ment, as it appears from the record of Bartholomew's elevation.

Here we read that, "in 1433, on Wednesday, the 24th of September, upon the report of Cardinal dei Conti, provisions were made for the church of Greenland in the province of Drontheim, vacant through the death of the late Lord Michael, the last bishop of the said church, who had died without the city of Rome; and to take his place, was named the person of Brother Bartholomew of St. Hippolyte, a licentiate of Holy Scripture and a friar of the Order of Preachers."1

The bishop-elect of Gardar, Bartholomew, paid on the 28th of October, in the city of Florence, to the seven cardinals and their clerks who had honored the occasion of his promotion the sum of nine florins and forty skillings. It seems it was also in this city that he was consecrated on the 7th of November of the following year.

This bishop of Gardar is better known in history than his nearest predecessors or successors. Several authors mention the year of his appointment, his name, and religious association; and from Gams and Fita 5 we learn that Bartholomew died a bishop of Greenland in the year 1440.

3

4

He was succeeded by Gregory, who was proclaimed about the month of August that same year, and was still bishop of Gardar in 1450, as appears from the discovery of his seal, which bears the latter date."

1

An ancient chronicle states that, in the year of Our Lord 1445, one Andrew, bishop of Gardar, granted indulgences to the Gabin monastery at Nestveda; but the date is unduly advanced twenty years. Often incorrect and scarce, indeed, is the information we have regarding the bishops of Greenland since the beginning of the fifteenth century; nor is there any record of their administration or episcopal functions to be found. That priests and bishops could not, and the most industrious workmen hardly could, live in Greenland at this time, clearly appears from certain statements and facts in regard to Iceland, where poverty and suffering were great under circumstances ten times better.

The bishop of Skalholt was residing in England, and when, in the year 1436, he proposed to visit his bishopric, it was found proper to send first a ship to Iceland, and exact from his diocesans merchandise in sufficient quantity to pay the debts which he had been obliged to contract."

During the same year, John, the newly appointed bishop of Holar, requested the English king to allow one of his subjects to go to administer the temporalities of that diocese, because he was afraid of going to live there himself.3

The appointment of this bishop had been made in the year 1435, but in 1438 he had not yet come in possession of the pontifical bulls, which had been deposited with certain merchants of London until he should pay into the papal treasury the first year's revenues of his diocese. He now requested permission from the king of England to import, on one or more vessels, certain goods which he had obtained from friends in Norway; therewith to release the bulls, which, if remaining

1 Hamsfortii Chronologia 2a., ap. Langebek, t. i. p. 333.

Rymer, t. x. p. 659. 3 Ibid., p. 645.

unpaid, would be sent back to Rome after the next coming month of January. The king graciously consented, but the plans of the indigent prelate did not succeed, and another bishop, Robert, was already appointed for the see of Holar on the 14th of July, 1441.1

An example more striking still of the great destitution of the Icelandic clergy during the fifteenth century is afforded by another diploma of the king of England. On the 26th of February, 1440, Henry VI. issued a license for two vessels to be laden in his dominions with one hundred measures of wheat and other victuals and cloth, to be shipped to Goswin, bishop of Skalholt in Iceland, and to return with merchandise from that country. His Majesty had been requested to that effect by the prelate, who had exposed to him the pressing need of clothes and victuals. "The poor bishop had no bread to eat, no beer nor wine to drink, neither could he procure cloth to cover himself and his servants." The compassionate monarch, who required, however, the payment of all custom duties, was further inclined to make the generous concession by the thought that, for the want of bread and wine, divine service and Holy Communion of the faithful had become impossible in the diocese of Skalholt; and he happily made a mistake in supposing that, without salt, baptism itself could not be administered.*

We may presume that the royal grant procured great relief to the bishop of Skalholt. But, if such was the destitute condition of the head of the principal diocese, what must have been the misery of his clergy and of the people in Iceland? And if such was the pitiful predicament of Iceland, so much nearer to civilization and wealth, and still entertaining commercial

1 See Document LXX. and supra, 2 See Document LXXI.

p. 140.

relations with Europe, it should not be difficult to imagine to what degree of want and suffering must have fallen its sister-island, situated so much farther in the northern seas and glaciers and almost forgotten by all kindred nations.

There is comfort in knowing that our misery engages the commiseration of others; but even this slight consolation was denied to the poor sufferers of Greenland. Their rulers of Denmark and even, it seems, their less unfortunate relatives of Iceland had abandoned them to their sad condition, and not until thirty years after most of them had been killed or reduced to slavery had the survivors been able to invoke the compassion of the Father of all Christians.

The famous bull of Pope Nicholas V., issued the 20th of September, 1448, is a sympathetic echo of their laments, and an answer, as fatherly as prudent, to their pious request. Although we have already presented an extract from it, the document is of such importance that we shall translate it here unimpaired and in full:

"Nicholas, etc., to our venerable brethren, Goswin and Godschalk, bishops of Skalholt and of Holar, greeting, etc. Presiding over all the churches, in virtue of the office of Apostolic Servant which has been imposed upon Us from Above, We are, with the help of the Lord, most solicitous for the souls redeemed at the high price paid by our Redeemer, trying to restore to them steady and perfect peace, not only when they are tossed about by storms of impiety and error, but also when they suffer from tempests of misfortune and persecution.

"Verily, we have been shocked and our soul has been filled with bitterness when hearing the tearful complaints of our beloved children, the natives and all

the inhabitants of the isle of Greenland, which lies, it is said, at the uttermost bounds of the ocean, to the North of the kingdom of Norway, in the province of Drontheim. The inhabitants and people of that country state that for six hundred years they have, obedient to the regulations of the Holy Roman Church and of the Apostolic See, preserved intact the faith which they have received from their apostle, the Blessed Olaf King; and that, in the course of time, the people, constantly animated with pious zeal, have erected a great number of sacred edifices and a respectable cathedral in which divine service was carefully performed. But thirty years ago God, who, in the inscrutable designs of his wisdom and science, often corrects in this world those whom he loves and leads them with chastisements to better reformation of life, allowed that barbarians should come on a fleet from the neighboring pagan shores, and cruelly invade and assault all the people who dwelt there, lay waste with fire and sword the land and its sacred buildings, leaving on the island, which is said to be very extensive, only nine parochial churches which, for the height of the mountains, they could not well approach. They captured the wretched inhabitants of both sexes, especially those whom they saw fit and strong to bear the burdens of perpetual slavery; and, as well adapted to their tyranny, they led them off to their own haunts.

"But, as it is further said in the same complaint, a great number afterwards returned home from their captivity and built up the ruins again in different places, and they now wish to commence anew and to extend as much as possible the divine worship as it was of old. While, in consequence of the aforesaid calamities, they greatly suffered from want and famine and had not the means to support a prelate and priests, they have, for