TRAVELS IN ICELAND. 



157 



be was of a lively and agreeable disposition and a good poet. In 

 the troubles which he excited, he displayed more courage 

 than judgment, and his vanity and irascible temper caused him 

 to exhibit an inexcusable degree of turbulence. He imagined 

 that his zeal for the faith would protect him ; but he was mis- 

 taken. The end of this bishop, as well as other remarkable events 

 that arose from the reformation in Iceland, are detailed in a work 

 written on that subject by bishop Harboe. 



Oluf Kialtesen vvas afterwards bishop of Holun: he began 

 the reformation in the northern bishopric, and received the as- 

 sistance of several distinguished characters, particularly of the 

 governor Paul Stigsen, who enacted many useful laws for ex- 

 tending the religion, and regenerating public instruction to the 

 advantage of the country in general. 



Oddur, son of bishop Gottishul of Holun, a pious well-in- 

 formed man contributed in no small degree to the reformation, 

 by his translation of the New Testament into good Icelandic. 

 Not being upon good terms with bishop Agmund, with whom he 

 came into Iceland, he dared not shew him his translation, or 

 even entrust him with the project; but to Gissur and Gisle, who 

 were afterwards bishops, he communicated his intention, and 

 they assisted him in its execution: it is a met that under some 

 whimsical influence or pretext, he took up his residence in a cow- 

 stable, in which he translated the gospel of St. Matthew. 



Bishop Gudbrand, whom we have before mentioned, rendered 

 the greatest service to his country, by establishing a printing- 

 office, and translating the Bible and other religious books: his 

 whole time, in fact, was employed in this manner. The figures 

 and capital letters in the first edition of the Icelandic Bible are 

 by him; he cut the matrices and cast the types with his own 

 hand. 



The bishop of Skalholt Brynjolf Svendsen was the person, 

 who after the reformation, restored order among the ecclesiastics, 

 as well with regard to the administration of justice as to other 

 important objects. He was a very wise and learned man, who 

 was always arduous for the prosperity of his country, and gave 

 incessant proofs of those virtues by his manner of living. 



conclusion. 



Having now recorded every thing worthy of notice, we shall 

 bring our work to a conclusion. We have omitted a number of 

 excursions and accidents which happened to us during different 

 journies, as well as accounts of such enterprises and experiments 

 as were not attended with success. On the other hand we have 

 inserted whatever we conceived would be useful and important ; 

 and we have no doubt that our efforts will meet with the appro- 



