through the long night of barbarous ages. Developed by the genial influence of that peculiar constitutional freedom which the discussions at the Al-thing gave rise to, it attained its full maturity in the graphic Saga, flourished with the freedom that imparted to it its originality, and with this freedom decayed: the Al-thing degenerating into a Norwegian tribunal, the Saga into a mediæval romance.

With the Reformation began a new epoch-that of modern Icelandic or Islenzka literature, which, although it possesses no great claim to originality, has nevertheless produced several writers of considerable eminence. John Vidalin, Bishop of Skalholt, for instance, who died A. D. 1720, has been called the Icelandic Cicero, his sermons being, it is said— for we never had the curiosity to look at them-as remark able for their elegance of diction, as they are for their learning and Christian piety. And in the present century Espolin has written a very good continuation of the Sturlunga Saga, and Sigurd Pétursson, and John Thorláksson have acquired a deserved celebrity as poets of no ordinary talents; the former, for his original compositions, and the latter, for his elegant translations of Klopstock's "Messiah," Pope's "Essay on Man," and Milton's "Paradise Lost." Modern Icelandic poetry being still a curiosity in this country, we subjoin, as a specimen, a very smooth flowing verse from one of Pétursson's poems, with an accompanying translation, in which we have attempted, though at the risk of making it more like Icelandic than correct English, to preserve the metre, and, as much as possible, also the alliteration of the original.

"Thá eymdir striða á sorgfullt sinn,
Og svipur mótgángs um vánga riða,
Og bakivendir thér veröldin,

Og vellyst brosir að thinum kviða :

Theink, allt er hnöttótt, og hverfast lætr,
Sá hló í dag er á morgun grætr;
Alt jafnar sig."

"When grief oppresses the mournful mind,
And misery's scourges the pale cheeks furrow,
And back the world on thee wends unkind,
And wanton joyaunce derides thy sorrow;
Think, all is round, and will turn anew,
Who laughs to-day may to-morrow rue;
All's equalized."

THE PROSE EDDA.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS BY THE EDITOR.

It was our intention to have merely revised the translation of the "Prose Edda" given in Bishop Percy's edition of M. Mallet's Work, but, on comparing it with the Old Norse text, we found that a number of important passages had been omitted, and others rendered not only quite contrary to the spirit, but also to the sense of the original. In fact this could not be otherwise, for Mallet appears to have made his translation from the erroneous Latin version published by Resenius in the year 1665, and Bishop Percy expressly states that he merely turned Mallet's French translation into English, occasionally consulting Goranson's Latin version, which is not much better than that of Resenius. Under these untoward circumstances, it is a wonder that the English translation was not more incorrect than we found it to be. We have, however, naturally been obliged to subject it to a thorough revision, in fact, to retranslate the work; a diligent comparison of Bishop Percy's text, with the Old Norse text of Rask's edition, only allowing us to retain here and there passages conveying the true meaning of the original. We have also inserted the passages omitted, and given most of the extracts from the Elder Edda in a metre resembling the narrative verse, in which all the Eddaic poems are composed †, though without attempting to preserve the alliteration. Neither Mallet nor Bishop Percy deemed the Prologue and Epilogue worth translating, and, as we fully agree with them in this respect, we have not disfigured our pages by reproducing these absurd productions, which, it is needless to say, throw not the least light on the subject they were intended to elucidate.

Each editor and translator of the Prose Edda having divided the work into chapters with suitable titles conformable to his own views, we have also taken the same liberty. In Rask's edition of the original text the chapters are without titles, and follow each other as paragraphs, the work being in fact divided into two chapters (parts), one containing fifty-three and the other four paragraphs, but as references to the Prose Edda are now generally made according to the enumeration of the chapters or paragraphs of Rask's edition, we have retained this enumeration, and not numbered our own divisions.

To each of the chapters into which he divided the work, M. Mallet added numerous "Notes," which were, however, but too frequently grounded on the most erroneous notions respecting Scandinavian mythology, owing, in some measure, to the ingenious author having adopted the crude theories of Cluverius and Pelloutier, on the origin of the Teutonic and Celtic nations §. Such of these Notes that are still of any value will be given after our "Critical Examination of the Leading Doctrines of the Scandinavian System of Mythology," and referred to in the text by letters in brackets. Many of them reflect great credit on M. Mallet's judgment, especially when we consider the period when they were written.

Published at Stockholm in 1818.-See page 378. + See page 382. See page 378. § See Bishop Percy's Preface.

