254 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



who have put away the inftruments and broke themfelves of this 

 wicked cuftom, Hill retain that revengeful fpirit, and that info- 

 lence and pride which were the promoters of it. However, they 

 make ufe of a lefs pernicious inftrument, and employ the lawyer's 

 pen inftead of the knife. They are very obitinate, and will per- 

 fift in their animofities to the laft; and if a poor man has it not 

 in his power to purfue his fuit, his neighbours will often make a 

 collection to enable him to do it. This fpirit -of ftrife and con- 

 tention our Norwegians feem to have tranfplanted with their arms 

 and colonies 5 for it is vifible at this day in the French province 

 of Normandy, which was peopled by the Norwegians, and derives 

 its name from them. The inhabitants of Normandy, are rec- 

 koned very litigious and full of chicane, and find employment 

 for an incredible number of lawyers that abound in that province, 

 according to the teftimony of one of their own countrymen, 

 whofe words are as follows. See Buddaeus's general hiftorical lex- 

 icon, ad vocem Normandie. " The inhabitants in general are 

 wife and fagacious, but paflionate. The common people in par- 

 ticular are apt to quarrel, and love to go to law, and the no- 

 bility are commended for their valour." 



Crantzius defcribes the Norwegians in general to be obfiinate, 

 and not eafily moved from their refolutions, which I muft allow. 

 His words are, " Populus qui in rupibus fuis induruit non facile 

 mobilis ab eo, quod femel apprehenderat. Ante Chriftum agni- 

 tum, nulla gens pertinacior errorum, poft fufceptam fidem Chrifti, 

 nulla immobilior : ferunt aliquando terra fua qualibet de caufa 

 peregrinatos, cum primum redierint terramque tetigerint, pronos 

 cadere in terram, & facto figno crucis, earn in terris ofculari. O ! 

 inquiunt, terra chriftiana ante omnes. Adeo generis fui cultum 

 attollunt, cseterorum contemnunt." Albert. Crantzius in Norveg. 

 lib. vi. cap. ii. p. 754. 

 Ambition. The Norwegian peafant is infpired with a commendable am- 



bition, which makes him ftrive to live independent of others, 

 and without being in any body's debt ; and if his freehold be 

 incumbered, he ufes his utmoft efforts to clear and redeem it 

 out of the hands of a ftranger. 



There are many peafants who are not a little proud of being 

 thought to be defcended from the ancient nobility, and even the 

 royal family. This ridiculous vanity, often prevents them from 



mar- 



