160 VISIT TO DENMARK [1799. 



MEN OF LETTERS, ETC. 



There are three learned societies here the Swedish 

 Academy, the Royal Academy of Sciences, and the 

 Academy of Belles Lettres. The first is wholly for the 

 improvement of the Swedish tongue. It was founded 

 l>y Gustavus III., and is at present engaged in a dic- 

 tionary; but the members have been rather remiss, 

 and only a few of them have finished their letters. 

 The other two publish their memoirs in Swedish. 



I was present at a sitting of the Academy of 

 Sciences. They have a large house in the city, 

 where the office-bearers have also apartments. Their 

 museum of natural history is far from rich. There 

 are, however, a considerable number of snakes, and a 

 room full of South Sea dresses, &c., brought by Mr 

 Sparman, who went with Cook. The Hortus Siccus, 

 too, is well filled. The library is very small, being of 

 very late date. The Academy met, when I saw it, in 

 a plain, good room, hung round with pictures of its 

 most eminent members and cncouragers. There were 

 twenty present, who sat all round a long table ; and 

 the unfortunate visitor was obliged to sit solo beyond 

 the circle, at the wall. A number of the members 

 (indeed the greater part) had orders, and were noble- 

 men. The chair was filled by an old gentleman who 

 had been minister for foreign affairs. The subject of 

 conversation was, " The propriety of extending the 

 knowledge of Lapland;" and the plan for the purpose 

 was carried by a ballot almost unanimously. A paper 



