A BeginningIN a house in Copenhagen, not far from the king's new
market, a very large party had assembled, the host and his family
expecting, no doubt, to receive invitations in return. One half of
the company were already seated at the card-tables, the other half
seemed to be waiting the result of their hostess's question, "Well,
how shall we amuse ourselves?"
Conversation followed, which, after a while, began to
prove very entertaining. Among other subjects, it turned upon the
events of the middle ages, which some persons maintained were more
full of interest than our own times. Counsellor Knapp defended this
opinion so warmly that the lady of the house immediately went over
to his side, and both exclaimed against Oersted's Essays on Ancient
and Modern Times, in which the pre
