DENMARK occupies a larger space in the history, than on the map of Europe; the nation is greater than the country. Though, with the growth of physical power in surrounding populations, she has lost somewhat of her influence in political councils, and has recently been most unjustly deprived of a great part of her ancient possessions: still the Danes of to-day are no unworthy representatives of their ancestors. Many a larger nation might envy them the position they hold in science and in art, and few have contributed more to the progress of human knowledge. Copenhagen may well be proud both of her museums and of her professors. I would especially point to the celebrated Museum of Northern Antiquities, as being most characteristic and unique.

For the formation of such a collection Denmark offers unrivalled opportunities. The whole country appears to have been, at one time, thickly studded with tumuli: where the land has not been brought into cultivation, many of them are often in sight at once, and even in the more fertile and thickly populated parts, the plough is often diverted from its course by one of these ancient burial places. Fortunately, the stones of which they are constructed are so large and so hard, that their destruction and removal is a laborious and expensive undertaking.