252 NATURAL HISTORY of N RWAT. 



i. e. Courage, fidelity, valour, and every thing that is praife-wor- 

 thy, all the world may learn amongft. the Norwegian mountains. 



Valour, united with fidelity, has been, from the greater!: anti- 

 quity, the characteristic of the Norwegians. Sturlenen and Tor- 

 fsus- have almoff. filled the ancient chronicles with accounts of 

 the great exploits and heroic atchievements of the Norwegian 

 kings and nobility, and even of common men ; fometimes lay- 

 ing other countries under contributions, and fometimes nobly 

 defending themfelves, and preferring their liberty from ufurpation, 

 tyranny, and oppreilion *. 



In general, the inhabitants of the mountains have an advan- 

 tage in that refpecl: ; for it feems as if the hard and rugged rocks, 

 which they have continually before their eyes, infpired them with 

 a contempt of dangers and difficulties. The great number of 

 beafts of prey feen in thofe parts, oblige them to carry arms be- 

 times, which they know how to handle from their childhood. 

 They are inured to troublefome and fatiguing journeys, and or- 

 dinary coarfe diet ferves them as well as the ftioft delicate food. 

 The condenfed cold air towards the pole, braces up the fibres, 

 clofes the pores, and keeps in the internal heat. Hence they are, 



" Et gens dura pati, & fortiflima flernere do&a." 



The ikill of the Norwegians in maritime affairs is well known ; 

 they chiefly excel at fea, to which they have moftly applied 

 themfelves, and where they have acquired the greatefr glory. 

 Even in thefe later times, we have had great heroes at fea ; and 

 Heinfon, Adder, and Fordenlkiold are defcended from thefe. 

 They have a genius for all warlike employments, and bodies 

 and confutation well adapted for the fame, and are not eafily 



* Ea regio robuftimmos educat viros, qui nulla frugum luxuria molliti fsepius im- 

 pugnant alios, quam impugnentur. A multis retro feculis, partim inopia adafti, par- 

 tim freti viribus quae facile faciunt mortales infolefcere, mare Britannicum diu tenuere 

 infeftum. Nonnunquam foli, ahquando Danis juncH, Britanniam & Gallias funt po- 

 pulati, nee quievere donee de fuo nomine Normandium in littore Galliarum confti- 

 tuerent. Albert Crantzius in prologo Norvegiae. Concerning the Danes and Nor- 

 wegians partaking of the honour of the great exploits of thofe people, which all the 

 old annals call Normannos, fee Thormod. Torf. Hill. Norv. p. i. 1. i. c . viii. & in 

 prasfat. where he fays, " Satis teftantur quanta jam inde a prima hominum memo- 

 ria, gentis Norvegicae potentia, quanta in ore omnium celebritas fuerit. IJt non diffi- 

 tear intcrdum Norvegis, five ut a quibufdam fcriptoribus dicunturNormannis, ea 

 adferibi, quae a vicinis Danis fuere prasclare gefla, quemadmodum, vice verfa, his a 

 nonnullis attribuuntur quae ab illis, extra patriam, edita gloriofa facinora in vulgus 

 innotuerunt." 



1 re- 



Good Tea- 

 men. 



