Muita fero, ut placem genus irritabile vatum, Obturem patulas impune legentibus aures.' This reading might be fupported by feveral examples from Latin authors; but we fhall only mention the following from Cicero Longis epiftolis aliquem obtundere.' The next example we fhall give is from 1 Timothy vi. 19. Αποθησαυρίζοντας ἑαυτοις θεμελιου καλον εις το μελλον, ἵνα επιλαβων και της αιώνια ζωής. Mr. Wakefield thinks that to lay up a foundation' is fuch an expreffion as could never have been used by this apostle; and he propofes that, inftead of θεμέλιον καλον, we ihould read, θεμα λιαν καλον. In fupport of this emendation he adduces a paffage from Tobit iv. 9, which he imagines St. Paul had in his eye. It is as follows: μη φοβο ποιειν ελεημοσυνην ΘΕΜΑ γαρ ΑΓΑΘΟΝ ΘΗΣΑΥΡΙΖΕΙΣ σεαυτῷ εἰς ἡμέραν αναγκης. We cannot hesitate to admit that the insertion of elepμevas inftead of rawμari, in the fubfequent paffage of Menander, would be far more poetical and animated: 4. Οίμοι τάλας εγωγε πε ποθ' αι φρένες Ημων εκείνον ησαν εν τῷ σωματι Τον χρόνον. We have confined ourselves to these few examples of the emendations propofed by this author, as, in other places, his remarks are, in general, fupported by a variety of collateral authorities, the infertion of which would have too much extended the prefent article. Mr. Wakefield fhews a boldness of conjecture, which fometimes, by its great deviation from the received reading of ancient authors, we cannot but hesitate to adopt. His fuggeftions, however, are at least always ingenious and plaufible; and he discovers a fcrupulous caution in every remark on the facred writings. We are perfuaded that a continuation of the work will afford pleasure to the lovers of claffical learning, and those who are converfant in philology. ART ART. XV. A Journey through Sweden; containing a detailed Account of its Population, Agriculture, Commerce, and Finances; to which is added an abridged Hiftory of the Kingdom, and of the different Forms of Government, from the Acceffion of Gustavus Vafa in 1523. With fome Particulars relating to the History of Denmark, and to the Life of Count Struenzee. Written in French by a Dutch Officer, and tranflated into English by William Radcliffe, A. B. of Oriel College, Oxford, 8vo. 5s. boards. Kearfley. London, 1789. O those who are defirous of gaining a minute knowledge of the present ftate of Sweden, this anonymous traveller has presented a very ufeful volume. He views every thing with the diligent and acute eye of a philofopher; and though his details may be fometimes tedious, the knowledge which they convey will amply recompence the trouble of perufing them. We fhall endeavour to give our readers a brief abftract of what is most worthy of notice in this interefting work. The author arrived at Stockholm by the way of Gottenburg, Falkioping, Mariestadt, Orebro, and Arboga, which is not the nearest road to the capital; but it was not his defign, he tells us, to follow the ordinary route, fince he intended to obferve whatever was curious, either in the productions of nature, or in the performances of art; and to make the complete tour of a country which interested him both by the picturefque difpofition of its scenery, and by the activity, genius, and hospitality of its inhabitants. Sweden, he informs us, confifts entirely of one continued rock of granite, covered in different places with a greater or lefs quantity of earth; and, though agriculture has for fome years been greatly encouraged, is for the moft part badly cultivated. The country is very thinly inhabited; and, in some districts, he passed through deserts of twenty or thirty leagues in extent, without feeing any other traces of population than a few poor huts, placed upon the mould which covers the rocks. To this dreary account there are, however, fome exceptions; Sudermania, and all the fouthern parts of Upland, are well cultivated. Scania is very beautiful, and the cultivation of Oftrogothia deferves high commendation. But though the general face of the country may be disgusting to a traveller, our author obferves that the labours of the mines, the management of the forges, and the manners of the people, are fubjects for inveftigation, which fufficiently repay the trouble of a journey into Sweden. He faw among mines of iron the fimplicity of the golden age; and though in fome places fcarcely any thing appeared appeared to the eye but rocks, whofe bowels contain the materials of steel, he there found men with hearts uncontaminated by any of its qualities. At Faklun in Dalecarlia he had the first opportunity of investigating the mines. The defcription of his defcent into the copper mine, which is exceedingly curious, would be injured