excelled　all　others　in　wisdom；　or　rather　in　Draoitheac；　or　magic；
  for　they　were　powerful　sorcerers；　they　said；　compared　with　whom　the
  fairy　men　of　the　present　day　knew　nothing　at　all；　at　all；　and；
  amongst　other　wonderful　things；　they　knew　how　to　make　strong　beer
  from　the　heather　that　grows　upon　the　bogs。　　Little　wonder　if　the
  interest；　the　mysterious　interest；　which　I　had　early　felt　about　the
  Danes；　was　increased　tenfold　by　my　sojourn　in　Ireland。
  And　now　I　had　in　my　possession　a　Danish　book；　which；　from　its
  appearance；　might　be　supposed　to　have　belonged　to　the　very　old
  Danes　indeed；　but　how　was　I　to　turn　it　to　any　account？　　I　had　the
  book；　it　is　true；　but　I　did　not　understand　the　language；　and　how
  was　I　to　overcome　that　difficulty？　hardly　by　poring　over　the　book；
  yet　I　did　pore　over　the　book；　daily　and　nightly；　till　my　eyes　were
  dim；　and　it　appeared　to　me　that　every　now　and　then　I　encountered
  words　which　I　understood　…　English　words；　though　strangely
  disguised；　and　I　said　to　myself；　Courage！　　English　and　Danish　are
  cognate　dialects；　a　time　will　come　when　I　shall　understand　this
  Danish；　and　then　I　pored　over　the　book　again；　but　with　all　my
  poring　I　could　not　understand　it；　and　then　I　became　angry；　and　I
  bit　my　lips　till　the　blood　came；　and　I　occasionally　tore　a　handful
  from　my　hair；　and　flung　it　upon　the　floor；　but　that　did　not　mend
  the　matter；　for　still　I　did　not　understand　the　book；　which；
  however；　I　began　to　see　was　written　in　rhyme　…　a　circumstance
  rather　difficult　to　discover　at　first；　the　arrangement　of　the　lines
  not　differing　from　that　which　is　employed　in　prose；　and　its　being
  written　in　rhyme　made　me　only　the　more　eager　to　understand　it。
  But　I　toiled　in　vain；　for　I　had　neither　grammar　nor　dictionary　of
  the　language；　and　when　I　sought　for　them　could　procure　neither；　and
  I　was　much　dispirited；　till　suddenly　a　bright　thought　came　into　my
  head；　and　I　said；　although　I　cannot　obtain　a　dictionary　or　grammar；
  I　can　perhaps　obtain　a　Bible　in　this　language；　and　if　I　can　procure
  a　Bible；　I　can　learn　the　language；　for　the　Bible　in　every　tongue
  contains　the　same　thing；　and　I　have　only　to　compare　the　words　of
  the　Danish　Bible　with　those　of　the　English；　and；　if　I　persevere；　I
  shall　in　time　acquire　the　language　of　the　Danes；　and　I　was　pleased
  with　the　thought；　which　I　considered　to　be　a　bright　one；　and　I　no
  longer　bit　my　lips；　or　tore　my　hair；　but　I　took　my　hat；　and；　going
  forth；　I　flung　my　hat　into　the　air。
  And　when　my　hat　came　down；　I　put　it　on　my　head　and　commenced
  running；　directing　my　course　to　the　house　of　the　Antinomian
  preacher；　who　sold　books；　and　whom　I　knew　to　have　Bibles　in　various
  tongues　amongst　the　number；　and　I　arrived　out　of　breath；　and　I
  found　the　Antinomian　in　his　little　library；　dusting　his　books；　and
  the　Antinomian　clergyman　was　a　tall　man　of　about　seventy；　who　wore
  a　hat　with　a　broad　brim　and　a　shallow　crown；　and　whose　manner　of
  speaking　was　exceedingly　nasal；　and　when　I　saw　him；　I　cried；　out　of
  breath；　'Have　you　a　Danish　Bible？'　and　he　replied；　'What　do　you
  want　it　for；　friend？'　and　I　answered；　'To　learn　Danish　by'；　'And
  maybe　to　learn　thy　duty；'　replied　the　Antinomian　preacher。　　'Truly；
  I　have　it　not；　but；　as　you　are　a　customer　of　mine；　I　will　endeavour
  to　procure　you　one；　and　I　will　write　to　that　laudable　society　which
  men　call　the　Bible　Society；　an　unworthy　member　of　which　I　am；　and　I
  hope　by　next　week　to　procure　what　you　desire。'
  And　when　I　heard　these　words　of　the　old　man；　I　was　very　glad；　and
  my　heart　yearned　towards　him；　and　I　would　fain　enter　into
  conversation　with　him；　and　I　said；　'Why　are　you　an　Antinomian？　　For
  my　part　I　would　rather　be　a　dog　than　belong　to　such　a　religion。'
  'Nay；　friend；'　said　the　Antinomian；　'thou　forejudgest　us；　know　that
  those　who　call　us　Antinomians　call　us　so　despitefully；　we　do　not
  acknowledge　the　designation。'　　'Then　you　do　not　set　all　law　at
  nought？'　said　I。　　'Far　be　it　from　us；'　said　the　old　man；　'we　only
  hope　that；　being　sanctified　by　the　Spirit　from　above；　we　have　no
  need　of　the　law　to　keep　us　in　order。　　Did　you　ever　hear　tell　of
  Lodowick　Muggleton？'　　'Not　I。'　　'That　is　strange；　know　then　that　he
  was　the　founder　of　our　poor　society；　and　after　him　we　are
  frequently；　though　opprobriously；　termed　Muggletonians；　for　we　are
  Christians。　　Here　is　his　book；　which；　perhaps；　you　can　do　no　better
  than　purchase；　you　are　fond　of　rare　books；　and　this　is　both　curious
