surmounted by ten Corinthian pilasters; the roof is Italian. At either end of the grand entrance, which faces the north suburbs, is a bronze lion; the basement story is of granite, and the arch of the doors towards the quay are composed of rude masses of that rock; on this side there are parterres over two projecting galleries, and a garden; the chapel is very rich, and opposite to it is the hall for the meeting of the Estates, where the seats are amphitheatrically arranged, those of the nobles on the right of the throne, and those of the clergy, the bourgeois, and peasants on the left; there is a gallery round it, and the whole has a grand effect.

The chamber most interesting to us was that in which Gustavus III. expired. We saw the bed on which he lay, from the time that he was brought wounded to the palace from the masquerade at the opera-house, until he breathed his last. In this room it was that the dying prince personally examined his murderer Ankerstroem, when he confessed his guilt, and was immediately ordered to retire. The general circumstances of this melancholy catastrophe are well known; perhaps it may not be so generally so, that Ankerstroem preserved such resolute coolness at the time of the perpetration of the deed, that, in order to make sure of his mark, as the king, who was dressed in a loose domino, and without a mask, was reclining, a little oppressed by the heat, against one of the side scenes, Ankerstroem placed his hands upon the back of the sovereign, who, upon feeling him, turned shortly round, when the regicide fired. The king, who thought that he was a victim to French machinations, as he fell, exclaimed, "My assassin is a Frenchman!" the consolation of the illustrious Duke d'Enghein was denied him. The hero, the friend, and the idol of Sweden, perished by the hands of a Swede.

The royal library is very valuable, containing twenty thousand volumes, and four hundred manuscripts.

Amongst the collection are some precious books, particularly one called the Codex Aureus, from the great number of gilt letters which it contains. There are also two enormous Latin manuscripts, the vellum leaves of which are made of asses' skins, and are of an amazing size.

The opera house, built by Gustavus III., is an elegant square building. Upon the architrave is inscribed, "Patris Musis." The front is adorned with Corinthian columns and pilasters: the interior, which is small, and will not contain above nine hundred persons, is in the form of a broken ellipsis; and, even by day-light (for there was no performance during our stay), appeared to be superbly decorated. The dresses and decorations of the performers, which solely belong to the crown, we were informed, are of great value; and in these respects the Swedish opera is said to surpass every other in Europe. The royal seats are in the pit. Swedish plays are performed here, many of which were composed by the accomplished Gustavus III., whose taste in that species of composition excited the literary jealousy of old Frederick the Great. It was an admirable policy, worthy of such a genius as Gustavus, to attach a nation to its own language, by making it that of the stage; the surest, because the most flattering mode of raising it to its utmost polish.

When the illustrious victim raised this beautiful fabric from the ground, he little thought of the part which he was to perform in the sanguinary scene of the seventeenth of March, 1792, and that mimic sorrow was to yield to genuine woe. This structure, and the opposite palace of the princess Sophia Albertina, the king's aunt, which is uniform with the former, form the sides of a handsome square called la Place du Nord, and is adorned in the centre with a fine equestrian statue, in bronze, of Gustavus Adolphus, who, excepting his head, which is crowned with laurel, is in complete armour, and in his right

hand is an inclined truncheon: the horse has much animation, and the rider great elegance. This colossal statue was cast from the designs of Archeveque, a very distinguished French statuary, who dying before it was finished, left its completion to the masterly band of Sergell: it was erected in 1790. It is said that Gustavus having, upon some affair of state, observed to Oxenstiern, that he was cold and phlegmatic, and that he checked him in his career, the chancellor replied: "Sire, indeed I own that I am cold; but unless I had occasionally tempered and moderated your heat, you would have been burnt up long ago." Gustavus Adolphus never engaged in any battle, without first praying at the head of his troops; after which he used to thunder out, in a strong and energetic manner, a German hymn, in which he was joined by his whole army. The effect of thirty or forty thousand people thus singing together was wonderful and terrible. He used to say, that a man made a better soldier in proportion to his being a better christian, and there was no person so happy as those who died in the performance of their duty.

