36 Sketch of the Life of Grimr fobnfon Thorkelin, L.L.D. 
rhent cf the kind in Europe. A_ great 
number ot foreigners come to Gottingen 
merely to make ufe of it, which they are 
ailowed to do, more than two hundred 
books piffing every day out of the library. 
It moreover contains. a fine collection of 
engravings afd plafters a'ter the moft 
beauiful remains of antiqu ty.’ Phe ly- 
iag in-holpitalis one of the fin-ft founda- 
trors of thiskindin all Germany. The 
botanical and economical-gardens, the 
chymical laberatory, the mufeum, the 
cabinet of naturai-hiftory, the obfervatory, 
furnified with a telefco;e of Herchel’s, 
fourtcen feet long, are ail public infiitu 
tions of the firit-rate magnitude. Three 
other efteblifhmenis, more or Jefs connect- 
ed with thé univeriity, merit a paiticular 
notice here. Tine firft is the Royal So- 
ciety of Sciences, divided’ into three 
clafits, mathematics, phylies, and aiory. 
This {ociety diltributes every yeara prize 
of the value of fitty ducats, on tome qauef- 
tion prepoled alternately by the’ members 
of the three clafés. Zac'y clafs diftributes 
a two other prizes of twelve ducats, for 
e beit werk on fome queition of econo- 
oly yy poli ice, OF finance. “The fecond eita- 
biifhment is the Litcrary Gazette of Gor- 
tineen, which appears under the autho- 
tity of the univerfity. The third effa- 
blifhmenat isthe Faculty of Turifprudence, 
or Court of Juftice, giving confultations, 
and judging civil and criminal caufes. fub- 
MEMOIRS OF EM 
SKETCH of the LIFE of Gaimr Joun- 
soN THO RKELIN, oa es Es Regius PT0- 
Fejjor of Antiquiti im the University of 1 
Copenhagen, Roepe er of “bis Majefty s 
A Archives, Secretary to the Truf- 
tees of the Arna Magnecn Legacy, Menr- 
ber of the Royal Soctetizs of Herald ‘y and 
Ieelandic Literature, of C Copenhagen 5 the 
pe Bag dy iS NG of «~Lendin and 
Ldimburgh, the Reyal Academy of Dublin, 
and Corre/pondine Member of the Royal 
Society. at Goettinzen. 
T is rare in the prefent en! ‘ightened a age, 
re meet with a man indebted for his 
preferment to icarning or merit foiely ; 
when a’charafter of this kind appe rs, 
even in the verge of t1¢ cour:, public eu- 
lie is awakeved to know towel he got 
there. As Profefior Tacrkelin is one of 
the fw juit alluced ro, a fketch “of his 
life may not be umicce table. Grimr 
Jvinfon Fhorkeiin is a native of Iceland. 
INET 
[ Auc. fy 
mitted to its decifions. This Court ts. 
compofed cf profeffors in the law, of the 
univerfity, and though properly {peaking 
it has no fort of contieétion with the fiu- 
den s, it yields an impoitant retource for 
beth profeilors and ae dents, for combin-. 
ing theoretical paeeaee with practical. 
There is a:other eftablifhment formed for 
the maintenance of the families of the 
profeffors. Every widow receives a “eal 
fien of fix hundred livres, and the fix old- 
eft have an augmentation of nie livres. 
This money may even be expended out of 
the cougtry. Every member who contri- 
butes to the widow's chef, pays two louis. 
a-year 5 and when a proftflor only leaves. 
chile the penfion is paid to them un- 
til the youngeit has attained the age of 
twenty years. When the cap. tal of this. 
chet fhall be angmen_ed, each penfion fs 
to be augmented with forty. livres. For 
the enc uracement of the ftuJents, four 
prizes have been founded by the King, 
one for each faculiy, of the value of Rr 
ty-five ducats) hele prizes may furpifh - 
an opportunity to y- ‘ong Mens Gn finifhing 
their feudies, of making themicives van 
tageouflyknown on their entrance inte more 
public life. There are other encourage-. 
ments calculated to facilitate their fludies, 
fuchas exhibitions, gratuitous tables, and! 
errain fupph es of money, which the cu-° 
rators give as gratifications. 
a 
SRS LEN LE TD SR i TEL RET 
NT PERSONS. 
He was born. in the year 1749, in Shee- 
fiaclds Naes, one-of che plealanteft {pets 
in all Teeland. The inhabirants of this. 
frui'ful promontory were for men famed 
for the hofpitalicy 5 and at this day the 
traveller is furé of a night’s lodging, a 
hearty fupper, and a good.bed, if he ¢ a 
tell a fory, fing 2 fang, or touch the harp 
with melodious: finger. 
Te Thorkelin. is not defcended 
froin éne of the richeft families in his na-. 
tive country, he is certainly {prung from 
one of the olde. His father had Feetived 
an education that enabled him to place a: 
due value on the cultivation of the hu- — 
man mind ; and as be fw that hs ton had: 
difcovered an early peffiun for letters, he- 
fent him at the ex xpence Of his prurte antl 
his pulow to one of the beft {chools in the. 
ifland. His objec throughout was, that 
his fon fhouwld receive a virtuocs, her. 
than a learned, education. In the fir? he 
would.” 
