Icelandic Saga.

Harvard 1 was filled last night on the occasion of the third of the lectures by Professor Charles Sprague Smith, on Icelandic Saga. The special topic of the lecture was "The life of a viking and poet, Egili Saga."

The Sagas were stories, originally given orally, but afterward written out, which gave the authentic history of old heroes in the ninth and tenth centuries, in verse form. Of these sagas few remain. The manuscripts were kept so carelessly exposed to a rough climate that most of them have disappeared. One of the oldest and most interesting of the long sagas is the story of Egil.

As is the case with many of these epics, the author commences way back with the ancestors of the hero. There was an old Norwegian Baron named Wolf, who had two sons exactly opposite in character. One son went to war, joining the cause of Harald, and for distinguished services was made a baron. He invited Harald to his home, after a successful war, and entertained him royally. But secret plots were discovered under the mask of his hospitality, and he was put to death by Harald. Wolf and the other son Grim were forced to leave Norway and sailed for Iceland. On the way, Wolf died, having requested that his body be placed in a chest and set afloat and also that Grim should settle wherever the chest was washed ashore. The request was followed out implicitly. Grim had also two sons, one of them the hero Egil. He was a precocious youth; a bit of poetry remains, which he is said to have written in his third year. He grew up, courageous and bold, and began the villianous side of his career when he was eleven by killing a playmate. Later he went to England and aided the King against the Scots. Then he came back to Norway. Here he fell in love with his brother's widow, and finding in the law some difficulties in marrying her, resorted to the court. The decision was against him and he immediately proceeded to revenge himself on the King who opposed him. After this he returned to Iceland and began a quiet life. He lived on in a peaceable way for many years with his family about him, till at length, saddened by the death of one of his sons he himself died at a very great age.

After the lecture a number of interesting Icelandic views were thrown on the screen.