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gin of fable. We perceive, at first fight, that it cannot be men, who difpenfe rain and fine weather, who lanch the, lightning, &c. There was therefore a neceffity for imagining there were beings of much fuperior powers, to produce thefe wonderful operations; but none at all for affigning to them forms different from thofe of men and other animals. Thefe folutions at once fatisfied the curiofity and the imagination; they were eafy' to be comprehended; they interested the heart a thoufand ways; and muft therefore fucceed, and become lafting. In fact, they have every where prevailed throughout the world. And thofe who have fo far opened their eyes, as to see into the falfity of thefe explications, have not been able to renounce them without regret, and can ftill amufe themselves with what they believe no longer. We fhall find in this Mytho logy more than one proof, that the people of the north have yielded, no lefs than others, to this patural propenfity; and

fhall be forced to agree with M. de Fontenelle, that although a lively and burning Sun may infpire fome nations with a greater warmth of imagination, and may give to their fpirits that concoction, if I may fo fay, which compleats their relifh and digeftion of fables; yet all men have talents of this kind, independent of phyfical causes.

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(D) The female "Sunna, or the SUN."] The word for Sun is ftill of the feminine gender in the German tongue, and that for the Moon in the mafculine. This obtained formerly in almost all the dialects of the Gothic language. The EDDA here gives an explication after the ancient manner, of all the celeftial appearances. The poets were willing to give a reason for all the various phases of the Moon, for the freshness of the Morning, for the courfe of the Sun, &c. I fhall leave fome other commentator, more converfant in aftronomy than myself, to examine whether the spots in the Moon

Moon bear any refemblance to the image which the Edda gives of them in this Chapter.

(E) Sometimes he "fwallows up the "Moon."] Here we have the cause of Eclipses; and it is upon this very ancient opinion, that the general practice is founded, of making noises at that time, to fright away the monster, who would otherwise devour the two great luminaries. Threatened as they so often were with being swallowed up, could they hope always to escape the danger? The ancient Scandinavians*,' who never loft fight of the

future ruin of this univerfe, did not flatter themfelves fo far. The monfter was to prevail at the laft day; as we shall fee in the fequel. I fay nothing here as to the idea of the other monfter's fucking out the fubftances of men who die away infenfibly. If it were worth while, one might find ftill traces of this notion among the popular prejudices of our own times. It is of more confequence to remark here, the great obligations we owe to the progress of science, and in particular to the ftudy of nature, for our prefent fecurity and exemption from fuch groundless terrors.

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THE SEVENTH FABLE.

Of the Way that leads to Heaven.

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ANGLER afks; Which way do. they go from earth to heaven? Har anfwered, with a smile of derifion, That is a fenfeless question; have you never been told, that the Gods have erected a Bridge, which extends from earth to heaven, and that the name of it is Bifroft? You have furely feen it; but, perhaps, you call it the RAINBOW. It is of three colours, is extremely folid, and conftructed with more art than any work in the world. But altho' it be fo very ftrong, it will nevertheless be broke in pieces, when the fons of Muspell, thofe mifchievous Genii, after having traverfed the great Rivers of Hell, fhall pass over this Bridge on horfeback. Then, fays Gangler, It appears to me that the Gods have not executed their work truly and faithfully, in ecting a Bridge fo liable to be broken down, fince it is in their pow

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er to perform whatever they please. The Gods, replied Har, are not to be blamed on that account. Bifroft is of itself a good bridge; but there is nothing in nature that can hope to make refiftance, when those Genii of Fire fally forth to war (A).

But, fays Gangler, What did the Univerfal Father do, after he had built Afgard? Har answered, He in the beginning established Governors (B); and ordered them to decide whatever differences fhould arife among men, and to regulate the government of the celeftial city. The affembly of these judges was held in the plain called Ida, which is in the middle of the divine abode. Their first work was to build a Hall, wherein are Twelve Seats for themselves (c), befides the throne which is occupied by the Univerfal Father. This Hall is the largest and most magnificent in the world. One fees nothing there but gold, either within or without. Its name is Gladheim *. or the Manfion of Joy. They also erected another Hall, for the use of the Goddeffes. It is a moft delightful and delicate ftructure; they call it Vinglod, or the Mansion of Love and Friendship. Laftly, they built a houfe, wherein they placed furnaces, hammers, an anvil, and

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* Glad-heim, is literally in English GLAD-HOME. T.

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all the other inftruments of a forge; then they worked in metal, ftone, and wood; and compofed fo large a quantity of the metal called Gold, that they made all their moveables, and even the very harness of their horfes of pure Gold: hence that age was named the Golden Age (D). This was that age which lafted till the arrival of those women, who came from the country of the Giants, and corrupted it. Then the God's feating themselves upon their thrones, diftributed juftice, and took under confideration the affairs of the DWARFS; a fpecies of beings bred in the duft of the earth; juft as worms are in a dead carcafe. It was indeed in the body of the Giant YMIR, that they were engendered, and first began to move and live. At first they were only worms; but by order of the Gods, they at length partook of both human fhape and reafon; nevertheless, they always dwell in fubterraneous caverns, and among the rocks (E).

Here follow fome verfes of the Voluspa, accompanied with a long lift of the principal Dwarfs. Some of which are faid to dwell in the rocks, and others in the duft, &c.

REMARKS ON THE SEVENTH FABLE.

(A) "When those "Genii of Fire fally forth

"to war."] It is very remarkable that this me

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