1. KING GYLFI ruled over the land which is now called Svithiod (Sweden). It is related of him that he once gave a wayfaring woman, as a recompense for her having diverted him, as much land in his realm as she could plough with four oxen in a day and a night. This woman was, however, of the race of the Esir, and was called Gefjon. She took four oxen from the north, out of Jötunheim, (but they were the sons she had had with a giant,) and set them before a plough. Now the plough made such deep furrows that it tore up the land, which the oxen drew westward out to sea until they came to a sound. There Gefjon fixed the land, and called it Sælund. And the place where the land had stood became water, and formed a lake which is now called The Water" (Laugur), and the inlets of this lake correspond exactly with the headlands of Sealund. As Skald Bragi the Old saith:

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"Gefjon drew from Gylfi,

Rich in stored up treasure,

The land she joined to Denmark.
Four heads and eight eyes bearing,
While hot sweat trickled down them,
The oxen dragged the reft mass

That formed this winsome island."

This chapter is probably the interpolation of an early copyist, for it has evidently no connection with the following one, and is not found in the Upsal MS. of the Prose Edda, which is supposed to be the oldest extant. Gefjon's ploughing is obviously a mythic way of accounting for some convulsion of nature, perhaps the convulsion that produced the Sound, and thus effected a junction between the Baltic and the Northern Ocean.

GYLFI'S JOURNEY TO ASGARD.

2. King Gylfi was renowned for his wisdom and skill in magic [A]. He beheld with astonishment that whatever the Esir willed took place; and was at a loss whether to attribute their success to the superiority of their natural abilities, or to a power imparted to them by the mighty gods whom they worshipped. To be satisfied in this particular, he resolved to go to Asgard, and, taking upon himself the likeness of an old man, set out on his journey. But the Esir, being too well skilled in divination not to foresee his design, prepared to receive him with various illusions. On entering the city Gylfi saw a very lofty mansion, the roof of which, as far as his eye could reach, was covered with golden shields. Thiodolf of Hvina thus alludes to Valhalla being roofed with shields. Warriors all care-worn,

(Stones had poured upon them),

On their backs let glisten

Valhalla's golden shingles."

At the entrance of the mansion Gylfi saw a man who amused himself by tossing seven small-swords in the air, and catching them as they fell, one after the other. This person having asked his name, Gylfi said that he was called Gangler, and that he came from a long journey, and begged for a night's lodging. He asked, in his turn, to whom this mansion belonged. The other told him that it belonged to their king, and added, "But I will lead thee to him, and thou shalt thyself ask him his name." So saying, he entered the hall, and as Gylfi followed the door banged to behind him. He there saw many stately rooms crowded with people, some playing, some drinking, and others fighting with various weapons. Gangler, seeing a multitude of things, the meaning of which he could not comprehend, softly pronounced the following verse (from the Háva-mál, st. i.):

"Scan every gate

Ere thou go on,
With greatest caution;
For hard to say 'tis
Where foes are sitting
In this fair mansion."

He afterwards beheld three thrones raised one above another, with a man sitting on each of them [B]. Upon his asking what the names of these lords might be, his guide answered: "He who sitteth on the lowest throne is a king; his name is Har (the High or Lofty One); the second is Jafnhar (i. e. equal to the High); but he who sitteth on the highest throne is called Thridi (the Third)." Har, perceiving the stranger, asked him what his errand was, adding that he should be welcome to eat and drink without cost, as were all those who remained in Háva Hall. Gangler said he desired first to ascertain whether there was any person present renowned for his wisdom.

"If thou art not the most knowing," replied Har, “I fear thou wilt hardly return safe. But go, stand there below, and propose thy questions, here sits one who will be able to answer them."

OF THE SUPREME DEITY.

3. Gangler thus began his discourse:-"Who is the first, or eldest of the gods?"

"In our language," replied Har, "he is called Alfadir (AllFather, or the Father of All); but in the old Asgard he had twelve names."*

"Where is this God?" said Gangler; "what is his power? and what hath he done to display his glory?" [c]

"He liveth," replied Har, "from all ages, he governeth all realms, and swayeth all things great and small."

"He hath formed," added Jafnhar, "heaven and earth, and the air, and all things thereunto belonging.

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"And what is more," continued Thridi, he hath made man, and given him a soul which shall live and never perish though the body shall have mouldered away, or have been burnt to ashes. And all that are righteous shall dwell with him in the place called Gimli, or Vingólf; but the wicked

As lists of names are frequently given in the Edda, and only serve to interrupt the text, we shall place them in notes, and refer the reader to the Glossary for their signification. The names here enumerated are:-1. Alfadir. 2. Herjan. 3. Hnikar, or Nikar. 4. Nikuz, or Hnikudr. 5. Fjölnir. 6. Oski. 7. Omi. 8. Biflindi. 9. Svidr. 10. Svidrir. 11. Vidrir. 12. Jálk.