22 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



tions, and acts with greater energy. In our northern gardens, it 

 is indeed feldom that the winter fruits can attain to their proper 

 maturity; but thofe of the fummer keep pace with thofe of Den- 

 mark, where ftrawberries, cherries, and the like, are ripe fo early 

 as the firft of July. Counfellor Carbiner has more than once had 

 ripe figs, in his garden at Bergen ; and in Chriftiana, M. Wilfter, 

 an apothecary, has feveral years brought grapes to a degree very 

 little fhort of perfect maturity. 



SECT. X. 



Faife notions From thefe inftances, I prefume, foreigners will have the can- 

 concerning dor to admit, that however natural and lafting the cold may be 

 Norway. in Norway, yet the impartial Sovereign of nature has not fo 

 far neglected us, but that we may pafs our days agreeably'; eipe- 

 cially, if it be confidered, that what the climate of Norway de- 

 nies, it abundantly compenfates in other advantages ; of which I 

 mall hereafter have occafion to adduce feveral proofs, partly in 

 praife of the Creator, and partly for the information of foreigners, 

 and the confutation of that very falfe idea, which, even in my 

 own country, men entertain of the rigorous and unpleafant cli- 

 mate of Norway ; which is feldom mentioned but with a com- 

 miferation, of which it is not a preffing object. But no conceit is 

 more abfurd than that of Simon Patrick, a native of England, and 

 in other refpects a writer of great learning and worth ; who repre- 

 fents a Norwegian as one who had never feen a rofe (which is a very 

 common flower in Norway) and was afraid to touch it, imagin- 

 ing it to be fire *. Who would have thought, that an European 

 could be fuch a ftranger to Norway, and an Englifhman too, who 

 ought to know it better from the equality of its fituation with the 

 North of Scotland, this being nearly in the fame degree of lati- 

 tude with the bifhopric of Bergen ; not to mention the frequent 



* This paflage occurs in a piece of his, in which he inftructs and cautions a friend 

 againft lukewarmnefs and apoftafy from the Chriftian religion. His words are to 

 the following import : " The poor Norwegian, as hiftory informs us ( I aft what 

 hiftory ?) was afraid at the firft fight of a rofe to touch it, being apprehenfive of 

 burning his fingers •, he was aftonifhed that trees, as he imagined, fhould produce 

 flames and fiery flowers -, he moved his hand towards it to warm himfelf, but could 

 not be prevailed with to touch it •, but as he was over-joyed to be delivered from fuch 

 a grofs miflake, being afterwards brought not only to touch but to fmell this inno- 

 cent flower, which at firft appeared to him to be a fire, fo it will be with us, &c." 

 And juft fo would it have been with the worthy author, had it been his fate to have 

 come to Norway, and there to have feen the roles growing every where. 



voyages 



