King Eric and the Outlaws, Vol. 1 Read online

  Produced by Charles Bowen, from page scans provided by the Web Archive

  Transcriber's Notes:

  1. Page scan source: https://www.archive.org/details/kingericandoutl02chapgoog

  2. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].

  KING ERIC

  AND

  THE OUTLAWS.

  VOL. I.

  KING ERIC

  AND

  THE OUTLAWS.

  VOL. I.

  NOTICE

  TO

  BOOKSELLERS, PROPRIETORS OF CIRCULATING LIBRARIES, AND THE PUBLIC.

  * * * * *

  The Publishers of this work give notice that it is Copyright, and thatin case of infringement they will avail themselves of the Protectionnow granted by Parliament to English Literature.

  Any person having in his possession for sale or for hire a Foreignedition of an English Copyright is liable to a penalty, which thePublishers of this work intend to enforce.

  It is necessary also to inform the Public generally, that single Copiesof such works imported by travellers for their own reading are nowprohibited, and the Custom-house officers in all our ports have strictorders to this effect.

  The above regulations are equally in force in our Dependencies andColonial Possessions.

  _London_, _June_, 1843.

  London: Printed by A. Spottiswoode, New-Street-Square.

  KING ERIC

  AND

  THE OUTLAWS;

  OR,

  THE THRONE, THE CHURCH, AND THE PEOPLE,

  IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY.

  BY INGEMANN

  TRANSLATED FROM THE DANISH BY JANE FRANCES CHAPMAN.

  * * * * IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. * * * *

  LONDON: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMANS, PATERNOSTER-ROW. 1843.

  TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.

  The historical records and traditions of Denmark, as well as the modernproductions of Danish genius, are almost equally unknown to the generalreader is England. While German, Swedish, and Italian works of anyrecognised merit, readily find translators, and the ancient ballads ofSpain have received their English dress from an able and poetic pen, itappears somewhat singular that so little notice has hitherto beenbestowed on the literature of a country, whose rich historicalrecollections are so closely interwoven with those of Anglo-SaxonEngland.

  Though but little known in other lands, the ancient traditional lore ofScandinavia is nevertheless the source from which some of the mostdistinguished Danish writers of the present day, have selected theirhappiest themes, and drawn their brightest inspiration. The influenceof the Saga, or traditional romance of Scandinavia, and of the"Kj[oe]mpe Vise," or heroic ballad, is peculiarly apparent in the worksof M. Ingemann.

  The close adherence to historic outline--the development of characterby action and dialogue--the delineation of scenery by brief thoughvivid sketches, in preference to elaborate description, arecharacteristics of Saga romance which M. Ingemann has been eminentlysuccessful in imparting to his own delineations of the chivalrous ageof Denmark.

  The Kj[oe]mpe Vise, or heroic ballads which succeeded to the Saga inthe North, and bear the impress of a kindred spirit, contain a store ofhistoric tradition, and poetic incident, equally valuable to theantiquary who delights to trace the customs and manners of a remoteage, and to the poet who seeks his inspiration from the historic museof his Fatherland.

  These vivid and truthful records of the middle ages of Denmark are tothe modern writer of romance, what the oral traditions of the heroicage were to the chronicler of the Saga. They relate not only theexploits of northern warriors in their own, and in distant lands, butare also especially interesting, from the light they throw on thepersonal history of Denmark's most chivalrous monarchs. Their joys andsorrows, their sterner passions and gentler affections, are describedby the national minstrel in a strain of simple and touchingearnestness, which wins the full sympathy of the reader. This power ofdelineating human passion lends a charm even to some ballads, handingdown the wildest superstitions of a superstitious age. In Germany theDanish ballads are known through the translations of Professor Grimm,who has entered with the enthusiasm both of an antiquary and a poet,into the spirit of Scandinavian lore. In the preface to his version ofthe "Kj[oe]mpe Vise," M. Grimm dwells with peculiar pleasure on thoseballads which have not only supplied M. Ingemann with much of theincident, but have also suggested the individual colouring of thehistoric portraits of "Eric and the Outlaws." All the prominentcharacters introduced into this romance from King Eric himself, down toMorten the cook, are historical, and enacted scarcely less romanticparts in the drama of real life, than those assigned them by M.Ingemann.

  The struggle with papal authority--the encroachments of the Hansetowns--and the invidious attempts of the "Leccarii," (the socialists ofthe 13th century) were important features of that interesting periodwhich this work is designed to illustrate.

  The translator is aware of the difficulty of attracting attention to aromance drawn from Danish history; the work also makes its appearancewithout any of those adventitious advantages which sometimes ensure afavourable introduction to the public--it is translated by an unknownpen--is unaided by patronage of any kind--and has solely its own meritsto rely on for success. It would afford no slight gratification to thetranslator were these to be appreciated by the reading public of anation, which not only in its early history, is closely connected withDenmark, but which has inherited from Scandinavian ancestors, thatindomitable spirit which rendered them in olden time masters of theseas.

  KING ERIC AND THE OUTLAWS.