distinguished himself,
in 1660, at Halden. Shortly after his death the property of the family
was destroyed by fire, and at the age of ten years Ludvig lost his
mother. It was now decided to have him educated for the military
service; but he showed a great dislike for military life, and, at his
earnest request, he was sent to the Bergen Latin School. In 1702 he
entered the University of Copenhagen. Being destitute of means, he
took a position as private tutor. As soon as he had saved a small sum
he went abroad. He was first in Holland, and afterward studied for
a couple of years at Oxford, where he supported himself by giving
instruction in languages and music. Upon his return to Copenhagen
he again took a position as private tutor and had an opportunity to
travel as teacher for a young nobleman. In 1714 he received a stipend
from the king, which enabled him to go abroad for several years, which
he spent principally in France and Italy. In 1718 he became regular
professor at the Copenhagen University. Among Holberg's many works
the following are the most prominent: _Peder Paars_, a great comical
heroic poem, containing sharp attacks on many of the follies of his
time; about thirty comedies in Moliere's style, and a large number of
historical works. Holberg, who was ennobled in 1747, died in January,
1754, and was buried in Soroe Church. His influence on the literature
and on the whole intellectual life of Denmark was very great. He is
often called the creator of Danish literature.

Christian Baumann Tullin (1728-1765), a genuine poetical genius,
who has been called the father of Danish lyrical verse, was born in
Christiania, and his poetry, which was mainly written in his native
city, breathes a national spirit. From his day, for about thirty
years, Denmark obtained the majority of her poets from Norway. The
manager of the Danish National Theater, in 1771, was a Norwegian,
Niels Krog-Bredal (1733-1778), who was the first to write lyrical
dramas in Danish. A Norwegian, Johan Nordal Brun (1745-1816), a gifted
poet, wrote tragedy in the conventional French taste of the day. It
was a Norwegian, Johan Herman Wessel (1742-1785), who by his great
parody, _Kjaerlighed uden Stroemper_, "Love without Stockings," laughed
the French taste out of fashion. Among the writers of this period are
also Claus Frimann (1746-1829), Peter Harboe Frimann (1752-1839),
Claus Fasting (1746-1791), John Wibe (1748-1782), Edward Storm
(1749-1794),