The brooding and melancholy spirit that Tegnér had infused into the soul of Fritiof had in a large measure come from his own life. The depression of mind that had cast its shadows over him in the years that saw the creation of Fritiofs Saga grew steadily worse. The period that followed immediately upon the completion of this work was filled with doubt and despair. The explanation for this must be found partly in the insidious progress of a physical disease, partly to a change of place and environment. Certain hereditary tendencies, which caused him to fear that the light of reason would desert him, also played a part in this.
In 1824 he gave up the Greek professorship at Lund to become bishop of the diocese of Växiö in the province of Småland, but the duties of the new position were not congenial to him. The spiritual and intellectual life of the diocese was on a low plane and Tegnér threw himself with tremendous earnestness into the work of reform, but the prejudice and inertia of clergy and people stood constantly in the way. In his efforts to purge the church of some unworthy ecclesiastics he encountered bitter opposition and suffered some humiliations. He took a special interest in the schools of his diocese and his many pedagogical addresses are models in point of clearness and practical good sense.
The many and varied duties imposed on him by the episcopal office, particularly official inspection trips, attendance upon the sessions of the Riksdag, and serving on numerous important committees made it impossible for Tegnér to continue his literary activities in the manner of his university days, but occasionally he would give to his countrymen a literary masterpiece that showed that the brilliant mind had not been dimmed.
His mental and physical ailments grew steadily worse and after 1840 there came periods of insanity which expressed itself in the most chimerical plans for travel, literary activities, and great national enterprises. Light came to his reason again, but his strength had been permanently broken. He died on November 2, 1846, and his body was laid to rest in the cemetery at Växiö, where a simple monument of marble and Swedish granite marks his final resting place.
FRITIOFS SAGA
I.
FRITIOF OCH INGEBORG.
Där växte uti Hildings gård 1 två plantor under fostrarns vård. Ej Norden förr sett två så sköna, de växte härligt i det gröna.
Den ena som en ek sköt fram, 2 och som en lans är hennes stam; men kronan, som i vinden skälver, liksom en hjälm sin rundel välver.
Den andra växte som en ros, 3 när vintern nyss har flytt sin kos; men våren, som den rosen gömmer, i knoppen ligger än och drömmer.