to him on certain conditions agreed
upon between them, and the reft foh
lowed their example in 1264. Afterwards
Iceland, together with Norway,
became fubjeft to the crown o f Denr
mark, who intrnfted the care of it to a
governor, that commonly went there
only once a year to examine every
thing, though, according to his inftruc-
tions, he ought to have reiided there.
As the country iliffered incredibly
through the abfence o f its commanders,
it was refolved a few years ago,
that the governor fliould reiide there
continually, and have his feat at Bef-
feftedr, one o f the royaj. domains,
where old Snorre Sturlefon formerly
dwelt. He has under him a bailiff;
two lagmen, a flieriff, and twenty-pn^
fllJelmen Formerly tlip country
was
^ The place of Anitman is here tranflated Bailifi^
and is to be taken in the fenfe in which the French
receive the word Bailiff, i. e. the head o f a Baili-
wick. ^ I he word Lagman fignifies properly a L awman
; i, e. a perfon \yho adminifters juftice, and
might be tranflated Judge or Juftice. Thp Landvogt is
the peiTon w'ho adminiflers the executive power of
jiiftice and the criminal law; and he may be compared
to a Iherift: The Syfdmen are the magiftrates
of the fmaller diftritfts in Iceland (called the S y f f )
V. ho not only ail as juflipes of the peace, but a!/b as
leteivers
if
was divided into quarters [Fiordungar]
each having its own court o f jTiftice,
o f which one was formed of their
public aftemblies, under the denomination
of Fiordungs-doeme *, But as
the public fecurity feemed to require
a fuperior court of judicature, to
which the fuftering party might appeal,
a Fimtar-doeme was eftablifhed
foon after the introdu(ftion of the
Chriftian religion, which tribunal con-
fifted o f the four above-mentioned
courts, and fome clergymen,
receivers of the land-tax. The governor is called in
Iceland Stifts-amtman, which is the fame as a bailiff
of the epifcopal dioceie ; i. e. the chief magiftrate of
the iiland. This place was occupied in 1772 by Mr.
Thodal, counfellor of juftice, who had been employed
in the final adjuftment of the limits between Swedep
and Norway; his falary amounted to 1500 rix-dollars.
Travellers praife his abilities, patriotifm, and hof-
pitality. T h e bailiff at the time of our arrival in
Iceland was Mr. Olafr Stephanffon, a native of Iceland,
whofe parts and abilities we admired, and
whofe hofpitality we experienced : his (alary is 400
rix-dollars ; and the fame appointment is given to
the {Landvogt) Mr. Skule Magnufen, who is
faid to deferve well of his country for his patriotifm
and eminent fervices.
* The words FiordungsMoeme and Fimtar-doeme
are flill in part preferved in the language. For Doomf
day is the day of judgment, from the Gothic word
Doem, to judge, with which the Engliili word Doom
correfponds.
E 4 At
' . : ■■ ■ . 't I
• i . 1 i