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" ' Thoy ctilleil the country ViuliiiKl.' ■' • We know it,' said ]. '1 am ti Viiilainlor.' ' HlVARI) Tayi.oii LONJJON : TRiJBXKR k CO., LUDGATE HILL. 1887. \_AH rif/hls reserve J.] ^' /OS" win HAS Lo.N DO] Jut TO Mks. JOHN MORGAN RICHARDS, OK LONDdX, TIIK AMKRtCAX FRtEXh WHOSK SYMPATHY WITH MV I.KSIKK Tn IIAVK JCSTK K DOXK To l( KI.AXIt, AXI» TIIK (il.OHV OK THK lUSt OVKRV OK AMKRK A ASc KIHKU TO THK TRUK DISCOVKRKR, I.KIK KRIKSOX. II \S I.K.I. IIF.R TO AII> MK SIJ BST ANtr A f. 1. V IX IM.Aei«s Discovrued Ame- rica IN THE Tenth Centlhv 58 CHAl'TKK IV. Kuma.v Catholk Cognizance of the Fact at the Time of the Icelandic DiscovEiiV. . . . .70 CHAPTKJ; V. All the Motives fou the C«»nceaiment and Fhald . 77 CHAPTKK Vr. CoLL'MDL's' Visit to Iceland. . 100 CHAPTEK VII. The Scandinavian North and Spain Contrasted 111 VI Con Ti: NTS. C'HAITKK Vlll. PAflR 'I'lIK XoUSK IJIMCOVKHEUS AND ( 'ol.L MUUS C0NTUA8TK.I) . 147 CIIAITKK IX. TiiK I»i:m:fk'I.\l Kksimth to tiii: riJKsr.Nr Aci: and |V)STKI(ITY OK AnmiUTINii THIS Mo.MKNTOLS I >I.S- ioVllUY TO THE TUL'E I'khjsoxh . . . .105 rilAPTKR X. Tim; ('eleijuation ok it in rj85 ! . 185 ( IIAPTKR Xr. Tin; RiiinTiirt Position of the S(;ivn-:,AviAN North AFIEK TIMS JlSTUE HAS HE EN AOC«»IM»Elt To IT 195 MlltLKMlKArHY OF THE IMl'uliTAXT BoOKS roNFIRMIXa THE IrELANDlC DISCOVERY OK AmERUA, KRoM THE YEARJ 107G-1883 209 I.TST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. CmUCU T)(.cl{ AT VaI.IHIoF StaI., Irrr.AM). El-KVKNTH Ckmi i;v • • • . HvAl.FjoM.AiiM-iN, HisT(.i;ir o.i:m;kv m;ai: Kkvkjavik • • • • . , RkYKJAVFK IfAl.linl I; • • • • nm-AUX RiVKi;, n.V ,„,; HoA,. JO nil; (JKYSKU i'Ulliai AM. 1»AI.|.IAMKNT JI..,SK, KkVKJAVIK Vli:\V AT TlllN.IVAI.I.A IXTKHIni; OF nn; Ami.^IAKIAN MlSKlM, Hi:v. KJAVIK . I'mnti.yn'ti't' to fare iniye oH n ion tt 111 9 9 1 h" yi !«;:, a l.s:, >» 10'> THE ICELANDIC DISCOVHREKS OF AMERICA; OH, HOXOUR TO WHOM IIOXOCR IS DUE. CIlAPTKIi I. THK IMME:)IaTI: XKCESSITV of ESTAHLlSIIIXa THE TRL-TII. Asu why tin.' imm-'liaf,' necessity, it may be uske-l, of esta- I'lisliin- a truth that has been lu.hh.ii for u thousan.l year> \ Tile Norse diseovery has been buried in anti.iuity for a mil. ]"i>ary ; adinitting tiiut it was an actual disc.. very, it was mado I'V men of an ancient race that are now extinct ; "they turneil it to no praeti.-al account and it h-.l to no practical results. .More- over, the arconnts of it ure too va-ue and unauthentic to iiave hecii nia.ltl a matter of veritable history ; we have all be.-n taught that Columbus discovered Am- rica, and it is very h.iid to disabuse our minds of that id.-a. These are the current remarks and objections tliat orcet tie' unlooked-for assertion that the Nursnn.n discovered Ame.i.-a. Ihey are also followed by the assumption that it is u matl-r (d" ";• i'"I'<'itanee either way, and may be left to antiquarians, ,f they ehoost' to occupy themselves with this ol,s(nne .piestion loflown.r out this conclusi.m, if it is indeed a matter of no "nportance whether the Norsemen discovered America or not, It becomes I e-iually unimportant whether Columbus discov.rd n 2 Till-: ICKI.ANDIC DiSCOVKRERS OF A.MKRICA ; AiiKMicii or not, and the disr^ovory of tin; western (;()ntinent ceases to l)e one of tin* j,M'(':itest of events. That it has not been considered a triflinj,' iueiih'iit, (»r a mere matter of accident that j)()sterity couhl not he expected to hear in mind, is j)roven hy the extreme att(Miti(tn history has «h-voted to it, and the fame that tlie worhl, at the l)i(hlinj; of tlie imperative mandate of history, lias aceovth'd to Cohnnhns, as a man who has aecom- jtlished an unparalhded aeliievement. If tins fame is ri^htfidly due to Cohimhns, on tlie assiinii)tion that lie discovered America, if the ma.ufnitude of the achievement is not (exaggerated, if it was an herculean undertaking to cross the ocean on such a (piest in tlxrso days, if Colmnhus should enjoy the homage of centuries in the past autl of centuries to come, then the same fame is I'iglitftdiy dui; to the Norsemen, on tlu; assumption that ///'// discovered America, the magnitude of ihe achii^vement being greater in tiujir case, inasmuch as it was accomplished five hundred years 1»e!'on' Columbus planned his ent(!rprise, and thus presu|)[>oses men live hundred years in advance of him in in- telligence, courage, and nautical information and skill, and from the a(Mitional fact that this was onlvone of many undertakings on their part, for the settlement and colonization of new and far-oti lands, if not their discovery, was an every-day affair with them. The lofty pride of the Norsemen, even more than humility, would for ever have prevented ihem from boasting of the discovei'y as did Columbus: "Hut our Kedeemer hath granted this victory to our illustrious king and queen and their kingdoms, which have acipiired great fame by an event of such high imi)ortance in which all Chiistendom ought to rejoice, and Avhich it ought to celehrate with great festivals and the otl'ering of solemn thanks to the Holy Trinity with many solenni prayers, both for the great exaltation which may accrue to them in turning so many nations to our lioly faith, and also for the temporal beneiits which will bring great refreshment and gain, not only to Spain, luit to all Christians." He wrote besides : A ; OR, Honour to whom Honour is Due. ;oiitiiR*iit not bctn ilont tliiit rove 11 by the fame luuliite of iis acconi- liKlitfully . Aiueriea, ■ated, if it n siicli ii loniaj^e of 1 the same ssuinptiou liievciucut oraplishecl •prise, ajid liim in in- and from ertakinj^s new and flair witli lore than tasting of mer hath and tlieir it of such joice, and le oflering 11 prayers, them in ISO le for tl land gain, besides : " I gave to the sul>ject six or seven years of great anxiety, t'Xphiining to the best of my ability, how great service might be (lone to (»ur liOid, Ity this undertaking, in })roniulgating lii^ Hacreil name and our holy faith among so ninny nations ; iui cntcrjjrise so exalted in itself, and so calculated to enhance the glory and innnortalize the renown of great sovereigns." ^\ml one who edited an edition of Coliiinbus' letteis, says in his introduction: "The entire history of civilization jtivscnts us witli no event, with the exception perhaps of the art of printing, so momentous as the discovery of the western world.'' I>ut to a race who h.id founded the empire of Russia, the rei)u1tlics of Switzerland and Iceland, who had coiupiered Normandy and (Jreat iJritain, keeping a line of kings on the thrones of Knglaiul and France, as they kept their czars on the throne of liussia, who " revived Ilaiinibars exploits in Italy," and shaped the contines of that land, — to such a race the discoverv cren uf ^?/«v'n''rt was not an achieveim nt so much more dazzling than the res-t of their niijjhty deeds, while to Columbus it Avas the only thing he ever did. The scope of the Xorse undertakings can W'A be judged by a perusal of the words of the Swedish hi>torian, Strinnhojm, on the subject: "It seems wonderful how the Heets and hosts of the North could be sulHcient to embrace the wliide stret<-li of coast from the iJbe clear to the I'yreiit se peninsula, ami for a whole generation not only ke( p the lands lying along the whole coast in a constant st:it(! of siege, but also to extend their expeditions to the Muliterranean, clear trj the coast of Italv, and yet during the same time the Hritish Isk-s, Kngland, Ireland and Scotland, continued lo be hard pressed by the hosts from the Noith." Columbus' estimate, however, of tlie valiu' of the discovery of the "New World," was not extravagant ; none know so well the value of a thing as the one who appro|»riat(\s it wron"fullv, and the usuiper is a good judge of the territory he invades. B 2 4 The Icelandic Discoverers of America; " A i>ractist(l sluve-dealor," us Arthur Hfilp.s styK's him, the (toinincrcial faculty was larj^ely (lovt^opol in him, much more lar;L,'('ly than rcs|)Oct for the riL,'hts of iironcrty ; ho possessed himself of the coveted ac(juisition of the Northmen, robbed them of their discovery, with the same ease and with as litth; compunction as he kidnapped slaves. Xote a little su<;- j,'estion of his to th< ir ^' hi^dinesses " in Spiin, this likewise for the enhancement of their greatness and the, glory of the I^ord : '' Considering what great need W(! have of cattle and of l>eiv^t8 of l)urthen, hoth for fwod and to assist the settlers on this and all these islands, l)oth for jieopling the land and for cultivating the soil, their lliglmesses might authorize a suitable number of caravels to come here <'very year to Itring over the aid cattle, and jtrovisioMs and otlier articles ; tlu.'se cattle, &:c., might bo sold at m(»derate prices for account of the bearers, and the latter might be paid with slaves, taken from among the Carribees, who are a wild people, tit for anv work, well propoi'tioned and very intelligent, and who, wiien tliey have got rid of the cruel habits to whiidi they have l)ecome accustomed, will Ije better than any otlier kind of s'aves." Commenting upi n tiiis, Arthur lleljis says: "At the same time that we must tlo Columbus the justice to believe that his motives were right in his own eyis, it must be admitted that a more distinct suggestion for the esta- blishing of a slave-trade was never proposed." Thr'se slaves which he stolid were to be exchanged for cattle and other n<>('essaries ; the discovery that he stole was to ))e converted into honours, wealth, distinction, an undying fame and saintship for himself! lie wieldeil a hieid and peisuasive, as well as pious pen, one that secured sjiiritnal and temporal ends with etjual facility, and he represented adequately and explicitly the vahu! of this vast territorial actiuisition, which he claimed as his dis- coveiy, to loth Church and Throne. His own words yield the best testimony. After reading this self laudatie"l, will ere long be solemnly enrolled on the glorious catalogue of the canoni/ed saints." That Columbus' Avonls were entirely convincing to the Church, is proven by the iact that " I\»pe Alexander VI. (Koderigo J'xugia) deeded the continent of Anierica to Sj>ain, solely on the statement of Columbus," as (pioted by Aaron (Iooaifi nnatigta 6 TiiK Icelandic Discoverers of America ; Sjiotmiio, as "a trcnsMro wliicli contains the (lii>lomatlc liistory of tlio discovery of America, and of Cliristophor Colunilms ; that is, of the most memorable event wliich had occurred for a^es, antl of a liero who rcHects the liighcst lionour on (lenoa, t»n Italy, ami on Europe," — in this book will bo found the famous lUill, of which the following is an extract : "Ami in orresents, give, concede and assign for (^ver to you, and to the- kings of Castile and Leon, your successors, all the islands and mainlands discovered and which may hereafter be discovered, towanis the west and south, with all their doMiinions, cities, castles, places and towns, and with all their rignts, jurisdictions, and aj>]iurt<'nances, whetlier the lands and iolands found, or that shall Ije found, be situated towards India, or towards any other part whatsoever; and we make, constitute and ilei)ute you, and your aforesaid heirs and successors. K)rds of them, with full, free and absolute power atid authority and jurisdiction : drawing, however, and fixing a line from the Arctic pole, viz., from the north, to the antarctic pole, viz., to the south ; whi(di line n)ust be distant from any one of the islands whatsoever, vulgarly called the Azores and Cape de Verdo islands, a hundred le^igues towards the west and south — " It will be gratifying to Americans to see the disposition that was made of their country ; a disposition that the IJoman Catholic power evidently regards as final and irrevocable. The author before quoted, liarry, may, 1 think, be said to interpret the views of the KomiaU hierarchy, when he reasons that " the question ia OR, IIOXOUR TO WHOM HONOUR IS DUK. not coucoruin;^ an internalional intert'st, »>r <»f an allair lo rtL,Miliit(' for Castih', l)ut about iutrrosts of vital iuijMntanec to Catliolic.ity, to the salvation of souls, and to th*.; extension of tlui kingdom of .lesus Christ. . . . Atnl here we see visibly," liecontinui's, • the participation of the ("hnrih in the discctvery, and wliere we i>erc«ive her a^'ency, in the benediction ^Mven by IniKM-ent III. to the enterprise of liis eountrynian. . . . Kome coiupri'hended Cohnnbus. Now to comprehend is, in a certain st-nse, t(» beconie e(pial to. All the sy liij'athies of tie- Holy Knther and of the S;ici-ed C(»IleL,'e, were in favour of Coluinlius." That thest; •' synijtathies " remain unchan;,'ed, is shown liy his further words, us wi'll as by a mass nf outside evidence : '• \N'hen lately in Ifome \V(! icndered homaLje to the nior.d and lelij^dous purity of Columbus, and decIaiH-d his ;^'rantleur, our voice received, in the places of the pontificate, only friendliness and encoura.Lje- ment." Withoui substantial suppoit from head-tpiarteis, unless he was acting' with a warrant, he could scarcely proceed witli so iiiudi conlidmce and athim : '* l'".viy deidariu"; at once : " The necessity ui' a new, full and complete history of the New World has been mm h felt ; this necessitv, which so mu:'h resendjles a dutv, has « 7 V 7 been deej)ly felt in the Mternal City ; and we proceed to respoutl to it." Not content with sayin.i,' that " it is too miicli for^^'otten that the work ell'ected l>y Columbus is un»'ipialed in histiuy, ' he reaches a Koman Catholic elim;ix l)y exclainunLj: " Wi; declare 1)efore (iod, who knows it, and before men, who do not know it, that Ciiuistoi'Jieh Collmiils was a Saint." In tin- words that the lute Kin^' .Mtoiiso is reported to have uttered in course of conveisation with Clarence Winthro[> l»owt>n, we see that the modern estimate of an occupant of the ►Spanish throne coincides jterfectly with the joint estimate of Spain and Kome in the past, iji rei,' ird to the immense value of T m 8 TlIK ICKI.ANniC DlSCOVKRKRS OF -/'^ MKKICA ; thin tliscovnv. I'lif two ]u'r.son.s incnlioiinl were sjM'ijkiii;^ alioiit llu! fdiir IiiiiKlndlli aniiivtrsarv of tlic tliscovtiy of Anierifa l)y Colnmlms, aiiil the kin^' tlioii-^lit that iiiiic yi-art* was a Inii;^ time to s|)('ii(l in arraii^'iiij,' for tin- ct'K'lnatioii, Imt |M'rlia|)s not too Ion;,' considering' its importance. " It is an event," lie said, " in •\vliirli all the AVorM would he interested, and in which the leading nations nii^dit unite. I would do all m my powt r to make it a luilliant festival ; hut, consideriii'' the l>re-eniinent jKiit that Spain took iji the discovery of America, 1 claim that she should certainly he allowed to liave the celel)ration within her own l)orders. Itily ^Mve l»irth to Coluinlms, it is true. Other countries considered liis ideas oidy visionary schemes. I'.ut it was Spain alone that furnislied the means tor carrying' into practical eflcct what would otherwise liave ))een oidy a dream. To Spain aloui', therefore, belongs the credit of the discovery." A few ])anegyiics of Colnmlms })y motlern atithors and liistorians may appropriately 1m> cidhd and laid hefore the reader, as further evidence of the vahu> ascribed to this discoverv, for it is obvi(»us that Columbus is extolled sohdv for that, and that his elevatitm from obscurity is due to that one achievement alone. In ];ancroft's 'History of the I'nited States" stmd the vords: "The enterprise of Columbus, the nio.st memorable maritime enterj>rise in the history of the world, formed between Kurope and .America the communication tliat will never cease." Arthur Helps, in his "Life of Columbus," says that " ]>erhajts there are few of the great personages in history wlio luive been more talked about and written al)out than Christojihcr Columltus, the discoverer of America." To quote another passage of his : *' M(»dcin familiarity with navigation rendeis it ditHcult for us to ajipreeiate adequately the greatness of the enter])ri?e which was undertaken by the discoverers of the ^'ew AVorld." liut the writer o1)vioiislv fails to see that the ancient OR, IIOXOrR TO WHOM HONOUR IS DUK. ■M I faiiiili.trity willi iui\ i;4iiti(Hi, as cviiicctl l»ylluj Nihsimih'ii, rt'iKlnvil it surprising' ainl wtH-iiii^'li inctdiiprt'lH'iisiltlt' tliat Cohmilm.s c.tuM have mconiiti'n'tl so iiiiu-h tlitlitMilty in tiiulin^' ships, crews, tln! necessary outlit for a voya^'e, and in nianai^'in;^' tlio iintleitikin.L,'. The aeioiints rea«l as if tliis niiirlit have l»een tlio fiist voyii^f on recortl, fri'iii any jiort ; as risky, aho^:,'etlier, as the lirst hillooii ascension. AVasliiiii,'loii Irving, in liis "Life of Cohiinhus," in (h'sing Coliinihus' ,^tate, after land had been (h'scried, on that tirsL voyn^'e, reiiiiirks : •'He hail sicured himself a j^dory whieli must ho as (hirahh" as the world itself," hut it is not <[uite plain whether this is the author's reflection or Columbus', or a bk-ntling of the two. Jlut for ("hristopher Columbus substitute the Xorsomen ; for Spain substitute the Scandinavian North ; for the date 141)2 sid)stitute the dates Di^L'-Sa ; for San Silvadorand San I>ominj,'o sul)stitiito (Ireenland, Labrad(»r, Nova Scotia, KMiodi' I-land, and .Massachus(-tts ; for a discoverer of two islands, who diil not explore tht,' nuiiidaml to any extent, substitute tin; discoverers who traveisfd the easti-rn coast of America from Labrador to Florida, just as their foreiathers had traversed the western coast of Kuropc from the Hebrides to Africa ; for a discoverer who stole his information, thus buviu'' himself namo and rejiute at the Spanish court, and who went to America in search of gold and slaves, also to aj>i>r(»priate new territory for the preaiOiing of tlie (lospcl, sub.stitute the genuine discoverers, who were adepts in the art of navigation, who had already established so many colonies and formed so many governments that this had become an oM storv to them, and wdio l>eing abovt! the incentives of lucre and ]*apal jtatronago, devoted themselves to industiy, commerce between the newly discovered continent, fJreenland, Ictdand, and Scandinavia, and such a thorough and intelligent exploration of it as to rouse the Cupidity of southern Kur<>j)e, five liundred years after their r 10 Thr Tcr.LANDic DrscovKKKKs OF America ; discovery, wIh'Ii an oiiportunily olIfrtMl in the pcrsoii i^f CnlutnlMis, for its stiiU's to avail tln'inst'lvos of it, and to cnnlirm the fact nf their )>ri(>r (li^cov».'ry, in «h>cujn('nts so rcliahh' and authcutir as to convince the moih-rn world, afti-r three linndrcstitutions aro made, (h»es the value of tlio «liscovery hecome less? Does it not rather Itecome ,i,'ieater as !-ho\vin^' h(»\v deeply tliose wetirin;,' the mantle of holim'ss, as \V(dl as the royal purple, have heen willin;^ to perjure thenisidvcs for the ^'ains? And these men have intoned for a;,'es : *■ lieware of covetousness ! " Is it the duty of all '' the hadinj^ nations to unite,'' to nsi' Kin^i; Alfonso's wori th»^ world during this tinu>, however, was not warlike, for peacefid com- merce was even then of an im])ortance, M'hich one has b(,'en but too much inclined to under-estimate. Foremost amon;; peaceful voyages during the Viking period must wo remember the ])old voyages of discovery which the Norsemen then made. Already have we mentioned how they scuttled Iceland; from there they found first Greenland and afterwards Yinland, or th^ Ok, HoNOt'R TO \VIIOM HONOUK IS IJUK. II iKirtli-t'iistirii |>ait of vliat we iinw <;ill tin' I'nitol States of Anirricii. 'l"o tin' Nortlmicn is diu' llic ^Tcat . The mutter, it is true, was some years ago eN|ilaine(l and mide known ; the details of it, however, may in geneial he less known. From childhood we luive ail lieard that the. discovery of tho new world was (.'xehisively Cohnnhus' exjiloit. His glory in ilefying prejudiees and overcondng tlie dilljcidties and ohstaeles that I'om' against sucli an undertaking no people and no a;4o can diminish ; hut nevertheless, the discoveiT of this world was never his; the glory uf this helongs to the Norsemen alone." Or if We turn t<» English authors, ^Vheaton, Laing, I'igott, J'.eamish, the Jlowitts, Carlyk', all credit the fact of the Norso discovery, and several of them, together with Scandinavian vriters and histoiians of note, give so much testimony with regard to Columhus' visit to Jceland, that I reserve the im- portant passages relating to this secret visit of the amhitious and nnscrupulous southerner, so pregnant with results, for tho ehapter that is to tn-at of it exclusively. The third chajiter contains the evidence of the Norse discovery, taken from as ii;any authors as has heen found practicahk', and giving tho 12 Till'. I» KLANinc Discovrurus or Amkrica ; opinions th it ;iii' of tin' iiiust vilm- on tlii-< inipoitaiit siiltjcct. For tlic sources of all tin' kiK>\vl»'il„'t' tlnit Iiih us vet hvv\\ di'rivfil, tin* ni.idttr is reffiTfil to the ItiMictLfmiiliy at the eml of tlii?* bo »k. Tin* Annriijin author, Aaron ^ loudrich, tracos tlio siMpn'nco httwccn the j^rt'utncss of tin- tnii' tliscovi-rcrs ami tlio <,'r('atnoss of thi'ir (liscoviTV, showing that om- \v,i< attrihiitahli' to the other: " Wliilr the urcati-r part of Europe was plun,u't'tl in th(5 intellectual tliifk'lios which perv;n|e<| the niiilille aiies, while, the monk in his cloister toiled lahoriously dnrinj: a life-time to perpetuate some one Work of saintly or classic lore, and th(» masses wore i,i,'norant, suiterstitious, the slaves of feudal lords aiid liarons scarcely less i;^uiorant than themselves, a peojde flourished in the extienie n.trth, with whom enterprise and freedom Were neither dead no>' stagnant, who possessed scien- ti!ii' knowledge and applied the same to praetiral j»»irjioses ; a fearless and ener^'etic, ri'puhlieaiis in practice if l)eol ress of truth. i>rove them to have heeii. Issuing from an Asiatic liive, they early overran Xoi-way and Sweden ; tlieir language, the old !)anish or hinmh' fint'iu, is now presei veil only in lee- land, which they colonized in the year 875 ; in OS') they re- discovered and colonized (Jreenlaiid ; tin; same vear the American continent proper was discovered by them, and, during the first years of the (deveiith century, they made thither freipu'nt v(»Il tin* N«i|sc one : " It >viis tlif lirst M'ttlt'iiit'iit of Iicluiitl liy tlif Xorsfnirii, iiihI tin; nmstiiiil vuviiufs l)('t\v«-fii thin i«l;iii«l and N'Miway, that UA t<> ihi' ilisciivcry, lirst of ( IriM'Mlaiitl ami thru of Aiiifiifii ; ami it is tliif to till' hi;^'li ii:tU of the ])i('-:<'iit a,M', iia", of this coiuiiiLj yrai'. for thi' Aun'iicau ])i'oiilt' should not l>'t lss7, thr year of tin- Natiomd ]v\hiliitioii on J\>i;/lis/i soil, diaw to a clo.-c, without a uatioiial • It'claratioii of the truth of the diseoveiy of their couiitiy hy the Xo!semeU. a imlilic aekliowled^lllelit of the drht of i,'ratitud(i in whieh tiiey sl.iud to the Seaiidiu iviaii North, for wjiieh they are imh'lited for the principles of liherty, "for the hardii st ele.iients of pro;^Mcss in the I'nited States," accoiditin to \'n\i' janiin Lossin.L;', and an eipially puMic; re|»ndiatittn (d" tin- false claim (d' ("ohunhus, tlirowinij oil', ^vith the san;e indignant scorn as once the Mothi'r coimtiy, win n it atteni| t"d op])res- siou, the cluli-h of the Motle )• ( 'hurcli and its oliedienl vassal Sjiain, to whom the i^epulilic can charu'c the slavery that hlackened its annals as a nation for so many years^ the terrihie war arising,' from that pernicious system introduced hy Sjain and larj^fdy kept alive hy the Roman ('atlioli(,' deiuocrati^' party, North and South, all this evil in the |»ast, and to whom, in the future, it would inevitahly owe its destniciion as a nation, the suhversioii of its free Constitution, and its transformation into a huge heniyhtetl territory indistinyuishuhle in it.s mental and 14 The Icklandic Discoverers of America ; moral attributes from ^<"uf/t Amerirn, the soiithorn half , whether the Government, idaiming to»l)e purely secular, which has from the hour the Constitution was framed refused to admit the wt)rd "God" into it, will then be willing to insert l)oth Cod and ro))e iu it ; whether the country that indignantly thiew olf all alK'niance iu 177Gwill then yield allegiance to the foulist, tyrant the world has ever hiul, the Roman Catholic power! As straws show which way the wind blows, it is worth while to note these newspaper bits : " It is pntposed to have a WorMs Fair iu Chicago in 1S!I"J, iu coiutuemoration of tlu; lour hundi'edth anniversary of the landing of Columbus in America." Another scrap indicated that the matter of a cele- bration, of some kiiul, of this event was under consideration, in Washington. Another ran thus: "The S])aniards liave not yet made up their minds how to celebrate the four hundredth OR, Honour to whom Hoxcuk is Dn:. '5 nnnivcrsary of tlu- sailin^r of Culuml.us ;" which was contro- v.rtc.l ])y tlie following pro-rainiiu' : " It is {.ropuM-.l in Spain tn >t.rt a fl.'et of ships, ivpiuscnting all nmritinu' nations, from tin- littl..' port of I'alos, in Spain, on August 3r(l, hs, the f..nr hun.li...lth anniversary of the sailing of Culunihus, ami to iiavc the ll.M't sail to San Salvador over the route taken by the great .lisroverer." Another signilleant scrap made its appearance in an edUm iai culunin : "As an indu.rn.ent to celebrate the fourth centenary ,;f Columbus' landin-, Americans are olfWe,! a Chan.-., to gaze upon the identical chains with which JJobadelll 1-aded the wrists of Columbus when the great seannn was sent bark to Spain a primmer in loOO. It is an Italia.i chevalier wliu owns these diiuib but eloquent artid.-s, and to secure them li" made co>tly .journeys to Spain and Am.-rica For twenty years !"■ I'a- k.'pt the matter a profound secret, having ju-rsonal reasons »';>■ this r..ti..en,-e. ]}ut now they will be shown, an.l manveis oi .hnie nuiseums who know their business will tak.- the hint."' lint hrr.. is something that intimates the absolut." .h'stru.-tii-n of tie. plans nuMitioned: " Just as we are talking about a r..|... ^"/""•' -f th. four hundredth anniversarv of Colund.us' •'•-<'V.My ot land nn tlu- western hrmisph.Mv, some Danish •■tlmoh>g,sts an. trying to prove that, tlu- (;..no,.s.. navi^^.tor ;-l ^'orrowrd all h. knew fmm an old b-.-land manuscript .f tin- seventh .vnturv.' in whirh this .ontinent was fullv descnb...! ' 1 ..■ pn.s.. ^ an. trvuig tu prove'- iKU'dly lits the nise; the in- "':^''r^"'''" fart ,s that the -oM Iceland manuscript "n.b-rn.d to.s,nth..poss..s>i„n ,.r,iM. Danish Covemmmt, and that the i^"va S,„.,..ty of X,.,t!e.rn Antiquaries, in C-p.-nh:...,,, hav. P''"-"l >t.-;ont..nts b-.f-ae th.. modern worLl, in the'spLndid -'.k ''Ant.quitates Anu.,i,.ame,-' by I^.of..ssor Kafn, in whi.h ^1'-' "--'tnes of the Norse voyages to America, besid..s b..in. r.'I.nHlu,..., ,n the old Icelandic, are rendered into the Latin aiul Danish languages. An English translation having b.cn ' Tlie wroiiL' date. made of tlu'se l>y North Lmllow llcaiiiisli, tliis in turn has Ihmii r('proiluc(i(l Ity t!ie J'rince Socii'ty in JJoston, iiiKh'r the title : *'VoyaL,'<'s of the XortlinKMi to Anicricii," |tul)lisht'(l in 1^77. This is only one (»f several translations into En.i^'lish, so that the contents of that jKirtion of tht^ •'('(idex Flatoiensis '' relatin.i^ to the discovery of Ani(!ii(.'a is in reality aeccssihle to all. In Samuel Lain;^'s preliminary dissert ttinn to his translation of the *' Jleiniskrinj^la,'' the famous chroniele of the kin,L,'s of Norway written hy Suorre Sturhson, whirh also eontain><. in the sa^'a of Ulaf Trvf'i'vason, historical testiinonv of tin,' discoverv of */ OCT' • %/ • Anierif.'a by the Xorthmen, is to he found an account of this priceless V(jlunie : 'Tin; Flatey.ir Annall, or Codex Flatoiensis,' liy far the niost inipoitant of leelaudir nianiiscri[>ts, takes its name from the island Flatt"), in l'>re»leliord in leelantl, Avhere it had been Ioult ])reserved, and where liishop Swendson of Skalholt jturciiased it, aliout 1050, from i\ui owner Jonas Torfeson, for Kin^,' Frederick HI., .uiviiig in exchan.i^'e for it the perpetual exemption from land-tax of a small estate of the owner. The manusc-riiit is in lar^e lolio, heautifully written on j)archnient. (hi the tirst jiaire stainls: 'This hook is ownetl hy Ion llakonson. Here are tiist sun^s ; then how Xorway was inhabiti'd oi' settled ; then of I'.ric N'idf'orla (the l'a:-lraveled); thereafter of (.)Iaf Tryu^'vason, and all his t\vctU ; then next the saga of King Olaf the Saint, with all his di'cds and therewith the sagas of the Orkney Jvirls ; then the saga of Swerrer and thereafter the saga of llakon the < )ld, with tlie sagas of King ^Lagnus his siiii ; then are deeds of Finer Sukkeson of (Ireen- laiitl, thereafter of llelge and Flf the l!ad ; then l»egin annals from the time the world was mide, showing all to the present time that is come. The priest Ion Thordar.'-on has written I'mm Flic \'idforla, and the two sag.is of lln^ Olafs ; and pi'iest MagniH Thoi'hallsson has written from thence, and als(t what, is written before, and has illuininateil the whole, (iod Almighty and the Holy Virgin bless tho.Ne who wrote, and him who C.\ ; OK, Honour to whom Honour is Duk. 17 ll.lS IxM'Il lir title : ill 1S77. 1, so that rcliitiiig all. In n of the ' Xoiway (' SiV^H of tViMV nf t (.f this toiciisis,' takes its ■wlicrc it mlsoii of L'V Jotias f((r it the to of the •littcn (III is owikmI Xorway :rav(']e(l); iK'-xt the therewith crrer and of Kiii.u (f ( irccii- iii annals (' j»ies<'nt ten fidin 1(1 ]»riest I what, is Vlniighty kini wild :^ iliitatcd.' . . . Tlic Codex Flatoiensis is not an oritfinal woik l>y one author, hnt a collection d sa;^Ms transciilx'd Ironi older ii)anU!*C'ri[»ts, and an'an,L;e(l in so far ihroiioloLjieally that the accounts are placed under the rci.Ljn in which the e\cnt> they tell of ha)i|>ened, aIthon,L(h not connected \\ith it or with each othei'. I'nder the sa^'a of ( )laf Tryi^gvason are eoniprtdiended the sa(;as of the Kcroe Island-^ ; of tht; \'ikings of donishui'g ; of I'aik l\e(l and Leif his son, the discoverers of (Ireenland ami Viidand ; and the voyages of K^ulsefne to ^'ildand, and all the circumstances, true ui' i'.\U(\ of their ndventun.'s." .A-s for C'olumhus liavii'.^ " horrowed all he knew " fiom this old Icelandic manusejapt, the same author, Laing, to whom the world is deeply ind(d)ted for eidighteiftnent on this hidden histoi'y, has important testimony to give, ''The discovery of America oi' Viidand, in the Iltli century, by the same race of eiidni'ing. enterprising seamen, is not less satisfactorily estal)lishe(l liy documentary evideiict' than the discovery and coloiii/ation of ( ireenland ; hut it rests entirely upon docuiiKMitary evidence, which cannot, as in the ease of (Ireeii'and, he snltstantialed hy anything to he discovere(l in .America. ... All tint can ]«• proved, or that i-^ reipiired t') he proved, for establishing the priority of the discovery of America liy the N'orthnicn, i> that the siga or traditional acc(aiiit of the-e voyages in the 11th century was committed to writing at a kmiwii date, viz. Ijetweeii 1.">S7 aiel 1 ^l)."), in a manusciiiit (d' uii([Uesii,)n('d autlienticit\-, of which these partienliir sagas or accounts relative to N'inland form but a >mall portion ; Mid that this kianvn date was ei^htv years b(.'fore ( '(tlumbns vi>ite(l Iceland to obtain nautical infor- mation, vi/. in 1177, when he nin>t have heard rd' thi> wiittcii account of Vinkiiid ; and it was not till 1 1!»l' that he (hsc.ivcird America. This simple fact established on documents alt(»gethcr ii.e )ntrovertible, is .saillicient to piove ail that is wante(I to ]»e pioved, or can be proved, and is much more elearlv aiul ably stated by Thormod Torfanis, the gr Mt anti(|uary of the l,i.,t, r: 1 8 The Icki.andic Discoverers of America; ct'iitury, thiiii it lias Ix'cii since, in liis vi'vy ran- liltle tract, ' llistoria Vinluiuliiv Anti(|ua',' 1707." A cre(li])ility is thus oivt-n to this one manuscriitt from tho Noitli, not only hy LaiuLj, lait hy Ahwainlcr von lliinil)(»lt(tries of the Xew AVorld wei;^h as nothing ii,uainst it. The intrinsic truth of its written Avords gain an absolute authoijiy from tlu^ intc^grity of the race from ■\vhieh it issued. Tcehmd has Ix'en the island refuge of this truth ; Iceland has preserved it sacredly, and imw transmits it to the Republic that she, in her o\vn palmiest days as a Ke]>ublie, conduced to found. Anunican honour is at stake! It is a natinmd obligation for the American Ke]>ubiic to ]>rgiess bound to the land that is the synonym of decay I The germ of re[iublicanism, of lilxrty, was plantetl in Aniei-ica by the North, the gei'Ui of slavery by the South, liy Spain antl the ('hur(h of Rome. AVhich germ shall be allowed to grow? liof/i cannot live mi Ameiican soil ! The history of Europe is the history of this contiict bi tween tlic North and the South, between free-minded Scandinavia and the arch-tyrant Rome. In Kurojx' Rome has virtually ciiKpiered, for it succeeded in converting or Christianizing all the nations that comj»rise Europe, including the Scandinavians, who oll'ered the most stubborn resisttinee, but were linally obliged to sucL-umb, albeit five hundred years after all the others had bowed under the yoke of Rome. Tht» struggle is now to be cuntimied in the Tnited States. The double discovery of America is symbolical of this, and is idso the signal for C(^ntcntion. I'he true discovery Avas by men from the Xoith, and of that i)ortion of the land lying in the north ; the alleged or false discovery Avas by men from ICA ; OR, IIoNoi'R IT) wiidM Honour is Dui:. 19 Liu tract, from tlio )oMt ami til lacks : tli<' Now nth (if its tt'^fritv of ic isliiiul ■tjlv, and lialiiiicst tl)liL!,ation 1 to (.1(» it 4 of tho I together K progu'ss I'lie '^('vui a l.y the and tliu o o;ro\v 1 ' iiojic is ' South, ; Koine, cdcil in coinjdisc he most h, albeit the yoke Tnited of this, voi'v -was nd lying lien from Spain, an 1 of islands south even of the eontin"nt. In the one casi- no ap|iro]»iiation, in tlie otli'T an immediate deed of tin' liii'l, nay. of the \v1im1<' hcmisplieic, liy the Pope to tin- SiiviTi'igns l,.ep df the Hark A,i.;es, maie was m reiii.irkable than the revtdatiou of the AnieritMii continent. From the mumeiit when the shiji of Columbus was si'diK^i ^'\\ c 2 20 Tm: I< KI.ANDIC DlSfDVIUFRS OF AMKRirA ; m' m ill" coast of Sjiiiiii, IxMiiiii,^ tiH" ]ir; not tlic '^li^^^lilcst "wiirniiit for conpliiii,' tlic words wcaltli, fKlvciiturc (in tin- ;,'oo(l sense) and fu'edoni with thr name of ( "olundms, Steiility, poverty, slaNcry have invariably IViIhiweil in the wake of Home and of Spdu. 1'hey wonM have done so in this inslaner. the Tnited Slates would have displayed the features of Spanish civilization, had it not been for the principles of freedom IIk; ^^'orsemen infused into KuL^lish lilood and winch found their fullest e.\]tression in the American coKjnists, leading' them to de(lare indepcndenee. liut lh(! American Kepid)lic has always l)een divided against itself; tlu; northern stat'S respected freedom, defen ieil it for themselves and others ; the southern stat -s advocated slavery and f(tni;'ht for its j)reservation ; wc have ll.e fi'eedom Invin^- North and slaveiT-worshipping Sjtain again ty[>ilied in Jloston and New Orl cans. S; imu '1 T.ainu' sees clcarlv that these are the onlv two for ces that have been at work in i'.un^pc, for spiiitual and teiriporal supremacy, and he embodies one. the enslaving force, in the Romans, and the other, tin? freeing force, u\ the Scandinavians, liis words convey the whole truth of the situation as regards the past : T Wo nations oji Iv 1 11 ve left pevinanent imjuessions f)f their laws, civil jiolity. social arrangements, spirit, and ( haracter on the civilize(l communities of modem times — the Koinans, and the handful of XoitluMn jieojilc troni the conutries beyond the l\lbe. which had never suluuittcd to the Koman yoke, who, issuing in small, ]>iratioal bands from the r)th to t\w KHli cntury. under the names (»f Saxoiis, Danes, >«'oitlmien, plunderod, compiered and settled on eveiy Kuropean coast from the White Sea to Sicily." W'l/df impression was left he describes in a way that leaves no doubt : " Wheresoever thoso peo})le from beyond the pale and influence of the okl Koman empire, and OR, HONOirR TO WHOM HoNOCK IS DlK. 21 of tln' I. iltT church cinpirt' iles of camps, posts, and towns— ,i feu- traces of puhiic Worlds, and all indicatin*< a de-potic militaiy occupation of the country, and none a civili/.ed condition of the mass ot the iidiahitanls -aloiic remain in l^n^laiid to tell the Avorld tint heie the Roman ])o\ver llourished during 400yeais.' Theiv was thus a despotic military occupation of the country ; that theie was a despil in Klihslleet, in the Isle of Thauet, 1400 years ai^o, ami been followed l>y a succession of simihtr boat expediticui.s of the suu" people, maraudiiiLT, con(|ueiin.Lf, and setllin,L,', durin:,' 000 yeai.s, viz. from 419 to lOOO. All that nuui hicd and moral cou- o uiitli'ii in Itttds of tiic iii evciv Ajiicrifuii liciiit, to iMs]iiri! tliciii with (Ii'c[> j,Matitunl-()naliti('S, can alone nmlcistrnd tl.iiii iind aiijircciatc thcni as lln-y deserve. Tiiat t/ii'i/ uere the lirst iMiropcins who landeil on Aniericiin sliores was ]>regnant with ^.ood to ns ; f/iis niade "the nnme America the synonym (>{ wealth, of adventure, of tVeedon)," ami n(jt the false tidin<4s home )>y (.'olunihus to S|,ain of a discovery of which he would have heen ineajmhle hut for stolen infor- mation. And the other force, Avhieh we can l)f st rec(»ffniz(> under tlm name, Iiiii)i<\ whr.t had it accomidi^lied ? Let ])r. Felix Oswald tell : " A thousand years' interregnum of science, Faith usurjiing the thronc! of Reason, I'Very hranch of humnn knowledgo witliered hy the jjoison of sujiernaLuralism, literai-y activity limited to the jirodut tion (»f homilies and miraclc-logondf, education devoted to the suppression of all nat\iral instincts, and the suhstitutiuu of suhmisfive helief for the love of truth and free iiKpiiry. Decadence of the line arts, natural science merged in a delugi.' of suiieistilion." ] doubt if in the whole range of literature could \>v found a more accurat-* summing- ui> of the Work wrought hv these two forces than that pre- sented l)y these authors. Dr. Oswald insists, and with light, thit '"tlie misery of the Middle Ages was due, not to the supernatural, Imt to tlie aiiti-nafurol, tendency of the Cliristian religion," adirming, most tiiily, that "the p.tgan gods were the deified j»owers of nature, the patrons of mariners, shepherds, and hushandmen," while '• the Cliristiiiu gods were the deitied enemies of nature." The evil, as he ■1' I 'i' f)K, II(»\(>i;r to whom HoxorR is Dri:. '3 .■"hows, ii'iclicil ii|i|):ilIiiiL,' |)in|Mirtioii.«», I'mi "oh tin' altar nf her aiili-iiatunil iilol, the Clnisliaii C'lmich has sa(iilict men Weic systeniatieally weeded (Mlt, to (llfoiee the sHl'vlval (>f idiots and hypoerites '^ For thirteen centuiies, the rack, the intake, ami the ciciss weie leagued against nalme and mankind." Jlallaiii moi'i." than eoidiinis ( >swald's assertions: "A cloud of ignorance ovi'ispread the whide face of the Church, hardly liiokeii hy a W'W glimmering lights, who owe almost the whole of their distinction to the surioumling darkness. ... I cannot conceive of any state of society more adverse to the intellectual imiM'ovement of maidviml than (Uie which admilt'd no midtlh; line hit ween dissohitent'Ss and fanatical morlilications. . . . No original writer of any merit aro'^e ; and learning may be said to lia\t' languished in a region of twilight lor the greater pait of a thousand years. . . . In D'Jl', it was ass^erted that scaicely a singlo jierson was to Ije found, in lionie itself, who knew the lirst elements of letters. >v()t one juiestof a thousand in Spain, abcml the age of Charlemagne, eoidd address a common letter of .salutation to another." >sor was this all ; not content Avith dehasing and enfeebling the mind, the liomish ndigionists changed the very face of nature ; this was to hi; made as arid and barren as thi' soiil — the Christim revision of the Creatiu's work, for, as (.)swald pays, " the (h.gmas of the Christian Church have cost the world three luillion square miles of lands, which once wire the ganh'U spots of this earth, but whi(,'h hav(? been turned int(» deserts bv tire neglect of rational agriculture and the iidluence of a creed which hiboured to wjlhilruw the attention of mankiml from 24 Till: I( KI.ANhIC niSCDVl.KKRS ( H" AmKUICA Sim iiliir t>> /xist-iii jif' ni (■((ticrinint'iits.'' In .