506 An Account of the Kingdom of Denmark, Book II. 
Magiftrate *, the Teacher having been firft examined by 
the Prieft of the Parifh, who is alfo to take Care that they 
are inftrudted in the Lutheran Dodtrine. 
No Perfon is at Liberty to fend a Tutor to travel with 
his Son, who hath not been firft examined by the Super- 
intendant of the Diocefe, and found to be Orthodox in 
Religion ; and the fame is required where one takes a 
Tutor into his IToufe, who alfo ought to be a Student of 
the Univerfity of Copenhagen. As no other Method of 
Teaching is allowed, than that prefcribed by the Govern- 
ment •, fo no other Books may be read, but fuch as are 
approved by Authority, which are compofed by the Pro- 
feflors of their Univerfity. The Importation of Books is 
alfo prohibited, efpecially thofe which treat of any other 
Sort of Religion, than that eftabliihed amongft them. 
No other Calenders or Almanacks are allowed to be pub- 
lifhed than thofe made by the Order of the Redfor and 
Senate of the Univerfity, on Pain of Confifcation of 
Goods ; they are prohibited alfo, to infert in them Pre- 
didlions relating to War, Plague, or Famine, or any 
other Calamities. 
9. The Clergy of this Kingdom are divided into three 
ClalTes, viz, Super-intendants or Bihiops, Intendants, 
which fome compare to our Arch-deacons, and Curates or 
Parifli Priefts. The Super-intendant is obliged to vifit 
his Diocefs once every Year, and to lie in the Perfon’s 
Houfe,when he comes to any Place i who is to entertain him. 
Servants and four Horfes, gratis. The Super-intendants 
are confecrated by theBifhop or Super-intendant of 
affifted by five or fix Priefts *, but are all nominated by 
the King. The Peafants, who pay Tithes of all their 
Corn, Cattle, Poultry, and Bees, pay one Third thereof 
to the Crown, another to the Bifhop and other Ufes of 
the Church, and the remaining Third to their Parifh 
Clerk. But of Grafs and Fruits which grow fpontane- 
OLifly no Tithes are paid ; there are fome other Dues alfo 
payable to the Clergy by the Peafants, for Confeflion, 
Burials, Marriages, 
The Super -intendant holds a kind of Synod twice a 
Year, confiding of the Intendants in his Diocefe, where 
the Governor of the Province prefides for the King. The 
Overfeers are chofen by the Parifh Priefts of each County 
or Diftridt, in Conjunction wdth the Super-intendant •, and 
he is obliged to vifit all the Pariflies under his Infpedtion 
once a Year, at lead, and hath a Power of cenfuring the 
Lives and Converfations of the Priefts in their refpedlive 
Divifions. They fee that the Churches are kept in re- 
pair, and that their Revenues are not alienated or mifap- 
plied. No Perfon can be admitted into Priefts Orders 
until he hath a Cure provided for him. He muft have a 
Certificate alfo from the Divinity-Profefibr of the Uni- 
verfity, concerning the Progrefs he hath made in his Stu- 
dies, and his Qualifications for the Pulpit ; and if he do 
not come immediately from the Univerfity, he muft have 
them from the Overfeer and Parifh Pried, where he re- 
fides ; and if the Superintendant approves of the Clerk, 
he is inftituted and induced as with us. But their Law 
requires, that none be admitted into Priefts Orders who 
are under five and twenty Years o'f Age •, and the giving 
any Money, or Confideration, either for Orders or the 
Prefentment to a Living, is forbidden. And they are ob- 
liged to perform Divine Service according to the efta- 
blifhed Form or Ritual, obferved, at St. Marfs in 
Copenhagen. 
They are obliged to pray for the King and Magiftracy, 
and for the Propagation of the Gofpel ; and are prohi- 
bited to admit any to the Sacrament, who have not firft 
been at Confeflion. But the Penitent, it is faid, need not 
give an Account of every particular Sin. A general 
Confeflion, according to the Order the Commands ftand 
in, intitles him to Abfolution. The Prieft is alfo forbid 
to take any Money, which the Lutheran Minifters fre- 
quently do notwithftanding. The Prieft may not di- 
vulge the Confeflion of any one, where it is particular ; 
unlefs in Cafes of High Treafon, or for the Prevention 
of fome great Mifchief by fuch Difcovery, on Pain of 
Deprivation ; and in this Cafe the Name of the Penitent 
ought to be concealed as long as poflible. The Danes 
look upon all who have any Service appointed them in 
the Chufch as Ecclefiaftics ; and they are accordingly ta-> 
ken fro^ among the Students, whether they be Clerks, 
Sextons, or Singingmen, and wholly depend on the 
Priem or Curate of the Parilh. The Lands of every Per- 
fon convidted of turning Papift are forfeited to the next 
Heir, unlefs he difpofes of them before he changes his 
Religion, and fuch Apoftate is banifhed the Danijh Do- 
minions. Whoever hath received his Education from 
the Jefuits is difabled to havb any Employment, Eccle- 
fiaftical or Civil, and Popifli Priefts are prohibited to 
enter the Danijh Dominions, on Pain of Death ; nor is their 
Law lefs fevere againft thofe they denominate Heretics. 
