"shall forget the ties of confanguinity, " life shall become a burthen; adultery "shall reign throughout the world. A " barbarous age! an age of swords! an age of tempests! an age of wolves! "The bucklers shall be broken in pieces; and these calamities shall fucceed each " other till the world shall fall to ruin." Then will happen such things as may well be called Prodigies. The Wolf FENRIS will devour the Sun; a severe loss will it be found by mankind. Another monster will carry off the Moon, and render her totally useless: the Stars shall fly away and vanish from the heavens *: the earth and the mountains shall be seen violently agitated; the trees torn up from the earth by the roots; the tottering hills to tumble headlong from their foundations; all the chains and irons of the prifoners to be broken and dashed in pieces. Then is the Wolf Fenris let loose; the sea rushes impetuously over the earth, because the great Serpent, changed into a Spectre, gains the shore. The thip Naglefara is fet afloat: this vessel is constructed of the nails of dead men; for which reason great care should be taken * Goranson has it, Stellæ de cælo cadunt. See other variations in his Latin Verfion; which seems, in some respects, more spirited than that of M. Mallet, here followed, т. not not to die with unpared nails; for he who dies so, supplies materials towards the building of that vessel, which Gods and men will wish were finished as late as possible. The Giant Rymer is the pilot of this vessel, which the fea breaking over its banks, wafts along with it. The Wolf Fenris advancing, opens his enormous mouth; his lower jaw reaches to the earth, and his upper jaw to the heavens, and would reach still farther, were space itself found to admit of it. The burning fire flashes out from his eyes and nostrils. The Great Serpent vomits forth floods of poison; which overwhelm the air and the waters. This terrible monster places himself by the fide of the Wolf. In this confufion the heaven shall cleave asunder; and by this breach the Genii of Fire enter on horfeback. Surtur is at their head: before and behind him sparkles a bright glowing fire. His fword outshines the Sun itself. The army of these Genii passing on horseback over the bridge of heaven, break it in pieces: Thence they direct their course to a plain; where they are joined by the Wolf Fenris, and the Great Serpent. Thither also repair LOKE, and the Giant RYMER, and with them all the Giants of the Froft, who follow Loke even to Death. The Genii of Fire march first in battle array, forming a most brilliant squadron on this VOL. II. plain; M plain; which is an hundred degrees square on every fide. During these prodigies, HEIMDAL, the door-keeper of the Gods, rises up; he violently sounds his clanging trumpet to awaken the Gods: who instantly assemble. Then ODIN repairs to the fountain of Mimis, to confult what he ought to do, he and his army. The great Ash Tree of Ydrafil is shaken; nor is any thing in heaven or earth exempt from fear and danger. The Gods are clad in armour; ODIN puts on his golden helmet, and his refplendent cuirass; he grafps his sword, and marches directly against the Wolf Fenris. He hath THOR at his fide: but this God cannot assist him; for he himself fights with the Great Serpent. FREY encounters SURTUR, and terrible blows are exchanged on both fides; 'till Frey is beat down; and he owes his defeat to his having formerly given his sword to his attendant Skyrner. That day also is let loose the dog named Garmer, who had hitherto been chained at the entrance of a cavern. is a monster dreadful even to the Gods; he attacks Tyr, and they kill each other. THOR beats down the Great Serpent to the earth, but at the same time recoiling back nine steps, he falls dead upon the spot *, He * The Reader will observe that our ingenious Author has represented this somewhat differently above, in p. 133. T. fuffocated with floods of venom, which the Serpent vomits forth upon him. ODIN is devoured by the Wolf Fenris. At the fame instant VIDAR advances, and preffing down the monster's lower jaw with his foot, seizes the other with his hand, and thus tears and rends him till he dies. LOKE and HEIMDAL fight, and mutually kill each other. After that, SURTUR darts fire and flame over all the earth; the whole world is presently confumed. See how this is related in the VOLUSPA. " Heimdal " lifts up his crooked trumpet, and founds "it aloud. Odin confults the head of "Mimis; the great Ash, that Ash sublime " and fruitful, is violently shaken, and sends " forth a groan. The Giant bursts his " irons. What is doing among the Gods ? "What is doing among the Genii? The " land of the Giants is filled with uproar: "the Deities collect and assemble together. "The Dwarfs figh and groan before the " doors of their caverns. Oh! ye inha"bitants of the mountains; can you fay " whether any thing will yet remain in " existence? [The Sun is darkened; the "earth is overwhelmed in the sea; the "shining stars fall from heaven; a vapour, " mixed with fire, arises: a vehement heat " prevails, even in heaven itself *."] * The passage in Brackets is given from the Latin of Goranson, being omitted by M. Mallet. T. M 2 1 1 THE THIRTY-THIRD FABLE. The Sequel of the Conflagration of the World. N hearing the preceding relation, Gangler afks, What will remain after the world shall be confumed; and after Gods, and Heroes, and Men shall perish? For I understood by you, adds he, that mankind were to exist for ever in another world. Thridi replies, After all these prodigies, there will fucceed many new abodes, some of which will be agreeable and others wretched: but the best manfion of all, will be Gimle (or HEAVEN) where all kinds of liquors shall be quaffed in the Hall called Brymer (A), situated in the country of Okolm. That is also a most delightful palace which is upon the mountains of Inda *, and which is built of shining gold. In this palace good and just men shall abide. In Nastrande (i. e. the shore of the dead) there is a vast and direful structure, the portal of which faces the 1 * This and the preceding names are very different in the Edition of Goranson. т. north. |