128 VISIT TO DENMARK [1799. 



The army is beyond proportion : they call it about 

 70,000, but I believe the Government would find it 

 difficult to produce a disposable force of 30,000. The 

 pay is two skellings and a half per day, but the 

 soldiers work for themselves, and have two reviews 

 a-year. They are no terror to the people, who indeed 

 seem to care little either for the army or noblesse. 



The fleet consists of about 40 sail of the line, which 

 lie in a very convenient dock in Copenhagen; but we 

 did not go to see them. 



The King of Denmark is an idiot. Dr Thorkelin, 

 however, talked mysteriously on the subject, and 

 seemed to think that the ruling party kept his Ma- 

 jesty down by this accusation. Mr Merry said that 

 ambassadors, etc., have to be drilled, as it were, before- 

 hand, when they go into his presence, in case of his 

 exposing himself. Lord Eobert Fitzgerald used fre- 

 quently to play at cards with him, arid said he used 

 to run out of the room suddenly and without cause. 

 If any one answered him he was apt to be outrageous, 

 sometimes spit in people's faces and boxed their ears. 

 His own family never answered him. Mr Otto told 

 me an odd anecdote of him. A favourite of his had 

 been removed by the influence of the Court, on which 

 there was sent him, to light his fire, a common porter ; 

 him lie created a Lord of the Bedchamber, and the 

 man had to get a considerable pension to induce him 

 to retire ! Mrs Howden saw him one day come to the 

 garden wall, near the palace. He leaped over ; but 

 being told there was a gate near, he leaped back again 



