n M fr#; their«knowledge,Jafed^ r^uif© ofify; natural
parts to comprehend, -d&fc 'fhiitt • &aj then* qjfccOTdedi With judiei-
-ouJ tod pertinent anfwers. i Their queftioas' are generally clear
• and; rational, and their answers dilcover -great -penetratioiVVand
■ hbiW^ed^ Superiorto many who have had an- the . advantages of
?edpqation.; 3 «***$ ^ ' ■ ' - ; J - ■ - g * «-
m K f f f j v i i . J
10 Ancpher/good ^quality ofali£*vable in d ie Norwegians is civiljty,
and a ;courteous.; behaviour, beingtivery obHging and willing to
fcrve others:. In this they do not fall ftiort o f ' the jpolitends o f
th e ;h ten eh ,:fa r they referpble them more than any other nation;
• th e . return they haws for itf from, the hhd ife em ing is much the
cfanfe gs rthe ffenCH meett withi - . Jfor ft i&igiakerallyi thought ^iat
-where .there is. f ir much c cm p la^ n c e ; " th^r.isi&t|e;iin(^iilyS;
. and many foreigners dnuht whether i:tbe: Norwegians civil words,
docks/und proteftatipns, are fincere. :L^Tis-iruei: the laft are often
-as: lft^vtcrbe-dependeduponfhete as in other:countriesjeafid the
.greateft profefiionsof- frkndlMpVfometimfes require the greateft
•.caution! But flail it is found to lie true in general,', that the Non-
-wegianscivil and obliging deportment, ought not tcs‘make" thehr
fincerity and hefteftyTuIpi^'edp Their: ' behaviour is not' iftffedted,
,but quite natural to them, and may: he looked upon as the par-
rdeular genius. of the nation. The; Norwegian; ‘peafimt, in poult
-of politenefs, exceeds the. Danifti Burgher j' arid the Norwegian.
iBiirgher/efpedally ofche mercantile clafs*:iiL this refpe£t, equals
-at leaft: the:Danifh Nobility:;; As for fidelity and honefty, I think,
.1 liave, not found them lels pra&ifed hjgre than ip other countries;
but this I muft fay, that where- fuch a good principle is dffcb-
> - v^ ed , it requires in the perlon who poflefles it, a d bu b le caup oh
•to guard againft the fubtle fchemes o f the crafty and defigning.§
- But in general the Norwegians are. a faithful honeft people *,
■ and their fidelity to ’ their fovereign fhewed itfe lf remarkably towards
the- king, o f whole throne they have been found to be the
main lupdrt.
* And even MolelwortJt SMTO? Help praifing the Norwegians, ijj this and other
refpe&s, in thefe Words : ■ .Ufe inhabitants are a hardy,. laborious,', and: honelt fort
of people.’.’ Account. Of-Denmark, c.,iii. 3. p. 28. ■ It ip a. double commendation to
be commendednby a man that qgl.y excels .in Icandal.
i $ | ■ S | | ... . E xpe-
N A T \M ) A X H I S ’T/Q R Y of. M OR W A T. 2£I
- i^xpèieepeeju^hi:ehds ^he ^bdftiiqi&raSt®:pvhasfièmarkafoly Iprèad
the fame of; theft; coridu£t; iBgrwar,. and: initeftibeebroils, which
haye put, their duty a&d fidelife jto_t|ie But,a§; clear asphis
paipt is, .it ffilh wQuld^ g much niore*eonfpicuous, Jfi,tlje;aeqohnt
of al} theft jgnd thenieröpry
of tften gmat^icns, prej<^ye,c£r, As „a; further proof pf .their valoju^
ajipf fidelity to thep kmg. am eountiy4. I wijf ,sp|y- add ,ah inftanee
pr ifwo that happeped in. the 4aft wap, rthough wd.hko°WQ* .„, I
ihean ,tnq.zeal.of cit^en^-that fet fire ,,|0;,thqir tpwP houfes
to diüödge the enfemy ; and of the peafepts. whp dilperied them^
their lire-arms,.' to-ciit
olf thetr retreat, apd^rd pot Juffer .them to pafs without being
mmarka&iwea^ried;.. Byl* omitting feyeraj .qf^rlp^tioulaT?- valour.
1 fhall only hri^fly, relate what the late commander in chief, iieu7
tenapt^geper^f Von y^tzjoy told m^ pst<anr init^nee of the fidelity
of .the Norwegian?.,.,. ,In, the .ypar ^iyip!, .when the. Swedifil army,
' wjiilft.pnaof the .goyefnórs.of a/fbrti* '
fipaqouvoa tjig jfrdntfers,. .was,, lyipg.near a. navigableriidK^^W^
Ifis. cprps,. which wa^ greatly weakened, .waiting for frclh tranf»
ports from Denmark,., there" came ra number of ^ grey-headed far-,
mers to him, and offlred,chemfelves, With all their’ accoutremantSj
as volunteer^ ror has-ffejefty’s-lervice;' Such 2eal and wiilmghels
gave^him the greateft hopes of.' a liiccefsful attack. | There tame
pge,,d?17v:B?sWicdlaj;ly> a- body, of0*^o®*» fuch1 volunteers, ftóm
Tellemarken,. who were.yigorpus,- and; in good, lpirits, with fire-?
arms^apd t;tóe.yyeek.s prQvifio.n„in their knkpfaths, and accpfted
him. thus: - c< Good day,, father, r,we’ hear yqu have got ftrange
unwejcqme guefts that yqu-want tp get rid of j: if. you .have „
a. ymnd tg ri^ke ufe' qf ->us,, .rooly tell ua.what'we muft do,; and
you mail rS& lhat wè are men.” It was thefe peafants who were
commanded by captain Goucherön iïi the adibh of Krog-Wood,
wh^gi the Swedes endeavoured to.] force a.pafiage through, and
Wére fepulfed With the' lofs .of 200 fnen ; but the Nórwè^ans^
who were well polled, did not lófe aman. Mari^ inftances óf
the like are'confirmed by thè follbmng ihfcription, to be leen on
one of our Norwegian medals. »
Mod, troelkabj tpppefhéd, lorn ,giver jere,
Den heele verden kand blant norfke klipper lsere.
Courage,