desisted from the havoc which he was making, and advanced to meet his master, regardless of his threats, and the noise he made to intimidate him. On this Thorodd struck him so hard between the horns, that the stake broke short close by the forks. Glæsir then rushed upon Thorodd, who seizing him by the horns turned his head aside; and in this manner they struggled for some time; Glæsir always pushing, and Thorodd avoiding, till the latter began to be fatigued. Then Thorodd leaping upon his neck, and leaning over between his horns, clasped his hands under his throat, which he griped with all his might, in hopes of stifling him, or tiring him out; and in this manner the bull ran about the field, carrying him upon his neck. "The servants seeing their master in such danger, and being weaponless, not daring to interfere, ran home to arm themselves, and returned with spears and other weapons. When the bull saw that, he stooped his head between his legs, and shook it till he got one of his horns under Thorodd, then raised it with a jerk so suddenly, that he threw up Thorodd's legs, so that he stood almost upon his head upon the bull's neck. When his legs fell down again, Glæsir stooped his head once more, and struck him with his other horn in the belly, goring him so dreadfully that he let go his hold, and the bull, roaring tremendously, ran along the meadow towards the river. The servants pursued him through a ravine of the mountain called Geirvaur, till he reached a fen below the farm-stead of Hello, where he ran into a pool, dived, and never after came up again; and ever since the fen has been called Glæsiskellda-Returning to the house, they found Thorodd dead of his wound."* The annals proceed to inform us of the death of Snorro, during the winter after the death of St Olave, leaving a powerful and flourishing family to support the fame which he had acquired. He was buried in the church at Tunga, which he himself had founded; but when it was removed, his bones were transported to its new site. From these relics the celebrated Snorro seemed to have been a man of ordinary stature; nor indeed, does it anywhere appear that he attained the ascendency which he possessed in the island by personal strength, but rather by that subtlety of spirit which he displayed in conducting his enterprises, and by his address and eloquence in the popular assembly. Although often engaged in feuds, his valour seems to have been duly mingled with discretion, and the deeds of war for which he was celebrated in poetry, were usually achieved by the strong arm of some ally or satellite. He was so equal in his demeanour, that it was difficult to observe *Referring the curious to the notes of Mr Jamieson, it is only necessary to say here, that no tradition is so universal in the Scottish highlands and lowlands, as well as in Ireland, as the belief in a water-bull; a creature in some degree supernatural, but yet in part supposed to be a creature of this world. In their belief of its qualities and habits, the people among whom the legend is current, agree, with wonderful correctness; so that it would almost seem that these reports have been founded on the existence, at a very distant period of some species of amphibious animal, which has now become extinct. what pleased or displeased him; slow and cautious in resolving upon revenge, but tenacious and implacable in pursuing it; an excellent counsellor to his friends, but skilful in inducing his enemies to take measures which afterwards proved fatal to them. In fine, as the ecclesiastical historian of Iceland sums up his attributes, if Snorro were not a good and pious man, he was to be esteemed wise, prudent, and sagacious, beyond the usual pitch of humanity. This pontiff, or prefect, is mentioned with great distinction in other Icelandic chronicles, as well as in the Eyrbiggia-Saga. In the LANDNAMA BоK, part II., chapter 13, many of the foregoing incidents are alluded to, and also in the LAX DELA-SAGA, and the SAGA of OLUF TRYGGASON. That such a character, partaking more of the jurisconsult or statesman than of the warrior, should have risen so high in such an early period, argues the preference which the Icelanders already assigned to mental superiority over the rude attributes of strength and courage, and furnishes another proof of the early civilisation of this extraordinary commonwealth. In other respects, the character of Snorro was altogether unamiable, and blended with strong traits of the savage. Cunning and subtlety supplied the place of wisdom, and an earnest and uniform attention to his own interests often, as in the dispute between Arnkill and his father, superseded the ties of blood and friendship. Still, however, his selfish conduct seems to have been of more service to the settlement in which he swayed, than would have been that of a generous and high-spirited warrior who acted from the impulse of momentary passion. His ascendency, though acquired by means unworthy of praise, seems, in his petty canton, to have had the effect produced by that of Augustus in the Roman Empire; although, more guiltless than the emperor of the world, the pontiff of Helgafels neither subverted the liberties of his country, nor bequeathed the domination he had acquired to a tyrannical successor. His son succeeded to the paternal property, but not to the political power of their father, and his possessions being equally divided amongst them, they founded several families, long respected in Iceland as descendants of the pontiff Snorro. ABBOTSFORD, October, 13, 1813. g in front of the Hotel Meurice, with pmlptor Crawford have arrived, sad yet lonely and ever in sseoons Greenwood Cemetery, adding A Crawford's works, of which in Boston, ought to be colIn Ere the next sun they'd have the "hardest times" we know pare the benefit of his family. The origin of the phrase, "that's my thu pd to be written by the venera- der," was this: In the reign of Queen Anne the of the Cosmopolitan Art JourAN peuble likeness and biographical rancis of this city, an uncle was a sage and grave critic by the name of Denm 88 104ceased. The catalogue of his who in his old age got it into his head that he 14 Jo setter than was generally sup- written all the good plays that were acted at t 21 must make a most interesting and It is rumored that the Cos-time. At last a tragedy came forth with a most mos st Ption" will purchase some of posing display of hail and thunder. At the nary for their next year's pre- storm, Dennis exclaimed, "That's my thunder." know they give the "Greek At the time when the blacksmith of Gr e pionemptation for three dollars a Green was in the full exercise of his vocation, a co 3 talogue of the Dusseldorf picpast the three dollar magazines for presented themselves before him. "It is five gui Jor the three dollar subscripArt Journal, (worth $2,) and in advance," said he. "What!" said the wou husband, "my friend, Smuggins, only paid be called "Manifest Destiny," "True, but as I had al at the rate of five hundred a married Smuggins five times, I made him a utiful young women engaged twenty shillings." on" takes place, I believe, in count." |