SCRIPTORES SEPTENTRIONALES IIERUM ANTE-COLUMBIANARUM IN AMERICA

opf.ua et studio CAROLI CHRISTIAM RAFN.

CKITICAL OPINIONS.

Nortu American Rkvixw No. xcviii p. 101-162. u Th« is a work of great interest. lt lias long been expeoted with impatience, lte editor, Mr. C. C. R&fn, is cntitlcd to (lie cordial tlianks of tlic student of the liistory of American geograplty, for (lie lrarned labor bestowed on t lie publication ; nor are we less indebted to the Royal Society of Antiquaries at Copenhagcn, under whose auspices the work lias been brought before the public, and at whose expense the valuable engravîngs containcd in it were exccuted . . . lt is a work to bc diligcntly studied rallier than cagerly run through; and our object in this article i» not to stipersede the nccessity of a périmai, but ra- < lier, by giving the reading public in general an idca of the richncss and importance of the contents of the volume, to induce every one who takes un interest in the history of our geography, to become thoroughly acquaintcd with it.” P. 193. <4 0f the authenticily of the manuscripts there is not a shadow of duubt; of the âge of somc of them there is no question.”

P. 203. “It is onc of the inost valuable contributions ever made to the study of the history and geography of our continent.”

Manifacturers & Farm ers Journal and Providence and Pawtucket Adyektiskr Vol. xvm No. 8. “Wc hâve rcpeatedly alluded to the various labors of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries at Copcnhagcn, in Dcnmark, and hâve referred in an cspecial nianner to the interesting, learned, and highly important investigations and researches relative to the early history of this Country.

The great work is at length complété. It présents mnny powerful arguments and a host of striking farts in favor of the supposition that this Country was discovered by the Northmen in the year 986, and was repeatcdly visited by tliem during the two succceding centuries. Emanating from the liigh autliority that it dees, it merits the most rcspcctful attention and the s trie test scrutiny of the learned men of this Country. It should bc possessed by every pnhlic library, every litcrary institution, and indecd every individual who would keep liimsclf inforracd in relation to the history of his own land.

COLLKCTIOITB OF TH* RllODK-ISLANO IIlSTOHKAI. SociKTï Vot. IV P. 170. “U is a work oT vnsf labor ami rctcarch, ami is one of the rnostintercsting and valuable publications relative to the history ofour country, wliicli lias issued from the press.”

P. 180. “This learned ami interesting work deserves to bc thorouglily studied by evcryAmcricun scliolar who feels interested in his country’» history.” American Montiilv Magazine, Afril, 1838 r. 366. “It moy be confidcntly asserted that no historical work lias bcen looked for with more anxîous expectation by those who knew of its being in procreRs , tlian the présent; and we do not say too mnch in stating, (liât the contents of the volume arc fully adapted to mect and richly reward the highest expectations that have been entertained. It is publislied in a style rorresponding to the grcat interest and value of the materials of whirh it is composcd , lorming a volume of large quarto size, which, in bcauty of typography and the eleganct? of its cmbellishincnts, will compare favorably with the best class of Knglisli publications.”

The Kmckerrockkr, on New-York Montiiî y Magazine, March, 1838 e. 201. “The most important information which the investigation of the Saga manuscripts lias made known, is that relatîng to America. The work aunouneed thrcc or fonr ycars sincc by the Itoyal Society of Northern Anti— quarics, of Copcnhnsrcn , lins just appeared, and rcllccts grcat crédit on t lie society, bot h for the beautiful style in which it is got up, and for the valuable historical matter which it contains.”

New-York IIkvikw No. iv, Afril, 1838 r. 352. “This long-expccted volume did not reacli our liamls in season to rcceîvc a notice in our last number. It is a learned , interesting and important work; and the publie are under great obligations to the Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians for their enterprise in bringing it out , and in particutar to Professor Rafn, its learned editor, for the varicty and richness of the notes by which it is illustrated.”

P. 356. “We ought also to notify our rend ers that the Royal Society ha s bcen in corrcspomlenre with several learned societies in tlûa country for some years, cspecially with (lie Historical Society of Rhodc Island, to whose learned and indefatigable secrctary, I)r. Webb, it lias bcen imlcbtcd for mue h valuable information conccrning the Natural Ilistory, Gcography, «Xfc., of the New Kngland coast. The editor of the work under considération was thercforc in possession of ail (lie materials rcquisite to form a Sound judgment on tlicse questions (the locality of Vinlaml tt'e.)”

P. 357-358. “Kialarncs is supposcd to be Cape Cod. The east side of tlie promontory was boundcd by long narroiv beaehes nnd s a ml hills (slrandir lûngur ok sandar,J and hencc eallcd Kurdustrandir. The close conformity between the account given by the Nurtlimen of Kurdustrandir and the sandy bcaches of Cape Cod, is wcll describcd by Professor Rafn. Sucli coïncidences, if they do not convince, will be likcly to silence ail objections.” P. 370. “We ni a y remark, that the internai évidence fornished by tlie documents thcm&clvrs, is altogether in favour of their autlienticity ; (lie lan— gu âge, style, nnd maniier, ail bclong to the carly part of the golden âge of Icelandic literature, or the middle of the cleventh century. The manuscripts from which the two first documents werc printed , appcar to belong to the thirtcentli or fourteenth centuries, and their Ilistory is suflflciently known to ontitle llieni to fui 1 crédit. We cannot, therefore, liesitate to believe that they arc, past ail doubt, genuîne, and the facts recorded in (hem worthy of confidence.” United States Magazine and Démocratie Rbvikw Vol. 2. p. 86. “The work is in the highest degrce rreditable to the Royal Society of Northern Antiquarics, and forms a most valuable addition to the gcographical litcraturc of the western continent.”

P. 156. “The crcdibility of the general conclusions to bc drawn from tlie Chroniclcs rests on évidence cntircly indiscutable.” - *

P. 157. “The main facta in (lie narrative appear to ni, as wc liave repentcdly rcniai'kcd, to be satisfactorily attende*!, and hc liave no licaitation in rcceiving them as a portion of autlientic history .... The identity of Wineland with Massachusetts and Hhode lsland, aise appears to bc fally proved.”

Fofieign Qiabtkbly Rkyikw No. xli p. 105, 113. “We have non' relatcd tlie history of the discovery of Vinland by tlie Northmen, and we do not tliink (liât therc arc many wlio will fecl inclincd to dispute its truth. It lias throughout the substance and the colour of rcality. Nothing can be more plain, natural, or vivid; and it is even, in some respects, rcmarkably rirciimstantial .... The more narrowly we examine the historiés of £rik the Red and of Thorfînn Karlsefnc, the more confidence do we feel in the narrative of discovcrics therc presented to us.”

DtnLix Evkmng Post, Aphil 10, 1838. u This is a very noble, a very ctirious, and, in point of historical interest, a most important volume.... This publication has put tlie matter beyond a doubt.”

“We recommcnd the volume to the Royal Irisli Acadcmy, as an example whicli they would do well to imitate.”

Journal or tuk Royal Geografiiical Society of London Vol. viii p. 111. “The labours of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries ai Cupenhagen have long since obtainrd for them an honourable station in the republic of letters, but the recent publication of the work named “Aktiqvitatks American,*” entitlcs them to the gratitude of the wholc civilizcd ivorld”. . .. “Such a subject must dceply interest ail those who occupy themsclves with ancicnt discovcrics in geography and history.”