culture, and I re*
commended particularly, the reducing the
importation of it by degrees, till it came to
nothing, and which might be done, by pro-
portioning duties upon it, and laft of all, a
prohibition ; that fmall bounties (hould be
diflributed through all the provinces to thofe
farmers, who entered moft into the culture
of it ', and inftrudions fent them for con-
ducting themfelves. All this was executed
at a very fmall expence -, nor is it eafily to
be believed, how quickly they took to the
culture of wheat ; for having once found it,
more profitable to them, than any other
grain, and of a much readier market, they
never afterwards failed of having a portion of
their arable land under this crop. I fhould
not have met with fo ready a compliance,
with the method I propofed, had it not been
for an accidental event, which happened,
juft before I made the reprefenlations. Li-
vonia and Poland had almoft loft their crops
for two fucceffive years, which made this
kingdom principally depend on England j
and from whence our import had been very
regular, but in the laft of thofe years, you
laid an embargo upon your corn, and we
were compleatly left in the lurch, infomuch
that the Dutch brought us wheat over from

the

SWEDEN. 31^

the Mediterranean . Seeing, that we had no
regular dependancy, even on England, gave a
greater weight to my memprials, than they
would otherwife have had, and I queftion, if
I (hould have fucceeded, at leafl, of many
years, if the prohibition of exportation had
not happened in England, as it did.

But at prefent. Sir, we experience very few
years, in which we do not raife wheat enough
for our own confumption ; and the farmers
find it as profitable to them, as it is in other
countries, though our crops are not fo plen-
tiful, in general, as in warmer climates. Upon
our beft lands, and in {heltered fituations, wc
have fometimes very fine crops ; and I be-
lieve, you will, in moft places, find, that
they raife from one and an half to three
quarters upon an acre ; but they never fow
it, except in the beil fields of a farm ; and
our farms have not all of them land fuita-
ble to the culture of it, oats are with us the
moil general crop, though there are large
produ6ts of peafe, but efpecially of beans,
gained in fome of the provinces.

The article, in which you will find them
mofl: deficient, is grafles ; very few of the
farmers know any thing of the artificial
grafles, except clover, and not a twentieth
part of the kingdom know even thatj in

their

326 TRAVELS THROUGH

their meadows they are extremely car elefs of
the herbage, not knowing it to be a mat-
ter of any confequence ; but are yery well
fatisfied, if they find a large growth, no mat-
ter of what. Hence refults many loffes to
them, their cattle underfland the point much
better ; and if they could choofe, would, but
unfortunately, they muft eat, what they are
turned into or flarve ; in fome inflances,
however, they will freely eat of herbs very
pernicious to them. ,For want of better pn-
derftanding this part of their bufinefs, our
peafants very often find, their herd deceive
them,, and yield very little milk, when they
expeft a great deal ; or prove lean, at a time,
that they ought to have been fat. The low
grounds in Sweden are generally converted to
pafturage, and many of them are little bet-
ter than bogs and marflies ; but which, pro-
perly drained and cultivated, would turn out
moft advantageous meadow, and yet you
will fee great tracks of fuch in a very wafte
condition.

To this I remarked, that it was no ways
furprizing, when there were fuch numer-
ous, unimproved waftes, even in my own
country ; more ftill in France, and nume-
rous ones in the bell climates, richeft foils,
and,freeft governments in Europe. This, I

obfervcd.

SWEDEN. 321

obferved, was a mofl remarkable fad, and
well worthy of his refledlion.

It is not fo remarkable, replied this gen-
tleman, as at firft fight it appears. Improve-
ments of wafte lands make but a very flow
progrefs in any country, where they are the
property of private perfons ; but what an
amazing figure do fuch works make in Ame-
rica, where the wafte is open for every man
to take as much as he pleafes in fee iimple,
paying only moderate fines ? But where
waftes belong to private perfons, and make
part of the eftates of princes, nobles, and
gentlemen, improvements muft be flow for
many reafons -, fuch perfons have generally
methods enough of fpending their fortunes,
without doing any good; they cannot afford,
or, at leaft, they will not afford the neceffary
expenditure in buildings, inclofures, and
other previous works, neceffary to convert a
wafle into farms, for whoever will hire them.
This method of doing the bufmefs mud
therefore neceffarily be very flow. Befides,
fuch perfons are extremely tenacious of
the rights, properties, jurifdidion, &c. of
their waftes, and will very feldom give a
man leave to do all thefe works for himfelf,
with a perpetual leafe, that he and his heirs
for ever may be the better for his labours.
Vol. II. y fo

322 TRAVELS THROUGH

fo that how, and by whom are waftes to b©
improved ? It is evident, they can be done
but very flowly; now and then a landlord,
who happens to be a faving man, forms a
new farm j accidentally too, a farmer will be
at the expence of improvement with a te-
nure, of but a moderate length ; and fome
gentlemen, that have wafles very near their
reiidence, are induced to improve them, be-
caufe of their vicinity -, it is thus, that, by
flow degrees, waftes are improved ; and it
muft ftrike every perfon, that thefe caufes are
very weak, compared with the vaft extent of
them in mofl countries. Great progrefs will
no where be made, without laws, being par-
ticularly enaded, to force proprietors to grant
leafes of waftes, to whoever will be at the ex-
pence of improving them.

The way, in which. Sir Charles account-
ed for the exiftence of fo much wafle land
in every country, pleafed me much ; as it is
the only one, in which I ever heard a fatis-
fadlory account given. Upon my afking
him concerning the general ftate of hufban-
dry at prefent in Sweden, whether it was in
an improving way in moft particulars. He
replied :

The beft, and indeed, the only way of
judging of that, with any degree of preci-

fion.

SWEDEN. 323

fion, is, by attending to the variations in the
value of land; we have found, that, in Swe-
den, land in general has increafed in price
gradually for above forty years, and for the
laft twenty years, in a more rapid manner
than before; this has been owing to our
raifing many commodities at home, which
we formerly bought of our neighbours ; a-
mong which, wheat (as Imeiitioned before) is
the chief; and it is alfo owing very much to the
wife encouragement, that trade and manufac-
tures have received of late years, which has
brought much money into the country, and
given a new value to every thing. Now,
Sir, land could not fell better than forriier-
ly, without money being more plenty, or
our huibandry being better ; for the value of
the foil depends not only on the quantity of
money in the country, but alfo on the value
of the produds, and they are affecled only
by variations in cultivation. But, at the
fame time, that I am clear, our agriculture
is in general m^uch improved, I am alfo clear,
that we are many, vei-y many degrees from
the perfection, to which we might eafily
with a fpirited attention arrive : and this we
{hould do, if we attended more to certain ,
points of encouragement, which would be
eaiy to give our huibandry.

Y 2 Upon

324 TRAVELS THROUGH

Upon my mentioning the pleafure it would
give me to hear his ferttiments upon this
head, he very readily went on in the fol-
lowing manner :

Inclofing is pretty well known in Sweden,
but not pra6liced fo much by any means, as
it ought to be. In this, our befl hufband-
men agree, and the pra6lice of England con-
firms the idea, to be the only means of hav-
ing any valuable improvements carried on
efte<Stively ; but our landlords and farmers
are equally averfe to any expences, beyond
thofe certain ones of the day, which they
cannot efcape -, now this can only be reme-
died by the legiflative power, which ought
to oblige all proprietors to inclofe their fields
in fome fubflantial manner, and to enable
them, at the fame time, to raife their rents
upon their tenants, fufficiently to pay good
interefts for the fums expended ; and I would
have them limited, not to make larger in-
clofures than one hundred acres. This mea-
fure would very much promote the good
hufl^andry of the kingdom.

Another, which, I think, would alfo be ne-
celfary, would be to appoint infpe6lors of the
hufbandry of the kingdom. Ojie might be ap-
pointed to every large province, and one might
infpedltwo orthreefmallones; whofebufinefs

lliould

SWEDEN. 325

thould be merely the viewing the lands of
every diflincl farmer in his province, taking
an account of his crops, under every deno«
inination, the number of acres, the manure,
the cattle of every fort, the woods, forefls,
waftes, and to whom they all belong, with
the number of inhabitants of all clafTes and
ages. Memorandums Ihould be made of
thofe farmers, who feemed to excel in any
branch of their art, and alfo of the compa-
rative degree of fuch excellence. In con-
Xequence of thefe accounts, I would have
premiums diftributed to all farmers, who ex-
celled ', and the beft, that could be devifed,
would be fums of money given, or, in cafes,
where larger fums were requifite, to lend it
at low intereft. It is furely of very great
confequence,that an induftriouspeafant,who
would cultivate his lands better, and in lar-
ger quantity, had he more money; it is fure-
ly, I fay, of great confequence to the nation,
that fuch a man fhould have the money, he
wants, even, if it was raifedby a general tax
to give it him.

