rank and position of what is called in England the landed gentry, is no longer eligible to serve in the Parliament of his country, and loses all privilege of being represented there. It is something scarcely intelligible, that in any land under the sun, a man, a peasant, or small freehold farmer a Bonde-in his native phrase) should disqualify himself for parliamentary service, if he, either by education, or by purchasing, as is often done, the lands of an impoverished noble, lifts himself above the peasant class. So, however, it is here; the class above the peasant class, that very one which we deem almost the most important, the landed gentry, has no representative in Sweden, and in the legislature of the country can only exert that worst species of influence, which may be exercised over individual members by secret and personal influence, or control. Nor is this the only curious feature in this antiquated mode of legislature.

"Madame," cried a portly Swede, springing on his feet and exhibiting himself in full length and breadth, "I have no representation!" Not knowing what he meant at the time, I actually turned my head to look if the great pier glass had removed from its place; but I knew afterwards

VOL. I.

S

that in the representation to which he alluded, parliamentary representation, he, as well as all professional men, lawyers—a strangely numerous body,-medical men, men of learning, arts, or science, military and naval men, and every one in Sweden in fact, who is not in trade or commerce, who has not an iron foundry, or who is not a priest, a peasant, or a noble, has no one to represent their rights or wrongs in the parliament or legislature of their country. Well! as His Royal Highness Prince Oscar did me the honour to say to me on a later occasion, "We have been very happy, and we have not known what made us so happy,"-so institutions, which may seem to us to have outlived their age, may be the means of keeping us happy without our ever being able to know what it is that makes us happy; for I suspect it was to them the sagacious young Prince alluded.

We went to the Peasants' house first, and at the door I saw some sights not exactly suited to St. Stephen's; and then I saw a number of plain, solid-looking men, with longish hair, and dressed, not exactly in freize, but mostly in long, plain cut coats of dark blue; national, or rather provincial costumes, these Riksmen have now laid

aside. We could not, however, catch

any cham

ber exactly at work; at this Peasants' house we were told to go to that of the Burgesses; there we hurried, and were sent to the Clergy's; and at the Clergy's we were told there was a debate at the Nobles'.

We were at last successful. There was a debate, and what do you think it was? Guess. Recollect the time and cause of my flight from England; and then imagine me coming nearly to the extremity of Europe, and running post haste to the Swedish Parliament to hear a debate-on the Catholic Question! Now don't laugh at me; but it is true!

I was engaged in looking over the Hall of Assembly, from the very little gallery into which any one is free to enter. curious to be seen from it,

There is nothing

except the 3,000

shields of the ancient nobles are hung on the walls. the good and patriotic to be hung there, the practice might be a salutary one. The place bears much the appearance of a lecture room, independently of these emblazonments; plain benches are ranged at each side of a narrow aisle, and on a platform at the top there is a handsome carved

of Sweden, which Were only the shields of

chair for the seat of the president, who puts each question to the vote.

I was thinking, too, of the time when little Queen Christina, at the age of six years, was presented to the assembled states in this hall. Many of the people did not want a little girl to reign over them; but when they saw the child, a good peasant exclaimed, "It is Gustaf Adolf's eye, brow, and nose; let her be our Queen." The story, related by Geijer, is intensely national; a nose that was like any favourite Swedish nose, might well lay claim to a crown. But I sat next to a young lawyer-a baron too, who spoke a little English, and who made me comprehend what was going on below better than I should have done without his aid. It was not an Ecclesiastical Titles Bill that was in progress-no bishop but a Lutheran one could presume to enter Sweden as a bishop. The question was, whether the Protestant-Lutheran subjects of the country should be liable to a fine of five rix-daler, or about six shillings English, for entering the Roman Catholic chapel where their queen worshipped. There is an old law to that effect in existence, but, as it is never enforced, its existence was considered by the mover for its abolition as

by no means essential to the well-being of church and state. The question was argued pro and con.; some noble lords contending that since the law was not enforced it was necessary to abrogate it, and other noble lords insisting that because it was not enforced it ought to remain in statu quo.

The nays had it. The law remained; and the result of the discussion on me was, what I believe to be the result of discussion on most persons, it sent me to the place that appeared to be prohibited. I went to look in at the Roman Catholic Chapel. No Swede is allowed to be anything but a professed follower of Martin Luther. If you are not a subject, you may be what you like; but you cease to a subject of Sweden, or an occupant of Swedish ground, or breather of Swedish air, if you cease to be a Lutheran. The worshippers, therefore, at the Roman Catholic Chapel were few, being foreigners; but the whole open space at the lower end of the chapel was filled with true Lutheran Swedes, not worshippers, but listeners, many of them clergymen, wearing, as usual, their white bands and clerical coats. The priest, the Queen's Chaplain, is an eloquent preacher, and the Swedes make the sermon the chief consideration in their religious services.