♦TRAVELS IN ICELAND. 



155 



«wkh brass; while that of tlie other is covered with skin. Instead of 

 a guard they have a piece of curved iron about an inch in thick- 

 ness, with two round buttons at the ends. The lance is. a strip 

 of pine five feet four inches long, shod with iron. There is 

 also in the same place a vizor much decayed, which is com- 

 posed of four rings of iron that are groved into each other: its 

 thickness is double round the neck, and it must have been made 

 for a middle-sized man. 



OF THE GENERAL COMMERCE OF ICELAND AND PARTI- 

 CULARLY OF THAT OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 



The ports and harbours of Iceland particularly those of the 

 southern quarter were in former times much frequented by mer- 

 chants, and first by those from Norway; afterwards by the Ger- 

 mans, and particularly by the Hamburgers, who came in great 

 numbers. The English began to trade there in 1413, though 

 without permission ; and they afterwards continued their traffic 

 for a length of time either by permission or secretly ; because it 

 often happened that commerce was absolutely forbidden with 

 them on account of the disturbances which they excited in the 

 country; but at that period the trade was of no great extent. 

 John Gerricksen and other Catholic bishops, several of whom 

 came to this part of Iceland in the English vessels, bought mer- 

 chandizes which they sold to foreigners, and thus created a con- 

 siderable traffic. A vice-governor having made a fortune in this 

 manner, resigned his functions, and went to live in England, 

 carrying with him great riches in merchandize, silver and jewels. 



In this century fishing was carried on to a considerable extent, 

 but the more this increased the more was rural economy neglected. 

 The great plague at length occurred, and agriculture as well as 

 other essential occupations were neglected; because every thing 

 was in confusion, and this confusion for a long time gave rise 

 to various abuses. About the year 1420,, the vice-governors 

 began openly to monopolize the commerce by trading with 

 their own ships: the bishops on the other hand as they acquired 

 riches and power, become dissolute and arrogant. An event 

 which happened to bishop Gerricksen is very remarkable in 

 the history of Iceland: his brother having in 1433 asked in 

 marriage a young lady of distinction without being able to obtain 

 her, conceived himself so mortally offended, that in revenge he 

 killed the brother of the lady, and set fire to the house in which 

 she resided, which with the people in it were destroyed, except 

 the lady whose destruction was intended. She had the good 

 luck to escape at an opening in the roof without being perceived 

 by those who surrounded the house. At length being preserved 

 from .such imminent danger, and overwhelmed with resentment 



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