3 2 ° 
TRAVELS 
The laft fpecimen I fhall produce of Finnifh poetry, of female 
compofition, is the following fragment of a fong of confiderable 
length, which the Finnifh nurfes are accuftomed to fing to chil¬ 
dren in the cradle. It may be confidered valuable, inafmuch as 
it marks the genius of the nation. The words w T ere taken down 
whilft a nurfe fung them and rocked her child to fleep. The 
perfon who wrote down the words was well acquainted with the 
Finnifh tongue ; but the woman knew no more than this part of 
the fong, and no opportunity offered of obtaining the remainder. 
It is hoped no reader will be difpleafed at finding here fuch a 
fpecimen of genuine tendernefs, fimplicity, and piety, though in 
the form of a lullaby-fong. 
xc Sleep on, fleep on, fweet bird of the meadow ; Take thy reft, 
“ little redbreaft, take thy reft; God fhall awake thee in his own 
“ good time ; He has made thee a little bough to repofe thee on ; 
“ A bough canopied with the leaves of the birch-tree; Sleep Hands 
“ at the door, and fays ; The fon of fleep ftands at the door, and 
“ fays ; Is there not a little child here ; Lying afleep in the cradle ; 
“ A little child wrapt up in fwaddling cloths ; A child repofing 
4 ‘ under a coverlet of wool.”— 
The laft fpecies of poetry, of which we fliall make mention, is 
that which is common both to the Finns and Laplanders ; we 
mean thofe runic verfes which are fuppofed to be endowed with 
magical and extraordinary virtues. Thefe fongs, which owe their 
rift 
