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L I T E R A T U R E . 5*3
Hiftory o f Norway ; and he ack now ledges_himfel f indebted c^y p'
to Snorro more than to any other writer. >— .—<
From the 14th century, hiftory and letters gradually declined
in Iceland, and that iiland was involved in the fame
darknefs which had for fome time overfpread Europe. The
reformation," which was introduced in the middle o f the
; 16th century, occafioned the revival o f fcience. Although,
theré never have been wanting among the inhabitants men.
o f confiderable learning, yet, as knowledge,has,yvidely dif-
fufëd itfèlf in Sweden and Denmark under the protection of
their fovereigns, thefe kingdoms have become greatly en-
lightened ; and Iceland is no longer, what it was formerly,
thè foie repofitory o f northern genius *.
Although the Danilh literati have directed their chief attention
to hiftory and antiquities, yet they hâve by 110' means
been deficient in the ftudy o f nature.
The late Frederick the 5th king o f Denmark, a munificent
patron o f the fciences,-founded, about the year x 7 5X, a
botanical garden at Charlottenburgh, intended principally to
facilitate a royal and liberal defign o f giving a complete hiftory,
and engravings, o f all thè native plants in the Danifli
dominions t.
The fuperintendance o f this garden, with a ftipend annexed,
and afterwards the profeflorihip o f botany in tire Royal
Academy o f Copenhagen, were conferred on Mr. Oeder, who
was chofen to conduit the work. In profecution o f this defign,
having, at the king’s expcnce, viiited various parts-of Denmark
and Norway, he began the publication in 176 2 .
* I am ch iefly indebted fo r information JNorw. and th e fe v e ra l pu b lications o f the
u p on the lite rary h iftory o f Iceland to M a i- Ice lan d ick w r ite r s pr in ted at Cop en h ag en ,
le t ’s N o r th . A n t iq . tranflated by D r . P e r c y , f T h is ac éou n t o f th e F lo ra Danica, and
b iih op o f Dromore. V o n T r o i l ’ s L e tters on o f M e flr s . O e d e r and M u lle r , was ch iefly
Ice lan d , tranflated b y F o r fte r , T o r fæ i H ift. communicated to me b y D r . P u lten e y , to
N o rw . Snorro Sturlenfia H ift . R e gum whom I h a ve been fo rep e ated ly o b lig ed .
4 C 2 The