>-u|i|Mtit of ilils slatciiiciit li(i ('it(!s I'l'dfi'ssor .M;irsh : "The faiiost and liiiit- fulli'st itortioiis of tlic Unman Knipiif, itrccisfly that ixulion nf tfirt'stiial surface, in sh«»rt, which ahdut tiic conMncnccnicnt of the ('hristi.in f. ■Xf'N t '/'ii;, has been entirely withdrawn from human use, or, it Iic>t, is ihiidy inhahit'-d. There aic r<<'i<»ns ^yhere tlu opeiation of causes, set in artion hy man, has lironyht the farcctf the earth to a ili xnlatiou (iIi/kik/ a-t coini'h'h' ax Ihaf cf flu' iiiaon ; and thon;^h within that brief space of time whiih wc call 'th(» 1 iistorical period, they are known to haye ])een co\(i'e< to h ]) with luxuriant woods, y>'rdant pastures and feitile nieaoows, they are now to(» far deteriorated to he reclaimahle l)y man, nor can they l)ecome a<;ain titte no control. . . . Another era of e(pial imiudyidence would reduce this earih to such a condition of impoverished productiyenoss as to tlireateii the de[»rayation, liarharism, and, j)erhaps, eyen the extincti»»n t»f the human species." r>ut, reply many Americans, with "that sul»lime trust in the •^'rand destiny of the American peojile" for whicii they are iKtted, this could ne\er haj»pen in tlie Uniteil States; Koniaii ('ath'Iics here are not wliat they are in Italy or Sj)ain ; the JJomish Church itself is heeomiug permeated with the spirit of our American institutions, of freedom. This pleasant illusion, which, carried one degree farther, \vould invitt* the conta^Lrion of th(! spiritual lllaek J >eath that rava,ueN(.l'r< IS DlK. 25 t';irl tliat K'niiiiui Catlidliclsiii lia> already iiiailc ttriililc .»lri(l(S in tilt' Ji'i'imltlic, that the frcfdniu ol' .Viiifiiraii iii.-titutioiis has incalculaltly laNourcil its atlvaiu-c, saving' it tlic trnul'lc nf furling' its way with tlu' sword, as it was iMiiii|MdI<'s |)reniatme, is not alto;,ftther iint'oundetj. This insolent piiwci' has certainly nu't with no rehuke from the |ifOple or ( lovernnient of the I'nited Stales, not the sli^^htest cluck; its Jesuits jiave not ht'cn expelled, its inoiuisteries and (•(■(■lesiasti(;al otahlishinents have not heen forbidden, nor its ] arochial schools (dosed ; it enjoys the ahsolute freedom of the press, and its eilitctrs can hoast openly of their speeijy apjim-. priati()f them, or oiie-sevcnth of the whole jMijudatiMn." The Words (»f Kroiidc should l)c read hy those who aro not afraid to risk a further e.\|)eriment : '"Tho Mow World was lirst oll'crcd to tho h(»ldc'rH of the (»ld traditions. Tliey wer*' tlm liusl)andnien lirst chosen for the new vineyard, niid hl(H)d ami desolation were tlie oidy fruits which tliey rearetl ii|ion it. In tlieir hands it was liecoming a kingdom, not of (lod, hut of the devil, and a sentence of hlight went out against them and against their works. How fatally it lias worked, let modern ^^Jtain and S[)anish America bear witness." i!ut Roman Catholici.-m undi'rgoes a change on Anierican soil, still i)ersist those who have uidimiled faith in the passive inlluence of iVmericiiii ideas ; an Asiatic serpent, fostered in Indian JJuddhism, the source of religious or Chiistian pessimism, us Oswald alliiins, will liave all his venom extracted, his ])ro- ponsity to coil and crush, l»y simply hasking in a well-cultivated Anu'iican garden or twining around iis fruit-trees. lUit •' it has long heen the jiroiul but most unholy hoast of the Roman Church that she never changes," wiites 11. V. Uarnard in the " Imlex,'' and then goes to the case in i)oint ; " Papal indulgen(;e was the rock on which the Christian (."hurch split three hundred and fifty years ago ; yet on this same ([uestion of indulgence, Rome has not altered one j(^t or tittle of her j)retensi()ns," which he demonstrates hy extracts from the "Messenger of St. Joseph's Union," to all the members of which Papal indulgence has been grantetl by Popj Leo XI LI., and which advertises tho §ale of masses at one dollar each, thereby doing a thriving u Jri [CA ; OR, Ih^NorR TO \viir»M IlnNork IS DiK. 27 illK'S till' lif siiys \^\\ Mitli I'd Stiitfs •liiij,'; ill mlics all there arc, »\ilati'»ii." (» arc not '(»rl(l was were til ilood and 111 it. In )ut of the ht'in and t niodcrn AiiKTican 10 passive )st('i('d ill 'ssiiiiisin, his pro- :iihivat(Ml r.ut •' it I' ]\oiiiaii (I in the idul^cnce hundrtHl lulgcnc.H', s," which IT of St. iihilgonce rtises the thriving tiiidf. A ft'W t'Ntr.K'ts takon from tlic pastiral pii!ili>hcd at the* fniirih l*io\ iiicial ('(iiiiicil at ('iiiciiiiiat i, March llUh, |SM', wdl >liM\\ ill liitw fiir the lIoiiii>h ( "huivh lias ('haii^'cd its Itncts (r adi'ptid Aiiiciicaii hahits (d" th(iii;;lit. "A systt-inatii; and (uiiiltiiifd «-tl"i>it, hoth in l'airii|»c and Ani<'iit;a, is la-iii;,' iiiath; In sr(ulaiizc rcliL^ioii, and to .-uh.-titiitc for (jud and rclii-iou sciriicT and matt lial proj^i'css. it is (dainicd that all intn ar»i 'tree ami ('([nal,' ami uhdi r that cry n'li;,'inn and law an* as.-ailc(l. . . . Niir arc all men ctpial. . . . 'I'liis is in the natiiie nf thing's and nni>t he, as it is didained hy (Ind that some shall rule and some shall i>e ruled. Those who ale appointid to nile have certain ri.uhts that siihjects hav(! not. Hence kind's ami nia^isliates, and hishops and jaiests, are ap|)v suhjeet to the hi-her poweis, for there is no jinwer hut from (iod; and those that nre, are ordained o llt'd.' . . . There is also a growing disjiositioii among a class (d' ( 'atholics to teach that in some thi).gs the priest reecives his piiwer from the i)C(tple. There is al^t a tlisposition to draw lines :ind to contiiie the- priest within limits that neither (li»d nor religion can permit. The jaiest is not appointed hy tlie people, nor does lie receive his power froui the pt ople. He receives hia ]H)\ver from (Jod, and the people are commanded to seek the law fioin his lips, ' fur the prieat's lips bhould keep knowledge.* ^^wwi^^sb™ ^■H 28 The Icelandic Discovekkks of America ' \h' tl)at hears Vnii licar.s iiii priests, * aiul he tliat dcsjii? J lys C. lii'ist, s|i('akiiig o .1 .t 11 IS SI'S V(»U (It'sldscs 111' 'do U'iich ' arc witrils tliat Icavt; no doiilit as to tin; rip,Iit of priests to teach, or the «liity <>f the people to Hsten. . . . ( Joverninents ami Stat( cs au'l ])coi)ies ai -1( ilil. IllKC SU hject to the law of (Jod e(pially as tlie huiiihlest. Governineiits jiave no more ri^L,'htto do wroii.^ than iiidividnals. '.Vll pcnver couies from (loil,' ami the Church is ihc witness and guardian of nvelatiou, as wt-il as the inter- pn^ter thereof. From hei' the woild must learn the law of (lod, and the law of man must I'ver he suhoidinated to the law of (lod. Jt is untrue to assert that 'all ])ower comes from the people.' ' All power <'omes I'roiu Clod,' hy whom princes ruk^, and the miLjhty de<'ree justice," It will not. do to leave these tedious iniiinct i(»ns that have heen reiterated since il le seco nd centurv, uuchanueil and un- amended, without lllcludlll'4 those relative to tiie s( :hool- (iiu'stion. th(* most serious anuovance the IJoman Catholics have to con- tend witli in the United Statt K ellLiloii mus t for m a ])H irt ol the education of the child. Education without ivli'^iou mav have th(i iilitter of science, hut it will not liave tl le esseui'e o f virtue. iriiie n lUst 1)e tlie foumlation of eilucation, but religion is the Ibuudatioii oi virtue; hence we Imld religion mu>t form a j)art of the daily education of th(> chiM, and nnist be taught co-ordinately with science and the cognate branches. Deeply impressed with the necessity (d' traiidng Catholic, children in the faith of their fathers, whilst waiting a chang<^ in the public-school system, in which our just rights as citi/eiis diall be recnunized aiitl coiicedeil, thert; remains t o us but t o appeal to the generosity of our ever faithful peo[)le tt» continue to sup[HU't our Catholic schools. We kiP'W too well how heavy the burden is, and h'W unjust it is that Catholics are fon.'ed to su])i)cu't their own schools and at the sanu* time be taxed to support a public-school system from which, for conscience sake, they can receive no benelit. AVherever, therefore, througiiout [CA ; g of His lo U'iieh ' n-k'sts to lents iunl I ('(lually lo wroiiL,' L' Cliurch he iiitiT- V of (lod, ic law of from tlic- ices rule, hat have iuiil Tin- (luestioii, ■e to con- a part ol giuii may f>seiice of iion, but . rcli,L,4t onl y siMcnce and ju'ofano knowledge he taught, l)ut also religion, the.iuecn of allseience It is, therefore, our wish, that tlie ehu!(;h and school go hand h ind : that where the on.' is, there also shall the othei' he."' The tendency of aU this is as jdain as its meaning. Theiv is 111 nieiican ('on- iitwer IS the denial that the jtrinciples emlMidied in the A siitulioii are right ; the people are i,nf fic,- ami e.pial : j /'"/ from the jH'ople ; then- should hut he self rule, hut "kings ■M\>\ magistrates, and hishops and priests are apj»ointed to rule ; " secular government and secular education are utterly obnoxious !o the Romish Church, and it is bound by all the laws of its own organization to eradicate them. The niembeis of this (diurch are cons.Mjueutly the only class of emigrants to th<^ Cnited States WW ) are not loyal t') the institutions of tl le countrv4hev live ii e 111, who do not in any sense assimilate with the priiiei|)les of these Histitutions; under the guis.- of Anu'iican eitizi'n> theyare actuallv traitors, only waiting for the moment when thev can deal a licath-blow tu the government ami rulers their mediaval super- -liti.'ii has taught them to ahhor. Their ari'o.uance intlatcMl and hiiiiyed u]> ])y the remembrance of the hislnrical fact that the ji'iwei' to which ah lie they yield allegiam-e was able to destrov tile civilization of ancient (ireece, that of the Moois. to sa]i tin; >;r"ngth of Scandinavia and cause its decline, to reduce all I-.nr.ipe til a state of misery and barha.i>m that lasted for a thousand years, they regard the rejietition of this atrocious work ill the United States as an easv task, and set about it vears a-n. "ith the confidence and luvcisioii that distinguished their Kuro])ean ellorts. Conscious as Americans arc of their own Mrcngth, the power of their own nation, IJicy should iKst under- '-'timate the strength of their insidious foe, nor forget that this •V' -W^sawijKBqMLiJWUWf^ w 30 TiiK ICELAXDic Discoverers or America ; foe v;iniinisli('(l tlic (irooks, tho Saxons, llic Moors, the All)i- jTiiiiscs, the Frcncli PiHjtcstiints, the Sc.iii(liiiaviuiis, L^'ctliug the hetttM' througli tlu'ir cnift and hellish (h^iccs — never through h'gitiiuiite, or honest means — of whole coinniunities and natioston Transciipt," headed "A lioston Cardinal," in whi(di these words ajijiear : " None the less should our fath(;i>J, hroujidit up as they had Ijeeii to ahominate the Scarlet Woman, Ik- credited Aviih tolerance in aiding tlu.' little Hock of Catliolics to tind shelter and comfort an. Km .Mr Ua.lst,,,,,., m l„s "Ku,,,,. a,„I tl„. .\,.,v.:.st K.sl„„„. i„ i;,.,i„i„„ - draw. atte„ti„„ ,„ ,1,„ fo.t t,,,,^ „„„^|„.,, |,„|. .^. ^,^^,^__^^, ^^-^ ^^'^ I.n.v,',! », e(h.au»„s l,erot„f,„,, is «.„U..,u,,l„(,.,l, i„ E,„,,,«. if .."t n, Anu.nca: "My ,„,,|,„s,tio„s tl„.,, as tl„,v s.,„„.I, a.o "1. Timt Komc l.a.s suhstitut..! fur the prou.l b..:,st of srwprr .n,h;n, a jw^licy (,f vio],.„,.. an.l d.ai.u." in fiuil, ''2. That sIk, lus n.furl.ish.Ml and pariul.Ml an.w rverv ru\uiy at the mercy of another. "^- That .he (K.nu.) ha.s ouually repudiated modern tnoii,<,dit and a:i()th of d.nuarv, l-s?! • " X.u-' yl'"U the nations of Kurope have revolted, and' when th.v Lav.: •l.^tln'oned, as far as n.en ean dethrone, ,h,. VieiUotM..sus Clni^t' ■•-nd when they have made ih,. usurpation of the Jf„lv rhx a part of international law-when all this has 1 n don. ' tlu.n" is ^'Hly one soh.tion of the diMieul.y-a solution. I f..,, imp,.ndin.'^ "-nudthat is the terrible seour<;e of n.ntin.ntal war • a w.^ which will exceed the horrors of any of the uars of ih. last' mm mmi m 32 Tin-: IcKL.WDic Discovkrf.rs of Amkrica ; <'mi)ir»'. I do not sec how this can l»o avcrti'il. Ainl it is my tinn conviction, that, in s]»!t • of all o1)stacl(!s, the Vicar of Jesus Christ will Itc put at^'ain in his own riL^htful jil k'c." Nor is this all. "The- Catholic Church," he, siys, "cannot If silent, it cannot hold its jieice ; it cannot cease to preach the doctrines of Revelation, not only of the Trinity and of the Incarnation, but likewise; of the Si'ven Sacraments, and of the Infallibility of tin; ('hur(;h of Cod, and of the necessity of I'nity, and of the Sovereignity, hoth spiritual and temporal, of the Holy See." Th"re. is still another threat, couelied in the I'ollowinL; words : " If C'iiristian j»rin!:es and their laws deviate from the law >d' Cod, the Church has authority from (!od to j*ud,L(e of tiiat devia- tion, and h>/ aJI ifx ]n>in-rx to onfor(!e the correction of that depai'turo from justice. It is more than apjtarent tliat the sins of tlie American Ke- ])ul»lic must far outwei^'h those of any Christian j>rince in l''.urope ; there is not a point in which the Repuhlican ann that the Holy See will mete out to Americans, when the tinu' c(Uues? And why is the hour of retrihution delayed ? Comin;^ events hin,i,'e on the stand taken hy the United Stat(>s on the (Jolumhiis question. .1. .1. iJany may he considereil to interpret lit(.>rally the views of his (.'liurch when he says that " the first ohject of the Discovery, disenj,faL,fed from every human consideration, was. therid'oic, tlni ;j[loritication of the Redeemer and the extension <'f His Ch\irch." 1 have (juoted these woi'ds before, but they cannot lie too forcibly imjtressed upon the mind. The object was not impe(leil liy any uncertainty with icifard to the discovery, foi' it was not to be a ih'.J IS my Jesus U this .'Ut, it ilU'S of .11, i>ut ility cf of the woi'tls : lilW of t doviii- (.f that i;i\n Ke- riiice in aiul the rihutit'ii he time .1 States lll'T''*! to us thit \: human ciliM-uier sc AVOl'tls Ihi' miuM. ,.aanl to iiu]>ly to hieh th(« (I chosen cientists, th whieh ,iy, pre- (li'sliin'(l for I'Mpal rule ; " In the iiiitlst of thiir rejoicings, the Spaiiisli H(»veirigiis lost no time in taking every measure ne(,-es- s.iiv to secure their in.'W acquisitions . . . took tlie immediate pivcautiou to secure tlie sanction of tlie Pojje (Alexanchu" VI.) . . . u jiontitf whom some historians have stigmatized with e\(:iy vice and crime that eouhl (hsgrace humanity." Tlie records of liis crimes are too rcvohing to n-ad ; del)auchery, incest, mur(h'r. Mhlnry, and assassination for theeml of rolihery, distinguish this monster's life, until hy drinking, hy mistake, some of the jioisomd MJiic intended for nine wealthy cardinals and some other opu- lent jteisoiis wdiom he had invitetl to a hamjuet, the career of the infamous wretch was closed. "Tlie present discovery," continues Irving, "was a still greater achievement" (than the coHiiuest of (Jranada): "it was the fultihiieiit of oiu? of the suhlime promises to the (dnirch ; it was giving to it the heathen f'lr an inheritance and the utteiniost parts of the earth for a jiossessioii."' A IhiU was is.-ued, dated May iMul, 11!)."}, "ceding {i> the Spanish s(ivereigns the same li.uhts, jirivileges, and in- duIgeiiiMs in respect to the newly discovered region, as had Ixmu aciordeil to the Portuguese, wit h I'cgard to their .Vfricau dis- ( oveiies, under the same condition of planting and propagating the Catholic faith." Is the American Ike]uihlic dis]»o-ed to consider itself tiihutaiy to Sjiain and to allow these Spanish plans to he carried out to tlie letter? If so, it has hut to accept the Spanish and ]{onian ( atholic veision of the discovery and suH'er these sidienies to Mot out the Morse discovery of Anieiiea. It must then endow (oluml.us Avith all his prerogatives, sainlship inclmled, and worshi[»his memory. It wouhl lie such a gloiious thing for the I'niled States to Ije under the charge of a tutelar saint, to h;i\i; lis St. ( 'hiistopher, as Morway had its St. Ohif and Sweden il.s Si. Uirgitta, after they hecaiiie ( 'hi i>li;ini/ed or Ivinaiti:."! ! Hut as this response tu Spani>h dein.inds does not lie within the range of human piubahility, what is the allernative ? Tu ^^mm 34 TiiK Ici:i.ANi)ic Disco VERKKS ok A!Ih:kr'a; ])roclaiin the fact of t'no Xdi'sc discuvci'V ami (Icintuncc tlio Ci>luinl)ian nin; as u delilterate fraud of the ( 'hiiicli, (lr\ iscd for prosc'lytiii;,' purposes. Tin- truf tt'udcucv of Auicii mIil'11 tlic XoistMiKMi landed on its sh'oi for the future nation, for tlic- ca was 'MVen es ; it was a -lood au{^'ury e were' lirav( ice liinli-inintleil men, men of a race who had phmled the seeds (»f liberty in uiny ;i state of Kurope, and who did it in this ease unwittin^dy, ]i from the meic foice of their spK'udiil nationality. ('olundtus, the l)i^'oted Koman Catholie adventurrr. wdio fed liis and)ition and ''reed on the nari'ati\cs of the Xorse vovaLres to -' '11 a, read secretly in leidand, strove t<> ,uiv(! llie Xew AVoild 1^.' shall p '>osite teudencv, the downward tend I'Uev, Wl iletl u\ ail RR'A ; itUncL' tllG 1('\ iscd for was i^ivcu Mxl iiugury ^li-iiiiiidcd liltcrty in i\vittiii;,dy, '. wliu frtl sc voyagrs the Xcw . Wliirli ^^ Hoxm-K TT^-HoM /I.X.k;, ,, i,,,. ,^ ^'HAI'TKK II. I HAT '" //y/A' / 1)1 III- It JI "•lis in I-:,,,,.!,,. tliatillH. Sraiid "' •^■'11'" tinir. aiv so litfl,. ], «' suiMcii. lll.'l\!;ins nW lllcl UI'o "•^ tlt.it ? Til,. S ^1'^1^ i" I^le ; is it not Avell known that the most llourishin.L,' and celehrated states of Kurojx- owe oriL,nnally to the Ndithern nations, whatever liberty they now enjoy, either in their eonstitutif^n, or in the spirit of their government 1 " Such u race so little known? There must be some mystery binder this! ^^'hat (h) I'-n,y;lish authors say about it ] How do tliey account for it ? (Irenville lM<:;ott, in his " Scandinavian ^Nlvtliolo^v," savs this: " The omission of anv seri<»us research into the religion ot Odin, bymen of such profound learning, as was possessed by many of our early antiouarians, may, not unnaturally, raise a doubt in the minds of some of the degree of advantage or interest likely to result from an impiiry of this nature ; liut a brief account of the circumstances which attended the overthrow of h(.'alhenism and the introduction of Christianity in those countries, where the Siandinavian deities were cliiellv wor- sliipped, may otherwise explain the cause of this silence on a sul)iect so likely to have invited earnest imjuiry." This gives one an inkling of the cause, to be sure, but yet it remains an incom[)rehensible enigma how the history of the most remarkable race that evt'r trod the earth could have been thus buried in oblivion I And that the English people know nothing about them, know nothijig about their own ancestors, that is the strangest part of it ! lUit perliajis it is a iListake, the neglect of this snbji^ct ascribed to Great Ihitain as well as France, only a casual remark by one or two authors not a; OR, MONOUK TO WHOM HoXoUR IS DUL. 3/ ici'tl the tvac't; its itiitioiis, ,'s, l)t' a iillowi'd, I'l'vlliin^ iiltitaiits, (I iciultT 1 known •op(! owe they now uf their mystery How ilo niliniiviau s res(!arch nu. as was naturally, antai^e or (' ; hut a >veithrow in those icily AYur- fuee on a Ihut yet it ■vy of the luld have Lh peo]»le Iheir own Lps it is a llhitain as Itlwjrs not coLjni/.ant thfuisfh fs of the extent of Mni^'lish or I'lcmh reseiireii. Let us ji.nk furllicr ; Henry Wiicaton, in his ''Jliatoryof the Moi'thnien, or l>ant'sanil Nonnans from tlie Ivirlii'st Times to the Comiucst of J'".nL;l,inil hy William of Mormandy," makes the samt- commont : " In tln' foljowint; attempt to illustrate the early annals of the >'orth, it has Imh ii the writer's aim to seizi; the i)iineipal points in the proj^'ress of society ami manners in this remote period, which have heen either entirtdy pas-ed over, or hardy ^lan( ed at hy thu national historians of i'"rance and lui.Ljland, hut which llimw a strong' and cleai' li_^ht u[)on tin; atl'airs of I'Jirope dui'iii^ the middle agis, ami illustrate the formation of the ev,.;it mouandiies now constitutiii;^' some of its leadin^^ states."' .S.imucl Laing says : •'The social condition, institutious, laws and literaturt; of this vi^Liorous, intluential hrani-h of the race, have heen too much overlo )ke(l hy our historians antl political jihilosojihers." Jn tilt; ]ireface to his translation of the '• lleimskiin;4la " he ,L,'ravely leveals his intention of stepping in and ]e[iaiiin,;4 the seiiou.s omission of these historians ami philosophers, of aveiting the ciinscipiences of their intentional neglect id' ct^rtain phases and racial characteristics, the coiiconntants of early Mnglish history, without which there can he no intelligi'iit reading of that history, and to do this he imposi-s njxm himself the douhh; work td' clothing in J'Jiglish ilress the uolde woik hy .Snorre .Slui'leson, an hhstorian, who, in his turn, has doneftir England Vihat Kngland has failed to do for itself, hy writing his '•Chronicle of the Kings (jf Norway,'" kings, many of them, who jtlayed an important role in j-aigland and .Scotland, — and of composing the jireliminary dissertation, a perusal of wliidi comprises a thorougl' course of instruc-tion for the reailer in this almost unknown suhject. The J>'ev. Kdmun«l 1'. -Slaftcr, \vli() e(!: " II is (if ini]i()il;inc(' {n |'!n,L;li>li Idsinry to lia\t', in tli»! Mnniisli lan,Ltna,u(', tlw means i>\' Jnil;^in',' ot the. .>'(icial and inti'llc'ctual state -ol' lln- in^titutimis and litditnii'— of a jicojilo mIk) (Iniin.L; tln'ec Imndivd years Imhc an iniinutant, and I'd' a j^reat portion ul' that time a jncdominant put, not merely in tlie Avai's, l)ut in the le^isliition of Mn^land ; wlio ocenpied a very lari^c portion of tlie eonnlry, and were >t'ttle(l in its best lands in such nnihbers as to be ;.;o\-erned by their own, not ly An,^lo- Saxon laws ; and who undonbteiily must Iju the foivfatheis of as large a pro[)ortion of the present Knelish nation as the Anglo- Saxons themselves, and of a mueb laiger ]»r(ti>ortion than the Normans. 'Jluse Northmen LaAc imt merely been the fore- fathers (d' the jieople, but of the institutions and character (d' the nation, to an extent not sntlicieidly considered liy our histoiians. . . . 'Idiey oeeu)>ied one-third of all England for many generati'.»ns, nmler their own Danish laws ; and for half a centiwy nearly, immediately previous to the Norman Conquest, they held the suprenu; goverinnent of the couidry." AVas the supremacyof these Northern peo})le such a disgraced o England tliat the proud nation has not yet recovered from the humiliation of it, and cannot endure to lie vennmled oi those times? Manifestly not. l)id these Sc.indinaviaus so retard the progress of the nation that the jteople of moch^'U Knglaml niayjustly hate tiieni for the injury ami bani di tl u'm. ?o far as mav bt', fi oni recollection? J"<\eiy lim* of (>vidence relutes such an idea. JUit aside from the ndlitary prowess ami warlike achievements of tliis race, wdnch all must adnnt, did they liave any prestige that entitles them to a place in Knglish literature, in Knglish Idstory, in tlie gratelid menmry of the nation? Jn his words •with regard to Snorre Slurleson and the sul)ject-n.atter of his OK, lIoNdri; in WHOM HoNorR IS r)i:i:. yy ifcstly (.!' till' oi' liis rtMll;irlli' linuk, Tiilin^ settles till- (|il(stiiili as to till' liu'llt <»t' this lacf tii)ry : " He ,:,Mves, t')o, (.'Veiy iinw ami then, Vdv natural toiiehis (if chaiacter, and scenes of hiiiirm action, aini of the wot'iviu'^ of the hiiiiMii inind, which are in tiiith luLjhly ilraiiiatii-. In lapiil narrative of the stirriii:,' eveiit.N of the wihl X'ikin^,' life,— of its Nicissitniies, atlvt'iiluit's ami exploits,- in extraorilinai y, yet not improhalili' incidents and (ihaii'^'cs in the career id' individuals, - in touches true t(» nature, — and in the adiiiirahle inanaL,'eniciit id" his story, iji which episodes appiueiiily the most nnctmiiectf d with liin suhject, (.'onie in liy and hy at the ri.niit imunent, as most essential parts of it,- Snoric Sturleson stands as I'ar ahove \ WU^ Ilardouin, doinville or Froissait, as thi*y stand ahove the monkish chroniclers who preceded lliein. His true seat in the Valhullii of Knru[)oan liteiatiiro is on the same Iteiicli — however ,L,'reat the distanctihetween — on the same hcnt-li with Shakspeare, C'arlyle, and Scott, as a dramatic historian ; for his Harold Ilaarfai^'cr, his Olaf Tiy,L;,L,'vasoii, his ( >laf tlie Saint, arc, in reality creat historical dramas, in which these wild, eiierj^ctii! ]terson!ie;es, their a, or of any other ()f our histiuical writers, that the .Northern pai,'ans who, in the; ninth and tenth centuries, ravaged the cjtasts of Kurope, si)arinL; neither aj^e, sex nor condition — rosp(>ctinL,f neither ciiuridies, monasteries no)' their inmates — conijueriii;^' Normandy, Morthumherlaml (then reckoned with J'.asi An^dia, oipial to oue-tidrd of all Kn);;land), and, under Swein and Canute tla^ Oreat, conijuerinj^ iind I'ulinicover the whole of Kn^'land, — wei.; a ])eople jtossessincf any lit«'iidureat all, orajiy laws, iii>titntioiis arts, or manners connectin<,' them with civili/,eur liistorians have eontiued tjieniselves for information entirely to the records and ehroiucles of the Anglo-Maxon Tuonks . , . ami wdio naturally ruprutent tliem n.-5 the most feiocious ami ''> I 40 'Ink Icklan'Dic Discovkrt.us 01 Ami;ki< a; i'MioiMiit tif Itarliaiiaiis, ami Nvillmui aiiv tiiutun; »'f livi- li/alioii." Tlicn' Mf liavc it ; t.li(( monks, tlic natural (MKMnit's of tlic Scandinavians, Ikinc hfcnuif tin ii lii>toiiaiis, ami tlic Icsiiinnny of those wliiisc wliolf ollii'c has Imm-ii to projia^'ati' siirh vi'i'sious only of facts and events and pi'isonul artion as pass I'hnich cj'nsor- shi|s has liccn nniv( rsully acct'iitcd. Iliuin' docs indccil imitate the tone of tiicst; monks, whose lii^e will never cool toward the ^'orthn>en, for lie nniforndy spealss of them as "those swarms of rohlicrs, which t!ie ferlili' North thns incessantly jionn'd fcjith a^'ainst them,"' '• tlie piiutical hancs," '• those ravaijers,'' &e., iV;e. ; and makes one rciiresentation as ei;re«^ioiisly false as if penned nnder monkish dictation : " When i\lfred came to the throne he found tin; nation suid< into the grossest i^Miorance and harliarism, proceedinj,' from the continued disordeis in tl e goveinmeiit, and from the ravages ot the Danes. 'I'he monasteries wer<' destroyed, the monks hiilchered or disposed, tl leir lil)raries hurnt : a ind tl ins the only seats of erudition in thosti aoes were totally sul»vertetl." Jt will he seen further on thattlieie was one " s< at of erudi- tion " in the world even theji, that jireserved the true history of thosci times so saciedly as to ])]ace it, intact, in the hands in th(i hour when the records so of ]tost,erity, for eil'ective use skilfidly ii>anipidat(Ml ]iy ecrlcsiastics and religious intrJLjuers woidd he discredited ajid ])rnofs df the framl reipiiicd. This true history was ]»reserveil in the heait and mind of the ]»eopIc of the Ni«rth, ai^es helbre it was reduced towritinj,', and handed down in oral tradition. There, was also an especial ilass of nu'ii to whose keepiiiL^ ;dl annals were contided, an wliKSf iMflity in ivlatiiii; former trans- iictioiiM impliejt euiilidniic eniild lie -ivfii, must of necessity have (xistt'd ill society — must liavc 1 u in evciy Imalitv ; and fi'otii the vast, nuudiir ami \aiicty of ih'tails in evciT distiiii ti'ni)|is, whii'h lik(! that of all those lavaj^'ers, was c(iiii|ie.se I of Xnrwe^iaiis, Swedes, Frisians, l)ane.s, and advenlureis of all nations, who Leiii;,' accustomed to a roving', unsettled life, ti'ok tjeli-ht in TiothiiiLC liut war and plunder." As well could one say of the P'remdi l(»llowers of Napoleon who aceouipanied him <;n his wars of (^oiKpicst, that "they were aceuslonn-d to a rovini:, unsettled life." This same ifollo, or Kolf, achieved a coniph'st in France, that Napoh'on himsell mt'tl not have heeii ashane'd of, and which perhajis condneed . make tin; J-Vencli peoph; worthy followi-rs n[' the ^^Mvat .L^'iieral, wh*.' may havi; lieen insjiired to hi-roie eli'orts hy the acciemls of his iihi.strious pie. decessor, \Villiani the ( 'oiupuMoi'. Itolf left Norway for th", Fanio reason as diil "the nohility snid jieople cd' the hi<,diest civilization" who emi^aaled to leelaml, isainely, to escape from the despr)tic sway of llarald HArfa^'er, and neiiher he and his followers nor they wen; men to '• take deliL^'ht in ntjthing hut M'ar and plunder.' On the accuracy of the old leelaiulic annals must the thinkers aiitl reformers of the presi nt thiy rely, in their ellorts to disentan;^de history from the almost hopeless confusion m which the aforesaitl monkish chrouiiders have invohcd it, con- secpu'ntly it is extrcnudy gratifying to find such ani])le coiioImj- ratiou of the truthfulness of the Icelan'. Laiiig says, " tin; .spii'it, cliai'a(!t('r and national vi^four of tln' old An.ijlo-iSaxon hraiicji of this people, Imd evidently In-eoiue extinct under tho inllueiice iMid pressure of the ('liureh of l^diie upon the enle collec- tions of luioks, and tor a long tiiiie one conunon language was sp(dron(l nation that it is] 'IMxTf was 111) sliiit of historical irconls in Irfland. its litcratiiro was as vich and varied as it was coiiioiis, the Latin Jor<3 {{) of thrinoidxs conld in no ^t'u^v he conijiaicd with it, foi', to cite I-ain,u% ''dui'in.L,' the fi\(M'eDtui'ies in wliieh the Xoitliinen were lidinj,' over the seas, and conciuerini,' wiu resocvcr they Janded, tlie hterature of tlie |)eo|ile tliey oMTiiime A\as lueked 11)) ill a (h'ad lanf,'iin_n-e, and within the walls of nioiiasteiics. Uiil the Xoithinen had a literature of their own. iikK; as it was ; and the Aiii;lo-Sa\oii race hail iioiie, none at least hrjon^- iii;4 to the |»eojple." One Icf'landie collection, the .\riin'-Mai,^iia'an collcc(!«in, ''alone contains two thousand Vdliinn s of Icelandic and old Xovthi.'in manuscripts. This coJiiTiinn was made hy Arna.s ]\la^Miiisscn, a distin.miished anti(|iiary. Iielwcen 17(»'J and 171:.', and is named in li< noiir of him." ( /7(/k- the l'!ail of l-Jlcsmrie's "(inide tt)(»ld yorthcm Aivlueolouy.'" London, |S|,^, p. Il!S.) Did Eii,L;land seek to ;^ain jioss-ession of these treasures I K\i-* deiitly not, for the hulk of thrm ioiiiid their way to {)> u- Dxirh. The Eiri of l'"llrsmerc lemaiks : '• lint it is not iinTtdy for the Scaiidina\ iaii Noitli I'lo] cily m) called, thi't tin- laii- •^niaiic and liti'iatiire possess a national siLiniticance, whiidi, thi'om^hout a ceitain jiciiod, extends to JJussia, as also to (ier- niany and to France, . . . hut douhilc-s in a still greater deforce to the jSritish Isles." Tiiic in tliroiy, this is dispn.vctl in jiiactice. for the Kiiuli-h naiion has not Liiven the sji;4htest evidence that it considers this lanj^'miL;'!' and literature to pus.-css :i national signilicanee ; its Icarin d men and antii|Uarian< ha\ e disdained to pursue this liiu' of researcii, the ]ieoplc, saitl to ho most pioiul of their au(;estry, have Imried all recollrctiiii of tlio only ancestors (»!" iheirs of whtiiu they hail reasun to \n- proud ; a land, .<5aid to he enh<.;hteiu'd, has jairposely thiown a veil of uhacnrity over ild own most hrilliant epochs which litile J 'en- f^r^ 44 The Icklandic Discoverkrs of America ; \ t umrk is oliliu'«'nt to Denmark I To an American, the l»ev. E. E. Slafter, t!ie ])ublie is indebteil tor a graphic account of the u>e to wdiich these valuable manuscripts ■ ^ OR, HoXOUR TO WHOM IIOXOUR IS DUE. 45 ^ve^e put; this is containe.l in Lis introa.i.tinu to " Tlu- Ao^^<,.sof tho Xorthnu-n to An.-rica:" ''The Kuyal 8uci.ty of .Northern Antiquaries, at Copenha...,, entere.l up„n the in- vcst.gat.on of the suhjeet with enthusiasm, ener.v :,n,| eonn.re- hensive v.eu-s. Their sehen.e involve.! a n.Ueh wi.h.r Hehl th::n he vs.ts of the Xorthm..! to Ann-riea. Jt con.prehen.h.d a h..-ou.l, investigation of the whoK, suhjeet of Scandinavian MstoryanI hterature. The Society proposed to puhlish (huh time to time sue]. oM X.rthem manuscripts as n.i;,ht he useful m the elucidation of historv, anti.pnties and lan^ua^e. The iKddwas dividein.Mhc- s.uuliesof the most in^port.nt parchment codiees, whirh had l"-n taken as the hasis of thr work. In this volume the tn.atnumt_ of the whole suhj^.t is thorou^n aud s.hohuiv' ^^hdeIt,s m.ver safe to ass-Mue that the treatnnnt of anv historical .piestion is al^snlul-ly con:p]e|. and exhau.'iv. ^^; W'vhend that little or m.tl.in,^ """v will .'ver he add.d .,! our lo'owled.ir.. of the voya^ros made to this countrv hv the \.nh men in the teiitii centurv." t- Ti'^ott also communicate "III 159-1 aj)peared a Daiii.h translation of 'Cluonicle of the Kinirs of N century in Icelandic, which tl ome information on the suh Snori'e Sturle- lect oil orwa\ ^vrltten in the thirteenth ircw an entiiely new light on this 4^-> TiiK IcKi.ANiHC Drs(()Vi:ki:Rs ov America hitlioi'to nlisciiie siilijiM't. ,111(1 cxcitcil tlio furthor if'>oiir('lios nf tlic Ic iriK'd ill tlic N'ortli. < )ii(' of tlie iiio>t ardent in this luirsnil was Arn^rim Jitlinscn, who died in 104S, and who l>y his wiitin.Lfs and iiMluisti'v in ]»rocuring and (h'ci[thfiin^' old Icelandii; n»anus< ripts, ohtaincd a ^rcat mass of information on tli(^ suhjfct, ( 'oiihMiiporary with him, and his "woithy co- adjutor, was l>ryniulf Svi'ndscn, l)isho[) of Iceland, ^vll0 dieil in 1(J7.">. 'Iho. former discovered and sent to Olaus Woiniius, in IG'JS, a jtarchment c()i)y of the Prosi; Edda, now in tliuch a plan." OR, HONOL'K TO WHOM HoXOrU TS DUK 47 ll>< )l(l (til co- lli in the tell oth )\Vll tioii lU' a rom ni \\ ic Ins It'iy 1.) hall 111 ii luly Iniil f a It a 11 tcT So Jiltk' I'cniiiark is ovon ti» mulfitake tlio pultliration nf Kii'jlisli liistoiv, wliitli Mii'4laii;l is too iiitlillcifiit and inert t(» jmltlisli tor itself I As aiioilier evideiiee of tliis wilful i^noiancc and disre<,'ard nf a snliject of ^ucli vast iiiijiortance, I of Noitlieiii Antiquities,' 4to, l-Minliuru'li, 1)^1 1, a work of liigli vahu' and gicat i»roini,-e, luit which the want nf itiihlic suppnit coin|>i'lIed the lii.stinifiiished coniitilera and antitiiiaiies, daiiiieson and Wel)ei', to discoiitinu e."' As it is necessary to heap up den evidence on this point, so titat 111) dollht niiN lie left id" the truth in the mind of any reader. I quote some more testimony to til sai 1. almost iiiexplicahle fact of l'!ni;land\s reinissne which niij,dit have, cost the United States so deilly ; Mallet says: " 1'he sources whence issued those torrents of people, which from tin,' North overvvlndme 1 all JMiiope, lh(! principles V hich 1 put them 111 motion, and j^Mve them so much activity and force, these ohjeets, so Ljrand and interesting, ha\e heeii hut slightly and weakly treateij of." I'igott says, and I'igott is an English wiiter: "It is within a comparatively recent ])eriol only, that the early history of the ^»ortli of I'lurojie has hegun to attract much attention in this country I'lev ions to the 1)uhlicatioii of ^fallel's ' Xoitlu'in -Vntiipiitics " all that was known on the suliject re.-t'd chietly on meagre notices gleaned fi rom iJomaii writi'r; wl II ise au tluaity on this suhji •!, from delicieiicy of sources of accurate inrormation, was, to s ly tiie least, douhtlul : and on the exaggerated account of the Monkish ( "hi'oniclers, who had too uood reason not to love the pi(>])le Avhom they deseriliel. Hence till' histoiy of the Scandinavians ur Northmen, as tluy were alttruanls called, has heeii generally lo.tked u))oii as a meie sanguinary chronicle of jdracie-^, murdeis and gloomy supiisiitions. and hut little inclination felt to expliire a lield so uiiin\ itin.,'. curios tl lose ity has led them to examine the coj)i lloWcNCr, Wliose ous sources of in- formation respecting the early religion and history of Northein Europe, furnished hy the IvMas and hy the numerous Sagas ■48 The Icelandic Di.scovf.kkr.s ok Amkrica; I I uliiili ('.\i>t ill the liltntrics of Copciih; f^'cn and Stockholiii ; it CMiiiU't fail to iippcov a curious anomaly tliat,»wliilst the (Irccian Mytliolo^a in all its vaiicil iletails is iimdc familiar to us from our cliildliood, wr hiiNi- Incii so kmg coiitciit to icma'U in ^Mc.it nicasiiro ignorant of the rJigions siij^M'stitions of oui' immediate ancestors ; sni>crstitioiis inferior it may hi' to tlntsc of (Jkm'ci' in relinement, hut scarcely so in wildiicss or siddimity ; wini'h contrihiited so much to form the piMuliar character that ^till di.-tinguishes the iidiahitants df Xortlicin l''uro|ie ; which eviMi yet lin.^er in the traditions of our |icasantry, and whose traces are enduiinL;ly marked in the names of s-ome of our le-tivals, and especially of the days of our week."' He says yet more; for once on this su])j('ct any thinking nnd truth-loving person, who values what is hest in the past, will wax earnest and indignant: "The iuytholo;jy (jf the ancient Scandiuiivians, j'especting which so much curious information has heen hrought to light, of late years, l)y the re>e,irches of many distinguished writers, in (iermany, Denmark, and Sweden, has hitlierto excited hut little attinlion in this country, although the sulije 't is well calculated to awaken our int(*rest, not only as the source of most of our popular superstitions, iVoin whence the favourite authors of our early (diihihood and of our niaturer age have driiwn their witches, their dwarves, their giants, and tiicir ghosts, l)ut in an historical point of view also, for a short retrospect will sullice to show that the rtdij^iou of ( >diu nnist have exercised a great and lasting inlluence (»n the character and institutions of the inhahitants of (Ircat Ih'itain." Is' ot from Jvklas or Sagas, nor the " Jleimskringla," nor he rich stores of inforUiation i»ut within easy reach hy zealous Danish anticjuarians, has England drawn the scanty knowledge that it was constrained to put into some kind of historical shape. That English histiM'iaus have hi en t)hligetl to consult .some authorities, leliahle or unreliahle, is self evident. The authors 1 have (quoted are unanin;ous in assirting that they OR, HOXOUR TO WHOM ITOXOUR IS DUK. 40 cnn.snlt.Ml tl... monkish (.■Immiclcrs l.y i.ivf,.n.n,.(;. l[..,vin- l.a.l a iHTnic a,u.., this (ransniifhMl to th.M.. l.v the .•on.,Morin-liosts Mho H:ttl..,l an.l ,unv..nu.l Kngii.nd. havin.^'KHinrcl th.ou-h these T»'"ph., H rar.. ,.<.nihinin>r th,; most sup.Mh traits a nivtho]oL;y, '•'l^i'l if not sn,,Tinr t„ the (J.vrian, an anrimi lit.rature'.f ^vhl(•Ii any L.n.l nuiM h. ,aou.l, an,l Avhi.h was virtuallv th.' ^'"ly l.trratMiv in Kiirop,. at that ti.n., havin,^^ ha.l a ].a'>t to which not only Kn-lan.l, l.ut oth.-r nations owe all the, liherty tl-ey ).ossess, th.. Kn-lish ...nsnlt the roc.nls of a class „f men uhose sole oth.-.. .lunn., all the a^..s in .lue.fi.n was t.> era.li.'ate •">~h the (;,vcian an.l S.-an.linavian mythoJo-ies, to blast lite- r.itniv, to -et th." iMlt.T, l»y fair means or fonl, of the ra.o who w..res.jwin- the see.ls of Jih.rty l.r.,a.l-cast ov.-r I'lnr..)..., and uhosr sole „|}in. sine- that p.'ri.ul has been to l.la.^k.Mi the' past m whid. the ^re.'-b.,rn Scamlinavians i;,,.,nv,l ami t.. so .iefaine them that i.ost.-rity would re-ar.l them as m..nsters,' Lain- is abl.' to siy wh.. and what son..- ..f thes,, nnm were ].ers.,nally: -O.ir early historians, fmm th.- v.-n.-rable i;,..le .h.wnwanls, ]„,wev.-r a.:.-nrat." in th.' ..v.mts ami dat.^s tli.-y '■'"•"'••1' '""1 li"w..v..r valuable fur this a,-.-ura..v, ar.. un.leniablv tl.'' s uf th.-ir saint.-d bn.tlnvn. as th.' m<.st imp.irlant .'Vents in hist.uy • th.- facts bein,^- stat.'.l ^vilj,oul .■xer.'ise ..f j.id.L^n.ent, .,r in.p.i.y aft.-r tnith, tie- n,-tiuns with a dull .•r.Ml„!ity un.nliven.-d by a^ire'l.' Ml.-an,.d-.uvnius. ... it is not to b- .j.-ni.-.l that all'fhis ...'rn- n.M.le.l series oi' AuL^lo-Sax.