88 
TRAVELS 
him but infipid, and even ignorant and weak men. The nobles 
are now no longer actuated by their former fpirit of emulation, 
and a defire to excel as leading men in the fenate. Eloquence, 
with all that variety of knowledge and information which is ne- 
ceflary to the formation of a good orator, is no longer of any im¬ 
portance to them. Application to the Rudy of general know T - 
ledge and the improvement of the mind, is fufpended by the con- 
Ritution of 1772 ; and fo long as that conRitution laRs, it is pro¬ 
bable that we fhall not hear of any great characters among the 
nobles of Sweden. The ancient fenate, it is true, was corrupt, 
venal, and ever ready to fell itfelf to the higheft bidder: but Rill, 
even in that very dilpofition to venality was contained an incen¬ 
tive to the acquirement of qualities and accomplifhments that 
might lead to diRinCtion. France and RuRia purchafed the men 
of abilities in the fenate at no fmall price ; the others were over¬ 
looked and difregarded. 
Under the regency of the Duke of Sudermania, the views and 
iyRem, and in a word, the fpirit of the Swedifh government un¬ 
derwent a complete revolution. GuRavus was the fworn enemy 
of the French revolution, and was on the point, as has been be¬ 
fore obferved, to join the arms of Sweden to thofe of the general 
confederacy : and had he lived he would at leaR have made a 
facrifice of fome regiments, and added fome millions of rix dol¬ 
lars to that debt with which he had already burthened the na¬ 
tion. The regent remained neutral, cultivated a connection with 
France, and Rudied oeconomy. The confequence w T as, that the 
difcount 
