that of Kengis, is under the fuperintendence of the minifter of
Upper Tornea. The pariih of Muonionifca is about two hundred
fquare miles in extent, and the parfon is to all appearance a pea-
fant, like any of his flock ; having nothing vifible about him that
refers to his clerical dignity, except a pair of black breeches. This
poor man had the misfortune of being ruined by a fire, which con-
fumed all his houfehold furniture with his library, from which he
could not even fave his bible. This lofs however was not what he
feemed to have felt moft feverely, as he obferved, that after this
difafter, he found himfelf Cafed o f the burden of reading Latin,
a language in which he fometimes attempted to converfe with us,
but which, in his mouth, formed fuch a jargon as made us laugh,
though it did not promote the interchange of ideas. The honeft
parfon was of great ufe to us during our flay at Muonionifca; he
attended us everywhere, was ready to explain on all occaiions
where we found difficulties ; and as he was well acquainted with
the Finlandifh and Swedifh languages, was able to give us the
etymology of many words that we met with and wifhed to under-
ftand. He was the moft clownifh parfon I ever faw in my various
travels ; and I believe that calamity and extreme diftrefs had
contributed more than any thing to reduce him, in point of per-
fonal confequence, to a level with the meaneft of his parifhioners.
This man, however, poflefled a large ihare of ftrong natural fenfe;
he reafoned with much juftnefs and fagacity on the fubject of
politics; and as he was a poor and humble being himfelf, he
violently declaimed againft the manner in which the ariftocracy
and
and high clergy abufed their riches. As a politician he was a determined
enemy to every thing defpotic ; he had infinite refpecl
for Bonaparte, and one would have thought he entertained fome
idea that the conqueror of Italy might one day come to Muonionifca,'
and make him fuperintendent minifter of Lapland. He
was particularly hoftile to Ruftia and its government, which he
laid debafed the people, and kept them, from policy, in a ftate
of brutifh ignorance. Sometimes he would difcourfe on the abufes
of birth and hereditary fucceffion, in a manner which I was afto-
nifhed to hear from a man, who had nothing in the world but a
fhirt, a pair of breeches, and the fhoes on his feet. I imagined
that fome modern book on thofe fubjedts had fallen into his
hands'; but when he gave me an account of the works that com-
pofed his library, I found it had confifted of nothing but trails of
divinity, and books on theological controverfy. W h a t aftonifhed
me moft was, that this fort of reading had not bereft him of the
good fenfe nature had given h im ; but he affined me he had
fludied thofe volumes as little as poffible. He was the better pleafed
to fee travellers, becaufe they never could be any inconvenience to
him, fince being very ill lodged himfelf, it could not be expedled
he ihould find them accommodation ; and befides, by their arrival
he was lure of fome glafles of brandy, with which we ufed to regale
him as often as he came to fee us. He declared our brandy
was delicious ; and with each glafs he fwallowed, pronounced its
eulogium in a manner equally energetic and fincere. In this country,
far removed from the infedlion of our corrupt manners, flat-
V ol. II. D tery