The intercourse between Stockholm and Upsala is very considerable.
A steamer leaves both places every day except Sunday, and traverses
the distance in six hours.
Tempted by this convenient opportunity of easily and quickly
reaching the celebrated town of Upsala, and by the unusually fine
weather, I took my passage one evening, and was greatly disappointed
when, on the following morning, the rain poured down in torrents.
But if travellers paid much attention to the weather, they would not
go far; so I nevertheless embarked at half-past seven, and arrived
safely in Upsala. I remained in the cabin during the passage, and
could not even enjoy the prospect from the cabin-windows, for the
rain beat on them from the outside, while inside they were obscured
by the heat. But I did not venture on deck, hoping to be favoured
by better weather on my return.
At last, about three o'clock, when I had been in Upsala more than an
hour, the weather cleared up, and I sallied out to see the sights.
First I visited the cathedral. I entered, and stood still with
astonishment at the chief portal, on looking up at the high roof
resting on two rows of pillars, and covering the whole church. It
is formed in one beautiful straight line, unbroken by a single arch.
The church itself is simple: behind the grand altar a handsome
chapel is erected, the ceiling of which is painted azure blue,
embossed with golden stars. In this chapel Gustavus I. is interred
between his two wives. The monument which covers the grave is
large, and made of marble, but clumsy and void of taste. It
represents a sarcophagus, on which three bodies, the size of life,
are laid; a marble canopy is raised over them. The walls of the
chapel are covered with pretty frescoes, representing the most
remarkable scenes in the life of this monarch. The most interesting
among them are, one in which he enters a peasant's hut in peasant's
attire, at the same moment that his pursuers are eagerly inquiring
after him in front of the hut; the other, when he stands on a
barrel, also dressed as a peasant, and harangues his people. Two
large tablets in a broad gold frame contain in Swedish, and not in
the Latin language, the explanation of the different pictures, so
that every Swede may easily learn the monarch's history.
Several other monuments are erected in the side-chapels; those of
Catharine Magelone, John III., Gustavus Erichson, who was beheaded,
and of the two brothers Sturre, who were murdered. The monument of
Archbishop Menander, in white marble, is a tasteful and artistic
modern production. The great Linnaeus is buried under a simple
marble slab in this church; but his monument is in one of the side-
chapels, and not over his grave, and consists of a beautiful dark-
brown porphyry slab, on which his portrait is sculptured in relief.
The splendid organ, which reaches nearly to the roof of the church,
also deserves special attention. The treasure-chamber does not
contain great treasures; the blood-stained and dagger-torn garments
of the unfortunate brothers Sturre are kept in a glass case here;
and here also stands a wooden statue of the heathen god Thor. This
wooden affair seems to have originally been an Ecce Homo, which was
perhaps the ornament of some village church, then carried off by
some unbeliever, and made more shapeless than its creator, not
proficient in art, had made it. It has a greater resemblance now to
a frightful scarecrow than to any thing else.
The churchyard near the church is distinguished for its size and
beauty. It is surrounded by a wall of stone two feet high,
surmounted by an iron palisading of equal height, broken by stone
pillars. On several sides, steps are made into the burying-ground
over this partition. In this cemetery, as in the one of Stockholm,
one seems to be in a lovely garden, laid out with alleys, arbours,
lawns, &c.; but it is more beautiful than the other, because it is
older. The graves are half concealed by arbours; many were
ornamented with flowers and wreaths, or hedged by rose-bushes. The
whole aspect of this cemetery, or rather of this garden, seems
equally adapted for the amusement of the living or the repose of the
dead.
The monuments are in no way distinguished; only two are rather
remarkable, for they consist of tremendous pieces of rock in their
natural condition, standing upright on the graves. One of these
monuments resembles a mountain; it covers the ashes of a general,
and is large enough to have covered his whole army; his relatives
probably took the graves of Troy as a specimen for their monument.
It is moreover inscribed by very peculiar signs, which seemed to me
to be runic characters. The good people have united in this
monument two characteristics of the ancients of two entirely
distinct empires.
The university or library building in Upsala is large and beautiful;
it is situated on a little hill, with a fine front facing the town.
The park, which is, however, still somewhat young, forms the
background. {54}
Near this building, on the same hill, stands a royal palace,
conspicuous for its brick-red colour. It is very large, and the two
wings are finished by massive round towers.
In the centre of the courtyard, behind the castle, is placed a
colossal bust of Gustavus I., and a few paces from it two artificial
hills serve as bastions, on which cannons are planted. This being
the highest point of the town, affords the best view over it, and
over the surrounding country.
The town itself is built half of wood and half of stone, and is very
pretty, being crossed by broad streets, and ornamented with
tastefully laid-out gardens. It has one disadvantage, which is the
dark brownish-red colour of the houses, which has a peculiarly
sombre appearance in the setting sun.
