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VON TROIL’S LETTERS ON ICELAND. 675
Their alphabet confifts of the fame letters as ours, except the (th), which character
we have loft, together with the pronunciation; the Englifh have yet preferved it,
though foreigners find it difficult to pronounce.
We have an Icelandic grammar of Runolph Jonfon, printed in 4to. at Copenhagen
in 1651: it was alfo printed in Hickefii Elementa linguarum feptentrionalium, Oxford
1688, and again in his Thefaurus, Oxford 1703. But the manufcript of Jonas Mag-
nufens’s Grammatica Iflandica, which you, Sir, poffefs, is more complete, and deferves
to be publifhed, as likewife Eggert Olfen’s Orthographia Iflandica. The moft ancient
Icelandic diftionary we have is the Wormii Specimen Lexici Runici, compiled by
Magnus Olafsen, which was publifhed in folio, at Copenhagen, in 1650.° After-
wards Gudmundi Andreae Lexicon Iflandicum was publifhed by Refenius at Co-
penhagen, in quarto, in the year 1683. ‘This was followed by Verelii Index lingux
vet. Scyto-Scandicae, which Rudbeck caufed to be printed in folio, at Upfala, 1691, and
by two Lexica Latina Iflandica, both publifhed in quarto at Copenhagen, the one in 1734,
and the other in 1738; to thefe Rugman’s Monofyllaba Iflandica Lat. Explicata, Upfala,
1676, in o€tavo, may be added. In the library at Upfala was a copy of a manulcript
Lexicon Ifl. Lat. which I have brought with me from Iceland. In the antiquity archives
is likewife a very ample work of Gudmundr Olafsen, which has been augmented and
reduced to order by Mr. Affeffor Gagnerus, which will however moft probably never be
printed for want of a publifher. It is to be lamented that Runolph Jonfon never was
able to publifh his Lexicon Iflandicum, though a privilege was granted him for that pur-
pofe in May 1650: we may however foon expect to have fomething more perfect on
this fubject, as the Collegium Magnaeanum in Copenhagen have promifed to continue
the important indexes, with which they have fupplied the Kriftni/s and Gunlaug Orm-
Jtunga Sagas.
LETTER XV.—To CHEVALIER IHRE.
Of Printing in Iceland.
Stockholm, Sept. 12, 1774.
I nave faid in my laft letter that the art of printing was introduced in Iceland
fhort time before the Reformation. But as many may be furprifed that books were
printed there fo early, I fhall endeavour to treat more at large in this of the different
printing-offices in Iceland.
One of the moft famous, but at the fame time moft illiterate and turbulent bifhops in
Iceland, was John Arefon, bifhop of Hoolum. He made ufe of many arts, and parti-
cularly of his zeal for the Roman Catholic religion, to undermine the king’s power,
and hinder the progrefs of the reformation. His plots however fucceeded fo ill, that he
was beheaded in 1550. As this man was extremely ignorant, and had not the leaft
knowledge of the Latin language, which was however made ufe of in letters of excom-
munication, and other ordinances, he commiffioned a friend to procure him a perfon well
verfed in Latin, who might at the fame time eftablifh a printing-office. For this pur-
pofe John Mathieffon, a native of Sweden, was recommended to him, and he arrived in
Iceland between 1527 and 1530.
I cannot determine with certainty whether he was in orders at his arrival in Iceland ;
however J am inclined to believe it, from the appellation of Sira being given him after
his arrival, which is aterm applicable to the clergy. The bifhop immediately appointed
him to the prebendary of Bridebolftad and Veiturhopi, which fituation he enjoyed till
22 his
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