knowledge and so keen an appreciation of Old Norse in a
Warton, whose interest was chiefly elsewhere, argues for a spreading
popularity of the ancient literature. Thus far, only Gray has made
living English literature out of these old stories, and he only two
short poems. There were other attempts to achieve poetic success with
this foreign material, but a hundred exacting years have covered them
with oblivion.

DRAKE (1766-1836). MATHIAS (1754-1835).

In the second decade of the nineteenth century, Nathan Drake, M.D., made
a strong effort to popularize Norse mythology and literature. The fourth
edition of his work entitled _Literary Hours_ (London, 1820)
contains[11] an appreciative article on the subject, the fullness of
which is indicated in these words from p. 309:

"The most striking and characteristic parts of the Scandinavian
mythology, together with no inconsiderable portion of the manners and
customs of our northern ancestors, have now passed before the reader;
their theology, warfare, and poetry, their gallantry, religious rites,
and superstitions, have been separately, and, I trust, distinctly
reviewed."

The essay is written in an easy style that doubtless gained for it many
readers. All the available knowledge of the subject was used, and a
clearer view of it was presented than had been obtainable in Percy's
"Mallet." The author was a thoughtful man, able to detect errors in
Warton and Percy, but his zeal in his enterprise led him to praise
versifiers inordinately that had used the "Gothic fables." He quotes
liberally from writers whose books are not to be had in this country,
and certainly the uninspired verses merit the neglect that this fact
indicates. He calls Sayers' pen "masterly" that wrote these lines:

Coucher of the ponderous spear,
Thou shout'st amid the battle's stound--
The armed Sisters hear,
Viewless hurrying o'er the ground
They strike the destin'd chiefs and call them to the skies.

(P. 168.)

From Penrose he quotes such lines as these:

The feast begins, the skull goes round,
Laughter shouts--the shouts resound.
The gust of war subsides--E'en now
The grim chief curls his cheek, and smooths his rugged brow.

(P. 171.)

From Sterling comes this imitation of Gray:

Now the rage of combat burns,
Haughty chiefs on chiefs lie slain;
The battle glows and sinks by turns,
Death and carnage load the plain.

(P 17