[1] There is a curious Scandinavian legend extant, relative to this
subject. The god Balder dreamt that his life, although made to be immortal,
was threatened with an imminent danger. The gods agreed to exercise all the
perils which might have the power of injuring Balder. The goddess Frigga,
the mother of Balder, undertook this task; and she exacted an oath from
fire, from water, from all the metals, from the stones, from land, from the
fishes, from all the animals, and from all the vegetables, that they would
do no harm to Balder. On the conclusion of this solemn compact, the
deities, in one of their grand meetings, amused themselves with throwing at
Balder, arrows, stones, lighted torches, and with striking him tremendous
blows with the sword, his invulnerability protecting him from injury. Loke,
an evil genius, and an enemy of the gods, in the disguise of an old woman,
went to Frigga, and claimed her hospitality. The kind goddess related the
story of her son to the impostor, who enquired whether everything in
nature, without exception, had taken the required oath. Frigga replied,
that there was only one small shrub, (the mistletoe,) from which she had
exacted no promise, because, it being so feeble, she did not dread its
power. Loke then departed, and, cutting the mistletoe, converted it into a
sharp pointed arrow. He returned to the assembly of the gods, darted his
weapon against Balder, and killed him. Everything in nature wept for
Balder, and especially the trees, which were for a long time
inconsolable.--_Madame de Genlis._
* * * * *
Changes made to printed original.
Pages vi, vii. Pages interchanged in original.
Page viii. "natural or artificial": 'natural er artificial' in original.
Page 12. "as he represents the celestial regions": 'as be represents' in
original.
Page 67. "distinguished by the most exquisite beauty": 'exquiste' in
original.
Page 71. "arch, yet pure": 'vet' in original.
Page 100. "Subdued majesty with this glad time.": 'Sudued' in original.
Page 108. "who had descended": 'descdeden' in original.
Page 146. "the time of her being carried off": 'been' in original.
Page 263. "gave them additional favour": 'them them' in original.