-n ami A n^Io-Nnnnan hisiu.v, f.o,,. tli.'d.ssoluii..n of th.. Roman .-uipiiv in llnt.in in th..'n,i,l,n.. ottlu.l.tth.-..ntnry,lownt..th..mi,Mleof ,lu.,hirt....nllM•..nt,^•v alth..u-h c.mip..s..d by swh wnl..rs of th. An^'lo-Sax-u. populV fon as i;..d.. ami Matth..w Paris, n.en th.. n.ost ..min..nt ..f th..ir times lor l.-arning ami literary attainm..nts amoie-st the AngI.>Saxons an.l their descen-lants, is of th.. most unmili-.u.d ill IH 50 Tiif: Icr-'.LANDic Discovkkkrs of America ; n (lulliic'S!=<, considered us literary or intellectual |»rndiietiun ; and that all the histcjrieal eoinjifisitinns of the (tld Anglo-Saxnu luiincli dnrin^- those eiu'ht centuries, either in Kn;^diind or in ' lerinany, are, witii few if any (.'xce})tilaf 'J'ryggvason, known in the OK, Honour to whom Honour is Dui:, 51 <, Avith itl (lis- ilsiticis I'll, Imt Noilh llu'in 1' war lit' » C'c-ulil li Miis- iiiuirk, , " It ■dutlly, It was I, •MMU- 111 WM L i'aitli itica'.L h was triaU'd in the liistoiy of Kiii,'laii(l l>y tin- iiaiiR' uf Aiilaf, lociivrd liaptisia in llics." isles in 1»'.).S." It is well kni)wn wliat atrtvities ( Maf TrvgL^'vason )»« r]teti'at»Ml in I'lircing liis snlijccts to adopt Cliristianity. Kny;lisli liishops also cnnvcitiul ( )laf Kiicsiin, kin.L,' of Sweden, in Inos. Wheuton has sometliiiij? siL,'nilieant to relate al)oul tlie llakon referred to; liarald HArfai^er's son, llakon, who )iad been ediieated in the new religion at the court of KinL; Atli(dstane, tonk with him li'oui l-.ni^hnid some Christian priests and missionaries. ]Io assemhled a large conclave of peojde, where he ti'i((l to intio- diiee litis doctiine. A rich and iio|)ular landholder rose to opjiose it, and maile a feiv< ut jM'otest, in which lie siiid : " lUit now We know not what to think, that thou who didst reston; to us oui' lost freciloni, slioiildst desire to fasten upon us a new and more intolerable yoke r>f slavery.'' Wheaton gives us the whole s]MM'ch. ami a remarkaiile oratoiieal ellorl it is! 'I'he dis- tiiiguished Sweilish iioNclist, \'ictor Kydherg, in *' Tlie 1-ast Athenian," puts into the niouth of une of Ids anti Christian I'haracteis a similar oltjectiou : '' Tlie Christians, llermione, hate the high explosion of art, as much as the deep seriousness of investigation. They talk of ])overty and ]iluiider our temples — of humility and trample ujiom our necks. . . . They are a pack of nialefaetors, intriguers, hyixtciites and asses. 'I'hey tear in jiieces the world and each other in ilisputescn woids without meaning ; l>ut that in which tliey all agree, is what I mo>l des]iise ; all liaiiish the freedom of reason, all ti'ach that the power of rulers and the slavery of the pei.j.le is fiom (led. Krecilom has departed from real life, hut ihi >e people deny it even in thought,' The (Mily way of dejiri\ing tlie fornudahle Northern li< n of teeth and claws was to Christianize it. l-reeddin, frei'di'iii of life and action, freedom of ilionght, fiee^ioni ii, a vigour and exuberance of develnjiment never attained before, hajl made the Northern rare dangerous, nay, alisolutely fatal to the pii» ^t- 1: 'J r $?. Tin; Kr.iANKic DiscoVKkr.Ks ok Amkrica ; ri l<|fii, ciisImvi'iI III i>^sis of" sdiitlicrii mul miildlc Mnioi't'. The llicrc si'^lit (ir know Ictli;.' «»[' tllfsc j^M'uVrlliiiu'. clMVrli, lil;li-k- ;jm\v)i(m|, ciiiitiiiv' Iwi'tlcs, iiilliiiiKHl tlic ^'ikill,L: ia'_:c \i> liviizy. in- I itiiij^' tlic ntiiiost IcKK.-ity : it \viis not linimniiiltl*' wiufurc lit- twt'cii ('t|ii;il.s, l)t't\vccii iiK'ii and incii, ])iit Mssault made hy fn-i', lii;4li-si>iriti'(l, valiant iiicii upon slaves, u|mmi those wlinin they iM)iil(l not liut consider tlieir inferiors, and wlimn they deemed it nieiitorious to exterminate. The la^'eoi'the Xnrthnien was the nnennscions fury 'if natni-e a<,'ainst the ih-stroyeis df nature, the antijtathy of hi'aith toward disease, the cil'oit of nature to free itself from ihat which is inimical to it. "With the instinct of felf-proservation which evil has in eummon with .i^'iod, and with the ])urninj,' (lesire fcir temjtorai sii|iri maey n\'cr the whole world which has ever becii its animating; motive, the Komish pnwcr devised and used the oidy itossihlc iiicins (if reudciin;^ the ^'ortliern destroyer harnil.ss. Suhdue these hosts ]i\- foi'ce of arms it eould le't. S;rate;jy and jiriestly cratt would avail where manly courage was nut at (,'omniand. It was not the },'ood of their souls nor tludr et<'rnal welfaic, nut the inculcation of divine truth that was aimed at, hut the eradicatitt'd aiiioii'^ iiiaukiiid, will lie (|Uestion('(l Ijy iHj I'lulestaiit who has a eomiilelo kiioW* k'd^'c of history." Allioll^ the measures used Were also sildl as these; " Otlio ill., of the Saxon line, eoiicluded a jiiMre wilh Harold lilaataiid, ill" jtriiieipal ('i»nli jicojiln should eiiihrac" ( 'hristianity. and their kiuLj should endeavour to introduce the new reli;-;i(»n in Norway."' "Wheaton (juotes ('liailes the Simple's words, which so well show the ilis^'iiiccful means em|>loye(l : "■ My kini^doin is laid waste,'" said the monarch to the piclate, "my sulijects are destroyed or driven into exile; the tields are no lon^fer ploughed or sown. Tell the Xorman that 1 am well disposed to make a lasting' peace with him, and that if he will become a (,'hristian, I will give him hroiid lands and rich ])r('sents." liolf readily consented to tlnj jn'oposal, as did many other leaders and generals to similai' ones. Thorn appeared to them uo reason why they should not accept iidvan- tag(,'t»us terms from a van(|uished foe, and as i'or em1>racing Christianity, that seemeil the idhst and emptiest of ceremonies to men whose religion sat so lightly upon them. To them helief iu the gods was moi'e a malter of poetiT and ideality than of practical impoi't ; it seiVed to kindle their enthusiasm, perhaps theii' valour, although this in the main was S(df-fed ; an(l with a religion that ha(l no rites ov cerem(Uiies to s})eak of, 110 estalilisi\e(l priesthood, that e\ercise(l no tyranny (»ver them, it was a moral impossihility for them to conceive of >U(h a systeui as the Christian ( 'hurch, or to imagine to what a h'^irihle thraldom they were consigning tlu'nisclves and their descend mts. lJ(»wever, the ini.staku they niaiie, and ihroiigh no fault of 54 Tin: I(i;i,.\\i)[< DisroviCKKUs oi" Amkkka; !l tliciiv^ • itlior- tln'V well' t»)i> iiohlc, tiMt llaiik, tun filial. '-mindcil tu tiiihoiii lilt- ilcpili (.f |M'iiiil.v ill lln' iiiiiiu>li ( 'Imn-li, in tin- rclij^idus systciii calKd ( "hrisiiiiiiily — tins luistakt' tlu* pectiilf ( t" the I'liiti'il Stales can iftiicvc 'I'lit' spiiii of iln; Norst'iucii lias (Icsci mlfd iiiti> Ameriraiis. Tlicv, ami not the Kn,u,li.sli, as cvi'iit- lia\c ])i'c(\cn, Hit' tilt' tiui' hfii's ot' tlic filuiimis li.-iitii^fd li('i|in'atln'il liy the aiiricnt Scantlina\ iai.s. Tin' cDlunists, who icVdlti'il a'^ainsl l'',nL;lisli (i|)iiii'»inn, and wlm tliri-w nil' all al'c- ^n'aiic"' to tin' ( 'rowii, wcit' totally nnawarc tlmt tlicir \v.i> tliiL in the Kn,L;li.>h ]ta>t lh;it bad noiiri-hcd and ins|>i)t'd llnir own s|»ifit of ind('|>i'nilfn(f, that they had ancostois who hiid |)OjH('ssc(l their own di>liuLi;uishin,i,' t.iaits, ami w Im h id lahomed manfully to make these traits the jiicvailin^ ones in l'an;li>h character, and so they cut all the links that had hound the-U' tit Kn^laud. If l'Ji.;land hail revered its own frec-mindud ance>ti)rs, if it^ had seconded the ell'oris of tlie \iiith to spread lihi-ity over all th(3 nations of the earth, instead of th" ell'orts of Jioine to stitle liherty forever l>y putting; all nations, the Scandinavian imduded, under the perpetual rule of the Chundi, the conduct (d' Aineiiia since the hour it Iteeann- an independent Jiepuhlic would have heen viuy dilferent and the piesmt [leril wovdd have heen averteil. I'recautions tould then have heen taken in time against the continual encroachments of tin; Koman Catholic power in the I'lnted States; the full purpose and desij^n of that power would have been ai»parent ; Americans, in a liody, Mould have realized that wliiTe they Avere working, with one heart and one soul, for the formation id' an ideal Kepuhlie, i- which the principles of liherty, of right, of ei|uity, o! Avuuld he fully emhodied, there was an insidious force iheir nudst steadily using liherty to nndermim? liherty, a force that was pledged to tyranny, evil, and the; suhversionof right; whos( record "was iinipiity, and whost; intent was iniipi'^y ! 2!io "warning came throuuh the watcdiful care of the Mother countrv ; OR, Honour to whom Honour is Duk. .■>.■> ihc'ir tliaf :n\) Intrv ; it only i^MVc ihc |>r(M'i'il('iit of tlir I'lvijUitit cnnviTsioM <'i' hi^li jiiTHons fiDiM !inn>ri<^f tli.- ii.ii»ilit.v tt» tin- Kniiiin i ";iilii>lii- laitli. \() ailnioiiitio!! was utt.crcl liy Miit^Iaml to tlu' I'-ss fxpcrifiK ni 8i>iis ami tianurlitci's of I'liiL^land airuss tin- watir to tin- cllrrt tlial " clcmal vif^Mlancc was lln- jtrici- of satftv," Tiiry wtic iii'vcr told 1>y l'.ii'4laii(l tliat tliry should honour tht'ii' Norse aiifcstors, he tnu- to tin' j>riM(i|»lcs th<'Sf held sr. driir, and jM'vfct't the KHjiiiMi*; founded on a niodil that tin- Nors''iiii'ii thcnisidvt's had ori^rinntcd and ont.wi'ou,ylit in jci lind an 1 Switzerland. 'I'lie knowledge of the Nor>(! discovery o|' America did not come to the jieople of the United Slates from ]!n,i,dand, b>it from henmark. Km,danil took iio interest in the matter, was inditfiMvnt as to Avliethei- it was true or fdse, t'elt ii'i ]iride in a diseoNery so momentous, niadi' hv its own aricestors. saw no necessity of int'orminj; Americans of a fiiet of such vital im|toi'taiu;e as to prove their greatest safeguard again>t a deadly fo.'! lint Denmark came to the icscue I Henniaik jierformed the whole duty that luigland had evaded. The tidings so frau^dif with mighty Collse(|Uene('S to the young Uepuhlii;, Wel-e seized with avidity by .Vmerieans, and I'csponded to in the right s]»irit. No sooner was that great work of Professor Kafn's printed, than the Historical Society of Kho.le Island o]>ened coi're- ispondence with tin* lioyal Society of Xoithern Anti<(uaries in < "openhagen. and several translations ot' the Norse voyages to .Vmerica were put within rea(di of Amci'ican riNnlers. The Prince Society, .n I'ost ui, repuhlished the tmnslati'ti ol" these l>y X. Ij. P>eaniish. an English author, who, like Liing, Pi^oti, the llowitls, and others, exerted himself to the utmost to roiise the English j)uhlic into some sort of action, and numerous Aiiiei-i(;an works ap[i(ar.'(l on the suhjei-t. (Jratitude was nut w; Miing either to <»ur Norse ancestors : the ai»preciation so long d' I'led, thetrihute ri'fused them hy tle-ir English desi.-en'lants, yielded gkilly by their Aiuerixjaii oiiei*! JJeujumin Lossing SC Thk I i.t,am)IC Discoveukrs of America ; ^ ■wrott' : "It is l);ick to tlio Nf)rtli('rn \'ikiMf,'.s we must look for tlis in tlio UnitiMl States." ^\ii I r>. I'". !)(• ('ost.i : " \\'<' fabhi in a ^nvat measure when we speak of our Saxon inlieritatu-o ; it is latlier from the Nortlimcn that we have derived om- vital enerL^y, om- fieedoni of thought, and, in a measui'e that we do not yet, suspect, our strength of spee(di." Tho acfounts of the Xor-^e voyages to Auieiiea also seem to have met Avitli fidl cretleiK-.e, HaiK-roft, the liistorian, forming the signal exception to the. rule. Remarking this, Mr. SJafter, in his introduetion to tlu! " N "yages," says: " Me. Jlanci'oft, in the earliest of his "History of the I'nited States," t rcats the allegL'd Irclandie voyages to this continent as a myth, and, in )iis last, lias not in any degice modified his swee|»ing statements of tiistrust. We ai'e not aware that any other distinguished historian lias reached the same conclusion." ^ir. Slafter him- S(df asserts : '* jloth of th se ihjcuments ai'e dei'larc'l, hy tho-e iUalilied ti> judge of the cliaraeter of aneicnt \vi it ings, to li(> nuthentie, and wi I'e clearly regarded hy their writers as nairalives of historical ti'UtJi." Ivlward Kverett writes, (piiic jis emphati- cally, in the Ani'//i Aiii'rii-aii llofU-ir : "'I'hesc accounts are either I'oundcd on truth, or they are wholly false; and those who Ic'ld to the latter opinion will, we think, find more ditli- culty in (.-allying o\it theii hypothesis, than there is in ailmitting the sulistantial truth of tiie tiadition." I'en. Franklin, haldwin, (iooiliich. '!'. \V. Iligncnson. d. Ahhott, \V. ( ", Uryant, and many other Americans ha\e written in coiilirmati<»n of the tiiitli of the Noi'se iliscoM'iy of ,Vnieiica, as l(,)unde(l on the Icelauilic nai'rutivos. Jlut the duty of .\mericans does not end with this aidcuow- leilgment of the truth. 'J'ho Koman ('atholics in their midst and in Europe ha\e lieeu diligently spreading, a statement in direct refutation of all this, the consummation of their long- continued [lolicy ot at onc(! concealing the discovery of the Norsemen and suh-tituting that uf L'ohuuhus for it. Tiieir 1 OR, HON'OUR TO WHOM HnXOUR is DuE UE. 57 ^Min, sl.M.ia tl.is sul.titut^m Ik. mII.w.mI, ,H..,1 nnt h. o,.. to .anting, uhining pri-s,, h.v.. th-.r oM *'»''"'.v l..Hl.ly l.fon. tlu.u again, only r..fn.slH..l l.v th-Mr h... sl-p of ., anuour and s.al th. I^Ionous work for universal lih-rty that th.ir ann^ors have lHM|U(Mth(,Ml t,, tJK'ni : ijt 5*^ Tin-: Ii; thcsi! two documents rc-;ts all the essential evidence whiidi we havi^ I'l'Iatin'^ lo the voyaLjes of the Xortlnneii to America. Allusions are found in several other Scandinavian writin-s, A-.hich ni;iy ciiri-dldirate and Cdnliriii the narratives nf tlie two impMitant sa'^as to which we have ju~-t leferred. l)Ut adil iidthin^ toiheni I'cally osential or iiui>nrt;int. The SiLja of I'hik the Ked is taken fnaii the C'ikJcv 1'"1 li^'yeiisis, coiitainin.n" a nuudiiu' of sa,^'as, whieh uei'e eoHi'cted and written out in their i)re.-ent form at some time Ixt weeu the ye irs l.'V'^Tand l.'''.)o. The i>ri,L,Mnal sajj;a, of wliiidi this is a cojty. is not known to Im' now in existence, hut is con jeet urcd. from internal evideiici' drawn from its lini;ua;_'e and style, to have Leen ori^dnally comiiosi'd in the twelfth ceiitui'v. Till' sa''a of Thoilinn Karlsefne in its iire^j'ut r i i I I r OR, Honour to whom Honolk is Duk 59 form is sujtjiDsi'd to liavo ln'cii w liftcii, at least a part of it. by Hauk Krlcmlsoii, fdi' many years ^'i»vt'ni(>r uf Icclaiiil, wlu) dicil ill 1 -'^'U, Wiiotlicr it had ln-cn cinumittcd t<,> writiiii;- at an earlier period, and copied liy him from a luanuscript, or whether he took tho narrative from oral tradition and redneed it himself to writing for tlu' tirst time, is not known.'' In t!ie translation of the voyages, a little, li^lit is thrown upon this point, for it is vstated that "Karlsefne has accurately ridated to all men the occurrences on all these voyages, of whieh somewhat is now recited liere." l)Ut to give yiv. Slal'ter's full opinion eoncerning their relja- Lilitv : " While there is no eoi'iolmrating I'videiiee outside of leelindic writings themselves, no nionunuuits in this counliy eontirming tht; truthfulness of the narratives, they have never- theless idl the eli'iui-nts of truth contained in other sagas, whieh ai'c clearly contirmed l>y monumental remains. Kvents occiiiiing in (Ireenliud, I'ecorded in led indii- sagas of e.piil antirpiity, •ire established by the undoubted te.-timoiiy of ancient monu- iiients. This, together with the fact that there is no im[)roba- bility that such voyages sh(»uld have bi'cn niadi', render it easy to believe that the narratives contained in the sagas ;ire true in tlieir general outlines and imptn'tant features." The jji'oof thus being in sueh a compict shape, and autlientii-, it only remains for us to see how this has been regaiih'il by minds whose conclusions are of value. Among these Jiaidii von Humboldt must naturally take pr'-ceilcncc. llefore presenting his testimony, whieh would ha\'" great we.ight, even if unsup- ported by that of s. -ores of other writei'>, I eite Mr. Shifter's words about this testimony : ''In ti eating of the discovery of .Vmeriea the author (Alex, von Humboldt) refers t ) the voya'.;es of the Northmen to this coiitim^nt us a matter of settled history, ilo do(>snot even oiler an apology, orsuggest a doubt. The vast learn- ing, just discrimination, and somid sense of this distinguished scholar, give yreat weight to his opinit ijiscuvery of America, in its. northern pnvtions, hy the N'urthmen. ami its suljsetiuent rf-ilis- (foveiy in its tr(t]»ical regions. NVhilst the Calipliat*! still flourished under the Al>as>ides at I'.a'^dad, and I'el'sia was undiT (he dominion of the Samanidi's, whose aL,'e was so f.ivouraliltj to poetry, America was discdvereil in the year 1000 hy Leif, the son (d' I'j'ic the K m1, hy the noithern route, and as far as ■11° .'{()' north latitude." Jn a foot note, tho autlior says: " Parts of America were seen, althoiiLjh no landing,' was made on them, fourteen years hifui'i' Leif Kiriidcsson, in the voyaiji' which Itjarne llerjulfssou undertook from <0. Leil' lirst saw the land at tin* islainl of Nantucket, 1° s(»uth of llitslon ; then in Nova St-utia ; and, lastly, in Xewfoundli'!'. !. v.l.icji was suhsetpUMitly called ' Litla llelluland,' hut ne\ cr ' Finland.' The t^ulf which divides Xowfoundland from tho UKniili of the j^'reat river St. Lawrence, was called Ity tin' Northmen, who had settleil in Iceland and (Iroenlanil, Markland's (lulf."' (See Caroli Christiani Kafn Anti(iuitatos AinericaniP, IS 45, pp. d, 421, 4'2'A and 40."}.) Jiaron vonHumholdt thus cites the same authoritv, the sole and incontrovertilde one. He continues: ''The lirst, although acci- dental incitenu'nt towards this event emanated fi'(»m N'orway. 'i'dwards the close of llu' innth century >>'addod was driven hy storms to Iceland whilst attempting to reacdi the Faroe islands, which had already heen visited hy the Irish. The first gettlenu'Ut of the Northmen was made in S7-") hy Ingolf. (Jreen- land, the eastern peninsula of a laml which appears to he every- ■where sej)arated hy the sea from America proper, was early OR, H >Ni)UR TO WiroM IloNOUR IS DlK. Tj I Sfcii " ^(|U(tt('s Uat'li :i,i;iili). ''ullluni^h il Wiis lirst j plnl fiuui Iceland ;i liiuiilli'(l vtMls later (ilMl). . . NuLwillisliiiKliii;^ tin; pi'dximilv ("f till' (t|)iu>siie shores ul' LaWradMi' \ llilliiluinl it iiii/,-/((), 1l'."> yoal'S t'la[)se(l t'lniii llie til>t selllelueiit of llie Noitli- llieil ill Jeelaild to Leif's ;;ieat (lisi:(»Vel'V ol' AllU.'lic'il. tSo sinall weic llie means ) losse.s.sed hy a iinlile, (•utei'in'i-'inLC, l>iit not "svealiliy race for t'iirllierin<,' navigation in the>e remote ami dreary iv;,':uns ol' tiie earth. The littoral tracts of N'inland, >o «;alled bv the ( iernian 'L'vik< r tiom the wild grapes which weri) loimd tlu'l'e, delighted its dis'o\ elels liy the fniit I'nlnos of IJnj soil, and the mildness of its (diinate, when coiiHiared th(i coast-line heiween IJosloii and New York, and eun.s(M|nently parts of the jiresent States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, })('t\veen the paiallels of latitude of ('ivita N'e.cidna and Teira- <'ina, wdiich, howe\er. corresjioiul there only to mean ;uinuil tt'nii)eratuies of 17' «*^' iuid r)2'' V. This was the prin- cipal seitleiiient of tlu" Northmen. The colonists had often to contend with a X'-vy warlike race; of Ksipiimaiix, wIkj then extended further to the south \inder the name of the SkraliiiLjer. The hist liishop of ( irei'hlanil, l*".ric I'psi, an liadander, undi'r- took, in ll-l. a Christian mission to N'inland: and the nam!: of tlie coloni/ed country has evi'ii liceii di-.covered in old naliuiial son.t^fs of the inhal)it lilts of the l'';ii<»e Islands. "The ai-'tivity and hold spiiit of enterprise minifested hy the CireiMiland and Icelandic ad\emuiers are proved iiy llui ciicuni- .stance that, after they hat of tin' j»iesent most northern l>anish eolouy of Cjeina\ik. TIk; Kunie inscri[»tis, the f'<»lniiist.s very r(',milaily visitctl liaiicastci Soinul ami a |>art of Harrow's Straits for tln' jnii-jiose of lisiiiiiLr. 'I'ln' lncality cf the (ishiii^f-^'rouiHl is very (Ictiiiitfly destrilxd, aiiislio]tric of (lanlar coiiiluctcd llic lirsl Miyaf,'(j of discovery ( iL'Gd). Tliis nortli-westc in suiiniier station was called Kroksfjardar lleaLli. Mention is even made of tlie drift Wdod (nnd(in]»tei]ii(l((hlii to ()rtelius. 1'lie work in which this credit is «fiven the Northmen, the "Thr'alrnm Orliis Terrarnm," is a .super)) illuminated volume, of which the translation was ju-inted in r.ondon in lOUd; the author's jireface is dated Antwei]t, 1">70. Philip 11. of S[)ain, as we are infornuMl by the bio- ;iraphe.r, graced Ortelius with the honoiu' and title of the king's cosmograi)her. A few words from this biography will convey the scitpe of the author's ambition and ability: "There (at Antwerp) he began to a))ply hinisclt' to lieneUt succedeut ages, to write of those countries liy him viewed and seen, to set out in charts and maps divers plac( s both (»f sea and land uidcnown to former ages, to describe the tracts and coasts of the east and west, south and north, never t-jtokeii of nor t»)uche(l liy l*toleniy, I'liny, Stralx), Mela, or any othei' historiographer whatsiiever," The paragrajih in question is this: " Put to uie it seems more jtndjable, out of the history of the two /cni, gentlemen of ^'enice (whi(di I have }iut d(»wn before the table of the South Sea, and before that of Scandiaj that this new world many ages past was entered U[>on by some islanders of Kurope, as namely t)f Greenland, Icelan tin- Xorsi; ili.scovcry of Anirrira, occurs in Ailain of iJrcnu'Ms " llistoria Kcitlcsiiisticii Hanil»ur^'cnsis ct l»rcnicnsis," ]mlilisli('(l at C<']ifn- lia.un-n, l.*i7J). 'Ilic ]iassa;,'c n'tcrrt'd to is the fi>llnwin^% aiitl Mr. Slaftt'r asserts that it was wriUi'ii Inn.; iMfmc tin- sa^'as wen; rf»l\ic(Ml to -wrilini; : **'riit' sanif kiii;^" (Swcin Kstritli.son, of l>(>nniaik, a ncplicw nf Canutu the (ircat) '' has hcsidcs tcM us t»f the iliscovcry of still anntluT islanil in the midst of tht* ocean, which is < all" d Vinland. liecause the ;jia|ies ^ruw thcnj sj»(»ntan«'<>usly and j^ivo the most ^doiicms wine, also ;;raiu, with- out Ixdn^' sowed. ^M'ows there in almndain'c. This is no fid>nlous representation, }»ut is i'oundi'd on the n liable commuidcations <»f the I>anes." Another enrly account, and a coriect one, of the discoveries of tlu! Seandinavians in the west, was yiven hy Tlioiniod Torfaeus. in his " llislorijt \'inlanion that "no room is left for dis[mtini,Mhe main fact of thr dis- co v<'ry." In the Swedish woik " Nordhon )ui a curitMis l)it of information : '* As late as the year 1.")I7 hi-tory can mention a voya^^e undertaken from ( li'eeuland to N'iidand. . . . This statement is to he found in the Skalholt annals, rnnidiidrd in the year 13."k'>. Finally wt; will, a> a further pronr ..f our forefathers' knowled;4e of America loii;^ lictore ( '' time, mention a world 's-chiut th;it was jMcjian d in l-'ioc-, win re this land is to he found desi^niated under the name S\nriliy,ud (southern district). Jt is to he found in the m,inuseii|ii of the so-called K'ynd>e,<,da, and is undouhti'dly 1 In- ,i]de^L luaj* v^_7r^ has j»i'( scivcd the iMi'dllcction id' it. Hut a vaL^U'" n'|Mirt of tiic- Mni'scnicn's V(»ya.Lj('s dt' iliscovciy )M'ii(tiat( il to tin- Noiscnicn in KraiK'c, and thinuyh tlicni and llu'ii' ('(inncclinn with Italy in'o- liaMy also canii' to tlic urrat Italian si-apnits, ami ai'cidfiitally (•ondu('t'siti(in ol uiduinwii lands ly.ii'^' fai' in the \vt >t. So much is ccit lin, hnwuvrr. that the Tioi'tlici'ly jioi'tiuii of the m w part ni the wui-ld thai snmi; iM'iituiiis aflciwaiils was iuimd liy Cnhimlius, had already, towaul the elo.-e (d' the tenth eentlliy. lieen discoveicd liy the SeiiniJinavian \'ikinus, and, as it aiijx'ars, oeeupied hy a Jut of Scandinavian settlers as kite as the twelfth ceniui\." 'I'he wolds of the celelnat.'d Swedish hi>tniian. J-'., (i. (leijer, iinisl not lie omitted in this connection ; they aic fiom llie j^'reat work '' Svea rikes hiifder" ('Idie Annals of the Ivinudom of Sweden) : "' Vikin.u ex]>editiiins, and, as tlie.-e snon ceaseil, still m "I'e commerce, dt sire of know'ed,L;e, war and court service led them far around, and hecame to them the mean-; oi at onc(i aciiuirinj,; wealth and .udory ; aithou,^h lu'ither royal favour, .u'ifts, or auv of the inc<-ntives and c(()\ cli'l' ciiilfil till' iaiiij Vliil'iiiil 'I' t iiixid. Tln'Si' w ||(i attrr liiiii siiii.i^lit it, al.sii i||i(.iiiitcrt'il nativr.-, who haitfiitl )iii.> Ii"!ii thrill. Nil |iciiiiaiMiit rdiiiirct i(.;i ainM' I'l ii' thi'i'.^t with thi> laml, wliiih, liuwcvar, was visilcij hy a (iivriijaiiil liishnji in tln' viar iJl'l ; luil witlnmt (luiiht it i> mi|||<' |iart nf tin cnast <'f NoiMi Aiiuiica wliirji a|.]ii'ai> Hi ilicsM iiM Icuhiinlji' nanutivt'S, live huilillcti yrals hit'olr ( 'i(lll|||hus." All Scaiiiliiia\ iaii autlmis oil this siihji rt ha\i' liatillally ji\ailci| thi'iiisclvt > ot ••ill'' ioll> aii'l liia-si s o|' jiaiihiiiriit.- in thf ujriMt pilhlir aiiil |iri\;itc lihraiii's >\\ ( 'oj)fiiha;ji'ii ainl Stoi'k hojiii." SiiiiH't iiiji' tlir li.oih I'll Sc iipliiiax i.iii> aii scp uatf.l n;itioiis essentially one and who niiee ]>(is>esse(| a eoiniiion tongue, lias heeii !o t llelu, 'I'honias t'ailyle (loi> not say nnieh ahont tlie iliseoveiv, hut it i> to the jinint : ''Towards the end ot" ihi-- llakon's (llakon .lail) rei;4-n it was that the dis'/o\eiy of Aineriia toi.j; |'lac« ('.♦S.")i. Ai'tiial disioveiy. it .ijipears, l.y Vav ihe lu'd, an lee- laiiiler ; coneeMiin^- whiih there ha- heen ahuinJanl in vest illation and discussion in oiu- time." The iiexi i-eii^iiin^' Jdiiu' in Noiway, it will he sieii, took a particular intei(-Iaf Tiy,Lr,i;veson, lo whom la; (lescrilied the country in >iicli fa\dui'alil(! terms that ( >lat' (k'toriiiined to su>taiii the new colony. lia\ iiiLr heen himself ref'i'iitly comcrtcd to ( 'hri^tianit v, the kinu' was lilled with '.,M'eai zeal for tilt' propiii;atiou of the laith. lie [lersuaded I.eif to be hapti/.ctl, and sent him l»at:k to (ircenlaiul aeconipaiiied with a niissi(inarv, hv whose ciriits his I'athei' I'j'ic ami the other colonists wcro conveitfd." This occurs in Whoatijn'.s •• History r fjC) Till'. 1< i:i,.\Ni>i« I)is* <>\ i:i('•>}{ liutli rw\.il ,llllllilL' of I !lf i In- eanie.l liy lively niiii'Mir Im I lie sunt li nf llninjie, aihl as Taeiius, the ;.reat Kiilnali lii- 1' ujali, lia(l aljiaiK' lej.nsent d tlie Sviniie-^ (Swede-) as ''a lie|i atal jimWi-i fill In.ilililiie nitiili," llie |ieo|ili' i'\ Siitllliein I.lirM|ie \\r]r |ilejMl(il to ileal' nf all\ ;.'|eat lia'.al ai|lie\i'ne-|lt nil tlieil- | la I'l , whelln !• nf CnliiiUe.-., nl' (ji-eiAeiy, ami iim-t lia\e i.ei n enn-taiit ly nn tin/ i/ui-rirr, Simire Sniiii'smi \\as aiintlnT eulv wiili-r a\1i'), smm after Ailali! nf Jliiinen, inn > ' ■ iiateil the If^tiiii'iny of thi' Sa;_'is Ii'lati\i' tn tin- je.-l ili'lle. \'>y M'S tn Allielir-i. As ill'' fnllier \va> a, \eiv |»inniiiieii1 mall ami the iattei- a iiimii nf Ur'-men, linlh i>\' thi'-e Wnlks llUHt h l\e Iwi || kH'iWIl ill l,'n|||e. A> a mat ter nf Ciilif.i', till' |[M\sil|■^ enli*:nn 1 111' ili ■(■n\'ci-y ill their ^'llislniy aiel K^lnalici' nj' .\nitlir|i| l'".ii|i i|ie : " "I'.'lt l''.ll|n|i • illil lint set linlllels tn t hi'ir Vnya'^ft S all'l '■nteljil ises. In S() I 1 lie\' ilisenvel'i'il I C' la In 1, a IH I Snnli a f t er J il (il ilei 1 it. Tlielier t hey si jetrlnd sllll flltiier West, alld ilis"n\ efi (1 < i Hi nla | ii 1 . to whjeh lliey nii'j;imilly '_'a\e ila' name nf ( 1 niihi'iiii k;ir, fintn ( lllll!i|iilll, t In- ili> •n\erer. Spiti'nf it- \V|i''i|ieil elilillti' tin'y enlnlli'/.eil il, ami ] ilni'eci 1 1 n _( still smit || Wal' I. tlieV st I'lnk Upnli 'he ena-t, nf Nnrtli Aim'ii'a, as it wniiM a|i]"ai', ahiiit th • St ili- nf Massae!iil-el t ■-. 'j'his Wa- Inward- the end "{' the t'lith cell! my, that, is, li\e hniidii'il years hefme ' 'nlnniliii:; ivaehi'd ; hat iniint ly.'' ( ili'liville j'i'intt's testiliintiV enires| lolids with the fe-t : " Til" Nniwi-'jiaii and tleir de-ii'nd iiit - di-'nv red and made -r' t h- meuls ill I'el.iiid, < i I eciihiiid. lln' (»rl':iie\s, and. as lias Iireii maintained with ;.;reat -I'liihl iiiee n| Iruth, cm-h in Aiiieriei itM-lf/' Ml;. IIoNori; 'lo \VIlo\l IIoNori^ I^ DlT. C "7 ll •llir to ''■>■ ' Ml nth 1 ■^ I'll Tlif Aiiirriciin jiiitln .r, .\;ir>iii (I Ii'idi, s'riii -; tn l)c iiii|i;tt i.nt (A .my t'liilln r ili-cii>,i.iii un tin- |iniiit. ic^raidin- it ;i-^ all«t;.;(t In r ■l||M'llllH'll~, Tor hr says : " Tl \v ''ciiiial I'lail'M' lias Ikm-ii cnii \iiiiiM| nl'tlir la't. wliii'li is iiiiw iiM l'iii'_;cr ili--|iiiti'i|, that ihi- Null hiin'ii wi'iv thi' lii>L iii'hI ■I'll d isc.i\ ay> that ln', TmiIumh. il.-ii\ci| hi-- iiilci liial imii IV' 111 till' Mii^iiiiij aiit h'-lil ii' sMinii-. ali'l tliit "tli" Jiai'li- lii'iit, !iiaiiii--iii|i!s that ci.ijlaiii t hrin ai'-, at llii-- iiiMiniut^ in ,i -tall' 111' )ii;jh |ii'('.~ri val loll.' 'rhi> la't is a,LMi!i Inaclc kiiuwii hv I'l't'. lil.-llHM !'.. A ll'h'iSMii, ill hi- "Allli'li'a ll'it cik liiat was liiii>li'i in till' \('ar I -"'^7. Thi- \\"i'k', wriltin uith ,'-;i''.ii rai.', ati-l (•Ni'f'Ut' il in till' lii.'lii"-t, >tyl" itl' ait, is n'0\' pr '-ii \ i"l in it- iiiti';^'iily in tin' aii'hi\ <■■- '•! ( *ii|iiiiha'j''n, ami a <'aii|'iill v |ii iiit'''l ('■i|pv III" it i-to III- I'oiiiiil ill Miiii'i-. i.ihiiiyat till' I 'ni\('i'-it V 111' \\'i>(oii>iii. ' Thi i iil'oi mat ii Ml i> nl I Ip- ;jii at f-t iiiiji'iiiam'. |i>iit, m;i\ hi- lien -ai\ t'urthi'r nii, -tioiihl ihi' aiKm'atfs .ij < 'i(|iiiiiliii-'s claim at1i|ii|it til JMr.-i an ,iik miwh ■ l'_Mii' nl nf il I'lniii thi' jH'o|.lc i:!' ihi I nil'''! Slatl'•^, fur thi- Iim 'k to Im- |iiiii|i|ii i|. a:- in'i'fia'4aiil(' t«'stilin.n\ In thi' f.n 1 uf tin- .\'ii.-r iii-'MM'l\ •■! Aliii'liia. All t l'ali--l at i'lns, |i|iri!il-. ahslia. 1-. ma\ Im' 'luiihliil hv thf li\ |i"l''l i! !'■ il, hv liii' I la>-, lar tou lai'^i'. \'. h" ai ■ tie iliiluii- vji''ii' 1 hi'\ ^liMiiM iiul lii'lii-\'i', ali'l ' ' hll-!lin \\ "I j.j /,/// I hr I'l'l'/i IKll ill" II ii'i III ••ililjlil I'l il>'ii>'i' il . W ash m;.' ton li'. Iii.'j,, it aiiju-ai-:. ili-l iiul iii\.>ti'Mt. llh iji- jtrt : if h' haij 'liilH' tlii- hrfiiii- ciinjim mi'i^ h i.if' -.f 1 -1 r:^ I nf \ 6S TnL Ici-i.AXDic Dlscovkrlks oi-' America; K. ( '(tluiiiliiis," this Mork wnnli] |»i 'liahly not li;i\r lii-cii written; tn have iiiVfst iuiititl it ;irt(i waids wmild lia\c t\|i(i>^»'»l liini Id Very iiii(iiiiir<)rlal)li' Ifclinus, ami In- was iartKiin furocriii^^ that till- athiiissiuii (if tlic ( '(»lmnhiaii ili,-c(»vi-iy wduhl Im" IV.iuj^ht with iiniiii.\«'"l evil fur the Aiiiciicaii ]hmi|iIc. 1U> is ramlitl t'lidii^'h, h' wcvri', tn coiifi'ss that 111' tlitl Hot hmk into tlio iiiattci': ■ " 'I'hcit! is um ;,'icat iin]>ii)hal>ilily, hnwi'vcr, that siicli (■ii1ffjiii>inu ami Kiviiii,' vcya^^fis astiic Scaiidin.ivians may liavt? waiiili'icd to the nnrthfiii siini'cs (it' America, «V<-.. ami it' tho lichMHlic maiiiisci ijtts, said to hi' nC t hi-, thiilccuth i;i-iitiiiy. ran hi' relied iijioii as eciitiim', tree i'mm mudern iiilei |MiJat ion and cnrreetly 'jniiled, they Wduid appear to ]iro\i' the hul."' It i> tli(in,L;ht tliat the lands discwveicd liv lljan.i ilerjuirsnn, tiie actual lirst din-dverei,, |^Mihered from the details and ndnute description of the voyages, were ( oniiect icul. I.on^^ l.-'lamh iJhode Inland, ,Nhis>acliii.v(.i ts, No\a Scotia, and Newtoundland. "it niay, piihips, he nr,e< d in di>paia;4ement of ih-'Se dis- ((i\erii s," write- r.eamish, '■ that, they \\( i" (ifri,l,i,l(tL that r.jaini Ih'i'inlfM'n set out in search of (^ireenland and fell in with the ra>tern coast of N'oi'th America, hut >o il wa-- al-o with ('ohmdius. I'he sanguine and -kilfiil I in iplest of Asia and diMoVeied the ^\'e^l indies; even when in his last voyaL;e lie did leacli the eastern >hore of ('enlral America, he still helieved it to he Asia, and coiiiinued under that impression till the day of his death." AVa,-.hinL;toii Irvine; dwi lis much upon t his cuiioits misconce])t ioii of ( 'oJumhiis, and t h'' hew ildei'iiieiit and confusion (\in(iil in the ''skilful na\ i,L;' itoi 's '" own hitris is amusing; in the extreme, Anolh.r American aiil lioi, Arthur ( iilniaii, L,dve.s expression to a cuiiiiiioii oliJMtioii iifjcil hy unlhinkinL; people a;4.dii>t the Norse disc(i\'eiy. namel\, that it hd to iiotjiine-, piodmed no roul's. rnfortunatelv, he is not trying' to comhat this view ; lie ( nly piesents it as his own : '' W e havi- nothing to do lu'ic with the expeditious id tin.' Noithnien, uho are suid to have OK, H<)Nori< Td WIIdM lloN'OUR 1^ Dui'.. dj Iful rsifill the no \v ; u,'r(.' ;ive ^isil(•.l Aiiii'iiiii jn t he ('li'Nriitli Miihii\. fur ailmitliii.Lf lli it tin' rccoi'ils foiiliil ill IJic S ilT.I'^ :i1'|' tl'Mi' st;itcii|(iits (if liisldiic f.Kis, llicir \ i.sits i\\<\ \\>i\ \i-,\i\ tn M-f tlt'iiifiits (if last iir_;- iiii|iiiitaiiitliiiifii, w jioiii till' Sa;^Ms tt'll us cainc to llnsc slioics iivi- IiiumIiimI ycai> li. foi'r ( 'olimilnis. Ih'Ioiil;- i- it jpr to t In- t till' wiitt'ii >tatriiicii1s of Aijaiii of r.riiinii, of Siioiic Stui'lc.-oii, ami of joii Tlmiilai -oil. who wrote tin' Sa;,'as ('f l"!rir till' lo''l ami of Tlioi'liim ]vtrl> -fni'. in tin' 'M'oih-x l''!atoi(ii<-< ;"■ till' fni that tin' runioiir-^ of tlnsc\a>t tlisro\ri'irs ill till' West rcacln il every seaport ill --out Inrii I'!uio].e, as well as the Internal <'ily: tin' fa-'l that iimlii'l. the wife of Karls-frie, visiicil IJoiiie afiir her three years" sojonin in \'iiilaml : the fact that slie nanateil these e\ peri em 'es at li'ii^th to t he lioiy fathers ; the fart th.it Koiin- had appointeil hi-hops to lioth (Jrecnlanfl and \'iiiland : the fart that (■olundais, an /fiih'tt/> liy hiith, and iiat'irally aware of all tlnsr inipoitant I'Vi'nts, went to Iridand, in ord'-'i' to pursue thu invent i'jat ions to whirh all thi^ had udveii him th< cine. .Alter his visit to Iceland In- made out to hml Anierira, as aiiv one else could have found it. alter ohtainin^ delinito direct ions. That there was an inti r\al of Hve hundred yens li(;t\\i'en the jirst colonization an 1 tiie ■.nli-ei|U"iit om* rloes not alter the fart tinil tln^ llist one led to ihr ItM, was tin; (lirocl cause of it, and that this u'as hrou^ht al.out hv a cj(,s(» aii'l unhiokeii -r.(Uem'<' of evenl>, evei'y link of whirli i^ jn,.. served, that ]iostcriiy may deiiionst rate just whit L;iand re-nlts lll\e ell-Ued from the disroVelV alld i 11 It'll i,L;en t OXplolatioll- of tile Nolveliirli. and the fui] arrolHlts tllUt they lecoidrd of t liese achlL'Veiiients ill Iceland. \w 70 Till. ICKI.ANUK ]JlFC(»Vr.Ki:KS (»F AmI KICA ; CllAITKK IV. H(.M.\N C.MIIOI.TC KCMZANtK (.i' 'JIIH FACT AT 'llli; 'I 1 .\1 K dl-' TIIK Nolisr, JUSCOVKIJY. (t will iidt l)f dillifult tn jiiovc tliat tlif wisc-IkmiIs in the I'Jt'nuil ( 'ity ■\V('i(' awiU'c. aliiui-t as snt^w as the rcclainlrrs tlii'in- scl\('s, that sniiii: df til'' ad Vf'iituious sons nf ll.al I'.irc IkuI luislicd tli«'ii('X|ilMrati(>iis clear t(» I'fiiiotc lands .icvd-s tlic orcan, and fi»nnd('d ciilonics tlirrc! ; it would In- fai' innrc ditlirnlt to |'r<>\o thai they did Dot know it. Fcai', envy, hatred, a deep- seated animosity, made them (d.scrvant o|' eveiy move of the N'orsenien ; these wei'e the only olistaele to the sai'cidotal plan of nidversal sovcreiLjnty, ot" the .sulijeetion f iill mindvind to the lule of the Ci'os.s, ail Eui'opo was ( 'Inistiani/.i'il with the execption of the pa^an Xorth : the ciick' was gradually narrow- iiiu ai'oiind thcM', and escape fi English zeal, mIicii Kn'i' tln' IJtil dis- (•iivcrcd ( liccnlaiiil ; ritiisfi[Uiiitly wlicii Ij-it' went to Norway uitli full rrports of the new coloiiy aiid its tloiiiisliiu.,' cMuilit ion, Kiii^' < >l,il' ]iroiii]itIy iiiailc up liis miml, doiilitli-s.^ with the entire tal'lish ("liristi.iiiity thci'c. An extract from the iiriLjinal narrative in tln' " Heini.skrin,L;la '' hest desci'ihi-s this; "The siin(^ winter. 1»!>0 1()(H), was Leif, the soii of J-^ie the lied, wit!' Kiii;4 ( )laJ', in uood rejuite, and euihrieed Christianity, i'.ut tlie s'lninier tliat (Jissnrweiit to le.dand, Kinn"()laf sent. I.' if to ( lre( idand, in order to make known ( 'hrist i;;nity there ; lie ,-;iile(l ilic saiiie summer to (Ireeidaiid. 11'' found, in thi' sea. some peoiile oil a wrecl<, and h(d]»iMl them: the same time di>eo\-eved he \'inland the (Jood, and eaiiie in liarvest to (li'eeuland. Wo had with Inm a jirie-t, and other idei'k-, and wont to dwell at Urattahlid with ICi ie, his father. Mm eal!e(l him afteiwanls l.eif iln' Lu(d Liie liapli/ed, and all the jieojile in (Ireenland." Tin; dome-tie eennoiuy of the (Miureh of IJome was not such that there emiM ha\i' hemi a new liis- coNcry, a I'oloiiy foiimd, and a wholesale conversion of the settlers without ihc Lopi' and his whoh' e-tahlishmeiit knowing of it. still less wdieu the " NorilKrn l)arliaiian< '' had made tin di>''oveiy, foiined the eohiiiy, and hi iii con\eited totiie true faith. This was occasion enou.,']i for ,i puMic thanksgi\ ini; and wlen this successful [irosidyt ing had l^een due lo a ]M»wei- ful monarch, fired with a holy zimI, and who dj.l not stick at trilles nor call anythi'ig i crime that was iloiie in the name of r-li;.! M, this fi lici:i);i;j ;,o. hinctioii of events was uol a thing to pa.'s uiiuuticL'e!. J— MM^ •"-■T"~" /3 TlIK ICKLAXblC DIinii to \'iiilaiMl." Saiiiii"-1 J.aiiiL,' j^'ivcs details of tlic spiiiliial .^iipeiN isi"ii civcr (Ircciilaml, a 8H|M'r\i>inn scarcely comjiatiMe with C('iii]il''tc I*a]iill iL'IioiMiicc of tlie cxisteliee of a colony t here : *' The (lisc(-)\evv of (Ireeiilainl 1)V the l<'claiHl. Is almiit the year O-'^ I , and the esta1»lislinii'iit of (.'(Jiisidcraltle colmiiev on one oi on hoth pides of that vast |ieniiis;iia vhich teiniinates at ("a]ie Faic- ■\vell,-- in A\liicli Christianity and Christian estalilishin<'iits, ]>arisli('S, churches, and even moiiiistei ies were llourisliinii. or at nt least ; xistitii; t.,- such an extent that fri'in ll'JI to l.'iST tli'M'e was a r- '^ular saceession of liishopSj (d' whom seventeen are named, foi' the'r sui»eriniendeiiee, — are i'acts uhiidi no loiif^'er atlmit of any reasonaMe dotiht, Tln' ilocumeiitary Rvideiice of the Sa,L;' is,-- wliiidi .t;ave not UK'rely va.ne accoinits of such a discoveiy and settlenicnt. l.'Ut statistical details, -with tlie names and (he distances from ea(di other of farms oi' town- pliips, of whi(di there Avere, accordiiej; to accounts of the ftnir- teentli century, ninety in \vhat wa- called \'eslri1iy,L;d or the "Western settlemilil, Muth four (hur(dics, and olie hundred an*l ninety in the J']ystriliyed or eastern setllenK'Ut, -with one cathedral, idevei otluT churches, two town-, and tlireo or four monasteries,-- Uears all (he internal evidenee of trvith, in the consisteiicv and simnlicitv of the statenn-nts/' Strinnliolm eivcs a full desci'iption of (he settlcinents in fireenland, of whi(di theah^trail i- that an Iceland man, Kric INide, tie- father of (lui T.eif Kricssoti who disi-oveicd Ameri(.'a, discovereil (liceidaiid, and retuiui'd in 'J.'^T) with fi\ e-and-twentv ships. ;Vrter that the enji^'ration to this land increaseil every voar, AN'itliin a sluu't time lar^e tracts of the country, hotli in the east and west, -were ])eo|ded and setth'd ]>s Icelandic or Seandina\ian settlers. 'The lands nature and situation divided them into two main coloides, Avhich were called Osl'')- m 'ic •M, ity IT til >ii ainl f'tshr />>/i/;/'/rt/. 1m|\v<'cu tliriu lay a ilrscrt, scn rial ilivs* jniiiiii'V i"iiL,'. Tilt' cliii'f cdliuv \va> in ( )sU'rl)y^';4(lcii, wJiicU always rem liiicl liu' mot |»opulous aii«l llourisliiiiL^. In N'rsicr- byirrc ui/iT iiiut'ly vill,iL,'''s t(t (iiic liuii'livil aii'l iiiiK'ty. ainI t lie <'}iur( lirs \o t wclv"',. iintl thciv wciv alsip s -vcimI cloisters for iiiiiis ami monks. Tho Gifciil.iinl (.'olony Ijoiirishcil for four ImmlnMl yea's, Lain;^^ ;^i\t'.> aiinther impoiiant ileiu : "A 1-rief ot' I'ope Nicholas \'. in ] W^, t-i the rii->ho|is of Skalholt ami ll'iluin in Icehind, stales that hi- iK'Joved ehildiiMi dwelliii'^ in an island called (Ireeidaiid, on the utmo>t ver.ue of the ocean noiih of Norway, and who are under tlie Arehlii-hop Of Uroiilheini, liuv(! raised his ooinpas.