1803.] Sketch of the Life of Grimr fobnfon Thorkelin, L.L.D. 
quainted with the ftate of the arts, &c. in 
Denmark, a fubjeét not le‘s interefting to 
the politician than the (cholar.* 
Notwithitanding he was extremely at- 
tentive to the objects of his miffion, he 
poffefled the art of arrangement in fuch a 
degree, that he could converfe and corre- 
fpond with his friends on fubjeéts of a 
different nature. As a proof of thts I 
could adduce many of his letters, but fhall 
content my(elf with the firft I ever receiv- 
ed from him, (about feven months after his 
arrival in England.) 
‘¢ My dear Sir, 
“‘Tt isin ficknefs only that we know 
the value of health, and in abfence that we 
know the value of friendfhip. I {peak 
from experience; isnot this a fad thing ? 
Croydon is not more than ten or twelve 
miles of London, and yet I am fo tied and 
bound with bufinefs of one kind or ano- 
ther, that I can neither beg, buy, borrow, 
nor fteal a few hours to vifit the man 
whom it delighteth me to converfe with ; 
and you are fo happy to get out of the 
fmoke of the city, and fo enamoured with 
the country, that Iam afraid you never 
once think of coming to town. When 
willthe time come that a man can call for 
his wings as we now call for our boots, 
breakfaft at York, dine at Edinburgh, 
and fup, if hechoojes, in Novembla, or 
the Lord knows where. ‘Till that happy 
period arrives, we muft be indebted to the 
wings of imagination, which, after all that 
is faid, fung, and whiltled, is one of the 
fineft powers of the mind. Our worthy 
friend, Dr. Bihop, has juft arrived from 
Copenhagen, and has brought me fome 
books which I very much wanted on your 
accuunt. To fend them to you will only 
prolong your ftay ; and yet it would bea 
fin to withhoid them, becaufe I think you 
will read them with more pleafure in the 
fhade than in the noife and hurry of the 
town. Inthe meantime, at all events, I 
fend you the Landnama Book,+ and the 
* This work was publifhed under the title 
of a ** Sketch of the Charaéter of his Royal 
Highnefs the Prince of Denmark. To which 
is added, a short Review of the prefent State 
of Literature and the Polite Arig in that 
country.” 
+ The Landnama Book ; or, the Occupa- 
tion of Lands ; i. e. the Hiftory of the Difco- 
very of Iceland, and the Settlements of the 
Colonifts. Written during the courfe of the 
twelfth and thirteent: centuries. Publithed 
39 
Speculum Regale.t Yalfo fend you a lite- 
ral tranflation of the Icelandic poem you 
mentioned. 
The brave Thorgrime taking leave of 
his beloved Ingard, recommended him- 
felf to her affe&tionate remembrance in the 
following ftanzas. | 
Mouth-fair maid, learn my 
Stanzas. If you chufe to retain them, 
They will exhilarate thee, 
Moft charming girl! now and then, 
In the abfence of thy adorer. 
They fhall drive forrow far away 5_ 
And you the blooming youth 
Will retain in your memory. 
We f{tood together among the flowers, 
And the fair-hair’d, mild-ey’d 
Virgin threw her arms about me, 
And wept bitterly. 
The tears ftreamed from her chryftal eyes, 
(Thus the will developes the inclination) 
With a f{now-white handkerchief the god-like 
virgin 
Received the tears from her fparkling eyes. 
MME UC Mer Me Se ne Sa MN i See 
Ce eM Ee a RM Ie ah 
Ae GMB ARP MET RO EET a a i ae’ PE Fag ia 
* * * T hope you won't forget the 
tranflation of the Irifh poem, as literal as 
youpleafée. * * * * * * * # 
* * * #* * & > 
I am, dear Sir, 
your’s truly, 
G. J. THORKELIN, 
Fune 6, 1789. 
In 1790 Mr. Thorkelin travelled through 
a great part of Scotland, and in 1791 he paid 
a vifit to Ireland, and touched at the Ifle 
of Man on his return. Like the induf- 
trious bee, he was fure to cull fweets even 
from the meaneft weed. In the autumn 
of 1792 he returned to Denmark, where, 
in the courfe of a year, he married a rich 
widew in the brewing-line, which he con- 
duéts at this day. 
in the Icelandic and Latin, at Copenhagen, 
in 1794, 4to. It is colieéted out of the writ- 
ings of Kolfkiegthim, Gamla, Ara, Froda, 
&c. 
t~ The Speculum Regale, written in the 
twelfth century. This is a curious and ene 
tertaining work, as it contains an excellent 
account of the manners and cuftoms of the 
inhabitants of the North in that age. It is 
fuppofed to have been written by Guetro, 
King of Norway. 
Extracts 
