FORTIES TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.

495

Rarely is a circumftance related in his prefence without its bringing fomewhat corref-pondent to his memory. Every age is prefent in his mind, and whatever be the nationhe is equally well acquainted with its hiftory. Frequently has he amufed himfelf byembarraffing Grangers who have paffed for intelligent, and who have even de-ferved their chara^er on points relating to their own country : m one word, as afocial companion none can be more agreeable. When we look upon him as a mo-narch he exacts the juft tribute of praife and admiration, inis Prince potietles tnoiequalities which fpura man to great deeds from a due calculation on their fuccels . thatnatural eloquence, that talent of expreffing with fluency thofe fentiments with which hewould infpire others ; that gift of fpeech, the effeft of which in a fovereign’s mouth isfure, Gultavus received from nature; nor ever has he employed it to the multitudewithout fuccefs*. He is poffeffed of great perfonal courage; evinced in .his cam-paigns in Finland : indeed, if at all deferving of reproach, it is for expofing himfelf toomuch. His conduQ: towards the officers, condemned in 1790 by the council of war,is the higheft proof of clemency that ever was exhibited by a Sovereign : out of a greatnumber of delinquents fentenced to death five of the mod guilty, it was expeded, couldnot efcape the fword of the law ; one alone paid with his head the treafon of the whole,nor would he even have fuffered had he not delayed too long to implore for mercy.The moft frivolous pretexts f were caught at with avidity by this monarch to fave theguilty: this however did not prevent remarks that he was fond of decapitation ; towhich we advanced, as our opinion, that he appeared to us not fufficiently fo, frnce hemight, and poffibly ought to have taken off the heads of the other four officers, as wellas ftiat of a certain officer of rank in the navy, tried a number of times, yet never unani-moufly condemned, although highly culpable, whofe name we may difpenfe with men-tioning • the Swedes will recognize it eafily enough. Thus is it plain, the contagionwas not confined to the army ; the Admiral was equally merciful with his brother,for under any other, commander the guilty man would certainly not have been triedby two councils of war, nor have ever left his ftip again. Neverthelefs we are firmlyperfuaded that the fovereign alone has the right of pardoning an officer guilty of dis-obedience in battle; and that the General who prefumes fo far exceeds the limits ofhis authority.

With the talent of fpeaking, with courage and clemency, the King poffeffes greatambition, an indefatigable adivity, an immoderate thirft of glory, and what alone makeshim undertake every thing, a ftrong reliance on. his good fortune. Perhaps we maydeceive ourfelves, yet cannot we refrain from thinking that a man, who with all thefequalities wears a crown, muft draw on him the eyes of all the prefent age, and com-mand the admiration of pollerity.

Still rot to be chargeable with a want of franknefs, and that we may fhew that im-partiality which we profefs, let us endeavour to reply to the detractors of this prince,

* When the King of Sweden vifited France , in 1784, we courtiers thought he fpoke too much for aKina • this without doubt was occafioned by our being fo little accuftomed to convention with Kings.Not but that it ever is belt fora fovereign to be filent unlefs he fpeak to the purpofe, but m our opinion aking who Ihould have been able to fpeak to couldloot poffibly have done us harm. .

+ A certain officer having caufed himfelf to be reported as nilane, was as lueh confined in the lunaticWphal at Dannviken. Some imagine the King might have been the dupe of this ftratagem ; the followinganecdote may ferve on this fcore to undeceive them. The King fpeaking to us one evening of what wehad vifited in the courfe of the day, we informed him that we had that very day been to fee the hofpital forlunatics — Did you fee K.?~We were notfo indifcrcet as to require it,fatisfied with noticing the pavilion in whichhe was confined.—So, fo, you fancy that J give little faith to his being mad. But in truth the King onlyfought for a pretence to fave his life, „