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209 REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND.
he was dreaming about it the whole night ; and when he came before us next day, he
had forgotten the whole of hisdifcourfe. If low bows fay any thing, and be the marks
of eloquénce, I can aflure you that our haranguer was the prince of orators; but I be-
lieve the bending of his body was employed rather to hide the confufion which appeared
upon his countenance, than to adorn his difcourfe. As we were acquainted with the
object of his vifit, we underftood that he came to requeft our affiftance at the ceremony,
for we could underftand nothing from his difcourfe; and a fhort time after the burgo-
matter of the city, with an officer who was there in garrifon, came to take us in their
boat acrofs the water to the houfe of the deceafed. On our arrival we found the whole
houfe filled with priefts, habited in long cloaks, and hats which appeared by their height
to be columns employed to fupport fome beam of a houfe. The body of the decealed
was depofited in a coffin, covered with cloth, and placed in the middle of them. ‘They
watered him with their tears, which trickled down their moiftened beards, the feparated
hairs of which formed various channels, and diftilled this forrowful humour, which was
employed inftead of holy-water. All thefe priefts had left their parifhes, and had come
from a great diftance: fome of them had travelled more than a hundred leagues; and
we were aflured that fuch is their regard for this ceremony, if it had happened in winter,
when the roads are in the beft fituation for travelling, there was no prieft within two
hundred leagues diftance who would not have attended. ‘The oldeft delivered a funeral
oration to all his affiftants; and he mutt furely have faid fomething very affecting, fince
his mournful air had almoft drawn forth even our tears, who knew not a word he fpoke.
‘The women were in a little chamber feparated from the men, and they groaned in a
dreadful manner ; among others, the widow of the deceafed interrupted by her fighs the
difcourfe of the preacher. While this fermon was delivered here, another was preached
in the Finland tongue at the church; and when the two difcourfes were ended, they
fet out to conduét the body to the church. -Seven or eight refpectable inhabitants car-
ried him on their fhoulders, and every one was anxious to lend their aid. This brought
to my recollection what Virgil fays of the entrance of the horfe into Troy, when he
mentions that both young and old were anxious to lend their aid to draw that machine
into their city: Funemque manu contingere gaudent. We followed the corpfe like the
chief mourners ; and the widow was afterwards conducted under the arms of two
of her daughters, the one of whom grieved much, while the other feemed not at
all affected. The body was placed in the middle of the church, while fome pfalms
were fung; and the women, in pafling by the deceafed, threw themfelves upon the
coffin, and embraced him for the laft time. Now commenced the grand and principal
funeral oration, delivered by John Plantinus, prieft of Urna, who received a difh made
of fiiver for his trouble. I cannot fay whether he merited it ; but I know that he cried
much: and that to render every object more fad, he made himfelf hideous, in leaving
his hair in diforder, and full of pieces of {traw, which he had not had time to take out of
it. ‘Chis man related every occurrence in the life of the deceafed, from his birth to his
laft figh : he mentioned the places, and the mafters whom he had ferved, the provinces
which he had feen, and did not omit the minuteft circumftance of his life. It is the
cuftom in this country to deliver a funeral oration over lacqueys and fervants, provided
the relations are able to pay a crown to the orator. .
[attended through curiofity the funeral of a fervant at Stockholm. The prieft who
delivered her funeral oration, after mentioning the place of her birth, and her relations,
expatiated on the good qualities of the deceafed, and exaggerated highly her knowledge
of kitchen-work, diftributing his difcourfe into various divifions, according to the num-
ber of ragouts which fhe knew how to prepare; and formed a part of his oration, by
telling
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