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Denmark occupies a larger space in the history, than in the map, of Europe. The nation is greater than the country; and even if with the growth of physical power in surrounding populations, she has lost somewhat of her influence in political councils, still the Danes of today 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, indeed, may well be proud both of her Museums and of her Professors: and without attempting to compare together things which are essentially incomparable, we may, perhaps, 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, several 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. As, however, land grows more valuable, or perhaps when the stones themselves become available for building or other purposes, no conservative tradition, or feeling of reverence for the dead, protects them from desecration: and it is estimated that not a week passes without witnessing the destruction of one or more tumuli, and the loss of some, perhaps irrecoverable, link in the history of our race.
Every barrow indeed, is in itself a small museum of Northern Antiquities, and the whole country even may be considered as a Museum on a great scale. The peat bogs, which occupy so large an area, may almost be said to swarm with antiquities, and Professor Steenstrup estimates that every column of three feet square contains some specimen of ancient workmanship. All these advantages and opportunities, however, might have been thrown away, but for the genius and perseverance of Professor Thomsen, who may fairly be said to have created the Museum over which he bo worthily presides.
After careful study, the archæologists of Northern Europe have divided the history of their country into four great periods, and their Collection into as many series. These four ages are known as the Stone, the Bronze, the Iron, and the Christian periods. Of the last I need here say nothing: nor does the Iron age immediately concern though it may be well to observe that it certainly commenced before the time of Christ and lasted until the introduction of Chris-
