letters from high latitudes-第12部分

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lean　crisp　sheets；　blankets；　and　coverlets　complete；　at　the　back；　he　proceeded　to　lay　out　the　dinner…table　at　the　tent　door　with　as　much　decorum　as　if　we　were　expecting　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury。　All　this　time　the　cook；　who　looked　a　little　pale；　and　moved；　I　observed　with　difficulty；　was　mysteriously　closeted　with　a　spirit…lamp　inside　a　diminutive　tent　of　his　own；　through　the　door　of　which　the　most　delicious　whiffs　occasionally　permeated。　Olaf　and　his　comrades　had　driven　off　the　horses　to　their　pastures；　and　Sigurdr　and　I　were　deep　in　a　game　of　chess。　Luckily；　the　shower；　which　threatened　us　a　moment；　had　blown　over。　Though　now　almost　nine　o'clock　P。M。；　it　was　as　bright　as　mid…day；　the　sky　burned　like　a　dome　of　gold；　and　silence　and　deep　peace　brooded　over　the　fair　grass…robed　plain；　that　once　had　been　so　fearfully　convulsed。

You　may　be　quite　sure　our　dinner　went　off　merrily；　the　tetanus…afflicted　salmon　proved　excellent；　the　plover　and　ptarmigan　were　done　to　a　turn；　the　mulligatawny　beyond　all　praise；　but；　alas！　I　regret　to　add；　that　hethe　artist；　by　whose　skill　these　triumphs　had　been　achievedhis　task　accomplished；no　longer　sustained　by　the　factitious　energy　resulting　from　his　professional　enthusiasm；at　last　succumbed；　and；　retiring　to　the　recesses　of　his　tent；　like　Psyche　in　the　〃Princess；〃　lay　down；　〃and　neither　spoke　nor　stirred。〃

After　another　game　or　two　of　chess；　a　pleasant　chat；　a　gentle　stroll；　we　also　turned　in；　and　for　the　next　eight　hours　perfect　silence　reigned　throughout　our　little　encampment；　except　when　Wilson's　sob…like　snores　shook　to　their　foundation　the　canvas　walls　that　sheltered　him。

When　I　awokeI　do　not　know　at　what　hour；　for　from　this　time　we　kept　no　account　of　day　or　nightthe　white　sunlight　was　streaming　into　the　tent；　and　the　whole　landscape　was　gleaming　and　glowing　in　the　beauty　of　one　of　the　hottest　summer…days　I　ever　remember。　We　breakfasted　in　our　shirt…sleeves；　and　I　was　forced　to　wrap　my　head　in　a　white　handkerchief　for　fear　of　the　sun。　As　we　were　all　a　little　stiff　after　our　ride；　I　could　not　resist　the　temptation　of　spending　the　day　where　we　were；　and　examining　more　leisurely　the　wonderful　features　of　the　neighbourhood。　Independently　of　its　natural　curiosities；　Thingvalla　was　most　interesting　to　me　on　account　of　the　historical　associations　connected　with　it。　Here；　long　ago；　at　a　period　when　feudal　despotism　was　the　only　government　known　throughout　Europe；　free　parliaments　used　to　sit　in　peace；　and　regulate　the　affairs　of　the　young　Republic；　and　to　this　hour　the　precincts　of　its　Commons　House　of　Parliament　are　as　distinct　and　unchanged　as　on　the　day　when　the　high…hearted　fathers　of　the　emigration　first　consecrated　them　to　the　service　of　a　free　nation。　By　a　freak　of　nature；　as　the　subsiding　plain　cracked　and　shivered　into　twenty　thousand　fissures；　an　irregular　oval　area；　of　about　two　hundred　feet　by　fifty；　was　left　almost　entirely　surrounded　by　a　crevice　so　deep　and　broad　as　to　be　utterly　impassable；at　one　extremity　alone　a　scanty　causeway　connected　it　with　the　adjoining　level；　and　allowed　of　access　to　its　interior。　　It　is　true；　just　at　one　point　the　encircling　chasm　grows　so　narrow　as　to　be　within　the　possibility　of　a　jump；　and　an　ancient　worthy；　named　Flosi；　pursued　by　his　enemies；　did　actually　take　it　at　a　fly；　but　as　leaping　an　inch　short　would　have　entailed　certain　drowning　in　the　bright　green　waters　that　sleep　forty　feet　below；　you　can　conceive　there　was　never　much　danger　of　this　entrance　becoming　a　thoroughfare。　I　confess　that　for　one　moment；　while　contemplating　the　scene　of　Flosi's　exploit；　I　felt；like　a　true　Briton；an　idiotic　desire　to　be　able　to　say　that　I　had　done　the　same；　that　I　survive　to　write　this　letter　is　a　proof　of　my　having　come　subsequently　to　my　senses。

