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106 LETTERS ON SWEDEN,
stream of life, whilst chance does more to gratify a
desire of knowledge than our best laid plans. A degree
of exertion, produced by some want, more or less pain-
ful, is probably the price we must all pay for know-
ledge. How few authors or artists have arrived at
eminence who have not lived by their employment ?
I was interrupted yesterday by business, and was
prevailed upon to dine with the English vice-consul.
His house being open to the sea, I was more at large ;
and the hospitality of the table pleased rue, though the
bottle was rather too freely pushed about. Their
manner of entertaining was such as I have frequently
remarked when I have been thrown in the way of people
without education, who have more money than wit
that is, than they know what to do with. The women
were unaffected, but had not the natural grace which
was often conspicuous at Tousberg. There was even
a striking difference in their dress, these having loaded
themselves with finery in the style of the sailors’ girls
of Hull or Portsmouth. Taste has not yet taught
them to make any but an ostentatious display of wealth.
Yet I could perceive even here the first steps of the
improvement which I am persuaded will make a very
obvious progress in the course of half a century, and it
ought not to be sooner, to keep pace with the cultiva-
tion of the earth. Improving manners will introduce
finer moral feelings. They begin to read translations
of some of the most useful German productions lately
published, and one of our party sung a song ridiculing
the powers coalesced against France, and the company
drank confusion to those who had dismembered Poland.
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