New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-03

Nem9)ork DAILY Gtibn,te
Bsyard Taylor in Northern Europe
No. XL.
NORWAY AND SWEDEN
n.r.ss..naeoc. Of TIE n. Y. T'is~ns-

csoss,opsencs Of n. y ThS"n'-
r.ptsr.p, Sg.den Sept 10, 1857.
u.,. h,ur Ssys in Christsnia, after complet-
h. .. an, Norwegian travels. The sky was still per.
ss,,, dear. snd up to the Day If our departure no
..,n IN. Out Of sixty days which we had devoted
10 Norway, only four were rainy-a degree Of good
r,,se which rarely falls 10 the lot Of travellers in
ne North.
Chssuapia, from It's proximity to the Continent
ard In character a. capital Of the country is suf
sseptly advanced in the arts Of living 10 be las
ant resting. place after the aesagremens ard priva
6os Of travel 10 the interior. IL has two or three
N,erably good ard very exorbtant hotels, and some
haphtr, with less than the usual amount of con-
sej,pce. One Of them offered to change some
Pru,,isn tbae7s for my friend at only 10 per cent
less taan their current valne. The rOgnmaad from
whom We purchased our earioles endeavored to
evsde bis bsrgsip, and protested that he had not
money enough TO repurcha.e them. / insisted, how
ever and with such good effect that he finally pulled
aroll Of Dotes, amounting to several hundred spe
eies, on. of his pocket and paid me the amount in
full The EDgt,h travellers whom met had not
Jared any better, and one and all Of were obliged
DO rece4e frv m our preconceived ideas of Norwe-
gan character But enough of an unp pleasant theme.
Iwouh rather praise than blame, any day; but
esn neither praise nor be silent when censure is
part Of the truth.
Ihsd q long conversation with distinguished
Norwegian on the condition of the country people.
He differed with me in the opinion that the clergy
were TO some extent responsible for their filthy
AID Ieentious habits, asserting that, though the
litter were pets seignenrs, with considerable priv
leses and powers, the people were jealousy sus-
piciOus Of any attempt 10 exert an influence upon
ther lives. But is not this natural result Of the
preaching Of doctripal religion, of giving an undue
value 10 external forms and ceremonies owe
have 9 stubborn people" said my informant;
"thsir excessive se,f-esteem makes them difficult
10 manage Besides, their morals are perhaps bot
Yer than would be inferred from the statistics.
GA hsbits bave been retained in many stricts,
which are certainly reprehensible, but which spring
from custom rather than depravity. wish they
were less vain and sensitive, since la that case they
would improve more rapidly" He stated also that
The suyprisDg number of legtimate births is partly
accounted for by the fact that there are great
number of come ctions which have all the character
OF marriage except the actual ceremony. This il
an affair of considerable cost and show, and many
oS The poorer people, unable to afford it, live TO-
setber rather than wait hoping that time may
cone when they will be able to defray the expense
and kstimste the children who may meanwhile be
born. In some cases the parties disagree, the con-
nection 10 broken of, and each one seeks new
mate. Whatever palhatOn there may be in par
tcrsr instances, the moral effect of this custom is
unquslifedly bad; ard the volome of statistics 70
Gently pabished by Herr SuDdt, who was appointed
BY the s,orihirg to investigate the subject, shows
that there is no agricultural population in the world
which stsnds lower in the scale of chastity than
that Of Norway.
In The course Of our conversation the gentleman
gave an amusing instance Of the very sensitveness
which be condemned. l happened, ca'ually, to
sneak Of the Icelandic language. "Ths kslandie
language" bo exclaimed. $50, you also in Ame-
,ica can it Icelandic but you ought to know that ii
10 Nerweg an. 1t is the same language spoken BY
the Norwegian Vikings who colonized Iceland-the
old Nor,h, which originated here, and was merely
carried thitber." I'VE certainly have some rea-
son" replied, "sesir that it now only exists in
Iceland and has not been spoken in Norway for GEN.
turks; bat LET ne ask you Why you, speaking Dansh,
san ,opr language Nor,k I" "Oar language, as
written and printed, is certainly pure Danish"
said be; ''bat ,here is some difference Of accent 10
speaking It," He did not add that this differ.
eDce 10 strenuousy preserved and even increased,
By TIE Norwegians, that they may not be suspected
Of ,peakirg Danish, while they resist with equal
zeal any approach TO the Swedish Often, in
tsoos htle,sy speaking Of the language as Danish,
have beard the i'll. humored reply: "Our language
i, not Danish but Norsk" As we'll might We say,
Q. home: I'VE speak American not English"
He'd the good fortune 10 fDd Professor Muncs,
The historian of Norway, at hcme, though on the
eve 0flsaviDg for Italy. He is one Of the few dis
fnauishtd literary names the country has produced.
HoibeIg the medisn, was born In Bergen, but ne
is s.Derally eassed among the Danish authors. 10
Art, however, Norway takes no mesn rank, the
ssaes Of Der painters, Dahl Guide and Tdemsnd,
havirg . European reputation. Pref Muuck is
about hf'y years of age, and fne specimen Of the
viking stock. He speaks English fuently ind 1
regretted that she shorsless Of my stay did not al
kw me 20 nshe further drafts on his surplus intel
heense. In the Museum Of Northern Antiquities
which Is tmAlI, IS compared With that Of COpen
ksgep, bp' admirably arranged, made tss se
su.,Ass nes Of Prot Keyssr the author Of very in
ts,stins work on the "R-lison Of the N,rsameu,"
. translsn,u of which by SIR. Barclay Psanosk
app arsa il New-York some three years ago.
] wss indebted TO Prof Munck for sight Of the
Startling, OF Major 81 Legislative Assembly, which
a. pIesen' In session. The large bah of the Uoi-
sefsiiy, .eni circular room, something hike our
a. han hsy kQs kaan - IN ,ta pnrii