Ver. 75. What virgins these, in speechless woe] "It is not certain," says Mr. Herbert, "what Odin means by the question concerning the weeping virgins; but it has been supposed that it alludes to the embassy afterwards sent by Frigga to try to redeem Balder from the infernal regions, and that Odin betrays his divinity by mentioning what had not yet happened." Iceland. Translat. p. 48,-The object of this embassy was frustrated by the perfidy of Loke, who having assumed (as was supposed) the shape of an old woman, refused to join in the general petition. "I Lok (she said) will weep with dry eyes the funeral of Balder. Let all things living or dead, weep if they will, but let Hela keep her prey."-After this, Loke hid himself, built a house among the mountains, and made a net. Odin however found out his hiding-place, and the gods assembled to take him. He seeing this, burnt his net, and changed himself into a salmon. After some trouble, Thor caught him by the tail, and this is the reason why salmons, ever after, have had their tails so fine and thin. They bound him with chains, and suspended the serpent Skada over his head, whose venom falls upon his face drop by drop. His wife Siguna sits by his side, catches the drops as they fall from his face in a basin, which she empties as often as it is filled. He will remain in chains till the end of the world, or as the Icelanders call it, the Twilight of the Gods. To this the prophetess alludes in the last stanza. Ver. 76. That bend to earth their solemn brow] This and the following verse are not in the Latin translation. Ver. 79. Tell me whence] Say from whence, Ms. Ver. 83. Mightiest of the mighty line] The mightiest of the mighty line, Ms. NOTES. Ver. 86. But mother of the giant brood] In the Latin, " mater trium gigantum :" probably Angerbode, who from her name seems to be "no prophetess of good;" and who bore to Loke, as the Edda says, three children, the wolf Fenris, the great serpent of Midgard, and Hela, all of them called giants in that system of mythology. MASON. Ver. 88. That never shall enquirer come] In the original, this and the three following lines are represented by this couplet : "Et deorum crepusculum Dissolventes aderint." Mr. Herbert has published a translation of the introductory lines of this poem, and also much curious information illustrating several passages in the text. See his Select Iceland. Poetry, p. 43. He mentions some little amplifications in Gray, tending to convey notions of the Icelandic mythology, not warrantedby the original, as Coal-black steed; Raven hair;' Thrice he trac'd the Runic rhyme;' The portals nine of hell;' Foam and human gore.' Ver. 90. Till Lok has burst his tenfold chain] Lok is the evil being, who continues in chains till the twilight of the gods approaches: when he shall break his bonds, the human race, the stars, and sun, shall disappear; the earth sink in the seas, and fire consume the skies: even Odin himself and his kindred deities shall perish. For a further explanation of this mythology, see 'Introduction a l'Histoire de Dannemarc par Mons. Mallet,' 1755, quarto; or rather a translation of it published in 1770, and entitled 'Northern Antiquities;' in which some mistakes in the original are judiciously corrected. MASON. Compare with this poem, 'Hermode's Journey to Hell,' in Dr. Percy's Translation of Mallet's Northern Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 149. THE TRIUMPHS OF OWEN.* A FRAGMENT. FROM THE WELSH. From Mr. Evans's Specimens of the Welsh Poetry: London, 1764, quarto, p. 25, and p. 127. Owen succeeded his father Griffith app Cynan in the principality of North Wales, A.D. 1137. This battle was fought in the year 1157. Jones's Relics, vol. ii. p. 36. OWEN's praise demands my song, Lord of every regal art, Liberal hand, and open heart. 5 NOTES. * The original Welsh of the above poem was the composition of Gwalchmai the son of Melir, immediately after Prince Owen Gwynedd had defeated the combined fleets of Icelaud, Denmark, and Norway, which had invaded his territory on the coast of Anglesea. There is likewise another poem which describes this famous battle, written by Prince Howel, the son of Owen Gwynedd; a literal translation of which may be seen in Jones's Relics, vol. ii. p. 36. In Mason's edition, and in all the subsequent, it is said that Owen succeeded his father, A. D. 1120. The date I have altered, agreeably to the text of Mr. Jones, to A. D. 1137. Ver. 4. Gwyneth] North Wales. Ver. 10. Squadrons three against him came] “ A battle round of squadrons three they shew," Fairfax's Tasso, xviii. 96. Mr. Whitehead, in his Battle of Argoed Llwyfain,' translated from Taliessin, vol. iii. p. 85, seems to have had his "Flamdwyn pour'd his rapid bands The numerous host, from side to side, Ver. 14. Lochlin] Denmark. eye on these lines: Ver. 20. The dragon-son of Mona stands] The red dragon is the device of Cadwallader, which all his descendants bore on their banners. MASON. Ver. 23. There the thund'ring strokes begin]" It seems (says Dr. Evans, p. 26,) that the fleet landed in some part of the frith of Menai, and that it was a kind of mixt engagement, some fighting from the shore, others from the ships; and probably the great slaughter was owing to its being low-water, and that they could not sail. This will doubtless remind many of the spirited account delivered by the noblest historian of ancient Greece, of a similar |