64 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



off a numerous army. Whether mountains be univerfally a natural 

 girdle or band for ilrengthening the conipages of the globe, as fome 

 conceive, I leave abfolutely undetermined, it being immaterial to 

 my purpofe to adopt fuch conceits for my own *. 



Laflly, thefe natural fortifications feem alfo to be an ornament 

 and decoration to the country ; the diverfified figures, and alter- 

 nate eminences, and other varieties, according to the tafte of 

 moil people, form a much more agreeable landfcape than a flat 

 and even country, which is almoft every where the fame. In this 

 landscapes. re *P e & our country affords the moil delightful contrails in the 

 diveriity of its profpecls. And thefe moil magnificent flrudtures 

 of the great architect of nature, raife and animate the mind of 

 man, by infpiring him with the moil agreeable and the moil fub- 

 lime fentiments. Towards the extremities of the fea-coail, thofe 

 who fail along the bare rocks and towering mountains of Nor- 

 way, will be apt to conclude, that the country can afford nothing 

 but wretched cottages, and extreme penury; but this opinion foon 

 vaniihes upon their coming into the creeks, and obferving that here 

 according to the German proverb, there are people behind the 

 mountains^ and that in the vallies and narrow interfaces they live 

 very agreeably, amidil fuch delightful landfcapes, that within a few 

 miles, a painter might have choice of incomparable originals. It 

 is certain that nature has been more profufely favourable to the 

 fituation of fome farm-houfes, than to moil royal palaces in other 

 countries, tho' ailiiled with all the embelliihments of groves, ter- 

 rains, cafcades, canals, and the like. Some trading places, as 

 Bragnefs and others, are charmingly fituated betwixt the moun- 

 tains at the mouth of the rivers. A predeceffor of mine is faid to 

 have given the name of the northern Italy to the diilrict of Waas, 

 which lies fome leagues eailward of Bergen ; and certainly to one 

 who deiires no more than a regular affemblage of the beauties of 

 nature (tho' of mere nature) there cannot be a more enchanting 

 profped ; for all the buildings in it are Wang-church, the par- 

 fonage, and a few farm-houfes fcattered on different eminences. 

 But the beauty of the profpecl is much heightened by two uni- 



* Quod offa in microfcofmo, hoc in geocofmo montium ftructura facit, qui totam 

 terreni globi molem ita ftringunt, ut diflblui minime poffit atque hoc modo per- 

 fectam confiftentiam confequatur. Athanaf. Kircherus in Mundo" Subterraneo, 

 P. i. pag. 6y. 



form 



