Moon bear any refemblance to the image which the Edda gives of them in this Chapter. (E) "Sometimes he "fwallows up the "Moon."] Here we have the cause of Eclipfes; and it is upon this very ancient opinion, that the general practice is founded, of making noises at that time, to fright away the monster, who would otherwise devour the two great luminaries. Threatened as they so often were with being fwallowed up, could they hope always to escape the danger? The ancient Scandinavians*,' who never loft fight of the future ruin of this univerfe, did not flatter themfelves fo far. The monfter was to prevail at the laft day; as we shall see in the fequel. I fay nothing here as to the idea of the other monster's fucking out the fubftances of men who die away infenfibly. If it were worth while, one might find ftill traces of this notion among the popular prejudices of our own times. It is of more confequence to remark here, the great obligations we owe to the progress of science, and in particular to the study of nature, for our prefent fecurity and exemption from groundless terrors. Les Celtes. Orig. fuch THE SEVENTH FABLE. Of the Way that leads to Heaven. GA ANGLER afks; Which way do they go from earth to heaven? Har anfwered, with a fmile of derifion, That is a fenfelefs queftion; have you never been told, that the Gods have erected a Bridge, which extends from earth to heaven, and that the name of it is Bifroft? You have furely feen it; but, perhaps, you call it the RAINBOW. It is of three colours, is extremely folid, and conftructed with more art than any work in the world. But altho' it be fo very strong, it will nevertheless be broke in pieces, when the fons of Mufpell, thofe mifchievous Genii, after having traverfed the great Rivers of Hell, shall pafs over this Bridge on horfeback. Then, fays Gangler, It appears to me that the Gods have not executed their work truly and faithfully, in erecting a Bridge fo liable to be broken down, fince it is in their pow er to perform whatever they please. The Gods, replied Har, are not to be blamed on that account. Bifroft is of itself a good bridge; but there is nothing in nature that can hope to make refiftance, when those Genii of Fire fally forth to war (A). But, fays Gangler, What did the Univerfal Father do, after he had built Afgard? Har anfwered, He in the beginning established Governors (B); and ordered them to decide whatever differences fhould arife among men, and to regulate the government of the celeftial city. The affembly of thefe judges was held in the plain called Ida, which is in the middle of the divine abode. Their firft work was to build a Hall, wherein are Twelve Seats for themselves (c), befides the throne which is occupied by the Univerfal Father. This Hall is the largest and most magnificent in the world. One fees nothing there but gold, either within or without. Its name is Gladheim*. or the Manfion of Joy." They also erected another Hall, for the ufe of the Goddeffes. It is a moft delightful and delicate ftructure; they call it Vinglod, -or the Manfion of Love and Friendship. Laftly, they built a house, wherein they placed furnaces, hammers, an anvil, and f * Glad-beim, is literally in English GLAD-HOME. T. all all the other inftruments of a forge; then they worked in metal, ftone, and wood; and compofed fo large a quantity of the metal called Gold, that they made all their moveables, and even the very harness of their horfes of pure Gold: hence that age was named the Golden Age (D). This was that age which lafted till the arrival of those women, who came from the country of the Giants, and corrupted it. Then the Gods feating themselves upon their thrones, diftributed juftice, and took under confideration the affairs of the DWARFS; a fpecies of beings bred in the dust of the earth; juft as worms are in a dead carcafe. It was indeed in the body of the Giant YMIR, that they were engendered, and firft began to move and live. At first they were only worms; but by order of the Gods, they at length partook of both human fhape and reafon; nevertheless, they always dwell in fubterraneous caverns, and among the rocks (E). Here follow fome verfes of the Volufpa, accompanied with a long lift of the principal Dwarfs. Some of which are faid to dwell in the rocks, and others in the duft, &c. REMARKS ON THE SEVENTH FABLE. (A)" When those "Genii of Fire sally forth "to war."] It is very remarkable that this me nace hace fhould fo often occur. But the Gothic and' Celtic nations were in general perfuaded, that nature was in continual danger; and that its secret and public enemies, after having for a long time undermined and fhaken it, would at laft bring on the great day of its general ruin. This melancholy idea muft, I think, have had its rife from fome of thofe diforders, to which our world is often exposed; at which times one would almost believe that the powers who govern it, were engaged in war with each other. And although this idea muft have prevailed more extenfively, and been more easily impreffed in thofe climates where the seasons, fubject to fudden and violent revolutions, often present nature under a languifhing, or convulfed appearance: yet it is well known that there is fcarcely any people, but what have had expectations of the end of the world; and have accordingly reprefented it fome way or other; either as effected by a deluge, or a confla gration: or, laftly, un der the veil of fome allegory; as by a battle between good and evil Genii. The EDDA employs all these three means at the fame time: fuch deep root had this doctrine taken in the minds of the poets, the theologians of the north. 66 (B)" He established governors."] The legiflators of the Scythians reprefented God himself, as author of the Laws which they gave to their fellow citizens. Neither ought we to esteem this pretence of theirs as altogether a political impofture. When men had brought themselves to look upon their Gods as the protectors of Juftice and integrity; the Laws, which gave a public fanction to thofe virtues, being regarded as the expreffion of the divine will, might naturally enough be called the Work of the Gods. This manner of speaking, though misunderstood afterwards, would be fufficiently authorized by that respect and gratitude, which fo great a benefit would infpire. It is well known |