CONCERNING LAPLAND. 285- 
to the girl’s father and mother, and her friends affembled toge¬ 
ther, but likewife to the intended bride ; and in the courfe of this 
compotation leave is obtained for the young man to forward his 
fuit in his own perfon. The orator then in a fet fpeech makes a 
beginning ; and in this Rage of the courfhip the lover is himfelf 
introduced, but takes his feat at a diftance from the reft, placing 
himfelf near the door. The parents of the girl at length fignifying 
their full confent to the match, the fuitor offers the maiden the 
prefent he has brought with him, and at the fame time promifes 
wedding clothes to her father and mother. Matters being thus 
happily fettled, the company depart. The ceremonial, as it is here 
put down, is commonly obferved, in the whole, or in part, upon 
thefe occafions; indeed, it rarely happens that any of them are 
omitted. Should it be the cafe that the parents, after having 
thus given their confent, depart from their word ; it is an eftab- 
liflied law amongft the Laplanders, that all the expences in¬ 
curred muft be made good, even to the brandy drunk at the fir ft 
vifit. 
As foon as the parties are betrothed, the young man is allowed 
to vifit the intended bride; and on his way, to enjoy this happi- 
nefs, he fometimes recreates his mind with tinging fongs of his 
own compofition in her praife. Love never fails to make poets ; 
the Laplander’s poetry, indeed, furnifhes no fpecimens of elegant 
effufions ; he paints his love in the thoughts which firft prefent 
themfelves, and cares not much about feledion : the words he 
ufes relate to his paffton, and that is fuftlcient for his purpofe. 
Nor 
