take notice first, that it is unlawful among them, to marry a wife too near in blood. And they have so special a regard to the degrees of consanguinity and affinity, that they never request marriage in the prohibited ones. And again ’tis unlawful, having one wife to marry another, or when one is married to put her away, by Divorce. Polygamy and Divorce were never heard of among the _Laplanders_, neither in the time of _Paganism_, saies _Tornæus_, nor afterwards, but they alwaies observed marriage honestly and like Christians; yet in former daies perhaps they did not altogether abhor the communicating their wives, whom they permitted to strangers especially and guests. So indeed writes _Herberstenius_. But _John Tornæus_ mentions an instance of later date, and the Testimony too of a _Laplander_ of _Luhla_, tho he doubts to give credit to him. ’Twas reported to me, saies he, that in the time of my Predecessor of _Luhla-Lapmark_, a certain immodest _Laplander_, came to lodg with another, in _Torne-Lapmark_, a civil honest man, as was his whole family, who could read books, and lived a pious life, for which he was stiled by scorners _Zuan Bishop_. Then the Man of _Luhla_, when he had disordered himself with drinking Spirit of Wine, addressed himself to his hosts wife, in hope of debauching her, but because there were there present two officers, who had Spirit of Wine to sell, the _Zuan_ Bishop call’d for them, and told them the fellows design, desiring likewise that they being Ministers of the State, would apprehend and bind him: they immediately bound him to a Tree, and left him there for a whole Winter night together, to be frozen with cold. At last he was forced to regain his liberty with mony; and pleaded it as an excuse, that it was the custom in _Luli-Lapmark_, that if any person visited another, the entertainer permitted such familiarity with his Wife. Thus saies _Tornæus_, but doubtingly, for the fellow might have only framed this for his own excuse; ’tis certain no other person has taken notice of it in them of _Luhla_, and the other _Laplanders_ are so ignorant of this communion of their wives, that they cannot endure they should look upon other men. The _Laplanders_ dwelling towards _Norway_ at the river _Torna_ are so jealous, that if a Woman chance to meet a man, and speak but a few words to him, they immediatly fall into a suspicion of her. [Illustration] CHAP. XXVI. _Of their Child-bearing, and the Education of their Children._