Page:History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North.djvu/191

Rh perfect history to be written in Latin. This work is of great importance as a collection of original documents, and it contains a multitude of acts, letters and similar valuable contributions to the history of Denmark, which otherwise would have perished, but it is as far as possible from being what Vedel had intended, a popular description of the events of his native country in the ages past. The materials are almost wholly in crude form and the style is very faulty. It is, we admit, upon the whole even and clear, but it is dry and colorless and in all respects inferior to Vedel's simple and attractive style.

A detailed chronicle of the time of Frederik II was compiled by (1625-1688), on the basis of a manuscript left by Huitfeldt.

Danish historiography in the national tongue during the period of learning is in the main limited to these works, and of the men mentioned Vedel alone is of any real importance to the national literature. Aside from these works, the chronicling of the events of the national history was attended to in an official way by the royal historiographers. Frederik II had created this office in 1553, and it was expressly stipulated that everything proceeding from the same should be written in the Latin language. The first of these royally appointed historians was (1508-1584), who compiled a history of the reigns of kings Johan and Christian II. (1558-1623) deserves special mention. His work "Scriptores Danici" is the first attempt at a history of Danish literature, or rather, at a dictionary of authors, a work which even at the present time is of importance for a knowledge of the literature of the sixteenth century. In a book written in Danish "Danske Kongers Slægtbog," a kind of genealogy of the Danish kings, intended to serve as an introduction to a great historical work in the national tongue, he proved himself the possessor of a remarkable talent for style, which if properly applied might have been productive of great results. But he was so wholly lacking in critical