irst two Olafs, Tryggveson and
the Saint. And the view of them, withal, as we chance to have it, I have
often thought, how essentially Homeric it was:--indeed what is "Homer"
himself but the _Rhapsody_ of five centuries of Greek Skalds and
wandering Ballad-singers, done (i.e. "stitched together") by somebody
more musical than Snorro was? Olaf Tryggveson and Olaf Saint please me
quite as well in their prosaic form; offering me the truth of them as
if seen in their real lineaments by some marvellous opening (through
the art of Snorro) across the black strata of the ages. Two high, almost
among the highest sons of Nature, seen as they veritably were; fairly
comparable or superior to god-like Achilleus, goddess-wounding Diomedes,
much more to the two Atreidai, Regulators of the Peoples.

I have also thought often what a Book might be made of Snorro, did there
but arise a man furnished with due literary insight, and indefatigable
diligence; who, faithfully acquainting himself with the topography,
the monumental relies and illustrative actualities of Norway, carefully
scanning the best testimonies as to place and time which that
country can still give him, carefully the best collateral records and
chronologies of other countries, and who, himself possessing the highest
faculty of a Poet, could, abridging, arranging, elucidating, reduce
Snorro to a polished Cosmic state, unweariedly purging away his much
chaotic matter! A modern "highest kind of Poet," capable of unlimited
slavish labor withal;--who, I fear, is not soon to be expected in this
world, or likely to find his task in the _Heimskringla_ if he did appear
here.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: J. G. Dahlmann, _Geschichte von Dannemark_, 3 vols. 8vo.
Hamburg, 1840-1843.]

[Footnote 2: "Settlement," dated 912, by Munch, Henault, &c. The Saxon
Chronicle says (anno 876): "In this year Rolf overran Normandy with his
army, and he reigned fifty winters."]

[Footnote 3: Dahlmann, ii. 87.]

[Footnote 4: Dahlmann, ii. 93.]

[Footnote 5: _Laing's Snorro_, i. 344.]

[Footnote 6: G. Buchanani _Opera Omnia_, i. 103, 104 (Curante Ruddimano,
Edinburgi, 1715).]

[Footnote 7: His Long Serpent, judged by some to be of the size of a
frigate of forty-five guns (Laing).]

[Footnote 8: This sermon was printed by Hearne; and is given also by
Langebek in his excellent Collection, _Rerum Danicarum Scriptores Medii
AEri._ Hafniae. 1772-1834.]

[Footnote 9: Kennet, i. 67; Rapin, i.