Chap. II. and its I N H 
the Purchafer running the Hazard of having an after- 
Bargain take Place of his. If he omit the recording of 
his Tranfadtion in the proper Court in criminal Matters 
where the Fadt is not very evident, or where the Judges 
are not very favourable, the Defendant is admitted to 
purge himfelf by Oath, to which is oftentimes added the 
Oath of fix or twelve Men, who are all Vouchers of his 
Integrity. Treafon, Murder, double Adulteries, Burning of 
Houfes, Witchcraft, and the like heinous Crimes, are 
punilhed with Death, which is executed by hanging of 
Men, and beheading of Women. To which burning alive 
or dead, quartering and hanging in Chains, is fometimes 
added, according to the Nature of the Crime. Crimi- 
nals of the NoNlity and Gentry are generally Ihot to 
Death. 
The Punilhment of Stealing is of late, inftead of 
Death, changed into a perpetual Slavery ; the guilty 
Party being condemned to work all his Life for the 
King in making Fortifications or other Drudgery, and 
always has a Collar of Iron about his Neck, with a Bow 
coming over his Head, to which a Bell is fattened, 
that rings as he goes along. Duels between Gentlemen, 
if the one Party be killed, are punifhed by the Survi- 
, vor’s Death, and a Note ot Infamy upon the Memory 
of both ; if neither be killed, they are both condemned 
to a Prifon with Bread and Water for two Years ; to 
which is added, a Fine of one thoufand Crowns, or one 
Year’s Imprifonment, and two thoufand Crowns. Repa- 
ration of Honour, in Cafe of an Affront, is referred to 
the refpebtive national Courts, where Recantation and 
public begging of Pardon is ufually inflibled. Ettates, 
as well acquired as inherited, defcend to the Chil- 
dren in equal Portions, of which a Son has two and a 
Daughter one j nor is it in the Power of the Parents to 
alter this Proportion, without the Intervention of a Ju- 
dicial Sentence. In Cafe of their Childrens Difobedience 
only, they may bequeath a tenth of their acquired Pof- 
fefiions to fuch Child or other as they will favour : 
Where an Eftate defcends imcumbered with Debts, the 
Heir ufually takes two or three Months Time, as the 
Law allows, to fearch into the Condition of the De- 
ceafed’s Eftate, and then either accepts the Inheritance 
or leaves it to the Law, which in that Cafe admi- 
nifters. 
6 . The Nature of the Climate, which is very health- 
ful and dry, as well as fharp, difpofes the Natives to a 
very vigorous Conftitution *, and that confirmed by a 
hardy Education, coarfe Fare, and hard Lodging, qua- 
lifies them to endure whatever uneafy Circumftance 
befalls them, better than thofe that are born in a milder 
Climate, and more indulgently bred. But, on the other 
Side, it feems as if the Severity of the Clime does, in a 
manner, cramp the Faculties of their Minds, which fel- 
dom are found endued with any eminent Pregnancy of 
Wit j yet, by Induftry, Experience and Travelling, 
not a few of them arrive at a mature and folid Judg- 
ment, being led by their Genius to ferious Things, in 
which fuch as have Patience to go through with the Stu- 
dies they apply themfelves to become excellent, and 
merit the Title of great and able Men : But this feems 
not to be the Talent of this Nation, for they are more 
apt to fit down with fuperficial Acquifitions than to pur- 
fue their Studies to the utmoft Extent. 
Thefe Difpofitions of Body and Mind, qualify them 
more for a Life of Labour and Fatigue, than of Art and 
Curiofity ; and the Effedt of it is vifible in all Orders of 
Men amongtt them. The Nobility moftly apply them- 
felves to a Military Life, in v/hich they are more diftin- 
guiflied for Courage, and enduring Hardfhips, than for 
Stratagems and Intrigues. They that are employed in 
the Adminiftration of Civil Affairs, though they are in- 
deed laborious and indefatigable in their Bufinefs, yet 
they feldom raife their Speculations above what the Nc- 
ceffity of their Employments require, their Abilities 
proceeding not fo much from Study as Experience in the 
Courfe of Bufinefs, 
In Point of Learning, they, like their Neighbours the 
Germans, are more given to tranfcribe and make Col- 
ledtions, than to digeft their own Thoughts •, and com- 
monly proportion their Studies to their Occafions. In 
VoL. II. Numb. 103. 
