IV.

CHAP. praved by luxury. The two countries of Denmark and Norway, although united, were held together by no common tie;-almost as much hatred existing between a Dane and a Norwegian, as between a Norwegian and a Swede. Their national Song', so expressive of patriotic

National

Song of the Norwegians.

(1) Nothing can give to a stranger, in Norway, a more powerful claim upon the affections and friendship of the people, than repeating a verse of this Song, or even quoting the two first lines of it, in convivial company, as a toast. We shall, therefore, insert the original in the Norwegian language; together with a free translation of it made by Miss Parsons, preserving, with the tenor of the original, much of its spirit and character, and being adapted to the same air.

For Norge, Kiempers Föde-land,

Vi denne Skaal udtömme,

Og, naar vi först faae Blod paa Tand,
Vi södt om Friehed drömme;
Dog vaagne vi vel op engang,
Og bryde Lanker, Baand og Twang.

CHORUS.

For Norge, Kiempers Föde-land,
Vi denne Skaal udtömme, &c.

En Skaal for Dig, min kiække Ven,
Og for de Norske Piger,

Og har Du en, da Skaal for den,

Og Skam faae den, som sviger,

Og Skam faae den, som elsker Tvang,
Som hader Piger, Viin og Sang.

CHORUS.

En Skaal for Dig min kiakke Ven,
Og for de Norske Piger, &c.

Og nok en Skaal for Norske Field,
For Klipper, Snee og Bakker,
Og Dovres Echo raaber Held,

For Skaalen tre Gang takker,
Ja tre Gang tre skal alle Field
For Norges Sönner brumme Held.

CHORUS.

Og nok en Skaal for Norske Field,
For Klipper, Snee og Bakker, &c.

The

feeling, and of the longing which all the Norwegians entertain of an emancipation, was heard

The Same, translated, and adapted to the same Air, by MISS PARSONS.

To Norway, Valour's native sphere,

We drink with boundless pleasure;
O'er wine, we dream of freedom near;
In fancy grasp the treasure:
Yet shall we at some period wake,
And bonds compulsive nobly break *.

CHORUS.

To Norway, Valour's native sphere,
We drink with boundless pleasure, &c.

One glass to Friendship's shrine is due,
One to Norwegian beauty;

Some Nymph, my friend, may claim for you
From us this welcome duty!

Curse on that slave, who hugs his chains,
And woman, wine, and song disdains!

CHORUS.

One glass, &c. &c. &c.

Now, Norway, we thy mountains boast,
Snow, rocks, and countless wonders;

Lo! Dovre'st echo hails the toast,

And thrice 'rapt plaudits thunders:

Yes, three times three, the hills around

Shall "Health to Norway's Sons!" resound.

CHORUS.

Now, Norway, &c. &c. &c.

• It is almost impossible to translate the two lines of the original as they occur here: they contain an antient figurative expression, which literally might be thus rendered:

When we "first see the blood upon our teeth,"

We shall have sweet dreams of liberty.

By which is meant, "When we cut our teeth," i. e. When we emerge from the infant state of knowledge in which our country is involved, or when we become more enlightened;-the sanguinary spirit it seems to breathe being wholly inconsistent with the disposition of the Norwegians of the present day.

+ The mountain called Dovrefield.

IV.

Clubs.

CHAP. with rapture, and resounded in every society, from one extremity of the country to the other; being the oftener sung, because it had been prohibited by the Court of Denmark. In the room under the apartments in which we lodged, an evening club was regularly held; where a large party being always assembled, we used to hear this national air chaunted with a degree of enthusiasm, emphasis, and passion, greater than we ever remembered to have been called forth by the national songs of any country, if we except our sacred anthem, "God save the King." A great number of the inhabitants speak the English language; and, as it is so nearly allied to their own, they learn it with ease and expedition; many words, and even whole sentences, being the same in both. Clubs are common here. The principal people have a large house in which they assemble every evening: it contains rooms for billiards, cards, and supper. Every member is balloted for, before he is admitted. If a stranger arrive, his name, together with the name of the person by whom he is proposed, are placed upon a paper in the club-room; as he cannot be admitted, until a ballot has taken place, and he becomes a member. The games usually played in these clubhouses are, whist, ombre, piquet, chess, and

IV.

billiards: the stake is always low, and there is CHAP. not the smallest tendency to gambling at any of them. It was owing to these clubs that the Emperor Paul of Russia prohibited all commerce with Trönÿem; being under a false persuasion that they were of a political nature, and founded upon French principles of democracy. He would not suffer a Norwegian vessel to enter into any of the ports of his Empire. He was, therefore, almost as much detested by the people of this country as by his own subjects; and his name was never mentioned, but in terms of indignation and ridicule.

and Agri

Within the last ten years, population and Population agriculture had wonderfully increased. For- culture. merly, the inhabitants imported corn from other countries, in exchange for the product of their fisheries: now they had almost a sufficiency of corn of their own; and luxuries, rather than food, were becoming articles of importation. The population of the Province of Trönijem was estimated at the average of forty-two persons for each square mile. The province is divided into eight districts, as follow:

and this estimate proves the average to be accurate, of forty-two persons for each square mile, for the whole province.

In the year 1785, the various towns in the Province of Trönijem contained a population amounting to 9336 persons, and the exclusive territory 154,986. According to accurate observations made in the same year, the population of all the provinces of NORWAY was thus computed:

By a retrospective view of the state of Norway towards the middle of the last century, it appears that the aggregate of births, from the year 1743 to 1756, exceeded the aggregate of deaths by 64,003. From 1769 to 1785, the