ieving with Gosse[4] that the poet learned Icelandic in his later
life. Even after reading Professor Kittredge's essay, we cannot
understand how Gray could catch the metrical lilt of the Old Norse with
only a Latin version to transliterate the parallel Icelandic. We suspect
that Gray's knowledge was fuller than Professor Kittredge will allow,
although we must admit that superficial knowledge may coexist with a
fine interpretative spirit. Matthew Arnold's knowledge of Celtic
literature was meagre, yet he wrote memorably and beautifully on that
subject, as Celts themselves will acknowledge.[5]

THE SOURCES OF GRAY'S KNOWLEDGE.

It has already been said that only antiquarians had knowledge of things
Icelandic in Gray's time. Most of this knowledge was in Latin, of
course, in ponderous tomes with wonderful, long titles; and the list of
them is awe-inspiring. In all likelihood Gray did not use them all, but
he met references to them in the books he did consult. Professor
Kittredge mentions them in the paper already quoted, but they are here
arranged in the order of publication, and the list is lengthened to
include some books that were inspired by the interest in Gray's
experiments.

=1636= and =1651=. Wormius. _Seu Danica literatura antiquissima,
vulgo Gothica dicta, luci reddita opera Olai Wormii. Cui accessit de
prisca Danorum Poesi Dissertatio._ Hafniae. 1636. Edit. II. 1651.

The essay on poetry contains interlinear Latin translations of the
_Epicedium_ of Ragnar Loethbrok, and of the _Drapa_ of Egill
Skallagrimsson. Bound with the second edition of 1651, and bearing the
date 1650, is: _Specimen Lexici runici, obscuriorum quarundam vocum, quae
in priscis occurrunt historiis et poetis Danicis enodationem exhibens.
Collectum a Magno Olavio pastore Laufasiensi, ... nunc in ordinem
redactum, auctum et locupletatum ab Olao Wormio_. Hafniae.

This glossary adduces illustrations from the great poems of Icelandic
literature. Thus early the names and forms of the ancient literature
were known.

=1665.= Resenius. _Edda Islandorum an. Chr. MCCXV islandice
conscripta per Snorronem Sturlae Islandiae. Nomophylacem nunc primum
islandice, danice et latine ... Petri Johannis Resenii_ ... Havniae.
1665.

A second part contains a disquisition on the philosophy of the _Voeluspa_
and the _Havamal_.

=1670.= Sheringham. _De Anglorum Gentis Origine Disceptatio. Qua
eorum migrationes, variae sedes, et ex parte res gestae, a con