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the district in which they resided. Their influence extended to matters relating to ecclesiastical as well as to civil affairs. They were the priests in the sacred places, and judges in business relating to the law; although it must be observed, that the interpretation of the law belonged, in a more particular manner, to a person of still higher authority, hereafter to be noticed. The Præfects were, in the Icelandic, denominated Godar or Hoffgodar (from Hoff a temple), and their office was called Godord. In order to give the greater dignity to their meetings, they were convened in the sacred places, and, in like manner as the Reppstiorars, may be looked upon as of two kinds, the ordinary or annual, and the extraor dinary, or those that were appointed only in cases of emergency. Each of them was distinguished by some sign or emblem. As the head of the church, within his own præfecture, was part of the office of this magistrate to appoint the sacrifices and ceremonies that were to be performed in the temples; to collect the tribute-money for the expences attending religious worship and keeping

the sacred buildings in repair; as well as to impose fines* on those who were found guilty of profaning the temples or speaking irreverently of the gods.

When any affair occurred of great importance, or such as concerned the whole province, the three Præfects of such province assembled, and formed the Fiordnugathyng, or States of the Quarter. These were as often convoked as any danger threatening the whole province seemed to require, or the quarrels among the different communities of the præfectures rendered necessary.

Superior, however, to all the magistrates that have now beeen described, was the Logmann, or Logsogmann, who was elected, by the choice of the people, sovereign Judge of the whole Island. He was, as his title implies, the expounder of the law. He

* In Iceland and Norway all crimes were rated at a certain number of marks. The mark was divided into eight parts, each of which was equivalent to six ells of wadmal; consequently one mark (which consisted of somewhat more than an ounce of fine silver) was equal in value to forty-eight ells of this cloth.

enacted new laws, annulled or changed the old ones, and was charged with seeing them put in execution; and when written laws came into use, the Logmann had them in his custody. This magistrate chiefly officiated in the great assembly or Althing, which he convoked annually, and which was attended by every member of the state and by every citizen of the island. Here the more weighty and important causes were brought forward; and the provincial judges were induced to conduct themselves, in their respective jurisdictions, with the greater caution, lest their acts should be represented to this assembly and they thereby be subject to be condemned and punished; for to this court lay an appeal from the sentences pronounced in all the inferior courts. This great assembly of the states, which was always begun and ended with sacrifices, lasted fourteen days, beginning in the month of May; and was held, for some time, at Armanfel in the southern part of the island; but afterwards, at Thingevalle. The Icelandic historians have with great care preserved the names of those persons in the island, who have been elevated to the

rank of Logmenn, and, by the list of them published by Arngrim Jonas, we learn that there were in all thirty-eight. Among those most deserving of notice, Rafnerus, the son of Cetellus Hange, may be mentioned as the first who was constituted Logmann, in Iceland, in the year 930; Thorgeirus Lioswetninga Bode, during whose reign paganism was abolished, in 1000; Bergthorus, who established the canon law; Snorro Sturleson, the famous historian and poet, who was chosen in 1215; and Cetillus or Catullus, the last of the Logmenn, who maintained his authority from 1259 to 1262, at which time, having long withstood the threats and solicitations of Haco, king of Norway, it was agreed by the Icelanders, in a national assembly, that they should do homage to that prince; and they accordingly became the subjects of Norway, after having maintained their independence for upwards of three hundred and thirty years. Although a Norwegian governor was appointed to reside in the island, it does not appear that the internal constitution, or the laws, underwent any material change. The people continued faithful in their allegiance to their new

masters, and became, with them, subservient to the crown of Denmark, in the year 1387.

The code of laws, called the Jonsbok, was received in Iceland in 1280; but this seems to have been principally founded on the more ancient laws of the island. It underwent much alteration when the Danes had possession of the country, till, at length, most matters were decided by the law of Denmark, and continue to be so to this day, with some few exceptions and alterations, adapted to local circumstances.

The Danes have entrusted the government* of the island to a person who is styled Stiftsamptman, that is, the supreme governor of a province or stiftsampt. The stiftsampt of Iceland is divided into four ampts, each of which was formerly under

* For the account of the present state of the civil as well as ecclesiastical establishments contained in this Introduction, as well as for that of the state of commerce of the island, I am greatly indebted to Mr. Jorgensen, who, from the late situation he held in Iceland, has been no less able than willing to furnish me with much useful information.

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