letters from high latitudes-第39章

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；　under　my　guidance；　with　all　the　ABANDON　of　Francesca　di　Rimini；　in　Scheffer's　famous　picture。

The　Crown　Prince　is　a　tall；　fine…looking　person；　he　was　very　gracious；　and　asked　many　questions　about　my　voyage。

At　night　there　was　a　general　illumination；　to　which　the　〃Foam〃　contributed　some　blue　lights。

We　got　under　way　early　this　morning；　and　without　a　pilotas　we　had　enteredmade　our　way　out　to　sea　again。　I　left　Throndhjem　with　regret；　not　for　its　own　sake；　for　in　spite　of　balls　and　illuminations　I　should　think　the　pleasures　of　a　stay　there　would　not　be　deliriously　exciting；　but　this　whole　district　is　so　intimately　associated　in　my　mind　with　all　the　brilliant　episodes　of　ancient　Norwegian　History；　that　I　feel　as　if　I　were　taking　leave　of　all　those　noble　Haralds；　and　Olafs；　and　Hacons；　among　whom　I　have　been　living　in　such　pleasant　intimacy　for　some　time　past。

While　we　are　dropping　down　the　coast；　I　may　as　well　employ　the　time　in　giving　you　a　rapid　sketch　of　the　commencement　of　this　fine　Norse　people；　though　the　story　〃remonte　jusqu'a　la　nuit　des　temps；〃　and　has　something　of　the　vague　magnificence　of　your　own　M'Donnell　genealogy；　ending　a　long　list　of　great　potentates；　with　〃somebody；　who　was　the　son　of　somebody　else；　who　was　the　son　of　Scotha；　who　was　the　daughter　of　Pharaoh！〃

In　bygone　ages；　beyond　the　Scythian　plains　and　the　fens　of　the　Tanais；　in　that　land　of　the　morning；　to　which　neither　Grecian　letters　nor　Roman　arms　had　ever　penetrated；　there　was　a　great　city　called　Asgaard。　Of　its　founder；　of　its　history；　we　know　nothing；　but　looming　through　the　mists　of　antiquity　we　can　discern　an　heroic　figure；　whose　superior　attainments　won　for　him　the　lordship　of　his　own　generation；　and　divine　honours　from　those　that　succeeded。　Whether　moved　by　an　irresistible　impulse；　or　impelled　by　more　powerful　neighbours；　it　is　impossible　to　say；　but　certain　it　is　that　at　some　period；　not　perhaps　very　long　before　the　Christian　era；　under　the　guidance　of　this　personage；　a　sun…nurtured　people　moved　across　the　face　of　Europe；　in　a　north…westerly　direction；　and　after　leaving　settlements　along　the　southern　shores　of　the　Baltic；　finally　established　themselves　in　the　forests　and　valleys　of　what　has　come　to　be　called　the　Scandinavian　Peninsula。　That　children　of　the　South　should　have　sought　out　so　inclement　a　habitation　may　excite　surprise；　but　it　must　always　be　remembered　that　they　were；　probably；　a　comparatively　scanty　congregation；　and　that　the　unoccupied　valleys　of　Norway　and　Sweden；　teeming　with　fish　and　game；　and　rich　in　iron；　were　a　preferable　region　to　lands　only　to　be　colonised　after　they　had　been　conquered。

Thus；　under　the　leadership　of　Odin　and　his　twelve　Paladins；　to　whom　a　grateful　posterity　afterwards　conceded　thrones　in　the　halls　of　their　chief's　Valhalla；the　new　emigrants　spread　themselves　along　the　margin　of　the　out…ocean；　and　round　about　the　gloomy　fiords；　and　up　and　down　the　deep　valleys　that　fall　away　at　right　angles　from　the　backbone；　or　keel；　as　the　seafaring　population　soon　learnt　to　call　the　flat；　snow…capped　ridge　that　runs　down　the　centre　of　Norway。

Amid　the　rude　but　not　ungenial　influences　of　its　bracing　climate；　was　gradually　fostered　that　gallant　race　which　was　destined　to　give　an　imperial　dynasty　to　Russia；　a　nobility　to　England；　and　conquerors　to　every　sea…board　in　Europe。

