Ritmennt - 01.01.2000, Side 148

ANDREW WAWN
RITMENNT
That offer'd up the ease of all his days,
To aid the sick, and visit every place
Where'er disastrous in their prisons groan'd
Or grunting martyrs helpless state bemoan'd—!
When I in love to England's honor burnt,
My Ingolf, speaking thus, to me him turn'd.— 120
"I know, my boy, that Heav'n himself esteems
These men as masterpieces of the times
Proud to have made such jewels for the earth,
And the angels love the land, that gave them birth.—
But, at the last scene, in my mind reviv'd,
The travellers that in my country liv'd;
Whose mem'ry Iceland ever shall reserve,
And in my grateful mind shall never starve,
My Henderson54, that fir'd with faith before,
Bestow'd upon thy sons my land! a store, 130
Of sacred scriptures, and religious boolcs,
And all thy manners saw with pious loolcs!
As Howard body's helpless pains reliev'd,
This noble priest to souls of mankind liv'd,
His softest pleasure was to serve the Lord
And through whole world to spread his holy word
How glad in Iceland's humble huts he dwelt,
When he religions heav'nly fear there felt!
Here come great Banks,55 —(surely by God's command
Who from the jaws of death would rid my land) 140
Whose benefits in living mem'ry stay,
And in my grateful breast shall ne'er decay;
'Twas he, that heard the complaints of my isle,
54 Ebenezer Henderson (1809-79), prestur og ferðalangur,- sjá að framan, neðan-
málsgrein 12.
55 Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1815). Enskur vísindamaður og landkönnuður. Um
Banks og ísland sjá Halldór Hermannsson, Sir Joseph Banks and Iceland-,
Anna Agnarsdóttir: Ráðagerðir um innlimun íslands í Bretaveldi á árunum
1785-1815; og Anna Agnarsdóttir: Sir Joseph Banks and the exploration of
Iceland. íhlutun Banks til þess að leysa Bjarna Sívertsen og skip hans úr
langvarandi farbanni í Leith árið 1808 varð til þess að Sívertsenarnir stóðu í
mikilli þakkarskuld við hann. Bjarni og Banks skrifuðust á þegar þetta var
(Halldór Hermannsson, tilvitnað rit, bls. 47-48). Sigurður Sívertsen ræddi ef-
laust um þessa atburði við Lárus Sigurðsson.
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