CH A P T E R V .
Character o f Gujiavus III. King o f Sweden— RefleSiions on true
Glory, and the Virtues o f a Patriot King— A rts and Sciences
under Guftavus— CharaSter o f the Duke o f Sudermania, and his
ConduSt during the Regency— Animal Magnetfm encouraged at
Stockholm— CharaSter o f the prefent King o f Sweden— State o f
Religion; the Liberty o f the Prefs; and State o f the A rts and
Sciences in this Reign.
T | ''H E great object o f the late king o f Sweden in all his actions
was to make a noife in the world. From the difplay o f his
magnificence, the ihew o f his abilities and talents, which he exhibited
in many different ways, and from his fpirit o f enterprize, one
would be tempted to imagine that there was fcarcely any thing
worth notice in Sweden that did not originate with him. He 'was
ambitious that his reign (hould be fignalized as the asra o f arts and
fciences in Sweden ; as the age o f Lewis X IV . was in France. Great
and elevated minds are fometimes ieduced from the paths o f true
glory, which confifts in the exertion o f power and wifdom for the
moft benignant purpofes, to the purfuits o f mere perfonal ambition.
T h e glory o f Charles XII. o f Sweden was ruin to his country: fo is
that o f moft heroic monarchs. It may be confidered as particular
and
and extraordinary good fortune when the courage and talents o f
warlike princes find an objed worthy o f their fire and genius.
Such, happily, was the deftiny o f Guftavus Vafa and Guftavus
Adolphus, both juftly denominated G re a t: fuch was that o f the.
Princes o f Orange, whofe noble career was concluded by W i l liam
III. king o f England. But perhaps had a cauie truly glorious
been wanting to thofe princes, their natural love o f pre-eminence
and fame might have taken a left favourable direction. T he wars
o f Charles XII. were originally ju ft and honourable, but he carried
them beyond the point where they ought to have ended; and
from a frantic paffion for military exploits, he uied them for the
purpofe o f gratifying his own inclination, and not as the means o f
repelling aggreflion, and fecuring his country againft the injuftice
o f its'neighbours. How much more truly glorious would it have
been if he had flopped in his career o f vidory, and given repofe
to his bleeding and exhaufted people ! T he war in which Guf-
tavus III. engaged w’ith the Ruffians, and in which he certainly
difplayed a magnanimity and perfonal intrepidity in no degree
inferior to thofe o f his braveft aneeftors, was provoked by the
intrigues and the overbearing pretenfions o f the northern auto-
craly. But the experiment whether Guftavus, had it been in his
power, would not have preferred the gratification o f his own ambition
to the folid interefts o f his- country, was never fairly tried.
A peace between the Ruffians and the Turks was unavoidably
followed by an accommodation between the Ruffians and the
Swedes, by which the latter certainly obtained the greateft ffiare
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