504 '■ An Account of the Kingdom of Denmark^ Book II, 
againft the City of Hamhurgh j but, in the laft War, 
taking Advantage of the Diftrefs the Sivedes were reduced 
to by a potent Confederacy, the Dane made himfelf Ma- 
iler of Bremen and Verden, which he afterwards conveyed 
to the Sovereign of Hanover % and feized alfo on the late 
Duke of HolJiein\ Territories, in his Minority, which he 
ftill keeps. It is computed that Denmark^ Holjlein^ and 
Oldenhourg maintain five thoufand four hundred and fifty 
Horfe, fifteen hundred Dragoons, and feventeen thoufand 
Foot. Norway maintains twelve hundred and thirty-fix 
Horfe and Dragoons, and fourteen thoufand three hun- 
dred Foot, making in all a Body of near forty thoufand 
Men. The Foot Soldiers, both Officers and private 
Men, are generally Foreigners, of all Countries, Poles^ 
Germans^ Swedes^ Scots, &c. There are more Reafons 
than one for not employing too many of the Natives ^ 
but the principal, left they ftiould fhew too much Affec- 
tion to their own Country, and not fo readily obey the 
arbitrary Commands of their Princes. Officers of Horfe 
receive no more Pay, in time of Peace, than thofe of the 
Foot. The Horfe are ufually Natives, and maintained 
every one by a Free-holder or Farmer, who is 
obliged to provide him and his Horfe Meat, and fix 
Shillings a Month in Money, half of which the Colonel 
takes towards his Mounting •, and in Holjiein they have 
fomething better Pay than in Denmark. In Norway little 
Money is expended in paying the Forces •, the private 
Soldiers being quartered by the Boors, and, which is an 
heavy Burthen, fubfifted by them. 
For the Sea-Service three thoufand Mariners are con- 
ftantly maintained at Copenhagen, as well in Peace as 
War ; having a weekly Allowance of Salt, Flefti, 
Stock-Fifh, or Meal, Grout, &c. for themfelves and 
their Families, and about eighty Rix-DolJars a Year in 
Money. And there are feveral Streets of little Houfes, 
or Barracks, near the Walls where they live, and where 
their Wives and Children refide while they are at Sea. 
Their Bufinefs, in time of Peace, is to work in the 
King’s Yards and Docks, which are over-againft the Pa- 
lace vi\ Copenhagen, where they take it by Turns to ferve 
in all laborious Works relating to the Shipping j and 
once a Year it is ufual to equip a fmall Squadron of Men 
of War, and fail with them two or three Months for ex- 
ercifing the Sailors. All the Officers in the Fleet are in 
conftant Pay, as well in Peace as War j and the Danes 
compute, that they can rig out thirty Sail of Men of 
War and upwards at a very fhort Warning. 
6. The King’s Revenues arife from the Duties paid by 
his own Subjedls, the Cuftoms paid by Foreigners, the 
Crown Lands, Fines, and Confifcations. The Taxes 
paid by his Subjedls are either fixed or variable ; that is, 
the Prince, in fome Cafes, chufes to follow a certain 
Rule, eftablifhed by himfelf *, which, he may, however 
alter, if he fees fit, and in others he frequently varies. 
Of the firft Sort are the Duties of Import and Export, 
and the Excife commonly called Confumption laid upon 
every thing that is eat or drank in the Kingdom. There 
are alfo Duties paid for Marriage Licences, Duties on 
Stamp-Paper ; on which all Bargains, Contrails, Pro- 
ceedings at Law, are written ; fome of thefe Duties 
amounting to feveral Rix-Dollarspfr Sheet. Duties are 
alfo laid upon Brewing and Malt, and Corn that is ground 
on Mills. Thefe Duties are certain, or feldom altered. 
The uncertain Duties are the Taxes on Land, which are 
not affeffed by the Acre, but according to the annual 
Value of the Farm. Poll-Money impofed upon every 
one according to the perfonal Eftate he is fuppofed to 
have, which is fometimes levied twice a Year. Money 
levied for ere< 5 ling or repairing the Fortifications. 
