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THROUGH FINLAND. 303
runic verfes upon a fubject fuited to their genius with a wonder-
ful facility, after the manner of the Italian zmprovifaniz. To this
I have heard fome men of learning, who are {killed in the Finnith
language, bear teftimony.
There is {carcely 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 exfempore, and often ftudied for the oecafion, 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 hved, 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 tuné by the coad-
jutor, who, taking up the laf{t 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 he 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
1S
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