But further, fmall fums, fo difpofed of,
would have greater effe6ls, than to the mere
amount of the good they did to the indivi-
duals, for they would foon raife a great emu-
lation among all the farmers and peafants in
Y 3 the

526 TRAVELS THROUGH

the kingdom ; mofl of them would ufe their
utmoil endeavours to gain the Hke premi-
ums, and, as many would be diftributed
every year, the whole kingdom would, in a
few years, reap the good confequences of
them.

By this means alfo, the government would
difcoverthe real ftate and condition of every
province in the kingdom -, it would know
the degree of merit, its hufbandry pofTefTed,
the proportion of the cultivated to the un-
cultivated lands, the increafe or decreafe of
the farmer, the caufes, to which fuch varia-
tions could be attributed, and, in a word,
every eircumftance of real importance in the
domeftic oeconomy of the nation. I need not
furely obferve, that fuch knowledge would
be of infinite ufe to a ftatefman, or an ad-
min iftration, in guiding them to fuch mea-
fures, as were certain of remedying, what-
ever evil was difcovered. In moll of the
kingdoms of Europe we fee laws, ordinances,
ediSs, &c. promulgated, with an intention
of favouring agriculture and population;
but how few of them are attended with any
ftriking effe6l? This is owing to their be-
ginning at the wrong end ; they attempt the
pure, before they know the difeafe ; which
^n politicks, as well as medicine, is ading

diametrically

SWEDEN. 327

diametrically contrary to the fyftem of ex-
perience. Such an annual furvey of the
kingdom as I have mentioned, v/ould give
them a clear inlight into every evil, its na-
ture, and its caufe ; the remedy then would
be eafy and fure, and they would further dif-
cover, where improvements werepoffibJe, and
practicable ; where they would pay the na-
tion, nobly for the expence, and in what
manner, they would be mofl advantageoufly
undertaken. If the benefits of fuch a plan
are compared with the expences, they will
be found of infinite fuperiority. Is it not
aftonifhing, therefore, that we fhould not
fee fomething of this performed in fome of
the enlightened nations of Europe, who,
from many circumftances in their condu6l,
evidently think, in general, that too much
care cannot be taken to encourage agricul-
ture and the ufeful arts ?

This difcourfe of the learned profelTor
charmed me, his fentiments were fo ftrong-
lyjuft, fo extremely appofite j and, at the
fame time, I think, I may add original, at
leaft, as far as my reading carries me, that
it appears to me aftoniOiing, that there {hould
be fo many nations in Europe in the predi-
cament here defcribed, and yet none of them,
in which fuch a meafare has been executed,

y 4 or

'328 TRAVELS THROUGH

or even propofed. Which fhews how much
the objedls of the greatefl importance are
neglected ; while meafures, fo eafily execu-
ted, v/ould put any government readily in
the way of difcovering all the evils, which
afted the agriculture of a country, and at
once enable them to apply the requifite re-
medies j and let them, at the fame time, into
the proper method of applying encourage-
ments, fo as they may have the greatefl ef-
fe6l ; is it not aftonifhing, that all this fliould
remain every where unexecuted !

This great man gave his opinion alfo of
feveral other points, which would be of great
efFe6l in promoting the agriculture of Swe-
den; all of which appeared to be ftriclly
founded in a deep and comprehenfive know-
ledge of the ftate andinterefts of his country ;
but fome of them being rather refined, and
the converfation not being in Englifli, but
in French, I did not fufficiently'recolledt
the train of his argument, fo as to venture a
repetition of them. Upon the whole, 1
never had a more agreeable or inftrudive
evening ; for, befidcs our converfation. Sir
Charles Linnaeus fhewed me part of his ca-
binet of natural hiftory, to which every part
of the world has contributed amply. It was
not v.'ithcut reludlancc, that I took my leave

of

SWEDEN. 329

of him ; nor had Upfal much worthy of no-
tice beiides.

I left Upfal the 5th, and arrived at Stock-
holm the fame day, the diftance is five and
thirty miles ; the road runs on the banks of
the Lake Meier, and, from the high grounds,
commands fome very beautiful views of the
innumerable iflands, which are thickly feat*
tered through that lake. The country, I
pafTed, is, in general, very well cultivated,
there are many enclofures, and much arable
land. Near the city, the land appears to be
very rich, and the country very populous ;
for the villages, farms, and gentlemens feats
are very numerous. I remarked, they choofe,
their fituations for fuch, upon the fides of
hills, facing the fouth, and, with much tafte,
feem, in general, fond of a viqw of the
lake.

CHAP,

33© TRAVELS THROUGH

CHAP. VIL

Stockholm — State of Agriculture — Arts — Omi*
merce — Government — 'Fadimis, &c.

STOCKHOLM, which is the capital of
the kingdom, i? a finer city, than I ex-
peeled to fee, from the defcriptions I had re-
ceived of it. The fituation is very beauti-
ful and pi6lurefque, being built on feven or
eight iflands and rocks in the great Lake
Meier, which gives it fome refemblance of
Venice ; and this fituation, like that of Ve-
nice, is fuch a fecurity to it, that no other
fortifications have been thought neceffary.
It is very \vell built, the ftreets, in general,
are broad, flrait, and regular ; and the pub-
lic buildings are, many of them, great orna-
ments to the place. Among thefe, the King's
palace demands the firft attention ; this is
an old building, and therefore irregular in
parts, but it forms a fquare, and is all raif-
ed of fione. It is within a citadel, but the
fortifications could not do much in defence
of the town; and it is, befides, commanded

by

SWEDEN. 331

ty an adjoining hill. Confidering, that the
palace ferves for mqiny public ufes, befides
the King's refidence, it is not only mean, but
fniall ; all the roonis of the firft and fecond
floor, are ufed for private meetings of the
Senate, and the Courts of Judicature; fo
that the apartments of the royal family are
three pair of Hairs high, and fome of then^
four.

The Senate-houfe, where the public meet-
ings are, js a very regular and fine edifice,
making the befl figure of any in the town.

The houfes of the nobility are not very
rnagnificent, but fome of them are hand-
fome, others, large and commodious. The
Arfenal is a large building, but by no means
kept well fbored : the roy^l ftables, and the
great hofpita), alfo make fome figure ; the
bridge of boats, which is 100 yards long,
and which, they fhew, with fome degree of
vanity, is a paltry fubftitute. Among the
churches, the principal are St. Nicholas, St.
Mary's, St. Catharine's, St. Clare's, St. John's
and St. Olaus's. The King's chapel is more
decorated, than any of them.

The city carries on the chief trade of
the kingdom ; the harbour will admit of
four hundred great fhips, and above five
liun^red fmall ones, ^t the fame time, which

might

532 TRAVELS THROUGH

might all ride in the utmoft fafety -, and they
have a quay for the delivery and taking in
of goods, near a mile long; and this, I
think, is the pleafanteft and moft chearful
part of Stockholm. There is a face of bu-
finefs and a6tivity upon the public quay,
which, in a town, is far more lively, than
the perpetual rattle of coaches. But not-
withftanding it is a place of great trade,
and the harbour perfectly fecure, yet there
are difficulties in getting in and out, which
are a cramp upon their commerce. There
are numerous iflands in the lake, between
Stockholm and the fea, and thefe make the
courfe fo zigzag, that feveral winds are ne-
cefTary to carry them in and out ; and which
is much the worfe for their having no tides,
which would greatly affiil: the navigation ;
befides this, they are quite ftopped up with
ice, four months in the year.

Having fpent a couple of days in viewing
the city (being quartered at the Crown inn,
which I found a very good and reafonable
one) I thought it time to wait upon Baron
Miftler, with the letter, which the Count de
Smikelane gave me. Accordingly, on the
ythi I paid my devoirs to him ; 1 found him
a middle aged man, remarkably lively and
chearful, very well acquainted with the diffe-
rent

SWEDE N. 335

rent courts of Europe, having fpent many-
years in travelling; he converfes fluently in
Englifh, and almoft without hefitation, but
explains himfelf, in cafe of it, in French.
He has a large houfe, extremely well fur-
nifhed in the French and Englifh manner ;
indeed, moft of the things, either for ufe
or ornament, came from England, France,
or Italy. He complained, that the Svvedifh
artifts were not yet formed, but hoped, they
would, by and by, be equal to their neigh-
bours.

My friend the Count had let him very well
into the defign of my journey; he inform-
ed him, that I was on my travels through
the northern kingdoms, with defign, to gain.
a better knowledge of their commerce, ma-
nufadlures, agriculture, and arts, than books
could give me ; alfo, to view the face of the
country, and that I had a curiolity to become
acquainted with the manners of the inhabi-
tants ; that I had, fom'e years ago, travelled
through the fouthern parts of Europe>butwas
now delirous of going to fee, what very few
travellers ever thought worth their notice ;
and laflly, that he had recommended me to
him, as a perfon, as proper as any in Swe-
den, to do honour to that kingdom.

