letters on sweden, norway, and denmark-第15节

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they　diffused。

How　often　do　my　feelings　produce　ideas　that　remind　me　of　the　origin　of　many　poetical　fictions。　　In　solitude；　the　imagination　bodies　forth　its　conceptions　unrestrained；　and　stops　enraptured　to　adore　the　beings　of　its　own　creation。　　These　are　moments　of　bliss；　and　the　memory　recalls　them　with　delight。

But　I　have　almost　forgotten　the　matters　of　fact　I　meant　to　relate；　respecting　the　counts。　　They　have　the　presentation　of　the　livings　on　their　estates；　appoint　the　judges；　and　different　civil　officers；　the　Crown　reserving　to　itself　the　privilege　of　sanctioning　them。　　But　though　they　appoint；　they　cannot　dismiss。　　Their　tenants　also　occupy　their　farms　for　life；　and　are　obliged　to　obey　any　summons　to　work　on　the　part　he　reserves　for　himself；　but　they　are　paid　for　their　labour。　　In　short；　I　have　seldom　heard　of　any　noblemen　so　innoxious。

Observing　that　the　gardens　round　the　count's　estate　were　better　cultivated　than　any　I　had　before　seen；　I　was　led　to　reflect　on　the　advantages　which　naturally　accrue　from　the　feudal　tenures。　　The　tenants　of　the　count　are　obliged　to　work　at　a　stated　price；　in　his　grounds　and　garden；　and　the　instruction　which　they　imperceptibly　receive　from　the　head　gardener　tends　to　render　them　useful；　and　makes　them；　in　the　common　course　of　things；　better　husbandmen　and　gardeners　on　their　own　little　farms。　　Thus　the　great；　who　alone　travel　in　this　period　of　society；　for　the　observation　of　manners　and　customs　made　by　sailors　is　very　confined；　bring　home　improvement　to　promote　their　own　comfort；　which　is　gradually　spread　abroad　amongst　the　people；　till　they　are　stimulated　to　think　for　themselves。

The　bishops　have　not　large　revenues；　and　the　priests　are　appointed　by　the　king　before　they　come　to　them　to　be　ordained。　　There　is　commonly　some　little　farm　annexed　to　the　parsonage；　and　the　inhabitants　subscribe　voluntarily；　three　times　a　year；　in　addition　to　the　church　fees；　for　the　support　of　the　clergyman。　　The　church　lands　were　seized　when　Lutheranism　was　introduced；　the　desire　of　obtaining　them　being　probably　the　real　stimulus　of　reformation。　　The　tithes；　which　are　never　required　in　kind；　are　divided　into　three　partsone　to　the　king；　another　to　the　incumbent；　and　the　third　to　repair　the　dilapidations　of　the　parsonage。　　They　do　not　amount　to　much。　　And　the　stipend　allowed　to　the　different　civil　officers　is　also　too　small；　scarcely　deserving　to　be　termed　an　independence；　that　of　the　custom…house　officers　is　not　sufficient　to　procure　the　necessaries　of　lifeno　wonder；　then；　if　necessity　leads　them　to　knavery。　　Much　public　virtue　cannot　be　expected　till　every　employment；　putting　perquisites　out　of　the　question；　has　a　salary　sufficient　to　reward　industry；whilst　none　are　so　great　as　to　permit　the　possessor　to　remain　idle。　　It　is　this　want　of　proportion　between　profit　and　labour　which　debases　men；　producing　the　sycophantic　appellations　of　patron　and　client；　and　that　pernicious　esprit　du　corps；　proverbially　vicious。

The　farmers　are　hospitable　as　well　as　independent。　　Offering　once　to　pay　for　some　coffee　I　drank　when　taking　shelter　from　the　rain；　I　was　asked；　rather　angrily；　if　a　little　coffee　was　worth　paying　for。　They　smoke；　and　drink　drams；　but　not　so　much　as　formerly。　Drunkenness；　often　the　attendant　disgrace　of　hospitality；　will　here；　as　well　as　everywhere　else；　give　place　to　gallantry　and　refinement　of　manners；　but　the　change　will　not　be　suddenly　produced。

The　people　of　every　class　are　constant　in　their　attendance　at　church；　they　are　very　fond　of　dancing；　and　the　Sunday　evenings　in　Norway；　as　in　Catholic　countries；　are　spent　in　exercises　which　exhilarate　the　spirits　without　vitiating　the　heart。　　The　rest　of　labour　ought　to　be　gay；　and　the　gladness　I　have　felt　in　France　on　a　Sunday；　or　Decadi；　which　I　caught　from　the　faces　around　me；　was　a　sentiment　more　truly　religious　than　all　the　stupid　stillness　which　the　streets　of　London　ever　inspired　where　the　Sabbath　is　so　decorously　observed。　　I　recollect；　in　the　country　parts　of　England；　the　churchwardens　used　to　go　out　during　the　service　to　see　if　they　could　catch　any　luckless　wight　playing　at　bowls　or　skittles；　yet　what　could　be　more　harmless？　　It　would　even；　I　think；　be　a　great　advantage　to　the　English；　if　feats　of　activity　（I　do　not　include　boxing　matches）　were　encouraged　on　a　Sunday；　as　it　might　stop　the　progress　of　Methodism；　and　of　that　fanatical　spirit　which　appears　to　be　gaining　ground。　　I　was　surprised　when　I　visited　Yorkshire；　on　my　way　to　Sweden；　to　find　that　sullen　narrowness　of　thinking　had　made　such　a　progress　since　I　was　an　inhabitant　of　the　country。　　I　could　hardly　have　supposed　that　sixteen　or　seventeen　years　could　have　produced　such　an　alteration　for　the　worse　in　the　morals　of　a　place　yes；　I　say　morals；　for　observance　of　forms；　and　avoiding　of　practices；　indifferent　in　themselves；　often　supply　the　place　of　that　regular　attention　to　duties　which　are　so　natural；　that　they　seldom　are　vauntingly　exercised；　though　they　are　worth　all　the　precepts　of　the　law　and　the　prophets。　　Besides；　many　of　these　deluded　people；　with　the　best　meaning；　actually　lose　their　reason；　and　become　miserable；　the　dread　of　damnation　throwing　them　into　a　state　which　merits　the　term；　and　still　more；　in　running　after　their　preachers；　expecting　to　promote　their　salvation；　they　disregard　their　welfare　in　this　world；　and　neglect　the　interest　and　comfort　of　their　families；　so　that；　in　proportion　as　they　attain　a　reputation　for　piety；　they　become　idle。

