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the royal flag, the fame he had on board his {loop during the action *. After fcrwce,a fermon preached by the Bifhop of Vexiceu the grand aimoner, His Majefty advancedtowards the altar, and turning to the officers feated on benches at the right and left,addrefied them for the /pace of a quarter of an hour nearly. (We ufed our beft en-deavours, butfruitlefsly, to procure hisfpeech, the King informing us that he had mademany, and that as he could not call to mind his exaCt words, it would not be publdhed.It was given in the mofl graceful manner, with fuch a feduCtive tone of voice as caufedus, from being fpedators of the fenfations it excited, to be greatly anxious to have acopy.) Two perfons having brought the medals to the King, His Majefty took oneand decorated himfelf therewith; afterwards the names of the officers were read, forwhom any of them were intended, whether abfent or prefent: fuch as w r ere prefenr,knelt before the King and kiffed his hand, His Majefty faftening the chain on which themedal was fufpended, about the necks of the officers of the ltafr, and giving it Amplyinto the hands of the others. The medal is of gold, in form of a buckler, and on thereverfe is infcribed the number of veffels taken at Fredericfhamm and Svenkfund, or atthe one or the other only, according to which battles the party to whom they were givenhad been prefent, on the other fide is a winged woman, handing on the prow of a gal-ley, with both arms extended, holding crowns. Notwithftanding the length of thisceremony, which lafted more than three hours, the King preferved the fame dignified.and affable manner throughout, without once teftifying the leaft fign of fatigue, or defireof abridging his duty ; he faluted each of the officers who came to receive medals, inthe moft polite and nobly eafy manner, yet was it not difficult to diftinguifh by his moreor lefs affeHionate fqueeze of their hands, thofe who moft particularly enjoyed his con-fidence and efteem. Many officers received the medal, who really appeared mere boys,wffiich gave additional intereft to the ceremony, and made the ftronger impreffion onthe minds of the fpectators, at leaft if we are to judge from our own fenfations. Howmuch is fuch a ceremony as this fuperior to thofe imitations in pra&ice in all countries,when the fovereign, coldly diftributing ribbons or erodes, (which moft commonly arebut fo many tokens of the old age of the perfon honoured,) if they be the reward ofbrilliant actions, is occafionally ignorant where they occurred ! Here we fee a monarchrecompenfing his brave fubjects, fubjeCis who have ferved their country before a mo-narch’s eyes, open to appreciate their merit, and who in his diftribution of inlignia,begins with inverting himfelf with the medal, in earning which, he bore with them apart. The King conftantly wears, and even takes pride in difplaying it, faftened to agold chain of exquifite workmanfhip, made at Stockholm . The officers decorated withrthe medal, are obliged to wear it conftantly.
Here it may not be amifs to fay fomething of this multitude of orders which exift inthe ftates of the North : they are condemned by fome, but have our approbation. Itis a very fortunate thing for a poor country, that a few ribbons, a few plates properlydiftributed, fhould fatisfy thofe who have well deferved of their country, and whofe fer-•vices it would otherwife embarrafs much the government to reward. We {hall furtheradd, that orders and honorary employments excite greater emulation than pecuniarygifts. It would be ftill better doubtlefs, if the man who has real claims to the gratitude
* A fimilar flag in one of the actions during this war, was faved by fome Swedifh failors, who ratherchofe to throw ic overboard than fuffer it to be taken by the ftufiians. Thefe latter did not aft in thedame manner with refpeft to that of their admiral, or rather let us fay, the imperial colours entrufted to the{Prince of Naffau, with hopes of fuccefs but ralhly formed, if we be allowed to judge from the refult.
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