Band 
Volume the sixth.
Seite
461
JPEG-Download
 

FORTIa’s TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.

461

was occupied by Guftavus; it is tolerably large, and almoft perfectly fquare, on the two •fides of the door on the infide, are the two faithful grey Dalecarlians dreft in white wool-len cloth, and armed from top to toe, with the fugar-loaf hat worn by them at the time;by the fide of them and near the bed is the faithful domeftic who conftantly followedthe fortune of Guftavus; he.himfelf is in the corner oppofite to the door handing armedunder a canopy, in his right hand he holds his general’s ftaff, and his left is placed on abible on a table on which are his helmet and gloves ; every thing belonging to the bedhas been preferved ; above and oh the fides of the door as well as thofe of the bed areinfcriptions in letters of gold analagous to the events of the life of Guftavus I. ; nearthe bed is the genealogical tree of his houfe, continued to Guftavus III., although hisimmediate race was long before extinguifhed; Guftavus III. bearing relation to himonlv by the female fide. Around the chamber are fome geographical charts, and rathercoarfe portraits of the Kings and Oueens of Sweden from the time of Guftavus Vafa.You are afterwards Ihewn the privy in which he was concealed, and whence he efcapedto effect the union which afterwards took place at Mora. The lake offers the moltpleafmg point of view imaginable: a curious traveller will not mifs the opportunity ofnoticing this houfe, and certainly will find it highly interefting fince it i'erved as anafylum to one of the greateft men who ever graced the throne or human nature.

The tranflators of the i'econd travels of Mr. Coxe, has made him commit a numberof errors in his defcription of this houfe, fuch even as make it doubtful if he were fuf-ficiently well acquainted -with the Englifh to have attempted a tranllation. We advifeour readers moreover to give no greater credit to the relation of a Dutch officer, whoaffirms (page 165, in 8vo. laHaye, 1789,) “that you mud turn out of the highway forhalf a mile, and travel over a dreadful road and frightful mountains in order to arrivethere.” We have before had occafion to point out a number of errors in this work, andare far from having enumerated the whole. Were the road even as bad as is defcribed,ftiil would the traveller, if poflefied of a particle of curiofity, feel himfelf induced to vifitthis interefting houfe : it is however n'o more than a fhort quarter of a league out of theway, nor are there either frightful rocks or precipices between.

You begin to fmell the fulphur at a pretty confiderable diftance from Fahlun : therewe arrived in the middle of the night, and from the number of open furnaces burningfor the purpofe of grilling the ore, thefe feemed to us a general conflagration. Themift over the mouth of the mine is very thick ; the road runs by it and even under thefpouts of the pumps.

Fahlun, the capital of Dalecarlia, is a town of no great fize, containing but four thou-fand inhabitants. Its charter is dated 30th October, 1641 : it poffeffed charters of earlierdate, that is to fay 1608 and 1624, but thefe were granted, principally that trials mightbe made, and have been amended in the charter firff mentioned. The church built in164:;, is covered with copper, which covering has already been renewed three times.

The traveller, if he be provident, will write beforehand to fome merchant in order toprocure lodging, (a number of people let apartments at fo much per diem,') for owing tothe final 1 number of ft rangers who vifit this place, there is but one inn in the fquarenear the church, which it is true is a tolerably good one, but which may perchance befull, as we found the cafe. The only objedt of curiofity in this town is the copper mineand its pertinences : thefe certainly recompenfe you for your trouble, which on our partwe were no ways difpofed to regret.

The famous mine of Kopparberg is at the diftance of five hundred toifes from thetown : its origin is unknown ; its moil ancient exifting charter is that of Magnus Smek 3in 1347, which afcertains that there were anterior charters. At different periods it has

experienced