126 VISIT TO DENMARK [i799- 



exactly how it was raised; but, after all, it did not pro- 

 duce 200,000. This lie finds from documents among 

 the ambassador's papers. Notwithstanding the long 

 peace which the country has enjoyed, yet there is 

 little specie in it ; what one sees is miserably adul- 

 terated with copper ; but, except some small money, 

 nearly all the currency is paper. 



The want of states and other causes must render 

 the Crown, in case of war, utterly dependent either on 

 the rich merchants or foreign subsidies. The adminis- 

 tration of this Government, execrable as is its theory, 

 is in practice mild and gentle. Every liberty of 

 speech and writing is practised, to a degree of licen- 

 tiousness unknown in England, or known only to be 

 severely punished. Of this the natives seem perfectly 

 conscious, and laugh at English liberty, which they 

 call a mere name. Two days before we were there, 

 an instance of the Crown's power occurred. The press 

 had grown so scandalously licentious, and even libel- 

 lous, that an edict was published September 28th. 

 This was, however, occasioned (in reality) by an 

 advertisement appearing from a set of Jacobins, rather 

 of the lower kind, who used to frequent Grouvelle's 

 (the French Minister's) house. It proposed that a 

 literary society was to be formed, which was known 

 to have politics in view. Paul instantly withdrew 

 his envoy, and forbade in the strictest way all com- 

 munication between the two countries. The edict was 

 instantly drawn up and hurried through the Council, 

 then sent off by Baron Blum to St Petersburg. 

 It sets forth in a long preamble the evils of licen- 



