30 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



marigolds, heralded forth by the cuckoo, as they say in 

 Sweden, are flowering right out into the water beyond 

 rushy peninsulas ; and the ancient church of AringsSs 

 is seen, with its curious detached belfry mounted on a 

 wooden scaffolding, or, rather, a peculiar arrangement 

 of wooden columns. Fergusson who, however, is too 

 hard upon Swedish architecture generally says, ' The 

 most pleasing objects in Sweden are the count r}^ 

 churches with their tall wooden spires and detached 

 belfries. If these do not possess much architectural 

 beauty, they, at all events, are real purpose-like erec- 

 tions, expressing what they are intended for in the 

 simplest manner, and with their accompaniments 

 always making up a pleasing group.' Swedish archi- 

 tecture is mostly very simple, but fully expressive of 

 its intention. There is no opulence or splendour in 

 Sweden, not even in nature; the beauty there takes 

 other characteristics fair flowers, blithe birds and 

 insects, and fair women. God manifests Himself in 

 different ways in different countries, through other 

 darkened glasses. In Sweden its air, its snow, its 

 social life, its moralities all are pure; therein lies its 

 charm. It is plain, but with the purity of snow. 

 Nature and science go hand in hand in Scandinavia ; 

 art is left out of daily life altogether. Their school of 

 painting is only nature transcribed, or set on canvas, 

 with affectionate feeling but no ideal grace. There are 

 some interesting runic stones at AringsSs. 



Here Nils Linnaeus stopped to dine at the house of 



