Chap. II. 
S E C T I O N IL 
A fuccinB and impartial Account of the Kingdom o/" Sweden, ’with refpeSi to its Cli- 
mate, Soil and Produce ; as alfo of the temper, Genius, Cufioms, Policji, Form of 
Government^ Force^ and Trade of its Inhabitants* 
Colleded from the Writings of an EngUJh Minifter rehding therCd 
I. A Jhort but necejjary Introdiiclion to the fubfequent SeBion. 2. A clear and comprehenjive View of^ the 
Kingdom of and Duchy of the Soil, Climate, Woods, Lake, Rivers, Produce, Birfi 
Beafs and Fifo found therein. 3. An Account of the Mines in Sweden, their V due. Methods of working 
them ; as alfo of the Weather and Seafons of the Tear in Sweden, 4. A more particular Account of the 
feveral Provinces and Cities of this Kingdom, efpecially that of Stockholm. 5. A difinSl arid copious 
Detail of the Courts of Jufice, Laws, and Domejlic Government, as adminiftered in the Time of 
Charles XL 6. The T imper. Genius, Manners, Cufioms and way of living of the People in that Country* 
y. A fuccinB View of the Ecclefiafiical State of Sweden ; the Archbijhoprics, Bijhoprics, Deaneries, 
Parochial Benefices, Number and Maintenance of the Clergy. 8. The Conjhtution, Government and 
Revenues of the Kingdom. 9. A curious and circumfiantial Relation of the Military Efiablijhment and 
Force of the Kingdom of Sweden, the only Country in which a large fianding Army is kept up, without 
any Danger to the Liberties of the People. 10. Of their Trade more particularly with England, its 
Advantages and Difadv ant ages, and fome particular Grievances tv which Merchants are fubjeB in that 
Country. 11. A few additional Obfervations and Remarks upon the foregoing SeBion, and on the Altera- 
tions which have fince happened in the Government of that Country, and the Condition of its Inhabitants, 
I. ^ I HE fhort Stay that Travellers make in Coun- 
tries through which they pafs, very feldom af- 
fords them an Opportunity of looking into the Temper, 
Genius and Cuftoms, much lefs into the Religion, Laws 
and Government of the People with whom they converfe *, 
which is the Reafon that in moft Books of Travels there 
are a kind of Blanks left for thefe important PalTages ; or 
if they are filled up, it is done at random, according to the 
good or bad ImprefTions of the Author, received from 
the particular Ufage he met with, or from hearfay : So 
that if either our Traveller has a bad Tafte, or has the 
ill Luck to keep indifferent Company ; we, who are his 
Readers, are fure to feel the Effefts of it, and to have all 
Things impofed upon us, under the fair and fpecious 
Pretence of a clear and candid Relation of the naked 
Truth. 
But to prevent the bad Effedls of this, and to provide 
againft both Evils ; that is to fay, the want of thofe In- 
formations, which a judicious Perufer would be moft 
defirous of finding ; and to fecure him from meeting 
with hafty or falfe Reprefentations in their Stead, we 
have thought it our Duty in refpedt of the northern 
Kingdoms , the Conftitutions of which are beft worth 
our Knowledge, and yet are very fuperficially treat- 
ed in moft Books of Travels, to have recourfe to Au- 
thors of known Veracity and Experience, who have had 
Leifure and Opportunity to confider the Subjecfls of 
which they wrote, and a fincere Intention to treat them 
as they ought to be treated. By this means the Defeds 
will be fupplied which occur in the fubfequent Travels 
and the Reader will be enabled to judge, with critical 
Exadnefs, of the Truth or Falfity of the Remarks and 
Obfervations thofe Writers make ; a farther Advantage, 
becaufe thefe Countries lie at too great a Diftance to be 
frequently vifited, and yet near enough for us to be con- 
fiderably affeded by whatever Revolutions happen in 
them, v/ith refped either to their Syftems of Politics or 
Government. We will begin with Sweden, a Country 
always famous for the Bravery of its Inhabitants, and 
perhaps by a natural Confequence, no lefs famous for its 
Conquefts Abroad and Changes at Home, than which no 
Nation of its natural Force has either atchieved or fuffered 
greater. 
The following Remarks were made by a Minifter of 
our own, who refided there on the Part of King William 
in the Reign of Charles XL a Man in all Refpeds qua- 
lified for his Miniftry in that Country, as having a folid 
Underftanding, great Uprightnefs of Heart, and a hearty 
VoL. IL Numb. 103. 
Defire to ferve both Nations. In order to this, he thought 
no Method fo proper, as that of inquiring ftridly, and 
forming an impartial Notion of the Manners, Laws and 
Policy of the People amongft whom he refided. It was 
with this View that he undertook the compofing that 
Work, the moft curious and ufeful Parts of which we 
have digefted into this Sedion ; and as the Nation, to 
whom it relates, are very fteady in their Tempers, and 
are not much affeded in their Cuftoms by their Com-: 
merce with other Nations •, it is like to preferve its Cha- 
rader for Truth, as long as they preferve theirs as a 
People. Thus much by way of Introdudion ; let us now 
proceed to this worthyPerfon’s Account, for the moft part 
in his own Words. 
2. The Kingdom of and Dukedom of Finland 
have the Sea on the South, the unpaffable Mountains 
of Norway on the Weft, Lapland on the North, and Muf 
covy on the Eaft ; being extended from 56 tfo 69 Degrees 
of northern Latitude, and from 32 to 55 Degrees in 
Longitude, and confequently are more than twice as big 
as the Kingdom of France *, but the Abatements that muft 
be made for feveral Seas and many great Lakes, fome 
whereof are above eighty EngUJh Miles long and twenty 
broad ; as alfo for Rocks, Woods, Heaths, and Moraffes 
that cover much of thefe Countries, will reduce the 
habitable Part to avery fmall Portion comparatively to 
the Extent of the Whole. The Soil, in Places capable of 
cultivating, is tolerably fruitful j though feldom above half 
a Foot deep, and therefore more eafily ploughed, as it fre- 
quently is by one Maid and an Ox, and is generally beft 
where there is leaft of it, that is, in the little Spaces be- 
twixt the Rocks ; and frequently the barren Lands are en- 
riched with Afties of Trees growing on the Places, which 
are burnt, and the Seeds baked amongft the Allies pro- 
duce a plentiful Crop without further Cultivation. 
This Pradlice is fo antient, that their Writers derive 
the Name of Sweden from a W ord in their Language that 
expreffes it *, but the Danger of deftroying the Woods has 
of late occafioned forhe Laws to limit that Cuftom. 
If the Inhabitants were induftrious above what Neceffity 
forces them to, they might at leaft have Corn fufficient 
of their own ; but as Things arc managed, they cannot 
fubfift without great Importations of all forts of Grain from 
the Country of Leijland, and other Parts of Germany ad- 
jacent to the Baltic Sea. And notwithftanding thefe Sup- 
plies, the pooreft Sort, in manyPiaces remote from Traffic, 
are forced to grind the Bark of Trees to mix with their Corn, 
and make Bread, of which they have not always plenty. 
6 K ^ The 
