the　beech　tree；　and　when　I　met　stragglers　here　they　pleased　me　still　less。　　Long　and　lank；　they　would　have　forced　me　to　allow　that　the　line　of　beauty　requires　some　curves；　if　the　stately　pine；　standing　near；　erect；　throwing　her　vast　arms　around；　had　not　looked　beautiful　in　opposition　to　such　narrow　rules。
  In　these　respects　my　very　reason　obliges　me　to　permit　my　feelings　to　be　my　criterion。　　Whatever　excites　emotion　has　charms　for　me；　though　I　insist　that　the　cultivation　of　the　mind　by　warming；　nay；　almost　creating　the　imagination；　produces　taste　and　an　immense　variety　of　sensations　and　emotions；　partaking　of　the　exquisite　pleasure　inspired　by　beauty　and　sublimity。　　As　I　know　of　no　end　to　them；　the　word　infinite；　so　often　misapplied；　might　on　this　occasion　be　introduced　with　something　like　propriety。
  But　I　have　rambled　away　again。　　I　intended　to　have　remarked　to　you　the　effect　produced　by　a　grove　of　towering　beech；　the　airy　lightness　of　their　foliage　admitting　a　degree　of　sunshine；　which；　giving　a　transparency　to　the　leaves；　exhibited　an　appearance　of　freshness　and　elegance　that　I　had　never　before　remarked。　　I　thought　of　descriptions　of　Italian　scenery。　　But　these　evanescent　graces　seemed　the　effect　of　enchantment；　and　I　imperceptibly　breathed　softly；　lest　I　should　destroy　what　was　real；　yet　looked　so　like　the　creation　of　fancy。　　Dryden's　fable　of　the　flower　and　the　leaf　was　not　a　more　poetical　reverie。
  Adieu；　however；　to　fancy；　and　to　all　the　sentiments　which　ennoble　our　nature。　　I　arrived　at　Laurvig；　and　found　myself　in　the　midst　of　a　group　of　lawyers　of　different　descriptions。　　My　head　turned　round；　my　heart　grew　sick；　as　I　regarded　visages　deformed　by　vice；　and　listened　to　accounts　of　chicanery　that　was　continually　embroiling　the　ignorant。　　These　locusts　will　probably　diminish　as　the　people　become　more　enlightened。　　In　this　period　of　social　life　the　commonalty　are　always　cunningly　attentive　to　their　own　interest；　but　their　faculties；　confined　to　a　few　objects；　are　so　narrowed；　that　they　cannot　discover　it　in　the　general　good。　　The　profession　of　the　law　renders　a　set　of　men　still　shrewder　and　more　selfish　than　the　rest；　and　it　is　these　men；　whose　wits　have　been　sharpened　by　knavery；　who　here　undermine　morality；　confounding　right　and　wrong。
  The　Count　of　Bernstorff；　who　really　appears　to　me；　from　all　I　can　gather；　to　have　the　good　of　the　people　at　heart；　aware　of　this；　has　lately　sent　to　the　mayor　of　each　district　to　name；　according　to　the　size　of　the　place；　four　or　six　of　the　best…informed　inhabitants；　not　men　of　the　law；　out　of　which　the　citizens　were　to　elect　two；　who　are　to　be　termed　mediators。　　Their　office　is　to　endeavour　to　prevent　litigious　suits；　and　conciliate　differences。　　And　no　suit　is　to　be　commenced　before　the　parties　have　discussed　the　dispute　at　their　weekly　meeting。　　If　a　reconciliation　should；　in　consequence；　take　place；　it　is　to　be　registered；　and　the　parties　are　not　allowed　to　retract。
  By　these　means　ignorant　people　will　be　prevented　from　applying　for　advice　to　men　who　may　justly　be　termed　stirrers…up　of　strife。　　They　have　for　a　long　time；　to　use　a　significant　vulgarism；　set　the　people　by　the　ears；　and　live　by　the　spoil　they　caught　up　in　the　scramble。　There　is　some　reason　to　hope　that　this　regulation　will　diminish　their　number；　and　restrain　their　mischievous　activity。　　But　till　trials　by　jury　are　established；　little　justice　can　be　expected　in　Norway。　　Judges　who　cannot　be　bribed　are　often　timid；　and　afraid　of　offending　bold　knaves；　lest　they　should　raise　a　set　of　hornets　about　themselves。　　The　fear　of　censure　undermines　all　energy　of　character；　and；　labouring　to　be　prudent；　they　lose　sight　of　rectitude。　Besides；　nothing　is　left　to　their　conscience；　or　sagacity；　they　must　be　governed　by　evidence；　though　internally　convinced　that　it　is　false。
  There　is　a　considerable　iron　manufactory　at　Laurvig　for　coarse　work；　and　a　lake　near　the　town　supplies　the　water　necessary　for　working　several　mills　belonging　to　it。
  This　establishment　belongs　to　the　Count　of　Laurvig。　　Without　a　fortune　and　influence　equal　to　his；　such　a　work　could　not　have　been　set　afloat；　personal　fortunes　are　not　yet　sufficient　to　support　such　undertakings。　　Nevertheless　the　inhabitants　of　the　town　speak　of　the　size　of　his　estate　as　an　evil；　because　it　obstructs　commerce。　　The　occupiers　of　small　farms　are　obliged　to　bring　their　wood　to　the　neighbouring　seaports　to　be　shipped；　but　he；　wishing　to　increase　the　value　of　his；　will　not　allow　it　to　be　thus　gradually　cut　down；　which　turns　the　trade　into　another　channel。　　Added　to　this；　nature　is　against　them；　the　bay　being　open　and　insecure。　　I　could　not　help　smiling　when　I　was　informed　that　in　a　hard　gale　a　vessel　had　been　wrecked　in　the　main　street。　　When　there　are　such　a　number　of　excellent　harbours　on　the　coast；　it　is　a　pity　that　accident　has　made　one　of　the　largest　towns　grow　up　on　a　bad　one。
