ODENSEE, the capital of the isle of Funen, a place of such high antiquity, that some Danish writers derive its foundation and name from Odin the god and hero of the Gothic nations. "Its name certainly occurs (says Mr Coxe) in the earliest ages of the Danish history; and it was a town of great note long before Copenhagen existed. Odensee stands upon a small river, not navigable, and about two miles from the bay of Stegestrand. Many of the houses are ancient, bearing dates about the middle of the 16th century; but part is newly built: it contains about 5200 inhabitants, who carry on some commerce, exporting chiefly grain and leather; the latter is much esteemed, and its goodness is supposed to arise from a certain property in the river water, in which it is soaked for tanning. The Danish cavalry are supplied from thence with the greatest part of their leathern accoutrements.

"Odensee is the seat of a bishop, which was founded by Harold Blaatand in 980, and is the richest in Denmark next to Copenhagen. It has a school, endowed by the celebrated Margaret of Valdemar, in which a certain number of scholars, from fix to 16 years of age, are instructed gratis: they live and board in the town, and each receives a yearly pension; other scholarships have been also founded by private persons. The whole number amounted to 70. There is also a gymnasium, instituted by Christian IV. for the admission of students at the age of 16. The seminary was still further improved by the liberality of Holberg the Danish historian, who protected letters with the same zeal with which he cultivated them. It is now greatly fallen from its former flourishing state, containing, when I passed through the town, only eight students. The cathedral is a large old brick building, which has nothing remarkable except some costly monuments of a private Danish family. The church, which formerly belonged to the convent of Recolets, contains the sepulchre of John king of Denmark, and of his son Christian II." E. Long 10. 27. N. Lat. 55. 28.