their neighbours no little trouble, and the kingdoms were at war from 1669 to 1718. The Danish government then saw the policy of peace, and felt severely the loss of some provinces. During these contests with Sweden the royal prerogatives had been greatly increased, the popular power had declined, and the nobility lost some of the privileges of their caste. The crown also, which was to a certain degree elective, was now declared hereditary in the reigning family.

But great changes were at hand. Louis the Sixteenth had submitted to the axe; faction after faction ruled the kingdom of the Bourbons; war unfurled her sanguinary standard in every part of Europe, and Denmark could scarcely escape being drawn into the vortex; and in 1801, entering into a defensive alliance with Russia, Prussia, and Sweden, involved herself in a war with Great Britain, which resulted in the temporary loss of some of her colonies. England was then the only European power that resisted the overshadowing influence of France and the spell of her mighty Emperor. In 1807 that monarch signified to Denmark that she must take part in the war against England, and information of this mandate reaching the court of St. James, the ministry at once sent a large armament to the Baltic to force the Danes to surrender their navy, and after a valiant defence, the English were ultimately successful. In 1814 a peace was concluded, but Heligoland and the fleet were held by her opponents; an arrangement was made that Norway should be ceded to Sweden, Denmark retaining the province of Pomerania, which in 1815 she yielded to Prussia in exchange for the duchy of Lauenburg and a large sum of

money.

tria espoused the cause of Denmark. The duchies were now forced to submit, and the whole question was deliberated at a convention of ambassadors from Northern and Western Europe, who finally declared that the succession should devolve on Prince Christian of the Sonderburg-Glücksburg line, and his male heirs, and in the event of that family becoming extinct, then Russia should succeed to a portion of the duchies.

This decision greatly displeased the duchies and the Danes, and was rejected by the diet in 1852, and when presented to the same assembly the year following met a similar fate. But the King was pledged to the ruling powers, and the measure was finally passed June 24th, 1853. On the coronation of the present sovereign of Denmark, the duchies exhibited great dissatisfaction, and if Prussia had not subsequently interfered, would have accomplished most if not all that they desired.

little State, her literature and internal policy, A glance at the natural boundaries of this may not be without interest to the general Jutland, the islands of Seeland, Funen, Laaland, reader. This kingdom consists of the peninsula of Falsta, Langeland, Alsen, Möen, Samsoe, Lasoe, Fehmern, Bornholm, and the duchy of Schleswig. She also possesses the Färöe Isles, Iceland, and Greenland, and St. Thomas, Santa Cruz, and San Juan in the West-Indies. She has an of 2,588,996. The country is, for the most part, area of 445,705 square miles, and a population an almost unbroken plain, and the rivers and lakes are small; the points, or arms of the sea, are the most prominent natural features. Although the latitude is high, the winters are seldom severe, and the climate is damp. Great attention is paid to agriculture, and large quantities of hemp, flax, peas, barley, rye, and The revenue of the kingdom in 1860 was oats, are produced; some tobacco is grown. 18,563,650 dollars, the civil-list 875,200 dollars; the income met the demands, and the national debt was 62,942,196 dollars.

Denmark formerly claimed the exclusive right of imposing tolls on all vessels navigating The Sound, and exacted heavy dues; these were sometimes settled by a commutation, and, at the Congress of Vienna, these claims were ad

The duchies then were exceedingly dissatisfied, and have always been a thorn "in the State;" they have no affinities for the Danes, and greatly prefer a German ruler; they feared that the royal line would become extinct, and in that event the duchies would be declared independent of the Danish crown, and annexed to the German confederation. The popular discontent was greatly increased by certain letterspatent issued by the regal authority, declaring that in all the royal dominions excepting certain parts of Holstein the laws of succession should be uniform. The flame was fed by out-mitted, and the revenue decreed to belong to side interference, and on the accession of Frederick the Seventh, in 1848, the duchies took up arms in defence of their rights, and were assisted by Prussia, who sent a large force, drove out the Danes, and invaded Jutland. England and Russia interfered, and an armistice was signed, which was exceedingly offensive to the malcontents. In 1849 Prussia undertook a second campaign in Holstein, and though her interference was not disregarded, still the Holsteiners relied mainly on themselves, and "maintained a spirited resistance till defeated at Idstett, July 23rd, 1850." Prussia had determined on neutrality, and Aus

the kingdom. The matter engaged the attention of the European powers from time to time, and a convention was held at Copenhagen to adjust it finally, and that power accepted 19,145,000 dollars as a full compensation for The Sound dues: "Great Britain paid 28.90 per cent.; Russia, 27.80 per cent.; Prussia, 12.60 per cent., and the United States 2.03 per cent."