abitantsj 497 
Matters of Trade they rather undergo the Drudgery^ 
than dive into the Myftery either of Commerce or Ma- 
nufadluresj in which they generally fet up for Matters 
before half taught ; fo that in all fuch Things as require 
Ingenuity^ Neatnefs, or Dexterity, they are forced to be 
fervcd by Strangers. Their common Soldiers are allowed 
to endure Cold and Hunger, long Marches, and hard 
Labour, to Admiration •, but they learn their Duty very 
flowly, and are ferviceable more by Obedience to com- 
mand, and ftanding their Ground, than by any great 
Forwardnefs to attack their Enemy ; or Addrefs, in 
executing their Orders ; and fo their Peafants are tole- 
rably laborious when Need compels them^ but have littld 
Regard to Neatnefs in their Work, ancl are hardly 
brought to quit their old flow Methods for flidi new In- 
ventions as are more dextrous and eafy. The Difpofiti- 
ons peculiar to the feveral Degrees of thefe People are t 
That the Nobility and Gentry are naturally Men of 
Courage and of a warlike Temper *, have a graceful De- 
portment, incline to value themfelves at a high Rate, 
and make the beft Appearance they can, that they may 
gain the Refpebt of others •, and are therefore more ex- 
ceflive in the Number of their Attendants, fumptuous 
Buildings, and rich Apparel, than in the Plentifulnefs of 
their Tables, or other lefs obferved Occafions. They 
never defcend to any Employments in the Church. 
The Pradtice of Law, or Phyfic, or the Exercife of any 
Trade ; and though to gain Experience in maritime 
Affairs they fubmit to the loweft Offices in other Counties 5 
yet, at home, there is but one Example known of a Gen- 
leman that accepted the Command of a Merchant Ship. 
The Clergy are but moderately learned, and little ac- 
quainted with Difputes about Religion, as having no 
Adverfaries to oppofe. They affedt Gravity and long 
Beards, are efteemed for their Hofpitality, and have 
great Authority among the common People. The 
Burghers are not intelligent in Trade, nor able to do 
their Bufinefs without Credit from abroad ; inclined to 
impofe upon thofe they can over-reach, rather than fol- 
low their Calling in a fair Way. The Peafants, when 
fober, are more obfequious and refpedlful ; but Drink 
makes them mad, and ungovernable ; Mott of them • 
live in a very poor Condition, and are taught by Necef- 
fity to pradlife feveral Arts in a rude Manner, as the 
making their Shoes, Cloaths, Cfc. and the feveral Inftru- 
ments of Hufbandry, and other Necelfaries, they cannot 
fpare Money to buy. And to keep them to this, as alfb 
to favour the Cities, it is not permitted for more than 
one Taylor, or other Artifan, to dwell in the fame Pa- 
riffi, though it be never fo large, as many of them are 
above twenty Miles in Compafs. In general, it may be 
faid of the whole Nation, that they are a People very 
religious in their Way, and Frequenters of the Church, 
eminently loyal and affedled to Monarchy •, grave even 
to Formality, fober more out of Neceffity than Tempe- 
rance ; apt to entertain Sufpicions, and envy each other 
as well as Strangers *, more inclined to pilfering, and 
fuch fecret Frauds, than to open Violence, or robbing 
on Highways *, Crimes as rarely committed in this, as 
in any Country whatever. 
7. The Chriftian Faith was received in Sweden about 
the Beginning of the ninth Century, and in Finland about 
three hundred Years after ; and firft preached, or at 
leaft firft eftabliffied, by EngUJh Divines, of whom the 
chiefeft was St. Sigifrid ; who, as their Hiftories relate, 
quitted the Archbiffiopric of Tork to become the Apoftle 
of the Goths. With him three of his Nephews that he 
brought were martyred by the Heathen Goths \ fo alfo 
was St. FJkill and other EngUJh by the Swedes : And 
about the Year 1150, St. Henry, an Biffiop, ac- 
companied St. Erick, King of Sweden, in his Expedi- 
tion into Finland, which the King conquered, and the 
Biffiop converted. He alfo was martyred by the Infi- 
dels, and lies buried at Abo, the Metropolis of that 
Country. The Reformation there, as in Denmark and 
Norway, began foon after the neighbouring Parts of Ger- 
many had embraced LutbeFs, Tenets, and was eftabliffied 
according to his Platform. The Tyranny of King Chrif- 
tiern the Second, gave an Opportunity to Gujiavks, the 
Founder of the prefent Royal Family, to alter Religion, 
6 L and 
