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150 REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND.
which it deftroys, except gold and filver, from which it feparates all other bodies, for
the purpofe of uniting itfelf to them. Mercury is found in this mine; and this metal,
although fome refufe it fuch a name, becaufe it is not malleable, is perhaps one of the
molt curious productions in nature; for being liquid, and flowing of itfelf, it is the
heavieft of all bodies, and changes into the lighteft, by refolving itfelf into vapour, which,
meeting with a hard body, or a cold region, immediately thickens and refumes its ana
cient form, without any poflibility of ever being deftroyed.
‘The perfon who conduéted us to the mine, and who was overfeer of it, fhowed us a
great number of curious ftones which he had colleéted from all parts: he fhowed usa
large piece of that ductile ftone which, fo far from being confumed, becomes white in
the fire, and which the Romans employed for the purpofe of burning the bodies of their
dead: he affured us that he had found it in this very mine, and prefented each of us
with a {mall piece, which, as a particular favour, he cut off from it.
We departed the fame day from this little city to go to Upfal, where we arrived early
next morning. ‘This city is the moft refpectable in Sweden, both on account of its
univerfity and its fituation. Here all thofe who devote themfelves to the church are
obliged to ftudy; but it is the policy of this country to prevent their nobility from
taking holy orders, for the purpofe of keeping up their numbers of gentlemen, who
may be more ufefully otherwife employed.
We faw the library, which contains nothing extraordinary, if we except the Codex
Argenteus, written in Gothic letters of filver by a bifhop of the Goths, called Ulphila,
who lived in Mefia. ‘This book was found in the fack of Prague, and carried off by
Count Konigfmark, who made a prefent of it to Queen Chriftina.
The remainder of my obfervations on Upfal may be feen in the end of my account of
my Journey to Lapland, becaufe I vifited it upon my return.
We alfo faw at Stockholm an Envoy of the Khan of the Lower Tartars, or Tartars
of Chrimea, or Precopites, who inhabit the ancient ‘Tauric Cherfonefus, and the country
which is fituated betwixt the Boryfthenes and the Tanais. This Prince confers favours
which coft him fearcely any thing; and permiffion to become his ambaflador to Chriftian
Princes is one of his choiceft favours. Iwas prefent when this Envoy had an audience ;
the King was fitting in an arm-chair in the middle of his court : the Envoy made a poor
{peech, without even looking upon the King: he then prefented to him five or fix letters,
folded lengthways, and wrapped up in taffetas: one was from the Khan; another from
the wife of one of his brothers; and another from the minifter. He offered fome Tar-
tarian horfes, not extremely handfome, but remarkably ftrong. The King replied, that
he would accept of them if they came from his mafter ; and being aflured that they did,
he kifled the King’s hand and put it upon his head. Five or fix beggars were in his
train; and indeed it was impoflible to behold any thing more wretched.
OBSERVATIONS.
Tue cities of Bremen, Hamburg, and Lubeck, which are imperial, with the Dukes of
Mecklenburg, Holftein-de-Sel, Lunebourg, Hanover, and, in general, the whole houfe
of Brunfwick, form Lower Saxony, which is called the Circle of Lower Saxony, and
has a vote in all the diets of the empire.
Luther is buried at Wittenberg.
It ought to be obferved, that the chace of the bear is alfo conduéted in Poland in va-
rious manners. As there is nothing fo delicate as the paws of a bear, which are ferved
up at the tables of kings, fo there is likewife no kind of chace in which gentlemen take
greater pleafure, It is dangerous to mils in ftriking; for the animal when {truck re-
turns,
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