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392 FORTIA’S TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.
have met with of fuch an excufe being admitted by the police; it muft indeed be al-
lowed that thofe who admit this plea are often drunk themfelves.
Society here is dull; it is limited to tea parties at five o’clock; the ladies have their
fet days ; and at feveno’clock all doors are clofed, thofe of ,»merchants alone excepted,
who are yet accuftomed to give fuppers, and from whom an invitation to dine is an en-
tertainment forthe day. Through the whole of winter we never but once fupped with
a Swede, (the Grand Mafter Bonde :) fometimes dinners are given, but very rarely ; the
minifters alone keep an eftablifhment, properly fpeaking, and even the greater part of
thefe do not really fo. ‘The minifter for foreign affairs, alone, gives regularly a dinner
once a week, at which the diplomacy meet for conference, and to which ftrangers are
conftantly invited. ‘The difcontent of the nobility, a part of whom has retired to their
diftinét provinces, has greatly contributed to the diminution of the company found in
this city. Society (that is to fay, of perfons liable to invitation on days of ceremony)
is fo fcarce, that it does not exceed one hundred and fifty perfons ; whereas it amounts
to two huadred and fifty at Copenhagen ; and at Berlin, to two hundred and twenty or
thirty.
The foreign minifters had a club in the north-fquare, called La Societé, where ftran-
gers and perfons well known in Stockholm were admitted. Here you read the papers,
might play (but only at round games,) and dine and {up at an ordinary at a fixed price,
always fure of meeting with good company. We are uninformed whether or not this
fociety continues to exift; fhould it not, we pity the foreigners who may vifit Stock-
holm, as this formed the chief, and frequently the only refource for them throughout
great part of the day.
The inns are miferable; a ftranger, incafe of remaining here any time, cannot abfolutely
difpenfe with hiring furnifhed lodgings; for three rix-dollars a week, you obtain tolerably
comfortable apartments, and at a lefs rate in cafe of taking them by the month. Very
little wood is required to heat the rooms, the ftoves being of an excellent conftruétion.
Good daquais de louage, as well here as elfewhere, are very rare, particularly fuch as fpeak
French. You may hire glafs coaches at two rix-dollars and a half per day, or at irom
50 to §5 per month, which indeed is the only way to be fecure of having fuch as are de-
cent, for generally they are both old andincommodious. You pay three copper-dollars -
for a ride from one {pot to another, in a hackney-coach, a plotte for the firft hour, and
four copper-dollars for each fucceeding one ; but hackney coaches are not to be found
at all times. :
Society, which ought naturally to be gay, particularly that of women of a certain clafs,
is ferious and dull. Thefe ladies affect to give themfelves airs, expect to be treated in
the fame manner as ladies of the court, and are fond of your kifling their hand. It may
eafily be conceived how greatly this aflumption of dignity, in every refpect fo ridiculous,
mult affect the pleafantry of fociety. ;
Although we have extolled the natural probity of the Swedes, we do not pretend in
this character to include the cities, particularly the capital. That bears a perfect re-
femblance to other cities of the firft rank: every thing is very dear; here as elfewhere
are robbers, adventurers, and fharpers; in one word, it is as corrupt as a city can be
that is filled with inhabitants of all nations.
The Court of Sweden. Prefentations at court take place every fortnight on Sundays,
at the inftant of the King leaving his apartment: which is ufually about feven o’clock,
‘Lhe etiquetie of this court much refembles that of the court or Verfailles formerly, and
im many things is abfolutely the fame. The King is always preceded by his grand
officers ;
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