4 9 6 - D e n M a r k .
G overn-
MENT. '
Laws.
Population.
Colonies.
A rm y .
Navy.
Jtevenue.
that they did not reftore the national council* fo conftituted and
balanced. It is indeed not a little remarkable that, (ince that period,
the genius of Denmark has ever yielded to that of Sweden, a propf that
an abfolute fovereign in fadt. weakens his own power.; for liberty is the
' parent of induftry and exertion,*and a free people can iupgly fbength
and refources to the throne, infinitely furpaffing thofe pf defpotifm.
The Danifli government has however 'been generally conducted
with mildnefs and moderation; and their regal ads pafs through many
councils, who carefully obferve the legal forms-. . ! ThelaWs arc chiefly
comprized in the code of Ghrilliern V, who reigned in the end. of the
feventeenth century. This code-cPnfifts o f fix books: 1. onjudge-
mentand judges: 2, religion and religious orders: h 3c civil and economical
affairs: 4. navigation and maritime laws: 5. property : .6* crimes:
forming only. a. fmall- volume "like the laws o f Sweden,.RMia, .and
PruflSa; while in the fouth o f Europe a life mightbe Odhfiiniedan
perufing the laws of feme o f the ftates.
The population o f the Daniffi dominions is computed at twd millions
and a half; though there feem little room to infer that it yields.' t'0!-th,at
of Sweden. If we fuppofe the fquare contents to be about 180,000
miles, there will only be 12 inhabitants to the fquare rtiil'e.' Norway
is not fuppofed to contain more than yqOjOooJfbuls,' nor fcjlkntd'above
56,000, the former only yielding fix,--the.latter one, to the fquare
mile. . — ' ■ . '
Denmark poffeffes fome finall colonies, , as Tranquebar on the: fcoaft
o f Coromandel, Chriftiahfburg -on the coaft of Guinea, <a fmall pattspf
Greenland in America; with three iflands in the Weft,‘ Indies jiSt,; Jan,
St. Thomas, and St. Croix, of which the - latter: was purebafed. from
France in 1733.
The army of this kingdom is computed at -70,000 .men,! of whibh
Denmark fupplies about 40,000, and Norway the remainder. fThe
nkvy confifts of 33 fhips of the line, manned by about 1 i,oob feamen,
and 5000 marines.
The annual revenue is computed, at about one, million and a half
fterling, being fuperior to that of Sweden, Denmark contributes
5 4 3 »5 5 4 h :
54355541- : N o rw ay 29'P>bp°l-:. Slefwic and,Holftein 300,6901. : the Revenues.
.Indian' iftand's'’ • the toll levied upon fhips paffing the! •
S o und 122,554k : Altona, 3,150!. T h e ex p en c e ^ b f the ftate amount i
annually to ^about 1,056,0^01.; a h i it i s , burthened with ;a debt p f ,
a^fibqjdool.'
Denmark and Norway have long ceafed to be objedts . p f terror to Political im:
the fouthern powers, and centuries have .efeipfed finc| any of the moi.
narchs has been diftinguifhed in war, whileTfhe Swtedest on the contrary ~
have maintained their martial fpirit’. -Ghriftiern' lY^wba^e'hpg, reign
extended from -iy&g*: to; 1 ^ 4 8 was-the laffi o f the warlike monarchy ;
and (ince that period the Danes have been vanquifhed in every-, cointeft,
either in §w||en or Germany- „ The.rpfqurces of the monarchy have
a'lfo beeh weakened by its- defpotifm ; and Denmark is- fittib regarded
among the European powers. 1 A trmid policy hah-long united .hei^ia
alliance with Ruflia, as a meUr o f fecurity againft Sweden ; but more
wifdotti Would1 appfeir in a firm alliance 9rithf,'’SWfe'derl*; and PttifEa
agaidft the exorbitant p’bwtr of the Ruffian empire;' To’ a nation at
war with Pfuffia, Denmark may conftitute a valuable ally f but difs-,
Migloh, and otttdr' £'cai|fes, uIfa^e ‘fegute'd this1' like! from the
influence ‘o f Auferiari pdlieyl Tb France Jif m fy bdmeff ceiyed> ‘that
penmark‘%oufd' now p'rovfe“‘apfrpre -tffefur ;'ancr nekr arIljfrftiah JSWed
den, the corhrexion -with Which kingdBm vkas~ gf blinded oh peculiar?
dirc’Uniuafic'es'ifr the'fevefifeenth Vephity^ before’ ffidJ dafoh°of Pr uflTan
gfeatnefs';' and at prefdtit fiartffy a cafe 'could' be Ifif^a^inedO.ift which
Sweden could yield thfe ftriadfeff affiftaneb1 to* Ffahc'b. The natural.'and -
deep;cbhhekibn's between Eh grand’ and Ruffla: wouMy’dii'-the Tuppo*
fition p fa firm' afHknifh ^gauffr tHef l'attdrptiw'bff5, ©ffcdfiirfe'eftttaige tha
former- front Denmark;
; T Boetticher’ s Tables. , ",
* II whuld be wife in both the; ScahdinSwkn- foVefeigii3"tO''^t)airaih fabulous .and iflterfeffiik,
tides; ai^;t()fCo4if^;t!henamves^thlhe.g«n!ei^ftyk.lif