In Drontheim, the ancient capital of Norway, it appears, that the
guardians of the night not only _watch_, but _pray_ for the souls of the
inhabitants. Mr. Brooke, in his recent travels, says, "as each hour
elapses, they are prepared with a different kind of exhortation or
prayer; which, forming a sort of tune or chant, is sung by them during
the drear hours of the night." Of one of these pious songs, he gives the
following literal translation:
"Ho! the Watchman, ho!
The clock has struck ten,
Praised be God, our Lord!
Now it is time to go to bed.
The housewife and her maid,
The master as well as his lad.
The wind is south-east.
Hallelujah! praised be God, our Lord!"
"The _voekter_, or watchman, is armed with an instrument as remarkable
as his cry, being nothing less than a long pole, at the end of which is
a ball, well fortified with iron spikes. This weapon is called _morgen
stierne_, or the morning star. At Drontheim, however, bands of
pick-pockets and thieves are unknown, and the morning star does little
more than grace the hand of the Norwegian watchman."
As the axe of reform is just laid to the watching system of London, we
may profit by the example of our Northern brethren; for it appears, they
not only watch over the temporal, but spiritual concerns of their
citizens, and it should seem, with salutary effect: but the _vespers_
and _matins_, of a watchman in England, would meet with many unholy
interruptions.
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