RAMBLES OF A GEOLOGIST. 405 



ments; on the second he attended at the bishop's chapel to 

 hear mass ; and on the third he went to Magnus Church, and 

 walked round the shrine of St Magnus, Earl of Orkney. He 

 then ordered a bath to be prepared, and got himself shaved. 

 Some nights after, he relapsed, and took again to his bed. 

 During his sickness he ordered the Bible and Latin authors 

 to be read to him. But finding his spirits were too much 

 fatigued by reflecting on what he had heard, he desired Nor- 

 wegian books might be read to him night and day : first the 

 lives of saints ; and, when they were ended, he made his at- 

 tendants read the Chronicles of our Kings, from Holden the 

 Black, and so of all the Norwegian monarchs in succession, 

 one after the other. The king still found his disorder in- 

 creasing. He therefore took into consideration the pay to 

 be given to his troops, and commanded that a merk of fine 

 silver should be given to each courtier, and half a merk to 

 each of the masters of the lights, chamberlain, and other at- 

 tendants on his person. He ordered all the silver-plate be- 

 longing to his table to be weighed, and to be distributed if 

 his standard silver fell short. * * * King Haco received 

 extreme unction on the night before the festival of St Lucia, 

 Thorgisl, Bishop of Stravanger, Gilbert, Bishop of Hamar, 

 Henry, Bishop of Orkney, Albert Thorleif, and many other 

 learned men, were present ; and, before the unction, all pre- 

 sent bade the king farewell with a kiss. * * * The fes- 

 tival of the Virgin St Lucia happened on a Thursday ; and 

 on the Saturday after, the king's disorder increased to such 

 a degree, that he lost the use of his speech ; and at midnight 

 Almighty God called King Haco out of this mortal life. This 

 was matter of great grief to all those who attended, and to 

 most of those who heard of the event The following barons 

 were present at the death of the king : Briniolf Johnson, 

 Erling Alfson, John Drottning, Ronald Urka, and some do- 

 mestics who had been near the king's person during his ill- 



