132] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



■\Ve do not meddle with the con- 

 cerns of other countries, and are 

 certain that tliey will not meddle 

 with ours. Your rights are there- 

 fore secured within and withoiit j 

 and every thing announces, that 

 we shall not for a long time be 

 obliged to defend them : but 

 should the honour of the nation 

 require it, I will go at the head 

 of a faithful, tried, and disciplined 

 army, supported by the will of 

 the king and the people, and ac- 

 companied by the omens of victory, 

 to meet the enemy, and shed all 

 my blood in the defence of the 

 country. I cannot express myself 

 as I could wish in the Swedish 

 language, but my son speaks it 

 for me. He is educated among 

 you: on him your hopes must re- 

 pose : but I speak the language of 

 honour and freedom ; and every 

 Swede wlio truly loves his country 

 understands me." 



A long proclamation was made 

 public by the King of Sweden, 

 respecting the necessity of limiting 

 the use of foreign articles of lux- 

 ury. His Majesty observes, that 

 the use of such articles far exceeds 

 the ability of the nation to pay, 

 which has occasioned an unexam- 

 pled de))reciation of the course of 

 exchange, and consequent clear- 

 ness of goods: that it is important 

 to find means to supply the king- 

 dom entirely from its own resour- 

 ces : that this end may be in future 

 greatly promoted by encouraging 

 establishments to promote internal 

 industry : that this, however, re- 

 quires time, and therefore extra- 

 ordinary measures are necessary 

 to limit the expenses caused by 

 the importation of foreign goods. 

 His jNIajesty alludes to his decree 

 of the 31st of March^ on the sub- 



ject of prohibiting many foreign 

 articles, and of his decree of the 

 same date as this proclamation, 

 forbidding the sale of boiled coffee, 

 and of various foreign wines. He 

 then observes, that notwithstand- 

 ing he sees with pleasure how 

 much the sentiments of the nation 

 corresponds with his own princi- 

 ples, yet he willingly avoids im- 

 l)osing any regulations on the dress 

 and way of living of private per- 

 sons, and trusts in the patriotism 

 of the Swedes for their doing their 

 iitmost to second his paternal in- 

 tentions. He expects that the 

 higher classes in particular will set 

 a good example, and that every 

 reasonable head of a family, who 

 has been as it were compelled by 

 the prevailing fashion to take a 

 part in the expenses of luxury, 

 will be glad of the opportunity of 

 retrenchment which his gracious 

 invitation affords them. The ma- 

 gistrates are bound to encourage 

 tliose who in certain jdaces may 

 wish to form societies against the 

 use of foreign articles. His ma- 

 jesty will regard with especial 

 favour the zeal and exertions of 

 every well-disposed subject to pro- 

 mote his gracious intentions, and 

 will be highly gratified at being 

 thus dis])cnsed from the necessity 

 of enfoiTJng his gracious will by 

 express commands. — This procla- 

 mation is dated Stockliolm, 30th 

 April 181 r. 



His Majesty, on July 1 4, having 

 sent for the Hereditary Prince 

 Oscar, in order to take his seat 

 next to himself in the council of 

 state ; and in future to be present 

 at its deliberations, addressed him 

 in the following remarkable and 

 pathetic speech : 



_' JMy Grandson ! It is a soiemil 



and 