-iou l)y their eoiii|)laiiil that after having been ( 'hristiaiis for ,-i.\ hundred years, and eoiiverted l»y the holy Saint Dlaf, and haviii;^' ei'eeted many sacred huildin^s and a splendid oalhe Iral on said i>land, in wlii who were ahle-bodied ; hut having' now gathered tog(,'ther aeain^ tbey crave the t^erviccs of piiisis and ii liishop,"' There was, in short, a r(\t,ndar succession of bishops in Greenland for two hundred and fifty years. We have aire.idy Seen that nient!<.»n i> made of a V()ya;^'e from (iieeidaml to \'in- land as late as the year lilt?. Tie; next link in this ino?t remarkable chain of evciiis is the V(»ya^e of (ludrid, l\arl- peffie's wife, fi'fun N'inland to ]{ome, ri<( Iceland, ib-r visit to the holy fathers is deseiilu'd hy the l-V'-n-h author, < lahriel (iravier, in his work " I 'I'eouvi'rie de rAm.'ii<(Ue j»;ir le,s Nornuinds : " *'(,>uaiid ellr .ut maiie Suoiie, (iudiiiia lit nil Jii'lerinage a Koine. VAh: ful I'ien r( cue el raconta eeitaim.'- ment ses voyages dans les eonlrei.'s nlira ocean iiiue.s. lioino m, 74 TiiK I(i:i,ANi)r(: Discovkkkrs of Amkrica; «'i;iit t it's jiitrnt ivc ;iiix (li'roiivci'tcs Ljt'nnr,i]»lii(|ncs, ( ollcclioiniait avec sdiii Ifs cirti s d lis ri'cits (pii liii iiarvciiaiciit. Tnutc dt'(;iui\ cite st'iulilait iiu a,u'rainli-s('iiiiiit dii ilnmaiiir pajial, iiu «'liaiM|> iiiMivcaii jioiir la iir.'dicati'.tu t'vaiiLj.'liinic. 1 )c ic tpiils ii'ciil laisst' dans I'iiistoirc. ('ciitt' auiiiiic lince ajipriVialilo, les n'-cits iU- (liidi'id.i n'cu cxcrcrrfiit |»as iiii>ins sans dnutc nnc ct-i'tainc iullumi'r, siir Ifs drcniivMlcs jx^st/'iii'mcs."' 'I'lins the ]iait that r. woman plays in luinuiiiL,' altout the I>la^'iari>ti(' discovny id" Anicric'i is a vi'rv innnnl mt mif, ami (ludrid, J\ailsrt"nt.''s iiit4li-l».irn and int('lli,u'''iif witV, was only ('X( usiildc in lliat she did not r"ali/e what >\\f was doin'j, nor tilt' momentous consfMiucncrs of Iut act, wln'n slic caiTifd .■^mdi valiialili' tidings to Konii' ! The SiLjas relate that she went there, so thei'e can he no (loult on that jKiint. In iht; " X'oyayes,"' as translated hy 15eannsh, it is stated thus: 'M>ut Avheii Snorre was mari'ie I, then wciil < ludrid ahi'oid, and travelleil southwards, ami came haek aii'iin to th" house of Snorie, her son, ami then had he caused a ejuirch to 1 c huilt at (ilauudia';" and in the synopsis (>f the historical evidei\ee, ]jy Prof" ssor Jiafn, it is st iteil still more explicitly: "His son, Snorie, who had Immmi lioin in America, was his successor on this estate. When the latter marrit.'d, his mother matle a }iilgrimag(' to lomie. and afterwards returned to Ikm" son's houso at (ilaumbiv, where he hail in the* niendime ordtu'ed a (diurch to l)e huilt. The mother lived long as a religious leduse." (jiudrid is spoken of in the iiai'i'atives as "a gra\e and diguific; I woman, and therewith sensihli!. and knew well how to carry herself among stiangers.'' As the widow of a hiL;hly-(listin- guislu'd ir.an, lor d'lioilinn Karlsefnii was "a wi'ah'hy and powerful lc(dandic men.hant, desi ended from an illustrious line of !)anisli, Swedish. Noiwcgian, Irish, and Scottish anccstois, some of whiun were kings, or of royal blood," Ciudiid was one to carry much intlm me and nnist have been listened' to in Home with the most jirofound atti-ntion. Jler wealth also (;oiidr.ced tu OR. II()\(H-R 'ID WHOM IfoN'orR IS l)ri- / ? iiHJiT!i-;i' tilt' ii's]ii( t with wliidi she w.is ticatt'd ]>\ a set <>f |ico|il.' \\\io liavc ulwavs slidwii tlii' iii<lii> afld'waids linMii)"' a iimi, tin- (liuivli rcajRMl a ilmlili' a'l\anta.;i' iVniu licr sdjiniin in \'iiilaiisi])l(' tojxii^i'ajihii'al and m'o. ,i,'ra|)liii';d dftails. ,K\]tlorinL,f cxpiMlitions wcic of fic pirnt, oi'jjurrcntt* diirin;,' ilic llnct' years tlu; colonists stayed in \' inland. liv a sin.mdar coiiicidenee Kailstd'nc himscdf, as stated in llic '' \'oya_':,f(.'s,"' nai'iMted c>ri,L;inally tli" events thai decurivii on these Voyages, this in Ireland, and his wife naiTati'd lier e\]»eiieil('es — /// Jiii//it' ; his lianativ(\ when Coinillilled to writing, run, stales, in Ins " Ilistoire de la (n'ograjthie," that (.'oliunltus, wlien in Italy, had lieard of the Xnrse disci>v(M'ies ])eyiind liM'land, for Kome was then tlie World's (M'ldre, and all iid'ormation of importani;o was sent them. It was this some aires hefoie, nay, it was more than this, it was a great, wliis})eiing-gallery, in whi( h \u>i a word oi- sound, uttered in any part of the world, that was important for tlio Church to know, was ]<^A. r>eside-< th(.' ndigious means of eommunication there was the commercial ; the Scandinavians carried i*n au enormous cnni- merce and their peaceful trading- vessels as well as war-dragons i ■' H ■I m 76 Till': Tcia^ANDic Discovkri.rs 01 Amkrica ; r;in,;;('(l tin-, seas. ^Ml .Mitlmis nctr this wiili av.iii.I.t and ailiiiiiatinii. 'J',, ,it(. riM,,tt : " It \v.,uli| imt l;,. .lillinilt to slmw that tilt' Scatpliii avians, frmii tin' cii^litli tn tin- clovcntli euntuiT, raninl ivt' rnninninicalii-ii with distant tount lies, than any othiT uatinn fit' l'jir(i|ii'. I)iiiin'4 the "-ivatcr part i>r this iM'ii(M|, li'ussia, Swodcn, and l)cnuiai'k wciv the only Mni-njican nati>Mis \vlii(di had any rcgidar coniinfiri' with the Kist." I)('s]H'sin;4 >i'rn^cy^ and haxiiiL,' n> mntivo for it, T\'hati'Vi'r they ili.l was known to tlii' world ; lo\in^^ lanie and ^dory, scckin'^ th. sc as the In'udiest earlldy •^nm], tliey increased tiieir own celehrily hy every means in their )iowev, and each man in his cndeaNour was aided hy the icsi of his compatriots, the national pride aiuoii.u' tliem being so ;;icat as to destroy fdl envy, the besetting sin of Christian conmninities from that day to this. 'I'he grerdness of each in llaco il cniiccalid it. .Vs I'ai' as is kiiowii no wiitcf of ^outlu-ni or iiiiilillc Kuro|ic Mciiis to lia\c iiiailf all historical ifcnr(l df the ^M'cat iliscMVfl y l>v thr Noimmiku except .xVihllu ot I'.ie.llirl., until Snorre .S!iirh'S('niiiark, and hid vitv stron^,^ Noi'thcni syin- jiathifs, writing very favouiahly of thr institutions and charac- teiisties of tin- jjcojiIc, rspecially of the inhahitants of Sweden ; Torfd'iis Ijascil hi.-^ assertions entiidv on the authentic sources in fceland, ami it is |iicsiiuiahle tjiat tin; olher early authors mentioned did the same. It is olivious that they \viote with u certain 1)oldness and iiroclaiiin'd a iheoi',- with lejaid to the discovery of the N'ew \\'or!d that was new as yet to their coii- temporaiit's. It was thus essentially thr hi>loiians of the North \\ iio recorde-tl and ]uoclaiincd the givat aidiie\ement, (■•uicfiiiing which the monkish ehronich'ro were ominously sih-nt. And who wrote on Scandina\ian mythology or gave to the ■! < I m n i IM Va ^ //, v: e: C/a "?* ^\'' '/ w IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 12 5 U2 I.I 11.25 i U '''-'- IIIIM Illi4 1.6 Photographic Sdences Corporation V / ^ // 4^ y. Ux v.. 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY 14580 (716) 873-4S03 ;8 The Icelandic Discoverers of America ; !l woiM iiiiy information conccvning tlio religion of Odin, tli«^ niauncis ami ('u,»tonis of the jicojilc wlio l»ali^ured hy his practice of decorating its deities with the ii.appropiiate iiaines of the y()ds of Uonie.'' OR. Honour to \vhom Honour is Duk •V, r lis a of or 1 (Mtlicr ;^'oltl nor otluT v,tlnal»Ics ; ulicri'lnri! tlicro wwo jiss«'iii1»lt(l witli Jiiin lilt' nin-t illustndus waninis of the wImIo Noitli, Jii.tl all the iK-i^lilidiiriii;^' kings \\v\v t*n\»iY{\\t\i\\v t<» liini." And Ojvar ( >i! iH-licvctl niillur in (>tlin, Thor. or any otinr divinity, Imt oidy in his t.w n strength and ;^'<«nd-fi>rtnni', uliiih is said to have 1 eeii so gieat, that it he only hi'i.vtid sail, he hail tavouraMe ■winds wherever In- AVMit.' The learr.eil Swede, OJaf Kiidhct k, i)i his fiinious woik, tin- "-Vtlantica.'' ]»nl)li>hed in ITOif, eouM, Avilhe ]ci|.le invited the Swed.v to come and ndc ovi'r them, an 1 that tley were the chosen It. id\ -,:4Uald til tie < 1 1 ei k em|tt lors. In e\iiy it'-]ie 't tilt' iincient S-aniliiiaviaiis were thi> ni'ral antiilit;-es of till' iJttiiiaiis or IJonian ("atholics; and it i- no stretch tif rii'^ou \>) say that tla-y wt|-e the moral antidote of the Soutiifiii I'oisoii, a lie!(;i' reiiifily u.mmI l.v Natuie anain-l the sprcatl 4it the evil, ami yet, as events j»ro\ed, iiicfl'e tual aftei ;dl a,tj;ainsf a malaria that h;el to run its time ami can only I e killed in our (twii day ly the ,u«l «f thi- veiy element, the Noise <.ne, llrst emplov t'd against it. Thi' S • nelin ivi iii^ wer.- Kiave ; tear was as unknown to t'.ieiii as i ouraee to the Ijoman ( 'atlK>lies ; acaordingly we fuul on tic <.»uo haul ahsolute feurhsKUess ami J So THK Tf'KI.ANDir DiSCOVF.RF.RS OK AMl'KirA ; iiuli'jtiinlcticc, (ill llic other alisolutc scrvilil y. Mallet lv : "TliUH strongly iiKJiiMcd hy the haml of natmc, anjoited l»y human power, <»r such as he can 1m ive wit'.i im|»unity. .Vs he thinks liimselt' not (ddi^'ed to court any one's favour or di-jntcate his resentment, he scorns dissinndation, arlilice, or falschoud. lie re;^'(I(ls these faults, the etiects of f. ar, as the most ile;^'radin;^ • »f all otheis. lie is always ready to r< ]»el fune hy force : ' uvm he is neither suspicious imr disirustfid. A declared eU'iny to liis enemy, he attacks opt nly ; he cnnhdes in, and is true to others ; ^tiieinus, and scumtimos in the highest de^'ree ma;;nani« luous, l»ecause he places his dealest interot :n the idea he entertains and would exciti; ii>!iiii(V, ilt'vnt(.' -if ^loiy ; wliilc ill the South, WiiiiH-n wt'iT t'ithi'f shut u|i iu tin- coiivfuts. dcliauilH'd, or lururd iuto ztTos hy tin- thrildoui of llif lucdia-val mania;,'!', iu which womcu \\fvt> ouly to Ihmi- (hildrt'U and lih'ss(lo(l. '* Iu jiauMui-m, " to cite a uohlr paia- j,'ra)»h fi'oiii Sii iiidli 'I'L^'s "SvVcdisli I'c iplt*,'' "w.-niiu scrm^ almost to jiavc liii-u mau'> fijud. . . . \\ 'Uiau was tH'ntrd I'V ii:au with such rcsju-ct and acted with smh self feeling and freedom, that .iny such thiiii; iu our euii^hteued times would he considered unheard of." To imlicate auoijici' icsjirct in Nvhich the method of o)»eratiou in the Hfe of the .\or>enieU w,is the oj»]po>iti' of that of jiis natural foi-, thex- weii(y, lu»l for a fa\ouied cla.-s, hut for all the other race worked for jtau|»e;i>ni. " In uniou^\ifh com- merce," writes A. v.. Ilolmher;.', '• these cehdilated >ea-\oyaj^es lirouj^ht here a jierfi'i tly inciedilth' wealth, of which it was not ]Mi>,'-ilile for us to le dejaived iluriui; the ("hristian middle aijes, through th^ jilumhrinij s\.>.ieiu directed a,uain>t us in all res|>cct.s." - The great Swcdi-h kin-. (iu>taf Va-a, had a thice- fold task ; to free his land from the J)aui>h yoke, tir fin; it ' '• It imiy lio (jiirly concluilt'tt,'' writes Piirott, " tint a |>coph« posip-ssincf >i<) many sources of wtMltli. ami willi >tir|i nail iinial cDiiunaiiiciitinn wili tin' nii)«'t civili/.otl j>nrtioiirt of the W(mM, couM not iiuvo bwn m» liarkiy liiiiliaidMs as the well graundeil ilctcstatiou ot" lli • uiun'.ish ciirj:iicli.T-i li li rcjinstu It'll lluui." I I I I T T K2 THK ICKL.WDIC DiSroVIlKKRS OF AMKRICA ; fioiii tilt' jnii-diction of the INtpe ami from tlif «l«'«'n poverty into Mliifh li\(( centuries of |»riest-rule ami iiiediji'valisin har(ipeM'il t(t the sons of Kaj^'iiar Lodbrok and hi.s other ft)llowers an expidition aj^ainst Kmiie, of whose wealth and splendour they had heard much, without knowiuii; ])recisely in what ]iart of Italy the ca])ital of the Christian world was situate." JlolmlM'i'j,'\s " Norsi'iiieii during the l*a;^'an Period '^ •"' As an illustiiition of the extent to wliidi Cliristiiinity lias dovfloped ]nvtntv I ipiDte the following: ]iai:i^'nt|»li from Felix Oswjild's " Swift of tlio Kist :"' " We do not thii.t: it necessary to alleviate the tiistross of tlie poor till it rea<'lies a tle^riee that threatens to end it. We have covintlfss henevolent institutions for the prevention of outright death, not one l)ehe- volent onon^h to make life worth Hvinjr. Infanticide is now far more litforoe.sly jtunished than in (»1«1 times. We enforce every child's rij;lit to live and become a hnujhle, tithe-payinjj t'hristiuu ; but us for its ehtiiu to live happy, we rctcr it to tlie sweet by-aud-hy." OR, Honour to whom Honour is Duk. 8^ cont liiis an iiitcrcstiii},' pasMii^i' icliitivo to this ; aftfr cilitii,' oiin of tlu' ancit'iit poets (»f Fniny C'ldiiholin in his ** XorsniHMi ill Vi'stcr-vikiiij;,'" he says : *' The rciiiaikahlt' jiait of it is tliat th«'S(' liij^'h tlmuL^'hts are put in llastiiij^s' inoiilh hy a hiftfilfi writer, wlio lets the terrihle Ilastiii<,'s, the iiirtst (ln'adod Icaih'r of the Xi-rse expeditions of the iiiiilh cei'"MV, cliaiit of «,'lniy as the hii, ifst aim for which he had striven, and that fnr this Immlrt'ds of thousands liad faUeii under his sword. JiiiL there still reiiiaiiH'd a higher aim, for the winniiiLr of which he encouragt'd his warriors — namely, to let all the kingdoms of tin- World, which lay open to them, heh«tld their glory, and when they placed the crown of Kome on rjciiii deiiisidas In ad, their ]>raisc with his shmdd re>oiind anmnd the whole circumference <»f the eartli." When this man was converted it was indeeil an occasion fur rejoicing among all Komanists ; as Wheaton says, "this was an ohject th-- Christian religion, because it came to them from Komt* with all its UK'uks and, what appt-are'd to them, etreminate doctrines.' 84 Tin-: Ut.i.andic Discon iKKks oi- Amiuica ; 1 II TIh' fact «aiinol be ioo strniiirly «'Jiiiiliiisiz< il Unit tln' (,"liri.s- tiuiiiziii«,'(»f litis I'diinidablc iiu;e wns a inotrrtivc incasmf fur tlu! tiiifcty of tln! UniiiiinistH, nuf in mnj h usf a kiiitl or [(liilaiitlinniic wuik for tlic Lfood of tli«> >.oisciii('ii, for citlici' tlifir t< iiiixjial or s|.iritual welf.iH'. The aulli(»is just tjiiolrd say will: ;,'r{'at forrc : " It is not, jM'rliaps, so imicli an ovriulitliiiiii<^' ihiiiiImt of tlicsr Xortliiii('ii,as the in'W spirit tlicy liroiijLtlit with tlidii, that ini.\cil with and «'lian;^'i'(l the social i'lciin'iits of tin- roimtrii'S they s('ttl(Ml in." 'i'his spirit could only he destroyed hv triinsforniiiii,' it into the L'liristian spirit. Tin; only country in wliich tln-rc! has lK!cn no adniixlnrc, to speak of, of the \orsc sj»irit, is Sjtain, anil iJucklc, as we w»ll know, descrihes the state of thing's theie with ahs(»hiti' t'orroct-ness in this jiassnge ; '* These, then, were the t\vo yreat elements of which the Spanish character was coni- poundf'd - l(»yalty and superstition ; ri'Vereme for their kin;.;s and reverence fur their clerj,fy wert; the ]e;idi?in i>iinciples which iuHuenced the Spanish mind, and ^^overncd the march of Spanish liistory.' it is ohvituis that tin; (.'hurch of Kume liad a super- human woik liefore it to leduce Scamlinavia to such ii con«lition as that. The time it took to hriiiL,'' ahout cunsi'nt to hai»tism, a concession which did not n;ean as nnndi as it seemed, was in- eidcnlahle ; L;iin^' mentions the startlin«,' f;ict that *'lhia last remnant of paganism anuui^ the Kur(»pean |i<'ui»le existed in vi^'our almost live hundri'd years after Christianity and the Kumish (.'liurcli estaldishment were dill'nsid in every other counti-y." One reason oi this was, as averred hy (hijer, that the Christian ethi«'ortherner was nut willinj,' to siihject himself; iinother was that the Scandinavians haople who professed Christianity, no admiration for their institutions ; another, that there was so very little sui)erstition in their nature for the priests to work upon. The lolluwini,' anecdotes illustrate this : '' When St. Ulaf proposed to Gauka Thor to be baptized, the chief answered OR, HoN<»!'K i<^ WHOM IIoN'oru IS Dri". 85 lliiit lii^ and lii-< cKinr.'uli'"* wen* in-illirr ( 'liristiaiis u«»i' iH-atliciH, Imt triist(' (lill*>n>n((^ in tli(! nioilt) of Nvoisliip, as it is called, (»f these two laces. Tlni Noist' festival is thusdcsifilM'd hy Ueaniish : ** \\\U' was a ]»aL;an festival, eeh'hmted in licnuMir (»f Thop, at the hroinninj; of Ft l»- ruaiy, when the Xoithnien's year (.'oinineiieed, and they olleicd Faeiiliecs for )iea«'(' and fiiiitfid seasons to this dtity ; it lasted fourteen days. . . . After the intiioi\va.v, in tin; same mannt'i* a.-* ("hiist was \voi-Miii»[K.'(l in Kii^'land a.s tljf national ,l,'o(1 of tliat (.ountiT. " Howrvor, convntrd tlicy were, aftor a loni,' stnii,"jlo aii*l a san^'innarv one. KxjnoMin^' lii.s siitisfartion over tliis, a.- I»i lltlfl Ji ranoij, Atlam «»f IJicnit n sa3.s naively : " For tin- it.^t, tlio opinion has already herome pntvalent with tho |M>opl(>, that/ the ^'od of the Christians is the stnm^ot, and that on.- is olten eheated hy th«' other ;,'ods, hiil thai this j^od is nlways near as a sure and timely help."' It is n<»t ehar uhetlnr l>y *'^'oerniient, that it was(tnly taken on trial. 'J1ie following.,' para;.,'raph of Oswalds - •' Tin; so ealled Christian ct)untries of Noitln rn J'.urojte wen- iiof Converted before the eleventh <;entMry of our era, and revolted in time to prevent their utter ruin'" — nhows that the cxperim-nt was not alto^'ether a satisfactory oni', and that f/o- "// fintihhs luo/ hri)l,-i-ii (lilt r//yf'.s7/. To make a condensed statement of the tir^t protest of the Scandinavian North aiL,'ainst the supremacy id liouu', Custaf Viisa, in Sweih-n, aLjain demonstrated the oj)[»osite temlency of the North from tiiat of the South hy eratlicaiin^,' Roman Catho icism in Sweden sini'iltaneously with I'hilip II s t'radication of Protestantism in Spain. In about (en years tie- last vtsti^'e of the H(dormation disappeaied in Spain, hut in hss time than that the spirit of Koinanism was banished froui Sweden, and Norway and Denmark were scarf ly less vi,L,'orous in e\p(dlini,' it. ridli]* 11. drdan-d that '" it was better not to rei^n at all than to rei^'u ovei' htntiis;" (lustaf I. de. elared by his a«-ts that he would only rei,i,'n over frec^ nie/i, and tliiit neither he nor his subjects owed alle^'iance ti» Home. Oil the presumption, however, that the conveisiun of iJn- J w 88 Tm: IrF.i.wnic Discovf.ki-rs of AMiKirv: Jtii/iui Nfiftli to (luistiiniitv was a ^ciniiiH* one. tli«> K<>iiii^h Clinirli |>ru)'fiMiM| \i> olilitri-.ili* nil tiMCfs if this alMiiiiiria))lc piiuiiiiiHtii wliii li liml HM loiiu' ili'lH'tl it ; its iiotoriMiiH iiri>% in (iri'ct.-c Wfl'i* i('|)«>:iti <) tlil'<>iiL;l|i>lit tilt' Icii^'tli aiitl l>l'rii*ltli of Sciiiitiiiiiivia ; Mil)iiiis>iiiM t*> it lia«l iiitiiiiillv imt aWatril itii Itati'cd, tlicrc \va-< still rt'tiilmiioii to wrt'ak on ilic rdiitiiiiiai-ioiirt r.K-c that liiKJ I allN'tl it. si'<»riir inaih' I" I'mI ihi- iiii- Jilacaltli' wiHth i»t the out ia::f»l powrr that lii»> its sr kt in the l"',t«'inal City. Ilavin;j «:ttiili»»l of litfintiiri'. a rca»l\ UMaiis ollt iv(l ilscif. Till! Cliurili »«>iil(| ninnpt lii>ttiiv, hr.nnl llio incniorv of the Noi-si'iiit'n clfniallv, hy ic|inH»'iiliiij; all tln-ir •liM'ds as tlmsf of fciorioiis, liloixliJiir.^ty l>aiha»iaiis, hv lurnsin.L,' tht-ni of .sucli foiil niiiit's as nvohM piilf tli*- < rinicM ■•' \\\i- < 'Imrdi, aiitl Ity systt'ni.iliially «M»nc('aliM«,f :ill a< liicvi-nn iits 4if tlniis. nf Avliatt'V»T luitiiir. that would awak" ii thf adniiiatiitii of ^iiatitndf of j»(»st»'jify. y//' ilisi'iii'ir;! Ill' tli»' yrir Minhl Inj tlii .\'i>i:«''- lit' /I tnts f/if I'lif' rrcitf Hint must initxf srilHlniixlii III mnriiilfil! We ran iiotc ra|pi>li o|M'rations, >it'j» Ity strp, tliniii,u;li tlio rciituiics ; the n>MV('i>iiiii or aiiiai^Mniation nf the NortlnTii )»aL,'ans into riuistian snhjfcls, of Uvi- soil into ( "hiuch ti-n-itory, t>f [liiuan ft;.tiv;(ls into ndi^iona holidays, of Norse docds into tin' moans of ^vaiifyin;,' the [{onianists' in<*rdinat(' (h-sirc for jtowcr, — tins is tlicfrll work that hits Immmi !U'<N()Ur< TO WHOM IIONolK IS DUK. 89 lias lircn u'ivt M \i> tlif Kuiiiiu. tlinlif or Clnisliim IxhIv. TIum (Icliiiiiiiiii liiiM IxMii ti|)|)li*^fition ; " Tlic ni^lit of tin- Midalc A^ts wwt* not tiic natural lilindiicss of utH'iili^litt-ni il liarliaiian»(, Imt an nntiatiiral ilarkiifss, niaintainctl liy an flaln'iutr sy.xti-ni of s|iiiitual tli'S|)otisiii, antl in ."-latc <>f llic t'wwv >tiU:.'Lrlcs of many li;,'lit-l(»\ in;4 nations." Hut lia'itlic Koiiianist> tlninsclvts cwr (IrploitMl tlii^ lionililt' romlition of ilaikntss antl di'Liiiulation | Has not Spain, tli*' .s|k>1 where the Mack darkness eoneeiitrateil, I'leii Indtl up as tin' moihd of ('hri>tian e\i-» IIiik i-. f'>i other nations to emulate I Has any (ll'ort ever hei'U made by the Chuich of Knine to altale tliis darkness, to infu.-e hedth into its morally-diseasc'(l votaries ( Has not this, in I'Vi-ry in>tan(e, heeii till' Work of heroy I The joiinanists did not even >u>peiid their etl'oits when the limit of iiuniaii misery seimed to ha\ e heen reaclu'd ; then- was>tijl an unattaiiied drpth heyonil, Im whieh they strove with a hellish freii/y I In ( Jswald'-s woitls : '* jliit the etlorls of the spoilers did not cease ; and it tnay Le doiihtid if the Caucasian raee will e\er wholly reeover fiom the elicits of u thousaiitl years' attempt to liiie their ( hildreii from earth to j;hos|.|and, to poison their minds with the do;.;nias (»f pessimihrn, tosacrilice the paj^'an Klysium to the liuddhistic Nir\ana." The caution cannot ]»■ repeattd too often aiLraiiist jdacini,' credence in monkish reci.rds of t,|ie acts of their Scandinavian cnetnics : several warnin,u!s are i^iveii hv iJ'ami^li : " Kioni the eij^hth to the (deV(;nth centuries the Norlhiiieii carried on u moru ftctive conuneroe, and a more extensive nniritime communication with foreign countries than any other nation in Ijirope. Such interi'ours'j apjiears quite im itnijiatihle with that e\tieiue dej^n'oe of ignorance and harharity iu whi;s \N ere n() less out raj,'ed jiy the det.'ils thin tin' inlitlelity of the i>a;^'an ravaj,'ers, ami who, writinj; in many cases loni^ after the evi-nts, would naturally aid defe;;tive evidence with a fervid zeal and fertile ima;;ination,'' Ihickle haslH-eii ]»ecnliarly ohservant of this iniif.>rm vitiation of historiial acoisonetl.'' His '' History of ( 'i\ ilization *' is nt» more nor less tiian the history of the coiitljel of scienc(>, invention, research, enlii^htenment, with the thcoloLri<'al system that was af,f;iinst everythin.,' hut hiijotry and idolatry, suh.-tilutinn the dr- basin;; worsjiip of theCros-^ for the true aim of human I'xistrncc. Tic conicalment of the Norse, discovery of Anierir I was the lu'ifiitive ]>art of the liomanists' work; when ( 'hristopher Columbus, a nanud'-ss Italian adventurtr. a]>jieared ujion the .scene (if action^ their positive work bcLMii, namely, the sub- !-'titution of another discoverer for the original ones, and a transfer of all the Itenelits of the Xors(; discovery to the Koman ('atliolic power: tie' foundation had bc'-n laid ; they woidd now raise the supcistrueture. Columbus was a paiticularly obscure 111 in ; no diie knew where he was born,-— *' the tpiestion of Columbus' birlholaee lias ben almost as hotlv eontesteil as that of Homer," remarks Arthur Helps; no uiie knew what In; hail Im'ch doim; in Italy I'cfore hi; went to Spain, after the idea of makin,!^ a fjreat discovery hid taken full pi)>session of him, and i>f course the Church .kejit its own counsels-. That atiyunt OR, Honour to whom II(^\oi'r is Dri:. 91 instilntioji has always lirt'ii Itli'ssol with a li'ii.j iii(in«>iv mihI M'as not likt'ly to li ivr forLjottcii (lii(lriit, nor the vaiioiis r«'ports of t!i(' Noi-sciiiciis voya;it s that liail mmcIkmI IJoniP as tli«> World's ccnti't', aii'l Ixmm duly r(Mt tin' Koran, the zeal of Imm- rrusad<' undiM-- takcn on thf soil of I'uroiM', (^xriti'd tin' syni|»iitlu<'s of tlm whole Christian world." ('oliunhus went to S|)ain, frtun Italy, di't'i' If }inil III iih- /lis risit fn In/, It, if. It is alto._r<'t her contiary to reason to infer, heeause this trip to leeland was kejit a profound seeret to the World, that the hi-ads ol the Church were not privy to it. This kiiowled-c (d' theirs iif his \ i>it to the place where. Jill the information coneeininn the Nnrse voya,L;es was preserved, liis ai'cess to the ar>hives of Jceland, his consultations with (Christian pr'lates there, especially I'ushop .Ma;4nus, who coidd put him in the way of liarnini; all he re«piiit'd, all this was the cause of the ab.s(dute seerrcy maintained. 'I'here is moie than sullicii'ut eviilence that the wily Ita'ian olttained all that he S()U;;ht in Icidand ; his dis,;overy of .\merica proves that ; henct; to <^i) to Spain was his next praitieal move, anil entirely in order. He fotnid him-tdf one day. whrthrr l»y clianc"' or jiot can lie imagined, at the lmIts nt' the monastery of l,a Ik'atiiila, in Anddusi I, the guardian of whiih, du;in I'eifz dr Maichma, Ijad formerly heeii tin- confosor of (^Mieen Is.ihella ; it this was only acdiau'-e, it must he ciinfr>sed that it was an ext t cdini^ly lueky one I llirry drsiiilx's the nitetinn ; the m«'re thou;^ht of it kindles his K Muan (.'.illndic ardour: *^ JLe .\. IcomeiJ n ■ I i\ 92 Tiir: Icelandic Discovkkkrs of Amf.kica ; : I » friitcriially ilio straii^cr, tnuanls wIhum lie felt a siuMcii attractii /) , ''ilivited llilH tO TL-niain with liiiii, the jneseiit iin>iiieiit iKit Ix'ing lavoiuable to pl-eseiit liis prtiject til the CollM. ' Tiiese are Very stioiiii words : " tl,r. sfrl-trst <'(m/f vims tliitt '-(III nnitr firn iiifi'll i'ii-iiri-)t ; '' all iiivilalioii alter tin', Jirsf (i/sf/ns/i !''■.< dl' Cohiiiihiis to remain there. Now an expositi< n of ( 'itiuinhns' ^(•ientilie thenries (so e.dled) as to a prohalih; land ill tlie Western (iceaii woidd ha\e ntniired hi iiis, and after tiic hours sjicnt in this way, the striete.-t eonformity of ithsis wwmld Hot have been iinhieed, for the strictest eoiiforinity of ideas was not Wont to ensue upon sueji a talk lieiwecii a seieiiti-t and tho Sujiei iur of a monastery, as«uniiii^' ("ulumhus to ha\e lieeii a scientist. After tin- lirst diselo-uies, — had these heeli merely a loueJi sketcdi of a pli'louild seieiitilie theory, theic would not have lieeii an invitation which meant so mmdi. that meant, in fact, acti\(' cooperation; hut as^umiii^ as an hypo'hesis, that ('oliuidtus informed Juan Perez hrietiy of his visit to Iceland .'iml the satisfactory results from it, of /Ac (i/iyi>luf'' rrrtai fit ij i\v,it there was aiiotlu'r world lyin,!4 across the ocean, and of the ereat good that would accrue to the ( hurry,— Localise the gi'and mission of the stranger was manifest to him. . . . He heard, lie com[»rehended, lie believed. OR, HOXOUK TO WHOM HONOUR IS DUR. 93 . . . Till' I'liiiH ixaii ic('i>uMi/t'f fi jirnvidciuiiil clirtioii" I >iMil)tlfss, for ( 'nluinl'iis cxhihitfil the nal'i aiiil s.ciitn i-mss, tlir iiiiscni)»iil(Hi^ ainliiliun df tlio rt'li;^n<>l)s lM.(ly to whiih Ik- Im-IoH;;! tlf till' i>io|M'i' Mian lor the \vt aiMliiriou-^ trau«l that was t'vcr ))fi|ictrattMl ami llit- ( 'Inu'ili aci'f|itr(| liim uip'oiiditioiKilly I ('••Imulnis \va> a man wlioiliil \i<>\ Id lii> left lian'l Kii<'\v what liis ri'^lit hand did. and \\\i< ua> a piiiiH' •|iialili(at ion I Ht' ohlaiiH-d siilis'aiit ! d aid in his hiini- umli'ilakiii*; — it was n liu.m' inid< rt;d iinin all ImU a few 1 hoscn conlid mts — i'i<>ni the, ( liaiid ( 'ardinal <.f Spain, I'l-dm ( inn/ah'Z ih' Mrdona, thi<»ii-h wIioM' iiitciArntiiiii. ai:''oi(linu to I'any's allii^ntion. lie ]iniciiiv(| ;in aiKJii'iH'''. Washin^tcn Irvin;^'. hnwcVfr, >titc> that it was J.uis dr St. All'i"'!. lrrri\i-)' t.f tile t'c< j 'sia-tical li'Vcmics ill .Arii|nrrii|»lrs ,,{ tjic <|iii'i'ii, and "ivcs his eloi|iU'lil a]»]ifal : "lie ri'inindrd InT of how niucji niii^hl lie don<' l'<»r ih'' -Joty id' ( lod, tin' fXaltiitioii of tin' ( 'Imi'idi, and the cxti'iisiitn iif liri' own |M.w('r and dMiiiiiiimi. What cau-f <>( rcni'ft til 111)-, id tiiiiii|ih to ]iii' ciH'iiiii s. of >)iru\v to hiT friends, shiiiil.i this rniiiin'isc. thus ivjfcti'd hv hrr, hf ai-coni- idi.-hi'd hv siijiii' I'lhi-r ]i haij aiijiiiif.! fur tln'ir diM'ovi'iics ; lii'ie was an o]i]iMi!uiiity tn smpass thnii all He I'liticatcd Imt Maje.-ty imi to ]»• mi-jid liy tin' a-si-rtion of jraiiii'd men, that the iii'oji'ct was till' diram iif a \isinnary, III' \ iiidiiMtcd the jiid,L;ini,'nt of <'(.lumlMis, and iIm^ >oiinilnr>s and piaiticaliilit \- of his jdms." This hi' emild sah'h dn. lnr in' liad the sti'UiLre-t nniteiial .L^iounds I'nv nlyiw^ on ( '•diimhus' judL;iii''nt , ur rather tho trust wiirtiiy i'\ideni-e that (''dumh'is had hrmiudit with him fr.illl Ireland of the I'xi-teuii' iif thf Ni'W W'oild. Then foUows thi; alif 1 illLT srene that has rjiiited .so m'U'll uJiniratioii for (^)uei'n Isahi ll;i : '* With an I'lithiisiis.ii wmthvof III nr 94 TiiK Icii.ANDic Discovi Kr.RS OF Ami RICA; V I J! licrsclf iiiid tli is iiii «!xtreiiiely romantic m liter, exclaims: "This was the pKHHh .>t moment in the lifi; of Isabella ; it stampeil her lenown lor ever as tin; patroness of the discoveiy of the, Ni w ^^'orltl."' J»iit St. An^'el said that /if was ready to advance the necessary funds, for he evidently knew a few thinj^s that had not luen conlided to the (jueen, and Roman Catholic (perhais Jesuit) as he was, lie realized that knowledge was hetter ihan faiih, at h'ast in this instance!, Un this basis ol" Liaiirlrilije he j ledgecl the funds. " Armed with these royal conimissions,'' write;^ Arthnr llelj^s, who also desei'ilx's the occurioiices at the monastery in detai', ." Columhus 1( ft tli«' Court for l'al(.>s ; and wi- may he sure that the knot of frii'uds at the monasteiy were sulTu ieiitly demon- strative in their deliL^dit at the seheme on which they h.nl pinned their faith liein;^^ fairly launched." Christopher Columbus discovered America, in tlie year 1-192, 1)1 ill' irai/ t/i s riht'i/. Then history, pliant, ductile histoiy, hatl .a new ollice to perform: t<» extol Columbus anil immoilalize him ! The monkish chroniclers did this with as little scruple as they had consigned the tine discoverers to oblivion. Aaron Coodrich, who has made a veiy close sliuly of the ••haraetei- of Columbus, arrives at conclusions in I'ci^'aid to him that will clearly demonstrate to the mind of any camlid and unjtrejudiced reader the reason why llarry, the Koman Catholic, should say of him : "This man had no defect of charactei-, or no woi'ldly quality ; wi; have weighty reasons for considerim,' him a saint," lint Coodriidi yives a contrary analysis; " Hy representing' himself as the chosen of (lod, the cham[)ion of the Christian reliction, carryin;^' the li. The approhation of the (lualiticator of the Imiuisition. '' 7. The licciK.'e uf the K^yal Council of Castile. " J>eyond all this the person must he of siilhcient iidluence t » .ohtain the favouial»K; notice cf the hodies thus ivpit'seiited. Nor was this the end of the dillii'ulty ; the licence of an\' oik.* of these otlicials could herevcik'ed at pleasure ; and. when re|i\d- lished, the Work had to he re-e\amined. The penalty attached to the jtos.sessiun of a book not thus licensed, was ih'ath. Such was the tyranny," he adils, '• which weighed upv>n historical writers; and it is ncit diliicidt to jien-eive hi>w all tluse cens'irs woidd deal partially with ('olumhus,'" .\n especial ada|itatioii liail to be made to tie' case; the New "World was a dangeroiis suliject altogether, which had to be handled with extienie laui ion ; tin- (bHi'-ulty was not onlv to preserve the fame of Cohuubiis fiom all heietical cavil, lait to rigorously exclude from the lages of hi.-tuiy all hint that 'I: 96 TlIK ICF.T.AN'DIC DlSCOVEKERS OF AMERICA ; ; I Coluinlius mi^'lit have liad jtrcdecessors who wcic iiKirc justly I'ntitli'il t'> till' laiiit' lit' v«'a)>(u;..;ht, and recent infoi-niatidii at that. As a spreinieii of his jiolicy, I ijuoti' an extract from one of his letters: "Much more J Would have done, if my vessels had 1 een in as t^oo(l condition as hy rights they ouj^ht to have lieen. This is mueh. and jiraised he the eternal (lod, oiu' Lord, who uiives to all those ^vho walk in His Wi^ys victory over things which seem inijiOssi- Me ; ol which t his is siL;nally one, for allhoUL,di otheis ma\ have spoken or wiitten conceinini: these countries, it was all mere conjecture, as iKt one could say that he hid seen them — it amtuinting only to this, that those who heard listen- 1| the more, and re;4arded the matter lather as a fahle than anything else. ( hily a few years after this well-atti'steeoveiy of tin; >'.'\v W'oild, Sweden's period of greatness lK'L,Mn ; in l'^'27 Kin- (lUst.if I. proclainiMl Lntlni'ani.-ni the .State rch^non of Swedi'U ; his son. ( ";irl IX..deh'ated the attempt (»f the Catholic rea<'tion, of wlii« h Spiin was the soul, to re-estahlish Ixoinanisui in S\vcd<'n ; his L;rintlson, (Jtr^taf Adolf, was one of the lcakes that had befallen tlie C'hurcli of Koniu— - Iv OK, HoNoru TO WHOM II('\(>rK IS \n\:. (.; r-^talilisluil il ]>iin'ly siTiiliii' !;(iV(Mllliii lit I 'I In- did Ni>l.-<' spirit, ^U]ll•>^('"l In li.iVt' liccll t'tlrctllJlllv (IUI'IIcIimI ill tllf Vfiil 1000, Inid lirnkiii mil nu.iiii, jiidxcii iisi If iiidtstiiK tiMi". It li.id a.u'nin j^ivcii SwimIcii ^'(hkI w.ii rii'is. ^o.mI stati'>iii('ii, ljikhI Ivini^s ami gciii'ials ; the (•(uintiy (luniiird t-i inciliirval ol'Muritx an-l |itiiaiif»', aujaiii stcjipid t'> tin' tidit ami iii.nli' it-ilt Irit .is a |M)\vrr ill Eurt fnnnidaMi' ]mi\vc1' \\\v >^lii', so h.iastfnl of its liheity, its u'laiidtiii, its advancement, so impatient of the slinhte^t tmndi npon it.v freedom, its lights. Xo penpic were so little di--pos((l to hcw to cither ( 'hnreh or throne, indeed thry iiiide a nat ion.d pioi j.i- niation of theii' detrrniinatioii tmf [n hdw to nnythiiej. Noix- ileJiaiwe llunied np a^ain in the prison uf fiecdii.rn American.-. The greatest ]iossil)le [»ro_Li;iess was tin'eateiied ill npuhlicanism and free ideas I "What did the Chni'rh of Iviine do. whit ri,///,/ it du hut claini the r nit e 1 States as its own, on tin- score nf t he ili.>covcrv fif .\nieiiea hy ("ohnidai^? If this elaiiii eonld lie pi(>.-rd. if the riiiicd States cuiihl he fmccil or cajoli'd intn an aikiiou- Jt'du;nieiit of till' discoveiy liy ( 'olnmlai-, all iiiiLhl he riliir\id lint the Church must niovi- ^\ilh all jiiiiden'i', the dc-iLin mu-i iKjt he suspected iiiitil fairly accnni|ilislied. Thde was no reason to doulit that tin' I'nited Slate- Woiild f;ill iiitn the trap. 15arry remarks a rcvnal of interest and of l.inLii.iphic-, cf Culuiiiiairi at tlie liej^inniiiL;- of this ceniuiy, and names l.iiiui ])us.si, Xavarrete, W. Irving, and I.>enis as hcin^^ insiiumeniaj ii. 11 '^, f,S Tiif: I( r.LANDii Dis(()\ kkkks of Amkkka; U llif l';i\ t>ii|;il»lf rtJIction. Ilt^ Ixiiists of his nWli l)(i(ik, "Tiic ('iiii tlic Two W'orltls," iis having' 'Sdiin' to rrvral lor tlif liist tinii' til" |iiovi(|(Mti;il mission coiilidiMl to Colunilms, jiihI to iHiiiii loudly till- saiiitlincss of liis cliaiactcr." An awfiidiiiL; SI rifs of piililii at ioiis, he drclavrs, "show the |>i'o;4r('ssivf interest that is attaelieil to the iininory of ( 'olundms.'" In lanieiitiu;^ tln' past injnstire to ("oluuihus, f^r his keen perception seems to h,i\(' deteeteil soniethiiiL;' res»'nihlii\^f this eveii in Spain, heavers devoutly that ''the K im an I'ontilieate alone i)reserv('d the thouf,dit of the a]i(.stolM' ^^randein- of ("olund»us; sueees-^ively three popes hail honoUK'd with llieir conhdenee tiiis lieraM of tlie('i'oss; the Holy See ne\ i-r faileil in its re^^n-ultject. a moment"> serious consideration, that the C'hurcdi that has foii;,dit the Scandinavians for a^'es in Eui'ope, is not likely to fraterni/o or coalesce with -Vnierican in>-tit\itions that are tiie natural ont- "ii 'Uth of the Scandinavian spirit. There is a new eontiiet impendiiii,^ in the I'nited States, The same peojile wIkj were compelled to aholisli the physical slavery of whicli the seeds ■were sowed }»y Sp;iin, will now Inive to aholisli the spiritual slavery which S}»aiu and K(tme with combined force are en- deavoui'iii,!;' to fasten ni)on it. h\ lindinj.; fault with the fc^n- biftgraphors of Cobunbns, Spotorno, Irvinu, Xavarret*^ and Alex, von lIuml>oldt, who, as he declares, "denaturalize his person and his proviih-ntial rJ/c," Ilariv writes this jue^nant sentence: "The biography of Columbus has reniained in the hands of his natural enemies . . . whence it iollows that the view taken of it by Protestantism is the only one liy which i>eople have judged of the most vast, oi;, IfoNnrK TO WIloNr in^NOCR IS DlF. ( )1 jMiil »'\ iMf'iitly llic most suimtIiuiii.iii aclii"Vi'iii,iit cf CaMinlic ^ »'S. li.' is ri;^lit, llir wlinlc ],],,{ is most assuivtll\ tin' mnst vast ami tlir nmst siipcrhumaii acliirvcincut of ratiiolii- Ltciiiiis ! ^^ liat lilt ('(iflnlii- v'7////,s', the genius for (Incii, t'"r Irickciv. tor .^.M'lvcy, t'oi' uick.'d and tliabolicjil macliiiiat ions, couM liavr pnisufd sticli a system (,f t'laml for cciiturifs as the one iiow I'fin.n- r.\|HisMl : What hut CallioJir gciiins. a |irolilii- u'eiiiiis for t vil. Would have attemiitcd to roli the N Mstincii of llirii' fame. t I • \% V: I! -1 mm 103 Till" I< I 1 wiM' l)is(<>viKr,Ks OF Ami UK \; riiAlTKK V[. tJoUMlUx' VISIT TO ICKi.ANn. TllK 1>.'M pi.x'f that (■..liniil.us w.'ut tn l.rlniul, l.cfuiT iM.rfr.tin- his plans t'ni' thr .li>r.,Vriy nl thr laiM Ih. nth.T S..h- nj' ll.r W,.st..ni o,v:in, is tha h.' sai.l so hiuiX'lf. 'I hr pn-iiant jMssi^r is .1U..UM1 l.v Irvi.i-, in his - Lilr uf ( ', ,iun.l.u> : - -Wi.ib'thr .l.vsi-nof altnni.tiii- th.- .lis-nvny in \\u- \\\>\ vva>iualunn,- in ilic min.l -f camnhu^. h.' ma.h' a v-wa-^^ to thr No.thot Europ.'. ( )f lliis wr hav.; no nth.T inrniorial than ihr lollou m- passaur. cxtrarlMl l)y his M.n t'loni -nr <.f his h'lt.T.->: Mnth.' year HT?, in Fchvua.v, J navi.^alr.l our huiidiv,! h'a-u.'< h-yoml Thuh-, Mm> south.'in pari of whuU i. srvrnty-lhiv .I.-irr.. .listaai IV.Mu Ihr ..p'^'l'"'- •""' ''"' '^''^>' l''"''-'" """^" l"^"'"'l • ,„.i|,l„,r is it sitiiatr.l within ihr hnr whirh inrlinir. th.' wM of l't.,h'my, hul is inu.h mo,., wr.i-ily. Thr Kn-li-li, prin-ipallv those of r.ristol. ,^o with thnr in.-ivhan.li... to thi> islan.L wiii-h is as lur^'.' as Kn-laiuL Whm 1 ^^•as thnv. the s.'a was not f,o/(-n, an.l tlu- li.h's wnv >o ^ical as lo ris. an.l fall twrnty-MX fathom.' " Thisstalrnirnt. a.To,.lin-to I'n.fr.or K. 1'.. Aiuh'vson, is ai> to he lounn ^- y. y. H O S3 !f )V • 1^- >.'V I ^■■■il i (iK. HoNOru lo WHOM HoNOlK IS 1)11. Id ( '<'limilMis," nsiilc fritiii its ]»A>\ iit'<,'iiticii of tin* |»riMnl ixuititir.il assfitioii tli;il tilt' siiiiif in ,(ii<-tivt r Inoktd, iiaiiu'ly. tlif ciiMiH'iti'iii iMtwccn tin- //•//'' and llif nUfji,! disfnvcrv ; hr sav.s ; "While fhr variniis writtTs hciv allitdrd tu" (li(> uiM-. M\cr tlic ^MiMind picttv tli(ir(in;,dd_v) ** fit'ilv admit tin* lari'd |> Ills dt Anii'iii a huiu' IhIuic ( 'nlniidms. iIm-v are nnw dline to liclii'\e that ihi'i'o is .my histmical cunni'ft inn Ix-t wrtai the • liscdMMV (if till' Ni'i-cnien and that nf ( 'ohmibiH ; nr. in utlicr Winds, that ( 'oluinliiis jdiihted in any\\Myl)\ the Ntuscini'U s kn'-wlrdi:'' "I' .Vnn'iiia. This is all tiir niorc -"inuular sima- nnnt- (if thfni cmii tiy t'( deny tin' statiincnt made l>y I'"frnaiitlii ( '«iliunl)'>, his s(»n, that he (( 'hristoplM i' ( 'I'lninliiis) not only sjtcnt sdiiic time in Ictdaiid. in I 177, Init siili'(| ."{OO miles hcy.md, whi'h must have hioii'^hl liim nearly within si^dit ct (ireeiilaiid. \\v ai'c inh'i'iiK t student, and the hest g'ML,'ia[iher inl\ studieil all 1 ks and nianuscii|its that contained any inlormition about \(»yajes and discoveries; thai his searching mind scuight (Uil the writings of Adam of llremen. that well-known hist(»rian who in the most nnmisiakahle an(l emphatic language .sjieaks of the N'ors" discovery of \'iidand ; that the int'ormation thus gathered indiiceij iiim to make his Voyage to Ici land." Aaron (i(Mi(lri(di, oii the other hand, do -s not h(dieve that ("olundais \v(_'nt to Jceland, not with.-tanding (.'olumhus wrote altdiit his visit there to his son and his .-on (pioted the jiassagt? in his iett( 1', — and he doiihts this for the vi-ry reason that .sh'.iiild have niado liiui eredit ii imjdiei'Jy, nuuiely, because lo? T]\\: Ici i.AMur I)is((>\ i:ki.k^ ok A.mi.kka ; f fc ( 'itluiiilnis /i(i.