262 Of the Checks to Population Bk. ii. 



enough to support a wife and family; and even 

 then it was further necessary for him to obtain 

 the permission of the officer. The difficulty, and 

 sometimes the expense, of obtaining this certifi- 

 cate and permission, generally deterred those who 

 were not in very good circumstances, from think- 

 ing of marriage till their service of ten years was 

 expired; and as they might be enrolled at any 

 age under thirty-six, and the officers were apt to 

 take the oldest first, it would often be late in life 

 before they could feel themselves at liberty to 

 settle. 



Though the minister of the parish had no legal 

 power to prevent a man from marrying who was 

 not enrolled for service, yet it appears that 

 custom had in some degree sanctioned a discre- 

 tionary power of this kind, and the priest often 

 refused to join a couple together when the par- 

 ties had no probable means of supporting a 

 family. 



Every obstacle, however, of this nature, whe- 

 ther arising from law or custom, has now been 

 entirely removed. A full liberty is given to 

 marry at any age, without leave either of the 

 officer or priest; and in the enrolments for the 

 army all those of the age of twenty are taken first, 

 then all those of twenty-two, and so on till the 

 necessary number is completed. 



The officers in general disapprove of this change. 

 They say that a young Norwegian has not arrived 

 at his full strength and does not make a good 

 soldier at twenty. And many are of opinion that 



