to conceal himself in the river. As foom as the Gods got there, Kuafer, who was the moft diftinguished among them all for his quickness and penetration, traced out in the hot embers, the veftiges and remains of the net which had been burnt, and by that means found out Loke's invention Having made all the other Gods. remark the fame thing, they fet themfelves to weave a net after the model which they faw imprinted in the afhes. This net, when finished, they threw into the water of the river in which Loke had hid himself. Thor held one end of the net, and all the Gods together laid hold of the other, thus jointly drawing it along the ftream. Nevertheless, Loke concealing himself between two stones, the net paffed over him without taking him; and the Gods only perceived that fome living thing had touched the meshes. They caft it in a second time, after having tied fo great a weight to it, that it every where raked the bottom of the stream. But Loke faved himself by suddenly mounting up to the top of the water, and then plunging in again, in a place where the river formed a cataract. The Gods betook themselves afresh towards that place, and divided into two bands: Thor walking in the water followed the net, which they dragged thus to the very margin of the sea. Then Then Loke perceived the danger that threats ned him, whether he faved himself in the fea; or whether he got back over the net, However, he chofe the latter, and leaped with all his might over the net: but Thor running after him, caught him in his hand: but for all this, being extremely flippery, he had doubtlefs efcaped, had not Thor held him fast by the tail; and this is the reason why Salmons have had their tails ever fince fo fine and thin. 8 THE THE THIRTY-FIRST FABLE. L The Punishment of Loke. OKE being thus taken, they dragged him without mercy into a cavern. The Gods alfo feized his children, Vali and Nari: the first being changed by the Gods into a favage beaft, tore his brother in pieces and devoured him. The Gods made of his intestines cords for Loke, tying him down to three sharp ftones; one of which preffed his shoulder, the other his loyns; and the third his hams. Thefe cords were afterwards changed into chains of iron. Befides this, Skada fufpended over his head a ferpent, whofe venom falls upon his face, drop by drop. At the fame time his wife, Siguna, fits by his fide, and receives the drops as they fall, into a bafon, which the empties as often as it is filled. But while this is doing, the venom falls upon Loke, which makes him howl with horror, and twift his body about with fuch violence, that all the earth is fhaken with it; and this produces what men call Earth-quakes. There " " will Loke remain in irons till the last day of the darkness of the Gods. REMARKS ON THE THIRTY-FIRST FABLE. LOKE having at length tired out the patience of the Gods, they seize and punish him. This idea, at the bottom, hath prevailed among almost all the ancient nations; but they have each of them imbellifhed it after their own manner. One cannot doubt but our Scandinavians brought with them from Afia this belief, which appears to have been very widely eftablished there from the earlieft antiquity. In the Book of the pretended prophecy of Enoch, we find many particulars very much refembling thefe of the EDDA. The rebel angels caufing inceffantly a thousand diforders, God commanded theArch-Angel, RAPHAEL, to bind hand and foot one of the principal among them, named Azael, and caft him into an obscure place in a defert, there to keep him bound upon fharp pointed ftones to the last day. One may also fafely conjecture that the fables of Prometheus, Typhon and Enceladus, are derived from the fame original: whether one is to look for this in the History of Holy Writ, misunderstood and disfigured, or in other forgotten events, or only in the ancient cuftom of concealing all inftructions under the veil of allegory's a custom common in all nations, while their reafon is in its infancy, but peculiarly proper to thofe of the east. As all the diligence of the learned cannot fupply the want of neceffary monuments, I fhall not venture to do more than just barely to point out the principal grounds of their conjectures to enumerate them all, to weigh their refpective merits, and to apply each of them to this fable of the EDDA, would be a task as laborious, as difagreeable and ufelefs: and for which very few of my readers would think themselves obliged to me. THE THE THIRTY-SECOND FABLE GA Of the Twilight of the Gods. ANGLER then inquired; What can you tell me concerning that day? Har replied; There are very many and very notable circumstances which I can impart to you. In the first place, will come the grand, the defolating' Winter; during which the fnow will fall from the four corners of the world: the froft will be very fevere; the tempest violent and dangerous; and the Sun will withdraw his beams. Three fuch winters fhall pass away, without being foftened by one fummer. Three others fhall follow, during which War and Difcord will fpread through the whole globe. Brothers, out of hatred, shall kill each other; no one fhall fpare either his parent, or his child, or his relations. See how it is described in the VOLUSPA; "Bro"thers becoming murderers, shall stain "themfelves with brothers blood; kindred "fhall |