The

^34 TRAVELS THROUGH

The Baron read the letter with much at-
tention with me, after having run it over,
before I faw him. He afked me fignificant-
ly, if I came in any public capacity or bufi-
nefs. I underilood him, and replied, by no
means ; that I was a private gentleman in Eng-
land, totally unconneded with government,
and was travelling merely to fatisfy my own cu-
riofity; that the obje6ls of my enquiries
might make him fuppofe fuch a thing, but
it feemed a fatire upon the general aim of
travellers, that none fhould be fuppofed to
make ufeful obje6ls their entertainment, as
well as frivolous ones. This, he replied,
was a very jufl remark, and afked my par-
don for putting the queftion. He then en-
tered very freely and liberally into a conver-
fation, on the prefent ftate -of his country {
in which, however, we were interrupted by
feme viiitors, to w^hom he introduced me.
Afterwards, I waited on him thrice, and he
gave me feveral accounts, fome of them in
writing, which I found valuable, as they
let me into a pretty confident idea of the
prefent trade, manufactures, &c. of Swe-
den. From thefe authorities, I have drawn
up the following account; which, I believe,
will be found much nearer the truth of the

prefent

SWEDEN. ' 335

prcfent ftate of that kingdom, than any, that
are to be met with in books.

The trade of Sweden, and, indeed, eveiy
thing elfe in the kingdom, was left in a moft
miferable condition at the conclulion of the
war with Mufcovy, immediately after the
death of Charles XII. Such a languor fuc-
ceeded, that had not much attention been
given to improvement, and a change in the
conftitution enfued, it would have taken, at
leaft a century, to have recovered, and per-
haps, much more. Many of the wounds then
received, are not yet healed; there are tracks
of country, in many of the provinces, which
once were well peopled, that are at this day
defarts ; and the ravages of the Ruffians de-
ftroyed fome valuable copper mines, which
are not yet recovered. Within thefe twenty-
years, much has been done to fpread im-
provements i fo that the country wears a
fine face ; but all this is not to be called a
creation of new induftry, much of it is only
a renovation of that, which we long ago en-
joyed.

The modern improvers, who havepuflied
moil: of the advantageous laws, which have
been made, of late years, in favour of com-
merce, &c. had one principal aim, which
was certainly very meritorious j it was to

force

336 TRAVELS THROUGH

force the Swedes, either to manufadure for
themfelves, or to go without the commodi-
ties, formerly imported from abroad ; many
laws were made with this view -, and which,
at laft, ended in an almoft general prohibi-
tion to foreign fabrics. This was very well
meant, but it was driving too fafl, and has
had fome confequences of a complexion by
no means agreeable. It is true, feveral ma-
nufadiories were eftablifhed in different parts
of the kingdom, to enable the people to per-
form for themfelves, and fome of them fuc-
ceeded well, but it is a bufinefs of much
longer time, to make a people a manufadlur-
ing nation. The attempt to do it at once,
was not only unfuccefsful, but was attended
with feveral evils to the whole kingdom.
Sweden imported, it is true, large quanti-
ties of manufadlu'res, but then flie paid for
all of them, or, leaft, for much the great-
eft part, with the products of her foil;
fuch as copper, iron, timber, fliips, flax,
hemp, pitch, tar, furs, fkins, &c. fo that the
nobleman, who dreffed himfelf in French
or Englifh cloths ; his wife, who wore
French and Italian filks -, and all, who ex-
pended their revenue in any foreign import,
did, at the fame time, encourage the lower
elaffes of the people, and indeed aflift the

whole

SWEDEN. 337

whole ftate, by exporting the above produ6ls,
in proportion to the goods, fo imported and
worn. The legiilature falfely imagined,
that foreigners could not d6 without thofe
produ6ls, they bought of Sweden, and paid
for with their manufactures 5 they fuppofed,
they would buy, in the fame proportion, and
pay for them with money; but this was at
beft a deluiion, for other nations knew
their interefl as well as the Swedes, and im-
mediately transferred a vafi; portion of their
trade to Norway andRufiia; the confequence
of which has been, that the copper and iron
works, in every province in the kingdom, are
difcontinued, for want of the old demand;
and a great number of hands, once em-
ployed in the timber trade, have, ever finc^
flood flill. That this reprefentation has
much truth in it, appears from feveral arti-
cles of the prohibition, being taken off;
which fhews, that the legiflature themfelves
thought, they had gone too far, when they
began in their private eflates to feel the ill ef-
fe6ls of it; but the a6lwas done, and the mif-
chief was irremediable j the trade was gone,
fo that the partial revocation was of no ufe.
This has made them redouble their adivity
in eftabiifhing manufactures, which may, in
time, recover the blow, by varying the for-
VoL, II, Z mer

338 TRAVELS THROUGH

mer advantage ; but it rauft be a work of
fome years.

Upon the whole, however, when we read
in fome modern treatifes, what great things
are doing, in encouraging all forts of ufeful
undertakings, we mull not carry the amount
to the account of an addition, as in the cafe
of Denmark, and fome other countries, but,
on the contrary, confider much of them, as
regaining loft ground.

Trade now flourifhes in Sweden, the peo-
ple are very attentive to it, and fome of the
laws, that have been made to encourage it
have had good effed:. The fhipping, be-
longing to the kingdom, is much increafed
in the laft thirty years ; they export more of
their commodities in their own bottoms,
than formerly ^ which has, in every refpe6l,
proved a very advantageous thing to them.
All their (hipping, and every article of naval
ftores, are their own produdt; fo that an
increafe of it is gaining one of the moft ad-
vantageous markets in the world. Indeed,
avery confiderable article of trade with them,
is building fhips for file -, in which articles,
the French and Dutch are the beft purcha-
fcrs. The former, it is well known, once
bought a fleet of nine fail of men of war of
the line of them, at one time : and the

Dutch

SWEDEN. 33^

Dutch are regular purchafers of fome mer-
chant ihips ; but the chief increafe of their
ihip building has been for themfelves, in
confequence of an increafe of their foreign
trade, which, it is fuppofed, is now, on com-
parifon with what it was thirty years ago, as
five to three, tonnage reckoned.

The eflablifhment of the Eall: India com-
merce has been of much confequence to
them, in this article of fhip building, and>
indeed, to all the other branches of com-
merce in the kingdom 3 for Eaft India goods
were before bought with calh, without
bringing in any advantages by fhip build-
ing, or the employment of feamen ; but
now the government has obliged the com-
pany to export to the Indies a given quan-
tity of Swedifh manufaftures ; all which ex-
portation is clear profit, befides the clrcum-
flances mentioned above. This eflablifh-
ment of an Eaft India company in Sweden,
employed the fpeculation of all the trading
part of Europe, who pronounced it a vifio-
nary fcheme, and one, which could not
pofhbly anfwer ; but experience has now
told them, that nothing was lefs jufl, than
this condemnation, for the whole kingdom
of Sweden is fupplied by it, and there is a
pretty coniiderable quantity of India goods
Z % ' ex*>

2i,o TRAVELS THROUGH

exported to Poland, alio fome to Germany^
and a few to Ruffian all which are very great
and confiderable advantages, compared with
the time, when they themfelves bought their
whole home confamption of the Englifh and
Dutch.

Another fcheme of trade, which has been
partly executed, though not entirely, is to
import all their Weft India commodities irk
their own bottoms ; this was not an eafy
matter to execute, for it is contrary to the
laws of all the nations, that have colonies
in that part of the world j but certain it is,
that in fpite of all obftacles of this fort, they
do purchafe large quantities of fugar, rum,
5cc. in the Weft India iflands y and another
channel, through which> they do this bufi-
nefs, is through the Bahama iflands, where
they buy, from the account of Bofton mer-
chants, goods, which come from the EngliOi
iflands. This plan is not brought fully to
bear, but if they get it to be quite fuccefsful,.
it will make a confiderable dedu6lion from
the navigation of England, and add it to that
of Sweden.

Building fliipsfor foreigners has lately
received a very laudable bounty of ten fliil-
lings a ton, which is one of the beft con-
fidered meafures, that could have been exe-
cuted 3

SWEDEN. 341

cuted ; and if this bounty was to be raifed fo
high, as to enable the Swedifh fliip carpen-
ters to underfell the EngHfli and Dutch ones
by many per cent, in their own yards, it
would be a mofl political meafure, and, per-
haps, give the kingdom a more advantageous
market, for mofl of her ilaple commodities,
than all their other methods put together.

