8 State of the Periodical Press in Sweden. 
Gazette having but 2,500, the Univer- 
sal Journal about 200, the Observer 
(used to have) nearly 1,500, the Stock- 
holm Post between 6 and 800, and 
all the others between 3 and 500 sub- 
scribers. The editors also wished 
to instruct the nation in politics; but 
in this, as well as in literature, they 
affected to follow their own line: in 
the one they would be neither Whigs 
nor Tories, in the other they would 
neither belong io the French school, 
nor to the reformers. ‘The result was, 
they were perfectly unintelligible to 
all parties, and the paper was ulti- 
mately discarded among respectable 
people. 
The Swedish Journal of Literature 
was begun in 1813, and is published 
in Upsala, where it has many sensible 
contributors, for the most part among 
the younger literati. Itis published 
weekly, in one sheet, an extent which 
does not allow of a full review of 
Swedish literature ; yet it has laboured 
very meritoriously in the branch of 
belles-lettres, and made many valuable 
ideas general, which before this were 
only current among a few scholars in 
Upsala. 
Periodical works purely scientific, 
in the form of books, are published 
only by those of the “New School.” 
The earliest work of this description 
was the Phosphorus; it appeared at 
the same time as the Polyfem, in the 
year 1810. It pursued the same ob- 
ject by positive means, which the lat- 
ter tried to advance by its negative 
exertions. Most of its articles were 
poetical ; generally consisting of poems 
by the editor, Atterbom, which greatly 
contributed in giving a higher impulse 
to Swedish literature. The philoso- 
phical and esthetical essays contained 
in it are full of original ideas, fire, and 
enthusiasm, only now and then the 
ideas are rather crude, as may be ex- 
pected from too youthful authors. Its 
publication ceased in 1813. During 
the same year were published two 
numbers of the Lyceum, edited by Mr. 
Hamarskiold and Professor Hoyer. 
But if the Phosphorus was too youth- 
ful, the Lyceum had, if I may so ex- 
press myself, a certain dryness of age 
about it, without being more profound. 
It was a review of native and foreign 
productions, but it had no influence 
on the present taste of the public. 
In the year 1813 appeared the first 
number of the Jduna; and by this 
time its numbers have been increased 
toeight. It is edited by Baron Adler- 
[Aug. 1, 
beth, a son of the counsellor of state, 
famed as.the translator of Virgil, Ho- 
race, and Ovid. The original plan 
was to admit only treatises on northern 
antiquities, old Scandinavian songs, 
and such modern compositions only as 
immediately bore upon this subject; 
but this’ plan has been enlarged since. 
The authors who have most distin- 
guished themselves in this publication 
are Professor Geyer of Upsala, and 
Professor Tegner of Lund, both emi- 
nent poets; the former admired for 
the boldness of his ideas, and a pecu- 
liar and powerful originality ; the Jat- 
ter no less so for his splendid fancy, 
and the richness and splendor of his 
figures. Most of the songs insert- 
ed in this publication have been set 
to music, and are now universally 
sung. Among the numerous valuable 
treatises furnished by Mr. Geyer, one 
is particularly clever; it is entitled, 
“On the Applicability of the old Scan- 
dinavian Mythology in the Plastic 
Arts,” which in certain cases is con- 
tested by the author. 
Sveua: the editors of this periodical 
work point at their object in the fol- 
lowing words :—“ Every periodical 
work necessarily presupposes a litera- 
ture; such as trade will always pre- 
suppose productions ; for a periodical 
work, whether it measures the period 
of its immortality by days, months, or 
years, is actually engaged in diffusing 
literary production, the exchange of 
the stock of ideas. We therefore sup- 
pose such a capital exists in Sweden, 
and we shall employ our best exertions 
to promote its circulation.” The four 
numbers that have hitherto appeared 
contain some excellent articles; I 
mention but a few:—1. On the forma- 
tion of the Swedish soil. 2. Observa- 
tions on the old northern song. 3. 
Feudalism and republicanism. 4. On 
the former voyages of discovery of the 
Scandinavians to North America. 8. 
A view of the actual state of philoso- 
phy. 9. Gustavus Adolphus in Ger- 
many, fragments of an epic poem. 
The most recently established pe- 
riodical work is the Hermes, edited by 
Mr. Almquist, a very clever young man. 
Some of its best articles are—“‘ On the 
Advantages of Speech over Writing,” 
by Count Schwerin, the leader of the 
opposition in the Diet, and one of the 
greatest living orators; and “ A Com- 
parison of the Account of the Oriental 
Writers with those of Greece, respect- 
ing the History of Persia, by Palmblad.” 
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