＇Figure：　fig…p055。gif　with　caption　as　follows：　　　　A　　The　Althing。　　　　B　　The　Hill　of　Laws。　　　　C　　The　place　where　Flosi　jumped。　　　　D　　Adjacent　Chasms。＇

This　spot　then；　erected　by　nature　almost　into　a　fortress；　the　founders　of　the　Icelandic　constitution　chose　for　the　meetings　of　their　Thing；　＇Footnote：　　From　thing；　to　speak。　We　have　a　vestige　of　the　same　word　in　Dingwall；　a　town　of　Ross…shire。＇　or　Parliament；　armed　guards　defended　the　entrance；　while　the　grave　bonders　deliberated　in　security　within：　to　this　day；　at　the　upper　end　of　the　place　of　meeting；　may　be　seen　the　three　hammocks；　where　sat　in　state　the　chiefs　and　judges　of　the　land。

But　those　grand　old　times　have　long　since　passed　away。　Along　the　banks　of　the　Oxeraa　no　longer　glisten　the　tents　and　booths　of　the　assembled　lieges；　no　longer　stalwart　berserks　guard　the　narrow　entrance　to　the　Althing；　ravens　alone　sit　on　the　sacred　Logberg；　and　the　floor　of　the　old　Icelandic　House　of　Commons　is　ignominiously　cropped　by　the　sheep　of　the　parson。　For　three　hundred　years　did　the　gallant　little　Republic　maintain　its　independencethree　hundred　years　of　unequalled　literary　and　political　vigour。　At　last　its　day　of　doom　drew　near。　Like　the　Scotch　nobles　in　the　time　of　Elizabeth；　their　own　chieftains　intrigued　against　the　liberties　of　the　Icelandic　people；　and　in　1261　the　island　became　an　appanage　of　the　Norwegian　crown。　Yet　even　then　the　deed　embodying　the　concession　of　their　independence　was　drawn　up　in　such　haughty　terms　as　to　resemble　rather　the　offer　of　an　equal　alliance　than　the　renunciation　of　imperial　rights。　Soon；　however；　the　apathy　which　invariably　benumbs　the　faculties　of　a　people　too　entirely　relieved　from　the　discipline　and　obligation　of　self…government；　lapped　in　complete　inactivity；　moral；　political；　and　intellectual；these　once　stirring　islanders。　On　the　amalgamation　of　the　three　Scandinavian　monarchies；　at　the　union　of　Calmar；　the　allegiance　of　the　people　of　Iceland　was　passively　transferred　to　the　Danish　crown。　Ever　since　that　time；　Danish　proconsuls　have　administered　their　government；　and　Danish　restrictions　have　regulated　their　trade。　　The　traditions　of　their　ancient　autonomy　have　become　as　unsubstantial　and　obsolete　as　those　which　record　the　vanished　fame　of　their　poets　and　historians；　and　the　exploits　of　their　mariners。　It　is　true；　the　adoption　of　the　Lutheran　religion　galvanized　for　a　moment　into　the　semblance　of　activity　the　old　literary　spirit。　A　printing…press　was　introduced　as　early　as　1530；　and　ever　since　the　sixteenth　century　many　works　of　merit　have　been　produced　from　time　to　time　by　Icelandic　genius。　Shakespeare；　Milton；　and　Pope　have　been　translated　into　the　native　tongue；　one　of　the　best　printed　newspapers　I　have　ever　seen　is　now　published　at　Reykjavik；　and　the　Colleges　of　Copenhagen　are　adorned　by　many　an　illustrious　Icelandic　scholar；　but　the　glory　of　the　old　days　is　departed；　and　it　is　across　a　wide　desolate　flat　of　ignoble　annals；　as　dull　and　arid　as　their　own　lava　plains；　that　the　student　has　to　look　back　upon　the　glorious　drama　of　Iceland's　early　history。　As　I　gazed　around　on　the　silent；　deserted　plain；　and　paced　to　and　fro　along　the　untrodden　grass　that　now　clothed　the　Althing；　I　could　scarcely　believe　it　had　ever　been　the　battle…field　where　such　keen　and　energetic　wits　encountered；that　the　fire…scathed　rocks　I　saw　before　me　were　the　very　same　that　had　once　inspired　one　of　the　most　successful　rhetorical　appeals　ever　hazarded　in　a　public　assembly。

