1801.] 
The appearance of Copenhagen from 
this eminence is grand, though at the 
fame time it could not be viewed with 
unmixed pleafure, as feveral of the fine 
churches were without their fpires, and 
furrounded by feaffolding for the purpofe 
of repairing the damage done by the late 
terrible fire. 
Defcending the hill we loft fight of the 
metropolis, and purfued our journey to 
Rofkild. There is nothing worthy of, re- 
Jation on the road; the country is well 
cultivated, and at intervals we have a 
view of the fea. The boundaries of the 
fields are chiefly banks of clay. Ona 
former journey I had occafion to remark 
that in this part of the country the fields 
were ploughed with horfes yoked together, 
fometimes to the number of eight or more, 
when two or three would have anfwered 
the purpofe. On our arrival at Rofkild, 
which is 18 miles from Copenhagen, we 
Sketch of a “Fourney from 
difcharged our coach, and found good ac-’ 
commodations provided for us by our fer- 
vant, whom we had {ent on before for 
that purpofe, as it was our intention to 
remain here a few days. 
Rofkild, formerly called Roefkilde, is at 
prefent a {mall town, containing about 
200 houfes. Some centuries ago, when 
it was the metropolis of Denmark, it was 
fituated immediately on the bay of Ie ford, 
from which it is now half a mile diltanr. 
The court was held here, and it contain- 
ed the kings’ palace, the cathedral, and 
thirty other churches and monafteries. 
All that now remains of ancient Rocfkilde 
is the cathedral, where the royal families 
of Denmark have for many ages been bu- 
ried, and the ruins of a royal palace,* 
The cathedral,which is not large nor mag- 
nificent, was built A. D. 930: its archi- 
tecture is more fimple than the Gothic 
ftyle. It contains fome monuments which 
are worth attention; particularly four ele- 
gant maufolea in alabafter of late kings 
and queens. Thefe were executed in Ita- 
ly, and the workmanfhip does great cre- 
dit to the abilities of the artift. A book 
is civen to thofe who view the cathedral, 
which contains an account of the royal 
perfonages buried here, and of the great 
* The perfon who fhews the curiofities of 
the ci-devant metropolis aflured me, that one 
of their kings, of the name of Hamlet, was 
poifoned by his brother in the garden belong- 
ing to this palace. Whether this be true or 
falfe, or whether the man had heard the 
ftory immortalifed by the pen of our drama- 
tic poet, and wifhed to impofe upon us, I 
cannot determing, 
Copenhagen to Hamburg. 
21 
actions which they performed in their 
life-time. (OF courfe the battles which 
they gained are not forgotten). By this 
book it appears that the firft king who 
was buried here was Harold Blaaetand,* 
A.D. 980. and the laft was Frederic V. 
(jurnamed the Great,) buried A. D. 1766. 
There is little in the churches jn Den- 
mark, or indeed in any of the reformed 
churches in other countries, which at- 
tracts attention, as they have no: paint- 
ings, and the fculpture that fometinies 
makes its appearance is feldom above 
mediocrity. This want of decor4tion is 
not a fubject of complaint in the Roman 
Catholic churches on the Continent,. in 
which the eye is often wearied by the con- 
tinual and unvaried round of altars, pain- 
tings, and {culptures. This town is fa- 
mous for a treaty of peace having been 
figned here, between the Swedes and Danes 
in 1658, which is called ‘the peace of 
Rofkild.”? The houfes are old, and no 
trade is carried on except by the coun- 
try-people for their implements of agri- 
culture, &c. During our ftay a fair was 
held, at which, as the French would fay, 
we affified; there was a good fhew of 
horfes, of which a few were faddle-horfes, 
but the bulk confifted of thofe calculated 
for labour. A good draught-horfe might 
have been purchafed for 30 or 40 rix-dol- 
Jars (61. or 81. flerling), The Danith 
horfes are in general bony and fure-foot- 
ed, burt (according to the horfe-dealers’ 
phrafeology) they have no blood. In Co- 
penhagen and in the army, German and 
Englith horfes are much in ule. 
We left Rofkild the 12th of Apri! in 
an extra-poft-waggon, and we now had 
caufe to congratulate ourfelves on the 
goodnefs of the roads in this part of the 
country. I had formerly travelled in 
Holland, Flanders, &c. and I found that 
the pavé rendered the jolting of the car- 
riages almoft intolerable; but here this 
was not the cafe, as the roads are kept 
in fuch perfect order that they are as 
fmooth as the floor of a room. There 
are no guards to the travelling vehicles 
in this country; they are not requilite, 
as highway robberies are feldom if ever 
heard of. The roads are always {afe, 
which may be attributed to the Danes not 
having arrived at the height of civiliza- 
tion of more fouthern couvtries ; and by 
* Some modern travellers fay that this is 
Harold, (furnamed Harefoot), king of Den- 
mark, England, and Norway 3° but the date 
will not agree with this:.as Harold Hareseot 
fucceeded to the throne of England in 1035. 
this 
