Retrospect of French Literature—History. 
This nation, which once acted such 
& conspicuous part in the affairs of Eu- 
rope, has of late years dwindled into 
insignificance. The times of Gustavus 
Adolphus, and of Charles XII. are pass- 
ed away, and the armies .and navy of 
this' country, which once penetrated 
into Germany and Poland, and gave 
laws to the Baltic, are no longer heard 
of. The two last reigns have reduced 
the court of Stockholm, and what is far 
worse, the country which supported it, 
te comparative insignificance. What 
with arbitrary proceedings, and military 
usurpations on the side of one king, and 
wars and projects, to which the nation 
proved unequal on the part of both, 
_complete ruin seems to have ensued. 
_ The work now before us, was written 
and published between that epoch when 
Gustavus, who perished by the hands of 
an incensed noble, overturned the con- 
etitution of his native country, and the 
forcible abdication of his son Gustavus 
Adolphus. Recent events therefore, are 
not to be expected in it, but it. contains 
a variety of interesting particulars, which 
we shali arrange under their respective 
heads. 
COMMERCE. 
’.. The trade of this country appears, 
like her glory, to have de¢lined with ex- 
traordinary rapidity... With Russia, Cour- 
_land, Prussia, and the northern parts of 
Germany, the balance is stated to be 
against her, to the amount of from 150 
€o 200,000 rix dollars. With Denmark 
she gains; but this gain jg said to be ab- 
sorbed by contraband traffic; the com- 
merce with England, is by far the most 
_profitable, as she exports iron, pitch, 
planks, &c. to the value of 1,000,000 of 
rix dollars, and receives lead, coals, lea- 
ther, and tin, im return, to the amountof 
only 100,000 rix dollars. Formerly the 
_ smuggling trade, in tea, spirits, &c. to this 
country, was exceedingly advantageous, 
but the commutation act tended not a 
uttle to its extinctron. 
FINANCES. 
in consequence of frequent foreign 
wars, the finances have long experienced 
a great degree of depression. In the 
. 18th century, the inhabitants experien- 
. ced a severe loss, by changing the value 
of the silver coin. Charles XII. by his 
. impolitic and romantic expeditions, was 
under the necessity of substituting cop- 
per money, and his minister Baron Go- 
, ettz, aman fertile in expedients, propos- 
ed <to alter the value of this metal, so 
. @s.to place it on a par with silver! This 
Montuty Mac. No 194,000 
677 
led to Billets de Necessité, the nature of 
which is fully expressed by the ver 
name, At the death of the monarc 
just alluded to, there were to the amount 
of about six millions of rix dollars of it 
in circulation. In 1726, bank notes pay- 
able to the bearer, were introduced. In 
(1765, the bank had. claims on govern- 
ment and individuals, for 735 tons of 
gold, and in 1762, the exchange’ with 
Hamburgh was so extremely disadvan- 
tazeous that it amounted to 108 marks 
per crown Banco. 
In 1776, the late king adopted the 
plans of Baron Lilliecrantz, with a view 
to remedy these disorders; in conse- 
quence of this, loans were procured in 
foreign countries. The state added to 
the real property whith the bank already _ 
possessed, four millions and a’ half rix 
dollars, and the copper which the crown 
‘receives under the naine of tythe, was 
also employed for the samme purpose.— 
The French revolution, by. putting ar 
end to the subsidy, and the war that er- 
sued, by increasing the expenditure, re- 
duced the credit of the state to the most 
deplorable condition. 
- THE BANK 
Of Stockholm was founded in 1657, 
and its charter renewed in 1668.. The 
plan of it was fermed by a Livonian 
named Palmsturck, and all the states of 
the kingdom, except the order of peas- 
ants, who refused to have any connec- 
tion with it, were nominated directors. 
Individuals may deposit sums there, 
and draw them out when they have oc- 
casion for them, on paying one quarter 
percent. Peoplemay borrow on iron, 
copper, and silver plate, at the rate of 
four percent. It never lends either te 
the crown or individuals, without having 
the necessary security ; its credit there- 
fore, in Sweden, and in foreign counigies, 
always stood high. 
UNIVERSITIES, &c. 
Upsal, the aldest of the Swedish 
universities, was founded in 1476 by 
Steno Sture, Regent of Sweden, whose 
conduct in that high office rendered his 
country flourishing, at a period when it 
seemed only to be destined: to misery 
and misfortunes. er 
Gustavus I. paid the utmost attention 
to this institution, but it was entirely 
neglected by his sons. Gustavus Adal- 
phus revived it in the beginning of tis 
reign, assigned funds for its support, and 
provided it with able masters, whom he 
mvited from foreign eountries. Locenius, 
well versed 
of the 
in the antiquities 
Coe, North; 
7 aela 
