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16 TRAVELS
that of Kengis, is under the fuperintendence of the minifter of
Upper Tornea. The parifh of Muonionifca is about two hundred
{quare miles in extent, and the parfon is to all appearance a pea-
fant, like any of his flock ; having nothing vifible about him that
refers to his clerical dignity, except a pair of b/ack breeches. This
poor man had the misfortune of being ruined by a fire, which con-
fumed all his houfehold furniture with his library, from which he
could not even fave his bible. This lofs however was not what he
feemed to have felt moft feverely, as he obferved, that after this
difafter, he found himfelf eafed of the burden of reading Latin,
a language in which he fometimes attempted to cenverfe with us,
but which, in his mouth, formed fuch a jargon as made us laugh,
though it did not promote the interchange of ideas. The honeft
parfon was of great ufe to us during our ftay at Muonionifca ;_ he
attended us everywhere, was ready to explain on all occafions
where we found difficulties ; and as he was well acquainted with
the Finlandifh and Swedifh languages, was able to give us the
etymology of many words that we met with and wifhed to under-
ftand. He was the moft clownifh parfon I ever faw in my vari-
ous travels; and I believe that calamity and extreme diftrefs had
contributed more than any thing to reduce him, in point of per-
fonal confequence, to a level with the meaneft of his parifhioners.
This man, however, poffeffed a large fhare of ftrong natural fenfe ;
he reafoned with much juftnefS and fagacity on the fubject of
politics; and as he was a poor and humble being himfelf, he
violently declaimed againft the manner in which the ariftocracy
and
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