C !II A P. IV.
Univerjity o f Copenhagen.— Royal Academy o f .Sciences,__
Royal Society fo r tbe improvement o f 'Northern biflory.and
languages.— Larin fchools in .tbe Danifh dominions .— Refear
cbes into tbe origin andprogrefs o f lcelandiok literature.
— Flora Danica.— Dedcr<2«rfMutle'r.— 'Uogea Safe'on/M/s
Scc.'&c.
BvmK ^ O P E N H AGEN contains, among other literaryjinftjfcu-
— *— Sj tions, an Univerfity, and an Aoa&emy •etf-S&eaessi The
former was founded, in 1479, by Chriitian L and lias linee
been augmented and amply-endowed b y h is fneoeiidrs;
amongft whom Chriitian VI. was its greateft benefaCtor.
Under that monarch theuni-verfity was iiewlf modelled, and
feveral regulations eftabliflied, which were calculated for the
encouragement and diffufion o f general learning, It.has a
very confiderable fund ; the profeffors have liberal falaries ;
and many ftudents are iniirufted gratis.
The Royal Academy o f Sciences * owes its inftitution to
the zeal o f fix literati, whom Chriitian VI. in 1742, ordered
to arrange his cabinet o f medals. Thefe perfons occafionally
meeting for that purpofe, extended their defighs ; aflbciated
with them others who were eminent in feveral branches o f
fcience; and forming a kind o f literary fociety, employed,
themfelves in fearching into-, and explaining the hiitory and
-antiquities o f their country. The count o f Holitein warmly
* L e tt re s fu r Ie Daan en ra rc, V o l . I I . p. chin, F red erick R amus, Chriitian Lou is
53. T h e count o f Holftein was the firfl Scheid, M a rc Wold ike j-, E r ic Pontopidan,
p r e f id e n t ; and the fix perfons w h o firil and Bernhard M o t in,an. See S c rip ts a
formed the defign, were John G ram , J o a - Soc. H a t Ed ita . V . I .
patronized
patronized this fociety, and recommended it fo ftrongly c h a p .
to Chriitian VI. that, in 174 3, his Daniih majeity took ifc .
' under his proteaion, called it the Royal Academy o f Sciences,
endowed it with a fund, and ordered the members to join to
their former purfuits, natural hiitory, phyficks, and mathe-
maticks. In confequence o f the royal favour, the members
engaged withfreih zeal in their purfuits; and the academy
has publiihed 15 volumes o f tranfa&ions in the Daniih language,,
fome whereof have been tranilated into Latin.
About the fame period a fociety for the improvement o f
northern hiitory and languages was inftituted by a few
perfons, at the head o f whom waS Langebek, who has fince
greatly diitinguiihed himfelf for his hiitorical publications
Thefe perfons contributed to a colleaion o f manufcriptsj
books, coins, and other literary curiofities ; and even advanced
a fum- o f money t® fupport the expence o f their eftabliih-
ment. Many new members being admitted, Chriitian VI
with, his ufual zeal for letters, conftitufed it, in 1746, a Royal
Society, and aifigned an apartment in the palace o f Char-
lottenburgh for the placeof meeting. This fociety has proved
itfelf not unworthy o f the royal protection, having put forth
feveral publications, containing hiitorical details, titles, documents,
diplomes, rare- manufcripts and charts, which tend to
throw light upon the annals o f Denmark.
Befide the univerfities o f Copenhagen and Kiel, there is
an academy at Soroe, and two gymnafia at Odenfee and Al-
tonay and a feminary for Laplanders at Berghen in Norway.
There ar,e various Latin fchools maintained at the expence of
the crown : 19 in Denmark Proper, 4 in Norway, 1 1 in
Schlcfwick, 16 in Holitein, and- 2 in Iceland. The largeit
fchools have a rector, or upper-mafter; a corrector, or lovver-
4 ® 2 m a t t e r ;