REP ARA LG PP 1 GR

1450. Gregorius. Son sceau a été retrouvé et publié par la Société royale des Antiquaires du Nord.

there, and laid waste the land itself and the holy buildings with fire and Sword, without leaving upon the island Greenland, other than the few people who are said to lie far off, and which they, by reason of high mountains, could not reach, and took off the much to be commiserated inhabitants of both sexes, particularly those whom they looked upon as convenient and strong enough for the constant burden of slavery, and took home with them those against whom they could best direct their barbarity. But now since the same complaint further saith that many, in the course of time, have come back from said captivity, and after having, here and there, rebuilt the devastated places, now wish to have the Worship oftheir Godagain established, and set upon the former footing ; and since they, in consequence of the before named pressing calamity, Wanting the necessary means themselves, have hitherto not had te Power to support their priesthood and superiors, therefore, during all that period of thirty ycars, have been in want of the consolations of the Bishops and the services of the Priests, except when some one through desire of the service of God, has been willing to undertake tedious and toilsome journeys to the people whom the fury of the barbarians has spared, — Sceing that we have a complete knowledge of all these things, so do we now charge and direct Ye brethren, who, we are informed, are the nearest Bishops to the said island, that ye, after previously conferring with the chief Bishop of the Diocese, if the distance of the place allows of it, to nominate and send them a fit and proper man as Bishop ».

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1487. Jacobus. Son sceau retrouvé et publié par la même Société porte en légende: Secretu. iacobi. epi. gadensis, c'est-à-dire: Episcopi Gardensis.

1537. Vincentius, dont le sceau a été retrouvé et publié par la même société !.

On voit par la simple inspection de cette liste que les rapports du Groenland avec l’Europe devinrent de moins en moins fréquents; ils suffisaient néanmoins pour conserver à Rome et dans les pays scandinaves le souvenir de cette lointaine contrée. L'Islande, qui voyait passer ces évêques, qui conservait dans les sagas le récit des découvertes faites par ia famille d’Erik le Rouge et Thorfinn Karlsefn, ne pouvait l'oublier. Les groenlandais se rappelaient encore, bien certainement, les grandes terres de l’ouest où tant de leurs enfants, avides de richesses et d’aventures, avaient fondé de nombreuses colonies.

1 Société royale des Antiquaires du Nord, 1845-1849. p.432 et tab. 1, fig. 1-6.