  The　father　of　the　present　count　was　a　distant　relation　of　the　family；　he　resided　constantly　in　Denmark；　and　his　son　follows　his　example。　　They　have　not　been　in　possession　of　the　estate　many　years；　and　their　predecessor　lived　near　the　town；　introducing　a　degree　of　profligacy　of　manners　which　has　been　ruinous　to　the　inhabitants　in　every　respect；　their　fortunes　not　being　equal　to　the　prevailing　extravagance。
  What　little　I　have　seen　of　the　manners　of　the　people　does　not　please　me　so　well　as　those　of　Tonsberg。　　I　am　forewarned　that　I　shall　find　them　still　more　cunning　and　fraudulent　as　I　advance　towards　the　westward；　in　proportion　as　traffic　takes　place　of　agriculture；　for　their　towns　are　built　on　naked　rocks；　the　streets　are　narrow　bridges；　and　the　inhabitants　are　all　seafaring　men；　or　owners　of　ships；　who　keep　shops。
  The　inn　I　was　at　in　Laurvig　this　journey　was　not　the　same　that　I　was　at　before。　　It　is　a　good　onethe　people　civil；　and　the　accommodations　decent。　　They　seem　to　be　better　provided　in　Sweden；　but　in　justice　I　ought　to　add　that　they　charge　more　extravagantly。　My　bill　at　Tonsberg　was　also　much　higher　than　I　had　paid　in　Sweden；　and　much　higher　than　it　ought　to　have　been　where　provision　is　so　cheap。　　Indeed；　they　seem　to　consider　foreigners　as　strangers　whom　they　shall　never　see　again；　and　may　fairly　pluck。　　And　the　inhabitants　of　the　western　coast；　isolated；　as　it　were；　regard　those　of　the　east　almost　as　strangers。　　Each　town　in　that　quarter　seems　to　be　a　great　family；　suspicious　of　every　other；　allowing　none　to　cheat　them　but　themselves；　and；　right　or　wrong；　they　support　one　another　in　the　face　of　justice。
  On　this　journey　I　was　fortunate　enough　to　have　one　companion　with　more　enlarged　views　than　the　generality　of　his　countrymen；　who　spoke　English　tolerably。
  I　was　informed　that　we　might　still　advance　a　mile　and　a　quarter　in　our　cabrioles；　afterwards　there　was　no　choice；　but　of　a　single　horse　and　wretched　path；　or　a　boat；　the　usual　mode　of　travelling。
  We　therefore　sent　our　baggage　forward　in　the　boat；　and　followed　rather　slowly；　for　the　road　was　rocky　and　sandy。　　We　passed；　however；　through　several　beech　groves；　which　still　delighted　me　by　the　freshness　of　their　light　green　foliage；　and　the　elegance　of　their　assemblage；　forming　retreats　to　veil　without　obscuring　the　sun。
  I　was　surprised；　at　approaching　the　water；　to　find　a　little　cluster　of　houses　pleasantly　situated；　and　an　excellent　inn。　　I　could　have　wished　to　have　remained　there　all　night；　but　as　the　wind　was　fair；　and　the　evening　fine；　I　was　afraid　to　trust　to　the　windthe　uncertain　wind　of　to…morrow。　　We　therefore　left　Helgeraac　immediately　with　the　declining　sun。
  Though　we　were　in　the　open　sea；　we　sailed　more　amongst　the　rocks　and　islands　than　in　my　passage　from　Stromstad；　and　they　often　forced　very　picturesque　combinations。　　Few　of　the　high　ridges　were　entirely　bare；　the　seeds　of　some　pines　or　firs　had　been　wafted　by　the　winds　or　waves；　and　they　stood　to　brave　the　elements。
  Sitting；　then；　in　a　little　boat　on　the　ocean；　amidst　strangers；　with　sorrow　and　care　pressing　hard　on　mebuffeting　me　about　from　clime　to　climeI　felt
  〃Like　the　lone　shrub　at　random　cast；　That　sighs　and　trembles　at　each　blast！〃
  On　some　of　the　largest　rocks　there　were　actually　groves；　the　retreat　of　foxes　and　hares；　which；　I　suppose；　had　tripped　over　the　ice　during　the　winter；　without　thinking　to　regain　the　main　land　before　the　thaw。
  Several　of　the　islands　were　inhabited　by　pilots；　and　the　Norwegian　pilots　are　allowed　to　be　the　best　in　the　worldperfectly　acquainted　with　their　coast；　and　ever　at　hand　to　observe　the　first　signal　or　sail。　　They　pay　a　small　tax　to　the　king　and　to　the　regulating　officer；　and　enjoy　the　fruit　of　their　indefatigable　industry。
  One　of　the　islands；　called　Virgin　Land；　is　a　flat；　with　some　depth　of　earth；　extending　for　half　a　Norwegian　mile；　with　three　farms　on　it；　tolerably　well　cultivated。
  On　some　of　the　bare　rocks　I　saw　straggling　houses；　they　rose　above　the　denomination　of　huts　inhabited　by　fishermen。　　My　companions　assured　me　that　they　were　very　comfortable　dwellings；　and　that　they　have　not　only　the　necessaries；　but　even　what　might　be　reckoned　the　superfluities　of　life。　　It　was　too　late　for　me　to　go　on　shore；　if　you　will　allow　me　to　give　that　name　to　shivering　rocks；　to　ascertain　the　fact。
  But　rain　comi