Page:History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North.djvu/211

Rh emancipation of woman found in him a warm advocate, and in his writings he frequently touches on this subject. His humorous poem "Zille Hausdatters Forsvar for Kvindekjörnnet" deals exclusively with this subject. In his poem "Metamorphoses eellereller [sic] Forvandlinger" he gives a kind of parallel to, or rather a parody on Ovid's well known composition, but the work is of rather inferior literary value.

When the theatre on the accession of Frederik V was reopened in 1747, Holberg was again requested to write for it, and he accordingly furnished several new plays, such as "Plutus," "Abracadabra," "Republiken," etc., but his creative energy was now on the wane and these plays can in no wise be compared with his earlier comedies.

By his vast literary activity Holberg had gradually accumulated a considerable fortune, which was all the more easy for him as he continued to live single and with so great economy that he has been accused of avarice. But in this respect he has been misjudged, for he subjected himself to every manner of privations from a most generous motive, desiring to accumulate a large capital for the erection of an institution of great importance to his country. He first thought of founding a learned society for the advancement of the Danish language, but finding that several such institutions were being established without his help, he abandoned this idea. He finally resolved to bequeath all his wealth to the Sorö academy. The latter had been built by Christian IV for the purpose of counteracting the custom among the nobles of sending their sons abroad to be educated. But after a short existence the academy had been closed in 1665. After the receipt of Holberg's bequest it was reopened and soon gained a great reputation. Throughout the entire latter half of the eighteenth century many of Denmark's most distinguished scholars found at this place their sphere of activity.

Holberg, who in 1747 had been made a noble, died January 29, 1754, and was buried in the Sorö church. His influence on the literature and on the whole intellectual life 13