< sti rii-i/ /i//,'i' fn H'tii (iliiiul if. (idddijch riiiiiiiK'iiis : "111- il'iis not. ;^ivi' any reasons t'i»i' surh a vnyavc (III I''»'laii'l) nur nicutiun tlic shi[) he sailcil in, nr the p .it li-' sailt'rl from ; li'' ,l,m\<-n nntliiuL;. in t'ai't, liul lln' inosl vau'uc ass-'fiiuiH. All conti'iniioiMi'V writris, Stale ]ia|>iTs, i^e , nn- sil'-nt upon the sulijeit, when je>s inijioitant mitteis ar" re- eoi'lei." It is .istoiiisliin;^' that so shrewd a writef as (IimmI- rieh, who sei'Uis to have I'athonieil (^llllnll•u^' motives in all other re^Ml'il-, shouM ha\'e expeeteil him to i;i\i' his leasiili^ t'of the voya^fe, mention the ship he saili'd in ami llie port lie sailed lio'ii, when he Was Li'oin;^^ on a secret e\]ie(Htion. pi'iilialily eoin- nii-siom-d hy the j'ope himself, for tin- purpose of st-alin,:,' k now led .J, ■ that w Mild put the ("l.ureli in pos^osioii of a vast 11 '(.v territoiw f.ii' the aeipiisitioii of l^^M, slaves, and -ouh! This seereey \s f>r>/ji(i-/'(('-ir evileiii'e that h" Weill to Iiejaiid. Hut it Would ha\e lircn hett-r foi' the ( dnuvh of IJoim' if lii> -on had huriied thi> letteras soei' him eros^iuij the (iermaii ()e.aii and ad\ aiieiiin' to the I'olar Seis. In Felnuary, lt74-, hewas a liundied leagues heyond leejaiid, and verilied some phenomena interestinu- to hydro- Lirapliy. I'Voiii the somhre leu'izoiis of the N jrth, from the rifiiiia Thn'-' of tlie ancients to the splendid skies of the tropics "— the writer does not hint at vhat ('oluiiihus verilied in Iceland }irt" land and sea, soekini; ti> iteiietrale hevoiid the jioetry of appearances tjie irreat laws (d" the ulolte.'' This is not very lucid, hut it is suLj:Lfestive. Tluu'e is nothing,' so L;ood to hide a little hard fact as a lot of rhajisoiUcal vapour. l''ar from OK, Iloxork TO WHOM ITovor-R is DUK. 105 S'ckill^' t(» |.(>IU'tr;it(' till- ffl'cit ];iws of the '^'Inl.,- ;it lliat pivcist' ]MTiiMl, ilir Italian inai'iiiHi, who. t'ailiiiLT <'f Immiil; a skilful oiH', was li.'iit (Pii liriiiL;- ;i Im-kv (iiii\ was i,\\ the luiiit l«>i' tlp-sc j'artiriijai- |iaivi,L;ia]>lis, in snnip uM inaiiii>'Tijit <>y Mth.T, (hat wiMiM serve, hiiii as a chart \n the cdvetrd lan^l in the \Ve-^t 1 his is (inly line evi(h lice mure n\! the elalioiate disi^ui.-e that was tlifdwii around all his luovenients while at Iceliml. \l. II. Major, in the iiit lodint ion to " ( 'oluirilius' Letters," mentions the iact of his haviiiu'- -one tu Icelmd, v.'t adds : " l!ut upon the wliole of this iioiti-n '• Life of Cohinihus," asseits |iositi\ dv : '■ ^^ <• are sure that he traversed a hni;c jiarl of tin- kiiown World, that he visited Kiiuland, that he made his way tc Ice- 1 ind and {-"rioland (where he may iiossiMy ha\(' heard vau'Ue tales (if the discoveries hy the Northiiieu in Noith America), tliiit he had 111 I'll at LI Miiia, oi: the coast of (iuinea, and that he had seen the inlands of the (livcian A rc!ii|ie!a:;o." AikI there can scarcely he anythinu more em]ihatic th m the follow- iuLT Words hy 'roiihnin Smith: '•Thei'e can he lilt |e douht that he (Columhus) liad Ljained the chief couiiriii it imi of lijs idea of the existence of h' rrd J! nun in. the \\'e;-t"rn oc' 111, dui'inu the visit winch he is known to iiave jjiade, liet'oic his W'e-tcrn voyan'c, to Icelaii'l." It was on the coast of (;iiinea,as ( ioo,|rich has ;is,.,M'taiiieil, that ( "olumlius (|ualitiiMl himsrlf in a hramdi of tiade that lie evideiit'y considered ]ndi-|ie]isahl.' in the futuic lounder of a colony, iur (i Irich state> ; '■ l-'or ,-ome yeais. it is unknown at what ]>rccise ]ieriod, ( 'olumhu> wa^ en,La_; a> \\(dl to de- ser\e the 'uniplinielit }»aid him liy Mr. Helps, who ealls hi.s • ^li'i '•4.1LJJB ii 104 Tirr: Icki^anhic Discox iirlrs ok A.mirma; ]>ro''(M'(liii;^'s ainl plans woitliv of ji ]ira<'l isnl slavt' tl'-alcr.'' l'li)|c-;<(ir All'li'isuli st:ili'.>, till' lilt' lirlK'lit "t' tllt'scwli.i liaViJ iiMt I'.ail ( loodrirli's luxik, '•llistniv of tlic ( 'liaiactrr and Ai-lnrvcnicnts of tlu! sdcallcil ( 'liiist(i|ihcr ( 'nliinil>u>," that '• Aai'itii (iimiliich ])i«iii(»!uirr.-> ( '(:liiiii))iis a I'laiiil. and (icn'Muifcs him as ini'an, sdlish, )»i-rliili'Mis and fi'iid. lie has cviih'ntly made a \ci'V <'ai'('tul study tatrni"nt, liy the saiin' auflior, lie rcfdtcd : " ('oliinilius owes mo.-t of his fauic to ihc ( 'hnivh, w hi'di, ••hainicd with tin- dr\(ition Im; piufc-scd, has I'hantfd his praise^, and iMU-ht'd any histi>iian who wonld not join in iIumii, as \'<\]'j; as Iwi powc i- was snilifirnt."' The ni'xt liiiii'.: necessary for a full undcr.-tandinuf of this iiioniciilons vi>it of ("I'liinilius to Icrjaiid is to know the full oxtont of liis opjiori luiitics thdc and lh<- n-c lu' inadf of thi'Ui. MiU'li li.nlit is thrown on this hy l^aini;' ; in his ""Sea kinus of Noiwa}"' he niakt'S suh^tantially the sanif -tatein'Mit asth" one (|Uotrd in th.' first (diajttcr of liiis hoid< ; it i- this : " It is evident that the uiain fait i> that of a disco \-eiv of a \\'rstein laud lieinL,^ lecorded in wiitinu hrtweeii l.i'"^7 ami l.'ll).") : and wlietler tiie minor cinaiuistances. sueh as the |Ma'>onal aihcntuics of iIk; diseoveivi's, or the exact localities in America which they visited, he lU' lie Hot klloW U. (Mliuot allectthis fact. — Uol' t he v«MT stron,^f si(|e-fai-t that ei-hly years after this fact was re- coideil in writiiiL;, in no oli^caire m,iiniscri|>t , hut in one of tlu! most heautiful works of ]ieiiman>hi|i in l",uioj»e, (olnmhus ranift to Iceland, fiom I'.ii-tol, in 1177, on iiur[iose to K"'" nautical information, and mu'-l have le-ard of the wiitt"n a(!COunts of discoveries recorded in it."' Ihe writer alsti cites tlui pai'a;^rajih in the mein still liviu.i,^ wliM-e Ljraiid fathers had crossed the Atlantic, and it would he altoiiethcr unioapuual)l»i i US IS u OK, HoXOlR T(-) WHOM UoNoiR IS Dl K. I O' to sijjiposo fliat ]]•'. (("..IiiiiiIhis), w] lo was (•••ii-.taiitly >tU(l villi; itiid talking' alimit, l,^c. iL,MM|iliy ainl iiaviL,Mti"ii. )i(is-.ii.]v coulil \ isil Iceland and ii(»t li jurvioiis infiamitinn alMMit tie' lands which he ]»retciided to disci. \cr ; thiit he s(.iiiciiuics talked id' himselt as loseii of Heaven ti» make thi.- M'overv, and thai !!'• niaih the liiiits of his lahiiuis stihsri'vicut to tlie d( uniiiion nf j tion. Th ie|Uisi- il.l IS nieleiiiaiily a veiv Liiave charge, mI it tar tioin characteii/es th.- relii;iuus fehuiv (d" which ('i.luinl )Us wa.- lilt y : he juirlnined tho kiiowledu'e of a di-clf. t In- 'jieati •^t coiiceivaide aL;_Mandi/.cment l^r the (.'huich, siidi an (.]»i...r- tunity fci niiiver>al domininii as i M ncvei, in tie- iiatuie of tilings, occur "u'ain in the hfe -d' the woild ; and last and most important of ail, for the ])uij»iise nf making' the Xew Wmld. through its entire suliini\\\o could Hot lie complete without tin aripii>iiion of this new teiiitoty, (d' which the iiati\es were to he toiced into allegiance and w hiih was to 1).. eoh.ui/.ed onlv l.v those film iu the faith. It is utterly imp,,.sii.lc tor this deed to he understood in ad its enoi'iuiiy hy tle.s.' who -hrink from regarding it as a religion-, crime, the mo>t heinou- one of the long li>t that the (dniich >>( |;,uiie has c.iininit led, ami whiidi was to havi' heeii tie' gloiious r-waiil i\>v all the uthers, emhlazoning the favourite mixim (d' this hieiarchv, " 7'A'- /-//// mn-tijif's the means," on the verv skio,s : Ciiristiaiisi ul' uvci v nv io6 TiiK In i.AXDir Disrox krkr^ of Amf.rk'A ; s»^(:t, I'i'otcstiints (if nil (^inil<'s, Irciit iJoiiiaii Ciitlinlicisni vci'V tciiilrrly. fur iImv canin't strike it iit any nf its viilin':alilt' jMtints, witlmut stiikin.L; that, wliirh is aiiiK^t (M|ually vuliifi'- ahji' ill their own system <»f reji'^ioii. Riniiaiiisiii creeits in <;veiyvvllelc lliuler tlie covef (iF I'li ;tes(ailt isiii : I'luti'staiit ism, wliatevei' heals the name of ( 'hi ist iaility, is its ln'st .-hiehl and (hjfeiicr — in i'act its sole one. It is only oy reL,Ml'(liiiiL,' ( 'iiiistianity as nt/i', of which Jionianisni is thr tuU expfessioii, and I'l'otestaiitism the dilut<'d, the eomponeiit paits of tliis hriiii^f, when analv/etl, JJoinan ( 'atholieism and iihciality, the Urst not less evd. intrinsieally, ihron^h tlie niixtun'. the lalte)' only i'endei'(d less eti'eetive,--aiid hy iralizin^^f the aliocji'ns way in Avhieh ( "hristianity was introilnecil in every land, and in every colony — hy noting' its deadly ell'ects iipon every race th;'.t were force(l to succiiml) to it, that one can nndi-rstand the full nature of the crime under cou-'ideration. A'lir, however, the issue can no loii.u'er he evaded ! That rolunii»us had almndaiit opjiortu'dties, in Iceland, to jDirsue his in<|uiiies is shown elearly liy lleamish, in his "Discovery of Anieri-a hy the Xorthmi'ii : '" '"Nor should ii !)(' for^'olteii that ('oluml)us visited Icidand in 1-177, ^vhen, having' had access to the archives of the island and amj>l..' opportunity of conver.-iiiL,' \vltii the learned there throueh the medium of the Latin 1 iin^uau'e, he nii^ht easily have olitaiiied ii complete knowledge of the discoveries of the Xorthineii — sullicieiit at least to coiilirni his belief in {Ik' existence of a Western continent. How nnndi the di.-coveiies of the dis- lillLniishetl (ieuoese liavi'Mtor were exceeiled hv those of the ■n Northmen, will appear from \\\:\ followin;^ narratives."" (Thei follows the translation of the voya;.,'es so often referred to, the s.ime that was pul dished hy the 1 Mince Society, in iJostoii.) *' Accord in;^f to Irvine's larger Mdilc," the sanio author re- marks, "this visit (t(j Iceland) took j>lac(> in F(d)ruary, 1477, when Culuinhus appears to have ul>served with surpiise that the ■i OR, UOXOTR TO WIlONr HoNolR is DUF.. I 07 sea was not frozon. Tlic Irjiriicd In.l;iii(l,.r, Fimi Ma.Lrmisrn, • lirccts attci tioii to tlic t'lillowiiii; rt'iiiaikalilc (MiiiicidcncL' : 'In til"' .vt-ar 1 [77, .Mai,Mms I'lidH'siin was l;i>li(.]i of Skallmlt in Ice- land ; since I17(> hi. liad liccn abliot of the Munastny ui' llflnalflj, the |.Iali(.j. .Ma-nus. as Were theii- ;jeniTal ennteuts thvou-houl tile i-Iand, and it is, therelure, in the lii-h(.'st di'L;ive inqnnhaliie that ( 'olnndMis whose mind had lieen tilled with the idea of e.\).huin-- a W'l stem continent since the year 1 I7[, should have omitted to seek f'U' ;ind receive infMrniatinn respect in,!,' these (arly vova^es. lie ••naived at Ilvalfjoi'd, or 1 1 valfjardarejii, on the south coast of ii'cltnd, at a time when that harhour was ii.o>t fiV(|Mente(l, ainl it is well known that liishop Ma.^nus visited the nei-hi)uuiiii.:,' clmrclics in the sprint: or sunnu"r.'' Lain.L,' -^ives still Inrther information on tin's p., int. ohtain.il fiom the same source and oini other, namely, (.'iptain /ahrt- inann on the voya.i^^e of Zeuo, and Finn Ma.unus.ii on "• The Kiip:lish Trade t(. I<'eland.'" seeiind volume of "Nordisk TiI( DlS(r)Vr.RF.RS OF A.MKRTCA ; Hi I ill 1'^ liad knowli'il^fc of a laml In tlw West wliidi tlicy .sn]>|t liiii. sonic siiLji^ftstion in tin; f. lIowiiiL: more accui'atc statcniciit ol an reclandic ucii^M'aplur : ' Un tlif iresf (if ilii' i/r'df .<('(( nf Sjitu'iL Avliicli soni(; call ( 'iinnun,L;a,u''i|'. ntnl lt'anin.!4' souH'wliat towarils tlii' noilli, llir first land wliidi occurs is the lj:o(:(I N'inland ? " " If \\c liiin to Swcdisli autliors, \vc lind llic >anic liclicf with thcin, that ( 'olninhiis jiaid a visit to Iceland and ohtaincd tlicro all the infoimation rc(|uisite to cnaMc him to cany out his prc- jsUtni'tniuis ]ilan. liolnd'eiL:'s words arc conclusive; "With certainty do we kiKiw that Coluinhns towai'd the end of the, fifteenth century, jucsuniahly in the year 1 177, sojourned at Ictdand, where lu; was sent hy Kn^li'dimcn, whose industrial mind hail already lixed itsattention upon Iceland's rich lislieri»'s. Here he without doulit met the descendants of thnse who had first made said ili-covery, got knowled'^e of the wi'itten sffi/nr thereof, and jUdliahiy also ohtaincd fresh intel]iL;ence cdnceiaiin'^ the ureat land iii the A\'(st. ]'iiila/('i 'l>'t fioihi, as histoiy is idile to mentiiui an Anieiican voyaee only one hundred and thirty years )ire\i(.us. He was^ leiwcvei', sutru'iently jundent ne\-er to reveal this, and smdi a trait jierhajis diminishes his greatness. The r^\'^^> of the welhknowil stolT of ("olunihlls is througli this tariUMl against liinis(df, and one canieit well avoid seeing a iSenn'sis in the fact that the New ^^'orld , such scieatitii' kiiow- lctl^n_! as he cuuhl ('oiniuiiiid, mure sustaiiiiiiL; than faiih, nioro delicious than even his own vanity! lie was nut too proud, this man, to t'lijOy a stolen inheritance. As is well known, his plan stianded, in the tiist instance, on account of liis prejiosiciously hi-li demands. Irviiij,'. oltserviii^' the t'ai't, hut misconsti'ui)i,L;- the cause, s;i\s; "80 fiillv imhiied was Cv which he was sure to liiul a custniiier in the long run, gave him the hardihood to make large demands. Xaturally iiiMilent, this secret 'vyAa'/^/// inll ite I his iusoleiiee to the extreme of audacity. It w,is not reckless audacity, however, hu' he was sure of his ground, and could not Very well presume too nuadi. The reader will now he inleresie^l to know what share of the spoils fell to {j>\nin\n\fi — -f/tf'.-,//,r/'nr'//'n/ the iiK.st successful Voyage on record. Tlie following is (puAed from Arthur Helps' "Life of Columbus : "' — '' The favonis which Cbristopher (Jolumbus has asked fion; the King and (,)u<.'en of Spain in recompense of the discoveries imm "■■■■Pi J-i nl no Tnr: Icklandk: Discovkkkrs of Ami.rica; wliirli lie has iiKidc ill tin- oci'iiii son-*, and as ivroiiipcnsc for iln,- voyagf wliich lie is alioul to umici't ikc, nre the foDowiii^f : — •' 1. Ho wishes to h(! made adiuifal of the seas and eonntries M'hieh he is ahoiit to discover. Ilf desires to hohl tiiis dignity (luring liis life, and tliat it sliould descend to his heirs. *' y'A/.s' ,->'(JIII-xt An- / Ihc Kill'/ (Ot'l (llli-ril. " L'. Christoi>her ("olunil)iis wishes to he made \ iceroy of all the cohtincnts and islands. ^' (Ir'iiitcd Inj f/ir K'ni'j iviil Qfic-pv. " ."'». He wishes to h-ive a share, amounting to a tenth pait, of the protits of all merchandise, he it jieails, jewels, or any other things, that nniy he. found, gained, bought, or exp(jrted from the countries which he is to discover. " (li'dutcil !>;/ t/i^' KiiKj awl Qur^en. " 4. He wishes, in his(|uality of admiral, to he made sole judge of all mercantile matters that may l)e- the occasion of dispnte in tlie countries which he is ti» discover. " ilraiitcil hij the Kiixj and Uuecn (»/ the nuiillt'x n that this jltr'nolirfinii xJiduhl hel<>n the (iJicC 1)/ luhitii"/ >(,s /ir/t/ />// Duff I'jin'ij'ies att i o v. feii OK, n;)N(»rk 'lo wiinM HoNock i> Dri: iii ril.vrTKli VII. tin: Si ANI'INW IAN NolJlll AM' Sl'AlN (oMliAs((. o ca 1-5 OS ■ TilK siuii.il national act -ivcn it a -jlia-ith- pic- •'iiiiiit'iict; tlii.> ai't, cxtfMili'il into a unilniiii line of coiiil'ict fur s('Vf'ralccnliii-ics— was I hat nf ciu.^liinL^innt all t lirciv ili/at inn wil li- in its IhU'dci's, or in lands adjacent tn it. That whidi di>tiiiL;iiishrs ancient Sfamlinavia is its persistent resistance to lie' power that (.'liahled Spain to do the I'jiiopeiii lace this almost irrepiralde iiijuiT, the national traits of the N'orthere. pe.j:!" alone tire- veutiiie' the injuiv from hecomin-- univers il de-tnii'tion. To Ixi iUire, Llorente and otheis asseil that Spain ivsi~ied the inl ro- (luction of the liupiisition, " it is an inconte>talili' fact," hesi\s " in the history of the Spaidsh Inipiisi; iirn, t hat it was intio- dticc'd entirely a,L;ainsl the consi'iil ot the provini'^s, ami onh' hv the inlhience of the l)ominiean monks;'' yet th- resistance was hut feelile, the rulin;^- tiails of the Spanish people, riuditlv (letined hy IUk kle as loyalty and superstition, opi'iatin^,' moi,. decisi\(dy to further its introduction than even the zeal of the hominicans. "'I'hese, tiien, were the two -icat elements of which tile Spanish (diaracter was compounded. l,o\alt \' and superstition ; rever<'nce lor their kin^s an(I re\erenc(' jor their cier-^y were the leadin;^- ]iriiiciples whicli iidluenced the Spanish mind, ami <.,a»verneil liic marcli of Spanish history," otate.s Uuekle succinctly. 'l"ho [xijtes and liisliops of tin; fourth (jcntury had protite(l of tiie circunistanco of the emperors liavin;,' emhrai-ed (Jliristianity, and tliis gave the Cliurcli tlu; reins of power, wiule 112 'Iiii': 1( Ki.ANhii' n:s('(»vi:ki;ks or Ami;r1( a \' tlin prcdoniiii.int tr.iits (»f tlii- Spiuiianls r('iblcictitnt ■ of tliat, instinct wliidi was till' stioii'^cst ill the Nnisi'im'ti, till' iiistiiii't uf frccddiii. 'I'lin ii.niivcs f(ir i-stalilishiii'^r tj,,. I ii(|iiisii inn nnist nf iicci»ity luivc iii'tuatfd tlic SiMiiiaids at lar^r as well , is tin' licids n\' tin- Clmrch and lln' ifinniiii,' .-ovcici'^iis, l-'cidiiiand and l-alu'lla, else till' jM'ujdi', weak as tlicy were, rcmld liaM' I'nistiatfd tln' aU<'iiii.it of tlicsc to rstalilisli siu'li ii sy>triii .i| icirniism ; lail hatred ()[' thf dews, a consuiiiiii;^' envy of tht-ir suj^ciior ]ir.is- ])('rity. as wtdl as thcii' h'aniiii^ and skill, prcvaili'd cNcry wliric. and thi' ('(•( Icsiastical and iiii]Mi'i;d i)in|i(isiiinii (o |m rscciiti' tliis race in a liody. met with a licany ivs|)h Moois were still nioii- ulinoxious to theiii. IIm\v chuM a race uho wi'ie ( 'hri-tians in the lull sense. d' the word, slecpcd in the ignorance and suin'ist itimi that this iiii]»lies, tuleirde the jiroxi- mity of aiieo|i|('\\lhise '•culinre and ]>rosperity rivalled the ( l.dden Ago of the (Ireciaii Hijtuhlies "' ? This glnriows height liad lieeii rea(du d, airirms K(dix ( >s\vald, two centuries after the cduvei'sion of MiM'ca, "ami, six Inindieil years lati'r, tlie Mouisof Spain were still tlie tea(diers of l-airope in science and arts, as well as in in- dustry and in agricultiin of the >aine tyjie everywhere, an not have ( 'J'rue Christians are mardiestl' d th 1^ S panish ( "hiistians cou M lilfercd essentially fii'in the (da.-s in (Ireece and liome upon which CelsuH visits such .-.vere reprohation. " \nn shall SCI! wcavei's tailors, fullers, an|ifiily , wuiiiiu auil rliildivn. jut* lit (lis''i|»lcs t'nr till' (lo'l fliry \s oishiii." Si. Maik ;ihi>, in tin- M'r.iliil rliaplrl', .-| \t fdit ll Vfl'M*, Siys t lull .1 1'SllS Wt'llt Ml 1 I' •lllult'i I li\ iiii'li ami Wdimii of ill-iv|iiit('. ami that tin' I'liaiisiMS alitiiiii>lii >i t li it lit' at I' ami dial ik in sii<'li i'iiiii|>aii v. Ill a lr\v trisc Wolds l''c]i\ ( »,^\vald diaws the tnntia>t lictwt'cii ilif I'ldi^iilciird and iiiifiili;;lilt'n"'i| in S|i;iin : " Ai tlii'>aiiif tiiiif wjii'ii Mniiijvli Spain rivalled tlic ,L;(id-;4ard«n> nt aiiciciil Italy, and (.•vi'iy Mnnri-lt t"\vii juid its -«i'Iimii|s dl' jM.ctiy and |iliil('-n[i|iy. ( 'liiistiaii Spain N\as ftiisiMJ w iili a clirMiiic |ilaL,Mic uf iiiriiial and )ihy.di-al faiiiiiirs." I'rcsnit t also ailinns tint " the Spanisli Mdtiis in tii<' l'»iiin>iila ichIkmI a lii.L;lii'i' dfi;i('r (d' civili/atitiii tlinii in any I'tlifi |»ait <( t he ilri'|i '-t liai harisiii (pf Miii'n|ii' ; when a lihiaiy >>( thivc nr I'lair Inindivil miIuiius was a iiian'iiirirtMit cnduwiiicnt I'nr ihi' rirhc>t iiiuiia-li-iy." It was the saiiir with tin- Alhiucnsrs, a refined, fidi,L:litcn 'd, tl're inind'd pi'iiplc, nplmscil t'l the duct lines (it l.'nllli' ; tlev e\eit'd the s;iiiie tciliiiL;s >4' hatred, en\y and iiiali;4iiity in the S)»aniaids, ainl tin- (•iininiand tn (•xtcinniiatt' ;ill tliicc ol' these r;iees. tile M (m il's, d c Ws. and A ltii,L:ellsrs, Was lia iPc than w elfiiiui'. This reaily aia'cptiinec nt' a tieiiilish puliey in it-''ll' |iiu\(s Sjiain \n hl\e lieeii hriltally deha.-t d. Ill leliL;i(>n> |iarlan'e this nallnii aliiiiiii'e'l heresy; in tiie laii_i,nia,L;(' '•!" truth, it ahhitne.l ri\ili/a- linii. ^'nverllndess. it iiiu>t lie a liiiilt''d c mdidly. that it is the (iiilv nation that has ever pnr.-ni' I a t hnrnunhly e'in>islent pnliry, fur ( diristiani;y and eivili/. ition are lUtrrly ini'niuji.itihlc ainl eaniiiit exist on tlie saiiu's.'il. If sahatidii ha.> any nnunin.Lf, if t'litli is neei'ssary for salval io he rii,dit to impose it, at this |)r('sent d;iy, on all the nations of the ( arth, and ihiou'^h the same means, the oidy eflfoctual means, the lufiuisiiion. Christianity, in short, prn. nonnp<'s human natuie wroni,', all its attri]>uti s uion^f, and sets about a reconstruction so violent, so cnntraiv to tin; mental, moral, and physical conformation of human li"in,us, that nothing less than the extiiu-tion of the species will oll'ect it. Tiie Sjianish Jncpiisitiou liarely faik'(ji< t- weakened the j>ower and diminished the poimlatiun of Spiin by arresting the progress ^^i OK, Honour to whom Honour is Die. ii lU eiital, [taiiish risdic- loreiiti' madii's ) i« >u- '_'(' <'t his llI'i'V- muisi- Ihat nt" tllC •ly all l.lin.l (•utiii.i; uiinatc luiaiis, tiulli litisin, y inu!. k-r ami [rt ss III arts, sci(!iioe«, iiidustry, and conimerci', and l>y cuinpi'lliii",' iiudti- tudcs of faniiliis to abandun the kin-^'don:, l»y instiifatin^f tin; <'xi>nlsi(>ri t»f the Jews and the Moors, and ]»y iuiniolatin.j on its fliiniin<,' shambles more than three humh'ed t/ii>iist civi- lized portion of the witrld." Idorente i^ives h's own reasons fur undertaking a Avork fraught with such diflicully and danger. "A firm convicti(»n, from knowing tlie deep objects of this trilainal, that it was vicious in principle, in its constitution, ami in its laws, notwithstanding ail that has been said in itssuppoit, induced me to avail myself of the advantage my situation afforded me, and to collect every doiMinieiit 1 could ]>rocuic relative to its history." He was secretary of the In(pn'sitii>n at Maart of luiropi'," write.'^ J'rcMott, also rt'inarking ; "It is painful, after having dwelt so long om the injpc»rtant beuelits resulting to Castile fioui the con;prehcn- I '1 Ii 1 ! t Il6 TllK ICI.l.ANDK DlSCOVEKKKS OF AMKRiCA; \ ili sit sive |i(ilicy "if fs;i)ii ll;i,' l(t lie roiiijicllcil tt> lillll to llic ihilkcr siili' (if the )»itturi', ivinl to f\lii])it In r ;is accMiiniodatiiif,' }icr- s.-If til till- illiliiT,-i] >j)iiit «if till- iij^f ill Avliirh slu- livci], no far as to ;<:iiict imi one uf tin' <^i'o>sfst aluisrs tliat t'V(!r «lis^'ra('('«l jiiniiaiiit y. liuckli' "s viidict is tliis : '' In siirli a statcof society. aii\ lliiii^- aji|iioiirlijnn- t,, ;i si ciilar or srifiiliiic spirit was, of course, iiii])o.'si))lo. Every one l)ilievele ; and this took |)lace. in a country wlnve not one man in a tlionsaml donhte.l tlu' [U'opriety of hiirniiig lierelii s. . . . The ^^reatcst meii, with liai'dly an except ioii, 1»ecame ecclesiastics, and all temjioral ciiiisiderations, all \iews of earthly j)olicy, ver- despised and Set at naught. No one iiH[nired ; no one doul)ted ; no one jtre- .-unied toask if all this was ri^lit. The iniiiils of Mien snccnmhed jiiid wtMe prostrate. ^Vllile every other country was advancin<.% Spain alone was re ced in l,'. Mvcry other country was makin^^ some addition to kiiowleiln'e, cicatiiiL;,' some art, or enlareinjr some .-cii-nce. S]iain, numhed into a deatlilike torpor ,s])ell-honnd and entranced hy the accursed sui)erstilion ■which ])ieyed on her stieiij^i'th, presented to Ivarope a solitary insta>ice of constant decay." There wt re other pi'actical ri'sults to which lie also draws attention: '• The Sjianish ( "hristians considcniHl nj^nit^nl- ture lieiieath their dij^nity. In their judnineiit war and reli^do:. were the only two a\ocations worthy of Iteiii}.;' followed. Some of the richest jtarts of N'alencia and tiranada were so n(\n t«. c'iu OR, HON'OrR TO WHOM IfoNolK IS 1)1' I.. 117 tlu' suiiic (k'stitutioii ]ii'i'Viiil('(l. 'J'liat (Uicf' lidi and j.i In- t'dund. Thi' titdds wi'iT left umullivatcd ; vast mult it ndcs died t'l.piii want and cxposur'- : futir;' \illai4i's wnc dc-crtcd." \V. H. Li'dcy, in lii.s " History of IJatiitualisMi," drs'Tilics Jiiiotiu'i' ])li;is(:' of till' evil : "Idic jici'socutof ran ni'Vcr 1k' ci'itain that \h'. is not pcrsccutin,!,' tintli latluT than fnor, Imi iif m.ty b(i ([uilf certain that lie is sii]>[(rcssinL,' the spirit of truth. And indeed, it is n« i exaL;.;eral ii in \i> say iliat the ductrinc^ 1 have reviewed represent the nm^t skilful and at the same time m"-i successful cdiispiiacy aL;aiii>t that spiiit that has evtr existed aiiioiiL!' mankind. I'nlil the se\enteenth ceiiturv. everv nicutal disposition which philosophy pronoum-es to lie essiMitial to a lenitiiuate I'eseandi was almost unil'ormly lu'andi'd as a .-in; and a large pioponioii of tin; most de;idly intidiectual \ iecs were (hdihcmtcdy inculcated a.> vii'tues. ... In a woid. tiere is scarctdy a di.-position that marks the love ni' ah^traet truth, and sc, ii'cely a rule which rca>in tca^dies as ess. ntial for its attainment, that theolo'_>-iaii-> di of S , JJartholoinew, expulsions of ih-' Moms, and extcrmiuat ious .f tlio Alhigen.ses." lie asks : '• Has the happiness of the human r.ice hei'U secui'e(l, or iu any degree pidmotrd, li\' the dognia> of the Christaiit religion.'" And then proeccils to sav the word,-, wliich the continued presence of jjoman ( ' itholici^ni, tition. and i; i> tine to -ay the truth in ]ilain terms. Tin' deiiionstrahle tiuth then is that, if all the countries of ilurope that were declined to pass undi r ih Hi Ul fil — ii.S TiiK Icelandic Discovirers of America; -i !.■ thn. 'I'Ik; Saracens, whose Western empire was destroyed hy the insane fanaticism of the Christian juiests, Avould have cultivated the garden of civilization in a more grateful soil." Llorente states as a fact that "the Avar against the Alhigenses was the first t\iuse of the estjihlishment of the Incpusition, and the pretended necessity of puuishing the ajiostacy of the newly- converted Spanl-^li Jews was the reason fov introducing it in a reformed state." After a very thor«iugh dissection of all the motives and ol)jects, he says: " It is to these projects " — having proved most of tlwMu to he )nrrfi'/tari/ — " concealeil under the appearance of zi-al for religion, that the Inain owes its oriifm." Prescolt also says that "some writers are inclined to show tlie Kpauish ln(piisition, in its origin, as little els.' than a political engine," and throws fuither light on the motives of the Pope that instigated it: " Sixtus IV., who at that time Hlled the jvmtitieal chair, easily discerning thti sources of wealth anil irtliuMice which this measure ojtened to the Celition of the sovereigns^ and (>xpedite(l a hull hearing diite Novend;er 1st, 147S, autho- rizing them to aj>i>(tint two or three ecclesiastics in(piisitors for the detection and sui>pressii)n of heresy througliout their dominions." liut it is reserved for Llorente to state this with i i OR, Honour to whom Honour is Due. 119 full uulhority and reveal the ferocious bri^fandaLje of the Church oMicials: "Facts })rove beyoml a doulit," he says, " that the f'xtir]»ation of .Judaism was not the real cau.-^^-, hut the mere pretext, fur the e.stuhli.shment of the In([uisition by Ferdinand V. The true motive was to carry on a vigorous systom of confis- cation against tiie Jews, and so bring their riches into the hands of the (JovcrnmenL Sixtus IV. sancti()ned the measure to gain the jxdnt (h'arest to the Court of Konie, an extent of domination." In revealing the intricate mechanism of tlu* Inquisition, its invisil)le network, its secrecy, its dialxdical craft and artihce, he shows how imj)ossi])le it was for a victim to esca|)e from its toils, except by a (keper cunning than the iiKjuisitors themselves were masters of, for "the Incted nothing in the trials of tin' prisoners to make them a})pear guilty of heresy, and all this Avas done with an appearance (jf charity and compassion, antl in the name of Jesus Christ." Prescott, too, remarks: "The sword of Justice was observed, in jiarticular, to strike' at the wcidthy, the least pardonable; oti'enders in time of jiroseription." This stri{)S away the last disguise ; whatever religious zeal, bigotry, or fanaticism may have tired tin? uninitiated, the heads of the Church at K(»me were actuated by money-giced and love of dominion ; this also removes the last excuse of thosi; religious [K'rsons everywhere, who are always ready to extenuate the Climes (>f the Church and to find justification f«»r all f(»rms of intolerance. The Imiuisition was highway robbery and murder on a stupendous scale. If missionary work of all kinds, con- version, and proselyting is less than that in our own day, it is (»nly ])ecaus(; the moment is not pro])itious f.)r the fidl operaticni of the system, the Church not being in a position to employ all its resources. Xo other nation th in Spain has ever allowed it to exercise its full [trerogative. This privilege extended over a considerable length ai time, as Llorente shows : " Charles V. protected it (the Inquisition) from 120 Tin: Icelandic Discovkrers of Amkrica; 1 motives of ]K»li( y, bciii:^ (-(mviiiced it \v;vs IIkj only lucaiis uf proven tiiiir thci licp'sy of I.utlit'V from jKMictratiii^' into Sj)aiii. IMiilij) II. was actuated hy siiptT^tilioii and tyranny to iijjliold it; and even extended its jurisdiction to th(^ exc^ise, and made the, exporters of liorses into France liable to seizure liy the oHiccrs (if the trilmual, as jiersons suspected of lieitsy. I'ldlij) III., Philip I\' , ami Cliarli-s II. jmrsued the sjfiiie course, stimulated by similar fanaticism and imbecility, when the retniion of l'ortu;.(aI to Spain led \m the dis( >)very of many dews "lii)!|> V. maintained the rn<]uisition from c,onsid(n'ations of mislak'M 'bey, inherited fronj Louis XIV., who made him believe liiat . ucii rij^'our would luisiu'c the trampiillity of the kin;j;I(\ Kvcrywlicn' within their houiularies is lilV aii«l activity, nu-utal and physical." Spain's liDpc iov the fiitiii'i' h:is' manifestly lain in the (diaractcristif cilort. to ,L,fain s[)i!itn.il asciMidcncy in the Vniled States thron,L,di foisting' n[>(iii tin yonnLf and r/rh iJepuMic, as discoverer, saint, jiara.Lfon, claimant in-chief I'or American j^'ratitudc, the Italian fanatic and charlatan, ( 'hristophcr ( "o- liunhus ! In its folly and infatuation, Spain no donht lodks torward to the re-estahlishnient of th(! Int[nisition on American soil, where the oj)})(trlunities fn- jwrsecution aiul contiscation wotdil he more hriiliunt (iven than in Spain, when three races weic extirpated ! With what sickening,' disij^nst and loathini^diie T.uri^s from this hla«dv i)ictnre, fi'om the nation which, in alliance witii l»onie, hli^rhteil the I'af I JUit if S[)ain, past or [»r(;sent, is the mn-t horrihle suhject in JMUope to survey, tlu; Xo.th is the hri^ddest ! Spain hli^hted, the Morth saved ! Spain exhihits deftninity, the N(»rth the natural man; tjne of the (jnest ty))e.s the earth has proilnced, in sonii; attributes excellin;^' all others. Spain, in devotion to its reli,Lfion, lahonred for the extinct. on of man- hood ; the Xortheiii nations, whether inside or luit^ide of their ndigioi', worshi])[)c(l manhood, and cultivated it. to a hi:,di degree of jMTfection in themselves. In this they resend>leil the (Jreeks, hut were even more' ii;4i>l in c(Uifonning to their own standard of <'xcellence, toleratin.ij no defect or weakness in theni.selves. Whatever they did was in oltedieiice to the retpiirenients (jf their ideal. .Vnd this was nut from anv speiics of fear; the hell of tlieir religion, if anything of so slight ndigious substan(;e can be called a religion, was for those who i(dt fear, for (?o/rr//v/.>- ; there these most desjticalile of wretches were corisigned to a I'alace of Anguish, had Famine for their board. Slowness and Dtday for their attendant-, and slept on a r.ed of (,\ire ; and this is so pnr(dy retributive justice that no 122 Till-: Icelandic DrscovrcRKRs of America; 'I tliiiikinj^f person can (l('j)lore it. Their Im-II would })0 lillod with the, elect of the. Chrisli;m world, iiiid S|):iin, with its two dis- tinguisliiu^' national traits, " loyalty and superstition," would go there en hi((s.'laces ; I have met with giants and monstrous men : they could n(!ver overcome me ; thus t<» this present hour my own f(.!ce and courage are the soh> objects of my belief.' ... In an Iccdandic chroniele a vain-glorious man makes his boast to a Ciiristian missionary that he had never yet acknowledged any religion, and that liis own strength and abilities were evervthin^ to liim. For the same reas.)ii others refused to sacrifice to the gods of whom they had no neeil. . . . In the life of King Olaf'J'ryggveson, n\ention is made of a man who was condemned to exile for liaving sung in a public plac<', verses the sense of which was to this purpose, ' I will not insult or atl'ront tiie gods ; nevertheless the godcb.'ss Freja inspires me with no respect : it must certainly be that either she or Odin are chimerical di'ities.'" Free to tliiidc and act, to follow their impulses, tlie (h^arest aim of the Norsemen M'as to cultivate cliaracter, to attain that degree of excellence which would make their life a joy to them ; their iieaven was only valuable to them as following upon a I ! 124 Tin: ICKLANDIC Dl.S(()VKRI.KS OF A.MKRKA; i m 1 5 II vivluiiblo life liciv, on t-aitli. ;iinl tiny wmc invcr tlisinisiMl tn n.'si;^Mi iliis life for the sake of ii future oiir ; if they sought (It'utli, or met il Itravrly, it was for other nu^ous, not savourini,' of sickly I'tiiiunciation. Tliis aim of tlicir.sto lie ^'rcat, (levclupcd a lu!roic n,!^ft' ; the warrior's anoetry more strictly national than the Scandinavian.'"' This was due to the fact that the individuals of th(! nation possessed character, that theiraetions ami thoui^hts were spontaneous, allowing' fiee ])lay to their jfenius, wdii!irt, wciii'iiiLt tliu l»;nlt,'(', liiit ('va(li:ii,f tli«- olj.vt'rvaiKH's, liavc sit aside, for till' leiisoii that the |im--iiit of kiiosvlcdi^'e or wealth \v.|s llioi'i' a;,'ree;ili|e to them, rei | II iriiie to siimidaLe pride in tlienixdves or even self-respect. 'I'lie modern man, as a rnle, has no very i^'i'eat ivs[)eet foi' eliarai'ter in the alistrai't, does not Ixdieve in it, in fact ; he helieves that men ;ire nmde hy their eiriMimsfanees, not that trnth, eoni'a^'.^ sin- eerity, goodness, have the slightest power in and of theniscdves, or that these mollln. TJie stiLjnni still Jittached to llerr^sy, heterodox views or freethounht, is another. The woi'ds of Miilh.'i' referred to are t'.iese: "The imjiortanee attached hy tiie Si;andinavians li» the delineation (»f eharaetei- i^^ eviiliMit from the lan,!4na,u'e itself, which is much richer than anv other ol" Kuroi)e in all terms expressive of characteristic (pialities, whether of mind or body, so as to he ahle to convey the streni^th, weakness, obstinacy, (piarrelsomti or peaceable disposition of every individual in its tinest shades.'" The vocation of Scald, therefore, was o)ie that leipn'red the, nicest disci-imination and power of analysis, as well as rhetorical skill, and as absolute truthfulness was demanded both liy the subject of the ejtic, if lie happeneil to be present, and the ass(unbled heareis, this could only be gaine.i hy ai-curacy of j>erce]>tion, the sanu:; exact- ness in delineating traits of character, all th.a jieitains to one individuality as distinct from another, as an artist must usi' in portrayiuLj features that aic to ])e a true likeness of the sitter. As knowledge of charaiMer coid«l only be att.iine 1 through knowledg<' (d' tint world, and as the rdiaracttis to l)e drawn, far from being simi>le. provincial ones, of a settled type, wi^re eom- jtlex, limdy-organized ones, developed through thci largest inter- course with fori'ign nati(»ns, none but the most accom[ilished men of the world were competent to undertake the task of I2G Tin-: ICKLANDIC DlSCOVKRKKS OF AMLKICA ; i nuikiii^ tlmt lirst oral rocord (»f tlit.-ir attribiitft^, pcr.souulity, ami ilcctls that was to lie preserved ami transniittiMl as liistoiy. That th(^ iianalivcs fioin thesr tim('>; which claim to \n> historicMl, as distinct fntiii faliiilous,romiinti'*, or iiiyth(tl(i;^ical,arn uuilorii '" vouched for, hy tlui best authorities of th(! present d;ty, authcMitic and reliidjle, is due to the correctness of the liist analysis and descrij)tion of the Scalds, the eye-witnesses, and keen, incorrui)tiblo judg<'S of tin; events and pt'rs(»ns they desci ibed. ( )iw coidd almost venture to say that this in itself ren- ders ancient Scandinavian history more valuable and trustworthy than any other. After the iiitroductioji of Christianity not even u Scald of the North could dare to "sjieak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth I"' That Avhich a Spanish uriter says of the Moors: "Their trustworthiness was such, that their ban; uord M'as more relied on than a written contract is now among us," and the rules of life laid dctwn in llilvar " A man ought to be self-reliant, wise, prudent, mild, hospiti. temperate, tiini in friemlship, n:agiuinimous tow; id the weak and those scH'king ]>rotection, intlexilile in his promises and faithful in his obligations," were only possible among those who M'ere un-C'hiistianized. Conse(|uently the Scalds travelled abroad, going from court to court, not only for fame and prolit, but to perfect themselves in their hi,i;h calling, to learn to see with their own eyes and to judge with their own un\lio coiijtl claiiii tilt' lioiioiir of it. Kaim' was of tliat suiiuiu'i's growth, was |>liirke from thf hranch, ficsh fruit for fresh young li])s, ami no asjtirant wan kept waiting,'. if th<' lu-io was a l>oy, a mere stripHn^, lie t'lijoycil tlie sanif hoiiouras if a ltm y- liain'ij luan, in fact more : tlie Xoi-scmcn were not, over fond of .senility, and for a man to outlive his usclulncss was a j,M«'at proaeh. Wliatevcr lanu' a man was ch'scrving of he rcicivtd. r« nnd recM'ivt'tl (|UirKly ; the -Scald a]ij»art'ntly was such a ]icisomi- lication of ju>t criticism as modern civili/ation has not, Ikcu hi esset 1 wiih In Laing's ])rcliminary ilisscitation to tlic " lIciniskrinLjI.i, tluire is mu(.'h sai I- roiu their opportunitic of visitinj^' vaiious c(»untries, the Icelamlic Seal-Is wei(« un- (louht(!dly the educated men (»f the times when hooks did not in any way C()ntril)uto to ini.'lli_L,'eni;e, or to forming the mind; hut only extensive intercou c with men, and llie iid'oimation gatlieriMl froui it. . . . Tlicy had also the advanta^je of sj»eakiii^' in its gn.'atest jturity what was the court language in >.'orway, Sweden, l>enmark, England, and at Kout n,'' (in-nvilh; J'ij^oti a his another fact in regard to them : "It was not thend'oic until sonu^ time after the race of Scidds was extinct in the three great Scandinavian kingdoms, that those of Iceland attained tlu'ir higlie.»t perfection. 'J'heir fame spread ahroail, and the .successful examples of Kigil -Sl l.y tlifir maiitimc iiicnrsious into l'ai,L;laiid ami KiaiKa- in tlic iiiiitli century, weic all Scalds,'' as Wlie.itcn iiifonns us, and Midlet >ays: " hi a woid, tlie ,>nelic art was held in such hi-h est iimit inn, that ,^ieat luids and even kings did not disdain to cultivate it with the utmost ])ains thenisfdves." .As for the kings, two of them at least, Thomas Carlyle lias a li'ghly chara( teii-t ic word ts a little nearer to the j'oini of ( 'osiuos ; ])nsse.sse(l, in fact, ot loyalties to ( osnios, that is to >ay,of authentic virtues in the savage state, such as have, heeii needed ill all societies at their incipience in this world ; a kind of ' virtues ' hugely in discredit at ]iresent, hut not un- likelv to he iieedej again, Xo the astonishniejit of careless |i"rs(Ul-, hefoi'e all is done I ' And the eoiiits ? it would seem that these wei'(> n(>t un- wortiiy of the Scalds. I'igott says : ''The courts of the lii>t Dukes of Normandy, comitosed exclusively of tlio descendants of the Scandinavian cuni|Uerors of Xeustria, and continually recruited from their kinsmen in the ^.'orth, v>cre the most polished aiid chivalioiis of tln' time ; and it is notorious that till' chiefs who accouijianicd William to the Conipie.st of Eng- land, looked upon the uncouth manners of the. AngloSaxnu nohlcs with undisguised I'ontem^t.'" He aKo recalls the fact that -Mhe great traveller, Tythias, who lived ahout the time of Alexander the (ireat, and later, Tacitus, described the Scandi- na\iansas rupeiior in civilization to tlu' Celts and ( lermans."' " Their royal house," says Adam of llremen, speaking of tlio Sweth s, " IS vi'iy ancient ; but the king's power dcpeiuLs on the OR, Honour to whom Honour is Dlk. IJ9 voice of the iMM.,,Ir." Miili,.,. as w,, Imvc .seen, ouiupiuv.s Jliirold Hjlrf.ij^^cr's ivin-n to the Aiiu!ti>t;iii n^it. I The coiii-ts, ih.Mi, wviv. the h..tl...,ls ..f .Sciuuliiiavian liteniture and liistoiT, and the 8 aids uviv the ^'ardeiiers. Jt ii.,u he. lioves us to cnjisidcr the (|iiality (•(' thi;s Jitt-rature. That it is reliahh', idstoiically, is its hi-hest exeellence, particuhiily now when hi.st(jry lias heeii provt-ii siicli treaidu-rous ground; " I'lof. Miilh-r shows," says Pigott, '' tliat the greater portion of the early Sagas may he depended uj.on as faithful historical narratives." Wdhelnii, ill his '' JJiseov.'iT of America hy the .Xorthmcn, 500 years before Colundnis," goes still further, and d.'clarcs tliut the Eddas and tlie old Xorse sagor, and Jiot Caesar, Tacitus, iVocopius, Jornandes, J'auhis Diaconus, Adam of Bremen, and the rest, were the especial souires of knowledge of the religiou.s iloctrines of the Germans. In th.