Among the manufadures, which they
have been eager to eftablifh, the principal is
the woollen. They have, in eoarfe cloths,
made fome progrefs, and begin to work
fome, that are fine -, an improvement, which
has been much owing to their gaining a bet-
ter breed of flieep from England, and which
have been difperfed, with much affiduity,over
mofl parts of the kingdom. Their own
wool was a great impediment in their way ;
for it was of fo bad and eoarfe a texture,
that it would not do, even for eoarfe cloth,
without being mixed with that of Poland ;
for thefe purpofes, they import great quan-
tities from that kingdom; and it is very
well for them, that they have a neighbour fo
little knowing in her own intereft, as to per-
mit the exportation of her raw products, to
be wrought up by other nations; not, how-
ever, that the Poles do not underiland their
pwn interefls^ but they have the curfe of
Z 3 fuch

34? TRAVELS THROUGH
fuch a conftitution, that nothing for the
real advantage of the country can go forward
for half an hour. By means of Polilh wool,
mixed with the worfl of their own, the
Swedes make tolerable coarfe cloths, and
Other fabricks ; and the beft, they import
from Poland, mixed with the beft of their
own, makes a finer cloth, that fells well at
home, and precludes the import of any, but
the finefl of all, worn by the nobility and
gentry of confider^ble fortunes . Their ma',
nufatlure of the coarfe forts is fo enlarged
by degrees, that they have, for fome years,
exported fmall quantities of it to Poland ;
which fhews, how far they have been able
to carry their point,

Belides thefe woollen fabricks, which are
in a way of proving confiderable enough to
flop totally all importation in time, they
have alfo eflabliflied fome of linen, but thefe
are not yet advanced fo far, as the former ;
they make large quantities of a coarfe fort,
which fells well among the common people;
but all the higher clafles of inhabitants ufe
that, which comes England, Holland, or
Germany. Preventing this importation is
a favourite objc6t with them at prefent,
but the befl judges of their trade think, they
will never be able to effed it,

Much

SWEDEN, 343

Much the greatefl manufadtories in Swe-
den are thofe of hard ware. They work and
caft their copper and iron into many forms 3
and make of them a great variety of imple-
ments, utenfils, and materials for manu-
fadluring, fuch as bars and plates of copper
and iron, various forts of wire, great guns,
and numerous other articles in the foun-
dery way. The number of mines of cop-
per and iron in the kingdom is very great,
and the forges, that work conjftantly, not-
withftanding the decreafe explained above,
form the moil confiderable employment of
this fort in the nation. They export vaft quan-
tities of iron annually, for which England,
Holland and France are their beft cuflomers ;
but the Englifh pay them a balance of trade,
amounting to fome hundred thoufand pounds
annually, of which iron and timber are the
principal articles, they take ; whereas, the
French pay them in nothing, but, wines,
brandies, and manufactures. Formerly, fhe
brought great quantities of paper ; but the
Swedes now fupply themfelves nearly, with
all they ufe, except of the finer forts. Of
all the articles of their trade, iron and tim-
ber are the moll confiderable ; and the befl
politicians among them are ftrongly of opi-
nion, that thefe articles, being of the mofl
Z 4 certain

344. TRAVELS THROUGH
certain dependance, fuch as foreign nations
can leaft do without, and fach, as are moft
natural, in all the operations concerning then^
to their own people, that, for thefe reafons,
they ought, principally, to be encouraged.
Much has of late years been done in favour
of thefe branches; for all the ranks of own-
ers of lands have found, that the profperity
of them has the fame influence in railing
the rental and value of their eftates, as im-
provements in agriculture itfelf; and for
which reafon, it is to be expeded, that they
will never negledt this part of their domef-
tic oeconomy.

Refpeding the improvements, which have
been made in their hufbandry, taken at large,
the grand article has been the preventing the
importation of corn from abroad; high du-
ties at firft, and then a prohibition, have, in
this inftance, been attended with every effed,
they could wifh. By quick degrees, they in-
troduced the culture of wheat in many pro-
vinces, which, before, had never thought of
fuch an article of cultivation j and by tak-
ing fevcral proper meafures for encouraging
the peafants, the point has been fo tho-
roughly carried, that Sweden, at prefent,
j-aifes as much corn, as fhe confumcs, and

ii;

$ W E D E N, 345

in fome years, more 5 fo that a fmall expor^
iTation has taken place, more than once.

In the debates, which have arifen at difFe-
irent times, arnong the members of the le-
giflature, on this point of the advancement
pf hufbandry, they have had, what may be
called two parties among them i one, who
were for eftablifhing many rules for the par-
ticular inftrudion of peafants ; premiums
for their good conduct, for the procuring
good farmers from other parts of Europe,
to fet examples; alfo the beft implements
and breeds of cattle; with fome good work-
men for draining of bogs, and bringing
wafles into culture, at the expence of the
jLegillature, by way of fhewing, in what man-
ner fuch works ought to be done. On the
contrary, the other party flrenuoufly urged,
that the execution of all thefe minute ideas
would prove very expenlive, and particularly
from being obliged to truft them to many
people, and almoft without controul. That
befides this flrong obje6lion, the effects re-
fulting could not be great or general, but
would be confined to fmall fpots, froni
which, it might be a century, before they
would travel over half the kingdom ; for
this reafon, they propofed to omit all fucli
attempts, and confine themfelves to general

laws.

34S TRAVELS THROUGH

laws, which fhould afFed the whole king-
dom ', fuch, for inftance, as the prohibition
of the importation of all foreign commodi-
ties, that could be raifed at home, and par-
ticularly corn; that, when this law had
taken full efFe6l, then to give the improve-
ment of another, offering bounties upon the
exportation of various forts of corn, and
other commodities, to infure a quick fale at
a good price, which would be, of all other
meafures, the rnoft likely to induce the far-
mers to enlarge the culture of them. Other
general laws fhould alfo be brought in aid,
to exempt the improvers of wafle lands from
all taxes, tithes and public charges for life.
Alfo, to introduce leafes, in the tenures of
lands, of long duration, with feveral other
fchemes of management, that had reference
to the kingdom at large.

The legiflature very wifely followed, nei-
ther of thefe propofals, in exclufion of the
other, but gradually took from both, what
appeared prudent and likely to be efficaci-
ous. They prohibited the importation of
corn, upon the plan of one party; and they
attended to the minutiiE of agriculture, pur-
fuant to the ideas of the other. Some laws
were alfo made concerning leafes, and im-
provers were exempted from taxes ; but

whether

SWEDEN.. 347

wliether they will ever give a bounty on ex-
portation is yet a queftion. It is the gene-
ral opinion, that the plan is not dropped,
and that the meafurewill be executed, when-
ever the quantity of corn, raifed at home,
fufficiently reduces the price. They feem to
have this meafure in idea, ready to apply as
a remedy, for the price of corn falling too
low, in cafe, it fhould fo happen. This
whole meafure of prohibition, and a bounty
on exportation, is copied from England j but
if I may here fpeak in my own perfon, I do
not perfedly comprehend the merit of fuch
bounties, either in England or in Sweden -,
for thefe nations do not fo much want to
raife corn for an article of trade, as to enable
them to feed a numerous people ; and fure-
ly, it is of much more advantage to them to
apply their corn to that neceffary purpofe,
than to\ export it. The riches, arifmg from
an increafmg population, which is always the
Confequence of cheapnefs of provifion, muft
be of far more importance to thefe king-
doms, than the money received for the corn.
Indeed, the payment of bounties is not of
any great moment, as they are paid by the
fubje(5ls of the government.

I think, it cannot be doubted, but the
mofl advantageous confumption of corn is,

that

348 TRAVELS THROUGH

that at homcj for the people mufl: increafe
pretty much in proportion to the low price
of neceffaries -, we fee, that the increafe of
population is prodigious in North America,
and which mufl be attributed to the great
eafe of gaining land, which produces the ne-
ceffaries of life ; for which reafon, a govern-
ment, it fhould feem, ought to encourage
the growth of corn, as much as pofTible, and
alfo take every other ftep to render it as
cheap as poflible, for then the people will
increafe in proportion to it -, an aim, much"
fuperior to the fums of money, which any
trade can bring in, I remember to have
read in tracks, printed in England fome
years ago, that the bounty, by giving a mar-
ket, encouraged the farmers to raife more
corn, than they would otherw^ife do ; aild
this is the idea, which they have got in Swe-
den. But fuppofing it ever fo true, will not
jm increafing people caufe a greater con-
fumption, and confequently make a market
equally as good ? Of what confequence is it
to the farmer, whether he fells his wheat to
a merchant at five fhillings a bufliel, or to
a miller at the fame price ; fo that this ar-
gument appears to me to be, begging the

queflion.
• If

g W E D E H. 349

If the progrefs of agriculture in England,
is quoted as a proof of the benefits, which
liaye refulted from the bounty, it might
have been replied, that that progrefs may
not have been owing fo much to this mea-
fure> as to the increafe of people, proceed-
ing from the great commerce and manufac-
tories, which have been eftabliihed, and
which have been perpetually on the increafe^
It is for thefe reafons, that I am inclined to
believe, the legiflature of Sweden would a6t
more for the benefit of their country, if they
firft encouraged the growth of corn, and
then the confumption of it at home, which
is befl done by a collateral encouragement
of arts, manufa6lures, commerce, and all
other means of enriching the people ; for the
richer they are, the more numerous will they
be, and, at the fame time, the better able to
purchafe the farmer's corn. But this a fub-
jed: of too much confequence to be decided
on, from fo flight an examination, it well de-
ferves the attention of the moft finifhed po-
liticians. To return ;

