COXE’s TRAVELS IN DENMARK.

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Some of rhefe odes were written in Runic characters * *, the far greater part however, were only configned to memory ; but on the introduction of chriftianity into Ice-land, m the latter end of the ninth century f, the Runic letters were exchanged for theRoman alphabet: fchools were founded ; the love of fcience, which had in fomedeer-e.maintained itielf, even when the inhabitants were in a ftate of paganifm, revived withfrefh vigour, antient poems were colleGed, many chronicles digefted into a regularfor “» f r d the , tuitions of pagan theology refcued from oblivion. The'Icelandersponeued feveral hiftonans, long before a Angle annalift appeared among the nations fromwhom they were defcended. Their authors Iilief, Are, and Smmund, who flourifhedm the eleventh century, preceded Saxo-Grammaticus and Sueno, the eariieft of thoDanifh, Swedilh, or Norwegian writers.

It would be an interefting fpeculation in the theory of mankind, to afcertain « howit came to pafs that a people chfjoined from the reft of the world, few in number deprefied by poverty, and fituated info unfavourable a climate, fhould be capable in thofedark ages, of mamfefting fuch a tafte for literature. Were we better informed ofcertain particulars relating to the ftate of the north during thofe remote ages wemight poffibly find the caufe of this phenomenon, either in the poverty of the inhabitants of Iceland , which drove them to feek their fortunes in the neighbouring coun"tries, or in the fuccefs of their firft bards at foreign courts, which excited their emula-tion, and at the fame time prepoffeffed ftrangers in their favour ; or laftly in the nature of their republican government, in which the talent of oratory, and the reputationof fuperior fenfe and capacity, are the direft roads to dignity, refpeft, and preferment t ”To thefe caufes may perhaps be joined the political tranquillity of Iceland • amid thecivil commotions that convulfed the neighbouring nations, the inhabitants had fuffidentleifure for literary occupations; and fome may be induced to add the nature of theirclimate, which obliged them to feek for fome relief againft the tedioufnefs of longnights and continued darknefs ^[. ®

But to return to the Icelandic authors. The moft antient hiftorian was Iflief biftionof Skalhok : he was fon of Giffur Albus, a perfon of great diftinaion in Iceland , anddefcended irom the antient kings of Denmark , who confiderably promoted the eftab-

“ Prsecipue carmma fumus fecuti, qua; coram ipfis principibus aut eorum filiis font decantata, vera rc-pulantes omnia, quae lftis in carmimbus de eorum geftis aut bellis memorise funt prodita. More quidemSkaldis eft receptum, prsecipue laudare, cul miniftrant. Aft nemo facile auderet, coram ipfo prinelpe laudes et fafta cantare, quse tam ipfe quam alii prafentes fcirent mera effe figmenta. Hoc dedecori non laudielfet.” See Preface to Schoening’s edition of Snorro Sturlenfis, p. 12. note.

* “ Though we have no reafon to believe they were cut upon ftcnes, as was prafhTed among us (no Runic ftones having been found there, whofe age reaches to the times of paganifm) they ufed however tofcratch them on their bucklers, and fometimes on their ceilings and walls 5 and the Laxdada Saga makesmention of one Oioi of Hiardarhult, who had a large houfe built, on the beams and rafters of which -emarkable ftones are faid to have been marked, in the fame manner as Thorkil Hake cut an account of his owndeeds on his bedftead and chair.” Letters on Iceland , p. *58.

f In the Kriftni Saga, the introduaion of chriftianity into Iceland is thus related : “ Thorwaldus a oer-fon of fome diftinaion in Iceland , the inhabitants of which were all idolaters, happening to travel throuehSaxony, commenced acquaintance with a certain bilhop, whofe name was Frederic; and being inftfu&edbvhim m the Chriilian dodnnes, was baptized. He then prevailed upon the bilhop to return with him toIceland , in order to convert the natives to chriftianity. And as the bilhop was ignorant of the lamruap-eThorwaldus, receiving infttuaion, preached to the people, and many were baptized This event whichhid the firft foundation of the Gofpel in Iceland , happened in the year 9.80.” See Kriftni Sasa o’ 2 SeeJ Northern Antiquities, vol. i. p. 392. o > r -

Ipfi in defoffis fpecubus fecura fub altaOtia agunt terra-

Hie noftero lydo ducunt. Virg/ Georg. Ill, 376.

Iifhment