  and　rare；　I　will　sell　it　cheap。　　Thank　you；　and　now　be　gone；　I　will
  do　all　I　can　to　procure　the　Bible。'
  And　in　this　manner　I　procured　the　Danish　Bible；　and　I　commenced　my
  task；　first　of　all；　however；　I　locked　up　in　a　closet　the　volume
  which　had　excited　my　curiosity；　saying；　'Out　of　this　closet　thou
  comest　not　till　I　deem　myself　competent　to　read　thee；'　and　then　I
  sat　down　in　right　earnest；　comparing　every　line　in　the　one　version
  with　the　corresponding　one　in　the　other；　and　I　passed　entire　nights
  in　this　manner；　till　I　was　almost　blind；　and　the　task　was　tedious
  enough　at　first；　but　I　quailed　not；　and　soon　began　to　make
  progress：　　and　at　first　I　had　a　misgiving　that　the　old　book　might
  not　prove　a　Danish　book；　but　was　soon　reassured　by　reading　many
  words　in　the　Bible　which　I　remembered　to　have　seen　in　the　book；　and
  then　I　went　on　right　merrily；　and　I　found　that　the　language　which　I
  was　studying　was　by　no　means　a　difficult　one；　and　in　less　than　a
  month　I　deemed　myself　able　to　read　the　book。
  Anon；　I　took　the　book　from　the　closet；　and　proceeded　to　make　myself
  master　of　its　contents；　I　had　some　difficulty；　for　the　language　of
  the　book；　though　in　the　main　the　same　as　the　language　of　the　Bible；
  differed　from　it　in　some　points；　being　apparently　a　more　ancient
  dialect；　by　degrees；　however；　I　overcame　this　difficulty；　and　I
  understood　the　contents　of　the　book；　and　well　did　they　correspond
  with　all　those　ideas　in　which　I　had　indulged　connected　with　the
  Danes。　　For　the　book　was　a　book　of　ballads；　about　the　deeds　of
  knights　and　champions；　and　men　of　huge　stature；　ballads　which　from
  time　immemorial　had　been　sung　in　the　North；　and　which　some　two
  centuries　before　the　time　of　which　I　am　speaking　had　been　collected
  by　one　Anders　Vedel；　who　lived　with　a　certain　Tycho　Brahe；　and
  assisted　him　in　making　observations　upon　the　heavenly　bodies；　at　a
  place　called　Uranias　Castle；　on　the　little　island　of　Hveen；　in　the
  Cattegat。
  CHAPTER　XXIII
  The　two　individuals　…　The　long　pipe　…　The　Germans　…　Werther　…　The
  female　Quaker　…　Suicide　…　Gibbon　…　Jesus　of　Bethlehem　…　Fill　your
  glass　…　Shakespeare　…　English　at　Minden　…　Melancholy　Swayne　Vonved
  …　The　fifth　dinner　…　Strange　doctrines　…　Are　you　happy？　…　Improve
  yourself　in　German。
  IT　might　be　some　six　months　after　the　events　last　recorded；　that
  two　individuals　were　seated　together　in　a　certain　room；　in　a
  certain　street　of　the　old　town　which　I　have　so　frequently　had
  occasion　to　mention　in　the　preceding　pages；　one　of　them　was　an
  elderly；　and　the　other　a　very　young　man；　and　they　sat　on　either
  side　of　a　fireplace；　beside　a　table　on　which　were　fruit　and　wine；
  the　room　was　a　small　one；　and　in　its　furniture　exhibited　nothing
  remarkable。　　Over　the　mantelpiece；　however；　hung　a　small　picture
  with　naked　figures　in　the　foreground；　and　with　much　foliage　behind。
  It　might　not　have　struck　every　beholder；　for　it　looked　old　and
  smoke…dried；　but　a　connoisseur；　on　inspecting　it　closely；　would
  have　pronounced　it　to　be　a　judgment　of　Paris；　and　a　masterpiece　of
  the　Flemish　school。
  The　forehead　of　the　elder　individual　was　high；　and　perhaps　appeared
  more　so　than　it　really　was；　from　the　hair　being　carefully　brushed
  back；　as　if　for　the　purpose　of　displaying　to　the　best　advantage
  that　part　of　the　cranium；　his　eyes　were　large　and　full；　and　of　a
  light　brown；　and　might　have　been　called　heavy　and　dull；　had　they
  not　been　occasionally　lighted　up　by　a　sudden　gleam　…　not　so
  brilliant　however　as　that　which　at　every　inhalation　shone　from　the
  bowl　of　the　long　clay　pipe　which　he　was　smoking；　but　which；　from　a
  certain　sucking　sound　which　about　this　time　began　to　be　heard　from
  the　bottom；　appeared　to　be　giving　notice　that　it　would　soon　require
  replenishment　from　a　certain　canister；　which；　together　with　a
  lighted　taper；　stood　upon　the　table　beside　him。
  'You　do　not　smoke？'　said　he；　at　length；　laying　down　his　pipe；　and
  directing　his　glance　to　his　companion。
  Now　there　was　at　least　one　thing　singular　connected　with　this　last；
  namely；　the　colour　of　his　hair；　which；　notwithstanding　his　extreme
  youth；　appeared　to　be　rapidly　becoming　gray。　　He　had　very　long
  limbs；　and　was　apparently　tall　of　stature；　in　which　he　differed
  from　his　elderly　companion；　who　must　have　been　somewhat　below　the
  usual　height。
  'No；　I　can't　smoke；'　said　the　youth；　in　reply　to　the　observation　of
  the　othe