and keen; on the E. fide of S. Jutland, and in the inlands of Funen and Seeland, it is finer and better: but in the Marshlands and Laaland it is thick and unhealthy. Though the various winds indeed render the weather changeable, yet they purify the air: and among these the westerly winds are the most ufual and the ftrongeft. Denmark lies moftly low, the foil being level, and, except the middle tract of Jutland, very fruitful; fo that the country yields a fufficient fupport for its inhabitants, and has a plentiful ftock of every thing neceffary for life. It can export more horned cattle and horfes than grain. Its fea-coafts, inland lakes, ponds, rivers, and leffer Dreams, abound very much with fish, They have no wine, metals, nor falt, and the little they have of the latter commodity, which is made in Jutland, is but indoferent. Most of the provinces have a fufficiency of timber for their neceflary occafions; and they burn a good deal of turf. The inhabitants are nobles, burghers, and peasants. The nobility are divided into higher and lower. As there are no princes nor dukes in Denmark but the king's children, except one fingle nobleman, called Knut Pors, who is duke of Halland, he higher nobility are only counts and barons, who were first created fo by king William V. in 1671.

The Danish language is only diftinguishable from the Swedish and Norwegian by its dialect for the inhabitants of the three kingdoms understand one another, except in fome words. It is at this day a medley of Old Gothic, Frifian, and German words: and, with regard to the pronunciation, Bufching fays, it has a great deal of analogy with the English, and many words in common with this language; and it is very much adapted to poetry.

The predominant religion in Denmark is Lutheranism, and their firft reformer was Joh. Bugenhagen, a difciple of Luther's. The reformed, Roman Catholics, and jews, have the free exercife of their religion at Copenhagen, Fridericia, and Friderichstadt; in which latter place indulgence is alfo given to Armenians, Mennonifts, and Quakers. Alfo in the island of Nordstrand, Roman Catholics have the public exercife of their religion allowed them: and, by the commendable care of the king of Denmark, the light of the gofpel has been fuccefsfully propagated in Finmark, Groenland, and among the Malabars: for which purpofe, in 1714, he established a college at Copenhagen for promoting the gofpel. The principal ecclefiaftical perfons in Denmark and Norway are the bishops, of which fix are in Denmark, four in Norway, and two in Iceland. Thofe of Sceland and Chriftiana have the precedency of all the reft; the former being third profeffor of divinity in

the university of Copenhagen, where he muft refide. The archiepifcopal title has been abolifhed and Slefwick, together with Holstein, have a general fuperintendant. Denmark, efpecially fince the Reformation, has not wanted for learned men, who have diftinguished themfelves in the fciences. Divinity particularly flourishes among the Danes: and here they apply themselves much to poetry, and the study of the Latin language. Befides the univerfity at Copenhagen, confifting of four colleges, the riding academy at Soroe, and the gymnafium at Odenfe, there are feveral wellregulated town-fchools, up and down the country.

In the preceding century, they had hardly any manufactures in Denmark: but now, at Copenhagen, thro' the royal encouragement, are curious artists; and in this kingdom are made whatever fabrics can be defired. The importation of all foreign manufactures is prohibited, and particularly the wearing of jewels, gold and fiver ftuffs, and foreign laces, by a royal ordinance published in 1736,

Denmark is finely fituated for trade and navigation, and may be looked upon as the center of the important northern commerce, efpecially the very profitable traffic of the Baltic. They have feveral public companies among them, as the Afiatic company, the Weft-Indian and Guiney company, a general trading company, and an Icelandish-Finmark company. At Copenhagen a bank has been eftablished in 1736, with notes from a hundred to ten rix-dollars, which pafs current through the kingdom; alfo an affurance company for fhipping and from entries at the cuftomhoufe for the year 1752, it appears that upwards of 3000 fhips, and fmali craft, have come into this port with all forts of goods, especially provifions, timber, and materials for building. Excellent regulations have been made in this kingdom for the posts, fince they go and come twice a week to and from every town in Denmark. The principal order of knights in Denmark is that of the elephant, or blue ribbon.

It is uncontested, that, in the time of the Romans, the Cimbri and Teutones inhabited the parts about the prefent Jutland, and the duchy of Slefwic. And hence the ancients called the peninfula of Jutland Cimbrica Cherfonefus but, with regard to the other iflands, and in general the erecting of their republics, before any change happened, there is not fuch certainty to be met with.