- " ' Heimskringla,' " he says, "we obtain from the narratives ..f the Icelanders' extensive Journeys through all Kurope t> llnnw, Coiistantinopl,., and Jerusalem, also the knowledge of the history, ge(igrai)hy and. anti.piity of eastern, western and southern Kurope." 8j tiiese Were no local an u lis iA' a single obscure race 1 In ivgard to the <'\t<'nt of this literature, Liiiig c.»ntributes some valuable inlbrm- alion: "The following list will sh.r.v the rea.ler "'— one taken Irom that given by Thormod Tcrfaeus, in his -'St-ries Dynastarum <*t L'<.gum Dania'," from that given by MiiHer, in his "Saga- I'ibliothek,'' and from that of IVu^vu Jhddorsun — " that in the live centuries between th" days ..f tin' venera]>le iJrde and those of ^lattliew Paris, that is from the ninth to the en.l of the thir- tcenth century, the northern branch uf tin- .•nmnmn race was imt; destituteof intellectnalily, nut withstandingall theij' iMganisniand I»arbarism, and had u literature adapted lu their national spirit, and wonderfully ixiensjve."' In this li.t of IC'j works, fnrtv- "■ight are historical, anancroft, expresses an oi»inii>n concerning Eurojx'an literature, during this and a later period, that coincides perfectly with the statement here given: "Learning, such as it was, had hitherto ])een almost tho exclusive property of the (.'hurch, which vehemently repudiated I'ience as absolutely incompatible with its pretensions; now and then gleams of important truths would ilash up in tho writings of some heretical ]ihiloso])her, illujiiinating for a monu'ut the i)ath of intellectual j>rogress ; but such dangerous hres Avere s])eedily (pii'ucbed, and that they niight not sjiring forth again to en.vns ever true of the country where Christianity Mas allow,,! to shed lis///// effulgence and germinate its peculiar pmdu.ts. ''Spam, a provincial part of Arabian dominion, was especially the seat of Arabian learning. C'«//Yi Ni" Cutholii' /aifhf and that a similar institution truiild liaic burn nse/u! in France.'^ How extraordinary, in the face of these exoerahh^ fa»;ts, of the chronology of hturors designated as the ^liddle Ages-- it is a strangt; coincidence that the hlack death was la-ought from l*ah'stine to Apulia and raged from l'3-t7 to 1351— of i\n> vdc antl desolation, the bnital ignorance anf<'2, lieing the virtual origin of tlu; In([uisitii)n, foi', as Idoreiite states, " it is here that iucjuisition and accusation are first mentioned in relation to heresy ") — how extraonlinary, I repeat, that itny authors, outside vi' the j)riesthood, can at- tribute all the f/oad that has befallen the race to this accursed iilolatry ! Even so intelligi^it an author as ^Nfallet, after ('Xj»ressing the highest atlmiration of the Scandinaviatis, Mud mentioning especially those traits of character which were ihc direct antitheses of ('hristiaii traits, as imjiossible in a ( 'liristian convert as a lighted torch in a ditch, — writes sucii siidvciung twaddle as this: '* Such was the immediate elfcct eity, to l>anish bloody disseusioiui from among OR, Honour to whom Honour is Due. 133 iudivMuals, to irstmin lohbcries ami jaracy, softcnin,!,' tli.^ ferocity of maimors, rpciuiriiig a certain knowledge of letters aii.l liistory, re-establ-sliing a \v\vt of iiiaiikind, win. gri.aiuMl under a miserable slavery, in tlieir natural riglits, introducing a ri>iness indei)endent of sensual gratilicatioiis, sowed the seeds, if 1 may so speak, of that new spirit wlu'ch grew to maturity in the succeeding ages, and to which tlie arts and sciences, springing up along with it, added still more strength an single out I»articular ])hrases, such as "tin; dawn <.f those happy days," " to correct the ahuse of licentious lihertv," *' to hanish hloodv dissensions," *^ to restrain robberies and piracy," "requiring a c-rtain knowledge of letters and history," &c , as specimens of exfjuisite, although unconscious, irony ; it will suthce t<. ])lot out this pernicious nonsense with oiui sharj* sentence of Felix Oswald's: f' The warriors of the old jMgan Northland, with all their martial truculence, would have shuddered at the mention of the inhumanities which tln-ir children perpetrated at the instigation of their priests." X;.,. '' the dawn (.f tlir>se hajipy days" actually culminated in this: ^< At the end of the thir- teenth century, the enemies of nature had reaci.'d the z.-nith of their power; and, at that tiin(>, it may l»o said that (rif/n>u/ a Hinjle exreptiim, the countries of (Jhristian Kurope weic wr)rse governed, more ignorant, more superstitious, i)oorer, and un. ha])pier than the worse governed province of pagan Jvome." This is Oswald's assertion again, and is absolutely true. This anti-naturalism, alas ! also fastened itself upon the Xoith. The Xorse nature, h.rtunately, was not a^^ receptive to the poison as the Spanish, in fact, was not recejitive to it at all • the Scandinavians did not accept Christianity voluntarily, but they were deceived and forced into the ac'eptmice of it, 7n,t l-nowiiuj icluif it (cad. AlLhuiigh intellectual beings, shrewd a]>.l ! m ■IPP 134 The Icelandic Discoverers of America; m BiigHci«»us, tlicy liii«l nothing in tlu*ir Jiiental <'n»lo\viiU'nt tlj.it coiilil injiigine or fathom tlio hcHish craft an»l ingenuity of the, Konian Calljolics ; ntMther thoiv moral nor spiritual exiKiritnra C(jul(l enahle them t<.» ant.i(ii>ate what this new r(?ligion really was-, or would tlo to them. In Spain, on the other hand, it was almost indigenous. Once there, however, in the North, it cotild not fail to have its eustomary etfeet, ditl'ering only in intensity, inasmueh as the innate Ireedom of the Northern mind could never cease to hattle with the insidious oppressor. Thanks to this resistance, " the churchmen were not a nunu-rous or j)Owerful class until after the fii-st half of the twelfth century ; they were at lirst strangers, and many of theui English." And thanks to this same resistance, iJishop Drask, who tried to iutr(Hluce the Inquisition in Sweden, early in the sixteenth century, failed in the attempt. The writings of the very first Icelander who hegiin to tiiinscribe tlu; historv of the North, or to reproduce the Swfoy, heti-iiyed the ('hristian touch. This n)an was Are hinn I'rode, whose work dates from ahout 112i). lie was a i)riest. ('onc(?rning his production, Wlu-aton says: ** His work, the ^Landnamma-ltok,' is therefore to be cou'-idered rather as a chronicle of the (.'Iwristian Middle Ages than a child of the Northern muse. But his talents as an historian are in- comparahly su[Mirior to his n)onkish contemporaries on the Continent. He always writes Avith the good sense an«l the manly freedom of a citizen and a patriot, unaffected with that grovelling spirit of superstition which then darkened the face of Europe;." His annals extend from the latter part f the ninth century to the beginning of the twelfth. Eortunately the Sigor had been composed before ; to collect and transcribe; these was the ])rincipal duty of the early Avriteis, and their patriotism, conscientiousness, and habitual truthful- ness, led them to do this faithfully. The old material was j^eduhmsly collected and put into i)ermanent shape, hut the ^(Jhristian relij^iou soon deprived theui of new, by changing the OR, Honour to whom Honour is Due. 13^ spirit of the ago. This is sliown infcruiitiiilly hy tlio followini^ pani«,M'aph fioni Tigott's " S.-amlinaviaii Mytlinlo-ry : " "In the year 12(52 Iceland was unitt'd to tlie crown of Norway. l\y this revolution it was indeed freed from the niisciies hrou,!L;lit iii»oii it by its turbulent chiefs ; but all interest in public ail'airs tlience- foith died away, and no Sa<,'as were written, l>e(;ause there wr.s Tiothin;,' to write about. They wei'e replacd by dry clironicles, whicii also ceased with the greiit i)lague in 1350, and were not resumed until so late as th(! sevi'utcjehth century." Still tlte (nut.-< un earf/i.'' And, indeed, how could it fail to \h> ; how could all Scandi- navia fail to be one of the brightest jioints on earth, with such l)eople as are described in the following paragraph ? And by a foreigiKT, too, quoted in the lirst part of "Sveriges Histoiia : " " A stranger, who in an unusually high degree mad(! himself familiar with the condition in the North during the time that is now in question, says of the Norsemen and their life durin-' the last century of paganism : ' The stress that was laid upon intercourse with other jjcrsons, and the love for joyous festivals,' woman's free and resi»ected j>osition, as well as the profoun I understanding of her lelation to man, which is not seldom ex- pressed in the Sat/or, the high value that was assigned to th.i poetic art and all attainments, tlie zeal with which one, through travel in foreign countries, sought to acquire kuowltMlgc, to- gether with many otiier trait.* in tlie ancient Northern folkdife, show, that one did not only take life from the dismal and rude vside, and that we must not by any means imagine the Scandi- navian pagans to be such savage and insens;ible baibariuus. as ' 130 The Icklandic Discovkrkrs of Amukica ; I* i'i I- i- E 1 they arc tisually doscrilMnl by tlieir Eiiglisli and French eneinivas no ferocious and bloodthirsty impulse that led tliem into warfare ; they made war beca\ise this was to them the jiath of glory. Their religion, so to speak, enforced bravery, just as the Christian doctrine enf(»rced cowardice. Thomas Carlyle describes it well, when he says : *' That Norse religion, a rude but earnest, sternly impressive; Consecration of Valour (so we may define it) sufficed for these ohl valiant Norsemen." And did the (.'hristians then never fight, never wage "war, never shed ])l()od, that tlu^y denoun(!e all this so fiercely in the Xin'semen 1 And whicli were the nobler, wars, o'- crusades, for the eNtermi- nation of heretics, or wars of conepiest over depraved and enfeebled Catholic nations for the purpose of founding better nations on the ruins of the old, of establishing free institu- tit.ijis and manly customs "? AVas an instance ever known of the Scandinavians making a nation worse than they found it 1 Tlu'ir incursions were a severe remedy, to be sure, but has the thiidving world ever considered how things would have been if the A'ikings had never made any expeditions, but had remained (piietly at home, allowiug the swarms of black-gowned ]»riests to rule the Avhole of Europe with the crucifix and to settle its fate for all time? And when we Americans owe what we vr.iue most in life to tht! grand Nfuso conquests, why should we be loth to ascribe the same g'ory to these ancient conquerors as to Napoleon or any other modern general ? . Tu be sure, they did not parade their iutontious in the way of OR, Honour to whom Honour is Dui:. 137 national reform and ropublicau orgunizations, Init after their conquests the result was invariably the same, the work of recon- struction was In'gun at once, and all Km-ope was, in fact, re- modelled l»y them. Mallet doe.s them full justice in the following description: " Jn etl'ect, we everywhere see in those swarms of (lermans and Scandinavians, a troop of savage warriors, who seem only horn for ravage and destructiuii, changed into a sensible and free people as s(jon as ever they had ctinlirnied their concpiests ; impregnating (if I may so say) their institutions with a spirit of order and eipiality ; e]e('ting f«>r their i ings such oT their princes of the bh.od royal as they judged most worthy to Avear the erown ; dividing betwe'.Mi those kings and the whole nation the exercise of tlm sovereign powei' ; reserving to the general assemblies the right of making laws and deciding important matters; and lastly, to give a solid support to the powei-s innnediately essential to monarchy, distributing liefs to the principal warriors, and assigning certain privileges proper to the several orders of the state." Warfare, too, aside from its nuirtial or )»olitii'al bi'aring, was their chosen method for the perfecting of chara«'ter, absolute murage being the finishing touch. They fouglit j<>y(»usly, jubilantly, and met tleath with a laugh. " Accordingly," says Mallet, "we never find any among these j)eopl(! guilty (»f cowardice, and the bare suspicion of that vice was always attended witluuuversal contempt. . . . Lastly, like the heroes of Homer, those of ancient Scandii»a\'ta, in the excess of their over-boiling courage, dared to defy the gods themselves. ' 'J'hough they should b(; stronger than the gods,' says a boastful warrioi', speaking of bis enenues, ' 1 would absoluti'ly light them.'" J)Ut th((se ))eople were much else besides warriors, were as remarkable for their versatility as for their surpassing ability in certain directituis. Thus Laing observes : " In the eharnctors of great men given in the sagas we always find clocpiencc, ready, lil ^ 138 Tfik Icklax[)1C Discovkrkrs ok Amkkica; !■ --]' m 1- f I i. 1'; 11 nj,'r('('al)lo spcalvin^', a pond vin'co, a (|nick apprijluMisidti, a ready (li'livL'ry, ami winning' maimers, i>M'k(iiuMl th(! lii^'lu'st (|ualitii's of a ]M»j»ular kiii^' or eminent chief. His talent as a puldic •speaker i.s never omitted." And Prof. K. I'». Anderson, too, c.\(dainis : " Ves ; the Norsemen Aveie truly a .L,M'eat people ! Their sj»irit fonml its way into the iVfagna < liaita of Kn;,dand and into the Declaration of Independence in America. Tin! ijj)irit of the Vikinj^s still survives in the hosonisof lMij,dislim(!n, Americans, and Norsemen, extending tluM'r commerce, taking ])old {(ositi(»ns against tyranny, and producing wonderful internal impiovements in th(>s(! countries." In the Norsemen om; continually has the gratifying surf)rise of hearing of a race who, in nil the main ])olitical and social ((uestions, were right in themselves, without the need of reform or agitation. That the pef>ple, in Scandinavia, had a voice in ]iul)lic ail'airs, is best proven by the fact that the people of America and England are free, at least comparatividy so, in a ])olitieal respect. Laing says of this : " Our civil, ndigious, and jwlitical rights, — the i>rinciples, spirit, and forms of h^gislation through which they W(irk in our social union, are the legitimate otlspringof the Things of the Northmen, not of the Wittenage- nioth of the Anglo-Saxons — of the independent Norse Viking, not of the abject 8axon monk." But nothing gives such conclusive evidence that our present state of civilization is not the outgrowth of a steady progressive dovelo[)ment from the earliest ages, but is the feeble revival of a civilization, ri]»e, far advanced, brilliant, that was destroyed at the beginning of the Middle Ages, — as the position that woman held in the North. " In pagandom," writes August Stiindl)erg, "M'oman seems almost to have been man's e(]ual. . . . Woman was treated by man with such respect and acted Avith such self- feeling and freedom, that any eueh thing in our enlightened times would be considered unheard-of." Amj)le corroboration of this is found in whatever author one turns to. Mallet f)R, Honour to whom IIonoi'k is Lhk. i;^9 MV, atfirnis : ''Wo Hiul the rcvcrso of all this" (the ^'oihtuI condi- tion) " iinion<,' the Northern nations, who diil not so nmch con- sider the other sex as made for their pleasure, a- to he their e(juals and companions, wiiose esteem, as valiiahie as tlieir otlur favours, could only he ol)tained hy consiunt attentions, hy gr'norous services, and hy a propt-r exertion uf virtue and couia,i,'o. 1 conceive that this will at lirst si^dit he (h-cnied a j)aradox, and that it will not he an easy matter to iicom ih- a manner of thinkin<,f which su|>poses so much (h'lica<;y, with the rough, unpolished character of tiiis peo[)]e. Yet 1 helieve the ohservation is so wi-il grounded that one may vi-nture to ussert that it is this same pe(>[)l(' who have contriliuted to ditl'use through all Europe that spirit of equity, <»t' moderation and generosity shown hy the stronger to the weaker sex, which is at this day the distinguishing (.'haracteiistic of European n)aumMs ; nay, that we even owe to them tiiat spirit of gallantry whiidi was so little known to the Greeks and Komuns, how polite S(jever in other resjtei.'ts." Two things the Xorsomen seemed to have understood hy instinct — namely, that woman was naturally man's ecpud, and that the other life Mas, eipially in conformity with nature, a continuation of this, under the same general conditions, aside from a change of physi(pie. Complete sanity, on these two fun- damental points, enahled them to h.'ad the sensihle life that lias never heen led since hy any nation of Kurojx;, and never Avi 1 he, until some remedy is foiuid for Christian hallucinations, Avhich see in the other life unspeakable terrors, the most monstrous unrealities, and in the othcir sex (the true half of the nation as well as the man) a creature little le^s than an idiot anil imbecile. Jjut again it maybe askeil, how was this "spirit of equity," the j>olitical freedom, gootl laws, and all the other beneficial things in the Norsemen's possession, to be dill'used through all Europe, save l)y the N'iking ex[)editi()iis tliat have been so much execrated J Were the nionkisli, or moijk-ridden, T^ 140 TlIK ICKr.AN'DIC DlSCOVKKKRS OK Amkrica ; iiiliabit;mt.s evcrvwlicro so docile, so ca^'tT for Northern kiiow- li'il^e Mild onligliteiiiiit'iit, that the Norse leaders, splendid orators that they were, eoiild have instilled it all into them tiiroiij,'h jtMhlie sjieakiiif,' I Was it their moral duty to ^'n into the lam! of the enemy as lecturers (tu refortn topics, and t»j ho slaughtered iiiecemeal hy those fiends vho knew nothing; Veil hut the action of lire on human flesh, or the u.-«e of the da^^'ger I AVas it possible in those (hiys, and with such a jtopulation as the ("hurch had reare(l, to elleet the eom|uest of thought anut wh . ver brave leaders and shitesnieii did, the women of the North were with them, to encourage and stimulate. One, gets a new idea of the sex by r<.'ading about tiiem. < hie realizes clearly, by these words of Ilolmi)erg's, that no fee})le or silly woman could sliare the thoughts r»f such men : " We ought above all to draw attention to the fact that there wa« with thcst; an umiuenchabh,' desire for knowledge, a striving for wisdoju and a respect for knowledge, which perliai»s does not stand forth so plainly in our enlightened tin.e." And this is what he Siiys about their treatment of woman : *' With no ancient i)eoplo has r(!spoct for woman been higher, lier true value more ai)pre- ciated, and lier rights more extended than with our forefathers. She was, it is true, not the idol, for which one during the age of chivaliy kindUnl inciense and brought home the sacrilice of even liis liuman worth — a ])osition which is always unwerth' woman, as founded only on outer charms, and as tl idol to doll is only a hair's breadth. Still less was s. , as wii many other races of antiquity, man's i)assive slave, only existing for his pleasure, or doome(l for his comfort to drag forth a joy- less and arduous life. The Xoithern woman's place was right between these two extremes, and such as ought to accrue to her as an impoitant pait of the cuujmunity. She Avas, as voiuaii OK, Honour io whom IIoNour is Duk. TfT fthvay.s ..ii-lit to l.c, u>;u-s -yw/. Mcitli.r nmn. „.„■ l,.ss, iin.l tl.i.^ ••siH-cially wli..,. sin, I,,.,-;,,,,,, j, wit'.'. In.l,.,! u.. ,i,, „of .s:,y 1... imuh, if w.- to woiiiMii ill |i;t-aii tiiiir.<, -laiit alinuM Ili<> .sun- ri-hts as tlio.-o sh.. ih.w .iiji.vs, with tlie only (liir.iri„r tl,,,i tli.- Kfucral ivspcct I'.r Iht.s.'X was ivallv -iriifT tli.iii that jMi.! to it ill our time.'-' It iiMi.>t he ivm.-iiilu.iv,! tJial tli.-r \u,hh- woids an; from ih- in-ii of a iii(m1,.,ii Sw.mI,., ui„. uf a lar- who liaw always acconh.l w(»iiiaii \uv w. rank. !!.■ rniitii,ii,..s : -of such msport, siu;h fr.Tdnni, til.' Noithnu wmuau of aiiti,,iiiiy was well (h'sciviu- fm- h. r innate hiu]t of wise and -.„„[ lei,'islati(.n, that his Jiot l.fcn nu'ntione.l as yet, and that is, tlu! absence of poverty in the North! Mallet speaks of it 'as a very remarkahle feature of Norse government, and indtM-d it is! He says: " Tiiat the leadin.nr luen of this rej)ul)li(; (Ic... huid) diould have framed a code of Jaws, which, wiiatever may he their delects, secured at least an ample ju-ovision for the [)oorcst nunuhers of the community, and sullered no one to i 142 TliK Tci:r.ANi)T(: Discoverkrs ()V Amkiuca ; i i |tcMis]i fiuii) .starvation, are facts wliidi Avill always reiulcr Ice- land jieculiaily iiit resting' to all who make human nature — or the (h-vclopnicnt of humanity on eaitli, in its multifarious ami evcr-vai'ving as|M'rts— the (»lij(,'ct iif their s])eeial attention." liut now we Hiust turn ahrujitly I'roin this too lascinatiiif.; CfMitemplation of Xorse antitjuity, and trace the contrast in rcli.nious action, (iurint,^ th(! Kcforniatioii, hetwceu tin- N(»rlhern nations and Sj)ain. Jlishop Tcrcy, in liis preface to Mailet's Work, calls attention to t/if (ihxrffff of xrrrccii in the relij^ious ci renionics or teachiiiLjs of the ancient Scandinavians: *'J)Ut what ])arti(Mdarly ilislin;.,Miishes the (.'eltic institutions from those of the Teutonic nations, is that remarkahU' air of secrecy and mystery with which the Druids concealed their doctrin«,'.s fiom tlie laity ; : fiu'hiddin^' that they shus to more than alliid.- to the systematic mystery and se'-recy of the ('hrisiian ('liur(h, its Jlilde, cr"ed, ministration, and all connet'tecl with it ; I will merely 8..ul of the tribunal of tlu' I.niuisitiuu ; it ^mv... to it iK-Nv lif,. and vi-cur, sustaiii.Ml an.lstreiigth.,.iu'a its arl.itniry l-.wei-, an.l so fii.hoJ.l.-ne.l it, that it had the lianlihoo,} /„ .inost the hi-h.-st aiHl iiobk-.st in the ]an.l, and ..nahle,l -'t to •Icceivo, hy conc.alin^ facts, pop.s, ki„^s, vicrroys, an.l ail i,,. vested witli authority by their soveivi-n." Tlie "]i,,ly oHi,.,, " WIS in full operation Avhen ("olunibus went I.. Spain,' and the notori.Mis Tonpieniada was in.piisit .r.-en.-ral ; it continue.l, ":^-'l''i' imperial support, through several dynasties, but it is ,>ur lKirp.,se now t,. consider its work at the tinu- the Ifeforn.atiou was taking liiu. root in Sweden. The Spanianls would have biM'n less than hiunan if Luther's doctrines ha.l not crept into their minds, too ; hut the JVpe was prepared for this eontin-u-ncy • accordiiijrto Lion nte, " in ir.21, the Pop,- wrote to thegovi-rnm-s of the iM'ovinces in Castile, during Die absence of Charles V., re- '•onunending them to prevent the introducti..n of the w.u'ks of Luther into the kingd;{." The en.peror showed him-* self no less zenh.us, f..r "he commissioned the Cniversitv of Louvain to f..rm a list of dangerous books, and in ir»;5»> he obtained a l)ull of n].probation from the I'ope. The index M'as published in 1540 by the Cniversity in all the states of Klanders, six yeais after a decree had been issiu'd to prohibit the writings <.f Luther from b..ing read or b..ugjit .ui pain of death/' Li ir)i'<), King(;u.>taf I. pro.'laime.l butheranism the State- ivligioii of Sweden, and so.ui after deprived th.^ 1>i>lu.ps of their name and dignity, pn.hibit.'d the invoking <.f saints, the use of holy water. ].ilgrimages, in short d.-ared all the b'.uuisli mummery out of the kingdom : The I'op.- and his successors lost their power bir ever in the Xoiih ! From Sj.ain, however, they extended it to Anu'rica. umler royal protection as usual. "The Si.aiiish p...>ses,Hons in the Xcw.Worhi;' to quote Arthur Helps, •' occupied an immen.o In T 144 Tin: IcKLANDic Discoverers of America; I' «'\tci)L (jf tci'iitdiy, ii;iii)t'ly fmin 40*^ 43', ^(nith latiludf, t<» .'}7° 4S' north liitiludc, the distiiiicfs fimu tlie lv(u;itoi', on each siilc, hi'iii'f nearly the same, lluinbuldh lias o])serve(l that the Sjtanish t(>rritory in the Xew AN'orld was not only eijual in hiii^th to the whole of Africa, Idit was also of much greater "width than the empire of JJussia.'' Aecwrdingly, in this vast dominion Spanish rigour was exercisfMl. The foUo^ving state- ments are Llorente's : "Charles V. and J'liilii) 11. had regu- late-i' was afterwards as stiiclly observed iu the colonies of the New ^^'olld as in the }»e]nn.>^ida. in the ye.u' ]r}')S the tenible law of Phili]i II. was i»uli]islieil, which deci'ceil the ]iuui.-hn> nts of death aud couliseatiou for all tlK»se who should sell, buy, keep, or rcail the liooks iirohibited by the holy ollice : and to insure the execution of this sanguinary law, the index was juinted, that the peo]>le might nut allege ignnrance in their defence." Thus, siimdtaneous with the deliverance of Swedtm from the power of Kome and the ctmseipient inllictiuu of the Inijiiisi. m^ T Iti a to Jn OR, Honour to whom Honour is Duk. 145 tion there, too, liml tlie niliii,tf iiinnanh .-iliown any weakiicss ur in'('Soluti(m, tliis fatal sway was extended nver a tenit«('W World. Ficedoni was hom ;i"ain in the Xorth, tyranny for^'ed new fetters in the South I Yes, Aiiieiicans, in eonsi«h^rin;{ this most fri,Lrlitfnl of all Jiiihjeets, nmst be hrou^ht to the liarrow in;.;- nuivict ion, fraught with tlie dt'(']ie>t ln.niiliation, tliat the wor>t atiocitics of ijic Spanish Im^nisiiioii have hecn |)( 'oetrjitcd on American soil. nnd that ///'->•-' were the results of the discovoy liy Coluiuiius, tlicsi' the scenes eiia.cted ill the Spanish colonies ! A'oltaire has remarked that "'an Asiatic, arri\ini,' at Madrid on the dav of an (difii-iJa -h\ woid.I dou)it wlieth<'i' it were a festival, iv- lii^'ious (•eleltratitm, sai'rilice, (u- massacre ;--it is all of them." The writer of the picface, or .idvertisenu'ut, to Moreiite's hook, says: '< All the recorils of tla; fantastic erui'lties of the heaiheu world tlo not afford so appallinL,^ a picture of human M-eakneed America I 'J'o rexcrt a;jaiii t<« the same authoiity. Llorente : '-In l.")7i) riiilip n. api>ointe(l an lutiuidtion in Mt xico, and in \'u[ estal)lishe(l three ti'ilauials for all America; oiie at Ij'ma, one in Mexico, and the other at ( "arlha;.;ciia, assiijninj.,' to each the exleut of territiU'\- whicji they wv\v to p(,-si-ss, and sidtjectin-' them to the auth-u'ity of tlie iiKjuisitui'-^jmeial and the SKoreme <'ouncil. The tiist p(>rt of the ('alliolic leligion/' was frustratecl in its intentijii of bringing tlie whole world undtr ( "atholic dominion? It had made repeated attempts to re- establish C:itholiei-ni in Sweden, during tlie n-igns of Jnh.ui III , Carl IX., and duiing the Swedish-Polish t\ ar ; " it was to re-tore tlu^ Catholic Chui'cli that Philip II. desiied t<> obtain the empire of Purope," declares iJuckle. This aulhoi' has very clear ideas about S]»ain and it-; religious history, and would educate the world well on this subject, did it but heed ; a few brief words of his sum up the record of Philip II.'s work: '' Directly that he heird that tin; Protestants were making con- verts in Sjjain, he strained every neive to .vtiile the Imresy ; and so admirably Avas he seconded by the general temper of the jieo[)le, that he was able without lisk to suppress o])inions which convulsed cNcry other jtart of Europi^ In Spain, the Reformation, after a short sti'uggle, died completely away, and in aliout ten years the last vestige of it disajtpeared." iill T I f i il -1 ; i I I : I t r !j.. -•■'^/. rfc-'^v iy ■•■}-i>'. Si.-,,' -• . s^>; . ■ ., : fe^^;. ■ y'*'- Hr- • k: . u.-- H r, H *'-"». mmmmmm^mmtm OR, Honour T(3 whom Honour is Du'k. 1^7 niAPTKR VI I r. Tin-; xoitsE niscoVKiJEiis and ccm.lmuu.s contijasti'd. CiiRiSTopiiEU Coi.UMiius, " tlic iiiUHurtal disc, .vcHT of AiniTi<;i,'' ■'IS J), (uo. JJatista SjM.toino rails him, and "that ,^rcat man l.» whom we aiv iiidrl.tcl lor the .New World," was the Inic snti »'f his ai^c and his doulih- nationality, Italian-Spanish. His ovcr-mastciin.Lr desire to discover a n.'w world was not to .^et away himself from the fetid air (.f Spain ajid to seeun' a i'efii,i:e, at a safe distance from Spain, for hundreds of thousan.ls of victims of r<-li,i,dons i)erseciitioii, lait to ,t:ain new territ-ay for tlift ext.'iisicMi of the (Inspid and that indisi)ensahle ai)p.-ndage <»f the faith, the Iihinisition. We never s^e in any hook tlvatin,^r of him, or that jieriod, that ]„. ^vas shoekrd ai any of the puhlie .loin-s in Spain, or that in- was lilled with horror at the cru.-ities that A\ere perp.'trat.Ml tin-re imdrr his verv i-Nes. A man of a dilferent mould would rather have ])ccn burnt at the stake than have hren the means of canyin^^ this foul system across the ocean, of runninj,' the rmiotest risk of tiiiispIantiriL; it, but (,'olumbus' dearest wish was to lifeome the humbh' instrument, in the hands nf the Lord, ..f brin-in.i,^ this add.Ml -lory to th<' Church and to Ids sovereign-- .' Harry, the i{Miiian Catholic author referivd to in fnrmer chapters of thi< book, lam-nts that " prejudice, enmity, hostility against the Cath<.lic, Cliiirch, have the mciedibh- privilege of ti'aching the Cath.^lic woiM the life of a man who is one of its most shining ^L.iies." Yes, he is safe there, that statement will not be contradicted ; 1. 1' 'W 14^! Tm; Tcklaxdic Discovkkkrs of Amkkica; ('nlimilms is indfcil (tiic of the most sliiiiiii,Lj j^lorics of tli,'('\v Woild, a juoNidciitial iiitiTvcnt ion." X(», jirobably nut, with the liglit that unroii'ii|itc(l liistory is now throwing upon tluf transaction I ''They have n-jcctfil tht; Mipcrior (diaractcr of ( "uliunbus,'" h(; adds, "the man ciiosi/Ji hy h.'.ncii." \n thu pi'ospectus of Prof. Kafii's great work, " Anticiuitates Americana'," there is a (h'elaration to tlie v\]\'c\ that " it was the knowledge of the Scandinavian voyages, in all ])rttbability, Avhieh prompted the cixpeilition of (,'oluml)ns." ,1. II. Schr(ieder, a writer in the Swedish jteriodieal Srr((^ Ijclieved that news of the Norse discovery had reached (,"olinubiis' ears in Italy ; Malte-lJruii thought the same, and a number (jf others. J'l'escott^ in his " Fei'dinand and Isabella," seems very nnich l>uzzled alxjut all thi-^, and says in ;i foot-note; <' It is singular that ('olund)us, in his visit to Jindand in 1177, should have learned jxithing of the S' oidinavian voyages t) the iKjrthern shores of Anuirica in tlu.' tenth an I following centuries ; yet, if lie was ac(piainte(l with them, it aj pears eipially surprising that be should not liave adduced the fact in sup]>ort t)f his own hypothesis (»f the existence of land in the west ; and that he sliouM have taken a route so dilferent from that of his pre- de(;essors in the jiath of discovery. Jt may be, liowe\cr, as M. dc lIuml)oldt has Avell remarkeil, that the inform.ition he obtained in Iceland was too vague t(t suggest the idea that the lands thus discovered by the .Northmen had any connection with the Iiulies, of which he was in pursuit. Jn (.'olumbus' day, indeed, so little was understooil of the true position of thes..' countries, that (Ireenland is laid down on the nia[)s in the European seas, and as a ]ieniusular in'olongation of Scan linavia." 'J"he author does not lake into sulHcieiit consideration the ]■ ■■ '■♦ • OR, HoxouK TO wn;>Nr IIoNorR !s J)ri;. 141; Kniii in ('atliiili(,' talfut ami inupciisity for si'crt'cy, csin'rially wlicii tlic scnct is likely I0 i>ay wrll. 'I'lr/n- wcrr a thoiisati-l reasons to nur, to picvcnt this astute southeitier fnuu divulijiii-' ths kiiowletlirc he had iihtaiiied in Iceland. The [tiineely terms lie at last made with their majesties ((f Si.ain proves that, what- ever other lacks there may have been in his «diaracter, tluMe, was none of business shrewdness. P.esides the blissfid certainty he concealed so carefully in his own breast, h(di»ed him to bear the long period of waiting. Ife may have hatl some objection to the war with (Jranada on this sinre, but that it was carried on for the exteiinination of the Moors did not trouble him. Neither would he haVD scru]»Iod to take the funds for his equip- ment on the voyage of discovery, if hu liad known that they Avere derived directly from confiscated i»roperty, as not unlikely they had Ix-eii, as they were furnished by l.uis de St. Angel, the receiver of the ecclesiastical revenues in Aragon. Columbus had his own ideas of right and wrong, and if t,)u(M'n Isabella had happened to comjilain to him, as it is stated she did to others, that " many persons accused her of being influenced in all that she did for the tribunal by a desire to seize the wealth of the condeuined/' Ik^ would have found a way to console her, Colunil)Us, on the whole, was very fortunately i)laced ; he was not one of those pitiable persons who are in advance of their age; he would have Ijeen safe even under the dread eyes of Torquemadu; at a period when "^Uhere was scarcely a man celebrated for his learning, who had not been prosecuteil as a heretic," he was far from likely to reveal a j)riceless secret for the sake of supporting a scientific hy[)othesis 1 ]SVj, (,"ohnn])Us was not a Hcientist in a d;ingerouH sense, idse the inquisitor- general would have put a little obstacle in the way of his voyage of discovery. Xeitln r can he be suspected of having read any prohibited Lutheran literature ; no heresy crops out in him. l!t may have beguiled the tedium of his enforcetl waiting by .attejidijig autcs-da-/'', as any publics^iirited citizen naturally ' 'if ■ c I50 TiiK IcKLAXDic Disci )Vi.Rr.Rs of Amkrica ; i! \ lii' Av<»ul(l, and Ik; prolxibly .s;iw his Aiav of I.ullioran.'^ Imrncd, ludios iiu'liidtd. ruder all the rir(nimstanc;»s, It is a mistake to tliiiik tliat ( 'oliiiiibus liinl any very serious obstacles to (•(•ntfiid with, aside from the pi-evailiii},' stupidity of tiie auc 'J'o he; sure, I'rescott says that " it caimot lu; denied that Sjtain at this period sur- l»:is-!od most of the nations of (Christendom in reli;4inus en- thusiasm, or, to speak more eoi-reelly, in bi^'otry," but (Johnnhus was thorougiily in unison with this sjiirit, and liis ex|)eiienee shouhl not in th(; sli^Iitest degree l)e eonfoumU'd with that of thinkers, reformers, scienti.-ts, and Lutherans. He had Jesuits and higli Church ollicials for friends and counsellors, one of thorn I)e/,a himself, the favour and }>ati'onago of the (Jatholic sovereie-ns, whieli should be suHicicmt to save liim from over being classed in that condemue(l category ! It was a serious inconvenience, certainly, not to bave a ship of his own. In the North a gentleman, in those days, had his ju'ivate vessel, as gentlemen, in our times, have their private: carriage, and could go where h(! likod ; but in S[)ain, the in- quisitor-i, who, in a way, represented the; Govertiment, could only seizt* and conliscart^ other people's vesscds, like the one owned by Burton, an Englishman, whom tlu^y burnt as a Lutheran. The Norse discoverers, on the other hand, were not seriou:^- ininded like (Jolumbus, were not burdened with scientiUc theories, nor a heavy secret, regardtid the ocean as little more than a balibling ]>rook, and had moie vesscds and crews than tiu'V knew what to do with. Like our fashionable Americans at the present day, the Xorse travellers had been everywhere— almost — and pined for a new coast. So one day they found (Jreenland, and soon after chniced upon America. They came home and told the news, and then others went. Llut I will let the Saga relate this, in its own iniuiitable way: " Bjarni, a very hopeful man. He conceived, when yet young, a det to travel :il Wiisliiiii^'ton IrviiiL,' •• luilit'roiis, iiiHl iti'iliii|M il, would not lie to (riic wlio liuil not n-id of lijiinii's sluit-oU" Itcfort'liainl : *' The inliiiltitaiits con- 8i(K'i'(,'(l tin- slii|ts and fii-ws di'inandfd of ilicni in tin? li;;ht of saoiificcs d('Vot"(| t<> dcstnirlion. Tlio owncrn of vtjsscls ir- I'uscd t.() fuini.-^li till in for so dcsjuTati' a si'ivicf, and the holdfst f<(*aini'n slirunk from siu-li a wild and cliiint'iical ciuisn into the Avildcrnt'ss <»f tin* oct-an. . , . Notliin;,' can lie a stron.m-r cvidenc*' (if tlu! hold nature of tliis undertaking', than the t'Xtii'nn' dioad with which it, was rc^j^arded hy aniaritinu' cuniniunity, ct>nii»os(.'d of Homo of the must adventurous navij^fiitors of the, a;^(\" 'Phi>; was in 1 1!)2, anil th(! Xorsu party .sailed on their little jjleasure-trip in 9(S2. Does it not seem as if rtitrogress^ion, ami not progress, marked tin; sta^^e.s of history? Ah if the Dar- winian theory was sadly true — in a rcrir-te st'ti.-atin;^ enjoyment; the Spaniards in a state of ahject terror; the-y evidently sttMul in greatm* diead of u long voyaj^-e than of thti Impiisition, but, to l)e sure, lin; was their favourite, elenu-nt. \\y going on the ocean, also, they wore le-aving all the peaceful and congenial scenes of their native laud. When at last, after months of dtday, they set sail from ]*alos, a lot of sorry, whimpering mourners, they confessed themselves to Juan Perez, as a matt(M' of course, partook of the communion, and Avent thro\igh a lot of tlevout and affecting c(!reinouials, committing themselves to the especial guidance ami protection of Heaven. It is Well known that th(! men behaved as badly as an undis- ciplined ami mutinous crew could behave, all the way over ; ami when at last one of the seamen saw land, — not the grand seignor, Christopher Columbus, who Avas not born to be in the ndvance-gm\rd, — the incipient adniiial coolly swooped olf the promised reward, and lot the poor sailor die of despair, They landed Avith great pomp, as could be supposed. They did everything Avith pomp those Spaniard-^, performed all their f)K, HoN'nCU To WHoM IIoN'tl'K Is 1)11". I 5.^ \Y', lul Ik-. lie r*y ir iiiilc-iiioit'iii ci't'iiiiiliniis with p''iiiii, sliii.;liti'ivil with iii>iii|i, ami roiitisciitt'il aiiil roliliril with iioiii]", in tint, kipt ii|t mkIi a bla/.c that th" hravciily kiiiL,'il"iii (uiil.l mcvim' ha\t' hern (|uiti' free IVnih the snidkc so ruiit iiiiiall v ascciiiliiig. Siuolvf was ihc daily Ixillctiu uf tlii'ii' pojiticil ami i'cli;4iiiti-< npcratinns. Cnhiiiibiis clad hiiiiscll' as lichiivctl his iiiixcij chaiartci' *>( admiral, vii-tToy, dcvulcc, pi'lcst, />;•" /';/<., di>in\iiir, and crusader; scarlet, the liic-coluiir, bfiiii; cuiisjiininus amid his iirimmr ; and hcariii^i,' ahd't tlins, in such a savage state as not to know that the way ti-> [iroceed in such a vast undertaking as that of crossing the ocean to unknown lands, was to pre>ent a petition 3=X=35Kr-S«r^ 154 THK ICKLANDIC DiSCOVKR KRs OF A.MKKICA ; at court, scckiiii,' first the inciliaTion of soiin' lii;^li (li;^Miit;tn of the Clmrcli, — he coiiM have fiMiiid a sti'ay bislioji i>r i\\>\ if ln5 liail trif.'tl, ainoiii;- the (^arly Cdiivi rts, — to niakf tjxtoitiniiatt.' <1''- iiiaiitls for himst'If, in the way of nioiicy, C(»mtiiissioiis, and l»(M'<|iiisit('s, ami a|»j)oiiitint'nts. aftci- having tliv(»\vn lljarni (ivn- lioanl in the, fii>t pluci; f JliiL tlii.s arrnuant ami lawltvs.s bar- l)arian had money onougli of his (»\vn, hou^dit a shiii oil-hand, witli k'?s (;oiicern than aS|>aniai'd. tive hundn'd years afttTwards, would have Ixjii^dit a plaster ima^'e ot a saint, did not even make known his intentiewfoundiand, La])rador, and Xan- tuidvct. Then they shajied tluiir course through Nantucket l»ay, ])eyond tlui scuitli-westerr' extivmicyof Cape Cod; thence across the mouth of Ihi/zard's l>ay to Seaconnet Passage, and \\\) ihe J'ocasset Kiv(;i' to Mount Ilojie IJay. ''After this took f hey counsel, and forme*! the resolution of remaining there for the winter, and built three largo houses. . . . JUit wdien tln-y liad doiu^ witii tlu! hous(;-l)uilding, Leif said to Ids comrades" {<'())nrath'x ? Columbus had no ennirade.s ; }te U)ok the oath of allegiance from a sei'vile crew I) — " 'Now will J divide our men into two jiaits and ha\e t!i{> land explored.' . . . Leif was a great and strong man, grave an-l well-fa\ nured, therewith sensible and nioilerate in all things. . . . And Leif gave the land a name after its <|ualities and called it Vinlandy (llencc also tliu niuilcii) name of ^hu'tlul"s N'incyard.; IH OR, IION'OUR TO WHOM H(^N(»rR IS Dl'i;. I ^^ itl) , Thor- vahl .s;ivs : ' We shall defend oui'selvesas well ..