these Northern Countries, are not so inexcusable for their being lies, as that they were told without temtation; the real truth being equally entertaining, and incredible_. [Illustration] THE HISTORY OF LAPLAND CHAP. I. _Of the Name of_ Lapland. This Country doth not every where pass by the same name. By some ’tis called _Lappia_, as _Johann. Magnus_ in the Preface of his history, and _Saxo Grammat._ in his 5^{th} book; by others _Lapponia_, as _Olaus Magnus_ in the explication of his Map of _Scandinavia_, and _Ziegler_ in his description of the Northern Countries, and before these _Ericus Versaliensis_, and after them _Andr. Buræus_. The _Swedes_ usually call the Country _Lapmarkia_, in whose language _Mark_ signifies Land; the _Danes_ and _Norwegians_, _Laplandia_, and also _Findmarkia_, as appears from _Petr. Claudus_ description of _Norway_: for no one can gather any thing else but an account of this Country, from his whole 38^{th} Chapt. which himself too seems to intimate, when he promises more about _Findmarkia_ in his description of _Lapland_. Of i’ts being call’d _Findmark_, I shall speak in another place; Now we will see why ’tis call’d _Lapponia_ and _Lappia_, the Etymology of which words is not yet agreed upon by the Learned. _Ziegler_ thinks they were named so by the _Germans_, from the dulness and stupidity of the people, which the word _Lappi_ signifies amongst them; but this seems improbable, since this Country is but of late known to the _Germans_, and none of their antient Writers make any mention of _Lappia_. Moreover, the _Finlanders_, _Swedes_ and _Russians_, who differ much in their language from one another, as well as from the _Germans_, call it all by the same name; and the _Germans_, who are so remote from _Lapland_, could not transmit this name to these more Northern Countries, especially when they had little or no commerce with them. Neither are the people so very dull and stupid; as _Ziegler_ himself afterwards acknowledges, when he confesses they are good at the needle, and make delicate embroidered clothes. Neither can I assent to _Wexionius_’s opinion, that the _Swedes_ gave them this name from their wearing of _Skins_; for _Lapper_ and _Skinlapper_ do not signify skins, but the same as the Greeks ῥάκοι (in English _Rags_) from whence _Ol. Petr. Nieuren_, who writ of _Lapland_ in _Gustavus Adolphus_’s time, derives their name from their coming into _Swedland_ every year with rags _lapt_ about them, which is the signification of _Lapp_ in that language. But they do not deserve that name, meerly for this reason, any more than the _Finlanders_ and others, for they are generally cloth’d in good woollen garments, as we shall shew hereafter. _Grotius_ thinks they are call’d _Lapps_ from running or _leaping_, but _Lœpa_, which in the Swedish language signifies to run, is writ with a single _P_, and the name of this Country with a double one; and these People