Studia Islandica - 01.06.1957, Blaðsíða 15

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tains, some of which exceed 4,000 feet in height, and as-
sume at the summit the most rugged and fantastic
forms.”!)
Henderson’s description of the visit shows that he was
deeply impressed by the venerable poet and his achieve-
ments, fully realizing what poetic talents, courage and
perseverence were required to complete successfully his
great literary undertakings in the face of the gravest
difficulties. The visitor’s high estimate of the translation,
which led him to say: “Should circumstances prove fa-
vourable, I may, perhaps, at some future period, get it
printed in England,”1 2) further testifies to his regard for
the poet, as does the fact that Henderson secured for
Þorláksson a considerable stipend from a certain society
in England.
A little later the same summer Þorláksson was honored
with a visit from another distinguished foreigner, Rasmus
Christian Rask, the famous Danish philologist. In a let-
ter dated at Möðruvalla klaustur in Northern Iceland,
July 18, 1814, and addressed to the Icelandic archivist
Grímur Thorkelin, the first editor of Beowulf, Rask has
described his visit to the poet and his condition in the fol-
lowing fashion: “I also visited the Reverend Jón Þorláks-
son at Bægisá; he is surely a very great man; for, al-
though I found him lame, bald, trembling, and on the
brink of the grave, he seemed to radiate a spiritual joy
and strength of soul, exalted above all the earthly sur-
roundings; it is all the more lamentable that such a man
should end his days in such misery; he was without books,
and completely destitute, I had almost said. State Coun-
cillor Stephensen [Magnús Stephensen] had, however,
lent him Klopstock’s Messias, which he is translating and
has reached Book XV, together with a German Lexicon;
but I surmise that even this kindness must be very hu-
1) Henderson, op. cit., p. 100.
2) Henderson, op. cit., p. 99.