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Article A SWEDISH ANECDOTE. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Swedish Anecdote.
A SWEDISH ANECDOTE .
Of an limp , possessing tbe Power of taking away Speech , and of another .. , ; . < by the Use of which it may be restored .
IN the year 1772 , a Finlandman brought a ship-load of wood to . sell in Stockholm . The soldiers who were upon guard at the time mis ship arrived formed a plan amongst themselves to cheat the poor man of part of his small wood ; and , to carry it effectually into execution , it was agreed that one of them should pick a quarrel with this harmless Finlandman , and from words should , as quick as
possible , fall to blows with him . The plan thus concerted , one of the soldiers began to load the Finlandman with much abuse ; but he , pretending not to understand the Swedish language , took no notice of the abuse , but , in his own country dialect , told the soldier to be silent , otherwise he would soon make him so . This answer of the Finlandman , though delivered in an unknown tongue , was
accompanied with such expressive gesticulations , that the soldier was not at a loss to guess the meaning of it , which exasperated him the more , and accordingly be began afresh to curse and d—n the Fin' landman with the bitterest execrations . ' The latter then pretended to be very sorry for having given the soldier any occasion to put himself into so terrible a passionand with fair speechand humble voice
, , , soothed and coaxed the soldier till he got him Within his reach ; when slyly taking an herb out of his pouch , he rubbed it in a violent manner all over the jaws and mouth of tht soldier , who , to the great astonishment and terror of his comrades , was instantly stricken dumb . — This event alarmed the whole garrison , and the head officer then on
duty put the Finlandman and soldier both under an arrest . The affair came before a civil court of judicature , and the Finlandman declared , that , ir his own defence , he had done nothing more than make use of an herb , which , on briskly chaffing the lips of any man with it , has the power of depriving the persons so chaffed of the use of speech . The Court deeming this violent , though natural , mode of doing one ' s self justice not strictly justifiablewere going to pass sentence upon
, him ; but the Finlandman begged he might be heard a few words . This request being granted , the honest Finlandman replied , that had he totally deprived the Soldier of His use of speech he would not pretend to justify his own conduct ; but as the herb which he had made use of occasioned only a temporary deprivation of speech , and the ' power of that herb might be counteracted in half a minute ' s time , by
the application of another herb which he had then in his pocket , he hoped the Judges would release him , on condition of his restoring the Soldier to the use of his speech . This request being also granted , the Finlandman applied the antidotal herb to the Soldier ' s mouth , and the dumb mart instantly recovered his speech . The Society of Arts and Sciences established at Stockholm , when they heard of the surprizing power of these two herbs , sent for the Finlandman , and offered him a reward of 250 dollars for the discovery of them ; but . the offer was not accepted , . ..
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Swedish Anecdote.
A SWEDISH ANECDOTE .
Of an limp , possessing tbe Power of taking away Speech , and of another .. , ; . < by the Use of which it may be restored .
IN the year 1772 , a Finlandman brought a ship-load of wood to . sell in Stockholm . The soldiers who were upon guard at the time mis ship arrived formed a plan amongst themselves to cheat the poor man of part of his small wood ; and , to carry it effectually into execution , it was agreed that one of them should pick a quarrel with this harmless Finlandman , and from words should , as quick as
possible , fall to blows with him . The plan thus concerted , one of the soldiers began to load the Finlandman with much abuse ; but he , pretending not to understand the Swedish language , took no notice of the abuse , but , in his own country dialect , told the soldier to be silent , otherwise he would soon make him so . This answer of the Finlandman , though delivered in an unknown tongue , was
accompanied with such expressive gesticulations , that the soldier was not at a loss to guess the meaning of it , which exasperated him the more , and accordingly be began afresh to curse and d—n the Fin' landman with the bitterest execrations . ' The latter then pretended to be very sorry for having given the soldier any occasion to put himself into so terrible a passionand with fair speechand humble voice
, , , soothed and coaxed the soldier till he got him Within his reach ; when slyly taking an herb out of his pouch , he rubbed it in a violent manner all over the jaws and mouth of tht soldier , who , to the great astonishment and terror of his comrades , was instantly stricken dumb . — This event alarmed the whole garrison , and the head officer then on
duty put the Finlandman and soldier both under an arrest . The affair came before a civil court of judicature , and the Finlandman declared , that , ir his own defence , he had done nothing more than make use of an herb , which , on briskly chaffing the lips of any man with it , has the power of depriving the persons so chaffed of the use of speech . The Court deeming this violent , though natural , mode of doing one ' s self justice not strictly justifiablewere going to pass sentence upon
, him ; but the Finlandman begged he might be heard a few words . This request being granted , the honest Finlandman replied , that had he totally deprived the Soldier of His use of speech he would not pretend to justify his own conduct ; but as the herb which he had made use of occasioned only a temporary deprivation of speech , and the ' power of that herb might be counteracted in half a minute ' s time , by
the application of another herb which he had then in his pocket , he hoped the Judges would release him , on condition of his restoring the Soldier to the use of his speech . This request being also granted , the Finlandman applied the antidotal herb to the Soldier ' s mouth , and the dumb mart instantly recovered his speech . The Society of Arts and Sciences established at Stockholm , when they heard of the surprizing power of these two herbs , sent for the Finlandman , and offered him a reward of 250 dollars for the discovery of them ; but . the offer was not accepted , . ..