Upon　the　occupation　of　their　new　home；　the　ascendency　of　that　mysterious　hero；　under　whose　auspices　the　settlement　was　conducted；　appears　to　have　remained　more　firmly　established　than　ever；　not　only　over　the　mass　of　the　people；　but　also　over　the　twelve　subordinate　chiefs　who　accompanied　him；　there　never　seems　to　have　been　the　slightest　attempt　to　question　his　authority；　and；　though　afterwards　themselves　elevated　into　an　order　of　celestial　beings；　every　tradition　which　has　descended　is　careful　to　maintain　his　human　and　divine　supremacy。　Through　the　obscurity；　the　exaggeration；　and　the　ridiculous　fables；　with　which　his　real　existence　has　been　overloaded；　we　can　still　see　that　this　man　evidently　possessed　a　genius　as　superior　to　his　contemporaries；　as　has　ever　given　to　any　child　of　man　the　ascendency　over　his　generation。　In　the　simple　language　of　the　old　chronicler；　we　are　told；　〃that　his　countenance　was　so　beautiful　that；　when　sitting　among　his　friends；　the　spirits　of　all　were　exhilarated　by　it；　that　when　he　spoke；　all　were　persuaded；　that　when　he　went　forth　to　meet　his　enemies；　none　could　withstand　him。〃　Though　subsequently　made　a　god　by　the　superstitious　people　he　had　benefited；　his　death　seems　to　have　been　noble　and　religious。　He　summoned　his　friends　around　his　pillow；　intimated　a　belief　in　the　immortality　of　his　soul；　and　his　hope　that　hereafter　they　should　meet　again　in　Paradise。　〃Then；〃　we　are　told；　〃began　the　belief　in　Odin；　and　their　calling　upon　him。〃

On　the　settlement　of　the　country；　the　land　was　divided　and　subdivided　into　lotssome　as　small　as　fifty　acresand　each　proprietor　held　his　shareas　their　descendants　do　to　this　dayby　udal　right；　that　is；　not　as　a　fief　of　the　Crown；　or　of　any　superior　lord；　but　in　absolute；　inalienable　possession；　by　the　same　udal　right　as　the　kings　wore　their　crowns；　to　be　transmitted；　under　the　same　title；　to　their　descendants　unto　all　generations。

These　landed　proprietors　were　called　the　Bonders；　and　formed　the　chief　strength　of　the　realm。　It　was　they；　their　friends　and　servants；　or　thralls；　who　constituted　the　army。　　Without　their　consent　the　king　could　do　nothing。　On　stated　occasions　they　met　together；　in　solemn　assembly；　or　Thing；　（i。e。　Parliament；）　as　it　was　called；　for　the　transaction　of　public　business；　the　administration　of　justice；　the　allotment　of　the　scatt；　or　taxes。

Without　a　solemn　induction　at　the　Ore　or　Great　Thing；　even　the　most　legitimately…descended　sovereign　could　not　mount　the　throne；　and　to　that　august　assembly　an　appeal　might　ever　lie　against　his　authority。

To　these　Things；　and　to　the　Norse　invasion　that　implanted　them；　and　not　to　the　Wittenagemotts　of　the　Latinised　Saxons；　must　be　referred　the　existence　of　those　Parliaments　which　are　the　boast　of　Englishmen。

Noiselessly　and　gradually　did　a　belief　in　liberty；　and　an　unconquerable　love　of　independence；　grow　up　among　that　simple　people。　No　feudal　despots　oppressed　the　unprotected；　for　all　were　noble　and　udal　born；　no　standing　armies　enabled　the　Crown　to　set　popular　opinion　at　defiance；　for　the　swords　of　the　Bonders　sufficed　to　guard　the　realm；　no　military　barons　usurped　an　illegitimate　authority；　for　the　nature　of　the　soil　forbade　the　erection　of　feudal　fortresses。　　Over　the　rest　of　Europe　despotism　rose　up　rank　under　the　tutelage　of　a　corrupt　religion；　while；　year　after　year；　amid　the　savage　scenery　of　its　Scandinavian　nursery；　that　great　race　was　maturing　whose　genial　heartiness　was　destined　to　invigorate　the　sickly　civilization　of　the　Saxon　with　inexhaustible　energy；　and　preserve　to　the　world；　even　in　the　nineteenth　century；　one　glorious　example　of　a　free　European　people。


LETTER　XIII。

COPENHAGENBERGENTHE　BLACK　DEATHSIGURDRHOMEWARDS。

Copenhagen；　Sept。　12th；　1856。

Our　adventures　since　the　date　of　my　last　letter　have　not　been　of　an　exciting　character。　We　had　fine　weather　and　prosperous　winds　down　the　coast；　and　stayed　a　day　at　Christiansund；　and　another　at　Bergen。　But　though　the　novelty　of　the　cruise　had　ceased　since　our　arrival　in　lower　latitudes；　there　was　always　a　certain　raciness　and　oddity　in　the　incidents　of　our　coasting　voyage；　such　aswaking　in　the　morning；　and　finding　the　schooner　brought　up　under　the　lee　of　a　wooden　house；　orriding　out　a　foul　wind　with　your　hawser　rove　through　an　iron　ring　in　the　sheer　side　of　a　mountain；which　took　from　the　comparative　flatness　of　daily　life　on　board。

