So far from thinking that the primitive inhabitants of the world lived in a southern climate where Paradise spontaneously arose,I am led to infer,from various circumstances,that the first dwelling of man happened to be a spot like this which led him to adore a sun so seldom seen;for this worship,which probably preceded that of demons or demigods,certainly never began in a southern climate,where the continual presence of the sun prevented its being considered as a good;or rather the want of it never being felt,this glorious luminary would carelessly have diffused its blessings without being hailed as a benefactor.Man must therefore have been placed in the north,to tempt him to run after the sun,in order that the different parts of the earth might be peopled.Nor do Iwonder that hordes of barbarians always poured out of these regions to seek for milder climes,when nothing like cultivation attached them to the soil,especially when we take into the view that the adventuring spirit,common to man,is naturally stronger and more general during the infancy of society.The conduct of the followers of Mahomet,and the crusaders,will sufficiently corroborate my assertion.
Approaching nearer to Stromstad,the appearance of the town proved to be quite in character with the country we had just passed through.I hesitated to use the word country,yet could not find another;still it would sound absurd to talk of fields of rocks.
The town was built on and under them.Three or four weather-beaten trees were shrinking from the wind,and the grass grew so sparingly that I could not avoid thinking Dr.Johnson's hyperbolical assertion "that the man merited well of his country who made a few blades of grass grow where they never grew before,"might here have been uttered with strict propriety.The steeple likewise towered aloft,for what is a church,even amongst the Lutherans,without a steeple?
But to prevent mischief in such an exposed situation,it is wisely placed on a rock at some distance not to endanger the roof of the church.
Rambling about,I saw the door open,and entered,when to my great surprise I found the clergyman reading prayers,with only the clerk attending.I instantly thought of Swift's "Dearly beloved Roger,"but on inquiry I learnt that some one had died that morning,and in Sweden it is customary to pray for the dead.
The sun,who I suspected never dared to shine,began now to convince me that he came forth only to torment;for though the wind was still cutting,the rocks became intolerably warm under my feet,whilst the herring effluvia,which I before found so very offensive,once more assailed me.I hastened back to the house of a merchant,the little sovereign of the place,because he was by far the richest,though not the mayor.
Here we were most hospitably received,and introduced to a very fine and numerous family.I have before mentioned to you the lilies of the north,I might have added,water lilies,for the complexion of many,even of the young women,seem to be bleached on the bosom of snow.But in this youthful circle the roses bloomed with all their wonted freshness,and I wondered from whence the fire was stolen which sparkled in their fine blue eyes.
Here we slept;and I rose early in the morning to prepare for my little voyage to Norway.I had determined to go by water,and was to leave my companions behind;but not getting a boat immediately,and the wind being high and unfavourable,I was told that it was not safe to go to sea during such boisterous weather;I was,therefore,obliged to wait for the morrow,and had the present day on my hands,which I feared would be irksome,because the family,who possessed about a dozen French words amongst them and not an English phrase,were anxious to amuse me,and would not let me remain alone in my room.The town we had already walked round and round,and if we advanced farther on the coast,it was still to view the same unvaried immensity of water surrounded by barrenness.
The gentlemen,wishing to peep into Norway,proposed going to Fredericshall,the first town--the distance was only three Swedish miles.There and back again was but a day's journey,and would not,I thought,interfere with my voyage.I agreed,and invited the eldest and prettiest of the girls to accompany us.I invited her because I like to see a beautiful face animated by pleasure,and to have an opportunity of regarding the country,whilst the gentlemen were amusing themselves with her.
I did not know,for I had not thought of it,that we were to scale some of the most mountainous cliffs of Sweden in our way to the ferry which separates the two countries.
Entering amongst the cliffs,we were sheltered from the wind,warm sunbeams began to play,streams to flow,and groves of pines diversified the rocks.Sometimes they became suddenly bare and sublime.Once,in particular,after mounting the most terrific precipice,we had to pass through a tremendous defile,where the closing chasm seemed to threaten us with instant destruction,when,turning quickly,verdant meadows and a beautiful lake relieved and charmed my eyes.
I had never travelled through Switzerland,but one of my companions assured me that I should not there find anything superior,if equal,to the wild grandeur of these views.
As we had not taken this excursion into our plan,the horses had not been previously ordered,which obliged us to wait two hours at the first post.The day was wearing away.The road was so bad that walking up the precipices consumed the time insensibly;but as we desired horses at each post ready at a certain hour,we reckoned on returning more speedily.
We stopped to dine at a tolerable farm;they brought us out ham,butter,cheese,and milk,and the charge was so moderate that Iscattered a little money amongst the children who were peeping at us,in order to pay them for their trouble.