Encouragement has alfo been given in.
Sweden to feveral other things, particularly,
in the making great roads, in improving
fome inland na\dgation, and alfo to the body
of artifls in the kingdom, Refpe6ting roads,

there

350 TRAVELS THROtJGH

there are few kingdoms in Europe^ where
they are fo bad, nor have the inhabitants
been able, in any one province, even with the!
affiftance they have received from the legif-
lature, in enabHng them to raife provincial
taxes for that purpofe, to do' the work ef-
fectually. I am told, there are one or two
great roads, pretty tolerably made, but it
has been done by concentrating the whole
expence of the province on that fingle point,
and totally neglecting all others within it;
Wherever I have travelled, except clofe to
the metropolis, they are dangeroufly bad.
Indeed, the good parts hold but a very little
way out of Stockholm. There have been
many deliberations in the Senate upon this
evil ', but the general opinion is, that it will
never be remedied to any efFe6V.

There are fome rivers in different parts of
the kingdom, which wanted only fmall ob-
ftrudions to be removed, and which the go-
vernment have enabled the people to ren-
der navigable by provincial taxes. There
have been many propofals for increafing the
number, but they go on very flowly in it,
and never will make any great figure in this
branch of improvement. Indeed, Sweden,
wants exertions of this for|, lefs than any
country, I know, for the whole kingdom is

cut

SWEDEN. 351

cut and interfed:ed in an amazing degree
with lakes and rivers, and they have a fea
coaft, prodigioufly extenfive, fo that there
can fcarcely be a produdion, which is not
within reach of a navigation.

The encouragement, given to artifls of va-
rious forts, is much better adapted to the
improvement and advantage of the nation.
The Swedifh artifts, except in working
rough timber and iron, are furprizingly de-
ficient. The means, hitherto taken to re-
medy this evil, have been, by offering pre-
miums, by regulating apprenticefhips, and
by procuring workmen from feveral coun-
tries 3 but hitherto they have not perform-
ed much.

At the fame time, that I procured this in-
formation, I made enquiries into the ftate of
their public revenues and military power.
The revenues of the kingdom are not at all
improved, a piece of information, which
much furprized me ; for I conceived, that
all the improvements, of which I have been
giving an account, muft have much increa-
fed the revenue of individuals, and confe-
quently, that of the pubHc^ but the contrary-
is the cafe, and which is moftly owing to
the evil, which I before noticed, attending
the fudden prohibition of foreign manufac-
tures ;

352 TRAVELS THROUGli

tures ', for as I there fet forth the ill confe-^
quences of depriving a vafl: number of peo-
ple of an old market for their wood, iron,
Sec. the mifchief was felt by the public in-
come, as well as by thofe individuals; for
the manufa6lures, which were then prohibi-
ted, paid confiderable cuftoms on importa-*
tion, moil of which were loft by that mea-
fure i fo that the revenue, which, all taken
together, aniounted, before that meafure, to
about twelve hundred thoufand pounds a
year, fcarcely reaches that fum at prefent,
although, feveral new taxes, upon articles of
luxury, have been fince laid on. Several per-
fons much experienced in the revenue af-
fcrt,^ that it will be many years, before it re*
covers thefe ftrokes; that all the late itnz
provements muft have time to ripen into
perfe6lion, and fpread a free and confidcrat-
ble circulation through the kingdom, be-
fore the national coffers will fill from
them.

As to the military power of the Swedes,
the change in the conftitution, upon the
death of Charles XII, funk it entirely to the
militia, except a few guards for the King's
perfon ; the former is entirely upon the old
fyftem, they are maintained by the farmers ,
but the number, which was once 60,000

men.

SWEDEN. 3^3

men, is not at prefent more than 42,000;
however, they are very well difciplined, and
fufficient for the defence of the kingdom
againft any force, that is likely to march
againft it. Sweden has nothing to fear, but
from Ruffia -, and whilft fhe leaves the con-
quered provinces peaceably in the hands of
the Mofcovites, which undoubtedly fhe will
do, there is not any danger of their difturb-
ing her pofTeilion of the remainder. The
fleet of Sweden was once pretty conlidera-
ble, amounting to forty good fhips of war ;
but it is much declined. They could not
fend out to fea twenty fail of the line in good
order, fo that their power is not equal to
that of Denmark by fea ; nor that of Ruffia.
Thefe are circumftances, in which Sweden
has been very remifs j it is faving money to
a very bad purpofe ^ for a nation, that wifhes
to be poffelTed of a confiderable trade and
commerce, ftiould never negled: her ma-
rine, which ever was, and ever mufl be, ef-
fential to the prefervation and well being of
trade ; and this (hews, that the ideas of na-
tional improvement in Sweden are but crude,
and not near brought to that degree of pro-
priety, as to produce thofe new and great ad-
vantages, they want. Nothing is of fo much
importance to a trading power, as a mari-
VoL. II. A a time

35^4^. T R A V E L S 1' H R O U G H

tirfie force ; for all commerce without it. Is
precarious. France has made, for a century,
immenfe efforts for raifrns: a s:reat trade, but
all of them have been nearly unfuccefsful,
from her being more folicitous, in the fame
period, to keep up a formidable army, than a
ilrong and well regulated navy, fufficient to
guard her commerce in times of war. No-
thing is fo difficult to rear as a trade, that has
been once ruined. It is a great miftake to
fuppofe, that the prefent itate of France
contradidts this maxima on the contrary, it
confirms it ; for France once pofTeffed a
fiourifhing trade, but it hath never arofe
again to its former profperity, after once
being demolifhed by a fuperior force at fea.
The bringing home the product of colonies
can fcarcely be called trade, which may be
done as well almoft, without a navy, as with
it ; and which is evident in the courfe of the
communication between France and her co-
lonies, after the total deflrudion of her fliip-
ping by the Englifh, in every war, from King
William's time to the prefent.

But to return to Sweden, I mufl acknow-
ledge, that hitherto, I have given the mofl
favourable view of all the internal affairs of
this kingdom. I have been minutely exa6l
infpecifying the information, I have received;

but

SWEDEN. 2^s

but then, it came from fome noblemen, who
have been, among many others, very deep in.
pohtical convuliions, that have harraiTed the
legiflature of Sweden. All Europe well
knows the political fquabbles, which have
much difgraced that country j accounts have
been pUblifhed in numberlefs Gazettes,
which feem to have been defigned, m.erely to
reprefent the kingdom in the moft deplora-
ble fituation. Whatever is circulated by a
party, ever carries marks of prejudice and
unfair reprefentation ; it maybe replied, that
I' have my intelligence from a party, and
therefore, that it equally wants the ftamp of
impartiality; and I agree, that this is, in fome
meafure, thefacl. But then, in extenuation,!
fay, that what I have principally reported.
Concerns fads alone ; I have kept clear from
giving party, or even national refle6lions,
which always attend them ; and another
ftrong motive for my giving a reprefentation
of the affairs, or rather fads, concerning the
prefent ftate of Sweden, from the informa-
tion I received from fome very refpe6lable
noblemen, is, that all the accounts, which
I have lately read, feem to have been didated
by the oppofite party, and to which I was
the more inclined, from my fetting out
through the palfage of the Sound, quite to
A a 2 Stockholm.

356 TRAVELS THROUGH

Stockholm. But the appearances of things
carried no fuch marks of ruin and defola-
tion, as foreign prints had given me to ex-
pedli I looked for nothing, but falhng houfes
and negleded lands, deferted by emigrating
inhabitants; but found nothing of this;
from whence I was led to think, that thefe
reprefentations were fomething of the nature
of thofe, which are fo common in my own
country, which, even in the moft flourifli-
ing times, attempt to prove the kingdom
in the high road to ruin. But let the rea-
der carry with him the authority, on which
I give my report, and remember, that, in
thefe cafes, which are certainly of real im-
portance to be known by other powers, it
is of confequence to be informed of the
truth, and which can never be nearly guef-
fed at, while only one fide of the queilion is
heard.