In front of this statue, to the south, the eye with pleasure contemplates an elegant stone bridge, not quite finished, crossing a rapid stream of the Mæler, at the end of which the palace displays a majestic and highly graceful back scene. This spot presents the finest architecture in the city.

The traveller will be gratified, by noticing the beautiful colonnade of solid porphyry which forms the entrance to the grand staircase of the princess Sophia Albertina's palace. A tasteful observer must regret that these exquisite columns are so much concealed. The streets of the Queen and of the Regency, in the north quarter, are by far the most handsome, and form the residence of fashion. The spire and church of Ridderholm, rising from the centre of the principal island, add to the romantic beauties of the surrounding scenery...

VOL. XXVII.

An invitation into the country enabled us to contemplate a little of the rural character of the Swedes. In our way we passed by the observatory, which stands upon an inconsiderable eminence in the north suburbs. Its horizon is too circumscribed on account of the rocks which surround it; and as the artificial heat of stoves would cloud the glasses in the winter nights, which are the best for observation, it is of very little utility. Our ride to our friends was occasionally very beautiful, but the funereal heads of our old acquaintances the firs were ever and anon presenting themselves, and shedding melancholy upon us. The chateau to which we were invited was of wood, small, but very tastefully fitted up: the grounds, which were very extensive, were delightfully laid out, and on one side rippled the waters of the Mæler, embellished by vessels of various sizes gliding upon its tranquil bosom. A short time before dinner was announced, a table was set out with bread, cheese, butter, and liqueurs. All these good things, in this hospitable region, are considered as mere preparatives for the meal which is to follow: amongst the superior orders this custom is universal. Our dinner was in the following order: pickled fish, meats, soups, fish, pastry, ice, and dried fruits: preserved gooseberries formed the sauce of the mutton, and the fish floated in a new element of honey. By the bye it rather surprizes a stranger to meet with so little sea-fish in a Country which is washed by so many seas. The herring fishery, which has hitherto been of so much importance to Sweden, has nearly disappeared. To return to our dinner: each dish was carved and handed round, as in Denmark; a'regulation truly delightful to one who abhors carving and carves badly.

The spirit of French fashion, but a little disciplined, reigns in Sweden, and gives a lightness and elegance to dress: the table, and the furniture, and even their manners, partake considerably of its gaiety, except that as soon as our amiable and elegant hostess arose,

upon our rising at the same time, we stood solemnly gazing upon each other for half a minute, and then exchanged profound bows and curtsies; these being dispatched, each gentleman tripped off with a lady under his arm, to coffee in the drawing-room.

Just as we were quitting this spot of cordial hospitality, we were stopped by the appearance of two fine female peasants from the distant province of Delecarlia their sisterhood partake very much of the erratic spirit and character of our Welch girls: they had travelled all the way on foot, to offer themselves as hay-makers; their food on the road was black bread and water, and their travelling wardrobe a solitary chemise, which, as cleanliness demanded, they washed in the passing brook, and dried on their healthy and hardy frame, which, however, was elegantly shaped; the glow of Hebe was upon their dimpled cheeks, not a little heightened by the sun, "which had made a golden set upon them;" their eyes were blue, large, sweet, and expressive; their dress was singular, composed of a jacket and short petticoat of various colours, and they were mounted upon wooden shoes with prodigious high heels, shod with iron. There was an air of neatness, innocence, delicacy, and good humour about them, which would have made even a bilious spectator happy to look upon them. Unextinguishable loyalty, great strength of body, content, and sweetness of temper, beauty of face, and symmetry of person, are said to be the characteristics of the Delecarlian mountaineers, a race rendered for ever celebrated in the history of one of the greatest men that ever adorned the historic page of Sweden, Gustavus Vasa.

We were much gratified with the palace of Drottingholm: a pleasant drive of about ten miles brought us to the island on which it stands in the lake Mæler; the road to it lay through rocks covered with firs, and over two large floating bridges; the building is large but light, and is of brick stuccoed white; the hall