The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-13 00:00:00

very last reserved seat in a crowded opera-house,
and with the notes of the delicious overture to "Don
Giovanni" floating through the half-open door, turn-
ing away from the party with which he was enter-
ing, voluntarily giving up 16 or 20 minutes to ex•
plore ticket- offices in the neighbourhood, and finally
disinterring the director from those mysterious re-
gions in which theatrical managers love to bury
themselves, and all in order that two strangers who
could not speak the language might be admitted to
some plac3 where they could SC3 and hear well—to
standing room even, in the absence of better ace
commcdation. This ie not a solitary instance of
exceptional courtesy ; it is one which from any
Engiishman's experience might be multiplied inde-
finitely—the spirit dictating the action being emi-
nently characteristic of the people. It is the more
on that account to be deplored that anything should
have occurred to bring even a passing cloud be-
tween races equally priding themselves on good
faith and the lull( st observance of the laws of hos-
pitality.
It would b: difficult to state off-hand what it is
that gives to the streets of Copenhagen an eepect
different from that of almost every other Conti-
nental city, and yet the visitor walking or driving
through them will be struck with innumerable ob-
jects es he peeve along. To begin with, there can
be no such thing as street boys in Copenhagen, for
flowers bloom in exposed places which in London
would be scalped in the course of one afternoon.
The Kongen's Nyetoro, or King's New Market, is
the central point of the city; from this 12 of the
principal areas diverge, and in the middle of the
Toro stands an equestrian statue, round the base of
which are beds of blooming flowers which, after
such showers as those of the last few days, shed
a perfectly delicious fragrance. Beyond a very,
slight railing, altogether of an ornamental charac-
ter, there is nothing apparently to hinder any inhabi-
tant from collecting the materials for a bouquet ;
not a policeman is in sight, not even a gardener with
gold-laced hat. Apropos of policemen, it will no
doubt be interesting to mention that the peculiar-
shaped casque which attracted so much notice
when lately issued to the force in London exists in
its integrity here in Denmark, with this exception,
that the peal e back and front are of hard shining
leather, and they exhibit no plaques of bronze or
silver with the divisional numbers, but have such
distinguishing marls as are considered necessary
embro;dered on the felt itself. Whether the helmet
originated in Denmark or in England is not
clearly stated ; perhaps, as was said by an author
when taxed with a direct plagiarism from Shak-
spere, " the same idea occurred to two men of
genius." Thor waldsen's Museum is a point to which
every one of eourse will direct his steps, and here
again something out of the ordinary couese will be
seen. To the museum externally a shape and
colour are given designedly suggestive of an Egyp-
tian monument. The windows and doors all nar-
row towards the top, but the most remarkable
feature is the series of paintings on a huge black
ground that forms a belt round the exterior of the
building. Groups of figures of the heroic size and
dress:l in modern garments, a'most without ex-
ception of the dull brick-red or yellow ochre lines,
are skilfully drawn in every attitude expressive of
interest and delight at the arrival of Thorwaldsen
and his works. The population seem to have put off
in boats to obtain a better view, and one unhappy
woman has fallen overboard in the confusion. This
aquatic procession and the greetings extended to
Thorwaldsen occupy one s'de of the museum. On
the other walls the masterpieces of the great sculp-
tor are represented as in the act of being landed from
a ship and carried to this building to be press rued,
the idea, doubtless, having bean suggested by the
Egyptian hieroglyphics exhibiting the mode in
which the Pyramids were constructed. The incom-
prehensible point is that any artist competent to de-
lineate figures so well in an anatomical point of
view should have selected such repulsive colcurs for
his work ; they probably are to be accounted for by
a_ little pardonable vanity on the part of the Danish
artist who was the first to discover how to make de-
corations in coloured stucco. As regards the contents
of the Museum the guide-books furnish abundant
information, but visitors should by no means con-
sider that they have acquainted themselves with all
that is worth seeing there till they have examined
the private collection of pictures, which, perhaps,
because they are modern, or because it is assumed
that statuary only ought to be admired upon that
spot, are passed over with a slighting notice. Thor-
waldsen, the son of the poor ship-carpenter from
Iceland, who by his own achievements raised him■
self to such an eminence that he was buried with the
highest honours the State could bestow, made the
acquaintance, while a student at Rome, of number-
less men of genius like himself, most of whom he
afterwards distanced in the race of life. Being in
his turn enabled to become an encourager of art, he
appears to have selected those paintings which
yielded him the most gratification, regardless of the
school to which they belonged, or of the names
which might be appended to them: The collection
affords a very good insight into the character and
tastes of this great Danish artist, and to some ex-
tent explains the secret of the power which, with a
very different and more unsympathetic material, his
own productions have exercised in every country.
No cue coming to Copenhagen should miss seeing
these pictures.

There are numberless other sights at Copenhagen
distinct, probably, from anything of a similar kind
elsewhere. The residents pride themselves uponwhat
they call their " Moll." These are gardens wonder-
fully laid out, something after the manner of Cre-
morne, but on a better scale in every department, and
with what forms in that case the one objectionable
element most carefully eliminated. On fine evenings
this is one of the most fashionable places of resort in
Copenhagen. High and low mingle together with-
out the least constraint, and the gradations of society
among this simple minded people are so well marked
and so carefully observed that, although all meet
here upon a level of (quality, any thing like uncom-
fortableness is entirely obviated, For those who
can enjoy classical music there are orchestral per
formances of considerable merit at fixed hours; for
thce whose taste is less refined there are singing
rooms in different quarters of the grounds, which
any one can enter, the only fee being a collection
made at intervals, when it is customary for each
person to drop a piece of 4 skillinge, or about Id.,
into the plate, to reward the exertions of the voca-
lists. Many of the songs which are here stirs are
national and patriotic ; some are given:in co--time ;
they are often such as the audience can and do
join in ; in fact, if some of the enterprising
caterers for the musical taste of the English public
were to visit this part of the world they might
discover some items in the programme which
would bear transportation exceedingly well.
Tivoli is further remarkable for its shooting gallery,
certainly of a higher order than those sheet-iron
telescopic ranges which wander from fair to fair
in England, appearing in all their glory upon
Derbysday. The marks to be aimed at include a
whole aviary of birds, which fall from their perch
when struck, and an eagle, life size, that when un-
touched is represented as soaring to the skies, but
when struck in the vital part drops his head and
wings, exhibiting a thorough dejected appearance.
In like manner there is a target, which, by well-
arranged mechanism, brings out a gorgeous Chasseur
to indicate when the beet hits are made. Then there
is a Russian mountain, upon which adventurous
spirits may make an essay in sleighing, a vehicle
of this description being propelled with considerable
force from one high tower to another over a succes-
sion of rapid rises and falls representing mounds of
ice. Military music, bowling saloons, gymnastic
exercises, ballet dancing, pantomimes, Sec., are in-
cluded in the nightly programme of Tivoli; and he
must be hard to please who cannot select, from some
one or other of the points which the payment of 1
mark (about 4d. English) places within his reach,
some occupation or other to pass the evening. The
strictest propriety reigns in every corner of the
place; the moat respectable persons are to be met
there with their families, and though unlimited op-
portunities for obtaining refreshment exist, no one
appears to be excited or the worse for what he has
taken. If any one goes specially to search for it, of
course be will find that there is a dark side to the life
of every great city ; but for all that appears upon the
face of society here, Copenhagen might be a town