CH A P T E R VIII.
hflitutions fo r the Purpofes o f Education in Sweden: Parifh Schools,
Public Schools, Gymnafia, and Univerfities— Account o f the Univerfity
o f Lund— The Profeffors and Students: the Method o f
teaching, and the Things that are taught— The Univerfity o f Upfala
— Some Intelligence o f the individual CharaSler o f feveral Profeffors
— The Univerfily o f Abo— General Remarks on the Swedifh Uni-
verfities— Gu/lavus III. enters the Prince Royal at the Univerfity
o f Upfala.
T | ’’H ER E is certainly no country in the world in which greater
provifion has been made, and more pains taken for the advancement
and diffufion o f knowledge among all dalles o f fociety,
than in Sweden: a proof at once o f a liberal and enlightened turn
o f mind, and o f that reipeft for the dignity and rights o f human
nature, which compenfates to rude climates the want o f many
bleffings enjoyed in more genial and productive regions. That
this praife is not bellowed on the Swedilh nation without rea-
fon, will appear from a general view o f their inilitutions for the
purpofes o f education and inilrudion, which are known by the
names o f fchools, gymnafia, and univerfities.
Every pariih has its fchool, in which the common rudiments o f
reading
reading and writing are taught. Befides this, there is a public
fchool maintained in every large town at the expence o f the crown,
in which the boys continue till about their eleventh or twelfth year,
when they are commonly fent to one o f the gymnafia. Thefe
alfo are public fchools, but upon a larger fcale than the former;
and one o f them exiils in almoft every province. From the gymnafia
the young men, at the age o f feventeen or eighteen, proceed
to one o f the univerfities, and for the greater part to Upfala. In
the gymnafia, and many o f the greater fchools, they are not only
inftruded in the Latin, Greek and Hebrew languages, but in the
principal doctrines o f theology. Thefe fchola illuftres and gymnafia,
are under the care and infpedion o f the biihops o f the re-
fpedtive diocefes in which they are eitablilhed, and where the
biihops conilantly refide. The biihops, accompanied by fome o f
the inferior clergy, and others, vifit and examine the fchools publicly
at fixed periods. T h e courfe o f education, and the books
read, are not left to the difcretion o f the teachers, but prefcribed
by public authority. A t Stockholm there is a German fchool,
which is placed under the infpcftion o f two German miniilers o f
the gorpel. In this feminary the pupils are inilruded in Grecian,
Roman, and moderm hiilory, geography and religion. T he
Swediih gentlemen are feldom contented with what may be called
a fcholailic, or a gymnailic education, but proceed either from one
o f the greater, or, as they call them, the illuftrious fchools; or
more generally from one o f the gymnafia to the univerfity. T he
fons o f wealthy tradefmen too, and peafants, have very frequently
T 2 the