foribed vincere aut mors.* Many paffages are here tranfcribed
from Cornelius Nepos and Quintus Curtius. Befides books, the
library comprehends a cabinet o f natural hiitory and another of
antient and modern medals, and likewife a collection o f original
Flemiih, Dutch, and Italian paintings. T he whole forms a
monument of that love o f fcience, and taile for the fine arts,
which lb eminently diilinguiihed the queen o f Sweden, mother
to Guilavus III. and filler to Frederic the Great o f Pruflia. The
medals are depofited in eight cheits, with one hundred and twenty
drawers. The princefs ju il mentioned inflituted alfo an academy
o f belles-lettres, who, during her life time, held their meetings
at Drottningholm. T he palace o f Drottningholm farther offers
to your view a gallery o f paintings, the principal fubjecls o f
which are, the battles and viftories o f the kings and princes o f
Sweden.
Every year an exhibition takes place at Drottningholm, at the
king’s expence, reprefenting a tournament, in which all the laws
o f chivalry are obferved with the greatefl exaCtnels. This fheW,
which is generally attended by an immenfe crowd o f fpeCtators,
carries the imagination hack for four or five centuries.. It was
particularly brought into vogue by Guilavus III. who was a great
lover o f whatever tended to imprefs the mind with ideas o f grandeur.
His prefent Majefly, who fkews a difpofition to tread in
the footileps o f his father as much as poffible, after his acceffion to
the throne revived this yearly feilival, which during the regency
had been for fome time difcontinued. When I was in Sweden,
the day fixed for the celebration was the 30th o f Auguil. A few
days before a grand ball was given, during which the crown herald
entered the room, and proclaimed the royal challenge in the following
words: “ Guilavus the fourth, Adolphus, by the grace o f
“ God, the moil puiffant king o f the Swedes, Goths, and Vandals,
“ to all our faithful and beloved counts, barons, knights, and gen-
“ tlemen o f our kingdom, poifeifed o f gallantry and virtue, health.
“ W e make them a tender o f our royal good will, and we pray God
§j to have them in his holy keeping, all and every one o f them,
“ according to his birth, rank, and dignity. Having obferved with
“ pleafure that the nobility o f our kingdom in general, and more
“ efpecially thole’who are neareil our perfon, the officers o f our
“ crown, and other gentlemen belonging to our court, are ilill
“ animated with the noble defire o f glory, with the valour and
“ ardour for brave a ¿lions,' by which the knights o f Sweden were
“ lb greatly diilinguiihed o f old ; and that our faid nobility hath
“ on all occafions given itriking proofs o f courage ; and being
“ willing, after the example o f our anceilors, to do all within our
“ power to cherifh and fupport that precious love o f honour,
“ which forms, heroes, in the very midit o f peace; and further,
“ to preferve a tafte for warlike exercifes, by affording opportu-
“ nities to thofe poffeffed o f military ipirit to fignalize themfelves:
“ for thofe reafons we have refojved, according to antient cuilom,
“ to hold a public tournament at our caltle o f Drottningholm,
H 2 “ where