The domestic trade of Denmark is very large, and most of the shipments are made by water. There are also four large canals, one of which, having seven sluices and the same number of bridges, is navigable for vessels of one hundred and fifty tons. All the roads and highways are

Iceland alone had poets after the Druid bards were exterminated. About the middle of the seventeenth century, the government issued a commission for the collection of the original manuscripts of the Edda, which had been published by Resen in 1665.

macadamized, kept in excellent order, and are | ligious ceremonies of the nations of the North." under the direction of a superintendent of roads. This little kingdom pays great attention to education; every child, between the ages of seven and fourteen, is obliged by law to attend some school, and there is always a place of instruction in every village. There are about forty gymnasia in Denmark, in addition to normal schools and two universities-one at Copenhagen, the other at Kiel.

The Government of Denmark is a "constitutional, hereditary monarchy." The future sovereign, before he can ascend the throne, must be at least eighteen years of age; his person is inviolate, and he must profess the Lutheran religion; he is the head of the State, and his office corresponds very closely to that of the President of the United States; he can make all appointments, both civil and military, but they must be confirmed by the Diet. This body, which sits biennially, is composed of eighty members; twenty are appointed by the king, thirty by the storthings or local assemblies throughout the kingdom, and thirty more by the citizens. No taxes can be imposed without the consent of the Diet, and no laws passed by its members are valid till they receive the royal assent. Personal liberty, religious toleration, freedom of the press, the inviolability of private residences, and the right of public meetings, are recognized by law, and have been solemnly sanctioned by repeated enactments. Denmark is, next to England, the freest country in Europe, and, were not the climate so injurious to strangers, would be the residence of many political refugees.

The literature of Denmark is very rich, and translations of some of the best works of her authors are used; her poetry is very fine. Several languages are spoken in Denmark-the Dansk, Svensk, and Norsk are all of Icelandic origin. This tongue is the source of all the poetry of the North, and ruled in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. It was spoken by the Scalds. The bards, troubadours, and storytellers used it in all their communications, and transferred it to stone. All the Runic inscriptions are in that dialect to this day. The Icelanders are the most cultivated people in the world. All, or nearly all, the village clergymen converse fluently in Latin, and every family has its reader. This idiom also existed among the Northern Irish and the Scottish islanders; but was gradually pushed aride by the German, and eventually was only to be found in the monasteries of Shalkolt. Pleif, the first Bishop, who carried a taste for letters into Iceland, was consecrated in the eleventh century; he was rather a voluminous writer, but none of his works are extant. Several learned prelates succeeded Pleif, but none of their writings are preserved. Ari Huni Frodi is the oldest of the Icelandic historians. The Edda, which was first collected in 1192, has been the subject of great admiration to many learned men, and is a storehouse of rich material "for the ancient manners and re

The ballad-poetry of Denmark is exceedingly rich, masculine, and abundant; their date is uncertain. Rahbek, a poet of medium excellence, but a good critic and laborious writer, who was well versed in several languages, collected all these ancient remains in one volume. These would well repay a rendition into English. The versification pleases the ear; the imagery is bold and free; the poets sing the heroism of the warriors, their lofty deeds in life, and their final triumphs at the great banquets in the Volhalla.

Other dialects are spoken in the different groups of islands, but all bear traces of the great mother-language from which they are derived.

The Danish language, spoken in the higher and court circles, and used in diplomatic intercourse, is milder than the German, and has fewer aspirated and hissing sounds. The conquest of England by Canute, the sway of Ger man rulers, and the Reformation exerted a powerful influence on the Danish literature. To the last it is indebted for much of its vigour and strength; but the use of the Gallic idiom as a court language, and the too frequent employment of the Latin by the learned, operated in bringing the Danish into disrepute. Towards the close of the seventeenth century, the national language again revived; it is now used very generally among the upper classes in Jutland, Denmark, and a part of Schleswig, among the Esquimaux in Greenland, and the islands of San Juan, St. Croix, and St. Thomas.

Thomas

Denmark has been exceedingly prolific in great truths in every department of literature; but the limits of our present article will scarcely permit us to more than mention the names and works of some of the principal Danish writersTycho Brahe, who flourished from 1546 to 1601, famed for his vast astronomical skill; Bartholin, who lived in 1616, equally celebrated as an anatomist, gave a great impetus to science. Holberg, who was born at Bergen, in Norway, in 1684, exercised a powerful and lasting influence on Danish literature; his talents were great and versatile, his learning very consider able, and, though his serious writings are highly prized, he himself preferred the regions of wit and humour. In these he is, perhaps, unmatched by any writer in the language. The subterranean voyage of Nicholas Klein was a very successful satire, and has been translated into many European tongues; Peter Paars, a comic heroic poem, has also much wit and humour. As a dramatic writer of short pieces, combining fun, broad comedy, and a truthful representation of nature, Holberg is very justly famed, neither is he ever wearisome, nor is the history spun out; they bear considerable re

semblance to some of Toot's farces. The "Pewter Pot-Maker" is the best, and has passed into a national proverb, when a man has the vanity of wishing to leave the sphere in which he was born. Holberg was ennobled, and his death was greatly lamented.

