第30章

foundtheAntinomianinhislittlelibrary，dustinghisbooks；andtheAntinomianclergymanwasatallmanofaboutseventy，whoworeahatwithabroadbrimandashallowcrown，andwhosemannerofspeakingwasexceedinglynasal；andwhenIsawhim，Icried，outofbreath，’HaveyouaDanishBible？’andhereplied，’Whatdoyouwantitfor，friend？’andIanswered，’TolearnDanishby’；’Andmaybetolearnthyduty，’repliedtheAntinomianpreacher。’Truly，Ihaveitnot，but，asyouareacustomerofmine，Iwillendeavourtoprocureyouone，andIwillwritetothatlaudablesocietywhichmencalltheBibleSociety，anunworthymemberofwhichIam，andI

hopebynextweektoprocurewhatyoudesire。’

AndwhenIheardthesewordsoftheoldman，Iwasveryglad，andmyheartyearnedtowardshim，andIwouldfainenterintoconversationwithhim；andIsaid，’WhyareyouanAntinomian？FormypartIwouldratherbeadogthanbelongtosuchareligion。’

’Nay，friend，’saidtheAntinomian，’thouforejudgestus；knowthatthosewhocallusAntinomianscallussodespitefully，wedonotacknowledgethedesignation。’’Thenyoudonotsetalllawatnought？’saidI。’Farbeitfromus，’saidtheoldman，’weonlyhopethat，beingsanctifiedbytheSpiritfromabove，wehavenoneedofthelawtokeepusinorder。DidyoueverheartellofLodowickMuggleton？’’NotI。’’Thatisstrange；knowthenthathewasthefounderofourpoorsociety，andafterhimwearefrequently，thoughopprobriously，termedMuggletonians，forweareChristians。Hereishisbook，which，perhaps，youcandonobetterthanpurchase，youarefondofrarebooks，andthisisbothcuriousandrare；Iwillsellitcheap。Thankyou，andnowbegone，IwilldoallIcantoprocuretheBible。’

AndinthismannerIprocuredtheDanishBible，andIcommencedmytask；firstofall，however，Ilockedupinaclosetthevolumewhichhadexcitedmycuriosity，saying，’OutofthisclosetthoucomestnottillIdeemmyselfcompetenttoreadthee，’andthenI

satdowninrightearnest，comparingeverylineintheoneversionwiththecorrespondingoneintheother；andIpassedentirenightsinthismanner，tillIwasalmostblind，andthetaskwastediousenoughatfirst，butIquailednot，andsoonbegantomakeprogress：andatfirstIhadamisgivingthattheoldbookmightnotproveaDanishbook，butwassoonreassuredbyreadingmanywordsintheBiblewhichIrememberedtohaveseeninthebook；andthenIwentonrightmerrily，andIfoundthatthelanguagewhichI

wasstudyingwasbynomeansadifficultone，andinlessthanamonthIdeemedmyselfabletoreadthebook。

Anon，Itookthebookfromthecloset，andproceededtomakemyselfmasterofitscontents；Ihadsomedifficulty，forthelanguageofthebook，thoughinthemainthesameasthelanguageoftheBible，differedfromitinsomepoints，beingapparentlyamoreancientdialect；bydegrees，however，Iovercamethisdifficulty，andI

understoodthecontentsofthebook，andwelldidtheycorrespondwithallthoseideasinwhichIhadindulgedconnectedwiththeDanes。Forthebookwasabookofballads，aboutthedeedsofknightsandchampions，andmenofhugestature；balladswhichfromtimeimmemorialhadbeensungintheNorth，andwhichsometwocenturiesbeforethetimeofwhichIamspeakinghadbeencollectedbyoneAndersVedel，wholivedwithacertainTychoBrahe，andassistedhiminmakingobservationsupontheheavenlybodies，ataplacecalledUraniasCastle，onthelittleislandofHveen，intheCattegat。