185

NOTES OF A TOUR IN NORTHERN EUROPE.

PART THE FOURTH.

In regard to the means of obtaining information by personal communication we had, however, no just cause of complaint, as our vessel had, on almost each day of the voyage, a succession and variety of passengers, of sufficient intelligence to satisfy the curiosity of the most general inquirer.

These fellow travellers consisted in a considerable proportion of officers of the army and navy, as well as nobles, merchants, and pleasure-seeking idlers, and of these, several were familiar with both the English and French languages, though German is in this quarter confessedly the more usual acquirement. The Swedish people appear to me to be mild and amiable in their manners, and generally accessible to conversation, so that an opportunity is thus readily afforded of acquiring information in regard to the country, as well as the state of public opinion, which I regret not having made use of to the full extent that might have been practicable.

By comparing the various statements and opinions thus to be met with among natives of the country, a moderately correct knowledge of public affairs and national habits might no doubt be acquired. Indeed, so frank and unaffected do Swedish travellers appear to be, particularly as addressed while walking the quarter-deck of a steam-packet, that I am disposed to think, as much useful information might be obtained in this manner by a person conversant with the language of the country, as in the more restrained saloons of city society.

I beg to be understood as speaking thus, only of what it might be possible for a person, possessed of the necessary qualifications, to do, freely confessing, that the trifling information which a limited industry, and a still more limited knowledge of languages, enabled me to acquire, is quite unworthy of the many favourable opportunities that daily presented themselves.

To commence, however, with a brief digest of the political sentiments thus received, it would appear that his present majesty, Charles John, is fully as popular as an elected sovereign, who has latterly had few opportunities of distinguishing himself, could reasonably expect to be after a long lapse of years in the kingdom of the stranger; and that his public career has been more useful in civil and in economical improvements than might have been anticipated from a purely military ruler.

Many Swedes, of course, profess, that his majesty's ameliorations in the system of government, being more in detail than in principle, are to be considered insignificant, and blame him more especially for continuing to support a larger military establishment than the defence of the kingdom requires, or her pecuniary means authorise. This objection, in regard to the unnecessary extent of military preparation, though perhaps strictly speaking correct, is one which it might have proved difficult for the king's government to avoid; indeed, I believe the principal apology for the present extent of the civil, as well as the military establishment of so poor a kingdom, is the necessity of conciliating, by means of lucrative appointments, a nobility which might otherwise have proved sufficiently disposed to discontent. I believe it may with truth be stated, that Prince Oscar's popularity exceeds even that of his father; his manners and disposition being so popular and amiable, that he is a personal favourite with all who have

had access to him, and is, in fact, regarded as the future hope of the kingdom. He fortunately speaks the language of the country with entire fluency, which his father, like a true Frenchman, has never learned to do: it is therefore reasonable to expect, that when the period shall arrive for Prince Oscar to ascend the Scandinavian throne, his succession will be tranquil, and it may be hoped, his reign popular. His princess, who is a daughter of Prince Eugene of Leuchtenberg, is much esteemed, and is, in fact, the adored of all Swedish adorers.

The deliberative institutions of Sweden consist of no less than four representative chambers, which, if either number or variety constituted freedom, ought to be sufficient to satisfy, in that respect, the most zealous of liberals. I fear, however, though wisdom has been sagely said to consist in the multitude of counsellors, that practical good government does not invariably follow in a measure at all proportionate to the aggregate number which form the deliberative assemblies of a kingdom. Each of the nobles of Sweden, and they amount to about 2000 male heads of families, is entitled to a seat in the Chamber of Peers, though a greater number than 300 members is rarely found to attend. This chamber forms one branch of the legislature. The clergy are, in like manner, represented by a chamber of about sixty members, elected from their body; and the agricultural and town interests are similarly represented, each having a chamber, the former consisting of about 130, and the latter of about 90 members, devoted to its own interests. As might be anticipated, it sometimes proves impracticable to induce these various assemblies to arrive at harmonious decisions in matters of business, and thus the good intentions of the king's government on one hand, or the intelligence and liberality of the Borough Chamber on the other, are so frequently nullified by the other branches, that the progress of legislation is frequently much impeded.

It might therefore, I conceive, prove extremely desirable in the first place, to grant the reverend representatives of the clergy a perpetual leave of absence from such unseemly political contentions as they are at present subject to; and, in the second place, to give to the chamber of the nobles a more disinterested character, by excluding from it all those holding appointments or pensions from the government.

It is stated, that at present more than three fourths of the members of this chamber are so circumstanced, that in effect the collective opinion of the chamber is merely an echo to the wishes of the government.

The present state of political bias is, according to my informants, such, that while the votes of the chambers of the nobles and clergy are invariably at the service of the king's government, those of the two more democratic chambers are very frequently adverse to it, the one from its greater enlightenment and liberalism, and the other from the rustic ignorance of its members.

