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198 LETTERS.
she prefers speaking of Upsala, and the people there who
she thinks are “such real human beings.” JI will not say
No to this, because it was pleasant to see so many people
of distinct species inwardly and outwardly, and these both
pleasant and amiable, each in their way and in their con-
tact with others. Such a merry and free social life I have
nowhere met with. Much kindness and hospitality was
shown us by every body; we exchanged “thou” with whole
battalions of ladies,— with girls of seventeen up to ma-
trons of seventy, — and we felt besides quite “ thou -ish”
with professors and with students. “ Brother” Tornros,
“ Brother” Atterbom, “Brother” Fahlcrantz, “ Brother ”
Bergfalk rose spontaneously to our lips. Beautiful songs
we heard both day and night, and enjoyed conversation
and curiosities, more almost than we could digest. I can-
not say that I have picked up many gold nuggets of wisdom
in that learned city; neither is my mind much bent upon
them at present. I would rather hear a story of quiet,
private life, with its joys and its sorrows, than listen to ab-
stract reflections upon times and customs and manners,
history, arts, and so on.
You have been in Upsala, and I cannot, therefore, tell
you any thing new of what is interesting there. But I
suppose you have not seen the fresco-paintings of Sand-
berg in Gustavus Vasa’s chapel in the cathedral. They
are very beautiful, but most of them. are, as it seems to
me, not expressive of deep thought. The chief personage,
Gustavus Vasa, has, in nearly all of them, not succeeded
well. I like him most in the painting in which he is repre-
sented as saying his last farewell to the assembled estates
of the realm. You see here the old, but still vigorous
king, his face pale with age and cares, but with eye full
of fire, feeling death’s approach, and bidding a last farewell
to the people over whom he has ruled with force and with
kindness, whom he has loved and made great. You fancy
you hear the words which Le said on this solemn occasion:
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