2l8 VISIT TO DENMARK [1799. 



table, ordering and arranging everything, &c. &c. 

 The day is chiefly spent as follows, but every one 

 enjoyed the most perfect freedom of doing exactly as 

 he pleased, without any one so much as asking where 

 he was : 



After breakfast (which is not a formal meal, but 

 continues two or three hours as the company drops 

 in), we walked out, conversed, read, rode in sledges, 

 called at each other's rooms, and some took the amount 

 of the slee, others (chiefly the old gentlemen) played 

 at Ombre and Boston, and smoked. After luncheon, 

 as a whet before, dined at two, and sang constantly, 

 drinking toasts at the same time such as Halletel- 

 skop, " the whole company"; BensMp's skaal, " friend- 

 ship's health"; Piger's skaal, "girls' health"; Norges 

 skaal* &c. In the middle of the table was placed an 

 emblematical figure of some kind, having a reference 

 to the subject of the last play. Eound the dining- 

 room and in the ceiling are hung a vast number of 

 these figures, collected for thirty years past, during 

 which time this custom has continued in the family. 

 After dining and drinking a claret and burgundy 

 Bishop (Bischoff), retired to the next room, each gen- 

 tleman leading his own lady ; and after the ceremony 

 of kissing hands, coffee and pipes, then tea, some 

 game of romps, or a dance, cards and pipes, supper, 

 play, dance, and cards, and the evening ended with 

 the last host and hostess (vert and vertina) sitting in 

 the middle of the room and being kissed he by all 



* Norway's health a toast. 



