no dishonourable peace, as whatever had been taken from him was restored. Guftavus Adolphus afterwards appeared in the same station, he entered Germany, where he made a rapid and unexpected progrefs, and was universally confidered as the hero deftined to curb the ambition of the house of Auftria, and to restore the freedom of the empire, together with the rights of the proteftant party. And here we have one inftance among many of the weakness attending even the greatest minds; • Whatever zeal, obferves Dr. Andrews, was profeffed by Christian in favour of a cause for which he had been so great a fufferer, ftill he was tormented by the remembrance that he had once been at the head of it, that through his ill fuccess it had been ruined, and that another more able and more fucceffful director was now substituted in his ftead. His pride was fo deeply ftung by these reflections, that it was plain the glory that furrounded the Swedish monarch was a fore mortification to Christian, notwithstanding that hero was avenging the com mon cause of all the Proteftants against their capital enemy. Certain it is, the greatest flaw in the character of Chriftian, was the envy he bore that illuftrious prince. It led him into feveral steps, which, had they fucceeded, might have defeated the noble plan concerted by that great king, who was equally a statesman and a warrior, and propofed nothing wherein he had not with him the wishes of the wife and honeft part of all Europe.'

The Partifans of the houfe of Auftria perceived the difpofition of Chriftian, and were very folicitous to avail themselves of it; they made him feveral valuable offers; but Chriftian had wisdom fufficient to forbear a compliance without convening and confulting a national diet, who earnestly advised and entreated him to abftain from acting a hoftile part against Guftavus. Chriftian, fays our Author, though a prince of a very warm and lofty temper, had still a referve of coolness and judg ment that enabled him to reftrain his impetuofity, and to correct quickly the errors into which haftiness fometimes betrayed him. Happily for his fubjects, he became fenfible of the precipitateness of his conduct; and determined to rectify it without delay, by renouncing the fchemes he had been tempted to form in favour of the imperial court, and by renewing the friendship that fubfifted between Denmark and Sweden. When this behaviour of Chriftian is duly attended to, it ought to be confeffed that he derived more honour by refraining from an indulgence of his inclinations, when convinced of their evil tendency, than if he had never had them to contend with. It thewed him to be endued with a great foul; fince nothing is more difficult than to suppress the emotions of a violent and erroneous emulation, and to make them give way for the

common

common good, to the advancement of a rival's glory. But this difpofition of Christian had a very ill confequence, in raising the fufpicions of Guftavus, who, we are told, never from that hour would place any confidence in him, notwithstanding the frequent affurances given of his friendship and good wishes.

The reflections which Dr. Andrews has made above appear to be juft in themselves, and honourable to Chriftian. The panegyric on this prince is, however, confiderably leffened by the following obfervation: that the moderation and forbearance of Chriftian were, in a great measure, dictated by the dread of Guftavus; who was, in a manner, reputed invincible, and who, in the torrent of his endless victories, was now threatening to overwhelm the house of Auftria in univerfal ruin.'

It is truly glorious to the memory of Guftavus, when notice is taken of his attention to the internal government of his kingdom, to have it faid of him; He was the more incited to act in this manner, from feeing the fortunate refults of it in the profperity attending the conduct of Chriftian, by whom he was refolved to be outdone in nothing that was praife-worthy. He had the fenfe and penetration to difcern all that was proper and judicious in the proceedings of the Danish monarch; and he had, at the fame time, too much greatness of mind to disown his merit, of which he had witneffed fufficient inftances, both in the field, and in a variety of other tranfactions of the highest difficulty and importance.'

It is time we fhould take fome notice of the great revolution which commenced in Denmark in the reign of Frederic III. fucceffor to Chriftian IV. This extraordinary change appears principally to have arifen from the behaviour and incroachments of the nobility, which a politic prince made ufe of as a means to advance the power of the crown. • The nobles, we are told, enjoyed a portion of authority utterly inconfiftent with the general welfare of the realm. The fucceffion to the crown was, in fome refpects, wholly at their difpofal. They obliged the kings at their election to grant them as many privileges as they thought proper to demand. Thus, on the commencement of every reign, additions were made to the already extravagant measure of their particular immunities.- From being the protectors and patrons of the fubordinate orders, they were in feveral inftances become their oppreffors and tyrants, and by means of their immenfe wealth, they had, within the space of the laft century, engroffed by degrees almost the whole power of the ftate.' Confequently reciprocal hatred and mistrust, rancorous conflicts, and perfonal injuries prevailed between the higher and lower orders in Denmark. The clergy alfo, fince the reformation had ftripped them of their great riches and revenues, were become of lefs consequence, and

joined with the inferior ranks in complaints against the nobles. This ftate of things feemed to portend, or, together with other concurring caufes, prepared the way for, that great change which now took place in the Danish conftitution. Frederic III. was beloved by the inferior people, especially for his gallant and humane behaviour during the fiege of Copenhagen by the Swedes, which happened in his reign. At the next meeting of the states, the commons and clergy under the fecret influence of the court, to exprefs their regard to the king, went in a body to the House of Nobles, and made first only this propofition, that the fucceffion of the crown fhould be fettled on the king's family and defcendants. This proceeding appeared the more novel and audacious, as whatever related to mat ters of confequence to the realm had hitherto originated from the nobles, who nevertheless now faw that whether they confented or not, the measure would be carried, in defpite of all oppofition. Yet in this state of things, fome of the nobility were imprudent enough to irritate and exafperate the other orders, who broke up in the utmost rage, vowing never to meet the nobles any more, 'till they had taken the fulleft revenge on their pride. Accordingly they pitched on a place where to continue their feffion apart, and at length came to the strange refolution, as in a fit of defpair, immediately to wait on the King in a body, and make him a tender, not only of an hereditary right of the crown of Denmark for his family, but also of an abfolute uncontroulable dominion over all ranks and degrees of his fubjects. In this fatal determination there was not a voice diffentient in the whole affembly; to fuch 2 pitch of wrath and indignation had the haughtiness of the nobles excited them." The nobles were inexpreffibly furprized and fhocked to hear from the mouth of the prefident of the commons himself that fuch was their refolution, that it was irrevocable, that they would ftand to it at all hazards, and that if the nobility refused to give their fuffrages, their own fhould be fufficient. The nobles laboured to gain time under different pretences, and would have delayed the commons by deliberations and harangues; but inftead of waiting to attend to them, they repaired in a body to the court, where they made the King the folemn offer propofed, and we may conclude met with a gracious and hearty reception. The court, whofe policy throughout the whole of this great event was keen and vigilant, had already taken all the neceffary precautions to fruftrate any intention the nobles might form of making an escape from the city. After feveral hefitations, delays and terrors, they were obliged to fend the ampleft notification to the court, of their readiness to fubmit to whatever should be demanded of them. Soon after which the whole body of the nobility were farther obliged to pay their folemn homage, REV. June 1774. Ff and

