Driftwood from Scandinavia Author:Wilde Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PART III. COPENHAGEN TO CHRISTIANIA. The great museum of antiquities at Copenhagen is one of the chief sights of Europe, as all the learned know, and no ed... more »ucation in archaeology or ethnology could be complete without a diligent study of its treasures. It occupies two immense suites of rooms in the Christianborg Palace, the lower being devoted to national remains, and the upper to the ethnological collection. The museum owes its origin and marvellous perfection almost wholly to the zeal and labours of the late Professor Thomsen, one of the most distinguished antiquaries of Europe. Happily for us, he was still living when we visited Copenhagen, and under the guidance of this learned, bright-eyed old man, we traversed all ages of humanity, from stone to iron, and all regions of the globe, from the shores of the Caspian to the snows of Lapland; across twooceans to far distant islands and remote lands, still tracing the progress of the human race from instinct to intellect, through the indestructible symbols which science has interpreted into words. Thus the exhaustless stores of the professor's knowledge added interest to every object, and his lucid interpretations seemed to reveal hidden mysteries. All Denmark adored this venerable old man, then head of the museum. The people looked on him as the father and founder of their nation, the man who gave them their proper place in history. And the royal family treated him with the utmost deference and respect. He had a handsome suite of rooms in the palace, and it was pleasant, for the sake of learning and nationality, to see how he bore on his breast every decoration his sovereign could confer. The Danish Government gives money liberally for national purposes, and the museum is an especial object of State care. Not an an...« less