I have, with all the attention, of which I
am mailer, avoided giving any particulars,
relative to the prefent ftate of parties and
politicks in this country. I think them to
be no obje6ls of an inquifitive traveller; they
change every day; there is nothing flable in
them ; all intelligence, that concerns them, is
full of prejudice and misinformation; no-
thing is fo infipid to foreign readers, no-
thing

SWEDEN. 35^

thing carries with it, fo little ufeful intelli-
gence, of which truth, we have, in England,
many inftances fufficiently ftrong ; for how
few fpeeches are made in the Houfe of Com-
mons, which would convey any ufeful fa6ls
to foreigners ? Are not our news-paper and
pur pamphleteer complaints, which denounce
immediate ruin upon the kingdom, with
half the clamours of coiFee-houfe politicians,
are they not, I fay, perfe6tly fenfelefs and
forgotten fquabbles in a very few years ? This
I think, fhould guard every writer from
venturing to mix fuch temporary politicks,
with matters of lading duration and real im-
portance. Trade, manufadlures, arts, and
agriculture are interefting to all the world,
but the fphere of perfonal politicks is ex-
tremely fmall.

It is for thefe reafons, that I pafs entirely
over the difmal fadions, which, at prefent,
difgrace the government of Sweden. I fin-
cerely hope, that, in a few years, all parties
will be endued with more moderation, and
a general harmony arife from the experience
of thofe evils, which h^'ioii caufes to them

A a ^ CHAP.

358 TRAVELS THROUGH

CHAP. VIII.

Journey from Stockholm to Oregrond — Hede'"
mora — Defcript'wn of the Country — fourney
through the Province of Dalecarlia — Dct
fcription of the Country — //j People — Man-
ners— Htfbandry — E mploynient,

LEFT Stockholm the nth, taking the
road for Oregrond, the diftance forty
feven miles; which, with fome difficulty, I
reached by night, through a country, which
ranks among the beft, I have feen in Sweden,
and in which, I obferved feveral feats of the
nobility and gentry very well built, with a
good appearance of fuperior cultivation a-
round them. Oregrond is a fea port on the
gulph of Bothnia, tolerably well fituated for
trade, efpecially that of timber. From a
hill near the town, is a moft beautiful
view of the gulph, with a great part of Fin-
land on the other lide; the iflands of Aland
fpot the fea in a moffc pidlurefque manner.
There were feven (hips in the harbour, load-
ing deals for Holland ; they told me, the
trade of this place has been but lately ac-
quired j.

SWEDEN. 359

■quired, but that it increafes, and will fooii
be confiderable. From Oregrond, I fet out
ihe 1 2th for Hedeiiiora, the diftance of one
hundred miles ; and which, from the rocky-
nefs and dangeroufnefs of the roads, took me
up four days, fo that I did not arrive there,
before the 15th at night. The three firft
nights I fet up my bed in the houfes of pea-
fants, in fmall villages, not paiTing through
any towns : the country is very wild and
various, hills and dales, mountains and
rocks, bogs, rivers and lakes, all mixed
thickly with a fmall quantity of cultivated
and profitable land. All the peafants here are
farmers, and moft of them own the lands,
they cultivate ; their houfes are very v/ell
built of wood, and covered with fhhigies, the
materials, being to be had in the utmoft plen-
ty; they are much better, and more comfort-
able dwellings, than the cottages of mud,
covered with thatch, which are fo common
in England. Their furniture is of their own
manufa6luring, conniling of very little more,
than what they make of their friendly pines.
All of them handle the faw and the axe with
as much agility, as our peafants ufe the
fpade and the pickaxe, nor do they make
bad or clumfy work , for their chairs, tables,
beds, &c. are very decently cut and put to-
A a 4 gcther.

360 TRAVELS THROUGH

gether. They feem to be a very happy and
contented people j each has his farm, divided
into regular inclofures, around his houfe, and
which the women almoft totally cultivate,
while the men are employed in cutting tim-?
ber in the forefts ; for they have a confider-
able river, down which they float vaft quan-
tities. In their hufbandry, thefe women
feemed to be tolerably underftanding 3 they
do all the ploughing, which is not indeed
laborious work, for 1 faw feveral ploughs
going with a fingle ox in them, and others,
with a fingle cow, and not of a large breed.
They always fix their houfes in the midfl of
a vale of dry foil, upon a rock, if they can
choofe, fo that all the woi'ks of tillage are
performed with great eafe. They cultivate
but very little wheat, though their land ap-
pears to be good enough for any product ;
oats, and a little barley, with a good many
beans, are their chief crops j but thefe feem
to bear no proportion to their fields of Swe-
difh turnips, and alfo another fort, which, they
informed me, does very well in the fevereft
climates, and is more generally cultivated in
the northern parts of thekingdom: upon thefe
turnips, J found, they principally depended
for their own diet, as well as that of their
cattle^ and their horfes in winter have no

other

SWEDEN. 36i

other food ; their breed is fmall, but very
flrong, uncommonly hardy, and very fure
footed, going down the moft rocky moun^
tains fides. If the roads continue, as I ex*
ped:, to grow worfe and worfe, as I advance
northward, I fhall not know what to do
with my chaife and fouth country nags;
for I muft have recourfe to thefe Httle moun-
tain ponies, which will. enable me to travel
forty miles a day, in the worfl roads ; where-
as five and twenty is now a hard day's
work for me. In the preparation they make
for their crops, they plough four or five
times, and manure richly with a compoft of
the dung they raife in winter with vafl quan-
tities of wood alhes ; they feldom fow a crop,
without previoully making a vaft pile of offal
wood, as near as they can, and fetting fire to it
for the fake of the afiies; and their crops are
very good, raifing to an equality of four quar-
ters an acre Englifh, of whatever corn or
pulfe they fow ; and which crops, they at-
tribute entirely, and I fuppofe very juftly, to
the manuring of the wood-afhes and dung.
Their turnips yield a very confiderable pro-
duce; one acre is fufficient to winter two
head of cattle. They have fome meadows,
which are artificial, having been improved
l)y theni from the waile, and with good

effed:;

362 TRAVELS THROUGH

efFe6t ; where they were too wet, they dug
ditches, and fpread the earth, that came
out upon the land ; and then they finifh
the improvement by manuring plentifully
with wood-a{hes, which bring up confider-
able crops of good grafs ; nor do they think
the expence of thefe works great. But I
fhould remark, that they have an advantage,
and a prodigious one, which is of the wo-
men, labouring almoft as hard as the men 5
fo that their induilry is in effe6l doubled.,

Hedemora is a little town, well fituated on
a confiderable river, down which, they carry
large quantities of timber and iron for expor-
tation. The 1 6th I got to Jahtun, which
was all I could do, though the diftance
is little more than twenty miles. This
fixed me in the determination of changing
my way of travelling, and the rather, as I
had found the climate regularly fine, fnice
I landed in Sweden. It was abfolutely ne-
ceflary, for the landlord, at a very neat and
agreeable inn here, told me, that no car-
riage could carry me among the mountains
of Delacarlia, which has been reprefented
to me as a part of Sweden, extremely well
worth viewing. From hence, therefore, I
difpatched my chaife for Stockholm, with a
letter to Baron Miftler, informing him of my

error.

SWEDEN. 363

error, and begging, he would order the
chaife and horfes to be fold, and remit me
the money to M. de Verfpot, in Middelpade,
I directed the man to buy a Swediih moun-
taineer, for bringing him back, appointing
him to come to Jahtun, and follow me with
all expedition into Dalecarlia ; and, in cafe,
I fliould have been too quick to be over-
taken, appointed Hudwickfwald, upon the
lea coaft, for the rendezvous. Having dif-
patched this buhnefs, I made enquiries after
fome horfes, and was prefently fupplied by
the peafants, with one for myfelf, another
for my interpreter, and three for my bed
and baggage, which, they allured me, would
require no driving, but would follow re-
gularly, according to their con flan t habit,
go, where we would. Thefe five horfes coil
me but fixteen pounds Englifli ; it took me
up a day at Jahtun to get faddles, bridles-,
packs, and other accoutrements fitted,

The 1 8th in the morning, I began my
march towards Grenge, a little village in
.Dalecarlia, at forty miles diflance j and this
I performed in one day, with much more
eaie and pleafmx, than I fliouid have done
in my chaife in two, although J flopped^
fome hours, to view a very large copper work.
They told me, that no ftranger? ever cams

into

364 TRAVELS THROUGH

into that country, without going down into
the mine, but I had been at the bottom of
fo many, that I had not the lead curiofity
to enter this. The village of Grenge flands
in a little romantic valley, at the foot of a
ridge of mountains, with a beautiful lake
in front of it. All the hills here, and nine
tenths of the country in general, are covered
with wood ', but the people have farms in
the vales, on a very fine, light, black foil,
which, I fuppofe, is entirely formed of rot-
ten vegetables, which time has wafhed down
from the mountains. Their crops, I found,
upon enquiry, were very great, and all of
them had many fields of turnips; and a white
fort of carrot was here cultivated for their
cattle and themfelves ; it has a root, like a
parfnip, with a carrot top -, they /hewed me
fome remaining of laft years crop, which
were {landing for feed. They eat it boiled,
in the fame manner as turnips, and generally
with buck wheat flower, made into pottage;
and their cattle of all forts are as fond of
them, as of turnips. The crops are not, how-
ever, fo great, as of that root; but then they
have, in another refpedt, a fuperlority, which
is, thriving well on their worft lands, and
without any manure. Buck wheat is a com-
mon crop, and they often fow and reap it in

SWEDEN. 365

feven weeks ; it yields well with them on
their worft lands, if tolerably fheltered.

