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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 ftage 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-
lithed law amongft the Laplanders, that all the expences in-
curred muft be made good, even to the brandy drunk at the firft
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 finging 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 felection: the words he
ufes relate to his paffion, and that is fufficient for his purpofe.
Nor
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