；　in　this　general　character；　some　of　the　nobility　and　officers；　who　having　travelled；　are　polite　and　well　informed。
  I　must　own　to　you　that　the　lower　class　of　people　here　amuse　and　interest　me　much　more　than　the　middling；　with　their　apish　good　breeding　and　prejudices。　　The　sympathy　and　frankness　of　heart　conspicuous　in　the　peasantry　produces　even　a　simple　gracefulness　of　deportment　which　has　frequently　struck　me　as　very　picturesque；　I　have　often　also　been　touched　by　their　extreme　desire　to　oblige　me；　when　I　could　not　explain　my　wants；　and　by　their　earnest　manner　of　expressing　that　desire。　　There　is　such　a　charm　in　tenderness！　　It　is　so　delightful　to　love　our　fellow…creatures；　and　meet　the　honest　affections　as　they　break　forth。　　Still；　my　good　friend；　I　begin　to　think　that　I　should　not　like　to　live　continually　in　the　country　with　people　whose　minds　have　such　a　narrow　range。　　My　heart　would　frequently　be　interested；　but　my　mind　would　languish　for　more　companionable　society。
  The　beauties　of　nature　appear　to　me　now　even　more　alluring　than　in　my　youth；　because　my　intercourse　with　the　world　has　formed　without　vitiating　my　taste。　　But；　with　respect　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　country；　my　fancy　has　probably；　when　disgusted　with　artificial　manners；　solaced　itself　by　joining　the　advantages　of　cultivation　with　the　interesting　sincerity　of　innocence；　forgetting　the　lassitude　that　ignorance　will　naturally　produce。　　I　like　to　see　animals　sporting；　and　sympathise　in　their　pains　and　pleasures。　Still　I　love　sometimes　to　view　the　human　face　divine；　and　trace　the　soul；　as　well　as　the　heart；　in　its　varying　lineaments。
  A　journey　to　the　country；　which　I　must　shortly　make；　will　enable　me　to　extend　my　remarks。Adieu！
  LETTER　V。
  Had　I　determined　to　travel　in　Sweden　merely　for　pleasure；　I　should　probably　have　chosen　the　road　to　Stockholm；　though　convinced；　by　repeated　observation；　that　the　manners　of　a　people　are　best　discriminated　in　the　country。　　The　inhabitants　of　the　capital　are　all　of　the　same　genus；　for　the　varieties　in　the　species　we　must；　therefore；　search　where　the　habitations　of　men　are　so　separated　as　to　allow　the　difference　of　climate　to　have　its　natural　effect。　　And　with　this　difference　we　are；　perhaps；　most　forcibly　struck　at　the　first　view；　just　as　we　form　an　estimate　of　the　leading　traits　of　a　character　at　the　first　glance；　of　which　intimacy　afterwards　makes　us　almost　lose　sight。
  As　my　affairs　called　me　to　Stromstad　（the　frontier　town　of　Sweden）　in　my　way　to　Norway；　I　was　to　pass　over；　I　heard；　the　most　uncultivated　part　of　the　country。　　Still　I　believe　that　the　grand　features　of　Sweden　are　the　same　everywhere；　and　it　is　only　the　grand　features　that　admit　of　description。　　There　is　an　individuality　in　every　prospect；　which　remains　in　the　memory　as　forcibly　depicted　as　the　particular　features　that　have　arrested　our　attention；　yet　we　cannot　find　words　to　discriminate　that　individuality　so　as　to　enable　a　stranger　to　say；　this　is　the　face；　that　the　view。　　We　may　amuse　by　setting　the　imagination　to　work；　but　we　cannot　store　the　memory　with　a　fact。
  As　I　wish　to　give　you　a　general　idea　of　this　country；　I　shall　continue　in　my　desultory　manner　to　make　such　observations　and　reflections　as　the　circumstances　draw　forth；　without　losing　time；　by　endeavouring　to　arrange　them。
  Travelling　in　Sweden　is　very　cheap；　and　even　commodious；　if　you　make　but　the　proper　arrangements。　　Here；　as　in　other　parts　of　the　Continent；　it　is　necessary　to　have　your　own　carriage；　and　to　have　a　servant　who　can　speak　the　language；　if　you　are　unacquainted　with　it。　Sometimes　a　servant　who　can　drive　would　be　found　very　useful；　which　was　our　case；　for　I　travelled　in　company　with　two　gentlemen；　one　of　whom　had　a　German　servant　who　drove　very　well。　　This　was　all　the　party；　for　not　intending　to　make　a　long　stay；　I　left　my　little　girl　behind　me。
  As　the　roads　are　not　much　frequented；　to　avoid　waiting　three　or　four　hours　for　horses；　we　sent；　as　is　the　constant　custom；　an　avant　courier　the　night　before；　to　order　them　at　every　post；　and　we　constantly　found　them　ready。　　Our　first　set　I　jokingly　termed　requisition　horses；　but　afterwards　we　had　almost　always　little　spirited　animals　that　went　on　at　a　round　pace。
  The　roads；　making　allowance　for　the　ups　and　downs；　are　uncommonly　good　and　pleasant。　　The　expense；　including　the　postillions　and　other　incidental　things；　does　not　amount　to　more　than　a　shilling　the　Swedish　mile。
