made his fortune either in the line of politics or literature. His knowledge in history and diplomatics is prodigious; his public fpeeches in the Diets, and upon other occafions, have an uncommon force and elegance, worthy fuch afpeaker; and feveraiplays he has compoled for the newly conftituted national ftage, are of a richness in theircompofition and purity in their morals that beipeak the Prince and the Legiflator, and notwithstanding all the pains he had taken to prevent being known as the author, it foon became no fecret that they were from the pen of Majelty.

Though now an avowed author, it has not been remarked that he ever had any jealoufy of other authors. I make this obfervation, becaufe what the French cal jaloufie de metier is a paffion which often creeps into the nobleft minds. Even the late King of Pruffia, one of the greateft men of the age in which he lived, was not exempt from this foible: it is known he never loved the King of Sweden, and I presume to fay, from no other reafon but that he looked upon his nephew as a rival in fame. But that he fhould carry his refentment fo far as to infert in his Memoires downright calumnies on fo near a relation, that, for the glory of Frederick the Second, I would willingly believe impoffible. I don't know through what hands thofe Memoires may have paffed; but if that article, where the King of Sweden is charged with a plot for burning the Danish fleet, be really written by his uncle's own hand, it must have been the invention of fome officious courtier to amufe the old Monarch in fome tedious hour; for I never heard that any body knew any thing of the matter either in Denmark or Sweden; and there is no reason why the Danish Miniftry

fhould have concealed it at the time, neither is it poffible that fuch an attempt could have been carried on without fome accomplices in Sweden, and certainly it would then not have been long a fecret; never was King Guftavus more eagerly cenfured than among his own fubjects.

There are fome of them who never mifs an occafion of blaming and even of mifreprefenting his conduct. What they commonly dwell upon is an affertion that he wanted fincerity. I cannot of myfelf declare that the accufation is not founded in truth, but certain it is, that it never was heard of among the people till after the Diet of 1778. There is much reafon to believe that it was occaGoned by the regulations they adopted refpecting brandy; many of the Reprefentatives of the pealants having it in their inftructions to obtain the liberty of diftilling that liquor for private use, they had several times been about to afk admittance to the King, that they might obtain that advantage; but fome gentlemen who had promifed their good offices for that purpose, and well knew that the King would not grant the request, perfuaded them not to mind any thing of the matter for the prefent, for that the King would be more pleased to do them that favour of his own will, and fuch they faid was his Majefty's intention. The peasants at their return home flattered their countrymen with the promifes that had been gi ven them; but when these proved ineffectual, and the King a fhort time after laid the preparation of brandy under the crown*, it is no wonder if the people grew uneafy, and liftened to the infinuations of those who wished to attribute this artful contrivance to the particular will of the King. Since that time he has, been always

always taxed with diffimulation; and it is alfo poffible that his manners have given fome credit to fuch reports; perfons who live with him continually cannot deny that he often feems a stranger to matters very well known to him, and on other occafions pretends to be well inftructed upon matters of which he is perfectly ignorant. But that may be a habit contracted by meditating politics, where fuch means are fometimes of the fame neceffity as countenance in a game; neither ought princes or minifters to be judged by the fame rules as private men, because their first duty is to facrifice all other confiderations to the benefit of their coun

try.

He is likewife charged with being very apt to forget his promifes, which has often given his favourites occafion to afk for his hand-writing as a fecurity for his fulfilling them; but as I never heard of any particular infiance of his breach of promife, I believe this accufation to be of no greater weight than feveral others invented by malice and difcontent.

The King has of late been accufed of too much œconomy in small objects, and too little in great ones. That, I believe, is a common fault in perfons of high rank; great expences, as being commonly made in public, give a fatisfaction to their vanity, but

when they lay out fmall fums, they look upon them as impairing their refources for making up greater ones.

He is further blamed for too much familiarity with young people, many of whom grow vain and arrogant, looking upon themfelves as perfonages of great confequence, becaufe the King has been pleased to jest with them and treat them on a footing of intimacy. But it must be allowed, that to a person who wants company for recreation after ferious bufinefs, young people are more fitted for the purpofe than old ones; and if fome young gentlemen cannot bear with moderation fuch a favour from their fovereign, it is certainly their fault, and will turn to the prejudice of none but themselves.

What is the most remarkable in the character of the Swedish monarch, is a vivacity of temper and a flow of fpirits that never leaves him. He fleeps very little, and fupports easily the greateft fatigues. He is thus naturally bent to an active life, and war will be his element. Should he meet with fuccefs, he will perhaps be another Charles XII. though probably with more prudence.

Thus far on this fubject for the prefent. We fhall often have occafion to add a characteristical stroke. Facts are the best pictures of men.

many years: The colour and form being once fixed, there is no room for variations.

The drefs of the ladies differs very little from the prefent English fashion, except that the fleeves are cut in the Spanish manner, and tied with a ribbon about the middle of the upper part of the arm, a large fleeve of white gauze fwelling out above and below the binding. The colour of the gown and coat is black, except on Gala days, when it is white; the talbalas and trimmings are always of the fame colour with the fuit. The head-drefs and ribbons are the only parts left to the fancy of the fex.

The drefs of the men is a mixture of the Spanish, and that in ufé among the peasants in the fouthern parts of Sweden. Their fmall-cloaths are in the ordinary form, and of the fame colour with the coat and mantle; the former of which is close to the body, and very fhort, all buttoned and tied about the thighs with a fafh. The mantle goes down below the knee, and hangs loosely on the back, though it is commonly wide enough to be thrown round like a Spanish mantle.

The ordinary colour is black'; the mantle is lined with couleur de fue, or fcarlet-coloured filk, of the fame ftuff with the fash and waistcoat; all the feams of the coat are alfo trimmed with the fame, as well as a row of tongues which cover the feam that joins the fleeve to the coat, and adds to the breadth of the fhoulders..

In mourning, the fait is all black;

and on Gala days, of light blue filk, and white trimmings. It was in the beginning white, with red lining fafh, and trimmings; and for the ladies, white coats with red gowns ; but fome fatyrical wit having compared them to boiled crabs, they infifted upon having another colour; and to be fure none could be found to look fo elegant as white, which had ao been formerly received for folemn occafions at this Court, as well as in many others.

This uniformity of drefs has a very good effect in the drawing-room, and ftrangers generally allow that it gives an air of grandeur, more ftriking than all the party-coloured magnificence of other Courts; perhaps from the fame reafon, as it gives greater fatisfaction to the eye to fee a military corps in the moft fuberb uniform, than with a richer apparel, and every one in different colours.

For the army, this dress was in the beginning very convenient, and better calculated for a cold climate than the common European cuftom; but as it is at prefent, the length of the coat or jacket having been reduced from the middle of the thigh to the middle of the ftomach, the girdle, commonly made of bunting, is feldom fufficient to cover the interval between the upper and lower garments, and the poor foldier is often in danger of perifhing with cold: But it is very light in fummer, and gives a fmart appearance to young fellows of a good figure.