DANISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE. The original language of Denmark was the pure Scandinavian or Icelandic, but it has been transformed by foreign admix ture, chiefly German, until the original features are nearly lost. The changes, begin ning in the 12th c., culminated at the period of the reformation, and the language is now regarded as one of the richest of the European tongues. The literature of the country has had a remarkable development, and is of great interest not only to readers in general, but to scholars in all parts of the world. Excepting a medical treatise pub lished in the 13th c., the oldest literary production of the country is a collection of 500 ballads, by unknown authors, celebrating the achievements and adventures of the chivalric age, and written in the 13th and 14th centuries. They are of great merit, historical as well as poetical, and, being banded down at first by tradition, have lately been edited and published in an exhaustive edition by Svend Gruntvig. The first printing press was set lip in Copenhagen in 1490 by Gottfried of Gilman, and in 1495 was printed the first book, a history of Denmark in verse. Next, in 1506, appeared a collection of proverbs by Peder Lolle, and eight years later, three sacred poems by 3iikkel, priest of St. Alban's in Odense. These and many other works were published in Latin. It was not until the period of the reformation that the literary spirit of Den mark began to utter itself in the native tongue. Christian Pedersen translated the Psalms of David and the New- Testament, printed 1529; and, in co-operation with bishop Paladin, the Bible, which appeared in 1550. The first authorized Psalter was published in 1559. Among the other authors of this early period may be mentioned Arild Hvitfield, historian; Ranch, dramatist; Anders Arrebo, bishop of Tromihjein, father of Danish poetry; bishop Erik Pontoppidan, author of the first sys tematic analysis of the Danish language; Brigitta Thott, a lady who introduced to the Danes the writings of Seneca and Epictetus; Thomas Bingo, of Scotch descent, and Hans Adol Brorson, eminent hymn-writers. Ludvig Holberg, born 1684, was a his torical and dramatic writer of great eminence, whose productions retain their interest and charm at the present day. lie is sometimes called the founder of Danish literature.
His comedies, for the age in which they were written, arc remarkably pure in tone and sentiment. Joannes Ewald was the most eminent Danish poet of the 18th century. One of his productions, The contains the Danish national song. Werner Abra
hamson, critic; Johan Clemens Tode, scientist; Ove Mailing, Peter Frederik Suhm, and Ova Guldberg, historians; Bastholm and .Balle, theologians; and Niels Treschow, in the department of philosophy, were also among the writers of the 18th century. After the time of 'Wessell and Ewald, poetry languished, but prose received a new impulse. The most eminent prose writers of the period were Peter Andreas Heiberg, political and [esthetic critic; 0. C. Olufsen, scientist; Rasmus Nyrup, statistician and critic; Englestoft, historian; bishop Mynster, theologian; and Hans Christian Oersted, scien tist. With the beginning of the present c., a new school of poets and novelists arose who won a high reputation in all parts of Europe. The herald of this school was Adolph Schack Staffeldt, a man who united with great seriousness and depth an exquisite taste in language. He was followed by Adam Gottlob Oehlenschliiger, the greatest poet of Denmark, in whose verse the old Scandinavian mythology was imbued with fresh life; Steen Steensen Blitcher; Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig; Bernhard Severin Inge mann, the first to introduce the historical novel in Denmark; Johan Ludvig Heiberg, poet and dramatist; the countess Gylleinhourg, novelist—a woman of remarkable power; Christian Winther, pastoral lyrist; Maus Christian Andersen, whose works are popular in England and America; Frederik Paludan Milner, a poet of great reputation. In philology, the names of Rasmus Christian Rask and Christian Molbeck arc eminent, as is that of Niels Matthias Petersen in history. Joachim Frederik Schouw was an eminent botanist, Soren Naby Kierkegaard was a philosophical writer of much origi nality. Peter Thun Foersom made an excellent translation of Shakespeare. The great est living geologist in Denmark is Johannes Japetus Smith Steenstrup. Jens Jacob Asmussen Worsaae is an eminent antiquarian; and Nikolai 3Iadvig is celebrated as a philologist. Vilhelm Thomsen has acquired distinction by his researches into the Sla• vonic tongue. In the fine arts there are some eminent Danish names. In painting, there may be mentioned Abilgaard, Juel, Eckersberg, Marstrand, Yermehren, Exner• Dalsgaard, and Skovgaard. In sculpture, it is necessary only to mention the name of Thorwaldsen, whose works adorn the museum at Copenhagen. The Danes are a musi cal people, and their first great composer was Christoph Weyse, whose comic operas are greatly admired. Hartmann and Gade are living composers of great merit.