Jews are forbid to come into the Kingdom without a 
Royal Licence ; and whofoever difcovers a Jew is entitled 
to a Reward of fifty Crowns. Their Laws alfo are pretty 
fevere againft Gypfics and Fortune-tellers, who pretend 
to foretell future Events, and to be acquainted with the 
Stars Baniflhment being the Pain of the firft Offence, 
and the fecond Caphal. Blafphemers of God and Reli- 
gion are fentenced, firft, to have their Tongues cut out, 
and afterwards to lofe their Heads ; and if a Prieft or Ec- 
clefiaftic is guilty of profaning the Name of G o d *, or of 
any other notorious Vice, his Punifhment is heavier than 
that of a Layman. 
Their Laws concerning Marriage, require that the Con- 
fent of the Relations be had as well as the Woman’s. 
And if fhe marries without the Confent of the Guardian, 
he fhall receive the Profit of her Fortune during his Life *, 
but if a Uuardian negledl to marry his W ard till flae is 
paft eighteen Years of Age, the Magiftrate is impow- 
ered to relieve her. Their Marriages are diffolvable, 
and a Divorce may be obtained in Denmark for Adultery ; 
on a voluntary and m.alicious Elopement ; and for Im- 
potence •, but in cafe of Adultery the Crime muft be 
well proved by Witneffes, or Circumftances, the Confef- 
fion of the offending Party not being fufficient, fince 
many have falfely accufed themfelves, in order to obtain 
a Separation : The Danijh Law alfo requires, that the Party 
who brings the Accufation be innocent j for otherwife no 
Divorce can be obtained •, unlefs it appear, that the ill 
Ufage of the Hufband hath occafioned the Whfe to of- 
fend ; and if the Huflband, after he has difcovered his 
Wife to be guilty of Adultery, fliall cohabit with her af- 
terwards, a Separation will not be granted. Where a 
Woman is divorced for Adultery, fhe may marry again 
after three Years are elapfed, with a Royal Licence, pro- 
vided fhe has lived chaftly- during that Time •, but flie 
may not marry, or refide within the fame Town, or Di- 
ftri6l, where her former Hufband lived •, and the like 
where the former Hufband is divorced for Adultery, 
committed by him ; but the innocent Party is at Liberty 
to marry fofoon as the Sentence of Divorce is pronounced. 
What they term a malicious Elopement, is where one 
of the Parties abfents him, or her felf, from his, or her 
Spoufe, by the Space of three Years ; but if the Party 
deferted hath cohabited with another in the mean time, a 
Divorce cannot be obtained on this Account. 
10. A Man is not to fell or alienate his Lands before 
Fe is five and twenty Years of Age, without the Confent 
of his neareft Relation *, and a W oman, whether fhe be 
Maid or Widow, can never part with her Lands, but 
muft leave them to defeend as the Law diredfs. An un- 
interrupted Poffeffion of twenty Years is held to make a 
good Title, and they are not permitted to run farther 
back in a Tryal of the Right. All Obligations alfo, and 
perfonal Debts are held to be void if not renewed within 
twenty Years ; for Notes, and Bills of Exchange, are of 
equal Force with an Obligation •, but the Law allows eight 
Days for all kinds of Payments to be made beyond the 
Time prefixed, and if that Time be elapfed four and 
twenty Hours, the Creditor may'p^®^^^ have 
Proceffes thereon againft the Original Debtor or Acceptor. 
No Perfon is obliged to pay any Money loft at Gaming. 
The Tenure of Villainage ftill prevails in many Parts 
oi Denmark-, and their Vaffals, or Tenants, who hold by 
this bafe Tenure, are purchafed, and defeend with the 
Lands they live upon, like Fifli in the Waters, or Deer in 
a Park •, nor can thefe Peafants leave the Lands they be- 
long to, and retire elfewhere •, if they do, the Lord of 