The 19th, I continued my journey to Ep-
lebode, another little village, three and
forty miles from Grenge, through a moft
mountainous and wild country, chiefly co-
vered with forefls ; but here and there, you
pafs little villages in the hollow vales, fur-
rounded with cultivation enough for their
fupport. In two or three places, I faw
plains of greater extent, which feemed to be
all well cultivated ; the corn was up high
and green, and appeared as good, as any I
remember to have feen in England. Let
me remark, that the peafants do not culti-
vate, as much as they could, but all feem to
confine their endeavours to fmall farms,
fufficient for the full maintenance of their
families. I am convinced, that vafl: tracks
of country, among thefe mountains, might
be rendered very profitable farms ; for the
foil is in many places equally good, accordino-
to the accounts they gave me, as what they
had under culture ; but there is a want of
people, as well as of an attention in the pea-
fants, to make the culture of the earth their
dependance, equally with their forefls ; but
they are fo bred to cutting, chopping, and
fawing of trees, that they never think of

huf-

365 TRAVELS THROUGH

huftandry, but leave the management of
their farms to their wives and daughters.
' The 2oth, I propofed reaching Malun, a
x^llage, between thirty and forty miles from
Eplebode, but in eroding a river at Jerna,
or rather a torrent, which poUrs raging over
a clift of rocks, a horfe, that carried part of
my baggage, by a falfe ftep, fell down a
itnall precipice, and was killed, and his load
was driven by the flream, from a girth
breaking, fome way down the river, into
fo ,3i?vild a place, that it was with fome diffi-
cult, I could perfuade the peafants to at-
tempt the recovering it : by a confiderable
bribe, however, three of them were mduced
to follow the torrent, on the edge of the
precipice, until they met with it, flopped
by the rocks or broken trees, and which I
was clear, from the appearance of the fcene,
could not be far. This obliged me to fix my
lodging at Jerna, and it was noon the next
day before they returned; they brought,
however, the cloak-bags, with no other da-
mage, than being very wet ; which was
fortunate for me, as I fhould, in the re-
mainder of my journey, have been much
difconcerted by the lofs. Waiting upon ac-
count of this accident, gave me a longer op-
portunity, tlian I fliould otherwife have had,

to

■ SWEDEN. ' 367.

to make enquiries into the domeflic (Eco-
nomy of thole peafants. The whole coim-
tiy looks, as if there was not any private pro-
perty in it 5 but I found, that thefe forefts
and wilds had owners, as well as more cul-
tivated provinces. There are feme gentle-
mens feats in Dalecarlia, as I was informed,
though I faw none ; and their ftewards and
agents employ the peafants in cutting tim-
ber, in drawing pitch and tar, and in ma-
king charcoal, on their accounts, paying
them, in general, by meafure and tale;
their rates of labour are not high, few of
them earning more than four pence or five
pence a day, Englilli, though they are in-
duftrious and ufed to hard labour; but this
pay is fufEcient for maintaining them very
well, with the help of their farms, as their
wives dung them, and very old men do the
principal bufinefs of them. All the pur-
chafes, they have to make with money, are
fome parts of their cloathing, which is ex-
tremely coarfe and cheap, and alfo uten-
fils and implements, ail which are bought
of travelling pedlars, for I do not apprehend,
there are three fhops for buying them in
this immenfe province. As their money
15 fufficient therefore to their wants, thele
being all the ufes of it, except fome very

Hight

368 TRAVELS THkOUGH
flight taxes, they have very few inftances
among them of unhappinefs on account of
the want of money ; nor do I any where re-
member feeing a people, that had more ap-
pearances of perfect content and happinefs
among them. They are bleffed with an al-
mdfl: uninterrupted flow of health, which
is owing to the hardinefs of their lives, at-
tended with wholefome diet: a bolder, braver,
hardier race of men, I apprehend, do not
exift, than the Delacarlians ; indeed, man-
hood, in all the adive vigour of undaunted
courage, attended with a proportionable de-
gree of ftrength, is never found, but among
the mountaineers ; the inhabitants of fer-
tile plains are effeminate, compared to them.
This idea is finely ilarted and illuflrated by
Montefquieu -, and had he travelled through
this province, he would have had abundance
of reafon, in every peafant he met, to have
been convinced of the truth of his obfei-va-
tion, and the dedu6lions, which he has
drawn from the hiftories of fo many na-
tions.

The Dalecarlians, that I have hitherto met
with, appear to be a very honeft, fimple,
but plainly fenfible people j they are as hof-
pitable, as can well be conceived; infomuch,
that had I been eager and attentive to take

ad van-

SWEDEN* 369

advantage of this good difpofition, I fliould
have travelled through their province, fpend-
ing nothing but good words : indeed money
is fo fcarce here, that paying them what they
demanded, without the leafl hefitation, and
forcing money upon feme of them, flill my
expences in travelling :were low beyond
conception. I have feveral days travelled
forty miles, and paid for myfelf, man, and
five horfes, with two or three meals, and
a night's lodging, only the value of three
ihillings Englhh. Indeed I took up with the
food of the peafants, fat at their board, and
was particular in nothing, but fetting up my
own bed. This was a mode of travelling ex-
tremely defirable in fo wild a country,
where the peafants are the only people in
it that demand the leafl attention; and
whoever is fond of feeing the ftrong varia-
tions of human life and manners, would,
with the utmoft pleafure, accept the com-
pany of Dalecarlian peafants : but I had
anouier flrong motive for relifhing this me-
thod of travelling, which was the opportu-
nity it gave me of making enquiries into the
domeflic ceconomy of the country through
which I palTed ; and by habituating myfelf
to look with fome degree of curiolity upon
every piece of cultivated land, and by afking
Vol. II, B b many

370 TRAVELS THROUGH
many queftions concerning their manage-
ment and fuccefs, I came at length to find
real entertainment in the bufmefs, and
gained a fmattering of knowledge in the
art of agriculture. Indeed I have reafon to
regret that this knowledge is merely theo-
retical, for it is my misfortune, though
I refided long in the country, to have none
pradical, not having then any idea, that
hufoandry could yield entertainment to
any but uncultivated minds, or admit of
fuch variations as I have fmce experienced.
la thefe, as in other things, we are apt to
be the children of cuflom ; and he who fets
«ut from home with a painter's idea,
will run with frefh pleafure from pi6i:ure
to piaure through the longeft journey;
it is the fame with the other arts -, and I
feel, at prefent, in the enquiries, I take all
occafions of making, into the ftate of agri-
culture, arts, manufactures, and commerce,
an increafmg pleafure, as I proceed in gain-
ing more intelligence of them.

The 2ift I reached Lyma, the diftnnce
of near forty miles, having bought another
horfe at Jerna. The country, as I advanced,
orew amazingly romantic ; the view, as far
ns the eye can command from the tops of
the mountains, is one vaft range of moun-
tain

SWEDEN. 371

tain beyond mountain, till you fee the ridge
that parts Sweden from Norway, rifmg far
above the common clouds. The whole prof-
ped is a thick woodland 5 and, in many
places, very confiderable lakes, of fome
miles long and broad, break upon the eye ;
nothing can be more awful or more fublime
than thefe wonderful fcenes. The fitua-
tion of the village of Lyma is greatly un-
common ^ it lies within the bend of a river,
which is in fjadt a continual waterfall,
pouring over one ridge of rocks the mo-
ment it has palTed another, and making fuch
a continual roar as almoft to ftun the whole
village 3 immediately behind it rifes a
jridge of mountains, whofe tops are in cloudy
yveather, far above the clouds ; but fortu-
nately for me the weather has been uni-
formly clear. The appearance of thefe
dreadful heights, with the torrent pouring
down at their feet, is magnificent in the
higheft degree. I have viewed mountams,
rocks, waterfalls, and lakes, in the north
of England, and yet more in Scotland, but
they are pigmies compared with thefe.
There is an imprellion in thefe fcenes that
flrikes the fpeclator with a far fuperior de-
gree of awe.