  The　inns　are　tolerable；　but　not　liking　the　rye　bread；　I　found　it　necessary　to　furnish　myself　with　some　wheaten　before　I　set　out。　　The　beds；　too；　were　particularly　disagreeable　to　me。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　I　was　sinking　into　a　grave　when　I　entered　them；　for；　immersed　in　down　placed　in　a　sort　of　box；　I　expected　to　be　suffocated　before　morning。　　The　sleeping　between　two　down　bedsthey　do　so　even　in　summermust　be　very　unwholesome　during　any　season；　and　I　cannot　conceive　how　the　people　can　bear　it；　especially　as　the　summers　are　very　warm。　　But　warmth　they　seem　not　to　feel；　and；　I　should　think；　were　afraid　of　the　air；　by　always　keeping　their　windows　shut。　　In　the　winter；　I　am　persuaded；　I　could　not　exist　in　rooms　thus　closed　up；　with　stoves　heated　in　their　manner；　for　they　only　put　wood　into　them　twice　a　day；　and；　when　the　stove　is　thoroughly　heated；　they　shut　the　flue；　not　admitting　any　air　to　renew　its　elasticity；　even　when　the　rooms　are　crowded　with　company。　　These　stoves　are　made　of　earthenware；　and　often　in　a　form　that　ornaments　an　apartment；　which　is　never　the　case　with　the　heavy　iron　ones　I　have　seen　elsewhere。　Stoves　may　be　economical；　but　I　like　a　fire；　a　wood　one；　in　preference；　and　I　am　convinced　that　the　current　of　air　which　it　attracts　renders　this　the　best　mode　of　warming　rooms。
  We　arrived　early　the　second　evening　at　a　little　village　called　Quistram；　where　we　had　determined　to　pass　the　night；　having　been　informed　that　we　should　not　afterwards　find　a　tolerable　inn　until　we　reached　Stromstad。
  Advancing　towards　Quistram；　as　the　sun　was　beginning　to　decline；　I　was　particularly　impressed　by　the　beauty　of　the　situation。　　The　road　was　on　the　declivity　of　a　rocky　mountain；　slightly　covered　with　a　mossy　herbage　and　vagrant　firs。　　At　the　bottom；　a　river；　straggling　amongst　the　recesses　of　stone；　was　hastening　forward　to　the　ocean　and　its　grey　rocks；　of　which　we　had　a　prospect　on　the　left；　whilst　on　the　right　it　stole　peacefully　forward　into　the　meadows；　losing　itself　in　a　thickly…wooded　rising　ground。　　As　we　drew　near；　the　loveliest　banks　of　wild　flowers　variegated　the　prospect；　and　promised　to　exhale　odours　to　add　to　the　sweetness　of　the　air；　the　purity　of　which　you　could　almost　see；　alas！　not　smell；　for　the　putrefying　herrings；　which　they　use　as　manure；　after　the　oil　has　been　extracted；　spread　over　the　patches　of　earth；　claimed　by　cultivation；　destroyed　every　other。
  It　was　intolerable；　and　entered　with　us　into　the　inn；　which　was　in　other　respects　a　charming　retreat。
  Whilst　supper　was　preparing　I　crossed　the　bridge；　and　strolled　by　the　river；　listening　to　its　murmurs。　　Approaching　the　bank；　the　beauty　of　which　had　attracted　my　attention　in　the　carriage；　I　recognised　many　of　my　old　acquaintance　growing　with　great　luxuriance。
  Seated　on　it；　I　could　not　avoid　noting　an　obvious　remark。　　Sweden　appeared　to　me　the　country　in　the　world　most　proper　to　form　the　botanist　and　natural　historian；　every　object　seemed　to　remind　me　of　the　creation　of　things；　of　the　first　efforts　of　sportive　nature。　When　a　country　arrives　at　a　certain　state　of　perfection；　it　looks　as　if　it　were　made　so；　and　curiosity　is　not　excited。　　Besides；　in　social　life　too　many　objects　occur　for　any　to　be　distinctly　observed　by　the　generality　of　mankind；　yet　a　contemplative　man；　or　poet；　in　the　countryI　do　not　mean　the　country　adjacent　to　citiesfeels　and　sees　what　would　escape　vulgar　eyes；　and　draws　suitable　inferences。　This　train　of　reflections　might　have　led　me　further；　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　but　I　could　not　escape　from　the　detestable　evaporation　of　the　herrings；　which　poisoned　all　my　pleasure。
  After　making　a　tolerable　supperfor　it　is　not　easy　to　get　fresh　provisions　on　the　roadI　retired；　to　be　lulled　to　sleep　by　the　murmuring　of　a　stream；　of　which　I　with　great　difficulty　obtained　sufficient　to　perform　my　daily　ablutions。
  The　last　battle　between　the　Danes　and　Swedes；　which　gave　new　life　to　their　ancient　enmity；　was　fought　at　this　place　1788；　only　seventeen　or　eighteen　were　killed；　for　the　great　superiority　of　the　Danes　and　Norwegians　obliged　the　Swedes　to　submit；　but　sickness；　and　a　scarcity　of　provision；　proved　very　fatal　to　their　opponents　on　their　return。
  It　would　be　very　easy　to　search　for　the　particulars　of　this　engagement　in　the　publications　of　the　day；　but　as　this　manner　of　filling　my　pages　does　not　come　within　my　plan；　I　probably　should　not　have　remarked　that　the　battle　was　fought　here；　were　it　not　to　relate　an　anecdote　which　I　had　from　good　authority。
  I　noticed；　when　I　first　mentioned　this　place　to　you；　that　we　descended　a　steep　before　we　came　to　the　inn；　an　immense　ridge　of　rocks　stretching　out　on　one　side。　　The　inn　was　sheltered　under　them；　and　about　a　hundred　yards　from　it　was　a　bridge　that　crossed　the　river；　the　murmurs　of　which　I　have　celebrated；　it　was　n