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166 REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND.
®
frequently prefer them to the rich, who are ftill maids, or at leaft who would be confi-
dered fuch. But it is neceflary to make this diftinction, Sir, that thefe girls, of whom
Iam {fpeaking, muft have granted their favours to thofe ftrangers who arrive here in
winter for the purpofe of trade, and not to Laplanders. From hence they infer, that
becaufe a man, whom they believe to be richer and poffeffed of a better tafte than them-
felves, has been anxious to give marks of his love for a girl of their country, fhe muft
therefore be poflefled-of fome fecret merit, of which, though they are at prefent igno-
rant, they will in time become fenfible. So keen are they for thefe kinds of moriels,
that when they come fometimes during the winter to the city of Torno, and find a girl
with child, not only do they forget their interefts, in being willing to take her without
property, but even after fhe has laid in they pay for her to her parents as much as they
can afford.
I know many perfons, Sir, who would be charitable enough to make the fortunes in
this manner of anumber of poor girls, and who would not afk any thing better than
to procure them, without being put to much trouble, advantageous offers. If this
fafhion were to be adopted in France, one would not fee fo many girls remain fo long
unmarried: the fathers, whofe purfes are tied with a triple knot, would not be fo much
tormented, and the girls themfelves would always have in their power a method by
which they could efcape from the captivity in which they are held. But I do not be-
lieve, Sir, that although the fathers would do all in their power, it would be very eafy
to introduce it.
As the Laplanders are naturally ignorant of almoft all kinds of difeafes, they have
not been defirous of making fome to themfelves like us. Jealoufy and the fear of
cuckoldom give them no uneafinefs: thefe evils, which torment fo many among us, are
to them unknown ; and I do not believe there is any word in their language to exprefs
the idea of a cuckold: and one may fay jocularly with the Spaniard, in {peaking of paft
ages and the prefent,
Paflo lo de oro,
Paffo lo de plata,
Paffo lo de hierro.
Vive lo de cuerno.
And while thefe people are bringing back the golden, we are making one to ourfelves
of horn. In fact, Sir, you are now to behold among them that which I believe took
place in the days of Saturn, namely, a community of pofleffions which will aftonifh you.
You have feen that the Laplanders are what we call cuckolds before marriage, and you
are now to be convinced that they are no lefs fo after it.
When the marriage is confummated the hufband does not carry away his wife, but
remains one year with his father-in-law, at the end of which period he goes to fettle
himfelf where he pleafes, and carries with him all that belongs to his wife. ‘The pre-
fents even which he made to his father-in-law during the courtfhip are given back, and
the parents repay thofe which have been made them by fome rein-deer, according to
their ability.
I have fhown you, Sir, that ftrangers have a great privilege in this country, which is
that of honouring the daughters on their approach: they have another, which is not lefs
confiderable, that of partaking with the Laplanders a fhare of their beds and their wives.
When a ftranger arrives in their huts, they receive him in the beft manner they are
able, and think they treat him moft kindly if they have a glafs of f{pirits to give him;
but after the refrefhment, when the ftranger they reccive is refpe€table, and they with
to be kind to him, they make their wives and their daughters approach, and they think
themfelves
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