B b 2 The

372 TRAVELS THROUGH

The villages here have a very near re^
femblance to one another, only the quan^
titles of cultivated land vary : there are a
good many farms at Lyma, and I think,
in general, larger than at the villages I have
yet come to : here are many that reach fixty
and feventy Englifh acres ; and one, which
IS extraordinary in this country, v^here the
farmer depends alone upon his hufbandry.
Hearing of fuch a one made me defirous
of feeing him, fo that in -the morning of
the 22d I paid him a vilit : his farm is more
than three hundred Enghfh acres, and he
employs five pealants in the culture of it
regularly J befides three fons, himfelf, his
wife, and a daughter. I rode over his
whole farm, and was much entertained;
for he is a fenfible and very intelligent fel-
low, giving me not only plain fads, but
the reafon for them. His farm is fituated
partly in the vale, and partly on the fide of
a mountain, but not fteep ; it is all divided
into inclofures ; thofe in the value by ditches,
with hedges of various woods ; and thofe
on the hill with pines, fet fo clofe as almofl
to touch in the bodies and the branches, cut
regularly, form a very fine fence. A mod
fmgular circumftance attended this man,
rhis name is Peter Sligwelhurfl) all that

part

SWEDEN. 373

part of his farm, which Hes on the Ude of
the mountain, is of his own improving ; it
was a wafle, where the peafants had burned
the trees and rubbiih, and carried away all
the afhes ; but lying handily for his vale
lands, .he attempted to cultivate a part of it,
but without any fuccefs : in a few years
after he remarked, that a little rill of
water, which had broken from a fmali
flream, and came down from the mountain
fide, had fpreadjtftlf over a part of this ntg^
ledted landj and in a year after this acci-
dent, which happened from the fhiveriqp-
of a rock, he .took notice, that the land,
over which this little water went, was of
a fine yerdurq, from a full growth of grafs -,
he examined it, and found the land quite
found, and no bog formed j he cyt the
grafs for hay, it made what was very
good, and was confumed by the cattle with
eagernefs. He had fenfe enough to efleem
this as an ufeful difcovery, as jt pointed out
to him a method of improving this wafta
track, and making it very profitable. He
immediately inclofed a field of ten acres,
and cut little channels to bring the water
all over it, and the effect was equal; he
gained by it the heft piece of grafs of any
in his farm; this encouraged him to

take

374 TRAVELS THROUGH

take in another field of as many acres, over
which he a!fo brought the water, and it
proved equally beneficial with the pre-
ceding ; and in this manner he proceeded,
every year taking in ten acres of land, which
he has continued to the prefent time, gain-
ing in the whole one hundred and thirty
acres by this method -, but there is not above
ten acres more over which he can throw
the water. He has been forced to vary his
flooding, flopping the water in fome fields
while he throws it over others ; and this
has proved better for the land, than keep-
ing it conftantly on one. He flops it time
enough in- fummer for a growth of hay ;
and while that is growing, he throws it over
thofe fields that are fed, and contrives to feed
and mow interchangeably.

This difcovery of improving wafle land,
by water running over it, and converting it
to be profitable, may> I apprehend, turn
out of great utility in every country ; for
there are, in all mountainous ones, very
numerous tracks that would admit fuch a
watering as this with the greateft eafe, and,
comparatively fpeaking, at no expence -, but
for want of the fact being knov/n, fuch
trials have not been made. The fuccefs of
this fenfibie farmer convinced the neigh-

bourinc:

SWEDEN. 375

bouring peafants of the benefit of it, before
he had got half through his improvements ;
all of them that had wafte lands adjoining
the mountains, and over which they could
carry little rills of water, immediately did
it, and their fuccefs has been anfwerable to
his ; which fhews, that it is not any thing
peculiar in his foil or water, but common
to all. And fome of thefe peafants have
undertaken this improvement about three
miles off, where there is a large fli el ving plain,
with feveral broken ftreams that come
down from the tops of the hills, and are
profecuting their watering and inclofures
very brifkly. It has alfo reached the vil-
lage of Lynftone, eight miles off, where
feveral peafants have pradifed it with fuc-
cefs.

Farmer Sligwelhurft is not a good huf-
bandman in this inftance only, I viewed his
arable lands with much pleafure ; they are
well tilled, very free from weeds, and his
crops make a mofl promifing appearance.
He grows wheat, barley, oats, peafe, beans,
turnips, white carrots, and a fcrt of po-
tatoe which I had not feen before -, it is of
a greeniili, caft, grows to a large fize, and
is much relifhed by the peafants. He 'ma-
nures with the common compofi of

wood

376 TRAVELS THROUGH

wood allies and dung j and as he ploughs his
land often and well, gets fine crops ; of
wheat he has up to three quarters an acre;
of barley, two and an half; of oats and
peafe, four quarters ; and of a dwarf fort of
hardy bean, five quarters not unfrequently.
An acre of his turnips, with good manage-
ment, winters three head of cattle ; an acre
of carrots as many ; and the potatoes yield
fo confiderably, that he keeps many hogs
entirely on them.

I enquired of him where he found a
market for the produ6ls of his farm, as al-
moft every family, I had obferved, had a
little farm of their own : he faid, that his
principal commodities for fale, were but-
ter and cheefe, and falted pork, beef, and
mutton, with fome wool -, and which he
fends in panniers on horfes to a river about
fixteen miles from him, which is navigable
for boats to Lake Silia, where there are
fa6lors who purchafe all forts of commo-
dities,, which they refell to the miners of
Geftricia : and this he reckoned a very ad-
vantageous market to go to, as it was con-
fiderable enough to take off much greater
quantities than all Dalecarlia could produce,
they being principally fupplied acrofs the
gulph from Finland, &c.

Thefe

SWEDEN. 377

Thefe are circumftances which, I own,
inake me wonder very much, that greater
quantities of the lands of this country are
not cultivated. I fhould apprehend, in-
deed, the fadt is as plain as any can be, that
they would admit it ; for this farmer, who
is acquainted with all the country around
for many miles^ told me, that he knows
many plains, that contain thoufands of
acres, and innumerable fpots on the iides of
hills, from one to two or three hundred
acres each, which would admit of every im-
provement and culture which he has prac-
tifed ; fo that it is a miilaken idea to ima-
gine, that becaufe a country is extremely
mountainous, that therefore it will admit
of very little culture. Dalecarlia, they told
me at Stockholm, was a country but little
fuperior to Lapland, and affured me, that
I fliouldfee nothing but rugged mountains,
and boundlefs forefts ; the face of it, in ge-
neral, is fo; but the fpots that are in fertility
are equal to any plains, are very numerous,
and would of themfelves make a very fine pro-
vince. They want nothing but people pro-
perly convinced of the importance of agricul-
ture; andfuch a people a government in har-
mony, and really zealous to cultivate a coun-
try, could prelently get. 1 am periaade4.
Vol. II. C c from

378 TRAVELS THROUGH

from what I have feen of the Dalecarllans,
that if an exemption from the poll-tax was
allowed to every farmer, who inclofed and
improved fifty acres of wafte land, it would
give a new face to abundance of the terri-
tory. This tax is not fevere, but they think
it difgraceful, becaufe ^he province was once
exempted from it.

In the morning of the 23d I took my
leave of the induftrious Sligwelhurft, and
went to Serna, which is two and thirty
miles, where I met with nothing worthy
of obfervation. It is a little village, the pea-
fants of which have nothing more than gar-
dens, The whole country is, however, amaz-
ingly rnagnificent, as the eye commands
fuch ranges of thick wood as to be al-
moft unbounded.

From Serna I turned full Eaft to Her-
dala, the diftance near fixty miles, which
took me up two days, through a country
in which there is a very broad and confider-
ble flat ti'ack of land, with a river in the
middle of it. It is, as I guefs, twenty miles
acrofs, and of a far greater length. I fup-
pofe Sweden does not contain a richer track
pfland, yet very little of it is cultivated;
much of it is bog, fome marlh, but moft of
it a dry, deep, rich, found loam. At Her-

dala,

SWEDEN. 379

daia my fervant overtook me from Stock-
holm, having traced me by the informa-
tion of the peafants.

From thence I fet off the 26th for Linf-
idal, a village at the diftance of fourfcore
miles, in the province of Helfingia; and
which proved a journey of three days, through
3 more romantic, wild, and mountainous
country, than any I had yet feen.

Here therefore end my travels through
Palecarlia, in which, I muft own, I have
met with very great fatisfadion. The ho^
neft plainnefs of the inhabitants, confifting
totally of a race of peafants, gave me as much
pleafure, as the awful fublimity of the coun^
try raifed my aftonifhment. Nature may
be faid to reign in full majefly in thefe
wild and almoft defart tracks i but whatever
may be their chara6ter, a view of them is
moft certainly worthy the attention of the
jnoft cultivated minds j for they may here
read lefTons as ftriking, and as interefting,
as any in the mo|l refined and poliihed
countries.

End of the Second Volume*