176 VISIT TO DENMARK [1799. 



Swedish minister in London has 1500 per annum. 

 The nobles, whose fortunes are extremely unequal, 

 but in general very small, are reduced to the necessity 

 of oppressing their peasantry, of which we saw the 

 effects in our journey to Stockholm ; though in the 

 north, we are told, where the peasantry hold of the 

 Crown in Bothnia, Jutland, Angermanland, and 

 Helsingland the contrary is observed, for there the 

 peasantry are rich and independent. The Court itself 

 shows a curious mixture of poverty and state. For 

 while they pay 80,000 rix-dollars for the opera, they 

 and the town were afraid to have an illumination at 

 the queen's delivery, for fear there would not remain 

 enough of candles. The queen's state-coach is an 

 old one formerly belonging to an English minister. 

 There are so seldom Court days that strangers are 

 presented in a private way after the parade, other- 

 wise they must wait eight months ; and a regiment 

 of two hundred and fifty uncommonly tall men 

 (Swedes) were obliged to be disbanded very lately, 

 literally because the expense of feeding, &c., was too 

 great. Though there is scarcely a party given in a 

 whole year by any individual nobleman, yet they 

 have piques-niques, at the expense and profusion of 

 which a stranger is surprised ; and occasionally great 

 fetes are given by the society, most remarkably 

 splendid, for instance, one (while we were gone to 

 Upsal) where five hundred people were present, and 

 a most magnificent entertainment ; but not above 200 

 were allowed them monthly for expenses. 