by an abridgment. We will therefore prefent it to our readers in his own words: For four hours which I fpent in the bowels of Kopparberg, and during which, partly by the help of ladders, and partly by ftairs, I defcended from one gallery to another, my aftonishment increased at every step. Our defcent was at first by a zigzag staircase, formed in an excavation of perhaps two thoufand feet in circumference, and three hundred feet in depth; and thus far we were able to proceed by the light of the fun. In a corner, at the bottom of this excavation, was a wooden hut of fix or seven feet in height, at the door of which stood two figures, half naked, and as black as ink, each of whom held in his hand a faggot of lighted fir, and, thus equipped, might have paffed for one Pluto's pages. Here alfo we found four entrances to the mine itself; the most convenient is that which opens into this hut; but they are each honoured with the name of fome Swedish prince or man of rank. Upon our appearance at the door of this, they brought for myself and fervant two dreffes, entirely black, made like thofe of the Heiducs, and intended to fecure our clothes in the narrow paffages of the galleries. I had put on mine, when I perceived my man, terrified by the difmal appearance of my garb, and still more by the prayers which our guides were offering up for our prefervation and deliverance from the mine, refusing either to put on his fcaramouch drefs, or to make any attempt towards defcending farther. These fellows, during our defcent of the first staircase, had been entertaining us with ftories of falling fragments of rock, broken ladders, and fudden eruptions of water or peftilential vapours; we had also seen prayers offered up by every workman upon his approach to the mine; and thefe circumstances had made fuch an impreffion upon my young Frieze, that nothing lefs than the most profuse reproaches of his cowardice could induce him to follow me. At length, by paffing partly through alleys fupported by timberwork, and partly under vaults felf-fupported, I arrived at those vast halls, whofe tops and extremities the feeble light of our faggots could not reach. In fome of thefe halls there are forges, at which they manufacture and repair the tools used in the mine; and the heat in them is fo exceffive, that the workmen are all entirely as naked as nature produced them. Others ferve for magazines, either of gunpowder, for the purpofe of explofion, or of cords and other neceffary utenfils; and between thefe the communication is by the alleys already mentioned. There are fome of thefe halls in all the galleries, and between each gallery are either steps or ladders. Befides thefe, there are openings hollowed perpendicularly from the outer furface to to the lowest gallery, which ferve for the admiffion of air, and through which heavy commodities are lowered in barrels, by means of pullies kept continually moving during the whole time of work. Horfes are ftationed at the top of the mountain for the purpose of working these pullies, and the barrels are held by iron chains, which are used instead of common ropes, on account of the deftructive quality of the vitriolic and coppery vapours arifing from the bottom of the mine, even the chains do not last long in these vapours, and they therefore often ufe ropes made of hog's briftles or cow's hair. On this account, and in order to prevent other accidents, the workmen are prohibited from afcending or defcending by the barrels, and are obliged to ufe the more tedious route of the ladders. These openings alfo, with the fubterraneous fires and other phyfical causes, produce in the lowest galleries fuch currents of air, as in fome places can be faid only to refemble tempefts; but, without this method of purification, the air would be fo unfit for breathing, that no perfon could exist in it for a quarter of an hour. The alleys which I have mentioned are fometimes of the height of five or fix feet, and fometimes fo low that it is neceffary to creep along them; in these the currents of air are the most violent and dangerous; for it often happens that when a profuse perspiration has been brought on by the heat of the forges, you are met by one of thefe currents, which are always as cold as ice, and which even freeze the sweat upon your body. The vaults, which are not fupported by timber, prefent fome-times very remarkable appearances; prifms of different figures being formed by the cryftallifation of the vitriol which trickles down them. Imagine a thoufand pointed projections, like those in fugar candy, but of the length of eight, ten, twelve, or twenty-feet, and of the most beautiful green colour, hanging from the top of these vaults, and