and by the very persons best calculated to offer an example to the lower orders.

III. THE HOSPITAL.-There is a church annexed to this building, containing also an organ.

IV. BAKLAN CHURCH.-This name means the back-land church. Here there is also an organ.

V. THE LATIN SCHOOL.-This constitutes one part of a large building in the south street, white-washed in front; containing also a Museum, and a chamber for the meetings of the Literary Society. It was built with part of the legacy of Mr. Angel. The Latin School occupies the ground-floor upon the right, to a person entering it is divided into three chambers, which are filled with desks and benches. At the upper end of the third room is an elevated cathedra or pulpit for the principal teacher. Boards exhibiting the scales and principles of musical science are placed around this room;music being here taught, together with natural history, and other branches of knowledge not commonly introduced into our English Academies. The chamber for the sitting of the Literary Society is over the Latin School: portraits of illustrious men who have rendered themselves conspicuous in Denmark and Norway, either by their valour or by their talents, hang round this chamber.

brary.

V.

Among others, there is a portrait of Tycho Brahe. As portraits, they are worthy of notice; but on no other account; the style of painting not being above mediocrity. At the meetings held in this chamber, the Bishop presides. They have published several works, many of which exist in the libraries of Europe, but are becoming rare, and seldom may be purchased. The Flora Norvegica of Gunner is one of these. Opposite to Public Lithis chamber is the Public Library; the books being arranged after the manner adopted in the different libraries of the University of Cambridge: it contains many rare and valuable works. The manuscripts are few in number, and of little value; but they have many of the best authors who have written upon the history, natural history, and antiquities of Denmark and Norway. A catalogue has been printed: the books are not numerous, but the list is yearly augmenting. At the end of the library is the Museum, a square Museum. chamber filled with antiquities, minerals, plants, animals, &c. Opposite to the entrance, in a glass-case, is a human body in a remarkable state of preservation; the skin only being removed, and every muscle displayed to view in the greatest perfection. Below the case containing this body are preserved the bones and weapons of a Norwegian King, discovered on the Leke

Antiquities

found in

the Isle of

CHAP.

V.

26th of June in the year 1780, in a tumulus in the Isle of Lekoe; and considered as affording a proof of the authenticity and fidelity of the Iceland historian, Snorro, who mentions the construction of this tumulus. An account of the person who was there buried is given by Torfæus. In the eighth Chapter of Snorro's History of Harold Harfagers, he says, "The peasants of Nummedale, and the Kings Herlaug and Hrollaug, laboured during three years in constructing a sepulchre of stone, chalk, and timber, in the Isle of Lekoe." This island lies off the coast of Norway, far to the north of Trönijem, about five minutes north of the 65th parallel of latitude, according to the large map of Pontoppidan; and in the parish of Næröe. It is further related by Torfæus', that when Harald, who had conquered all the south, came to wage war against these kings, Herlaug took much provisions into the sepulchre, and, being attended by twelve of his best men, entered, and was covered over. Hrollaug joined with Harald, and was made his Earl. This event, according to Torfæus, took place in the year 869. If we except the accounts given by Homer of the tombs in the Plain of Troy, this

(1) Hist. Norw. Part II. lib. 1. cap. iv. p. 8.

is one of the most curious instances that have occurred in history; because here we have distinct information, from the two historians, as to the origin and locality of an antient tomb; and such a description given of it as might lead us to infer that this tomb, although not older than the ninth century, was what we commonly call a barrow: whence the inference would be, that the other barrows of the north of Europe are, what this was, of Gothic or Teutonic origin. A little caution, however, is necessary, before any such inference may be made; as there seems good reason to conclude that the tumulus whence these bones and weapons were taken was not the sepulchre to which Torfæus alludes; but that it was a Celtic, rather than a Teutonic place of interment; because the mode of burial beneath mounds or barrows was not that in use among the Goths, but among the Celts. The circumstances attending the discovery of these reliques may be stated.

General Von Krog, the present Commandant of the garrison of Trönijem, being with his troops in the Isle of Lekoe, found a tumulus, corresponding, in its situation, with the account given by Snorro. Its diameter was one hundred ells; and its perpendicular height, ten or twelve. The General commanded his troops to open it.

Like many

CHAP.

V.

V.

CHAP. of the antient barrows, it was somewhat depressed, and sunk towards the centre. The peasants of the village of Skye, near the tumulus, had various traditions concerning it: they had found upon the spot antient rings and bronze vessels, which they converted into shoe-buckles. At the depth of about six ells, they came to a rude sepulchre, which, from the account the General gave of it, exactly resembled the graves found upon the Isle of Barra, in the Western Hebrides, and which the natives of Barra attributed to the Danes: it was paved with pebbles. Here they found a human scull, together with the other bones and weapons of a warrior. These are the reliques now preserved in this Museum, and exhibited as having belonged to Herlaug. But in viewing them, a question immediately arises; for if these be Herlaug's remains, as mentioned by Torfæus, where are the remains of his twelve attendants, also interred with him? In answer to this, it is urged that the king was probably put to death, either by his own hand, or by one of his attendants, before his interment took place; and in this case they might afterwards retire, if they thought proper. But the remarkable circumstance mentioned by the historian, of his "taking much provisions with him,' seems to contradict this; and the persons whom