1823. ] 
bred to war from their infancy, its 
sons, in the course of a roving and pre- 
datory existence, contracted ideas of 
a wild and romantic tendency; and, 
when such ideas are once excited, 
poetry is never far behind. It came, 
accompanied by its usual train of pomp 
and magnificence, rejecting in lan- 
guage whatever was unsuited to its 
purposes, bestowing life, soul, and 
intelligence, on every object; now 
tuning itself to the praises of the 
Almighty,—now relating the actions 
of the illustrious, and animating men, 
by its sonl-exciting influence, to deeds 
worthy of cternal fame. 
Although, perhaps, in the first stages 
of his career, the profession of a bard 
was considered rather as inglorious, yet 
it must rapidly have risenin estimation; 
for, as most men of a warlike disposi- 
tion have a passionate desire for post- 
humous glory, and as this could not be 
attained without the assistance of the 
poet, he was sought after, and cares- 
sed, from the high opinion which all 
began to entertain of his utility. This 
is a glorious proof of the power of 
intellect, even among the rude and 
barbarous. Though born, perhaps, in 
the lowest class of society, the proud- 
est chieftains did not disdain the 
acquaintance of the enlightened min- 
strel; but feasted him at their courts, 
and bore him in triumph to the wars: 
so that he mightrequite them by trans- 
mitting their names to posterity. They 
found it was their interest to patronize 
him; and interest is the great motive, 
I will not say the only one, by which 
the actions of man, either good or bad, 
are originally determined. Before en- 
tering on any particular pursuit, he 
generally considers whether loss or 
advantage is likely to accrue to him 
from it. By this observation, 1 wish 
not to detract from the merit of any 
seemingly generous action, as it mat- 
ters very /iitle what the motive may 
be, provided the consequences he be- 
neficial to society. But I am con- 
vinced of the justice of it, and am 
borne out by our Saviour himself, who 
was perfectly aware of the power of 
interest, when he advised man to do 
good towards his fellow-creature. He 
did not urge him on the score of gene- 
rosity, knowing that such a pure feel- 
ing was not to be expected; but he 
bribed him to it, by saying that, in so 
doing, he was laying up treasure for 
himself in heaven. 
Be this as it may, the north soon 
Danish Poetry and Ballad Writing. 
307 
became overstocked with poets; for, 
observing that the profession was a 
profitable one, numbers were willing 
to embark in it,—many of whom left 
their country, and, by foree of the 
Runic verse, tought their way through 
England, and all other countries whose 
language bore any analogy to their 
own. Although that of Ireland was 
totally different, it was not very difli- 
cult for these enterprising men to 
overcome such an obstacle; they esta- 
blished themselves at the courts of the 
petty princes, and honouralily earned 
a livelihood by exercising their profes- 
sion. If they no longer sung in Norse, 
they still preserved the metre of its 
poetry, which was simple; and, being 
destitute of rhime, very fit for impro- 
visation. Owing to the forgeries of 
Macpherson, many have beea Jed to 
believe that Norse and Celtic poetry 
have a character entircly different ; 
but let any connoisseur in the respec- 
tive languages compare the lines of a 
Norse scald and those of an Irish 
Filea, and he will be convinced that 
the spirit of Odin and of Thor is 
breathed in both. It has been said, 
that, as these two people were de- 
scribing similar actions, they would 
necessarily express themselves nearly 
alike. But this I deny: language is 
the channel by means of which the 
feelings and humours of the mind are 
expressed. As the mind is entirely 
influenced by the temperament of the 
body, and as no two people are more 
dissimilar in temperament than a 
Norse and an Jrishman,—the one’ of 
Eastern and the other of Hyperborean 
origin; and, when we observe them 
making use of the same metaphors 
and the same imagery, the conclusion 
must be, that the one has borrowed 
from the other. ; 
When wars became less prevalent, 
in the north, the taste for mere he- 
roic poetry consequently declined, and 
was sueceeded by another, and yet 
more pleasing, species. ‘The deeds of 
the rough warrior were now frequently 
blended with those of the lover: while 
magic and enchantment hovered in 
the air, and cast their dusky shadows 
over all. Rhime, which until this pe- 
riod had been neglected,was now adopt- 
ed by most of the dialects to which 
the Norse had given birth; above all, 
by the Danish, whivh seems to be the 
most ancient, as if is the most simple, 
of them all. If was undoubtedly the 
first in which any productions, worthy 
of 
