13 FEBRUARY 1886, Page 14

HOLBERG.

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—In your review of Dr. Brandes' recent Life of Holberg, which appeared in the Spectator of February 6th, you introduce a kind reference to certain words of mine in my volume of "Northern Studies ;" but you think that my praise of Holberg is not exact enough. You go on to remark :— " Had he [Mr. Gorse] said that Holberg had created the literature of his land, that ho in his sole person did for Denmark what the Encyclopedists did for France and Lessing for Germany, we could re-echo his words."

I cannot resist the temptation of reminding you that in another

place I have said almost precisely this. In the article, " Holberg," in the new edition of the " Encyclopasdia. Britannica," I remarked in 1881 :—

" Holberg was not only the founder of Danish literature and the greatest of Dmish authors, but he was, with the exception of Voltaire, the first writer of Europe during his own generation. Neither Pope nor Swift, who perhaps excelled him in particular branches of literary production, approached him in range of genius or in encyclopedic versatility. Holberg found Denmark provided with no books, and he wrote a library for her Ho filled the shelves of the citiz'ns [of Denmark] with works in their own tongue on history, law, polities, science, philology, and philosophy, all written in a true and manly style, and representing the extreme attainment of European culture at the moment."

Between a tear and a smile, I observe that, in the next line of your review, a cleric-II error or a printer's blunder has made you call the greatest Norwegian poet of the day, " Ilsen." The same calamity has happened twice to myself, and, indeed, more than

one trap is laid for the unwary in the name of Henrik Ibsen. Mention it in conversation, and though you enunciate never so distinctly, you are supposed to speak of some unknown "Henry Gibson." If this is too frivolous an observation, I have to ask