of a single night. In the Northern nations of ancient Europe the same period of the year was celebrated by a festival in honor of the God Thor, which, like the Roman Saturnalia and the festival of our own times, was illustrated by the song, the dance, and the feast, executed after their barbarous fashion, and mingled with the savage rites of their own religion. The name of this celebration--Yule, Jule, Iul, or Iol--has given rise to many disputes amongst antiquaries as to its derivation, whose arguments, however, we need not report for the benefit of our readers till judgment shall have been finally pronounced. When that time shall arrive, we undertake to publish a new edition of the present work, for the purpose of giving our readers an abstract of the pleadings and acquainting them with the ultimate decision. In the mean time, we will let Sir Walter Scott inform them how-- "The savage Dane, At Iol, more deep the mead did drain; High on the beach his galleys drew, And feasted all his pirate-crew; Then, in his low and pine-built hall, Where shields and axes decked the wall, They gorged upon the half-dressed steer, Caroused in sea of sable beer,-- While round, in brutal jest, were thrown The half-gnawed rib and marrow-bone; Or listened all, in grim delight, While Scalds yelled out the joys of fight. Then forth in frenzy would they hie, While wildly loose their red locks fly, And, dancing round the blazing pile, They made such barbarous mirth the while, As best might to the mind recall The boisterous joys of Odin's hall." Amongst other traces of the northern observances which have descended to our times, and of which we shall have occasion hereafter to speak, the name of the festival itself has come down, and is still retained by our Scottish brethren, as well as in some parts of England.