An occafional Tax, raifed only when a Daughter of 
Denmark to be married, whole Portion is ufually an 
hundred thoufand Crowns. A Tax laid upon every 
Tradefman for the Liberty of exercifing his Calling, and 
the Gain he is fuppofed to make by it, who is obliged alfo 
to quarter Soldiers. The Ground-Rents, in all Cities and 
Towns, which the King taxes, according to the Value of 
the Houfe or the Ability of the Poffeffor. In Holjiein the 
Lands are taxed according to the Ploughs, each Plough 
paying a certain Sum every Month. Not many Years 
fmce an Eftimate was made of ail the Houfes in the Cities 
and Towns in the King’s Dominions ; and all the Lands 
were meafured, that the Crown might the better under- 
ftand their Value j and the Ground-Tax, in the Cities 
and Towns, was affeffed at Four per Cent, of the whole 
Value the Ground was rated at, if it was to be purchafed 5 
and the like Proportion was obferved towards others, in 
regard to their Houfes and Profeffions. The moft mode- 
rate Affeffment of their Poll-Tax is according to the fol- 
lowing Proportion, viz,. A Citizen worth eight or ten 
thoufand Rix-Dollars pays four Rix-Dollars for himfelf, 
four for his Wife, two for every Child, and one for each 
Servant, and for every Horfe a Rix-Dollar. An Alehoufe- 
keeper pays one Rix-Dollar for himfelf, another for his 
Wife, twenty-four Stivers for every Child, and fixteen 
for every Servant. The Fortification Tax is ufually high. 
A Merchant worth fix or eight thoufand Rix-Dollars, 
hath fometimes paid fixty-eig& Dollars, an ordinary Ci- 
tizen Eight or Ten, and others in Proportion. 
A late Writer hath computed the Revenues of the 
Crown of Denmark, as follows : The Toll of the Sound 
at 65,000 Rix-Dollars The reft of the Toll of 
Denmark farmed at 165,000 Rix-Dollars. The Con- 
fumption or, Excife of Copenhagen,^ farmed at 140,000 
Rix-Dollars. The Confumption of the reft of Den7nark 
at 140,000 Rix-Dollars. The fmaller Taxes of Den~ 
mark at 100,000 Rix-Dollars. Poll-Tax, Fortification- 
Tax, Ground-Rents and Land-Tax, at 100,000 Rix- 
Dollars. The whole Revenue of Norway at 700,000 
Rix-Dollars. The Crown-Lands, Confifcations, ^c. at 
200,000 Rix-Dollars. The Revenue of Iceland farmed 
at 27,000 Rix-Dollars. Oldenhourg and Delmenhorjl 
8000 Rix-Dollars j and the Toll upon the kHefer 5000 
Rix-Dollars : So that the whole Revenue of Denmark 
amounts to 2,622,000 Rix-Dollars per Ann.. But as the 
Gentleman, who makes this Calculatidn, obferves, that 
the Poll-Tax and Fortification-Tax are never raifed the 
fameYear ; we muft, upon that Account, deduft 400,000 
Rix-Dollars out of the Sum total, and the whole Revenue 
will then amount to two Millions two hundred twenty- 
two thoufand Rix-Dollars, or about five hundred thou- 
fand Pounds of our Money, which in that part of the 
World will go near as far as three Times the Sum with us, 
confidering the Cheapnefs of Provifion and Labour in 
Denmark and Norway. 
7. As to the Perfons of the Danes they are generally tall, 
and ftrong limbed ; their Compleccion good *, their Hair 
fair, yellow, or red ; and' as few of the Men wear Wigs, 
they take a great deal of Pains in curling their yellow 
Locks j neither Men nor Women are afliamed of red 
Hair, or endeavour to change the Colour. They have 
bad Shapes, and their Mien is not to be admired. When 
we fee the Danijh WomenTitting in a Coach or Chair, 
fome of them appear exquifitely beautiful but if they 
rife and attempt to walk they fpoil all. Both Ladies and 
Gentlemen in Summer affed to imitate the French Drefs ; 
but in Winter wrap themlelves up in Furs or Wool, like 
the reft of the Northern People. They are neat in their 
Linnen, changing it often, and affed too much Magnifi- 
cence. It is obferved that Deiimark feldom produces a 
great Genius ; they are not good at Invention or Imita- 
tion, and are neither deeply learned, nor exquifite Me- 
chanics. Polite Learning they are perfed Strangers to, 
and few Books are found amongft them, except thofe of 
controverfiabReligion. 
Mr. Molefworth, in fumming up their Charader, fays, 
he never knew a Country where the Minds of People 
were more upon a Level. As v/e find none of extraordi- 
nary Parts or Qualifications, or excellent in particular 
Studies or Arts, fo we fee no Enthufiafts, Madmen, 
natural Fools, or whimfical People *, but a certain Equa- 
lity of Underftanding reigns among them *, every one 
plods on in the ordinary Track of Common-fcnfe, with- 
out deviating to the right or left. The common People, 
however, in general, write and read, and their Clergy 
ufually talk Latin, but not in the greateft Purity. The 
Vices the Gentry are moft addidcd to, are Gluttony and 
Drunkennefs. When they fit down to eat and drink, 
they never know when to rife, but the Debauch fome- 
times 