As　an　account　of　the　debate　to　which　I　allude　has　been　carefully　preserved；　I　may　as　well　give　you　an　abstract　of　it。　　A　more　characteristic　leaf　out　of　the　Parliamentary　Annals　of　Iceland　you　could　scarcely　have。

In　the　summer　of　the　year　1000；　when　Ethelred　the　Unready　ruled　in　England；　and　fourteen　years　after　Hugh　Capet　had　succeeded　the　last　Carlovingian　on　the　throne　of　France；the　Icelandic　legislature　was　convened　for　the　consideration　of　a　very　important　subjectno　less　important；　indeed；　than　an　inquiry　into　the　merits　of　a　new　religion　lately　brought　into　the　country　by　certain　emissaries　of　Olaf　Tryggveson；the　first　Christian　king　of　Norway；and　the　same　who　pulled　down　London　bridge。

The　assembly　met。　The　Norse　missionaries　were　called　upon　to　enunciate　to　the　House　the　tenets　of　the　faith　they　were　commissioned　to　disclose；　and　the　debate　began。　Great　and　fierce　was　the　difference　of　opinion。　The　good　old　Tory　party；　supported　by　all　the　authority　of　the　Odin　establishment；　were　violent　in　opposition。　The　Whigs　advocated　the　new　arrangement；　and；　as　the　king　supported　their　own　views；　insisted　strongly　on　the　Divine　right。　Several　liberal　members　permitted　themselves　to　speak　sarcastically　of　the　Valhalla　tap；　and　the　ankles　of　Freya。　The　discussion　was　at　its　height；　when　suddenly　a　fearful　peal　of　subterranean　thunder　roared　around　the　Althing。　〃Listen！〃　cried　an　orator　of　the　Pagan　party；　〃how　angry　is　Odin　that　we　should　even　consider　the　subject　of　a　new　religion。　His　fires　will　consume　us。〃　To　which　a　ready　debater　on　the　other　side　replied；　by　〃begging　leave　to　ask　the　honourable　gentleman；with　whom　were　the　gods　angry　when　these　rocks　were　melted？〃pointing　to　the　devastated　plain　around　him。　Taking　advantage　of　so　good　a　hit；　the　Treasury　〃whips〃　immediately　called　for　a　division；　and　the　Christian　religion　was　adopted　by　a　large　majority。

The　first　Christian　missionaries　who　came　to　Iceland　seem　to　have　had　a　rather　peculiar　manner　of　enforcing　the　truths　of　the　Go