234 Gleanings from the 



bear him out in this interpretation ; with them 

 the Cyclopes rather reprefent the exceflive toil 

 required in forging iron, and fhew that the 

 blefTmgs of civilization are only attained by 

 conftant and unenviable labours " as when the 

 Cyclopes haftily forge thunderbolts out of tough 

 maffes of metal ; fome take in and blow out the 

 gales of heaven from their bellows of bullhide, 

 others dip the hifling bronze into the lake, ^tna 

 groans at the weight of the anvils placed upon 

 her. They, vying with one another with mighty 

 force, raife their arms together, and turn with 

 {tout-holding forceps the weighty iron." 1 



Kingfley opined that our own Teutonic fore- 

 fathers imported their elves, trolls, pixies, and the 

 like, from the heart of Afia. They feem to us 

 rather a fpontaneous growth of the northern 

 mind, fuited to the attributes of the " blamelefs 

 Hyperboreans," who gave them birth. No 

 monftrous brood are they, fwelling with envy and 

 rage againft heaven and earth, like Hylasus, 

 Typhoeus, and the remnants of the giants of 

 Grecian fancy, but kindly houfehold fprites, will- 

 ing to be friendly with man ; and, if a little trickfy 

 at times, eafily appeafed by a bowl of milk, a 

 frefhly-baked cake, or the like. Even Thor and 

 Odin (Thunder and Wind) were magnanimous and 

 placable, if huge and all-powerful. Images of 

 terror and fuperhuman force and cruelty naturally 

 affected the Greeks in their beautiful land and 

 mild, foporific climate. The Scandinavians, on 



1 Virgil, " jEn.," iii. 634, 677 ; "Georg./' iv. 170-175. 



