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relating an evil turn which Loke had played the Gods. The Reader will remember that they prevented the effects of old age and decay by eating certain apples, entrusted to the care of Iduna. Loke had, by a wile, conveyed away this Iduna, and concealed her in a wood, under the custody of a Giant. The Gods beginning to wax old and grey, detected the author of this theft, and with terrible threats, obliged him to make use of his utmost cunning to regain Iduna and her salutary apples back again for the Gods.”
“This is one of the Fables.” I shall
present the Reader with another,
concerning a Duel between the Giant Rugner
and the God Thor. “The Giant carried
a lance made all of whetstone. Thor
broke it in pieces by a blow with his
club, and made the splinters fly so far,
that all the subsequent whetstones found
in the world are parts of it; as indeed
they appear evidently broken off from
something by violence.”
I must detain the Reader somewhat
longer, with the account of the origin of
Poetry. It is an allegory not altogether void
of invention.
“The Gods of the north had formed a man much in the same manner as the Grecian Deities are said to have formed Orion.
