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O22 VON TROIL’S LETTERS ON ICELAND.
The prefent tranflation has been made from the laft German edition, publifhed by
Mefirs. ‘Troil and Bergman, with numerous additions and corrections ; and though it
is not oftentatioufly recommended to the public for any elegance or accuracy of {tyle, it
may however be fafely {tated as a faithful tranflation from the original, and a work of
real merit and utility.
We leave it tothe unprejudiced reader to form a judgment of this performance which
is replete with variety of matter, treated on in an inftructive and fatisfattory manner ;
and likewife on the great learning relative to natural hiftory, hiftorical, antiquarian, and
philological fubjels, which are every where blended in the context of the following
letters; and we are of opinion, that in refpect to thefe points, this work requires.no
apology for offering it to the impartial public.
As to its utility, it will not be unneceflary to prefix a few obfervations on the im-
portance of Icelandic literature.
‘The Englifh language was originally fo nearly related to that of Iceland, that we need
only caft our eyes on a gloflary, to fee the affinity of both languages, and the great
light the one receives from the other.
‘The Normans and Danes, who were during a confiderable time mafters of England,
introduced into it many cuftoms, laws, and manners, which would remain inexplicable ;
but the Icelanders being originally defcended from the fame Normans, and living on an
land which has very little intercourfe with the reft of the world, have preferved their
Janguage, manners, and laws in their primitive fimplicity ; nay, all the hiftorical ac-
counts of the North are contained in the hiftorical fayings (/agas) of the Icelanders,
which are very numerous, and would be of very important fervice in the inveftigation
of the origin of the language, manners, and laws of England. Nor can it be advanced
that this kind of ftudy could not be purfued amongft us for want of thefe hiftoricai
monuments of the Icelanders; fince by the known indefatigable zeal for the promo-
tion of all branches of literature, and the moft difinterefted generofity of Jofeph
Banks, Efq. P. R. 5S. one hundred and fixty-two Icelandic manufcripts have been pre-
fented to and are depofited in the Britifh Mufeum.
he hiftory of the northern nations, their divinities, religion, principles, and tenets,
together with their poetry, prefent the philofophic reader with f{ubjects worthy of his
ipeculation ; they at the fame time account for many hiftorical events, and for many a
curious cuftom preferved by fome one or other of the nations defcended from the fame
root with thefe inhabitants of the north.
The fubject of volcanos, and of the origin of certain kinds of ftones and foffils, have
of late attracted the attention of philofophers; but in my opinion, they are no where
treated with fo much candour, truth, and philofophical precifion as in thofe remarks
which the Chevalier Torbern Bergman fent to our author in form of a letter, and which
he has here communicated to the public. ;
The whole ifland of Iceland is a chain of volcanos, the foil almoft every where
formed of decayed cinders, lava, and flags; and the numerous hot fprings,. efpecially
that called Gey/er, give full fcope to the moft curious remarks on thefe fubjetts, fince
they are here obvious in fo many varied fhapes, and for that reafon become inftructive,
Lava and fome other productions of nature have not been hitherto fubjected to chemi-
cal procefles: profeflor Bergman therefore deferves the thanks of the public for his ex-
cellent letter, giving a very mterefting account of his experiments on all the various
foflils and natural productions of Iceland. ‘The origin of bafaltic pillars, fuch as form
the Giant’s Caufeway in Jreland, the whole ifland of Staffa, and more efpecially Fingal’s
Cave, has of late been much fpoken of by travellers and learned mineralogifts. Some
2 afcribe
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