to the gallows would have presented a strong temptation. In
saying this I mean nothing disrespectful to Birger Jarl, who founded
Stockholm, and made it his place of residence in 1260; nor to
Christina Gyllenstierna, who so heroically defended it against
Christian II. of Denmark in the sixteenth century; nor to Gustavus
Vasa, the brave liberator of Sweden; nor his noble and heroic
grandson, Gustavus Adolphus; nor any body else famous in Swedish
history; but the truth of it is, Sweden at the present day is
essentially a home country, and the people are too domestic in their
habits and modes of thought to afford any peculiar interest to a
casual tourist. I like their simple and genial manners, and respect
them for their sterling integrity, yet these are traits of no great
value to one who travels so far out of the world in search of objects
of more stirring interest. The ordinary traveler, who has no time to
dive very deep beneath the surface of human life, is not satisfied to
find things nearly as he finds them at home; streets, shops, and
houses undistinguished by any peculiarity save the inconveniences and
oddities of age; people every where around him who dress like all
other civilized people, and possess the standard virtues and
weaknesses of humanity; the proprieties of life decently observed, and
loyalty to forms and time-honored usages a national characteristic. A
Swede would no more violate a rule of etiquette, smile or bow out of
place, eat a beefsteak or drink his schnapps at an unusual hour, or
strike out any thing novel or original in the way of pleasure, profit,
or enterprise, than a German. The court circle is the most formal in
Europe, and the upper classes of society are absolute slaves to
conventionality. A presentation at court is an event of such signal
importance that weeks of preparation are required for the impressive
ordeal; and when the tailor, and shoemaker, and the jeweler have done
their part, and the unhappy victim, all bedeviled with finery and
befrogged with lace, is brought into the presence of royalty, it is a
miracle if he gets through without committing some dire offense
against the laws of etiquette. Fine carriages, coats of arms,
uniforms, and badges of office, are held in high veneration; and while
the government is liberal and the people profess to be independent,
their slavish devotion to rank, dress, and etiquette surpasses any
thing I saw in Russia. With this, to be sure, is mingled