accordingly, and were ushered into the professor's library; where, after five hours, we were all declared duly competent. By good fortune, the Dean was the Professor of Belles Lettres; and in consequence of being tolerably versed in modern languages, I got rather a good testimonial; and remember well his doubting inquiry, as to whether I had any knowledge of English? I replied without hesitation, "Yes;" and the professor immediately brought forward Byron's "Childe Harold," and having opened it at the 3rd Canto, was so well satisfied with my reading, that we did not leave off before I had quite finished it. I suppose it is to this cause I owe my good testimonial, which was, "Non sine laude approbatus;" though, at the moment, I scarcely knew enough of Latin to interpret it; by which you may judge of the state of classical knowledge in the schools of Sweden. The day after the examination, we were presented to the Rector of the University, and entered our names in the book of matriculation; and I now had become a regular student. Before proceeding to give any description of our course of study, I had better give a short sketch of our mode of living in the house of the reverend gentleman with whom I was boarded. The boarders were five in number, and had each one room, furnished with a sofa, bedstead, &c. &c.; but no carpet, that being an extreme luxury anywhere in Sweden. Each morning, at six o'clock, the servant came to make the fire; and at seven, a cup of coffee and two rusks were brought to us. At nine o'clock, we had breakfast, consisting of the hard Swedish rye bread, with butter, and cheese, and sometimes, by way of a treat, some cold meat. Dinner was served up at one o'clock, and before sitting down to it, we partook of the whet usual in Sweden, consisting of a dram of spirits, with some bread and cheese, or anchovies. Our dinner always consisted of three removes, of which the second was some sort of soup, generally made with milk, or rice, seldom bouillon. Sometimes we had no animal food for dinner; indeed, this was generally the case, when the first course consisted of fish. On Sundays, there was always a roast for the third course, besides an extra course of pudding, or tart, and a glass of punch; small beer was always à discretion. After dinner, we had a cup of coffee each, with again two rusks. At six, if at home, which was very seldom the case, tea was served in the Swedish way; that is to say, one teaspoonful of tea to half a gallon of water. Supper, which was served at nine o'clock, was generally a rechauffé of the remains of dinner, with a glass of boiled or cold milk. By all this, you may perceive, that though we did not fare luxuriously, we were yet by no means very ill off. For our board and lodging, as thus described, the clergyman was paid 251. for the session of eight months, from October to June; besides which, we had separately to pay for our washing, and clubbed together to keep a boy for brushing our boots and clothes. We were not kept in particularly strict order, and had, indeed, quite as much liberty as we could desire; in proof of which, during a whole month, on one occasion, I did not once sup at home; and the only observation the clergyman made, was, that I must have an extensive circle of acquaintance.

After having been at the University nearly two years, I began to think it high time to take my examination as Bachelor of Arts, which

is in Sweden indispensable for every one who desires to study medicine. If in doing so I had no great stock of classical knowledge, I was not altogether deficient in the more available fund of modest assurance, by dint of which I got through better than my qualifications strictly perhaps entitled me to. Six months were now allowed me to pass the private examinations, or, as we called them, "Tentamina," before the general public examination came on; and as we had to be examined by ten different professors, it was rather a busy time. I received a sad blow, nevertheless, for the first person I went to for examination being the Professor of Greek, I was sent away with the intimation that I might come again at the expiration of six months. This, however, only roused my pride, and spurred me on to greater exertions, and by good fortune I passed my examination generally with eclat. It was now permitted me to commence my medical studies; and as Upsala is not a good school of anatomy, I preferred going to Stockholm, where I had the benefit of attending the large hospitals, and likewise of studying chemistry under Professor Berzelius. This eminent professor has since resigned, and retired into the enjoyment of the otium cum dignitate. At Stockholm I remained a year, and afterwards went back to Upsala, where I had to study two years more before being permitted to pass my examinations for M.B., for which we have also to defend a thesis, generally, but not invariably, written by ourselves. After obtaining the degree of M.B., I went back to Stockholm, and served some months as a dresser and clerk at the hospital, and then studied another year at Upsala, before obtaining the degree of Licentiate of Medicine. After having passed this last examination our studies are considered finished, and we have only to write and defend publicly a medical dissertation, after which the degree of Doctor of Medicine is granted. A person is often, however, compelled to remain a licentiate a long time, as the degree of Doctor is only conferred once in five or seven years; or, more properly speaking, only when a sufficient number of candidates can be collected to repay the expenses. The candidates amounted to thirty-two on the occasion when I obtained my degree, and the ceremony was a very solemn one; a large platform having been erected in the choir of the cathedral of Upsala, and divine service performed both before and after the inauguration. We had each a silk cap put on our heads, a sword girded on, a ring put on our fingers, and our diplomas handed to us-all this being accompanied by the firing of cannon, the blowing of trumpets, and beating of kettledrums. After the ceremony, we adjourned to the college library, where a dinner had been prepared in the large hall for all the civil, military, and academic dignitaries; and the day finished with a ball, the whole affair being at the expense of the newly made Doctors. At the time I considered the expense enormous; but it does not sound much in English money, being about £13 each, all fees and stamp duties included. I must not, however, omit to mention, before finishing this sketch of my college life, the military part of it. Every man in Sweden is liable to be called out in time of war for five years service, from the age of twenty to twenty-five; and the first year embraced in those ages, they are called out for a month's drill. This is regularly done every year at Upsala, and the students like it very much, the more

