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Table of Contents

It has already been said that only antiquarians had knowledge of things Icelandic in Gray's time. Most of this knowledge was in Latin, of course, in ponderous tomes with wonderful, long titles; and the list of them is awe-inspiring. In all likelihood Gray did not use them all, but he met references to them in the books he did consult. Professor Kittredge mentions them in the paper already quoted, but they are here arranged in the order of publication, and the list is lengthened to include some books that were inspired by the interest in Gray's experiments.

1636 and 1651. Wormius. Seu Danica literatura antiquissima, vulgo Gothica dicta, luci reddita opera Olai Wormii. Cui accessit de prisca Danorum Poesi Dissertatio. Hafniæ. 1636. Edit. II. 1651.

The essay on poetry contains interlinear Latin translations of the Epicedium of Ragnar Loðbrók, and of the Drápa of Egill Skallagrímsson. Bound with the second edition of 1651, and bearing the date 1650, is: Specimen Lexici runici, obscuriorum quarundam vocum, quæ in priscis occurrunt historiis et poetis Danicis enodationem exhibens. Collectum a Magno Olavio pastore Laufasiensi, … nunc in ordinem redactum, auctum et locupletatum ab Olao Wormio. Hafniæ. This glossary adduces illustrations from the great poems of Icelandic literature. Thus early the names and forms of the ancient literature were known.

1665. Resenius. Edda Islandorum an. Chr. MCCXV islandice conscripta per Snorronem Sturlæ Islandiæ. Nomophylacem nunc primum islandice, danice et latine … Petri Johannis Resenii … Havniæ. 1665.

A second part contains a disquisition on the philosophy of the Völuspá and the Hávamál.

1670. Sheringham. De Anglorum Gentis Origine Disceptatio. Qua eorum migrationes, variæ sedes, et ex parte res gestæ, a confusione Linguarum, et dispersione Gentium, usque ad adventum eorum in Britanniam investigantur; quædam de veterum Anglorum religione, Deorum cultu, eorumque opinionibus de statu animæ post hanc vitam, explicantur. Authore Roberto Sheringhamo. Cantabrigiæ. 1670.

Chapter XII contains an account of Odin extracted from the Edda, Snorri Sturluson and others.

1679–92. Temple. Two essays: "Of Heroic Virtue," "Of Poetry," contained in The Works of Sir William Temple. London. 1757. Vol. 3, pp. 304–429.

1689. Bartholinus. Thomæ Bartholini Antiquitatum Danicarum de causis contemptæ a Danis adhuc gentilibus mortis libri III ex vetustis codicibus et monumentis hactenus ineditis congestæ. Hafniæ. 1689.

The pages of this book are filled, with extracts from Old Norse sagas and poetry which are translated into Latin. No student of the book could fail to get a considerable knowledge of the spirit and the form of the ancient literature.

1691. Verelius. Index linguæ veteris Scytho-Scandicæ sive Gothicæ ex vetusti ævi monumentis … ed Rudbeck. Upsalæ. 1691.

1697. Torfæus.Orcades, seu rerum Orcadensium historiæ. Havniæ. 1697.

1697. Perinskjöld. Heimskringla, eller Snorre Sturlusons Nordländske Konunga Sagor. Stockholmiæ. 1697.

Contains Latin and Swedish translation.

1705. Hickes. Linguarum Vett. Septentrionalium thesaurus grammatico criticus et archæologicus. Oxoniæ. 1703–5.

This work is discussed later.

1716. Dryden. Miscellany Poems. Containing Variety of New Translations of the Ancient Poets. … Published by Mr. Dryden. London. 1716.

1720. Keysler. Antiquitates selectæ septentrionales et Celticæ quibus plurima loca conciliorum et capitularium explanantur, dogmata theologiæ ethnicæ Celtarum gentiumque septentrionalium cum moribus et institutis maiorum nostrorum circa idola, aras, oracula, templa, lucos, sacerdotes, regum electiones, comitia et monumenta sepulchralia una cum reliquiis gentilismi in coetibus christianorum ex monumentis potissimum hactenus ineditis fuse perquiruntur. Autore Joh. Georgio Keysler. Hannoveræ. 1720.

1755. Mallet. Introduction à l'Histoire de Dannemarc où l'on traite de la Réligion, des Lois, des Moeurs, et des Usages des Anciens Danois. Par M. Mallet. Copenhague. 1755.

Discussed later.

1756. Mallet. Monumens de la Mythologie et la Poësie des Celtes et particulièrement des anciens Scandinaves … Par M. Mallet. Copenhague. 1756.

1763. Percy. Five Pieces of Runic Poetry translated from the Islandic Language. London. 1763.

This book is described on a later page.

1763. Blair. A Critical Dissertation on the Poems of Ossian, the Son of Fingal. [By Hugh Blair.] London. 1763.

1770. Percy. Northern Antiquities: or a description of the Manners, Customs, Religion and Laws of the ancient Danes, and other Northern Nations; including these of our own Saxon Ancestors. With a translation of the Edda or System of Runic Mythology, and other Pieces from the Ancient Icelandic Tongue. Translated from M. Mallet's Introduction à l'Histoire de Dannemarc. London. 1770.

1774. Warton. The History of English Poetry. By Thomas Warton. London. 1774–81.

In this book the prefatory essay entitled "On the Origin of Romantic Fiction in Europe" is significant. It is treated at length later on.