and swear fidelity and implicit obedience to the King, who was feated on a throne erected on a fcaffolding for that purpose. This they did on their knees in the prefence of the army, and the Burghers of Copenhagen, who were all under arms, and furrounded them on every fide.

The account of this tranfaction forms a great part of the first volume, from which we can only prefent our readers with the foregoing fhort relation. For various circumftances attending the revolution, together with many judicious remarks and reflections, we must refer to the volume, which we doubt not will be read with pleasure, though we think the Author is, in this part of the work, more prolix than was neceflary.

The Commons did not find the advantages they had hoped for, from this refignation of themselves, without terms, to the will of a monarch: however it is acknowledged that though Frederic III. arrived at arbitrary power by the odious means of deceiving the lower orders of the realm into a belief that it was neceffary for the common good, to alter the conftitution, yet after they had placed him in the feat of abfolute royalty, he acted in fuch a manner as to efface, as far as practicable, the appearance of the defpotifm that had been established. Thofe measures excepted, which were indifpenfably requifite to confirm and ftrengthen fuch an establishment, he took none that betrayed the leaft inclination to rule otherwife than as a mild and good-natured mafter; and fhewed on all occafions an unfeigned propenfity to promote the welfare of his fubjects.'

Christian V. on account of the difficulties in which he was involved by his wars with Sweden, was obliged to exert the arbitrary authority tranfmitted to him from his father. His inclinations, we are told, were mild, but his fituation required peculiar abilities to moderate the excefs of power annexed to it. The examples fet before him by the other abfolute princes of Europe, in his time, were too contagious to be refifted; and he was hurried into an imitation of them, through thofe false notions of perfonal glory that ufually furround a defpotic throne.'

The two Danish monarchs who are most extolled, and we believe justly, in these volumes, are Chriftian VI. and Frederic V. the laft of whom died in the beginning of the year 1766. The reprefentation which is given of them, both as men, and as princes, is indeed very amiable. Dr. Andrews feems to embrace every opportunity of fpeaking in their praife. The reigns, fays he, of Chriftian VI. and of his Son Frederic V. may not improperly be ftyled the golden age of Denmark; so far as fuch a title may be applied to a country fituated in no very defirable climate, and under a government as arbitrary and defpotic in it's principles as any in Christendom. When the

allowances

allowances are made which thofe two effential confiderations require, it will appear that no people have had lefs reafon to complain of the faults of administration, than the inhabitants of Denmark, for the fpace of near forty years: a long tract of time, when we reflect that during the whole of it, the interest of the commonwealth has been invariably confulted as the capital and main object; and this too by abfolute princes, invited by a multiplicity of motives to act otherwife; and encou raged by that moft potent of all incentives, the ftrength of examples on all fides, to lift under the ftandard of ambition. Brilliant views, when attended with any plaufibility, are feldom refifted even by the moderate. How much wifdom and prudence, therefore, must these two illuftrious monarchs have been endowed with, to have withstood the many temptations thrown in their way by the defigning and the interefted. With what fagacity muft they have acted, to fteer through the numerous difficulties that could not failing encountered by princes who were determined to preferve at once the tranquillity of their dominions, and the dignity of their crown.-Infpired with a thorough conviction of the neceffity for applying to the bufine of their ftation, they wholly devoted themselves to this aiduous task. They called forth their whole capacity, and kept it alive by a conftant courfe of vigorous exertion. By perfifting unremittingly in this conduct, they learnt the great art of accommodating themselves to circumftances; and were enabled to face with fuccefs, the trials and viciffitudes of the times they lived in. By managing with fpirit and dexterity the various opportunities that offered, they rofe fuperior to all difficulties; and found means to reconcile the happiness of their fubjects, with their own perfonal grandeur and pretenfions. When truth empowers mankind to fpeak well of their rulers, they cannot be too loud in their praise, It is the nobleft retribution a great mind can propofe. To beftow it faintly or curforily is abfolutely criminal. It robs the proprietor of his due.-Swayed by these motives, we cannot too much extoll the great qualities of Chriftian VI. and Frederic V. of Denmark. We cannot too cordially unite with the whole Danish nation, in acknowledging their worth. Haraffed and oppreffed by the misconduct and the ambition of former adminiftrations, the Danes will never forget to whose paternal cares, to whofe mild and equitable government they were fo long indebted for the bleffings of peace, and the introduction of thofe arts that are the fource of domeftic felicity. The aufpicious, the facred names of those two glorious monarchs will ever be remembered with the warmest fentiments, and the ftrongest expreffions of gratitude; and, one may fafely add, will powerfully conduce to raife up imitators of their virtues.'