, n A T - U R A L H \ S T O R Y- of W-0 R W A Y .
who have put awh^' theAnfomnents and-broke- fhemfielves-’b f thR
wicked cuftom,- - full retain that revengeful-fpkitf: and':'that .infb-
lence and pride which were the promoters o f -it P 'However • |they
make life o f a lefs pernicious infbumeritf.and employ the' lawyer’s
pen inftead of the knife. They-are very obftinate, • and will per-
fift in -their animofities A© -the la ir;5 Jand- -if a-1poor- man-has it not
in Iris power to purfue his fuit, hie neiglyrours wiH| often make a
collection to enable him to do it. This fpirit o f ..ftrife and contention
our Norwegians; feem to- have tranfpl anted with their arms
and colonies ; for it isvifible at. this day in the French province
o f Norniahdyj which was peopled by the Norwegians, and derives
its name from them.'" The inhabitants o f Normandy, ire reckoned
‘ very litigious-•• and full o f chicane, and find employment
for an incredible number'oflawyers that abbuhd in .that province,
according to the •teftimony o f one o f their own countrymen,
whofe words- areas follows.' " See Buddsus^genefali hiflorical lexicon,"
ad: vocem Normandie.. T he inhabitants; in general arc
wife and fiigacious; but paffionate; The common people in par-1
Ocular are apt to quarrel, arid1 love to go to. law, arid- th e' nobility
are commended for their valour.”
1 Crantzius deferibes the Norwegians in general to be obftinate;
and not eafily moved from their refolutions, which I muff allow.
His words are, ™ Populus qui in rupibus Luis' induruif non-facile1
rnobilis' ab eo, -quod feme! apprchcndcrat. Ante Chriftum agni-
- turn, nulla gens pertinador errorum,' pofc fufeeptam fidem Chrifli,-
i-niHa munobilior : ferunt aliquando terra - fua qualibet dc caufa'
peregrinatos, cum primum redierint terramque tetigcririt, pronbs
cadere in terram, & fax?co figno crucis, Cam in terris ofculari. O !
ihqriiunt, terra chriPdana; ante' omiies. Adeo' generis fui cultum
attollunt, caeterbrum Contemnunt.” Albert. Crantzius in Norvegj.
lib. vi. cap. ii. p. 754.
■ The Norwegian peafant is inipired with a commendable anm
bition, which hakes him ftrive to. live independent o f others,,
and without;;■ ■ fiei'ng in any body’s debt 5 and .if his freehold be
incumbered', he ufes his utmoff efforts to clear and- redeem it
out o f the hands o f’ h ftranger. '
There are many peaianfs who are not a little proud o f being
thought to. be.-defeended from. the-, ancient nobility,- and even the
royal family. -This ridiculous vanity/often prevents them from
n a t u r a l H i h f o R V b f ' i ï ù k & À Ÿ . 255
marrying their children Veiy àdvantageoufly, by handing Upon
thdifblbcfd afld biftHllpknd i f a thing oheè appears 'in tlieAÿés
' ô f’ â Nbrwégiànf ëitlief nônodrâl^è'^ffliniéfiiî,' M'dbes, notdhe-
fîtafe 'à iftbrfieht _Which tà chôofèî "Fôr 'they are fond o f being
feipddedxand ho ftöö éï'tb tee'hi^hdfl:'’aegrèH,r'ah<ïiöïe,gfë|tc^ili^
^MÈöicèr,^^ • fv^ h '',;ihey’ ffibwi td bthefs,*
R hot without a >ibw of Bèihg -pMdhgàin ifdtM farifë cfiïhhTheh
ambition :iWàk';knbWrr tovSRF kingrtfîagéti, :Whir*xÆb6fdifig'' fd
MitheW PàriS, %apn§nfch pfeflêd the’ king p f Ffa*hçé, ' tó le'f
his trôdps (which were deïtined for the holy- war) join the' French
army ; but he rejected it, faying, that each o f thé Pvo^GoEkPfa^
toolproudTC'lvc-ih1’narmoiw together// Thc'iaid^wfiter'wæ the
legate^ that ;b t^ ghr;;thedetter.ip jhp king, a.nd^ccpfdjng tto his
OWn- àëêoüùtt had this- âfehvër from Ms Norvegiah- majeffy. -
‘ Gratis refero Cbpio fas- piiffimo Dora. Régi - Frânèoruml ' qui
meüöl defideifSÉ in përëgtkisttiörite fixdd-ifiyfn, fèd hövi- in partd
natiiram Ffânéotümi ét fietft diéit podtar ,egó- died. -
Omnifqué pofèftas- impatient bënförds- ërö?,
Ommfqöe' feperbus impaüëhs’ éöhfoftis 'erit'. ■
Gens- meà-impetuofa eft e f indifcreta,- impàHëdl^e otomum'’ in-
jöfftftiih; mofeftóp^ Si ' eif|p fetfer taifes-et fifpérbo^mëôferïél^'
orîrett% ttfiftfùc: HôâSrffiÈS- -.daKiköÉÊfiSf;
M p p ia g P P .1 -'Tërfeiîm. R p WÊ ^
■ Froïfl fhé'.fanae fourëè f lin g s the 'Nofvègiàri’s- déliré to diffiti-
guifiii himfêlf in hâs ffâtion by fine cloaths,- èlëgaiît houles, &C.
This is very con-fpicuom iô-moM o f the' trading towns’, where
commerce gives them ■ ah; opportunity' o f Cóhvérfiag wi-th; foreigners,
efpecially1 the EngMi, whom they chiefly endeavour to -imitate;
but for want o f abilities to equal that nation in fplendor,
iftkghiftcèM entertainments, furniture, and equipages, a great
many min- themfelves *. ■
But though the Norwegians endeavour to follow, the Engjifh
in theffe'particulars, and in- being, eoneeited, and. having a great
opinion of their.own country and nktion, ftill they are very unlike
them with regard to ffiendlhip and ' hoipitality. For I do1 not' |
think, that, there is any country in' the world where the people
afè fö hofpitable, liberal^ aind- willing to. ferve aiid oblige flrangers „ .
mtsm B ÊÿwÊÈSÊÈÊ I PIS H P : . •; ; * c r , . .GenerOlity.
I * Our Bergen- merchants who are moft o f therS defeended from the fr'uô;àl-Dütéh' '‘
oü Germans, continue ftill in that plain way like good fdber tfàdefmen. i,
as