Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/273

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 261 but I will only relate what appears to me to have saga xiv. 13roduced the more important events. In the days of Harald's sons Cardinal Nieolas came Chapter "v "V T I r from Rome to Norway, being sent there by the pope, cardinal ' The cardinal had taken offence at the brothers Nicolas Sigurd and Ey stein, and they Avere obliged to cdme the country. to a reconciliation with him ; but, on the other hand, he stood on the most affectionate terms with Kinjjf Inge, whom he called his son. Now when they were all reconciled with him, he moved them to let John Birgisson be consecrated archbishop of Drontheim, and gave him a vestment which is called a pallium ; and settled moreover that the archbishop's seat should be in Nidaros, in Christ church, where King Olaf the Saint -reposes. Before that time there had only been common bishops in Norway. The cardinal introduced also the law, that no man should go unpunished who appeared with arms in the merchant-town, excepting the twelve men who were in attendance on the king. He improved many of the customs of the Northmen while he was in the country. There never came a foreigner to Norway whom all men respected so highly, or who could govern the people so well as he did. After some time he returned to the South with many friendly presents, and declared ever afterwards that he was the greatest friend of the people of Nor- way. When he came south to Rome the former pope died suddenly, and all the people of Rome would have Cardinal Nicolas for pope, and he was consecrated under the name of Adrian ; and according to the report of men who went to Rome in his days, he had never any business, however important, to settle with other people, but he would break it off to speak with the Northmen who desired to see him. He was not long pope, and is now considered a saint.* St. Alban's monastery ; afterwards Pope Adrian IV. s 3
 * This cardinal was Nicholas Breakspear, an Englishman, from