Page:History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North.djvu/189

Rh one of Denmark's most remarkable and important linguistic monuments.

Vedel was now requested to continue Saxo's chronicle and to bring it down to his own time, in order that there might be a complete history of Denmark, and as the most conspicuous men in the realm joined in the request, Vedel, after much doubt and hesitation, undertook this difficult and comprehensive task, and fully conscious of its great importance, he henceforth devoted all his energies to it. And yet it brought him scarcely anything but disappointments. As a matter of course the work could only progress slowly, as there were no historical collections or other chronicles to consult. Moreover, Vedel was far too conscientious and thorough to be satisfied with any superficial performance, or to seek to complete his work as quickly as it was desired by some distinguished individuals who seemed to think that the whole work could be written in a few years. Doubts were also expressed as to the real value of a work written in Danish, and, consequently, unintelligible to foreign scholars. And so it finally came to pass that Vedel fell into disfavor, and in 1594 he received royal instructions to deliver all the materials, collected by him with great care and trouble, partly on extensive journeys, which he for many years had made throughout the country, together with the portions already completed, to, who was professor of Greek, and in that very year had been appointed royal historiographer. It was supposed that the latter from all these materials, and from what might further be collected, would be able within six years at the latest to compile a history of Denmark from King Frode down to his own time, and that, too, in the Latin language. On account of this change Krag neglected his duty as professor in the university, and yet he was not able to do more than describe the first seventeen years of the reign of Christian III. After his death Vedel's collections were dispersed. All that has been preserved are a short dissertation on "how Danish history should be writ-