MT. 22.] AND SCANDINAVIA. 2I/ 



roughly built on an eminence, and bitter cold, but 

 only used twice a -year now and in the hunting 

 season. We here met with every civility, kindness, 

 and hospitality that can be imagined, and so much of 

 the style of living and manners of the natives. The 

 party was quite on the frolic and " vive la bagatelle." 

 The most unbounded liberty was allowed the young 

 people constantly mingling in all sorts of innocent 

 freedoms ; indeed the quantity of kissing grew quite 

 tiresome, every game ending in a kissing-match. The 

 party consisted of twenty-nine, without us two ; and 

 was afterwards increased to thirty-one, but afterwards 

 amounted to thirty-five in all. The host and hostess 

 (obervert and obervertina) never seemed at all different 

 from the rest of the company, except that their healths 

 were drunk at dinner. A couple was appointed to 

 the office of host and hostess for each night, the 

 order being arranged at first, and each couple with 

 a few others performed a small dramatic piece con- 

 trived or imitated by themselves. The theatre is the 

 end of the sitting-room, loosely and roughly fitted 

 up, as nothing but paper is allowed to be brought 

 from town. The parts are studied, but the words 

 are left to the occasion, except in one instance where 

 there was a French drama from the " Taming of the 

 Shrew " by De la Toenaye, a French traveller, one of 

 the company. At the end of the play, the couple 

 invite the company to spend the next day with 

 them ; and accordingly, during the whole of it they 

 act as host and hostess, sitting at the head of the 



