HiAtîG Ü AGE,
literature.
The language of Sweden is a dialed of the Gothic, being a fifter of
the Danifh, Norwegian, and Icelandic. In the two grand divifions of
the Gothic, confifting of the' German and Scandinavian dialefts, the
latter is diftinguiflied by-greater brevity and force of expreflion. In the
fouth of Sweden, which contains the chief mafs of'population, fome
German and French words have been adopted ; while the Dalecarlian on
the N. W. is efteemed a peculiar dialect, perhaps only1 becaufe it contains
-more of the ancient terms and idiom. The Finnilh gradually
yields to the Swedifh ; but the rude Laplander retains his old fpeech, or
rather a dialed of the Finnilh adopted by his anceft'ors. The Swedilh
language is fufficiently fonorous, if the pronunciation were more emphatic.
The afFedation of terminating names in us, as if they .were
Latin, begins gradually to expire after a ridiculous ftign of tWO centuries.
In the antiquity o f literature SWédêïï Marmot pfefend* td vid wife
Denmark, Norway, or Iceland : tïte mcift ekrly native 1 cRrBnilTe, Or
perhaps literary compofition, being not more ancient than the fourteenth
century. In return, while the Danes fèeih ocbugiecfvViffit M-
ternal policy and public regulation, the Swedes’have, in rtïodeftrfiihes,
home the palm of genius' in many dl^lDÉehis .^litetatuf^ and
fôpÉy. One o f the moS remarkable ‘rfames of Sweden, prïôr fb 'tht;
reformation, was that of St. Brigi't, who fldurifhed'itt ffih mdd’dfe‘ of
,the fourteenth century, and whôfë pretetidefl pftypteHêkWèré cdffide’d
with great care, and puplift!ed in Datih. "When feebfthoprs W<#b éfc;
pelled from thekmgdhm by 'tSuftaf Wale, John aùd' Glâhïs f^aghüg
retired to Rome, where the one publiftied a1 fahttloW"dëfcrlptidn*tif
Scandinavia; while the other gave to fee world a yet" ifrôre fàbülblfs
hiftory of his native country. But Swedilh literature-can hardly be
.Laid to have, dawned till the middle of the fevcnteenth century, when
-the queen Chriftina, finding thé country immerfed iii ignorance, invited
Grotius, Dèfcartës, and other celebrated men, who, though they
did not refide long in the kingdom, yet fowed: the feed of- letters,
which .gradually began to grofp'er in the wifé and herife'fieè-nt relgW/ qf
Charles XI. In the fiicceeding or laft century1 the namfeJ 'ôf Linnæus
alone might diftinguilh the, national literature ; -and it is joined' in
natural hiftory with thofé of Tilâs, Wallerius, Quift, Cronftedt,. Bergman,
man, and others. - In hiftory Dalia and Lagerbring have diftinguiflied.
themfelves by a precifion and force, -which the Danes feem to facrifice-
to antiquarian difcuffions. - Sweden alfo boafts o f native poets and
orators; and the progpefs of the faiences is fupported by the inftiitutioa
of .numerous academies.
1 The manner of education has, as ufual, been megledted by travellers
and'geographers, though perhaps one of the mo ft' important branches
in the whole circle of human affairs^ Compared with this primary
-foundation,' an enumeration--of tmiverfirigS of fmall cpa&qnenc.e.
That of Upfal is the-moft ancient^nd repowned,; ..eontainipg-J.ab<3,ut -Job,
ft-udent6; while ;tbat of Lthydpn prefgpts ghout .third is at
Abo ip Finland, frpqu§nte4*i&y,^ by .fftij4fefl$s from -Ruffia ; and,. the
whole • -number 'is a©mpilted ,as eqpalliqg -that tqf, Upfal. There, an?
bglides twelve,literary ,aqadqp4es^^moft pfi'Whip^pjihhfli/^^mph^.qf
jhqir trgnfafjions. , The library at UgfiilJs .richly fqrnilhed wifeyhqpks
remitted by Guftaf Adolph, when his y i$ o n o p f axips penetr^tgdieenly
into Germany, Sweden having thus^acquired by war the firft'matenafs
ofberliterary fame. -
Stbckhplm; the capital o f „^Sweden, Hands in a Singular fituatibh
betwe&Ua creek, "or inlet', o f the Baltic fea, aqd the^ lake MsellrJ It
occupies feven fmah rocky iflands, and tVg lc|enery jp traFy Angular and
romantic. “ A variety' of cohtrafted and enchanting‘vieW-Sls formed
by numberlels‘ rocks ofVgranite, rifing boldly fromThe fitrface of the
Water, partly bare and craggy, partly dotted vyith ftohfes fohfgathd^ed..
with wood.”1 Somewhat refembfing Vendee, but with greater diversity
of profped, it requires h o ' fortifications. MoftiBf' fee;hpbFe's--arey
of ftonh or brick, covered with while ftuccoy 'excepCirf the foburbs,
Inhere : leveral are of wood- painted red, ks'ufiial in the ccnqfe^*«f'
Sweden. This city Was founded by the- earl Birger, r^ptrt o f the
kingdom, about the middle of the thirteenth century f 'afid in the
fevenfeenth century the royal , refidemie. Was transferred hither from
Upfal. The entrance to the harbour is through a narrow ftreight,
of fomewhat difficult accefs, efpecially as there are no tides : P-nd fob.
GCpxe, h . .33; See alfo MarfhaH, ii, 335».
LlTERAtu
-r s .
Education.
tlniverfities.
Cities and ]
Towns.
Stopkholm. :■
four