C l8o 1
•more perfed on this fubjed, as the GoU
legium Magnaeanum in Copenhagen
have promifed to .continue the important
indexes, with which they have
fupplied the K r if nifs and Gunlaug
Onnjiunga S^gas.
if
L E T T E R
[ i8r ]
L E T T E R XV.
To Chevalier I h r e .
O f Printing in Iceland.
Stockholm, Sept; 12, 1774;
I SAID in mÿ laft letter that the art
o f printing was introduced in Iceland
a iliort time before the Reformation.
But as many may be furprized
that books were printed there
ib early, I iliall endeavour in this to
treat more at large o f the different
printing offices in Iceland.
One of the moil famous, büt at the
fame time moil illiterate and turbulent
biiliops in Iceland, was John
Arefon, biffiop of Hoolum; He made
iffe o f many arts; and particularly of
his zeal for the Roman Catholic religion,
to tuidermine the king’s power,
and hinder the progrefs o f the reformation.
His plots how'ever fucceeded
fo ill, that he was beheaded in i 550.
As this man was extremely ignorant,
M 2 and
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