Ewald holds a distinguished place as a lyrical poet, and the crown of the university was awarded to him on the death of Frederick the Fifth; the soul-stirring national ballad, "King Christian by the mainmast stood," came from his pen; that alone would have immortalized him. "The death of Beldor," and "Ralp Krage, a drama,” are also numbered among his productions. His odes are fine, and the elegies of "Hope" and "Remembrance" are beautiful. But Fortune did not smile upon this gifted son of song, for forty years Indigence had been his daily companion, yet the great of the earth contended who should bear his remains to the grave. Oehlenschlager holds rank, perhaps, in the estimation of some before any of the others, but he has modestly styled himself a third-class poet. "The Death of Correggio,” “Aladdin,” "Ascel and Waldberg," and "The Gospel of the Year," are all marked with fine imagery, distinctness, and grace. This writer is particularly fortunate in his female characters.

Winther, Hendrich Hertz, Hendersen, N. F. Mohlbeck, and Grundtvig, are the famous modern poets; there are also a great number of novelists, whose works meet a ready sale. F. C. Sibbern is the most independent thinker in the kingdom, and Oersted's "Aanden e Naturen" has been translated into most European languages. Eschricht and Paulsen are zoologists. Other writers have presented valuable works on archæology and history to the public. Rask, Westergaard, and Fausböll are exceedingly eminent as linguists; and Nyerup, Petersen, and Müller have made very profound researches in Danish literature and history. Numerous critical editions of the remains of ancient Danish and Scandinavian literature have been issued, and Grundtvig stands at the head of the living historians of Denmark.

tually wore the Norwegian crown for a few months. Prior to this, his parents separated, were divorced, and the boy spent most of his time among soldiers and peasants. At sixteen he made the tour of Europe, and resided for some time at Geneva, whence he returned home, imbued with republican ideas, and much better fitted to be a disciple of Jean Jacques Rousseau than to wield a sceptre. But things had greatly changed: his royal cousin, at the age of sixty, found himself without any male heirs. His two daughters had long since passed the bloom of early youth, and their father, determined that they should marry, tendered the Princess Wilhelmina to her cousin Frederick. The youth refused, but the King was inflexible, and he was united, in 1828, to a woman he disliked, and whose haughty manners did not conciliate her spouse. He soon left her, and resided for some time at a inansion near the capital, where he assembled around him some of his former democratic associates, and contracted an intimacy with a certain Louise Rasmussen, the daughter of a small tradesman, but a girl of much wit and beauty. Such conduct drew the King's ire upon the Prince, and, after a reprimand, he was sent to muse and philosophize, in 1857, to a fortress in Jutland, where he remained till liberated by the King's death. At his father's accession to the throne he was divorced from the Princess Wilhelmina, and married a second time to the Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Chance, however, threw him into contact with his former love, whom he at once installed in a cottage, and avowed his intention of protecting. At the end of five years the Crown-Prince was divorced from the Princess of Strelitz, who returned to her native country, and Louise Rasmussen was declared favourite entire.

Christian the Eighth died on the 20th of January, 1848, and the first act of his son, on ascending the throne the same day, was to create his favourite Baroness Danner, and soon after Countess. This distinction was at first severely blamed by the nation; but the faAs the duchies and Denmark now en- vourite was entirely on the popular side, and gross much of the public attention, a Frederick at once declared that he would rather short biographical notice of the late king resign his crown than separate from his friend, may be suitably appended. The greatest and such, in fact, very nearly ensued, when all English poet has well and justly remarked, Europe was suddenly convulsed by the French "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," revolution. A mob of the ultra-radicals and and in no case was it more fully exemplified the Scandinavian party thronged the palace, than in the person of Frederick the Seventh of petitioning for reform, and using seditious lanDenmark, who has been styled by his contem-guage; but the King at once disarmed these poraries and the Danish press the republican king. No one ever accepted a diadem more reluctantly, nor wore it more unwillingly.

factious spirits, by asserting that he would abdicate the crown, become the president of a republic, or withdraw entirely from public business, and thus morally intimidate his powerful neighbour. This was more than the nation either expected or desired, and intimated that they would only accept the new constitution guaranteed by the King.

Frederick was born October the 6th, 1808, about a year after the bombardment of Copenhagen by the British. His chances of succeeding to the throne were precarious, as his father was only cousin to the reigning king. This prince had two daughters, and was only forty; On the 7th of August, 1850, Frederick the reasonable hopes might be expected of male Seventh was publicly married, at Fredericksissue. The father of Prince Frederick was en- burg, to the Countess Danner. This step grossed with dreams of kingly sway, and ac-greatly displeased the Danes, and, as it had long

"HÆC OLIM MEMINISSE JUVABIT." Was, after all, but some few trembling words

HORACE CAREW; OR, THE HEIR OF SAIRMOUTH CASTLE.