- ue can, hut not *^* r rr * 'i* * *». 156 TllK ICKLAXDIC DlSCOVKRKRS OF AMERICA; uso our weapons mucii aijaiiist tln'iu.' ( litM-tcl Uy prai't'iiMr. Indians, ('uliunhiis (>i(h;rs the, ship's gun tired in tli(> niints, ami for centuries carried on commerce with the products of what ai'e now the most civilized, po[»ulous ami <'nlightene(l portions of .Vmerica ; and the American mi^ht well feel relief and pride at the knowledge that the first of his race to toudi ujion his native shores were the heroic Norsemen — ■ ' Kinjjs of the iiiiiiii, their leaders brave, Their barks the dnigous of the wave.' " Tcmlmin Smith, in his " Discovery of Ann^rica hy tlie North- men," argues ea(di point, and seems to have chosen the tlialogue form for Jiis book in order to debate every iu( h of ground with the defemlers (»f Columbus. He dissects I'ancroft's entin? state- ment relative to Itoth in the most scaihing way. His summing up is this : " Colunibus was not tlie discover- r of America ; he- was u'lt the lirst visitant to jier slmirs ; his act was 7i'>t so .perilous, or complete, or a." Jlappy lur Coliinihns if h.' .•nul.l 1... h't ..If with a n.nii)ans.)u witli 111.' .Jis.M.v.'iris an.l .'..Innists lijaini, l...if an.l Thorval.l, I>ut th.'iv is >till unoth.T ,li>linuni>li..l Noisrn.aii, wimsc 1,,..- .L.M'ai.hy an.l eliai.i.'t.T l^'lilth' tli.^ in-joiiuus Italian f.atunr. iiunter .^till jii. ,1V, an.l this man i. 'ni..itinn Kailscfne. llliis- tri.Mis, inllucntiah p-isst'ssinn- innij-ns,, w..alth an.l a liiK^a-v s.r splciahM as only ;.. he e.juali.Ml ],y his .ch-luatcl lii,,. ,,f .l-s.'..n.lants, KaiLcfn.. was a Inily ivniaikahl.. man, an.l hiiii must th.' Am. Than ixM.pl.' honour as tlu'ir hi^t w..rthy .•.,!. aiist. " Siionv, his s,.ii, was horn in Vinlan-l, .\.i. liM)7. K,,,i„ hi,,,, ac(..r.liiin. t.. a -em ah.-i.'al tahie" (atlirms ]■]. F. Slaftir) "intr...lu.'.-.| iiit.y ' Anli.iuitat.'s Am.'ri.ana' " hy j»i,,f. Kafn, are lin.'all,\.l..sc.'n.l.-,la hii-v numher ..f .li.-lin,^Mlish.Ml Scamlinavians. Am. .11-- th.-m w." iiotr the f..ll..\vi],^- ; Sn..rr.' SturK.>nn, tli.- c.'l.')»rate.l hisiorian. h..rn IIT.S; Ilertrl Tli..rval.l>.,n, ' the .•inim-nt s.-ui])!.)!', horn 177<»: J-'inn Ma-nus,.i., Ih.iii I 7s1 ; iJii-in Thoila.ins, ]»rof.'ssor in ( '.)]Hnha,^^'n. hoin I77:»; (irim Th.jikclin, ].!■.. h's>,,r in (■..])cnliaL;vii ami many oth.'is .Mrlicr in the line." in a n.)tc, in this ..liti..!! of th.' X..i.s.- vva-rs, puhlishe.l hy the I'rin.r Sori.-ty. n i> ^al.d thai "it wonl.l apiM-av that Kail>.-fm' hims.'lf narratf.l oii-iiiallv th.' .•\ .■nt> t hat .•.■curiv.l on th.'s.' v.)ya,L;vs, an.l tlmt only tip- nioiv impMitant portions w.Mv wiitt.n ..iit hy th.' si-aman ; that it wa^ not wiittcn till a nmm'i..us race .if .li.>tiii-iii>h. li m.'ii had .i.'s.'.n.h .1 i'loni KailM'fn.-.' '* Th.irlinn t.iok t.i tra.lin.LT voya,L!-.s,'" >ays th.- narrati',,'. " an.l uas tlnai^ht an ahl.' seuiaan an.l m.-irhant. . . . One sumimi- wn^i^mmm m 158 Tin: IcKi.AXDir Discdverkf^s of Amkrita ; i. is. Kiii'lsi'fne iitted out lii.s ship, an crews of these two ships home, for the winter, to his own house at Hrattahlid. 'J'his the merchants afUM'pted and thanked liini. Then were their ;foods removed to ]5rattahlid ; there was no Avjuit of lar;ife outdiouses to keep the fjoods in, neither plenty of evei'vlhing that was re(|uired, M'herefore they were well satisfied in tlio winter. JUit towards Vule''--the X<»rsc Jul wliidi the < 'hureh ajtjtropriuted and ('onv(.'rted in'o the ("hristian ("lirist- nias, a season of t'xtrenit festivity in the >.'(jrth, devoid of tediiiiis I'elij^nous ceicmonies — " Leit hegan to he sih'nt, and was le.-s '.heerful than he used to lie, (.)ne time Karlsefne turned towards Leif and said : ' Hast thou any sorrow, T.eif, my fiiend ? People think to sec that thou art less cheerful than thou wert wont to he ; thou hast entertaiiu'd uswith the greatest splendour, aud we are liound to return it to tlu'c with such services as we can command ; say now, what trouhle hee ]' Leif answered : * Ve are friendly and thankful, and 1 have no fear as eoneerns our intercourse, that ye will feel the want of attcmtioti ; hut, on the other hand, 1 fear that when yc come el-^ewhere it will he said that ye have never passed a woi'se Vule than that whicli now approaches. ' " ^Vith the aid of the resources on Thoilinn's two vessels, freely oU'ered foi' his host's use, the joyful holiday ; (didd l»e duly kept, and Thoicr having died, some time since, the; occasion was rcnderi'*! yet moic festive hy the wedding of Thorfinn and (iudriil, Thoreis widow. And notwithstanding the extensive exploi'atioiis that had heen made, '^ in llratlahlid," says the narrativ*-, " hegan people to talk miicli about, that Vinland the (lood should he (;X]»lore(l." Cohunhus could not give n]i his time to exploration, in the strict sense of tlu' word, lor he was engaged in gold. hunting and pondering how to turn his discovery to specnly account. The ; : ti^M OR. IIoN'OlR TO WHOM IIoNOUR IS Orf. 15'; ■iv.l : Norsi'iiicn, as (mmmIiIcIi ('Icarly iisti'ati'>;, ''Avcir a'tuatiil l)y motives far (liflV-i'ciit from those of ('oliimlms ; tlu-y did not come in scai-eli of '^n]d or slaves, l)ut to ^'atln'i' l>y industry the natnral j)ro(hiets of tlic land, carrvint,' on thei'ewilli a flomishinLj tra(h' hetwecn tlie continent, ( IreiMilaml, h-eland, and Noiwav.'' ][e adds Ids testimony also to the fact of th(; prcvailin,^ i.Ljnorance in l-'iii'dpe, liy slatin.LT tiiat "letters and learninLC tluurished in [crjand >vlicn the rest of luirojic was inttdlcrtnally stagnant : histories and annals are therefore copious." The Xoisemeii manifest Iv liad a gift for na\'igating, exploring, and coloid/.ing, wlule Columhus, lietter fitted for an eccdesia-tical calling or for a crusader, and with ndnd distraught l>y \ isions of the holy se[)tdchre, "svhicli he was some tiuu' to recovei-, aftei' he liad found his gold-mine, proceeded lal)oriously and witli intinite diliictdty. A\'hat made the Norsemen such skilful and daring .navigators it is superlluous to state, Imt as Laing veiy wittily oli-erves : " Fei'oeity, ignorance, aiul courage will not bring men across the ocean."' Jlistory toiiaMs tell us that when ( 'hai JeiiiaLine. in tic ninth (.'eiitury, saw sume piraiical vessels of the Northmen cruising at a distance in the Mediterranean, to which they had for the lii'>t time found their way, that he turiu'il away fiom the window and hinst into tears. Was it the haiharism of these j.irates, or their civilization, their comparative sup. ri-rity in the art of navigation, and of all he- i.-nging to it tliat nio^ i jiim f None ol the eountrie.- umlei' his sway, nolle of the ( In i- t'l po[)tdat ions i.t Furope in the seven! h, eighth, or ninth, ceaturie^. had shii"- and men capable u( -uch a i6o Till', I( Ki AXDic 1)is(^()VKF^i:rs of Amkrica ; 113 m ( ':■ ' '■" VHya;j;<'. TIh' <.'niiii>in'!itiv(' stat<> of .sliiplxuMlnj,' and iiiivi^Mtion, ill two coiiiitiics \\-\\]\ sca-coasts, is a licttiT test df tlK'ir cuiu- jiarative civili/.'t inn mid a.i,L;an-. \\]\<' ha oloerved also that th'' >hii of the Noitlnnen in those ages did not liejong ti> tin; kiniT, or to the State, hut to jirivate ad\ fiitui'eis and ])easantj?, MM I wei'e titled otit hytlieni." If ('olumhii< had read in tlu! ,SVp/o/' that ''j.iaini iK>sse.--('d liis nwu , -.hip," and that I.eif, wleii he made u]) liis mind to start on a voyage of disi dvery, " hdUiiht the sliip of him and engage. 1 up n tor it."" witliMut ;(ii\ piither or d'dav. the iveolliMliMii of these two little facts cnuld not liavi; sweetened his o\vn tourleen years nf waiting fur liinds, ve.>sLls, and royal pation.ige. Ii IS no exaggeration for Wlieatnn to -a\ of ihe nieii of tie' North; " Their familiarity with the perils cf the rtc-an, and with tlie diveisitied manners arid cu-toiii> nf tdivign lands, >iamped iheir national char;icter with bold and oiigiual features, wliich OR, IIOMJLR TO WHOM IIO-NulR IS iM'i:. lOl I if that calls lliat thr ants, tlic. wll'll .IVjllt i.r or liavi; '>Sl'ls, •r iii<- Willi |in|M'.l huh • listilimii>hcil thclll flulil ('\('1'V «i!lici' lirMjijc." iliil little dul tlicse incu (Iroani, with all tln'ii' proud umhii iun, tliat the rl,i»ir aiitiijiiily tht'V I'lvati'd in the Nuith woiiM yet st iinl I'nitli, dtt'' flniii-iiirl i/e(n'-< (i/h riru I'll^, \\<' the scruc of cxliiict \iitui's and tiaits, of iw.\< so hold and original, that no snhs(M|Ui'nt raci' has cx-cv atti'iiiptcil to i^-pcat thciii, and that have always hi m rcgii'dcd as littli> Auw\ of f,ihnloii> I Still, <'olntnhns made a .-utliciiMilly ,Lr<""l nsr ! f^^old, souls 1 So one day, after hi> return to tjn' \ew W'oild, he wfotc a letter to tlieii' niaje>ties in Spain, from whieh a para;4ia|ili has already heen ijiiot'.'d in this hook ; e\-en Ir\ in'^f disapproves of llii< letter and the su;^^'^e>iioii- it contain^;, and ('oiinn"nts thu:^: " Anions; tin' many sound and salutary su.i^^es- tion> in this letter, there is one of a mo-t pernicious tendency, ■written in that mistaken view of natur.d riLjiits prevalent at the (lay, hut fruitful of so much wion^r mid misery in the woiM. ('on>i(h'ring that the ereater the mimher of tinse caimihal jtagans t I'aii-feried to the ('atholie soil nf Spain, the greater "Would he the nuuiher of .-(i:ds put ill the way of salvation, he ])roposed to estahlish an excliailue of them as slaves, a^^iiiist live sto(d<, to ])e furnished liy merchants to the i lony. 'I'he slii]ts to hrin,n' sueli stock were to he lauded nowhere hut at the island of Isabella, wdiere the Carih captives would ln' ready for deli\fr\'. A duty was to I»e levied on each skive for the helielit ^^'( the royal ic venue. In this way the cokuiy would he furiii-h -d with all kin(ls of li\'e stoek free of expense ; the ]>eae(d'ul islands Would he ficed lioiu .warlike and inhuman neiL;!iliours ; thi; i62 TiiK Icelandic Discovkrers of Ami.rica ; royal tn'a.siiiy muiiM he. greatly ('micht'd, and a vast iuiiiiIht of sniils Would 1)(' snalchud from iicrditioii, and carried^ as it were, by ilia in force to hfavcn." So much for the suuigcstion^ the details of the pLm; hut it did not stft}* at that ; Irving goes ^)U to say: " \n his eagerness to jtrodui'e immediate jirolit, and to indemnify the sovereigns foi' those exix-nses whieh hore hard upon the royal treasury, he sent, likewise, ahout live hundred Indian prisoners, who, he sugg(>sted, niight be sold as slaves at Seville. It is painful to linrilliant renown of (.'okunbus sullied by so foul a stain, and the glory of his enterprises digradi^l 1»y sueh flagrant violations of humanity." If Irving luul taken the ]»ains to r(,'ad thi; narratives of the Norse Voyages, ami to ascertain the merits of the case, he would have turn(!vl his sympathies into a nolder eliannel, and spared himself the ]>iiin of being shocked at anything that Columbus said (tr did. With sueh a key to the character of the man as that yieldeil by the Iceland e]»isode, in 1177, this ])ased upon Columbus' anticipation of what he would obtain at Icelaml, Irving would have realized that nothing <'()uld sully a character so uniforndy ))ad and nnprinci})led as the one he made the sul)j," as staled in Arthur Ib'lps' " Sin'nish ('.HKiucst in America," "■ Jdiiliji the 8i!Cond concluded a bai'gain for the grant of a monopoly to imi)ort 2.'i,000 negroes into the Indies; and so this tiallic went on until the great ((s, the jpuly to ic went \A\ and the niuubcT 1517, 07, tliu abolisli- iig ill'.' tlic slavc-traile, catmot Ik- I'stiniatcd at less tlian five i>r .-ix millions." Tilt' present a.Lje, as little as the past, owes gratitude to f'olnnihus; praise is not "lue to him for anytliiii!^' that In- tliaragra]ili of haiiicl AN'ilsun's icferreil tn is this; " Kiom tlie aji[»eavance of the ' Antiipiitates .\mciicana',' accordingly, may be ilatcil the systeUKitic I'oolvi' o! Amciican antiipiaries and historians to find evl(lcnce of intercomse with the ancient World prior to that recent year of tic hficcnth century iu whirli tht^ ocean revealed its gi'cat secrt'L to ( 'uluniljus. J'l'om lie literary memorials i>f tic Xorscmen, thus biou^^rlit to light, \\c ',dean suflieient evidence !o place beynud dnulit n^t oidythe discovery and enl.iuizatiein of (Jrecidand, by \\\\v the lie(| apparently in the year 085 —but also the expha-ation of nu.iri' M '1 i6l 'I'liK Ici.i.WDic Disrr.vruKKS ni .\Mi;Kir.\ ; .sdullii'vn lands, soTiic of w liicli, -svi' can scarcely (Vtultt, must liavr I'iiiiikmI |i;,i| of tin ■ Aniriiiiin cnntiiiciit. < )f the autlicnticity «if till' n:ann>cii|ils fini,i wlinicc these iiarrativrs nn; dcrivinl tlii'ii' is not ihc sli;;lii('si rouiii for tjiu'slion."' This ( liaiilri' would not Ix' eonijilctt! without the witrds of Jlulicit Ilowc Uand'ofl on this all-iiniioitant (|U('stion; "Mi', jl. 1"". ti'oui;ly inelined to a;^'ree with hiu>. Jt is ti'Ue that no h'ss enniient authors than (U-ov^o. l»aiKM'oft and Washin,L,dou h\in,L; have e\]nessed opinions in oj»po>ition to 1 )»; Cojsta's vifws, hut it must he remend)ered that neither of these dis- tinguished {gentlemen njade a very })rofound study of the Ice- landic Saj^as, indeed h'vin.i;' directly states that he 'has not Iuk'i tile miMiis of tracini^' this story to its ori;;inal sources :' nor must we for^'et that neither tln^ author of the 'Life of ( 'ohimluis,' uoi- he (d the 'History of the ( Colonization of the I'nited Stales,' cunUl ho expected t(i willin,L;ly strip the laurels IVom the hrow (d' his familiar hero, (Jhristopher (JoluniVius, and concede tht? honour of the 'first discovery' to the Xurthern sea-kin^'s^ whoso exploits are so vaguely I'ecorded." It is the otlice of the American people, as a nation, to strij) these laurels from the l)row of a nuiu made great hy a glory he stole ! c.\; , ]ii\ist ■iilicity ik'iivcd onls of : "Mr. subject, ■uticity, •III' tliiit liiii,L,4t»u Costa's esc 1'()\V ;e(U." tho ;S, WllUSO , to .stviji y a glory .^. ^% '^*'«>'„» IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A {/ / % V \P ^ (/. 1.0 I.I 1.25 Li 12 5 22 m 1.4 1.8 1.6 <^ /a 'c>l c^m V^/ f ^. -C^i *1 ,> y # Photographic Sciences Corporation }3 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER. NY MS80 (716) 872-4S03 ^V fV ^ 6^ ^ ^% -?"• %^ <^ ^ ri?^ ^J :^ .i as X I IP mmmmm ■i^- OR, lIoXoL'R 10 \vn<.Nr H<»\<>iR IS Dei:, i^): CILVrTKU IX. TiiK Hr\F:ii('i \T. i!i:i;Nr A'.i: ani» rM-Ti:i;iiv "K ATllUhlTINii THIS Mi t\| 1 N T' H s |>IS( mVIKV T< » Till. liH I l'I.I{si)N>. V IIau til"' vast literatiii'' uf |i"lin'l |»ri'-M'iVi"l in tin' n'tfiitix •• ami faithful iiUMiKiiics ufits mmMs aipl saL:aiiitTi, tlii- amiiN "f what was in lu my ivsju'cts an iilcil i-ivili/.alinn, ilf.-criliinu' tin' lit'i' of a ran' iiii'iitally ami physiciJly stuiiKJ, wlinsc tlmu-ht^, wonls and acts wi'ic stnniLf aiil vi;^''»ii>us -hail this lit-'tat ui'' cxistfil ill a wiitti'ii nr ]>riiit"il foim, in any tanu'il'h' foiin. it tilt' inti'tMliictinn uf Christianity in tin- North, it w niM nii-' diuilttrilly have sharfil tin' fatf uf tin- pa;^in lit'-r atiirf <>f otinr muiitrii's. The ili'striirtinii n\' iinnirn-i' ipi iiititifs nf th'" ucrks of ( Jrccian ami Kninaii anti-( "hristiau wiitfis siLrnali/fil tin- iinixi- sition of this faith in tin' lloinan cnijiiri', ainl tin' tlfstnif, ,011 .,f ti'ni)tl<'s aiul iiiiai^'i's, of all ivli<'s nf tin- Oilin ami Tlior wor-hip in Srandinavia, is a snllicicnt imliration df tlif fitc Ihit wotiM have Ix'falh'ii liodks ami ntamisciiitts, had tlni'i' hcfii aiiv fop mamiscii|t tin' priests ami liislio]is to lay hamls (.11. I'.at, to tin- -upreim', goinl fortune of future general ions, this was pie-.er\e 1 wln'ie the Christian tlcsecrators eouM not enter, it was salMv L'uardel behiml si)iritual bolts ami hais. in tin' faithful ami re\eii.|it iiiimls of the people, ami hui^r after, not ni'i<'h hefnre th'' st'v.'M- teentli century, when the natioii> nf Ivirope, afti'r tin* Mist, decisive revolt represcnt-d in the lJefii liad tlirown tht.-iu, Ir»'lainli<; liistoi V wus niade kiiuwn t • tliciii, ^\\^• rcvi'lalioii of ii system of ct hits, <»!' !i moral (muIc, of |i(»liti('al ami social rt'i^'U- lations ami tustoiiis so unlike those whieh (Jhrisliaii Kiiroiu' h nl ailo| ted iMil lived after, that it could imt at liist prodme anything' hut astonishment and very paitial umhistautlin;^'. II id any one realized then that this history of an enli,iL,dit»'no|>rtss these writin;;^ as soon as they appeareil. As it WIS, the imhli(!, and the yuardians of the public weal, were too enervated to realize the moial force eont. lined in the S.iLjas, and t<»o secure in the heliif that tin* Christian religion Would endure f(ir all time, and was really impervious to assault, to take any precautions. Althou^di tilt' rt ader has again and again been asked to con- sider the great value and iuipnrtanee <»!' this ancient literature, then^ are still somt^ o[»inions in regard to it that must not be overlookiid Ueainish. referring to Iceland, has saitl: "There the utu'rring memories of the scalds and sagauien were tho di]>ositories of past events, whicli, handiul down frctm age to age, in one unbroken line of historical tradition, were C(»mmitte(l 1 1 writing (Ui the introduction of Christianity (a. i). 1000), and now come before us with an internal evidence of their truth wh' h places them among the highett order of historic records." li, an address before tin- llistoiical Society of Khode Islaml on tho visits of the Northmen to tlial state, Ahixander Farnum uttered words that will have much weight with Americans: " At tii'st sight it seems a remarkable circumstance that nino centuries ago, when the literature of continental Eur(»pe presents So little of value or intere?t, we >hould tind on the remote, in- hospital>le sluues of Iceland a body of men who candully studied the i»ast and closely observed the present, and wl.ose lecollectioms wluni committed to record on the introduction of OK. MoxouR TO WHOM Honour is Duk. 107 Christianity Jiiul tlio art of writing,' luHimi" at onco an histori(;aI lit»MMturc siu h as hardly any <'<>nt<'jnporary nation of Kur(»|»n (.'ouM rival." William Culh'ii lirvant savs: "Those sa'Ms wmj rednced to writin*,' Wy dili;,'tMit and studious men ; int'.stini d>le treasures laitl up for the use of future liiHtorians."' I»ut tho nolilest tribute of all is that fnnu I'roftfssor W. Fiske, called by Saiinu'l Kneeland " the most learned cultivator of these Northeru langua^'es in ihiseountry :" *' It (the old I(elan; lays, or of th*! quaint simplicity, dramatic action, and striking realism which characterize the hiatcu'ical sagas. " To .xtn'ugthen the testimony still more, I cite I». F. J)e Costa: " Yet while other nations wcuc without a literature, the intellect of Iceland M'a.s iu active exercise, and works were produced like the Kddas and KeimsKringla, works, whidotus.'' The Howitts even as.sert that " the lcelan'// arf tlm fjr/)r>!fj' tin- hhu/i* h/ pnefM exiftf/nij in the primera' and uni'jfeniinatc'l. furf/i" the [lith of the whohi matter is rt'ached. Tlie sagas, whether poetical or pro.se, do indeed n-late of a lite diametrically oj»j»osite from that of which we are now cognisant ; of an earth which .some, cause has e.ssenti.iUy changed. The.^o j>oets, and all who formed the chief characters iu the Northern epicsi, liad a dilferent as r68 Tm: Icklandic Discovikkks uk Amkkica; ■I il !| i i ^:r!; i(l«;iil finiii tliiil of tli<' ifst nf l*!ur(i)t(' ; their staiHlintl was imt 1.1i(! ill' iiliz ilioii (if snIU'riiiL,'. I'Ul tlic (roninu'Mt (if siitrfiinu', that is. iif ill! the wtMkiM.'ss, sickliin'ss, rn■ what 'vcr till.' individual in his hi^du-st luido niinht will ; i1m( Knmanists ludicvcd that iiunian natun- was evil, and that tin* will was tlu! worst snare ; lo one elass t' " earth was a |terfectly s iiisfaclory lield of ai^tivity, whiidi cuidd he rendered all that man could wish, to tin; othi-r a dt.-n of misery, hopeless from the he^inninju'. Tie- vahie of this literature, this history of the \oitli, wliieli from all areounts seems to he the only reliahle history we have, is that it deserihes, with that ^'laphii: force yielded l»y truth alone, a state uf society founded on natural princijiles. At this late lioiu' the ]»eo|.le (if the nineteenth ceiituiy aie hi't^inninu' to yield some slight I'everence to nature, and ih-putu science to tell them what nature is. What little has hcen learneil reLraiilinLj tlie physical laws has scarcely extended as yet to the dom;\in of imual and s|iiiitual laws ; an entrance has lieen forced to tin; one, hut the ('liurch. as of did, Inrbids access to the nth'T. The race moulded au'l fashioned hy the llihle, who are aching,' in every linili from the cramp it has cause.d, have the inesti- malile privili'i;'!' of readinj^ of a race wlm jiad no llihle to warp theui out of all unman shape, and who wcuc as they were created to he. The conclusidu is unavoidahle that the people of the North wei-e sn totally unhke any other nation hecanse they were wholly untinctured with ( 'hiislianity ; thence their strength of chanicter, their intrejiidity, their nn.rki'd indi- viduality, the lai.ue lesults coiiseipient upon tli; ir every act. ^Ir.. r.ryant remarks, half humorously: " Tht! Northmen had a genius for discovering new countries by accident," and they !»r ■< nut that .f tho Mi l.y iilt'al. It tlic f.'ctly that 111 lh<' liitli nave, tiutli t ihi.- in;4 to u t.-ll I'lliii,!^ nil aiiifMl elluits, proving,' I*',iiiersi»irs woids iJiat "it is a> easy lor t!ie slroiiLj man to he >troiiLj, as for the weak to he weak." The nature that they had iievn the victory over tie- natural lite, and the ^l^lrth, too, linally accepted the teachiuLrs that pronounce man vile. From that luair the darkne ■ttlcd swiftlv over ad Kurope ami the Middh' A,L:es chi'onicled the cmii'lete sway id' lhe('hurch. Th(! Seandinaviaii nations had at la>t Iieru re- we w deeiiied fiolil harharism. To tllis llilimph of the ( hui't h are told that we. are to axMilie the hlessin;:s ol niotoiy. treasured uj> h-r this pie- .scnt iv^i', is to dispel, its province lieiui,' to leciil'y an error in liich the Knr(i|iean race have lived I'oi' eii^iiteeii hundred years and to which they .-till stuh'.iornly clini,'. The eMJnetion of' Northern jia^anism, so-called, lait niori- properlv of Noitheiii irndi.uioii, on^dit to have dem.instrated chaily that under the shail(»w of ( 'hristianity noihint^ el.-e could li\f; it alhli.ites with not him,' else, and never can. Felix Oswald shows veiy fordl-ly this lack of hoiiio;,feneity hetween (,'hristianity and that which is alleued to he in^'-jiar- ahle from it : " Hut in e\amiiiiiii,Mlie claim.-: i>f the>e theorists,'" he says, "the impaitial int|uirer cannot overlook the followiiiL,' (►hjections : 1. That the rise of tln^ Christian faith c(»incides ^vith the .snnsct of th" i^reat Soutii-Furopeaii civilization : 2. That the zenith of its pt»w(r coie.i-ides with tin- nndniLdit of mediicval haiharism ; ."{. That the decline of its inllueuce coincides with the sunrise of a ^>oI•|h-I•Jlrn]lean ci\ilization ; 4. That all the principal victories of Freedom and Science liave been achicvcvJth iti brilliant oppurtuniticH, n'acli tli*; same moral niul in- ti^Ut.'ctual li('i;;ht that tho lit.'piUit; of IccIuikI attained ono thousainl years n<^o } Tho fault dors not lio with Aiuciifaiis, with tln'ir (Iovciiimk rit or thoir Constitution, l>nt in tluj in- «* pt'rmca1«' is; Me liiivc iialsyin^' siipi'istilion that lias Iti-nuinlMil heart and mind for so many aj^es. Ij'steiiiiiu' to the twatMlc nf the ])riests and lliltje interpreters, we had almost for^'otten that W(5 j)osse«sed any capahilities jikiii to ihosu of the leelandie re- pnhlicans df the oMen time. AVhen will it lieei.me pussilije for Americiins to di. away with cliurcli-taxation, with reli^iims holiilays jouj ;",,.-(s, with pfiial servitmle, witli poverty, with prostitution, with unhappy marriages, with the life Inn^' misery of nine-tenths t.f thoso born to the "arth i Hospitality, hut oneuf the many virtues df tiie Norsemen, ill and of itsel!" did much to pn-veiit pov -rty and at all events pr(!Vented anyone front dyin^ of starvation. ■l»ut liospiiidity, in the hroad sense understood l>y the Norse- men, is despised l»y their Kn;^dish and Ameriean de.-eendants, in fact Ity all eivili/ed nations. In sjieakin^' of tlie hospitality everywhere shown Ity tho natives of thts islands he visited to I'olundaKs, Ir\in«,' observes: *' The imtutored savaj^^e, in almost every part of the world, scorns to make a (raftic of hos[iitality." This trallic, to,L;ether Avitli the slave-trallie, the, woman- (raHic, the soid-traflic, was introilnecd by Chiistianity ; every- thiiiL' must \h\ Ixiu^ht and paiil for, fnuii bread to absolution. Human beings bad no ri;^'hts ; whatevi'r blessinirs tlicy enjoyed wore by ^'raee ; food and slndter W(,'re costly luxuries, to b(» <'arned, never to be {^iven. If a little hungry boy steals a loaf of bread, Christian Kngland sonds him to i,'aoI and con- demns him to a month of hard labour. Famishin^ij atlults, in Kurope or America, can only get food on credit if theii* • f)R. Mu.WjLU To WII»»M ll(»\(.l k i> Iji k. i;.^ ^•r»' In I'liy ix ^i' jnfii'iil ilny, tlifi't' is Miid to Itf diily uiii' )iri-.iiii, a lT'ioiI, -trniiLj o\iv, liiit Aviih iiii oiic ill it. Tliri'i- ;ii(' III) iiiii-<, ;iMtMin. lint till' ullier iiatiniis allnw lln- Irilaii.lori* to .starve, ill (a.sc ot famiiii-. SaiiiiU'J Kiirr'.auil, ill liis cxccctlin;.'!) iiil.M'sfiiiv' 1 i>"k, "An .\iiHTifaii ill If-riainl," (h'si-riliiii;,' tin; \isil n| a |«,iit\ of AiiiiM'iiaiis ti» this faini*i)N i-slaiiil at tin- tiiiu> •'!' tin' Milji'iiiiial ••rli'ltralii til, says that iIk'H' is a ivniaikalih' ri'\i\alut' tli>' nil J('«'laiiilir litiiaiy sjiiiil in lip' |iri'sriit rciituiy, as fxhihiti-l Ky their |MM'ts, histiiiiaii>, hii;,Miists ami jnuiiiali>ts. " '|'||i. |iii'sciit liH'Utal •■iiiliva'.idii nt" til. j.('n|.lc," ill- allinii-, '"is M-ry hi.i^li. . , . 'Jill' rdiiiiimii |)t'i'|tli' arc will an(iiai!i1t'l with tliiir nwii and < •till' r iiatinnal liistmifs, amiriit ainl iiiiiltiii; tli'V kii"\v all ahoiit till' rally discuvi is n) Aimiira l'\ tin* N>'iihiiiiii, hvc ri'jitiirii's lii't'oic (.'nliiii'' MS. wiiili' \iiy frw nj us, lentil recently, kiicw any nunc n|' Iceland than \\c did n|' the S.iiuh I'idc, VI the wilds of Africa."' Alter hestuwin;.,' many encoiiiiiinH npcn tlnsi- judud. iii- (h'])endeiit jteoplc, AvliD lie dcflaics aic ''Iinii iv]iiililii an«," lie say.s : '' And now 1 tni-l that the leader will admit that Iceland was jiistitied in innidaimi!!;^ to the naticiis the eelelira- lion of her one thoiisamlth anniversary ; that .-^lie deserves the utliiiinitioii of the civili/ed \voild |'i,r what .-.lie has done fur lihorty, the advance of kie-wlcd;,'*', and I lie |ae^ei\atioM o| lii.sloric record.^, at a lime Avheii the reverty can neither stitle the asjiiralions fur liheitx, nor de-iadi.' u jKietie and heroic race." " llardshiji, ojpjtressiuii and poverty " have 1 n the more modern e.\[terience of Iielaiid, comiiiL;' with tin' ( 'hristian dis. pen.sitioii. It Ava.s not ]ioor emij^rants that lirst soii,L;lit her ijilioro.''*, nor thi»se l»eionyiiij^' to the common people. A hleak Ml If \ : 174 TflK ICICI AXDIC DlSCOVKREKS OF AMKRICA; ami Htcrilts liiinl oould iifvcr induce what ( !liriHti;inity ami siih- jcctioii t<» tin; tliroMc of Norway induceil almost imnu'diatcly. Jii l*i<,'ott'.s mention ot this fact that in ]2>i'2 Iceland "was united to the crown of Xorway, the prej,'Tjan1 s«'nteiice follows, already irgitta wastludirst person to make Sweden known, in modern time?, and (lustaf A'asi, the second. The worthy woman mercifully freed Swetlcn from her presence and went to IJonu', to seek a >)r(»ader held of activity ; while (lustaf Vasa obliterated her work, in Vadstena, and in Sweden U(!nt!raliv, and cleared the land thenceforth of all saints. Hut previous to this, all three of the Scandinavian nations, as well as Iceland, had siuik into a decline ; there liad been live hundred years of Jiomau delirium ; jiageants, jul^^'rimages, baptismal rites, miracles, s;dnt-worship, throughout the North, but in a sonunvhat modified form : religious zeal and fanaticism c luld never run (piite to the same excess there as in Sotithcrn Europe, Itut yet (lustaf Vasa rose in opposition none too soon. As it was, silly, superstitious legends suj>erse()(), had become fabulous things of the past, bearing so little resem- blance to existing conditions, that they were even more dis- credited then than now. Only in this present decade is there sufficient understanding, in a few chosen minds, to api>reciate properly the ancient life of the North, and sufficient courage to dare to state to the wo'ld the cause of the long blight and OR, Honour to whom Honour is Duk. 175 la.l the remedy proviilcJ in the kuowlcil^'t; Iceland so geneniusly yieltla. Were it nut for tlie recupcrativo power of nature, always savourinj^ of tlie miraculous, there would l»i- little lio|t(' of the recovery of the human raet; frtuu eii^htecn hundred years of Christianity. As l)r. O.swaUl says, and his words cannot he too often repeated : "Theiiiudit of the Middle A-cs was not the natural hlindnessof uuenli;4htetn'd harhariaiis, hut an unnatural darkness, maintained Ity an elaborate system of spiritual des- potism, and in spite uf the, llcrce struLj^les of many liijht-Iox im^ nations." To this is dui; our mixed idt^as of rijjht and wronix, our confusion when we are forced to any moral stt^p, our de- pendence on autijiuilies, our vacillation, our utter lack of self- reliance. Pride is not in a man's own conscious s'nse of worth, of honour, of bravery, but in externals : money is his ^dory ami defence, lie cannot trust himself, nor, from his knowled<^(! of hims.df, is lie inclineil to trust or love others. What r-ason has he to supi»ose tlu-m any better timii himstdf ] ]*oliey rulfs iiini, why sluadd it not rule them { He lias his master, and he knows it; the Church owns him ; with th«j little remaining' int(dli- gence he possesses he knows that the Church own.s all, except the unl)elievers, and thes') are dan^'erous com|)iny. Even if tiie truth is with ihest! persons, which he is not tasy, whit h it is the business of the Church tn stn]), (inee and for ever. It is plain that this apostasy has roale of this lu'iiuldic will thus turn T Ok, HoNuLR jn WHOM IIonolk is Dui:. 177 ii'ii. i;in. iiti- iate tli»i till' scalt', mit' \v;iy or tlic ntlier. Tlic i<'cn<;niti(Hi ttf CnhmiliMs" claims, ami linmai^e jtaiil to liiiii as the iliscMVt'n-r, siLCiiilies a[»- proval of tin' ( 'luisLiau imitivcs ami i» ilil as gi.'juiinc <_Mrlili'il and inutilat»'il history, to t'xall a pictcmlcito tilt' lii^'licst honour. Tlu' ri'co^'iiitioii of \ho, claip.is ot' tli«' Norsi- (UscDVt icr-; is to show ftucihly and (•(•iiciu- sivdy that iiati'inul iutcL^nity, at thi>' iiri'sciit day, consists in jiayiii;^' the lii;4li('-it icspni 1(1 lii-t(iri«al truth, and in hoiioiiiin,<,' tli'ist' whn lia\i' tr.msinitti'd it to jiostcrity, pure and coiuplft*' ; it ii>n>ists in attiihutin;,' tin; ^ivatost hIcssinLjs i-njovcd hy civilized nations, lilirrty, ,L;cnt 1 il intclii^'i^nco, jM'r>(inal ri^rhts, just and ••i|nital»K' laws, tn tli!- true sourcis t»f thcsr. To jnll(»w till' bidiling of tin' ('iiunh and irlidiratc (^iluinlnis' y[rvd wtre to commit a ridii'uliais and irrctricvahk' lilundcr, while to cclc- hratc till' Nnr.-i' acliicvcmiMit Would rt-trifvc at a singh- stroke all the Miind''is of till' I'a-t and inaui^uratc a n< w era. HmwcvcI' lirndy tie' foundations id' tli.' ("hundj are laid upon a future lite, all it^ errcds and d",i,'mas hein;,' based on salvation or tlic re\t i'>e, its ductrine antie, hent nn im- niediale ri'sulls i.f the ne'>t laiii^iMe ami ad\antageiius kiuil : in other ^Vllr^ls, ilir licnelits to hr di-iived fri'Ui the ('Inistian religidU Wire, In tin- Nolariis, ndiniiuishnient of actual advan- ta^ies for liin,L;-di'frn>'d oni'-^ ; to Chuiidi diLrnitarii's and dlicials, the aiipriiiiiiatinii irf jirc-ent advantage's without refereuic to the future lieaM'U. The Jiodr ili'\-ott'rs and Zealdts niM'dt d heaven; nr were made t't lielieve that tley did: tlie (htireli needed landed estates, neiiiey, tempnr.d p^wer, fdl'dwcis. suh- jui^ated Iiat JdUS, and ti) M-eure these has heen its .mly .ilijcct. rreacliin,:4 heaven, it piized earth I ]'»ut I'nr tie' idea nf heav.'U, it c(>uld imt hive spnliated and plundered all the ptople of tli<' eartll, 'J'his his lieen the praetieal use nf jiihlc, eived, ai.d ( 'hri-t I It till- has heen the eeejcsiast ieal poliey all tliniuudi the Middle Ag.s, it i?* eipially the puliey pur.-ueil still in Fjudpe X 178 TilL ICKLANDIC DlSCOVKKF.RS OF AMERICA; 1 , t f ^ '; _; If if and the rnitnl States, ami wilj be until roliyiuu.s bi-igaiula^e is .sui)|)n'Rs(Ml by the law of nations. As far as the Seaiulinavian North was coneerneroperty could bo made tt» chan.^'e luuuls. As f»>r "softenin;; their manners ami fecIiuLis^ and putting' an end to their murder and blond- shed,'' we can take the two (,'hristianized kind's, Olof Try.ijj,'' vason and Olof the Saint, not to speak of the Swedish kini^, ( Uof Skotkonuii^S and their Christianizing; })rocesses, as shininj; examples of this! Olof Try^'gva-on declared that "he would either bring it to this, that all Norway should be Christian, or die." Jt is saiil of him that "he was distin;;uished for cruelty when he was enraj^ed, and tortured many of his enemies " — of course all j)agans were his enemies ; — " some he burnt in tire ; some he ha«l torn in pieces by mad doj^'s ; some he had muti- lated, or cast down from high precipices." Olof the Saint pro- pagated "the doctiine of mihlness and peace," in the same wav : "He also made the laws to be read there as elsewliere, by whicii the people are r^)mmanded to observe Christianity ; and he threatened every nmn with loss of life, and limbs, and property, who would not subject himself to (Jhristian law. He inllicled severe punishments on many men, great as well as small, and left no district until the people had consented to adopt the holy faith." f)R, Honour to whom Honour is Duk. 179 », or ■lU'lty -of tivc ; riiiiti- I>rt)- siime nily ; and ■11 as ill to Prcsoott remarks thit " ninny a Moody p;i<^o of Iiistory attests tilt! fact, tiiat fanaticism, aniUMl with power, is the son^tst < vil wiiiidi can licf.iU a nation." If wc s\il>stitntc Christianity for fanatici>ni, the words will have [.rocisely the same force, and, indeed, the proselyting' work thron^'hoiit lias been niu< h nion; characterized l)y cold-blooded calculation than by l)urnin^' zeal. The same author also says : " Acts of intolerance arc to ))«• dis- cerned from the earliest )>i-riod in which ( 'hristianiiy became the establishe(l religion of the Roman Kmi»iie." Llorente, in tracin;.f tin; ori;^'in of the lnhrd, it liecame nece>sary to vary the punishments, to augment their number, t(j rentier them more or less severe, according to the character of each sovereign, and to rr-gulate the manner of prosecuting the culprit." A strange institution, this, for softening manners and feelings, and putting an en(irne, '"should ever take it into their heads to wo'-shijt the devil in his distinctive (pialities, and devote; themsidves to the promotion of human miseiy in all its forms, the, cati(;hism of such a religion could be f(tunj iiivariiildy, were for '/((>'/< : tlu' rhurcli 'j,'\\(' spiritual notliiiiu's, the must va^nu' aiul false nf jtroiiiises, in rclurii for stihstautial |trt>jterty: it j^rew rich ill exaif |tio]iorti(in as itsennverts \v< re iinpovcrislitil ; pic- tendiiii,^ to have tin- iiiuiiniM.jy of heaven, it actually i^Miiied th«< monopoly ol' earth and has kep! it in every land eaded (,'hris- lian. A little fnrllu'r li;.jht will ix- thri wn npon tli(! theoloirical m<'thod l«y these words of Leekys ; " Now, of all systems tho World has ever set-ii, the |»iiilosopliies of aiieieni (ireece and Koine ai»i)eaied most str'inj,dy to the sense of virlui', and Chris- tianity to the sense of sin." The Chnrch was well ;iware at the >luit that nidess men and women eoidd ]>o foreeil to confess thems(d\e-^ sinners, roidil he ovr-'onu' with a sense of thiM'r own abasement, they would ].ot tamely yield uji the u'oods and pos- sessions tliat the Cjiuii-h coveted. He adds : " 'idle iileal of the iivst was the majesty of s(df-relyin^f hnmaidty ; thr ideal of the other was the ahsorplion of the manhood into (iod.' The ideal of the aneient Scandinavians was the same as that of tho ancient (JriM'ks and Konians: the majesty of stdf-rtdyintj Inimanity, and it was chielly this that stood in the way of (dii'istian purposes, Kno\)L,di has been seen and known of the deeds of the Chureh ; it only remains to connect these tleeds with tiieir motive and to iudtj(e thf ( 'hureh accordinulv. No enli'^htened nation has ever denied that the deeds Were I'vil, Init all have maintained strenii-' ously that the motives for the deeils were ]>nre and hi^h, and that tlie ('hureh, on the whole, has been nistitied in pursuing the course it has. Tlieieiu lies the fatal error. 'I'he action of the liomish Church and of the vntiie Christian Churcli, prior to the Keformation, is ep!timi/ed in tin- use it has made of the two discoveries of Amriif("i/. Mvery st'ndin;^-out of missionaries to the heathen is a marauding ex|»e(lition, all of the intimid'i- tions of the priests and clergymen are to the end of roldtery, every threat of jiejl is luMiauism, to seeuie plunder These organized rolihers, of whom the whole civili/e(l world stand in awe, who enjoy complete immunity, could not gain a stivi-r from those tlu'V oppress, except through inspiring fear. It is this system of intinddation that the I'nited States, to- gether with the nations of luirope, is tacitly sanctioning, but the Koniau Catholic (,'hurch is not contei\t with this. All these crimes have l)een perpetrated Ijefore hy tlie Church ami perpe- trated with impunitv, hut in insisting on the recouhlie sanction of these erinu'vS and permis- sion to continue them. It demands, furthermore, the ratiiiea- tion of the Actof Po])e Alexander VI., in deeiling tlie continent, of which the American licpvddic now forms a part, to Sjtain, hy means of a voluntary surrender of that eoveti d land, in the excess of its gratitude to the man and the power to whom it is said to owe all its greatness, —its voluntai-y surrender to the Holy S«!e in Ivunie ! l)Ut there is a douole movement to elfect tlu' end desired ; simultaneously with the persuasions usf men, under the control of the Catholic Church and in complete harmi>ny with its purposes, known as the Home Rule Jiurty. The leaders of this party iji fl' u 182 TiiK ICKr.wnic" Discovkrfrs (W Amkrica ; employ tlinMts thnt rovivt? tho rc'ollcction of tlwi oarly days of (Christianity, so violent jind brutal 1110 tlicy. Tlicy liavi' dis- tinctly proflairnctl that there is no oxtreiiit' that they will not resort to, to forne Knu'land and the Unite for a lari^e Koirian (catholic majority means no more nor less than Roman ('(itliolii- rule in Irchiuil, the wielditii^ of almost nnrcatrioted politieal power by the Tiiost unsonipulou.s of Jesuitical j,'ii''s^ ; it means the establishment of a J{oinan (.'