especially as they are allowed to form a division by themselves, wearing a separate uniform, and not subject to such strict discipline as the poorer conscripts.

The number of students liable to be called out every year amounts, on an average, to 100 or 120, and they are formed into four divisions, with a corporal chosen from among themselves, to command them when not on the drill ground. I had the honour of being chosen corporal to one of these divisions; but honour, alas! is, I found, seldom to be gained without expense. I was likewise appointed paymaster to the division, receiving the daily pay of three-pence, which each had from government as long as they were in activity, and which went so far to pay for their breakfasts and suppers. To meet the extra expenses of these, a great number of fines of different descriptions were also imposed, and the deficiency was usually made up by a contribution. Each division patronised a separate tavern, and there gave suppers to the officers and corporals of the other divisions in rotation; and I do not exceed the truth in saying, that during the three weeks we were exercised, a great many of the students were never quite sober. I must (however) say for them, that they were always ready when required for duty. In this respect, we were, for example, called out at five in the morning and drilled till ten, when each division went to its tavern for breakfast. At four in the afternoon we met again, and continued exercising till eight, when we adjourned again to the tavern, and kept it up convivially till the early hours of morning. As soon as our drilling was over, the publicans sent in their bills, and I, being the responsible person, had to make up the deficiency out of my own private funds, for nearly the half of my division were literally unable to pay their proportion of the expenses. The students are divided, as you may conceive, into several cliques, according to their rank, and the sums of money they can afford to spend; but there is little exclusive feeling among them. There are always a great many young noblemen at Upsala; but very few of them pass through any regular course of study, though some undergo the so-called civil examination, which qualifies them for entering into the various departments of government. Most of them, however, remain there some years under their tutors, and when arrived at the proper age, they generally enter the army. I do not know any example of a nobleman having studied medicine, nor is it usual in Sweden for the sons of the nobility to study for the church. In so far as my memory extends, I know of but two cases of this description, in one of which a count held a living, and in the other a baron was raised to a diocese from the army, without having been in orders before; the only qualification he possessed, and which was a conditio sine quú non, being the degree of A. M. He, however, happily turned out quite an ornament to the Swedish Church. The young tufts lead a very lazy life, and being generally very young, they have tutors: but these are too well bred to impose very severe tasks on their pupils; and the consequence is, that beyond riding, fencing, dancing, and perhaps some lessons in modern languages, they learn very little. Riding is their chief amusement, and they are easily distinguished by generally wearing leather breeches and enormous jack boots, somewhat resembling those worn by the French

postilions. There is no want of good society at Upsala, and several noble families live there, whose houses are always open to the tufts, and the richer roturiers; indeed, scarcely a week passes in which there are not either public or private balls, or gay evening parties, which, in so small a place as Upsala, is saying a great deal. The houses of the professors are likewise open to the students, more particularly those of their own nation, so that each student is invited at least once during session to the professor's table. The students of each nation give a supper once a session, in order to promote good fellowship among themselves, and to these parties the professors of the same nation are always invited. It is at convivial meetings of this description, that the newly entered student becomes acquainted with the elder ones, and brotherhood is on such occasions drunk between them. This is a very useful practice in Sweden, where, in speaking to a person, it is impossible to say you," but the party must be addressed by either his title or his name every sentence, which is a great annoyance. On the other hand, after you have drunk brotherhood, which is done by hob and nobbing, and afterwards shaking hands, it is always proper to address the person as "thou," which saves endless repetition. Etiquette is so severe on this point in Sweden, that even boys of fifteen or sixteen years of age always call each other Mr. So-and-so, until they have drunk brotherhood. It has more than once happened to me at a convivial meeting to have been asked to drink this toast with a person whom I had never before seen, and then after having shaken hands and asked "Well, brother, what is thy name ?"-" My name is D-, of Gnation ;" and it would be construed into an affront if either party should at any subsequent period address the other under a different title.

