fumed in the country itfelf, and partly exported to the Baltic and
the Mediterranean.
W hen a perfon is invited to dinner at Gothenburg, it is under-
ftood that he is to pafs with his hoft the whole o f the evening, and
to conclude a pretty conftant fcene o f eating and drinking by a plentiful
fupper. This is a practice common throughout all Sweden,
Stockholm not excepted: but at the fame time it is to be ob-
ferved, that it does not now prevail in the houfes o f the firft order,
but is limited to thofe o f the fecond and inferior ranks. I am
told that the cafe is very much the fame in the principal towns
in England and Scotland, including the city and mercantile part
of London. It is the cuftom in Sweden, as in other proteftant
countries where religious zeal is rather fervent, for every one at
table to fay a fhort prayer to himfelf, both before and after the
meal. When dinner is over, the guefts return thanks to the
mailer o f the houfe for his good cheer; and he, on the other hand,
allures his vifitors that they are heartily welcome. A ll this is
done with fo ferious and folemn an air, that a flranger, i f he did
not recoiled; himfelf, might be tempted to laugh at this extraordinary
ceremony. This manner, however, o f returning thanks
on the part-of the guefts, and the aflurance o f their being welcome
on that o f the mailer o f the houfe, formerly appears to have
been common throughout Great Britain, for traces o f it itill remain
in the provinces among the lower clafles o f the people ;
whofe faihions, cuitoms, and modes o f life, as well as opinions,
have
have all o f them, at fome period or other, been thofe alfo o f the
higher orders o f fociety. A t great and formal dinners in Sweden,
it is ufual to drink healths out o f large filver cups filled with
rheniih or champaign. T he cup goes round, and every one tailes
o f it, fimilar to the old cuilom o f pledging,* ilill praftifed at
ibme Engliih corporation-feafts. There are certain rules to be
obferved, with which the gueils are previouily made acquainted.
I f thefe be not duly attended to, the delinquent, by way o f pu-
niihment, is obliged to drink o ff a whole cup.
It has been very generally remarked, and I believe ju llly , that
the apothecaries o f Gothenburg are not fo ignorant as the fame
clafs o f men in Paris, Amflerdam, and many other great cities.
Men’s prelumption and difregard to confequences being always
in proportion to the narrownefs o f their education and under-
ftanding; we may ju flly fear that dreadful havoc is made, by thefe
triers o f experiments, among the blind and credulous multitude.
A t Gothenburg the apothecaries have the advantage o f a liberal
education; ib that i f the inhabitants have the fame propenfity as
thofe o f other places, to fly to thefe underlings of the medical art
rather than to a phyfician, they may indulge it at leaft with leis
danger.
# This euftom is obvioufly derived from the fecurity found neceiiarv to be
given in Gothic ages, th a t an individual ihould not be ftabbed while he was
taking his draught.
V ol. i D CH A P T E R