is　a　substantial　eulogium；　and；　from　all　I　can　gather；　the　inhabitants　of　Denmark　and　Norway　are　the　least　oppressed　people　of　Europe。　　The　press　is　free。　　They　translate　any　of　the　French　publications　of　the　day；　deliver　their　opinion　on　the　subject；　and　discuss　those　it　leads　to　with　great　freedom；　and　without　fearing　to　displease　the　Government。
  On　the　subject　of　religion　they　are　likewise　becoming　tolerant；　at　least；　and　perhaps　have　advanced　a　step　further　in　free…thinking。　One　writer　has　ventured　to　deny　the　divinity　of　Jesus　Christ；　and　to　question　the　necessity　or　utility　of　the　Christian　system；　without　being　considered　universally　as　a　monster；　which　would　have　been　the　case　a　few　years　ago。　　They　have　translated　many　German　works　on　education；　and　though　they　have　not　adopted　any　of　their　plans；　it　has　become　a　subject　of　discussion。　　There　are　some　grammar　and　free　schools；　but；　from　what　I　hear；　not　very　good　ones。　　All　the　children　learn　to　read；　write；　and　cast　accounts；　for　the　purposes　of　common　life。　　They　have　no　university；　and　nothing　that　deserves　the　name　of　science　is　taught；　nor　do　individuals；　by　pursuing　any　branch　of　knowledge；　excite　a　degree　of　curiosity　which　is　the　forerunner　of　improvement。　　Knowledge　is　not　absolutely　necessary　to　enable　a　considerable　portion　of　the　community　to　live；　and；　till　it　is；　I　fear　it　never　becomes　general。
  In　this　country；　where　minerals　abound；　there　is　not　one　collection；　and；　in　all　probability；　I　venture　a　conjecture；　the　want　of　mechanical　and　chemical　knowledge　renders　the　silver　mines　unproductive；　for　the　quantity　of　silver　obtained　every　year　is　not　sufficient　to　defray　the　expenses。　　It　has　been　urged　that　the　employment　of　such　a　number　of　hands　is　very　beneficial。　　But　a　positive　loss　is　never　to　be　done　away；　and　the　men；　thus　employed；　would　naturally　find　some　other　means　of　living；　instead　of　being　thus　a　dead　weight　on　Government；　or　rather　on　the　community　from　whom　its　revenue　is　drawn。
  About　three　English　miles　from　Tonsberg　there　is　a　salt　work；　belonging；　like　all　their　establishments；　to　Government；　in　which　they　employ　above　a　hundred　and　fifty　men；　and　maintain　nearly　five　hundred　people；　who　earn　their　living。　　The　clear　profit；　an　increasing　one；　amounts　to　two　thousand　pounds　sterling。　　And　as　the　eldest　son　of　the　inspector；　an　ingenious　young　man；　has　been　sent　by　the　Government　to　travel；　and　acquire　some　mathematical　and　chemical　knowledge　in　Germany；　it　has　a　chance　of　being　improved。　He　is　the　only　person　I　have　met　with　here　who　appears　to　have　a　scientific　turn　of　mind。　　I　do　not　mean　to　assert　that　I　have　not　met　with　others　who　have　a　spirit　of　inquiry。
  The　salt…works　at　St。　Ubes　are　basins　in　the　sand；　and　the　sun　produces　the　evaporation；　but　here　there　is　no　beach。　　Besides；　the　heat　of　summer　is　so　short…lived　that　it　would　be　idle　to　contrive　machines　for　such　an　inconsiderable　portion　of　the　year。　　They　therefore　always　use　fires；　and　the　whole　establishment　appears　to　be　regulated　with　judgment。
  The　situation　is　well　chosen　and　beautiful。　　I　do　not　find；　from　the　observation　of　a　person　who　has　resided　here　for　forty　years；　that　the　sea　advances　or　recedes　on　this　coast。
  I　have　already　remarked　that　little　attention　is　paid　to　education；　excepting　reading；　writing；　and　the　rudiments　of　arithmetic；　I　ought　to　have　added　that　a　catechism　is　carefully　taught；　and　the　children　obliged　to　read　in　the　churches；　before　the　congregation；　to　prove　that　they　are　not　neglected。
  Degrees；　to　enable　any　one　to　practise　any　profession；　must　be　taken　at　Copenhagen；　and　the　people　of　this　country；　having　the　good　sense　to　perceive　that　men　who　are　to　live　in　a　community　should　at　least　acquire　the　elements　of　their　knowledge；　and　form　their　youthful　attachments　there；　are　seriously　endeavouring　to　establish　a　university　in　Norway。　　And　Tonsberg；　as　a　central　place　in　the　best　part　of　the　country；　had　the　most　suffrages；　for；　experiencing　the　bad　effects　of　a　metropolis；　they　have　determined　not　to　have　it　in　or　near　Christiania。　　Should　such　an　establishment　take　place；　it　will　promote　inquiry　throughout　the　country；　and　give　a　new　face　to　society。　　Premiums　have　been　offered；　and　prize　questions　written；　which　I　am　told　have　merit。　　The　building　college…halls；　and　other　appendages　of　the　seat　of　science；　might　enable　Tonsberg　to　recover　its　pristine　consequence；　for　it　is　one　of　the　most　ancient　towns　of　Norway；　and　once　contained　nine　churches。　　At　present　there　are　only　two。　　