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88 TRAVELS
him but infipid, and even ignorant and weak men. ‘The nobles
are now no longer actuated by their former fpirit of emulation,
and a defire to excel as leading men in the fenate. Eloquence,
with all that variety of knowledge and information which is ne-
ceffary to the formation of a good orator, is no longer of any im-
portance to them. Application to the ftudy of general know-
ledge and the improvement of the mind, is fufpended by the con-
fiitution of 1772; and fo long as that conftitution lafts, it is pro-
bable that we fhall not hear of any great characters among the
nobles of Sweden. The ancient fenate, it is true, was corrupt,
venal, and ever ready to fell itfelf to the higheft bidder: but ftill,
even in that very difpofition to venality was contained an incen-
tive to the acquirement of qualities and accomplifhments that
might lead to diftinétion. France and Ruffia purchafed the men
of abilities in the fenate at no {mall price ; the others were over-
looked and difregarded.
Under the regency of the Duke of Sudermania, the views and
fyftem, and in a word, the fpirit of the Swedifh government un-
derwent a complete revolution. Guftavus was the {worn enemy
of the French revolution, and was on the point, as has been be-
fore obferved, to join the arms of Sweden to thofe of the general
confederacy : and had he lived he would at leaft have made a
facrifice of fome regiments, and added fome millions of rix dol-
lars to that debt with which he had already burthened the na-
tion. The regent remained neutral, cultivated a connection with
France, and ftudied ceconomy. ‘The confequence was, that the ~
difcount
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