Icelandic Poetry, or The Edda of Saemund TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH VERSE, BY A. S. COTTLE, of MAGDALEN COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, Si noftrum areret ingenium, de vetuftatis poffet HIEROME. BRISTOL: PRINTED BY N. BIGGS, FOR JOSEPH COTTLE, AND SOLD IN LONDON BY MESSRS. ROBINSONS. 1797. INTRODUCTION. THE Northern nations maintained a doubtful conteft with Rome, even in the most glorious period of the Republic-but when Rome had funk into depraved flavery, the enthusiasm of a fierce fuperftition prevailed, and the face of Europe has been changed by its fuccefs. The tenets of this fuperstition must be fought for in the Edda. The original inhabitants of Europe according to fome writers, confifted of two distinct races of men, the Celts and *Sarmatians. The latter they fay were the * If any person would wish to see this question more fully difcuffed he will find it in Percy's Northern Antiquities. Ancestors of the Ruffians, Poles, Bohemians and Walachians. From the former defcended the ancient inhabitants of Gaul, Germany, Scandinavia, Britain and Spain. But by others this position is denied, so far however as relates to the Celts. These maintain that Germany, Scandinavia, Gaul and Britain, were not inhabited by the defcendants of one fingle race; but divided between the Celtic who were the ancestors of the Gauls, Britons, and Irifh; and the Gothic or Teutonic, from whom the Germans, Belgians, Saxons and Scandinavians derive their origin. Two reafons may be affigned for this difference of opinion. One from the fimilarity of language, the other, of custom. In remote ages prior to history, and the improvements of science, the bounds and limits of each nation were but faintly distinguished. The barbarous inhabitants of Europe, roving and unfettled, often varied their fituation. At one! time they seized this part of the country, at another, were driven from it by fome stronger tribe of Barbarians, or fpontaneously left it in search of some new fettlement. Thus Cæfar informs us that the Gauls often migrated across the Rhine into Germany, and on the other hand, the Germans into Gaul. By these means the languages and customs of each became blended together, till in time, historians were led to believe that they were both originally defcended from the fame ftock. The Roman writers had fuch a confused and indistinct knowledge of the descent and character of the northern nations of Europe, that they confounded both the Celts and Goths with the Sarmatians, who are well known to have been |