His papers fell into the hands of Defoe, who wrought them up in his own peculiar manner, and gave them to the world under the title of the Life of Mr Duncan Campbell, the Deaf and Dumb Gentleman: with an appendix containing many anecdotes of the second sight from Martin's tour.
But by far the most remarkable book in existence, connected with the second sight, is one in the ancient Norse language entitled "Nial's Saga." {3} It was written in Iceland about the year 1200, and contains the history of a certain Nial and his family, and likewise notices of various other people.

This Nial was what was called a spamadr, that is, a spaeman or a person capable of foretelling events.

He was originally a heathen--when, however, Christianity was introduced into Iceland, he was amongst the first to embrace it, and persuaded his family and various people of his acquaintance to do the same, declaring that a new faith was necessary, the old religion of Odin, Thor, and Frey, being quite unsuited to the times.

The book is no romance, but a domestic history compiled from tradition about two hundred years after the events which it narrates had taken place.

Of its style, which is wonderfully terse, the following translated account of Nial and his family will perhaps convey some idea:-- "There was a man called Nial, who was the son of Thorgeir Gelling, the son of Thorolf.