MISCELLANIES. 



5\7 



should find a respectable asylum 

 in such high latitudes, has only 

 been accomplished for a short pe- 

 riod. But, perhaps, this is but a 

 shock, and the flames may yet 

 burst out again with increased 

 brightness. 



I was acquainted with Provost 

 Wille in Drontheim, who is since 

 dead. He was also a collector; but 

 a collector with more discernment 

 than generally falls to the lot of 

 such people. Hewas in possession 

 of very various acquirements : the 

 activity of Strom had in part de- 

 volved to him, and his zeal for 

 the collection of books, manu- 

 scripts, maps, and materials of all 

 sorts, connected with the investi- 

 gating and clearing up of the geo- 

 graphy of Norway, had, in him, be- 

 come a real passion. At his death 

 he left such a valuable collection 

 behind him as no person had ever 

 before assembled together, and 

 from which, by a careful selection, 

 man)' remarkable articles respect- 

 ing the country might have been 

 brought to light, if the materials 

 had not been scattered and dis- 

 persed since his decease. He had, 

 in fact, formed too extensive an 

 idea of a description of Norway ; 

 and, alarmed at the boundless pro- 

 ject, he never possessed courage to 

 commence the work ; but he ac- 

 quired lasting merit by his excel- 

 lent description of Sillejords Pras- 

 tegieldt in Oevre Tellemarken, 

 one of the most remarkable dis- 

 tricts of tlie country. At a later 

 {>eriod, in a journey through Tel- 

 eraarken, he had given a complete 

 description of the whole province; 

 it was in the press in Copenhagen, 

 and burnt along with the drawings 

 and maps in ITyt, in the general 

 conflagration of tliu town. He 



possessed a considerable and well- 

 chosen library, a neat physical ap- 

 paratus, and many good specimens 

 of remarkable natural objects. 



I saw a small, but singular sheet, 

 in his possession : it was the plan 

 of the ineffectual investment of 

 Drontheim by the Swedes, if I 

 mistake not, under general Arm- 

 feldt, in October, 1718. To com- 

 pare such an excellent speaking 

 representation with nature was not 

 without pleasure. The Swedes con- 

 cluded that Drontheim was with- 

 out any defence, and had not cal- 

 culated on any effective resistance. 

 In the vallies and roads leading to 

 the town they certainly met with 

 very little opposition : but the town 

 itself, however, they were unable 

 to take. The Swedish accounts 

 say it was for want of cannon ; 

 but the small plan in Provost 

 Wille's possession represents can- 

 non plajiing on the town, both 

 from the Steenbeerge, and from 

 the citadel of Christiansteen on 

 the other side of the river, which 

 is now wholly demolished. The 

 Swedes at last withdrew to Ro- 

 raas ; but as they were afraid of 

 being enclosed there by the Nor- 

 wegians advancing from the south, 

 they were conducted by general 

 Armfeldt to Tydalen. He and 

 the whole corps were frozen to 

 death on the mountains towards 

 Jamteland, between Hajidol and 

 Tydal. The Swedes have always 

 anxiously attempted to obtain pos- 

 session of Drontheim, when they 

 were the most powerful, and Charles 

 Gustavus even dismembered tho 

 whole province of Drontheim 

 {Drontheim Stijt) from Norway in 

 the peace of Roskild. They were 

 in the right, for Drontheim might 

 easily have become of the samo 