Aristocracy　and　fanaticism　seem　equally　to　be　gaining　ground　in　England；　particularly　in　the　place　I　have　mentioned；　I　saw　very　little　of　either　in　Norway。　　The　people　are　regular　in　their　attendance　on　public　worship；　but　religion　does　not　interfere　with　their　employments。

As　the　farmers　cut　away　the　wood　they　clear　the　ground。　　Every　year；　therefore；　the　country　is　becoming　fitter　to　support　the　inhabitants。　　Half　a　century　ago　the　Dutch；　I　am　told；　only　paid　for　the　cutting　down　of　the　wood；　and　the　farmers　were　glad　to　get　rid　of　it　without　giving　themselves　any　trouble。　　At　present　they　form　a　just　estimate　of　its　value；　nay；　I　was　surprised　to　find　even　firewood　so　dear　when　it　appears　to　be　in　such　plenty。　　The　destruction；　or　gradual　reduction；　of　their　forests　will　probably　ameliorate　the　climate；　and　their　manners　will　naturally　improve　in　the　same　ratio　as　industry　requires　ingenuity。　　It　is　very　fortunate　that　men　are　a　long　time　but　just　above　the　brute　creation；　or　the　greater　part　of　the　earth　would　never　have　been　rendered　habitable；　because　it　is　the　patient　labour　of　men；　who　are　only　seeking　for　a　subsistence；　which　produces　whatever　embellishes　existence；　affording　leisure　for　the　cultivation　of　the　arts　and　sciences　that　lift　man　so　far　above　his　first　state。　　I　never；　my　friend；　thought　so　deeply　of　the　advantages　obtained　by　human　industry　as　since　I　have　been　in　Norway。　　The　world　requires；　I　see；　the　hand　of　man　to　perfect　it；　and　as　this　task　naturally　unfolds　the　faculties　he　exercises；　it　is　physically　impossible　that　he　should　have　remained　in　Rousseau's　golden　age　of　stupidity。　　And；　considering　the　question　of　human　happiness；　where；　oh　where　does　it　reside？　　Has　it　taken　up　its　abode　with　unconscious　ignorance　or　with　the　high…　wrought　mind？　　Is　it　the　offspring　of　thoughtless　animal　spirits　or　the　dye　of　fancy　continually　flitting　round　the　expected　pleasure？

The　increasing　population　of　the　earth　must　necessarily　tend　to　its　improvement；　as　the　means　of　existence　are　multiplied　by　invention。

You　have　probably　made　similar　reflections　in　America；　where　the　face　of　the　country；　I　suppose；　resembles　the　wilds　of　Norway。　　I　am　delighted　with　the　romantic　views　I　daily　contemplate；　animated　by　the　purest　air；　and　I　am　interested　by　the　simplicity　of　manners　which　reigns　around　me。　　Still　nothing　so　soon　wearies　out　the　feelings　as　unmarked　simplicity。　　I　am　therefore　half　convinced　that　I　could　not　live　very　comfortably　exiled　from　the　countries　where　mankind　are　so　much　further　advanced　in　knowledge；　imperfect　as　it　is；　and　unsatisfactory　to　the　thinking　mind。　　Even　now　I　begin　to　long　to　hear　what　you　are　doing　in　England　and　France。　　My　thoughts　fly　from　this　wilderness　to　the　polished　circles　of　the　world；　till　recollecting　its　vices　and　follies；　I　bury　myself　in　the　woods；　but　find　it　necessary　to　emerge　again；　that　I　may　not　lose　sight　of　the　wisdom　and　virtue　which　exalts　my　nature。

What　a　long　time　it　requires　to　know　ourselves；　and　yet　almost　every　one　has　more　of　this　knowledge　than　he　is　willing　to　own；　even　to　himself。　　I　cannot　immediately　determine　whether　I　ought　to　rejoice　at　having　turned　over　in　this　solitude　a　new　page　in　the　history　of　my　own　heart；　though　I　may　venture　to　assure　you　that　a　further　acquaintance　with　mankind　only　tends　to　increase　my　respect　for　your　judgment　and　esteem　for　your　character。　　Farewell！



LETTER　X。



I　have　once　more；　my　friend；　taken　flight；　for　I　left　Tonsberg　yesterday；　but　with　an　intention　of　returning　in　my　way　back　to　Sweden。

The　road　to　Laurvig　is　very　fine；　and　the　country　the　best　cultivated　in　Norway。　　I　never　before　admired　the　beech　tree；　and　when　I　met　stragglers　here　they　pleased　me　still　less。　　Long　and　lank；　they　wou