ch　I　ought　to　pay　on　the　road。　However；　as　I　was　positive；　he　took　the　guinea　for　himself；　but；　as　a　condition；　insisted　on　accompanying　me；　to　prevent　my　meeting　with　any　trouble　or　imposition　on　the　way。
  I　then　retired　to　my　apartment　with　regret。　　The　night　was　so　fine　that　I　would　gladly　have　rambled　about　much　longer；　yet；　recollecting　that　I　must　rise　very　early；　I　reluctantly　went　to　bed；　but　my　senses　had　been　so　awake；　and　my　imagination　still　continued　so　busy；　that　I　sought　for　rest　in　vain。　　Rising　before　six；　I　scented　the　sweet　morning　air；　I　had　long　before　heard　the　birds　twittering　to　hail　the　dawning　day；　though　it　could　scarcely　have　been　allowed　to　have　departed。
  Nothing；　in　fact；　can　equal　the　beauty　of　the　northern　summer's　evening　and　night；　if　night　it　may　be　called　that　only　wants　the　glare　of　day；　the　full　light　which　frequently　seems　so　impertinent；　for　I　could　write　at　midnight　very　well　without　a　candle。　　I　contemplated　all　Nature　at　rest；　the　rocks；　even　grown　darker　in　their　appearance；　looked　as　if　they　partook　of　the　general　repose；　and　reclined　more　heavily　on　their　foundation。　　〃What；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃is　this　active　principle　which　keeps　me　still　awake？　　Why　fly　my　thoughts　abroad；　when　everything　around　me　appears　at　home？〃　　My　child　was　sleeping　with　equal　calmnessinnocent　and　sweet　as　the　closing　flowers。　　Some　recollections；　attached　to　the　idea　of　home；　mingled　with　reflections　respecting　the　state　of　society　I　had　been　contemplating　that　evening；　made　a　tear　drop　on　the　rosy　cheek　I　had　just　kissed；　and　emotions　that　trembled　on　the　brink　of　ecstasy　and　agony　gave　a　poignancy　to　my　sensations　which　made　me　feel　more　alive　than　usual。
  What　are　these　imperious　sympathies？　　How　frequently　has　melancholy　and　even　misanthropy　taken　possession　of　me；　when　the　world　has　disgusted　me；　and　friends　have　proved　unkind。　　I　have　then　considered　myself　as　a　particle　broken　off　from　the　grand　mass　of　mankind；　I　was　alone；　till　some　involuntary　sympathetic　emotion；　like　the　attraction　of　adhesion；　made　me　feel　that　I　was　still　a　part　of　a　mighty　whole；　from　which　I　could　not　sever　myselfnot；　perhaps；　for　the　reflection　has　been　carried　very　far；　by　snapping　the　thread　of　an　existence；　which　loses　its　charms　in　proportion　as　the　cruel　experience　of　life　stops　or　poisons　the　current　of　the　heart。　　Futurity；　what　hast　thou　not　to　give　to　those　who　know　that　there　is　such　a　thing　as　happiness！　　I　speak　not　of　philosophical　contentment；　though　pain　has　afforded　them　the　strongest　conviction　of　it。
  After　our　coffee　and　milkfor　the　mistress　of　the　house　had　been　roused　long　before　us　by　her　hospitalitymy　baggage　was　taken　forward　in　a　boat　by　my　host；　because　the　car　could　not　safely　have　been　brought　to　the　house。
  The　road　at　first　was　very　rocky　and　troublesome；　but　our　driver　was　careful；　and　the　horses　accustomed　to　the　frequent　and　sudden　acclivities　and　descents；　so　that；　not　apprehending　any　danger；　I　played　with　my　girl；　whom　I　would　not　leave　to　Marguerite's　care；　on　account　of　her　timidity。
  Stopping　at　a　little　inn　to　bait　the　horses；　I　saw　the　first　countenance　in　Sweden　that　displeased　me；　though　the　man　was　better　dressed　than　any　one　who　had　as　yet　fallen　in　my　way。　　An　altercation　took　place　between　him　and　my　host；　the　purport　of　which　I　could　not　guess；　excepting　that　I　was　the　occasion　of　it；　be　it　what　it　would。　　The　sequel　was　his　leaving　the　house　angrily；　and　I　was　immediately　informed　that　he　was　the　custom…house　officer。　　The　professional　had　indeed　effaced　the　national　character；　for；　living　as　he　did　within　these　frank　hospitable　people；　still　only　the　exciseman　appeared；　the　counterpart　of　some　I　had　met　with　in　England　and　France。　　I　was　unprovided　with　a　passport；　not　having　entered　any　great　town。　　At　Gothenburg　I　knew　I　could　immediately　obtain　one；　and　only　the　trouble　made　me　object　to　the　searching　my　trunks。　　He　blustered　for　money；　but　the　lieutenant　was　determined　to　guard　me；　according　to　promise；　from　imposition。
  To　avoid　being　interrogated　at　the　town…gate；　and　obliged　to　go　in　the　rain　to　give　an　account　of　myself　（merely　a　form）　before　we　could　get　the　refreshment　we　stood　in　need　of；　he　requested　us　to　descendI　might　have　said　stepfrom　our　car；　and　walk　into　town。
  I　expected　to　have　found　a　tolerable　inn；　but　was　ushered　into　a　most　comfortless　one；　and；　because　it　was　about　five　o'clock；　three　or　four　hours　after　their　dining　hour；　I　could　not　prevail　on　them　to　give　me　anything　warm　to　eat。
