COXE’s TRAVELS IN DENMARK.

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fter, whofe crimes, if he had lived, would have daily increafed, and terminated in yourdeftrudtion. Acknowledge my fervices, and if I have deferved it, prefent me with (hecrown: behold in me the author of. thefe advantages, no degenerate perfon, no parri-cide, but the rightful fucceffor to the throne, and the pious avenger of a father’s mur-der. I have refcued you from flavery, reilored you to liberty, and re-eftablifhed yourglory; I have deflroyed a tyrant, and triumphed over an affaftin. The recompence isin your hands ; you can eftimate the value of my fervices, and in your virtue I reft myhopes of reward.” This fpeech had the defired effeft ; the greater part of the aflfem-bly fhed tears, and all who are prefent unanimoufly proclaim him King amid repeatedacclamations.

Hamlet, foon after his elevation, fails to England, and orders a fhield to be made, on.which the principal actions of his life are reprefented. The King receives him withfeigned demonftrations of joy ; falfely affures him that his daughter is dead, and recom-mends him to repair to Scotland as his ambaffador, and pay his addreffes to Queen Her-nietrudra. Ele gives this infidious advice with the hopes that Hamlet may perilh in theattempt; as the Queen, who was remarkable for her chaftity and cruelty, had fuchan averfion to all propofals of marriage, that not one of her fuitors had efcaped fallinga facrifice to her vengeance. Hamlet, in oppofition to all difficulties, performs theembaffy, and by the affiftance of his fhield, which infpires the lady with a favourableopinion of his wifdom and courage, obtains her in marriage, and returns with her toEngland. Informed, by the Princefs to whom he is betrothed, that her father medi-tates his affaffination, Hamlet avoids his fate by wearing armour under his robe, puts todeath the King of England, and fails to Denmark with his two wives, where he is foonafterwards killed in a combat with Vigletus, fon of Ruric. Hamlet, adds the hiftorian,Was a Prince, who, if his good fortune had been equal to his deferts, would have rivalledthe Gods in fplendour; and in his actions would have exceeded even the labours ofHercules *.

The diftance from Elfinore to Copenhagen is twenty miles; our route lay occafion-ally by the fide of the fea, fometimes through fmall woods of beech and-oak, and atother times through an open country rifing into acclivities ; the foil is fandy, mixed withloam, well cultivated, and yields all forts of grain. The cottages are numerous andtteat, built with brick, and many of them white-waflied. We had an excellent road,for which convenience we paid l'everal tolls; a tax from which we had been exempt-e d in Poland, Rufiia, and Sweden . We reached the metropolis towards the clofe of the

evening.

. Copenhagen (lands on a fmall promontory on the eaftern coaft of the ifle of Zealand ,ln a fiat and marfhy fituation. It formerly belonged to the bifhop of Rofkild, and wasdiftinguifhed by the royal refidence until 1443, during the reign of Chriftopher ofEavaria ; fince which period it has been gradually enlarged and beautified, and is be-corne the capital of Denmark .

i he annual lift of births in Copenhagen being, on an average of feveral years, efti-®ated at two thoufand eight hundred and thirty, and of deaths at two thoufand ninehundred and fifty-five, we may eftimate the population at eighty thoufand fouls.

Copenhagen is the beft-built city of the north, although excelled by Peterfburgh intuperb edifices; yet as it contains no wooden houfes, it does not difplay that ftrikingc °ntraft of meannefs and magnificence, but in general exhibits a more uniform appear-

" ful

Hie Arckthi exitus fuit ; qui fi parem natnra; atque fortance indulgentiam expertus fuiffet,’ sequafTelgore fuperos ; Hercuka virtutibus opera tranfeendirfet.

VQt. VI.

Q <3

ance.