427. Public gardens. All the royal parks and pleasure-grounds may be considered public gardens; because they are open at all times to all persons; as, indeed, whatever is supported by, and belongs to, the public ought to be. As in most European monarchies, a number of the royal residences are unoccupied, and never visited by the royal family, the enjoyment of walking in them at pleasure may be said to be all that the public receive in return for the immense expense of keeping them up. Fredensborg, Frederiksberg, Jagersprus, and Marienlust are all royal seats, which the royal family newer see. Travellers agree in praising, not only these gardens, but the general scenery in the neighbourhood of Copenhagen. Col. Alexander (Travels through Russia and the Crimea, 1829,) was much struck with the regularity of Copenhagen; with the spiral stair on the outside of the tower of St. Saviour's; with the substantial air of its public buildings and private dwellings, and, above all, with the beauty of its environs. Country seats, groves, and lakes, he says, are to be seen every where from the ramparts; and in the summer, the island of Zealand looks like a highly cultivated garden. The palaces of private individuals in the city and neighbourhood are worthy of being royal residences.
