VII.] A DEBATE, a.d. iooo. 6i 



House of Commons is ignominiously cropped by the sheep 

 of the parson. For three hundred years did the gallant 

 little Republic maintain its independence — three hundred 

 years of unequalled literary and political vigour. At last its 

 day of doom drew near. Like the Scotch nobles in the 

 time of Elizabeth, their own chieftains intrigued against the 

 liberties of the Icelandic people; and in 1261 the isiand 

 became an appanage of the Norwegian crown. Yet even 

 then the deed embodying the concession of their indepen- 

 dence was drawn up in such haughty terms as to resemble 

 rather the offer of an equal alliance than the renunciation of 

 imperial rights. Soon, however, the apathy which invariably 

 benumbs the faculties of a people too entirely relieved 

 from the discipline and obligation of self-government, 

 lapped in complete inactivity, moral, political, and intellec- 

 tual, — these once stirring islanders. On the amalgamation 

 of the three Scandinavian monarchies, at the union of 

 Calmar, the allegiance of the people of Iceland was 

 passively transferred to the Danish crown. Ever since that 

 time, Danish proconsuls have administered their govern- 

 ment, and Danish restrictions have regulated their trade. 

 The traditions of their ancient autonomy have become as 

 unsubstantial and obsolete as those which record the 

 vanished fame of their poets and historians, and the exploits 

 of their mariners. It is true, the adoption of the Lutheran 

 religion galvanized for a moment into the semblance of 

 activity the old literary spirit. A printing-press was intro- 

 duced as early as 1530, and ever since the sixteenth century 

 many works of merit have been produced from time to 

 time by Icelandic genius. Shakespeare, Milton, and Pope 

 have been translated into the native tongue ; one of the 

 best printed newspapers I have ever seen is now published 

 at Reykjavik ; and the Colleges of Copenhagen are adorned 

 by many an illustrious Icelandic scholar ; but the glory of 

 the old days is departed, and it is across a wide desolate 

 flat of ignoble annals, as dull and arid as their own lava 

 plains, that the student has to look back upon the glorious 