  The　appearance　of　the　accommodations　obliged　me　to　deliver　one　of　my　recommendatory　letters；　and　the　gentleman　to　whom　it　was　addressed　sent　to　look　out　for　a　lodging　for　me　whilst　I　partook　of　his　supper。　　As　nothing　passed　at　this　supper　to　characterise　the　country；　I　shall　here　close　my　letter。
  Yours　truly。
  LETTER　II。
  Gothenburg　is　a　clean　airy　town；　and；　having　been　built　by　the　Dutch；　has　canals　running　through　each　street；　and　in　some　of　them　there　are　rows　of　trees　that　would　render　it　very　pleasant　were　it　not　for　the　pavement；　which　is　intolerably　bad。
  There　are　several　rich　commercial　housesScotch；　French；　and　Swedish；　but　the　Scotch；　I　believe；　have　been　the　most　successful。　The　commerce　and　commission　business　with　France　since　the　war　has　been　very　lucrative；　and　enriched　the　merchants　I　am　afraid　at　the　expense　of　the　other　inhabitants；　by　raising　the　price　of　the　necessaries　of　life。
  As　all　the　men　of　consequenceI　mean　men　of　the　largest　fortune　are　merchants；　their　principal　enjoyment　is　a　relaxation　from　business　at　the　table；　which　is　spread　at；　I　think；　too　early　an　hour　（between　one　and　two）　for　men　who　have　letters　to　write　and　accounts　to　settle　after　paying　due　respect　to　the　bottle。
  However；　when　numerous　circles　are　to　be　brought　together；　and　when　neither　literature　nor　public　amusements　furnish　topics　for　conversation；　a　good　dinner　appears　to　be　the　only　centre　to　rally　round；　especially　as　scandal；　the　zest　of　more　select　parties；　can　only　be　whispered。　　As　for　politics；　I　have　seldom　found　it　a　subject　of　continual　discussion　in　a　country　town　in　any　part　of　the　world。　　The　politics　of　the　place；　being　on　a　smaller　scale；　suits　better　with　the　size　of　their　faculties；　for；　generally　speaking；　the　sphere　of　observation　determines　the　extent　of　the　mind。
  The　more　I　see　of　the　world；　the　more　I　am　convinced　that　civilisation　is　a　blessing　not　sufficiently　estimated　by　those　who　have　not　traced　its　progress；　for　it　not　only　refines　our　enjoyments；　but　produces　a　variety　which　enables　us　to　retain　the　primitive　delicacy　of　our　sensations。　　Without　the　aid　of　the　imagination　all　the　pleasures　of　the　senses　must　sink　into　grossness；　unless　continual　novelty　serve　as　a　substitute　for　the　imagination；　which；　being　impossible；　it　was　to　this　weariness；　I　suppose；　that　Solomon　alluded　when　he　declared　that　there　was　nothing　new　under　the　sun！nothing　for　the　common　sensations　excited　by　the　senses。　　Yet　who　will　deny　that　the　imagination　and　understanding　have　made　many；　very　many　discoveries　since　those　days；　which　only　seem　harbingers　of　others　still　more　noble　and　beneficial？　　I　never　met　with　much　imagination　amongst　people　who　had　not　acquired　a　habit　of　reflection；　and　in　that　state　of　society　in　which　the　judgment　and　taste　are　not　called　forth；　and　formed　by　the　cultivation　of　the　arts　and　sciences；　little　of　that　delicacy　of　feeling　and　thinking　is　to　be　found　characterised　by　the　word　sentiment。　　The　want　of　scientific　pursuits　perhaps　accounts　for　the　hospitality；　as　well　as　for　the　cordial　reception　which　strangers　receive　from　the　inhabitants　of　small　towns。
  Hospitality　has；　I　think；　been　too　much　praised　by　travellers　as　a　proof　of　goodness　of　heart；　when；　in　my　opinion；　indiscriminate　hospitality　is　rather　a　criterion　by　which　you　may　form　a　tolerable　estimate　of　the　indolence　or　vacancy　of　a　head；　or；　in　other　words；　a　fondness　for　social　pleasures　in　which　the　mind　not　having　its　proportion　of　exercise；　the　bottle　must　be　pushed　about。
  These　remarks　are　equally　applicable　to　Dublin；　the　most　hospitable　city　I　ever　passed　through。　　But　I　will　try　to　confine　my　observations　more　particularly　to　Sweden。
  It　is　true　I　have　only　had　a　glance　over　a　small　part　of　it；　yet　of　its　present　state　of　manners　and　acquirements　I　think　I　have　formed　a　distinct　idea；　without　having　visited　the　capitalwhere；　in　fact；　less　of　a　national　character　is　to　be　found　than　in　the　remote　parts　of　the　country。
  The　Swedes　pique　themselves　on　their　politeness；　but　far　from　being　the　polish　of　a　cultivated　mind；　it　consists　merely　of　tiresome　forms　and　ceremonies。　　So　far；　indeed；　from　entering　immediately　into　your　character；　and　making　you　feel　instantly　at　your　ease；　like　the　well…bred　French；　their　over…acted　civility　is　a　continual　restraint　on　all　your　actions。　　The　sort　of　superiority　which　a　fortune　gives　when　there　is　no　superiority　of　education；　excepting　what　consists　in　the　observance　of　senseless　forms；　has　a　contrary　effect　than　what　is　intended；　so　that　I　could　not　help　reckoning　the　peasantry　the　politest　people　of　Sweden；　who；　only　aiming　at　pleasing　you；　never　think　of　being　admired　for　their　behaviour。