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Having thus given you a brief outline of the way the richer students live at Upsala, I will proceed to give you a little insight into the kind of life those poor fellows lead who have to struggle with poverty as well as the difficulties of science: and the number of these certainly preponderates greatly over that of those who are able to live in ease and comfort. The poor students are for the most part the sons either of small farmers, of clergymen having small incomes, or of public functionaries, whose salaries are just sufficient to keep them within the sphere of respectability. These students depend in a great manner on their own exertions for their support; having, perhaps, received on their setting out for the University, as large a sum as their parents could raise, which however very often does not exceed 107. or 157., and they are thus cast adrift on the world, somewhat after the manner of Gil Blas going to Salamanca. Should their parents chance to live near the University, they are rather better off than their fellows, because in that case they have provisions sent to them from home, such as bread, butter, cheese, and dried meat, which, with milk, and occasionally eggs, constitutes their fare. This mode of supplying their commissariat department is not, however, so general now as it was some fifty years ago; indeed, at present, it is only the case with those students who come from places within sixty or seventy miles of the University. Giving you a sketch of how two of my acquaintances, who were not of the very poorest class, lived, may serve as a fair speci

men of the poor student's life generally. All the money their parents could afford to give them was only 177. per annum each, yet with this sum they contrived to manage very well, and even to keep up an appearance of respectability. They lived together in one room, for which they paid about fifty shillings English a year; and were very diligent, getting up in the morning at five o'clock or earlier, lighting their fire, brushing their own shoes and clothes, and then sitting down to study till eight o'clock, when the charwoman brought them a pint of milk, which with bread served them for breakfast. During the forenoon they attended lectures, and used to make some money by looking over the Latin versions of their more idle or less clever fellow students. For their dinner, procured from a neighbouring cook's shop, they paid ten shillings a month for both,-certainly very cheap, but far from being either sufficient in quantity, or good in quality. For supper they had only bread and butter, with, as an occasional treat, a glass of beer. They were of course seldom to be seen at night in any of the numerous taverns with which Upsala abounds, unless previously invited to take a glass of punch, as a recompense for some literary aid rendered to a richer friend.

During vacation they sometimes got employed as tutors to some of the younger boys, which was a great point gained; and they thus generally made as much during that period as enabled them with their own allowances to get through the session. Nearly all the poor students have bursaries; but these are very inconsiderable, some of them not exceeding three pounds per annum, and a student is not allowed to receive more than one bursary at a time. Most of the poorer students study divinity, a good many law, and a few of them medicine, but almost all are deeply in debt by the time their studies are finished, which clogs their after progress in the world very much, and years often elapse before they are able to discharge these debts; but to their honour be it said, the instances are rare where such debts are not ultimately liquidated. The students at Upsala are very musical, and it is really a fine thing to hear them sing in full chorus; sometimes during the session they congregate to the number of several hundreds, and promenade the streets singing; and occasionally halting before the house of some favourite professor, giving him a song and a huzza; upon which being done, the professor always comes down and returns thanks for the honour conferred on him.

Upsala contains 5000 inhabitants, without reckoning the students, and is situated on the small river Tyris, about forty-five miles north of Stockholm. It is principally famous as having been the earliest, as it is still the highest, seat of learning in Scandinavia, and in remote times it was the capital of this district, then one of the lesser kingdoms into which Sweden was divided. The University was founded in the year 1476 by the Regent Sten Sture the elder, and the University of Paris served as a model for the institution. At first, indeed, there were but few professors, so that it more resembled a large classical school than a university. Gustavus Vasa received his education at Upsala, and even to this day the house in which he lived may be pointed out; a fact of which tourists do not seem to be aware; for though they all make inquiry for the house of Linnæus, they are ignorant that a still greater man