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nace should so often occur. But the Gothic

and' Celtic nations were in general perfuaded, that nature was in continual danger; and that its fecret and public enemies, after having for a long time undermined and shaken it, would at last bring on the great day of its general ruin. This melancholy idea must, I think, have had its rise from fome of those disorders, to which our world is often exposed; at which times one would almost believe that the powers who govern it, were engaged in war with each other. And although this idea must have prevailed more extensively, and been more easily impressed in those climates where the seasons, subject to fudden and violent revolutions, often present nature under a languishing, or convulfed appearance: yet it is well known that there is scarcely any people, but what have had expectations of the end of the world; and have accordingly represented it some way or other; either as effected by a deluge, or a confla

gration: or, lastly, under the veil of fome allegory; as by a battle between good and evil Genii. The EDDA employs all these three means at the same time: such deep root had this doctrine taken in the minds of the poets, the theologians of the north.

(B) "He established " governors."] The legiflators of the Scythians represented God himself, as author of the Laws which they gave to their fellow citizens. Neither ought we to esteem this pretence of theirs as altogether a political imposture. When men had brought them selves to look upon their Gods as the protectors of Justice and integrity; the Laws, which gave a public sanction to those virtues, being regarded as the expreffion of the divine will, might naturally enough be called the Work of the Gods. This manner of speaking, though misunderstood afterwards, would be sufficiently authorized by that respect and gratitude, which so great a benefit would inspire. It is well known

known that among all nations, the administration of justice was at first an office of the priest-hood. The Teutonic and Celtic tribes retained this custom longer than most other people. All the ancients assure us, that the priests among the Gauls were arbiters, not only of private differences, but even of national disputes: that they difposed of controverted goods, excommunicated the contumacious, and inflicted death upon the guilty. Who could help trembling before governors, who, to speak in the language of the EDDA, diftributed justice in the name of the Supreme God? In effect, both Cæfar and Tacitus inform us, that among the Germans, none but the Priefts had a right to inflict penalties; and this, not in the name of the Prince or People, but in the name of the God of Armies, in the name of that God, who had appointed them Governors. (V. Tacit. Germ. c. 7. Cæfar. 1. 6.) Hence it

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(c) Wherein are "Twelve Seats for them" selves."] These Judges were Twelve in number. Was this owing to there being Twelve primary Deities among the Gothic • nations *', as there were among the Greeks and Romans? This I shall not take upon me to decide: but I think one may plainly observe here the first traces of a custom, which hath extended itself to a great many other things. Odin, the conqueror of the north, established a supreme court in Sweden, composed of Twelve Members, to affift him in the functions of the priesthood and civil

* Les Celtes, Orig.

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government. This doubtless gave rise to what was afterwards called the Senate. And the same establishment in like manner took place in Denmark, Norway, and other northern states. These Senators decided in the last appeal all differences of importance; they were, if I may say so, the Afsessors of the Prince; and were in number Twelve, as we are expressly informed by Saxo, in his life of king Regner Lodbrog. Nor are other monuments wanting, which abundantly confirm this truth. We find in Zealand, in Sweden near Upsal, and, if I am not mistaken, in the county of Cornwal also, large stones, to the amount of Twelve, ranged in the form of a circle, and, in the midst of them, one of fuperior heighth. Such, in those rude ages, was the Hall of Audience; the ftones that formed the circumference, were the feats of the senators, that in the middle the throne of the king. The like monuments are found also in Perfia, near Tauris. Travellers frequently

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meet there with large circles of hewen stones; and the tradition of the country reports, these are the places where the Caous, or Giants, formerly held their councils. (Vid. Chardin's Travels into Perfia, Vol. III.

p. .) I think one may discover vestiges of this ancient custom, in the fable of the Twelve Peers of France, and in the establishment of Twelve Jurymen in England, < who are the proper Judges, according to the ancient laws of that country. T.'

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(D) "Named the "Golden Age."] This Golden Age of the EDDA is not worthy to be compared with that of the Greek poets; but in return, it may perhaps have this advantage over the other, that it is not altogether without real existence. There is no doubt but this Mythology, like all others, perpetually confounds the natural Deities, with those persons who were only deified by men, and to whom were ascribed the names of the former. Men, who rendered rendered themselves illuftrious by some noble invention, or by their attachment to the worship of the Gods, received the names of those Gods after their decease; and it was a long time before the following ages thought of diftinguishing the one from the other. Among our Scythian ancestors, the first men who found out a mine of gold, or any other metal; and knew how to work that metal, and make something ornamental out of it, were doubtless regarded as divine persons. A mine discovered by chance, would easily afford and furnish out that flight magnificence; of which the Edda has here preferved a faint remembrance.

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cestors, whether Germans, Scandinavians or Gauls, imagining there was something magical, and beyond the reach of man in mechanic' skill and industry, could scarcely believe that an able artist was one of their own species, or defcended from the same common origin. This, it must be granted, was a very foolish conceit; but let us confider what might possibly facilitate the entrance of it into their minds. There was perhaps some neighbouring people, which bordered upon one of the Celtic or Gothic' tribes; and which, although less warlike than themselves, and much inferior in strength and stature, might yet excel them in dexterity; and addicting themselves to manual arts, might carry on a commerce with them sufficiently extensive, to have the fame of it fpread pretty far. All these circumstances will agree well enough with the Laplanders: who are still as famous for their magic, as remarkable for the lowness of their stature; pacific, even to a degree of cowardice; but

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of a mechanic industry, which formerly must have appeared very confiderable. The stories that were invented concerning this people, paffing thro' the mouths of so many ignorant relaters, would foon acquire all the degrees of the marvellous, of which they were fufceptible. Thus the DWARFS foon became, (as all know, who have dipt but a little into the ancient romances) the forgers of enchanted armour, upon which neither swords, nor conjurations, could make any impression. They were poffefsed of caverns, full of treasure, intirely at their own disposal. This, to observe by the bye, hath given birth to one of the Cabalistic doctrines, which is perhaps only one of the branches of the ancient northern theology*. As the Dwarfs were feeble, and but of small courage; they were supposed to be crafty, full of artifice and deceit. This, which in the old roman

ces is called DISLOYALTY, is the character always given them in those fabulous narratives, All these fancies having received the seal of time and universal consent, could be no longer contested; and it was the business of the poets to affign a fit origin for fuch ungracious beings. This was done, in their pretended rise from the dead carcase of a great Giant. The Dwarfs at first were only the maggots, engendered there by its putrifaction: afterwards the Gods bestowed upon them understanding and cunning. By this fiction the northern warriors juftified their contempt of them; and at the fame time accounted for their small stature, their industry, and their supposed propenfity for inhabiting caves and clefts of the rocks. After all, the notion is not every where exploded that there are in the bowels of the earth FAIRIES §', or a kind of dwarfish and tiny beings,

* La Theologie Celtique. Fr. Orig. I have, in this one place of the translation, applied the word FAIKISS, in our common English notion of it:-But our author has gene

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