Antiquities of America - The First Inhabitants of Central America, and the Discovery of New England by the Northmen, Five Hundred Years Before Columbus #249262

I cannot forbear to speak of the valor of one of this crew of the Northmen, a female. When all the rest were disposed to flee before the savage foe, She exclaimed If I only had a weapon, I ween I could fight better than any of you. Ah! When we consider the patriotism of the females at the siege of Carthage, who cut their locks to make ropes for engines of war and when we recollect the courage of Isabella of Castile, who at the conquest of Grenada, though in Ill health led on her veterans to conquest and glory, have we not reason to suppose that this Scandinavian was sincere in her declaration Truly valor and benevolence are but parallel streams in the female heart. We would not applaud courage, however, unless under the control of a high and holy principle. Malte Brun says, that crosses were worn by the natives before the introduction of Christianity among them by the Jesuits. In a French work from Denmark, I find a representation of crosses used there by the Scandinavians. On one were the Roman letters I. C I suppose for Iesus Christus.