120 VISIT TO DENMARK [1799. 



ish Corpus Juris, beautifully written in 1681 ; the 

 Danish Magna Charta in forty articles, and on ten 

 folio pages, dated 4th November 1665 ; the famous 

 Act of Cession, dated January same year, carefully 

 wrapt up, wrote on two pages folio, with signatures 

 on above twelve sixty names and seals on each page, 

 being the tiers 6tat. To the charter is fixed a superb 

 gold seal. Thorkelin, on our putting several ques- 

 tions to him, told me that we must not mention what 

 he said, if we published our journals, and added that 

 Coxe's imprudence had made every one cautious of 

 speaking to strangers, and even of receiving them.* 



Oct. 4. The town stands on a flat upon the sea, 

 which intersects it in several places, and has almost 

 everywhere a stagnant and dirty appearance. The 

 streets are in general narrow but even, and the 

 houses high. The roofs being perpendicular, and in 

 several planes, give them an ugly look. The single 

 buildings, such as inns, offices, and chateaus, are very 

 large and handsome, though built without any form 

 except the oblong, and abounding too much in win- 

 dows. The best part of the town is the Great Place, 

 or market, in which is the theatre, opera-house, 

 guard-house, and two very fine inns. But the finest 

 building of course is the palace, which stands in 

 another part of the city on a port of the sea. This, 

 however, like the rest of the town, has suffered from 

 the fire of 1795, of which one finds traces in every 



* In allusion to Travels into Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Denmark/ 

 by Archdeacon Coxe. 