One　is　a　very　old　structure；　and　has　a　Gothic　respectability　about　it；　which　scarcely　amounts　to　grandeur；　because；　to　render　a　Gothic　pile　grand；　it　must　have　a　huge　unwieldiness　of　appearance。　The　chapel　of　Windsor　may　be　an　exception　to　this　rule；　I　mean　before　it　was　in　its　present　nice；　clean　state。　　When　I　first　saw　it；　the　pillars　within　had　acquired；　by　time；　a　sombre　hue；　which　accorded　with　the　architecture；　and　the　gloom　increased　its　dimensions　to　the　eye　by　hiding　its　parts；　but　now　it　all　bursts　on　the　view　at　once；　and　the　sublimity　has　vanished　before　the　brush　and　broom；　for　it　has　been　white…washed　and　scraped　till　it　has　become　as　bright　and　neat　as　the　pots　and　pans　in　a　notable　house…　wife's　kitchenyes；　the　very　spurs　on　the　recumbent　knights　were　deprived　of　their　venerable　rust；　to　give　a　striking　proof　that　a　love　of　order　in　trifles；　and　taste　for　proportion　and　arrangement；　are　very　distinct。　　The　glare　of　light　thus　introduced　entirely　destroys　the　sentiment　these　piles　are　calculated　to　inspire；　so　that；　when　I　heard　something　like　a　jig　from　the　organ…loft；　I　thought　it　an　excellent　hall　for　dancing　or　feasting。　　The　measured　pace　of　thought　with　which　I　had　entered　the　cathedral　changed　into　a　trip；　and　I　bounded　on　the　terrace；　to　see　the　royal　family；　with　a　number　of　ridiculous　images　in　my　head　that　I　shall　not　now　recall。
  The　Norwegians　are　fond　of　music；　and　every　little　church　has　an　organ。　　In　the　church　I　have　mentioned　there　is　an　inscription　importing　that　a　king　James　VI。　of　Scotland　and　I。　of　England；　who　came　with　more　than　princely　gallantry　to　escort　his　bride　home　stood　there；　and　heard　divine　service。
  There　is　a　little　recess　full　of　coffins；　which　contains　bodies　embalmed　long　sinceso　long；　that　there　is　not　even　a　tradition　to　lead　to　a　guess　at　their　names。
  A　desire　of　preserving　the　body　seems　to　have　prevailed　in　most　countries　of　the　world；　futile　as　it　is　to　term　it　a　preservation；　when　the　noblest　parts　are　immediately　sacrificed　merely　to　save　the　muscles；　skin；　and　bone　from　rottenness。　　When　I　was　shown　these　human　petrifactions；　I　shrank　back　with　disgust　and　horror。　　〃Ashes　to　ashes！〃　thought　I〃Dust　to　dust！〃　　If　this　be　not　dissolution；　it　is　something　worse　than　natural　decayit　is　treason　against　humanity；　thus　to　lift　up　the　awful　veil　which　would　fain　hide　its　weakness。　　The　grandeur　of　the　active　principle　is　never　more　strongly　felt　than　at　such　a　sight；　for　nothing　is　so　ugly　as　the　human　form　when　deprived　of　life；　and　thus　dried　into　stone；　merely　to　preserve　the　most　disgusting　image　of　death。　　The　contemplation　of　noble　ruins　produces　a　melancholy　that　exalts　the　mind。　　We　take　a　retrospect　of　the　exertions　of　man；　the　fate　of　empires　and　their　rulers；　and　marking　the　grand　destruction　of　ages；　it　seems　the　necessary　change　of　the　leading　to　improvement。　　Our　very　soul　expands；　and　we　forget　our　littlenesshow　painfully　brought　to　our　recollection　by　such　vain　attempts　to　snatch　from　decay　what　is　destined　so　soon　to　perish。　　Life；　what　art　thou？　　Where　goes　this　breath？this　_I_；　so　much　alive？　　In　what　element　will　it　mix；　giving　or　receiving　fresh　energy？　　What　will　break　the　enchantment　of　animation？　　For　worlds　I　would　not　see　a　form　I　lovedembalmed　in　my　heart　thus　sacrilegiously　handled？　　Pugh！　my　stomach　turns。　Is　this　all　the　distinction　of　the　rich　in　the　grave？　　They　had　better　quietly　allow　the　scythe　of　equality　to　mow　them　down　with　the　common　mass；　than　struggle　to　become　a　monument　of　the　instability　of　human　greatness。
  The　teeth；　nails；　and　skin　were　whole；　without　appearing　black　like　the　Egyptian　mummies；　and　some　silk；　in　which　they　had　been　wrapped；　still　preserved　its　colourpinkwith　tolerable　freshness。
  I　could　not　learn　how　long　the　bodies　had　been　in　this　state；　in　which　they　bid　fair　to　remain　till　the　Day　of　Judgment；　if　there　is　to　be　such　a　day；　and　before　that　time；　it　will　require　some　trouble　to　make　them　fit　to　appear　in　company　with　angels　without　disgracing　humanity。　　God　bless　you！　　I　feel　a　conviction　that　we　have　some　perfectible　principle　in　our　present　vestment；　which　will　not　be　destroyed　just　as　we　begin　to　be　sensible　of　improvement；　and　I　care　not　what　habit　it　next　puts　on；　sure　that　it　will　be　wisely　formed　to　suit　a　higher　state　of　existence。　　Thinking　of　death　makes　us　tenderly　cling　to　our　affections；　with　more　than　usual　tenderness　I　therefore　assure　you　that　I　am　yours；　wishing　that　the　temporary　death　of　absence　may　not　endure　longer　than　is　absolutely　necessary。
  LETTER　VIII。
  Tonsberg　was　formerly　the　residence　of　one　of　the　little　sovereigns　of　Norway；　and　on　an　adjacent　mountain　the　vestiges　of　a　fort　rem