The conftitution of Denmark, from being hereditary, elective, and limited at different times, became abfolute in the year 1660, when the peafants being grievously oppreffed by the nobility and gentry, agreed in conjunction with the clergy, icmake the crown hereditary. Upon which the king, affem

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Ming his nobility and gentry in a garrifoned town, compelled them to deliver up their liberties into his hands; fo that ever fince Denmark has been an abfolute monarchy.

The regular troops of this kingdom, namely, Denmark, Norway, and Holftein, commonly amount to 40,000, of which 10,000, are always ftanding in Norway they are moftly maintained by foreign fubfidies; but when at home, are very burdenfome to the farmers and pealants. The royal revenues are computed at 500,000l. arifing from crown-lands, customs, and several imposts on bear, malt, corn, paper, land, &c. In Norway the king has the tenth of the timber, tar, fish, oil, and mines. And the Danish clergy having, at the Reformation, been ftripped by the government of the church-lands, as well as diverted of their former power, are principally fubfifted by the state, befides fome gratuitous offerings made them on the ufual feftivals by their people; which is faid to amount to no inconfiderable fum.

Copenhagen is a free and imper ia city, the capital of all Denmark, and the royal refidence, in Danifh Kiobenhavn, anciently Kiobmanfhavn; that is, the harbour of merchants, on account of its fine haven, and commodious fituation for trade; its Latin name is Hafnia. It lies on the fhore of the Baltic, five miles from Oerefund. Its fituation is marshy and low; but on the land-fide, it has several fresh-water lakes, which abundantly fupply the inhabitants. The neighbouring parts are extremely delightful, and directly oppofite on the fea-fide is the fruitful ifland of Almack, which forms the harbour. The city has a very grand appearance, being, from the weft-gate to the Norwegian-gate in the citadel, 4140 Seeland ells in length; and from the north-gate to that of Almack, 3120 in breadth, and 12,600 in circuit, or a German mile, and 600 ells. The Gotherftrafs (Goth treet) which runs in a ftraight line through the whole city, and divides the old and new town, is upwards of 4200 feet long, including the breadth of the royal market, and the parts about the new harbour. Here are four royal cales or palaces, nine parochial, and nine other churches, a good number of public and private palaces, befides

4000 burgher-houses, among which feveral are occupied by ten families and more, eleven market-places and public fquares, 186 streets and lanes, with about 100,000 inhabitants. It is divided into three principal parts, Old Copenhagen, New Copenhagen, and Chriftianfhafen. In the two laft, which are the newest, the streets are broad and straight: but most of thofe in Old Copenhagen, fince the laft great fire, have been fufficiently widened, though the old inequalities could not be entirely avoided. The cleaning of the streets annually cofts the city about 10 or 12,0co rixdollars, and in the night they are lighted with lamps. In fome places of Copenhagen are deep canals, into which large fhips can go and load and unload quite close to the houfes and wharfs. The city is further subdivided into ten quarrs, and the burghery into as many companies. Copenhagen is fortified in the modern tafte, and befides, has a citadel: the harbour is defended by forts and platforms; but the entrance into it only admits a fingle fhip at a time. The fortifications of this place feem not to be a fufficient defence against a bombardment by fea, nor from the attacks of a land-army even on that fide, fince the Swedes have been known to bring their artillery over the ice in the Baltic, and befiege Copenhagen; and on the land-fide, as being marshy, it may be more eafily approached in winter than in fummer. Here is an univerfity, confifting of four colleges; befides the Walkendorf college in Copenhagen, is a Latin fchool of fix claffes, an orphan-house, &c. Copenhagen was formerly the fee of an archbishop; but the Danes have reduced their prelates to fuperintendents, having not only curtailed them of their lands and revenues, but alfo of their power. The predominant religion in this city is the Evahgelical or Lutheran. Chriftianfhafen is connected with the city, and confequently with Seeland, by means of two bridges, a great and a small one; the latter is over the strongest current, and the former is a mile and a half long, and a good half mile in breadth. The city lies about 300 miles S. W. of Stockholm. Lat. 55 deg. 40 min. 59 fec. N. long. 12 deg. 50 min. E.

AS the curiofity of the public has beer verv much excited by the trial of Donald Maclane, the Soldier, for the murder of the unfortunate Mr. Allen, near St. George'sfields, on Tuesday the roth of laft May, an account of this trial will, I flatter myelf, be

acceptable to the generality of your readers, efpecially as a greater attention fhall be paid to truth, than to embellishment, and no idle affectation of an elegant narrative be futtered to difguife the leaft ncceffary matter of fact.

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