A waving blaze refracted o'er the heavens, 860
And vivid moons, and liars that keener play
With doubled killer from the radiant waste,
Even in the depth of Polar Night, they find
A wondrous day: enough to light the chace,
Or guide their daring steps to Finland-fairs. 865
Wish'd spring returns; and from the hazy south,
While dim Aurora slowly moves before,
The welkome sun, just verging up at first,
By small degrees extends the swelling curve!
Till seen at last for gay rejoicing months, 870
Still round and round, his spiral course he winds,
And has he nearly dips his flaming orb,
Wheels up again, and reascends the sky.
In that glad season, from the lakes and floods,
Where pure [1]Niemi's fairy mountains rise, 875
And fring'd with roses [2]Tenglio rolls his stream,
They draw the copious fry. With these, at eve,
They cheerful-loaded to their tents repair;
Where, all day long in useful cares employ'd,
Their kind unblemish'd wives the fire prepare. 880
Thrice happy race! by poverty secur'd
From legal plunder and rapacious power:
In whom fell interest never yet has sown
- ↑ M. de Maupertuis, in his book on the Figure of the Earth, after having described the beautiful lake and mountain of Niemi in Lapland, says—"From this height we had opportunity several times to see those vapours rise from the lake which the people of the country call Haltios, and which they deem to be the guardian spirits of the mountains. We had been frighted with stories of bears that haunted this place, but saw none. It seem'd rather a place of resort for Fairies and Genii than bears."
- ↑ The same author observes—"I was surprized to see upon the banks of this river, (the Tenglio) roses of as lively a red as any that are in our gardens."
