b o o k erudition. Upon examining a few of his notes, I was ftruck
v. . V.iv with the refemblance between him and the emperor Rho-
dolph HI Both thefe fovereigns began their reigns with the
faireft hopes ; both were not only the zealous protestors of
learning, but even men of letters themfelves, as well verfed
in polite literature as ikilled in the abftrufer fciences * both
were ftrongly addiited to judicial aftrology, and drawing from
the various combinations o f the heavenly bodies a prefage
o f their own good or ill fortune, in the 'molt common as well
as the moft important occurrences of life. Both Were jealous,
even to mifery, of their relations and fubjeits ; and both
were at length depofed by their brothers, whom they had
driven by their fufpicions to confpire againft them; with this
difference only, that Rhodolph, though compelled to renounce
the imperial throne in favour o f Matthias, yet rèmained king
of Bohemia until his death, and was not, like Eric, impri-
foned and murdered. Rhodolph, indeed, though equally
jealous and fufpicious, was not guilty o f fuch excelles and
cruelties as difgrace the reign of Eric ; but both were equally
incapable o f governing, though endowed with excellent un-
derftandings, and acquainted with every branch o f fcience.
There are in this library of Upfala a few manufcripts of
the clafficks o f much importance ; but the printed editions
are numerous and good.
Having defired the librarian to ihew me the firft book
printed in Sweden, he pointed out to me Dialogus Creatura-
rum moralizatus, put forth at Stockholm in 1483, by John
* C e lfiu s fays o r E r ic X I V . “ E ra t ille “ ,ap p r is tou t c e q u ’on pou va it fa voir alors,
“ plurimis fcientiis ita infEruérus, u t majo- “ e x cep té à rem p lir fes devoirs de Souverain,
o rem ce rte a lit cris quaro a fcep tro g lo r î- “ I l aimait beaucoup mieux s’ inftruire avec
4< am repo rta v erit.” B ib . TTpf. H ift, p . 4 . “ le fam eu x T ic h o B rah e, que tenir les
A n d V o lta ir e fays as ju ft ly o f R hod olph I I . “ états de Hongrie e t d e Bobeme. Hilh
L a philofophie q u ’ il cu ltiv a it, lu i avait Univ. c .1 4 .7 . '
Snell, a German printer, invited into Sweden by the admi- chap.
niftrator Steen Sture. I ' .
Before I clofe my account o f the univerfity library, I muft
take notice o f a beautiful cabinet o f ebony and cyprefs, ornamented
with precious ftones, which was prefented, in 1632 ,
by the-city o f Auglburgh to Guftavus Adolphus. It contains,
among other pieces -of curiofity, a large agate, two fpans
long, and one and an half broad. On one part o f the ftone
is painted the Day o f Judgement; and on another the Paf-
fage o f the Ifraelites through the Red Sea. The figures are
done in a very good ftyle o f colouring, fimilar to that ufed
by the German painters immediate fuccefTors o f Albert Durer.
The artift has very ingeniouily exprefled the clouds and the
water by the natural tints and ihades o f the ftone; and indeed
they reprefent, with as much boldnefs and nature as the
fineft painting could effeit, the wall o f water fufpended for
a paflage to the Ifraelites, and the waves rolling back with
fury upon Pharaoh and his hoft. The artift, whofe name
was John King, has drawn his own portrait lying at the feet
of the pope among the bleft in heaven.
I hold myfelf greatly indebted to the polite-attention o f
Mr. Eric Michael Jant, fub-librarian, who kindly accompanied
me to the library, and favoured me in the readieft manner
with every pdflible information. He was fo obliging as to
prefent me with feveral traits upon the Icelandick, Lapland,
and other Northern languages, Celfius’s account o f the library
of Upfala, and other rare diflertations ; from which I
have drawn confiderable intelligence.
I waited, with a letter o f recommendation, upon Mr. Berg- •
man, profeflor o f chemiftry in the univerfity, whofe fame
ftands high among the learned o f all nations, and whofe reputation
is defervedly eftabliihed for his ufeful and accurate
refearches,