Small Swedish landholders, like great English country squires, find it impossible to carry their mental optics beyond the interests of the soil and number one. Did England, happily for her welfare, like Sweden, possess a chamber composed purely of town and city members, that ingenious method of starvation, the corn-laws, inflicted by her landowners on the people, could never have existed in her statute-book.

The members of both the chambers, which represent the people, as well as of that representing the clergy, receive from their constituents a daily pecuniary allowance, to cover their probable expenditure, from the time of leaving their homes on public duty, till their return to them.

Sweden is so cheap a country, that ten dollars rix gilt, which is little

more than as many shillings of our money, is considered so amply suf ficient for this purpose, that these appointments are often sought for, as much on account of their pecuniary rewards as the political power they

confer.

The exercise of the constitutional privilege of sending representatives to those chambers, is, I believe, compulsory, and the expense attending it is considered not a little burthensome by some of the poorer constituencies of both town and country. As a means, however, of realising greater economy in this respect to the less wealthy districts, it has been permitted that one deputy may represent either several towns, or several counties (Harads), as the case may be; and jobbing legislators have thus been enabled to do the political business of a variety of constituencies, by competition and contract, and on more economical conditions than those alluded to as being generally paid. But a legislator of this description, however many towns or counties he may represent, has nevertheless only one vote in his chamber, and the system has latterly been carried to such a ludicrous extent, that it has been found necessary considerably to narrow its limits. For instance, during a late session, one clever monopolising deputy represented, I was informed, no fewer than twenty-seven different districts, and was thus enabled to maintain a bureau of clerks, and conduct an extent of political business equal to that of a minister of state.

The members of the Swedish Chamber of Peers receive, it appears, no pecuniary allowance during the period of attendance to their legislative duties; but all accounts agree in stating, that, were poverty the rule on this point, they are by no means so circumstanced generally as to be beyond the necessity of such an allowance.

This ignoble state of penury, and the want of any stipend from the body they represent, is no doubt a main cause of the subserviency of the chamber of the nobles to the king's government, which possesses certain means of making amends for that deficiency, by pensions and the emoluments of place.

The diet of the kingdom must, it appears, according to the fundamental laws of the constitution, be assembled at least once in each five years, and should then continue sitting for three months; but its actual duration is generally much longer. The king likewise possesses the power of assembling a special diet in the event of war or any other great public emergency.

Sweden is one of the most exclusively Protestant countries of Europe, and the clergy are stated to be an esteemed and estimable body of men, holding a deservedly high place in the affections of their parishioners. The emoluments of the parish clergy, according to the information we received, vary from about 1000 up to 4000 dollars Banco per annum that is, from 80% to 3201. sterling. In like manner the revenues of the bishops were reported to us, to range from 5000 to 10,000 dollars Banco, which is equal to from 400l. to 8007. English.

It may not be improper, however, to hint a suspicion, that the Swedish gentlemen, who furnished me with these details, seemed aware that the incomes of their clergy and ecclesiastical dignitaries must appear small in English eyes, and were therefore possibly disposed to make them appear as considerable as the stubbornness of facts would permit. It may be added, that these gentlemen, without any exception, spoke of their clergy with entire respect, and without any of that soreness of feeling which is frequently met with in England, in regard particularly to the more wealthy members of the profession, from an impression that the over-abundant temporalities of a wealthy church are occasionally as much the objects of their ambition

as the cure of souls. By the old laws of Sweden each clergyman is entitled to a tenth part of the rents of his parish; but of late years this regulation has in point of practice met with considerable modifications.

That greatest of blessings for a people, the diffusion of elementary education among them, seems to be here very generally realised, insomuch that the inhabitants at large are, with scarcely any exceptions, capable of reading, while the younger members of the community generally aspire to the honours of penmanship as well as the equally useful mysteries of arithmetical lore.

Among the passengers who performed with us the entire voyage to Stockholm, was a Captain Lillyehok, of the Swedish navy, who purposes next season to assume the command of a new steam-packet, which is to voyage across these lakes. Captain Lillyehok speaks excellent English, is a highly intelligent man, and a member of one of the oldest noble families of Sweden, added to which, we found him at all times ready to be communicative and obliging; indeed, from our experience of this gentleman's urbanity, it might be regarded as an object of some importance for English travellers to perform, when practicable, this voyage across Sweden under his auspices. In other vessels it might no doubt frequently happen that no person could be found on board capable of understanding either English or French, and from this considerable inconvenience might arise.

We had also a fellow passenger to Stockholm, an English half-pay officer, who has, for shooting purposes, been living in Mr. Lloyd's neighbourhood, near Trollhättan, for several years. This gentleman being considerably less ambitious than his friend, the great Nimrod of the north, appears to have limited his sporting attention to the feathered tribe.