reflecting the light from their various-formed fides over the ore with which the partitions are filled. In a gallery feven hundred feet under the furface of the earth, they diffolve this vitriol, and force it from the mine by a curious hydraulic contrivance. The water of a confiderable fpring is put in motion by a machine worked by horfes; this water diffolves the vitriol, and afterwards precipitates it through a trough containing fome old iron into another. The whole operation, and the labour by which it is performed, are fomething fingular. Four-and-twenty horfes, which as well as the men relieve each other every fix hours, keep the machine at work both by day and night. The horses are kept in ftables in this gallery, with mangers hollowed in the rock; and when they have once entered the mine, are never suffered to leave it, but to be exhibited once a year at a fort of review. They are then raised and lowered by pullies and bandages, through the openings in which there are ladders, in the fame manner as with us horfes are hoisted on board fhips. My curiofity led me as far as the laft gallery, eleven hundred feet under ground, and in which the copper is chiefly worked. Here, notwithstanding the exceffive cold, I again faw labourers entirely naked; and though a fpectator, well clothed and covered, may feel may feel himself almost frozen, yet, fuch is the immense exertion rfed in hewing the rock, and in feparating those parts where the ore is found, that these men, in pure nakednefs, were entirely covered with fweat. The darkness of these fubterraneous regions, the fires perceived at different distances, the fort of gloomy light which proceeded from them, the naked labourers, black as the ore at which they worked, and furrounded by fparks produced by their hammers; the noife of all this labour, and of the hydraulic engines in motion, with the horrible figures which from time to time rushed past me with torches in their hands, made me doubt a little whether I had not really defcended rather too near to Tartarus. Yet this fcene is not to be compared with that which prefented itself to me when, upon defcending to the very bottom of the mine, I entered a fort of large hall, the vaults of which were fupported by pillars cut in the rock, and furrounded with feats of the fame material. Here my two conductors, inquiring if I would not fit down and liften to a small piece of mufic, the effect of which would furprise me: Of what fort is this mufic?' faid I. 'It is the ftrange noife, answered they, which the rocks make when, in order to leffen the trouble of breaking them with an axe, they are blown in pieces by gunpowder.' My fondness for the wonderful, and my reliance upon the prudence of my guides, made me comply, upon the condition of their remaining with me. They gave me their words for this, which they faid they might the more eafily keep, as this was almoft the only hall in which there was no danger. One of them then left me to give his orders, and returned to our feat in a minute afterwards, where we remained wearied by expectation, and fhivering with cold, for a quarter of an hour. I had fcarcely expreffed my impatience, when a discharge ftruck my ears with fuch force as I had never before experienced; this was fucceeded by a fudden light, which illumined the whole of this fubterraneous territory, but in an inftant vanished, and left us in total darknefs, the concuffion of the air having extinguished our faggots. This darkness was interrupted only by the Rafhes from fucceeding difcharges, of which the light lafted only for a moment, but the found was long and terribly reverberated in echoes. The vaults cracked, the earth fhook, and the benches on which we fat trembled. I was then eleven hundred and thirty-fix feet beneath the furface of the earth; and when I caught the fcent of the fmoke, liftened to the noife of bursting rocks, and furveyed my guides, my domeftics, and myself, you will perhaps think me excufable if I own that the little hair which nature has left me rofe upward with fear. This harmonious mufic continued for about half an hour, and left us at once to an entire filence, which, with the darkness of the place, and the fort of fuffocation produced by the fmoke, ferved only to prolong my I found, however, that this operation was repeated every day at noon, during the repaft of the workmen, to whom the hall in which I was feated, and fome niches cut in the rock, ferved as a fhelter from the violence of the explosions. terror. Thefe explosions are neceffary here, because the rock is very hard, and the miners could not otherwife proceed above a few toises in a year, One of our guides having, by groping his way, obtained a light, |