Perhaps　the　queerest　incident　was　a　visit　paid　us　at　Christiansund。　As　I　was　walking　the　deck　I　saw　a　boat　coming　off；　with　a　gentleman　on　board；　she　was　soon　alongside　the　schooner；　and　as　I　was　gazing　down　on　this　individual；　and　wondering　what　he　wanted；　I　saw　him　suddenly　lift　his　feet　lightly　over　the　gunwale　and　plunge　them　into　the　water；　boots　and　all。　After　cooling　his　heels　in　this　way　for　a　minute　or　so；　he　laid　hold　of　the　side　ropes　and　gracefully　swung　himself　on　deck。　Upon　this；　Sigurdr；　who　always　acted　interpreter　on　such　occasions；　advanced　towards　him；　and　a　colloquy　followed；　which　terminated　rather　abruptly　in　Sigurdr　walking　aft；　and　the　web…footed　stranger　ducking　down　into　his　boat　again。　It　was　not　till　some　hours　later　that　the　indignant　Sigurdr　explained　the　meaning　of　the　visit。　Although　not　a　naval　character；　this　gentleman　certainly　came　into　the　category　of　men　〃who　do　business　in　great　waters；〃　his　BUSINESS　being　to　negotiate　a　loan；　in　short；　to　ask　me　to　lend　him　100　pounds。　There　must　have　been　something　very　innocent　and　confiding　in　〃the　cut　of　our　jib〃　to　encourage　his　boarding　us　on　such　an　errand；　or　perhaps　it　was　the　old　marauding；　toll…taking　spirit　coming　out　strong　in　him：　the　politer　influences　of　the　nineteenth　century　toning　down　the　ancient　Viking　into　a　sort　of　a　cross　between　Paul　Jones　and　Jeremy　Diddler。　The　seas　which　his　ancestors　once　swept　with　their　galleys；　he　now　sweeps　with　his　telescope；　and　with　as　keen　an　eye　to　the　MAIN　chance　as　any　of　his　predecessors　displayed。　The　feet…washing　ceremony　was　evidently　a　propitiatory　homage　to　the　purity　of　my　quarter…deck。

Bergen；　with　its　pale…faced　houses　grouped　on　the　brink　of　the　fiord；　like　invalids　at　a　German　Spa；　though　picturesque　in　its　way；　with　a　cathedral　of　its　own；　and　plenty　of　churches；　looked　rather　tame　and　spiritless　after　the　warmer　colouring　of　Throndhjem；　moreover　it　wanted　novelty　to　me；　as　I　called　in　there　two　years　ago　on　my　return　from　the　Baltic。　It　was　on　that　occasion　that　I　became　possessed　of　my　ever…to…be…lamented　infant　Walrus。

No　one；　personally　unacquainted　with　that　〃most　delicate　monster；〃　can　have　any　idea　of　his　attaching　qualities。　I　own　that　his　figure　was　not　strictly　symmetrical；　that　he　had　a　roll　in　his　gait；　suggestive　of　heavy　seas；　that　he　would　not　have　looked　well　in　your　boudoir；　but　he　never　seemed　out　of　place　on　my　quarter…deck；　and　every　man　on　board　loved　him　as　a　brother。　With　what　a　languid　grace　he　would　wallow　and　roll　in　the　water；　when　we　chucked　him　overboard；　and　paddle　and　splash；　and　make　himself　thoroughly　cool　and　comfortable；　and　then　come　and　〃beg　to　be　taken　up；〃　like　a　fat　baby；　and　allow　the　rope　to　be　slipped　round　his　extensive　waist；　and　come　upsleek　and　drippingamong　us　again　with　a　contented　grunt；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃Well；　after　all；　there's　no　place　like　HOME！〃　How　he　would　compose　himself　to　placid　slumber　in　every　possible　inconvenient　place；　with　his　head　on　the　binnacle　（especially　when　careful　steering　was　a　matter　of　moment）；　or　across　the　companion　entrance；　or　the　cabin　skylight；　or　on　the　shaggy　back　of　〃Sailor；〃　the　Newfoundland；　who　positively　abhorred　him。　But　how　touching　it　was　to　see　him　waddle　up　and　down　the　deck　after　Mr。　Wyse；　whom　he　evidently　regarded　in　a　maternal　point　of　viewbegging　for　milk　with　the　most　expressive　snorts　and　grunts；　and　embarrassing　my　good…natured　master　by　demonstrative　appeals　to　his　fostering　offices！

I　shall　never　forget　Mr。　Wyse's　countenance　that　day　in　Ullapool　Bay；　when　he　tried　to　command