Indeed, so exclusive in this respect does his devotion to the game-bag appear to have been, that, in reference to other subjects of more general interest, his information was occasionally not so minute as we could have desired it to be. From our fellow travellers' statements in reference to the all-important objects of his sojourn, it would appear that Sweden is not quite so much the paradise of sportsmen as it has sometimes been reported; for, though permission to shoot is everywhere readily obtained, yet the result of a day's sporting is seldom very considerable. For example, after much watching and creeping, three or four capercaillie would be considered sufficient success by even a first-rate sportsman. Many English gentlemen have of late years visited this country on shooting excursions, but, according to our informant, to kill six or eight brace of black grouse in a day would be considered as a great result on any of the best moors in Sweden. Partridges likewise are here much less abundant than they are in either England or Scotland. That disagreeable crawling pursuit, duck-shooting, no doubt often leads to greater sporting results in Sweden than with us, but as an amusement it is altogether unworthy of being compared to the excitement of the moors, even when considered apart from that buoyancy of spirit which bounding over an elastic heath never fails to produce. A little jeu de mots which occurred the other day on board our vessel, between a German and a Swede, may possibly in the absence of any thing better be deemed not altogether unworthy of repetition. It appears that the German presumed to banter the Swede, on a circumstance which, until within the last few years, is reported to have been general in the naval service of this country, namely, that of officers wearing long brass spurs on their quarter decks. In reference to these the German not unnaturally asked cui bono, as naval officers could, while at sea, have no opportunity of riding. From this the Swede ventured to dissent, adding in apparent simplicity, and a happy unconsciousness that he was perpetrating so vile an

offence as a pun, that they had often occasion to ride at anchor. On hearing this defence of the old national practice, all those present were naturally disposed to merriment, unless indeed the innocent, and apparently unconscious cause of it.

We had likewise as fellow passengers several Swedish ladies, and if it be permitted to judge from them of their country-women at large, they would appear to be blessed with peculiarly mild dispositions, and manners at once natural and elegant. Among their number was a native belle of no inconsiderable attractions, with flaxen hair, soft blue eyes, and an almost alabaster purity of complexion.

To her all the more gallant men of our steam-boat party were of course busy offering homage, and fluttering around the most attractive flower of our floating garden; but, as the beauty's list of languages did not extend beyond Swedish and German, we were compelled to rest satisfied with a quiet admiration of those soft tones, and softer glances, with which she favoured the circle of her more immediate worshippers.

The most interesting portion of the scenery through which we passed, was without question that on the Mälar lake during the last day of our voyage. Some of the more narrow arms of this lake, having their banks densely covered with the usual, and never ending, pine trees, reminded me of the exuberant forest vegetation which adorns the river banks of Western Africa, and this resemblance was further increased by the general absence of either villages or cultivation : indeed, so unfrequent was the sight of either, that at times we might have fancied ourselves voyaging among the yet undiscovered northern wilds of nature. On arriving at the quay of Stockholm we unexpectedly found ourselves surrounded by a little fleet of six or eight steam-boats, which are daily employed in the navigation of the Mälar and other lakes. What particular object the Custom-house officers of the port of Stockholm may have in minutely examining the luggage of passengers arriving from the interior of the kingdom, we could not divine, but of course submitted, as was our duty, to the powers and laws that be. In many of the more frequented cities of Europe the honour of carrying a traveller's baggage becomes the subject of such violent competition, as frequently amounts to a scramble, among rival porters, and we were soon doomed to discover, that the comparatively quiet city of Stockholm was no exception to this general law of rivalry in the carrying profession.

Another difficulty, and certainly a very unusual one, likewise occurred to us in regard to procuring accommodation; for, there seems to be only two hotels properly so called in Stockholm, and one of these is named par excellence, the Hôtel Garni. These, and several of the best known lodging houses happening to be full, we had just begun to despair of finding for ourselves any place of rest, when Andrew Bergland, who usually acts as valet de place to English travellers, happily came to our rescue, and was the means of speedily installing us in a set of the best apartments in the city, namely, those belonging to Madam Forsall, in the Drottning Garden.

The general system pursued here by travellers is that of hiring private apartments from week to week, and dining at one of the public restaurants. There are perhaps few things more tantalising than for a traveller on arriving in a strange city, in the hope of having all his fatigue and discomfort speedily atoned for, to be buffetted about from one lodging house to another, in the manner that we and nearly all the other steam-boat passengers were. Some of our companions, we were indeed informed, being unable to procure any accommodation on shore, found themselves under the necessity of returning to the steam-boat for the night, and there the good-natured "Lilla flickas