THROUGH FINLAND. 
3°3 
runic verfes upon a fubjedt fuited to their genius with a wonder¬ 
ful facility, after the manner of the Italian improvifanii. To this 
I have heard fome men of learning, who are fkilled in the Finnifli 
language, bear teftimony. 
There is fcarcely any event, public or private, which does not 
find a poet amongft the Finnifh peafants to celebrate it. They 
condole the death of friends, rejoice with them on marriages, re- 
hearfe tales, fatires, &c. at their public meetings, in thefe runic 
verfes, often extempore > and often ftudied for the occafion, rarely 
committed to writing, and more rarely to the prefs. As to poems 
reciting the deeds of gothic heroes, and illuftrating the monu¬ 
ments remaining of the times when they lived, none are to be 
found after the moft diligent refearches; nor are there any runic 
verfes known of an earlier date than the reformation of Martin 
Luther. 
The manner in which they recite their verfes in public is fin- 
gular, and faid to be derived from ancient practice. A circle is 
formed of the auditors, in the midft of which ftand the improvi- 
fator, and his repetitory coadjutor. Every line which the impro- 
vifator fings or delivers, is repeated in the fame tune by the coad¬ 
jutor, who, taking up the laft word, or the laft but one, finifhes 
the line with him, and then repeats it alone. This gives the im- 
provifator time to prepare the fucceeding line, which be fings, 
feconded in like manner by his coadjutor; and thus they both 
proceed, the coadjutor always taking up the laft words of the im- 
provifator’s line, and then repeating it by himfelf until the poem 
is 
