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RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. 223
is loft on the other fide. What became of the Swedifh army, whom French fubfidies
led into Pomerania, in the laft Silefian war? And yet the King of Pruffia had at that
time to cope with moft of the principal powers in Europe. What became of the poor
Saxons? of the poor army of the empire? And yet the Saxon and Imperial troops
were better kept, and at leaft as well fed, as the Danifh are likely to be.
Denmark cannot, like Sweden, be compelled in any cafe to break the neutrality, nor
is it neceflary for it, on that account, always to maintain itfelf in a refpectable fituation.
For more reafons than one, it has nothing to apprehend from Sweden, and its pofition
fecures it on every other fide. Indeed, could it render its power ever fo refpectable, it
has nothing to expeé at any time by taking part in an offenfive war, but a great deal
to lofe; whereas the advantages it would derive from beftowing the fums wafted in
military preparations on the improvement of the country, are confiderable. I have been
thus particular on this point, in order to convince you and your friends, that our court
added a new folly to the many it has lately been guilty of, when for certain privy pur-
pofes it gave fubfidies to the Danifh court. ‘The money was in every refpect. thrown
away. Half of it ftuck to the fingers of the Danith minifters and commiflaries, and the
other half was very ill fpent. Strong as all thefe reafons are again{t the keeping up a
great land army in Denmark, every day produces frefh projects to encourage it. The
vain minifter, whom Struenfee has fo weil depicted in his apology, will not let the world
forget that Denmark is a monarchy. He gives himlelf airs of aftonifhing confequence.
A few external marks of refpe&t from the great courts, make him believe that he is re-
fpected, whereas he is in fact the jeft of them all. A fingle word from the Ruffian
minifter brings the whole country to the Emprefs’s feet ; and fhe has at leaft twenty
times more weight at Copenhagen, than either at Vienna or at Berlin, It will certainly
be much more politic in Denmark to aim only at being a maritime power, which is
more confiftent with the nature of the country, and the fituation of the people. By
purfuing this plan the Danes might, with fome afliftance, make themfelves formidable,
or at leaft protect their merchants in time of war. But the Danifh minifter choofes to
fhine both by fea and land. The navy accordingly confiits of fifty fhips, including
thofe of fifty guns; however, not above fix of thefe are in a condition to put to fea
under fix or eight weeks, though fince the armed neutrality they have been making all
forts of preparation to put to fea. Many fhips have been repaired within thefe fix or
eight years, and others are no longer in a reparable flate.
The facility with which adventurers of the firft clafs contrive to make their way into
the Danifh councils, and even into the miniftry, is no very favourable fymptom of the
wifdom of this court. ‘There is a proverb at Hamburgh, that when a man is fit for
nothing elle, he is fit for a Danifh privy councellor, and may make his fortune by pro-
jects at Copenhagen. Under fuch circumftances much patriotifm is not to be expected.
Upon the whole, the Darith government is a vifible proof, that defpotifm, notwithf{tand-
ing all its great apparent force, is the weakeft of all governments, when the head is not
very found and ftrong. The minifters ride on the councellors, the councellors on the
fecretaries, the fecretaries on their clerks, and the wives of all thefe on their lovers. It
fometimes happens too, that the minilter is governed by the counfellor, the counfellor
by the clerk, and fo on; all this produces an abfolute anarchy, and the quiet and hap-
pinels of the country depends upon the throwing the handkerchief to this or that wo-
man. It is no wonder, that in a court like this many cataftrophes happen fimilar to
that which took place ten yearsago. Pyince Frederick, the King’s brother-in-law, pro-
mifes the country fome hopes of better days. He feems to be more difpofed to do
what
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