THROUGH FINLAND. 
207 
confifting of a little fong compofed by a peafant girl, the fervant 
of a clergyman, who met with a difappointment in an aflignation 
with her lover. I fhall prefent the reader with this piece in 
another place, when I come to fpeak of the genius of the Fin- 
1 
landers for poetry. 
Admiral Heding is one of the moft diftinguifhed men in Swe- 
« 
den for talents, in the department of the marine. His prefent 
majefty does not feem to make a proper eftimate of his merit, 
perhaps on account of the attachment he fhewed to the Duke of 
Sudermania, during his late regency. The admiral’s converfation 
is infinitely interefting, accompanied however with a dry frank - 
nefs of manner, which on different occafions has been of preju¬ 
dice to him at court. He is known in Sweden for his perfonal 
courage, for his talents, for his lively repartees and bon mots. He 
has ferved in the French, Englifh, and Spanifh fleets, and fpeaks 
all thofe languages with equal fluency, befldes the Swedifh and 
German; the laft is his native tongue. Guftavus III. entertained 
the highefl opinion of his character, and in confideration of his 
eminent accomplifhments could forgive the franknefs of his con¬ 
verfation, and even his bon mots, though fometimes they were a 
little too highly feafoned for the palate of a king. In the affair 
of Wiburg, when Guftavus fuffered himfelf to be blocked up, 
Admiral Heding’s frigate, called la Folle, not being there, he told 
the king that he thought he fhould henceforth name her la Sage ; 
and when his majefty demanded his reafon—“ becaufe,” faid he, 
“ fhe was too wife to get into the fame fcrape with the reft of 
the fleet in the gulf of Wiburg.” 
