fortia’s travels in Sweden .' “ 521

that women, as well as men, drink brandy before their mealsthis is falfe. In Sweden ,as in other countries, brandy is the beverage of none but a certain clafs of females, andis not ufed in good company.

The eftablifhed religion of Sweden is the confeffion of Augfbourg, without any vari-ation. All religions are tolerated freely. There-are more than two thoufand catholicsat Stockholm (where they have a church), and within the kingdom at lead; fix thou-fand : many families are eftablifhed in Finland, and come to Stockholm once everyyear or two to fulfil their duties.

We mull mention the Skevikare, who inhabit the fmall ifland, Wermdoeun , nearStockholm . They are a remnant of thofe fettaries who, from a fcrupulofity of con-fidence, feceded from the Swedifh church in 1738. In the beginning, as they affeCtedto continue public worlhip, the facraments, and particularly priefls, they necefifarily drewupon themfelves a perfecution, yvhich even extended to banifhing them the kingdom;but in 1746 they were permittea to form an eftablifhment in the ifland of Wermdoeun,where they bought the eftate of Skevik, whence they are called Skevikare. There ismuch whimficality in their doCtrine, but their lives are virtuous.

The Swedes are better informed than the people of other nations: all the countrypeople, without exception, know how to read; hence Guftavus III. whom nothingefcaped, and who was reafonably apprehenfive of the effeCt which news from France might have among them, forbid any notice, whether favourable or otherwife, of our re-volution to be taken by the Swedifh Gazetteers ; he confidered he was rendering hisfubjeQs an elfential fervice in keeping them entirely ignorant of the fubjeCl.

The code of laws now followed, were digefled in the reign of Frederic I. They areclear, wife, and precife : in civil actions each party pays his own cofts, the lofer neverbeing condemned with all cofts. The criminal laws are humane, as they ought to be ina country where great crimes are extremely uncommon. No perfon accufed can fufferdeath without confefling his crime. Criminals fentenced to die are beheaded. Thereis a latin tranflation of the Swedifh code of laws, in quarto.

The preface of the law of Upland, ameliorated and publifhed by Birger, fon of Mag-nus, in 1205, begins thus :

“ God himfelf made the firft laws, and fent them to his people by his fervant Mofes,the firft great Judge of his people: fo, likewife, the powerful King of Sweden , andGothia Byrghir, fon of King Magnus, fends this book of the precepts of Viger, and thelaws of Upland, to all thofe dwelling between the fea, the river Soeva, CEudmorda (thenorthern foreft).

tc Laws fhould be pronounced and executed for the government of all, the rich as well■ as the poor; to diftinguifh what is juft, and what unjuft. It ought to be obferved andpronounced for the protection of the poor; the peace of the wife ; it fhould exilt forfile benefit of the innocent and virtuous man, and as a bar to the criminal and wicked,l he country ought to be governed by law, and not by violence ; for that country is al-leys in a good flute in which the laws are obferved : if all men were juft there wouldbe no need of laws.

“ The firft inftitutor of thefe laws was Viger Spa (that is to fay the wife), a pagan infile time of paganifm; he was fent by King Ingiard. What we have found in his col-lection applicable to every body, we fhall tranfcribe into this book ; what is not appli-cable, and too harfh, fhall omit: what was unknown to the pagans, that is to fay, chrif-fian and ecclefiaftical law, we fhall add at the beginning of this book; and in this lawfliall follow our anceftors, Eric the Holy , Byrghir Jart (that is to fay Duke Byrghir),a nd King Magnus : but in what thereto is added or omitted, we fhall follow our own

von. vi. 3 x x mature