f>64. 



DENMAR K, 



1 - :>n. 



Statistics, sance of all ecclesiastical matters in the diocese, and 

 hear appeals from the judgments of the archdeacons. 

 There lies an appeal from the sentences of these assem- 

 blies to the supreme tribunal of the kingdom, which 

 judges of all cases, both ecclesiastical and civil, in the 

 last instance. Tn ecclesiastical causes, two bishops 

 have seats in this court. Besides the diocesan assem- 

 blies and the archdeacons courts, there is, in every pa- 

 n's]), an assembly composed of the elders of the church, 

 and the rector or minister, who is the president, whose 

 province it is to watch over the manners of the people, 

 and to correct those disorders which the laws do not 

 punish. There are altogether in the Danish states, thir- 

 teen bishops, two hundred and twenty-seven archdea- 

 cons, two thousand two hundred and sixty-seven pa- 

 rochial clergy, and one hundred and ninety-five chap- 

 lains. There are in Denmark no archbishops, but the 

 bishop of Zealand, who is first in rank, and the bishop 

 of Aggerhuus, are metropolitans. The revenues of the 

 clergy arise chiefly from tythes, glebes, surplus fees, 

 and the voluntary offerings of the parishioners at the 

 chief festivals. The bishops have an income of from 

 400 to upwards of 1000 pounds sterling. In Denmark, 

 the parochial livings seldom exceed L. 4-00 or fall short 

 of L.60 per annum, Jutland excepted, in which pe- 

 ninsula there are some not worth L. 20. In Norway, 

 the highest may be rated at L. 200, and the lowest at 

 L. 60. In Iceland, some parishes do not produce more 

 than L. 3 or L. 4 a year. A clergyman's widow receives 

 the whole profit of her husband's cure for the year im- 

 mediately following his decease, and a pension from his 

 successor amounting to the eight of his annual income. 

 There is also in every diocese a fund for the widows 

 of ecclesiastics, from which they draw annuities pro- 

 portioned to the rates paid into it by their husbands. 

 The church livings are in the gift of the king, of the 

 possessors of the privileged estates, and sometimes of 

 private individuals. A few are in the nomination of 

 the parishes themselves. The ministers of the esta- 

 blished church of Denmark are deservedly held in high 

 estimation ; and in no reformed country do they pos- 

 sess greater influence over the people. To this they 

 are probably in a good measure indebted to the prac- 

 tice of confession still retained in this church, and 

 to which all, even those of the highest rank, must 

 submit. In the pulpit too, they assume the authority 

 of the ministers of Christ, and reprove with great free- 

 dom men of the first quality, who practise public vices; 

 nor are any liberties consistent with the duties of their 

 function ever taken amiss. It was not until towards 

 the middle of the last century, that any other than the 

 established religion was tolerated in the Danish states. 

 But liberty of conscience is now recognised, and the 

 greater part of the penalties imposed on non-confor- 

 mists are either rescinded or softened. In the reign of 

 Frederic the Fourth, a society was established at Copen- 

 or hagen, denominated the College for the propagation of 

 the Gospel. This society, whose funds are derived from 

 the bounty of the king and other contributions, extends 

 its labours, and often with the happiest effects, to Lap- 

 land, Greenland, and Asia. 



CHAP. XI. 



Literary Establishments, fyc. 



: , r By the laudable exertions of government, and of be- 

 nevqlent individuals, the means of education are pla- 



i.'.ii!ege i 

 propaga 

 ring I«li 



ced wjthiu the reach of all classes in the Danish states. 

 Besides numerous private and charitable institutions 

 for this purpose, every parish is provided with one or 

 two schools, where children are instructed in the read- 

 ing and writing of their native language, and in arith- 

 metic. The schoolmasters liave, in general, a salary of 

 about £ 1 2 per annum, a house, and a few other advan- 

 tages. And at Copenhagen, and some other places, in- 

 stitutions are established for the purpose of forming 

 teachers to fill the parish schools. In these institutions 

 they are instructed in the necessary branches of educa- 

 tion; and, at the same time, in a school which is attach- 

 ed to the seminary, they exercise the art of teaching 

 under the eyes of the professors. They are furnished 

 by the institution with lodging, fire, and candles. In 

 applications for admission, the sons of schoolmasters 

 are preferred. Besides the ordinary parish schools, 

 there are various Latin schools in the different parts of 

 the country, maintained at the expence of the crown : 

 19 in Denmark Proper; 4 in Norway; 11 in Sleswick; 

 16 in Holstein ; and 2 in Iceland. In these schools, 

 besides Latin, are taught history, geography, Greek, and 

 Hebrew. The salaries of the teachers vary from £ 6'0 

 to £200. 



The constitution of these seminaries, founded in an 

 unenlightened age, requires many corrections. At 

 Odensee is a college, or gymnasium, with four profes- 

 sors, who teach rhetoric, theology, philosophy, mathe- 

 matics, and Greek and Hebrew. The famous academy 

 of Soroa is now fallen into complete decay. The great 

 public seminary of education in Denmark is the uni- 

 versity of Copenhagen, which was founded in 1 479 by 

 Christian the First, and has been augmented and am- 

 ply endowed by his successors. It possesses a very 

 considerable fund, and the professors have liberal sala- 

 ries. It has a library of about 60,000 volumes — a che- 

 mical laboratory — a cabinet of natural history — a bo- 

 tanic garden — and an anatomical theatre. The num- 

 ber of the students is generally about 700, who come 

 not only from Denmark, but also from Norway and 

 Iceland. There is another university in the city of 

 Kiel, in Holstein, also well endowed, having twenty 

 ordinary professors, with salaries of about 1 500 rix dol- 

 lars. This university has likewise a good library — a 

 botanic garden — an observatory — and an anatomical 

 theatre. The number of students is, at an average, 

 about 200. 



The Royal Academy of Sciences was founded in 1 742, 

 and owes its institution to the zeal of six literati, whom 

 Christian the Sixth ordered to arrange his cabinet of 

 medals. These persons occasionally meeting for that 

 purpose, extended their designs, associated others who 

 were eminent in several branches of science, and, form- 

 ing a literary society, employed themselves in exami- 

 ning and explaining the history and antiquities of their 

 country. At the recommendation of the count of Hol- 

 stein, Christian took it under his protection, called it 

 the Royal Academy of Sciences, endowed it with a 

 fund, and ordered the members to join to their other 

 pursuits natural history, physics, and mathematics. In 

 consequence of the royal favour, the members engaged 

 with fresh zeal in their pursuits ; and the academy pub- 

 lished many volumes of transactions in the Danish lan- 

 guage, some of which have been translated into Latin. 

 About the same period, a society for the improvement 

 of northern history and languages was instituted by a 

 few persons, at the head of whom was Langebek, since 



freatly distinguished for his historical publications, 

 lany new members being admitted, Christian the 



3 



Statistics 



Parish 

 schools. 



Latin 



school*. 



College of 

 Odensee. 



University 

 of Copen- 

 hagen. 



Of Kiel. 



Literary in- 

 stitutions. 



Royal aca- 

 demy of 

 ScienMBj 





