NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY, 257 



I fhall juft mention fome extraordinary inftances of longevity 

 recorded in hiftory, which, however, I will not vouch for as un- 

 queftionable truth, but let them reft on the credit of my authors* 



J. Ramus, in p. 126, gives an account of Auden Evindfen, 

 bifhop of Havanger, who about the year 1440, died in the two 

 hundred and tenth year of his age; which, fuppofing the calcula- 

 tion to be true, is almoft an unparallel'd example. 



Another inftance is more certain, namely, that of Adrian 

 Rotker, who was feventy years alderman of Tronhiem, and died 

 about the beginning of the laft century, being a hundred and 

 twenty years old, according to Gerh. Mittzovii Prefbyterolog, 

 p. 34. Ramus tells us again, p. 194, of a minifter at Holtaalen 

 in the diocefe of Tronhiem, whofe name was Michel; this gentle- 

 man before the reformation in the year 1535, was employed by 

 the archbifhop to collect, fubfidies for king Chriftian II. and lived 

 to be a hundred and fifty years old, being thirty years blind. His 

 fucceflbr, the Reverend Mr. Andrew Bernhoft, who was his curate 

 four years, and died in the year 1666, lived alfo to an uncommon 

 old age. Perhaps the air of Holtaalen contributes much to lon- 

 gevity, as fome people fay of Guldbrandal, efpecially LefToe-Gield 

 through which there is a continual draught of fine freiri air; fo 

 that thofe aged people who are tired of life, retire to fome other 

 place where the air is lefs falutary, in order to get rid of the life 

 of which they are weary. 



Hans Aafen, who firft erected copper-works at Roraas, where 

 his picture is to be feen in the church, died in 1683, a g e d a hun- 

 dred and fixteen, according to the Rev. Mr. Abildgaard's jubilee- 

 fermon, p. 37. In M. Wieland's monthly intelligence, for the 

 year 1722, p. 55, it is faid, that a peafant's wife near Stavanger, 

 whofe name was Lifbet Walevand, died in the hundred and thirty 

 feventh year of her age, and left behind a hufband aged a hundred 

 and ten. The fame author fays, that in the year 1725, a peafant's 

 wife at Narfen, in the diocefe of Tronhiem, died at a hundred 

 and twelve, and had her fenfes and memory perfect to the laft. 

 He likewife adds, that in the year 1728, p. 88. a woman aged 

 a hundred and twenty-feven, died in the parifh of Rofdal, but 

 does not mention her name, fhe was married in the fixty-fixth year 

 of her age, and lived in wedlock fifty-five years, and after that 

 was fix years a widow. Chriftian Drakenberg a Norvegian, fa- 



Part II. U u u m0U s 