.itholie seat ami stronj^diold, west of Kiii^dand and ?if)rth of France, thnt can harass botli, drawin;^ its chief sustenance from the <,'reat nation across the Atlantic, which hordes of Irish-American allies arc. nsincj all their infernal ai'ts to subvert to their foul purposes and which they confidently believe will yield to these arts and become the future empire of the Pope ; it m<'aiis the elevation of Papal power to a high nortluM-n lutit'ide, for the first time sinoe the Reformation ; it means eonvertinf^ the Irish race, hitherto the sonni of the earth, into ti>e scourge of the earth, to harass and torment all the other nations. \ These are the full dimensions of the plot, tlie double plot, connected by a subterranean passaj^e of chicanery. If either succeeds, the Columbus attempt, or the Home Rule attempt, it is equivalent to having both succeed, for the Irish Catholic party will win the day. And success, as they confidently boast, dc'pends only on the amount of coercion they use. As of old, they have no scruj)le about the moans ; the slaughter of thou- sands of innocent persons, butchery, rapine, the firing or blowing- up of cities, savagery in every form, it is tho okl j)rogriimme re-enacted, and goes to show iiow utterly impervious Roman Catholics, the most devout and faithful of all Christians, are to OR, HoNorR TO WHOM HoNoiR IS Di'K. 183 all civilizing,' and liuiniuiizin}; iiiniu'iicps. After a life of several years in the United .States, amid American institutions, ilu-y come out as perfect types of inedia-valisni as if learn and )»red in Spain or Italy, and are ready to lay their sacrilej,dotis han>ls on the fairest and iiuhlest j)ri»dnctions of civilization. In th«'ir thought, Kngland and the United States are aliiMfly di»oin»'d. To such a height has t'ae avarice of tie; Knrnish (.'hun li reached I IJke a prophecy of succour from the impending evil come tln'se words : " From the depths of the North — tVoMi a remote and unknown island — a dawning light ajipeaied, tin- haihing^r of a bright day that was t<» eidighteu the Sc mdinavian Morlii for a C(uitury to come, and to extend its rays through other lands and down to later ages." Fri»m this North we know that reason has once reigned ; we know how the K.-igu ct-ascil, and wi' (liscern diiidy how w(( can cause its rejiewal. Jt would utiw hei'ome a work of supererogation to specify the beneficial residts of according to Iceland its full due, of emu- lating its freedom and enlighteinnent during the days Mheii it was a flouri>shing republic, and befiire it became Christianized, — of attributing the discovery of America to the dauntless jnen who sailed from tho.se Northern shores. The North failed and sank into a decline through accepting ('hristianity ; the treasured records of its experience are revealed t ) the two nations at ])resent so grievously threatened by the i-allying power of Kojue, Kngland and the American Republic, just in time to save them from its grasp. Jiut for the history handed down to us from Tcelan 1, we could not have known the extent of the evil tie' Church has wrought, for we would have had no uncontaminat<'d race, morally sound and healthy, to compare with the diseased and enfeebled one the ("hureh has itroduccil. Tiie actual lite in Iceland, the intellectual stature of its people, reveal to us undreamed-of possibilities. In casting off the incubus of the Church we do not enter utiguardedly into vague and pvoble- m . ' I ii: '5',; - : 1 1 4 ii ip ;.,; 'M- "v It 184 THK ICEI.ANIHC DlSCoVKKERS OF AMKKICA ; uuiticiil coinlitions, but w*- rcsmnc conditions on««' foniitl all- sullirit-nt fur Ijuinan Nvcli'aic, we will ji^^Miii lead tlio life of lalioiial bciiij^'s, and ijcfuint'd n-asoii will he our i»ii(> muc ^'iiiilc. A(t«'r tlw d'-foat of its iticsont itlans the (Jhurch of Koiik; will hardly Iw in a j)ositiun to iT'pfat its cjlorts for tlm ruin of uian- kind. Tliiiuks to Icoland, and tlio tilironiclrs of the Scandi- navian ^iorth, i]u' Church now siiilcrs exposure as well as dcfi-at, and its true nature will for the liist tiuu' Iteconie known. Henceforth, however rejiulsive, it will cease to l)e u dan<^'erous power. V, 1 all. fo of uitlc. t Mill inidi- 'i'cat, own. -■rolls i I :; : : ■ , t. ,! ■'li OU, lloNolk TO WHOM HoNol R i^ l)[i:. 18! (ILVITKK X. THK CEI.KIiMATloN OF IT IS IDS.')! V '•. If; IfEr.wi) niid the I iiitt'il Slates liavo srvfial pdints in roninion iiiid their latf is inU-rwovfii : flicy w.ir Ijist sctlliil l^v iiit-ii ••!" tlic same race; Ix.tli liav(! Imi'm iv|)uMirs. and ii will >t and iv. n.nlcd in liist(.ry tliut butli liav.- had a Miil.nnial < '.l.l, ration. "And an Anicriean," say.s Sainud Knr.-land. ''cinid n^.t fail to admire the ((Hirage of tlirsf old NtMSfm. n, and t<> fnl j,ity fur their suhs(MiTicnt hiss uf Jil.rrty; and tli-- nmro, aN irclaml and New Kn^dand arc, as far as I know, ihr cnly tw.. -^rn-at rcimlilirs founded on a love of civil and rrliL,dons lil-crty, free fiom tho sordid motives of love of ,i,Min and power." He asserts th.it Icohmd Avas instilled in proeiairuinL;- to the nations the ecdehra- tion of lier one thousandth anniversary, and the parallel lietween tiio two will lie maintained in this respect also, forth*' American Kepublic will not only be justilied in i)rocIaimin,i- to the wnrld the celebration of the one thousandth anniversary of its dis- covery by the Xorsemeii, ])Ut imjxdled by evt ry high motive to pay this tril)ute to them and to Ie«dand ! In this celebration, one hundred years hence, Icdand will re- new its youth ; in this it will reap the reward (.f its long labours, for the American Kepublic, urged to this ])ublic act })y the force of truth, by a deep sense of all that it owes to tlm mother re- jdiblic, will then be IcehuKl's handiwork, the llowering-out of the ancient wisdom so richly stored there ! Ere Americans can have this celebration, they must take the step that will for the 'i w I' < n^i I 111 I' I it i85 Till': Icelandic Discovkrers of America; first tiiMo iiiukc tlioin ti frtjc nation, they must uhitHsli spiritual slav'iry as clloctually as they have abolislicd thi; jihysical ; there must be auotiicr (U'chiratitm of iiiile|)omUMice, this tiiut; against the ('hunih r>f Konic and its trihutarv ; there must be another (hiclarntion of emancipation, — the temphjs and tiuar sacraments rei^'arded as so many shivc-marts, wliere .sv/m/s are Ijou^'lit and sidd ; the pro^. ;rty of tlie shivo-owners must be confiscated. And one hundred vears after this has been done, one hundred yeais of (hnrlopment and proj^ress, under tlic most favourable conxistence, what will be our advancement when a happy and reliable theory takes the ]>laco of the piesent absurdly dismal one ? What will be the scMisations of those permanently released from the (-hurcli cell ( How will the world seem to them when there is no more regula- tion-diet, no more seventh-flay riles, no more VAUhi prescriptions and monotonous reading from a ijloomy book that has become the chief infliction of civilized life { How will the heavens look, when the (,'hurch canopy that has hidden the heavens from liuman gaze is removed ] How will the earth look, when the Church curse is taken olf of it] How will men and women appear, when they for the lirst time look each r»thor in the face and see no brand there 2 Yes, the time will come when people will have no sorrow sive the stinging recollection that thcv could ever have been such perverse, sickly fools in the piist ! New-found health and joy, the recovered use of human powers, will in themselves be a celebration, but good inward conditions never fail of ])roducing brilliant outward results and aupjjly nuiterials for that which will dazzle the eye and intoxicate the senses. It will l)e a dutv, moreover, on that trans«3endent occa- fiion, to show that a great nation, like the United Stateh, does not depend uj)on the Cluirch to produce spltMidid cHect.s or to arrange a festival on a scale of princely magniticenco ! - ' . Part of the celebration at Iceland was held at Thingvalla, on the Mount of Laws, the very spot where the ancient Tliitnjs wore held, " diu'iiig the nalmv days of the vouu'' and flourishing Iceland Republic, — during the four centuries of its indeprivtiiiii iiii;,rlit take place, alnii;^' Ihc whole ^Vtl.intic coast tJisf:over('(l and cxitlorcd by tlic Norlhmcii, fn^iii Lahiailor ter- ance ([ueslion, the labour (jUeslion, the finance question, settling but one of them in these two eiuituries — the slavery (piestion. Social economists ami n^formers are tugging away at each of the gocial evils, honestly deploi'ing them, but i-eally nourishing them through this allegiance to the Church. What is needed is manhood : too much maidiood to oppress, too nnudi nuudiood to endure op|)rcssion ; too much manhood to ofier licjuor, too much manhood to drink it ; too much manhood to treat Avomen badly, or as inferiors, too much womanhood, whicdi is the same in essence, to put \\\^ with ill-treatment (jr to accept an inferior position. The Church has destroyed s(df-respcct ; hence these evils. They are the direct result of Christian preaching. Poverty is not caused by lack of mcmey, but its aitpropriation in large cpiantities by those authorized by tlu; Church to be rulers and masters, ecclesiastics tjf all grades, uf which the Pope is head, siivcrcign^, state otlicials, capitalists, emi>royers ; the lest may fare as best they can. &\\' OR, Honour to whom Honour is Duk. 189 >^' In the Irchiu'l Iit-puMic noiui of tlifso refdiiiis wcru n('(.'ression of ;in in-titntit'n whith the Chureh, <-;dliiig it divine, fidly supi.ortrd : n.iy, Avldeli tlie Chui.-h, throui,']! its good servants, the Spanish monareiis and ("ohiiubus, had ijitro- duced and pi.unotedf Mallet -ives Christianity the, er.-dit of hiivin:,' " re-estahh"sh(.'d a part of mankind, wlio groaned under a nuserable shivery, in tlicii' natural rights," hut tliere is no evi- dence of tins in the sagas ; on tlie contrary. tii(>re is a vdieniejit protest from many a fearless and outspoken ].agan against the shivery that the priests and kings w.'re attempting to j)ut upon them, the bondage of the new faith, and Laing asserts that " in. Norway this elas< (ihe slaves) appear to have l^.'tn better treated than on the south .>ide (.f ihe P.altic and to liave had some riglus. Lodin iiid to ask his ^hive Asti'id to accept of him in marriage. . . . < 'ne owner, J->ling Skialgsson, gavt.- them land to sow, and gave them the l)enefit of their own crops; and he put Ui)on thein a certain value, so that they could redfem them- selves from sla\ery, which some c(.uld do the fir-t ur second year, and * all who had any luck could do it in the third vear.' '■ Yiom this it uppeurn that slavery already existed in the Ciiristian countries on the south side of the Ualtic, andconseijuentiy iMjuld not have offended the rejigiuus s^-nse ,,f tJ,,' mis.donarie.s and priests when they traveled iiortliM-ard. Oswald e.\j)resses the l.lain truth by saying: "The Clum-h that alu^Iished slavery in name i.romoted it in fact ; for her doetrin.- impli.-(l a divine sanction of despotism, and an entire di.-reganl for man's natund lights. The slave-barrack>< (d' ancient iv-nie were temples of liheity compared with the dungeons of the Idt-rarchical tortnre- dciis, where thousands of nature's noblemen vainly invoked 1 ' • iCjo The Icelandic Discoverers of America ; (Icatli ftnd inadnosri as a rofiigo from tlie power of a more cruel fuc." A continuation of the slave s)'stom is the poverty-curse. The poor have no ri>fhts, and tlicy are considered to l»e Ixiuiid for life. A hireling is a slave to all intents and pmposes ; labour and the lahouror are equally despi.sed ; the favoured ujiper chiv'sses all over Europe and the I'nited States hold the belief that the working-cliiss are born .solely to toil for them and to minister to their comfort ; thi.s servitude is to bo their pernument .state, and they have no right to resist it or to aspire beyond it. Their wages are the least amount that they con jMjssibly subsist on ; educa- tion, leisure, enjoyment, oj)portunity, the use of their higher faculties, an; denied theni ; they are regarded as a species of domestic animal, whose mu.scles are of the oidy value to the community. Artisans and mechanics are a gra«le higher, but are likewise condemned to routine work, have closely stipulated e.\acti(Uis laid upon them, and are debarred from ])iivileges. The sum-total of the wrongs and injustice suil'ered by women, including that monster evil pro.-titution, is lo be traced directly to the lJil)le, to the gro.ss impurity of all the ic.leas contained in that book regarding marriage, the conjugal iclation, procreation, woman's natuie. J'rcjtending to worship the Creator, to revere his levealed work, creation, the iJibh? pronounces the highci-t functit)n delegati d to the human species, ])rocreation, nh, an act instigated by the lowest, most bestial »;arnai desire, and the human race are invarialily sjioken (»f as *' cmiceivetl in sin." This is the reason wliy Jesus Christ was an ascetic and celibate, and why this imnatural way of life was nlone deemed holy aiA exem[>lary. Marriage could only be hallowc-d by makiiifc it a sacrament, and was resjjcctable and decent only Iwicause it was a bond for life. The Church recognizes in m.irriage nothing but a .<«exual ru«,'l)t ami ft't'liiig, and liberty df clK)i<;e. It is (.'oiiccdi'd to Le tin* .'iiith, before Jlible or ci-eetl were aeeejited, or the (.lalilean god set uj) for worsliip, marriage was eimtraited ■\vithi)Ut any religions ceremony and could be dissolved for any ju!?t an 1 sntlicient cause. Oswald ol)sut the Xorsemtn honoured th(; l)ody, ileveloped it to the highest possil>le perftM:tion, and in the sngor and " lleimskringla " one frequently reads of some king cr warrior, that he was extremely handsome, large antl well I'ormed, while great praise is given to the beauty of the Ntirthorn women. Sickliness and we.ikness were despised among them, and no dt!ath was m«»re ignominious for a man than that on a siek-bed. Their theories were tlio reverse' of those held in thesis mod«'rn tinu'S in every respect. " Sublunary life," says Oswald, " accoriling to a still prevalent theory, is a state of probation for testing a man's [)ower of s(df-(lrnial." Whei'e the Christians lelintjuished, the Norsemen grasped ; and in tht-ir grand self- expansion, acknowledging no linuts, no j»roiiibiti(»ns, they faiily indiibed greatness from their surroundin;,'s, visible and in- visil>le, and absorbed the power of the eh'menls into thems(dves ; essentially spiritual in tht-ir mentality they paid all deference to (pialities, analyzed these, and arriving at accurate conclusions as to what was worthy of high-minded, men, they accorded to themselves the true ])lace in the scale of being and took their place, proul•th >shall have bt>cn j)u])lished to the world ; but let us look on the reverse side of the picture and note, with (Kwald, what the effect lias bee n of the Christian ductiiues, '• Have tlh-y ever added one millet- seed to the sum of human hapitiness .'"' he asks, " I>iil flu; apostle oC N;i/:treth evei' speak onii Word in favour of industry, of lational educai ion, the cause of health, the l'»ve and study of nature, of physical and intdleetual cultiiiv f Mot one. lias he promoted our progress in the paths of scieiirc and freedom ? Not on(^ step." It will be dillicull, therefore, to assign any g(>od reason for further adhen'iice to these doi-tiines. To tc ir down (."hristianity, under present coiidi; ioiis, is in no wise icouoclasui : neither will it leave a moral vacuum ; tlu- necessity is not even upon us of Ijiiildiuij; uj) sometlnng else in its stead, for a structure lias stood for ages, testificil to by reliable hist(U'y, winch the Church and Christianit V h;»\e e>l»scured and hidden from the gaze ; we neet eu'-aLTc in no useless or dou ibtful e.Npciiiuenting, f or a rejaiblii , cairied on under rationalistic ]U'iiiciples, has (_)nce existed, and will serve as a niodid for the reionstruction of modern coinnionwea 1th. A republic is but half a republic, if OR, Honour to whom Honour is Due. 195 Ihoy unn : witli a frci! coiistitiitifni, the iiiliiil>itiint3 of the huiJ submit ti> tlie Christian (h'spotism, hciiii;^ .suhj»M;t.s of tlu? Church, untl iu rciility aiv ^ovLTiicd thiuu<;h fear, the fciir of future puiiish- meiit. Throii^'h tht^ Churcli, monar(;hy, in its worst form, is inaintain<'(l in the I'nited States. Throuj^'h tlie Ciunch, niedirinalisni, with all its vices anil corrvption, is niaintaintMl ; anil so lon^ as this is the, case, nothing approaching to a nioileru state of society can be obtained. Lest the enthu.Hiasm rousinl l)y the anticipation of the j;;randest celebration on record, in 1985, be chilled by the thought tliat it is one Iiumlred yeai^s off, and that the present generation, and even the next, will not live to see it, it should be borne in mind that such a celebration cannot be accom- plished in a day or a generation. If we would have it in any degree a worth}' one, we must begin now. Seeds must be sown for such a haivcst as that I Iceland, in celel»rating lier millennial, had a thousand years' life to show, in which she had done more tiian any otlier commonwealth "for liberty, the advance of knowledge, and the {reservation of historic records, at a time when the rest of Kuroi)e was in darkness," but the American Ri'iuiblic has done nothing as yet to earn the dis- tinction that fate has reserved for it in this millenni.il, which at once invests the. young nation, lacking ancestral dignity, with an anti«iuity dating a thousand years back, and one that has heretofore been the mere spoils ol'an Italian adventurer and an avaricious ecclesiastical hierarchy — with the honour of liaving been discovered ])y worthy and independent men, led to its shores by no sordid motives. The glory of tliis fact wipes i^ut the ignominy of the other. l>ut as yet the peojtle of the United States liave not even acknowledged this fact; several of the leading American historians ilenv it. The adherents of oin? historic party are pressing Columbus' claims ; the adherents of the other have not etiectually set these aside. There has ))een no proclamation of the truth, and the public at large are so i. ! fe 194 TllIC ICKKANDIC DiSCOVKKKKS OF AMERICA; uttcily niunviiic of it tliiit tliej' still hold to the j»ious tratlitioi; tliat (-'oluniluis discovered America, in 1492. The tii.sl duty is obviously to eoiitirm the fai't of the \orse, discovery ; the second, to make idl the history so mirueulously preserved in Iceland accessible, thronjj^h translation and publi- cation, to the entire Kn^dish-s[)eal\iMi,' public ; th(^ third, is for this same public to endeavour to emulate the j^dorious exam[)K) of their aiK-estors. It were not wise to predict that ninr*^ than this can be done in a hundred year.s. ])Ut if less is done, the American Republic -will not be prepared to celebrate the n»illennial anniversary of its tliscovery as it should be celebrated I i'l CA ; ulitioii Xorso iloiisly publi- is for Ulllplo 1 than (lone, te the rated : :^ i I I iiiV, l.r.;'-! '■y'\ 5 ' ' ' ■ . ■ ■' i t Uji 1 H 1 ii 'M ? ?p OR, IIoNOIk lo WHOM HoN'OCK is DlK '95 CIlAriKR XT. Tin; fjiciiiKi) rosmoN ok thk .•iCANi»i\AviAX south aukk ihis JUSTIC'K HAS HKKN At* ■OUUKI) Tu II'. In t]i(' .sin^'lt' stiiU'iuoit (Imt tho (lisc(.vnv of Aiucrica b_v ih.- Xorscnicn lia.s never Leeii coiKHMled l»y the world t(. he a la.-t, is coniprisiMl tlie iiniveisal injiisti(;<} tlial Jias l»ecu dune tlie Seaiidiiiaviaii ^'ol•tll. \iy the Scandiiiaviau Xtntli is jiieaiit definitely : Sweden, .Norway, Denmark, and Ic(daiid ; tluis I'nur nations that hive individually and e(.llectiv(dy sustained till! innsL l)rilliant national rdh' that lias ever l)een acted in Juirnpe, or in tin* world, havt) lieen wilfully consj^rned t<» tdiseurity, their hisloiy eonccaled or distorted. Should it !•.' asked, How has this lieen ])ossihl(>, and why have they alliwed it ] the answer is, that their strepLfth was sapped i>y the introiluction of Christianity, />lan//f;(l uffl rarr/'c/ mit sululi/ h.f iln.^ jiur/HifP : that the; wh(»le of Catholic Kui'opo has been, in eoiuhinatioii a.^aiiist thein, first as jia-.Mns, then as ri'otestants ; and tliat the assumption ol rhristian hunulity ami weakness s i completely destroyed their anra])oleon, Wellin^'ton ; but I Iastin,L,^s, Kolf, Raj^Miar Lodbrok"s sons, Harold HarfaLrer, William tluj (" nupUM-CFr, ( 'aniite, are scarcely lieard of ; nevertheless, Knj^dand was Iwir.- compu'red by Norse kinj^s, and even the great Jvinj,' Alfred was compelled o 2 ^^^^ ^1 1 I i^ 196 TiiK I( r.i ANTnr Discovkkkks ok Amkkica; to ilividc; tlio liinil with tin' followers of Odin, WIh'Ii oIImt niltTs liiivo cii^'iigcd in wars of roii(|ii('j(t, tiiis lias rt'iloundt'd to llit'ir j,'lory, and superior statosin!\nslii|>, valour, anihition, ^'encral- sliip, liave ])('on accorded to tliein ; when the Norsemen have en<^fa^fed in wars of conqu(>.st, 'ichievin^' unparalleled victories, these results luivc^ Leen descrihed as the rava^'es of lawless dejiredators, the incursions of tin; Northern sea-rolil>eis, of the |)iratical Danes, &c., \'('. Military life, ndjudj^ed honourahle and justilial le, to this day, l»y all civilized nations, was, when |»ursucd hy them, alle;^ed to he an evidence of their ferocity and harharisin. With lyolder and more far- reach in;^' plans for attaining' the supremacy of Europe than even Ilussia has ever in- dnl^'ed in, the Scandinavians were represented as men of" limited intelli<,'ence only e(inal to piUagin^,' exjiec'itions against ini- protected coasts The Spaniards, too. Lave been tpiite willing to forget this litUe t>pisode which ocicurred in the ninth century : " From (laul th«> Northmen crossed to Sjtain (a.d. ^^L'7), where they came in contact with the Aral) conciuerors, and penetrated IIS far as Seville, the fortifications of which tliey demolished. The votaries of Odin ])revailed over those of Mohammed ; and pioceeding southward, they passed the outlet of the Medi- terranean, which from its resemblance to their own Haltic Strait, they called the Xiierva Sund, or the Narrow Sound." This is contained in " Scajidinavia, Ancient and Modern," hy Andrew Cricliton and Henry Wheaton. They also penetrated to .lerusalem, literally scouring the earth, and concerning such cosmopolites such a statement as that in Cooley's " History of Maritime and Inland Discovery," namely, that " theg(M)graphical knowdedge possessed hythe Northern nations was never circum- scribed within such narrow limits as those which confimHl the views of the earlv iidiabitants of Greece and Italv," — tinds readv credence with those who have ])egun tlie study of this remark- able race. Among the cultured inhabitants of all modern nations are very many very expert travellers, who have producevl f OR, IIoNorR TO WHOM IIoNorR IS DlK. 107 a voliiniinous litcniturn rps|)prtinLr the forri^'n fountrioa tlioy linvi' visiti'il, iiiid yet IIk'so Would be sim[»ly diizctl aiul lu'wildtivd in rcadiiif,' of the way in wliicli tin.' Xnrscjucii tnivt'llcd, tin; distance traversed, —tinn» and .spai-e Ixtth anniliiluti'd, — the ease wiili which they transpnrtecl thicts, aniiies, from one part of tlie world to another. In the " lleiniskrin^la " one may reail, hit or miss, of ahnost any one of the Norwe^'ian kind's, Harold llilrfa^'er, Ilakon, Olaf Try^'^'vason, or Olaf thr Saint, and lind that h(! ^'oes ()V(!r to Sweden to liavo a eonsultatioii with thf SAvedish king, looks into l)(.'nmirk to set; how things are getting on there, travels hack and forth from Nidaros, the Throudhjem of the high North, to tin; Komsdal or southern Xorway, or Kingerike, sails around thi' dreaded promontory Stad, the terror of all modern mariners, without the slightest dillieulty, finds time to entertain Icelandic or Knglish visitors, that is, Xorse- men from England, to gather the freshest foreign intelligent*', and with all this holds survey over the eidire Norwegian coast. To one who has travelled over Norway in the ninele'enth century, knowing full well the natur*? of the eountry and what lias to be encountered there, such accounts are sinijily ineredihlf ! It is a slight incident, to he sure, l)ut suggestive, that the ascent of Hcrnelen, a high and api)arently inaceessiblt^ mountain. ])arren of venlure, near Stad, on the west coast, was mad(! by Olaf Trygyvason, who "fixed his shield upon the very peak." ( )iu» of his followers had also atteujpted toeliinb this height, Itut after awhile could neither get U}> nor dci'iois in tlio arts both of war and poace." More than i\\i' con<|Ucst of nations, tlic Norsonicn «'onii)loto(l tiie conquest over thtMiisclvcs ; their heroism has never l)een surpassed; it is related that Kagnai' Lodhrok died sinmin;,', and Saxo records, as the <,'reatest ]>raise of a celebrated champion, that "he fell, lauj^dieil, and died." And yet it is the history of this race that has been suppressed 1 (,'ould the envy and nialicr; of their (,'hristian inferiors have been carriecl farther] And wliat is tlie result? The peo]>le of Eurojie antlthe ITnited Stat(!S are very nearly as i^Miorant (tf the Scandinavian X(»rth and its inhabitcints, of its degree of culture, its customs, as if Sweden, Norway and Denmark weie situated at the base of the Himalayas! Jnte]H)r<,' :sriispnin, th.' works on Swediish history fill seventy-one paj^'es of the catalogue, and doubtless a proportionate number of the shelves ; one can find tliere a]>out everything, from the early writings of Krieus ()h\\^ and of Johannes Messenius, ifi Latin, to those of ^fellin, (leijer, I'lyxell, Starluick, Afzelius, ane of more immediate use than the latest history of Sweden, ^SSverigcs Historia," in six volumes, written ))y a combination of the most able historians and anti.piaries of Sweden, J)rs. :Montvlius and Hildebran.l, I'rofessors Alin, Weil uU, and others; the style is a higiily «- • l;i 202 The Tci.landic Dlscovkrkrs of Amf.rica ; iittraclivc aiipears in such quantity ; this metal, it is true, had been known in our land since shortly after the l)irth of Christ, but for many centuries, clear to the beginning of the Viking j)eriod, silver seems to have been more rare here than gold." describing tho large commerce that was sustained, by way of Russia, with the Kast, he adds: "The certaintv is, that Sweden, bv wav of liussia, obtained from Constantinople costly fabrics and other, coveted couimodiiies, which the retiued Uvzantines had to oticc OR, Honour to wfiom Honour is Duk. 203 v^a the p(iini)-lovin<,' Nuitlicnicr.-s in cxdiaiigu f..r their vahiablo furs and other ware;^." Horace MarryatL .-states that " in the inventory of (Irii.slK.lni, durinj^' the veh^n of Ring (iiistaf, every object noted down is of foreign manufacture.' .\inung the importa- tions (luring tliis reign are mentioned dye-stiifl^, fruits, ganh-n- l>roduc:s, ghi.s.s gold, gems, liorses, funfectionery, linen wares, silk and velvet, silv<'r, tapestries, —all giving evidence of reline- iiient, love of luxury, and tin extremelv cultivated taste, and vet tlie statement that Sweden at tlie present day has two univer- sities, and upwards of 130 })ul)lic high and n-^rmal schools of various giaG;39 elementary schools; that it has over 4000 nuh>s of railway; a cr)mmercial navy of 4-111 vessels; a ''Sevres" of its own, the porcelain factory at Kiirstrand, Avhich has been the recipient of no less than ten medals, from Paris, :Moscow, lierlin, Maliuui, Jloras, Stockholm, liogota, Copenhagen, J'hiladeli.hia, and \w\uy an opera-house, built by the artdoving Gustaf 111., whicii in i ^c:» celebrated its centennial, an«l in which all the operatic re(piKe- ments, singers, orchestia, Ijallet, scenic decorations (invariablv line), even to the translation of the text into Swedish, all tin; Italian librettos, are tilled by native artists;— this statement will excite incredulous surprise in all who read it. The world has been so deeply impressed with the supposed fact of the Avretched barbarism and ignorance of the ancient Scandinavians that it stub])ornly refuses to believe that the modern Scandinavians have ever made any perceptible progress in letters or art. In England this scepticism is i)articularly marked ; ])ut either there or in the Tnited States the assertion that the contrary is the case, is almost resented. Xeverthel<*ss, the Sa/on every year borrows much of its lustre from tho works of Scandinavian artists, an -^-n rei[uired to convince the outside puldic tiiat the Nortl. cuiiM produce anything of any value, and these nations, t)u' oldest in civilization and culture, the intellectual ])arents aim ti'.icher- of nearly every nation in Euroiu', have been regarded as tyros, as extremely young and unskillcMl aspirants for fanuj, whose mediocrity was only ecpialled by their presumi)tion in daring to enter the lists at all. Several centiu'ies of this treatment could not fail to have its t'U'ect upon those who sulhired it ; it has greatly reduced the. national sense of greatness in the 8candinavia)i lan.ls and dimmed the ambition that once burnefl with so bright a flame. The Swedes of the present day have almost come to believe the worhl's contemi)tuous verdict of them ; in their wounded feeling their pride now is to be as exclusive as possible and not to seek intercourse with other nations at all ; they argue, and with a show of light, *^ if foreigners are so ignorant as not to estimate us propta-ly, we Avill make no effort to undeceive them ; it is really of no consecpience to us what they think." Consccpiently, although Sweden has acquired a permaiu^nt l)eaiing upon the universal mind, a permanent place in the ranks of those who have dune most for the advancement of the human race, nay, in res[)ect to securing the fundamental conditions for spiritual enlightenment, even having led. — it is sufl'ercd to sink into a decline, the records of its past greatness are buried, one cannot say forgotten, for they have never been kuoM'u, the works of Swedish authors stand, OR, Honour to whom Honour is Duk 205 C(Hiipnrativ<'ly unread, on the shelves uf Swedish lil)raries, and the country hm^uishes in its isnhition, deprived of the prosperity that eonnnerce, larL,'e tinancial rehiti(»ns and extensive interccurse with other hinds would yield it. The hulk of the jK'Ojjle in Norway an; content if a crowd of tourists visit the country every sununer simply to view its ^Mand and heautiful scenery, In niateiial develojtnicr.t it is not nearly so far advanced as .Sweden, is juuch more thiidy popidated, and the ^'sources are less in every way. Norway passed into a decline at the expiration of the V'ikinj; period, and has nothing in its history to com^sjtond Avith Sweden's " period (»f greatness," IStil], in its literature and art Norway stands very hij^h, and a few leading spiiits aiming the Norwegians, Ituth at home and ahroad, manifest nnnh j)atriotisni and national [trlde, and in this instance the few will exalt the man}'. Denmark, however, has steadily held its own, and heing greatly favoured hy its itroximity to the continent, has never heen ignored so completely as Norway ami Sweden. The Danes have shown more energy and strength of character than the Norwegians and the Swedes, and the stejis they have long since taken to denuuistrate historic truth in the great matter luder consideration, njake them the leaders in this new movement. But whatever remissness the nations of the North may he charged with, the cause of this remissness lies with the other countries, who have almost denied that they existed ; and the instigators of tins wides[)read injustice are tin; Roman Catholics and the Church whence they emanated. The Llame for the whole of this disastrous state of things, which must now, in all liaste, he changed, to avert a dire csdamity, rests upon the i^eople of every land who have acted under Koman Catholic intluence and believed lioman Cath(»lic lies, against their hetter judgment. Jt is not for these, therefore, to consider the duty of the Nor- wegians, Danes, and Swedes in the present exigency, hut to I>erfurm tlieir ov/n. Det them read and ponder well all that has heen tianslated into their respective languages upon Scandinavian 505 TlIK ICKLANDIC DiSCOVKRLKS OF AMKKKA -I I ■ liistdry and inythology, and upon tho Xorsn discovery ; l<'t iIkmii doinoiistraU' and proclaim what tlicy will speedily ascertain to l»e facts ; let them, in a word, turn the tide of error and removi- ilw false landmarks that lead all astray. One practical st<'p that should he taken at once, is clearly in- dicated hy rrofcssor Ifoward rrosl>y in his introductory letter to Sindin,i,f's *' History of S andinavia : " ^' We 0(Mly mingle the old and the ncnv, tlie dim and the hright. ^\hen we turn to Scandinavia, as we do with no other land. This douhle charac- ter Uiitu rally lends peculiar attrarti(Ui to its history. Yet, with all this attiacti<^in, the history of no part of Kurope ish'ss familiar to the general mind ; proh;ihly hecause the Scandinavian coun- tries lie somewhat off from the world's great liighways, and par- ticii)ate hut moderatidy in tlu; woild's idiief cominiTce. This should not he. The ignorance is a fault, especially among us of l!nglish th'scent, whosi; ancestral history is so intimately and variously associated with that of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. 'I'he Norsenuni have? left the memorials of their hahitation on the coast of Scotland, where Runic insci'iptions tell the story of iheir ju'owess, while through much of England the familiar names of towns and handets are purely Xorse. ... It is there- fore full time that our universities should have their chairs of Scandinavian literature, as a needful part of the; apparatus for a thorough Knglish education, to render more complete the exa- mination of the roots of our speech and race. AVhile this want is felt, we ma\ gladly hail any contribution to American litera- ture which tends to open this interesting Held of research." Yes, that is ])recis(dy what is needed, chairs of Scandinavian literature in the American and Knglish universities, skilful teachers of the Swedish and Danish languages, and a good corj s «)f translators set to work at once to put the most valuable Scan- dinavian books into English. There should indeed ])e a society formed to fulfil an office parallel to that of the Royal Society of IS'orthern Antii|uaries, in Copenhagen ; tliis society renders the OR, [I(>N\)LK TO WHOM IIONOUR IS DlC 207 iiiorc iniiHTlaiitof th.' Ic.-lamlic maimscrii.ts ,'ur.".>il.l,. to tlu- J^unisl, ,Mil,li,., tlu' uth.'rshouM ivikI.tuH viiluu].!." Scan.lii.avian lii-stcrios aii.I m-ords um.ssil.Ie to the entii-o Knulisli-spoakiii- I>Ml)lie. This hi^rlily n.MM-syary work has aliva.ly hccii (h-f.-nvd much too Ion- With every liour that is ch-InvtMl will the aft-r <'oiiii.unetioi, and liiiinih'ation ]>v iiim-as<..l, ili," painful sens,- of liavin- (h.frau.h'd the Scandinavian North of its ri-htful position, of havin- ])("cn ^ruihy of the hascst in<,'rat.itud... Jn tli<. n.-.ir future it will ho realized, too, 1j,,nv (hn^ply we of Kn^dish d.-scnit l.av(3 .h^fraud.Ml ourselvi-s in defrauding then,, how «eriuusly we have lowered our own rank in lowering theirs ! •Stdl, after all reiinssiiess and shortcomings, the destiny ..f tjie united nations of the Scandijiaviau stock in a bright one.' I,, a joint act we will l.oth aekiiowhMlgc our ancestors and he aeknow'- le.lged as their true heirs and descen.hmts ; to give wdl he to receive in a 8 n.se never realized he fore : once hospitalde to Nortlieru thought, Northern liistory, Northern nieni,.ries. Northern poetry, to the' beauty that Northern genius has evoked fn.m marble and canvas, to the noble l.-gehds and traditions that, having done so much to inspire genius in ih.'ir native realm, will also lead the commercial and matciialislic mind ..f the Continent and the United Slates to lofty ideals, - once }io^^pital)le to these, we will entertain many an angel un- awares ; What wc are called upon to do, and what we will so,,n do with glad eagemess, is to attribut.' to our Imnoun'd Noise progenitors the grandest diseovery that was ever made, tie- discovery of the American contiui-nt ; the ciaupiest and remodelling of n^-arly the whole of Kun.pe; the founding of several great empires anil rei)ublics ; the manly and determined resistan.-e, for tix e hundred years, to the system of idolatry kiiown as the Kon.an Catholic or Christian religion ; the renewed oj.posilion to this .luring the Reformation ; the permanent rescue of the three, Scandinavian nations, including Iceland, and the American K i.ubli.;, f.om the I I ■!s-swaHiwi '2o8 TnK Icelandic r3isc(>vi:Ki:ks of Amkrica. insiitiiito <,Masp of the Konli^h power; tlic constMiueut liberty of tlntu^'lit Jiml ])ersoTi. Tliis (loiK , ili(i Si-aiulinavian \(»rth will at once resinne its true rank, and stan,l fortli as tin; acknowledged inteliectual and moral leader of the civilized world, as attested ]»y every page of its history I I . liC ' ^'i' \. ty of e its and J« of lUBLrOCIRAPITY OF TUK IMPORTAXT IJOOKS COX. l'rK.MIX(i TIIK fCh'I.AXDIC DISCOVKKV OK AMERICA FROM Till-: YKAKS lo7G-lHs;j. lorn, 1570, loO-t. 1611. 1042. 1705. 1 7'>5. ] 707 177a 1777. 1780. 1808. 1810. ]8ll. 1812. Adiun von Bn'men. " TTistoria Ecclosiustica Ecclosliiniui lIuniliurLfeusis et linMuensis." I'libli^lied in CopeiihiiL'eu iu 157'.). Abrahain Ortelins. " 'I'lioatniin ()i-l*[s 'rcrrariiiii." ^:ll^rli.sll traiiHlatioii puMisiiod iu London in 1 ()(»(!. A Daiiisli translation puldislu-d of .Stiorre Sturleson's '■ lK'inisknn(>'la." Copoidiageu. Abrahatn Mylius. " Treatiso do Antiqiiitate Lin..-iiii' liflu-ica>." Le3'd«'n. " ITuLfo (jrotius. "Dissertatio do Origine Gontium Anieri- caiiarinn." Paris. Thoi-mohis TorlioiLs. " Historia Vitdindijo Auti.nia^." Havnia\ Paid Meiiri .yallet. '" Introilnction a I'FTistoire do Danno- Duire." Co[it'uhaireM. liisln-i) P.-rcy's Knglish trans- lation piililished iu Loudon iu 1770. Titlo T •' Nortliorn Auti(|iiities." David CvdUA. " History of Orcculan<1." London. lioujaniiuFraiddin. Lettor to Mr. .Mather, iu '• Memoirs of the fiite of, l^c." London. UnovouTroil. " Letters on Tcehuid." Upsala. John KoinlioM Forster. " History of the N'oyagcs and Discoveries made in the North." London. John I'inkerton. "A general Collection of the Lest and moHt interesting Voyages aud Travels in all i»urts of thr World." London. " Atinales des Voyages." Paris. Sir (J. Steuart Mackenzie. "Travels in Iceland." Ediuhurc/h. llugli Willianisou. "The History of North Caruliua." Philadelphia. ^tm 210 HlllLIOdRAniV. 1H17. ('(iiirjiil Miilto-Hniii. " II istuirc ilc I;i (It''»<,'r;i|iliit'." PuriM, IHIH. •IdIiii liarrow. "A ( 'liroiiuld^ficiil History ol' \'()yu1'. T. rainj);iniiis, 'vl )escriptiou of the I'rovinoe of New Sweden." Philadelphia. 18'3<3. (.'onstaniin Sainnel KivHnesi(iie. " The .American X.itions ; or. Outlines uf their Cieneral History, AucicMit and ^I(xlern." Pliilailelphia. ]8".i0, "Keport addressed by the Eoyal Society of Xortliern Anti(pi;nies to itrt British and American inendiers." Copcidiau'eii. 18:)7. Charles Christian Rata. " Aiitiipiitatjs Americana'." Copenha>ren. 1837. A\'ilhelm Auyust Graah. " Narrative of an Expedition to the East Coast of Greenland ... in search of the lost ?olonies." rion. J. Tonlmin Smith. "The Discovery of America by the Northmen." London. f l^ii:i,iO(,k\i'nv. .M I 1H:!!». fiiviivill.. I'i-..tt. ••S,';iinliMiiviiiM M vtliuln-v/' L,,n,I,,ii. l«ll. A. L. I.Vamisli. '-Til.- |)i>r.)v.'iT ut' A iiirii-a l.y Ml.' Nortli- IIH'II." l,ii||(Ioil. IHIJ. K Willu.lii.i. •' islaii.l. ||vitr;iiiiiuuiiiliiiiil. (iK-nljiinl iiml Niiiliiiid. nd.'i-, .Id- \(inii;iiiiit'i- LcIpimi a'lt' Island iiiid (lioiilaril iiiid dnvii Falirton niicli Atii.'ii.-a sdijii uIht • >i|<» .lalitt' Vdp ('')liiml.ii.s." 181.:J. Th II. Krs|,.w. '• Ah.M'iid.'li-f K..rriiM.T-L.'xicon tnr K(iiit:.-iiLr.'f Daiiiiiaik." \t.l. II., p|>. .Vi7 t;o;i. IHII. Suiiiarl Liiiiiy. "TiMiivJatiuii ..f tli.' llriiiiNk,-iiit,d;i. with a prt'liiiiiiiaiv l>is<«'rt itioii." Li)ii,|,,ii. 1 bit. Car! Il.iiiric'l, II,. in. rs. "|)i." Ki.t.lckiniu' v..m Aiiirn".-!! • hin'li (lii> |>lM!Mlrr iiii /.,.liiit<'M (III. I ciltni .lahrlimKlorU'." iMMIlliMdiWL'iM-. 1^17. Aloxjiiiiltr v.ii lliiiiiI.iMt "CisiiK.s." Loll. 1(. II. 1817. (iiistaf Kl,.|,im. ;• AJi^^ernt-iin. ( •ullur-( M-srhi.-ht.. dvv Mt'iisclilii'it. ' li('i|isii,'. Ib.jO. "Aiici.Mit Sraixlitiavia." In C'lianilMTs" I'aiM-iN f,,r tli.' iVopI.'. Vol. \'l. IvIi.il.m^^K l^oiK JolmT. SliilliM^r];,w. 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