from a hideous twist of the neck, which is
exceedingly prejudicial to the dignity of an abbot.

This sinful book of abominations however, I sent to Rome, to the holy
Bishop, with the question, whether we should burn it, or preserve it,
to aid in tracing and convicting the escaped monk, should we succeed in
capturing him again?

For a long long time came no answer.

But after many many years the book came back from Rome, with the
command to keep it--only the blasphemous passages therein were
erased--and as a warning example to others, was the Abbot of St.
Columban to append to these pages an account from an accompanying
letter of the Archbishop Adaldag of Hamburg, of how dreadful a fate
had, through the righteous judgments of God, ended this apostate's
sinful life of the highest earthly enjoyment; which he--this may
console us--will doubtless have to expiate in the eternal torments of
hell.

From the Archbishop's letter it appeared there could be no doubt that
our perjured Brother, Irenaeus, is none other than one who, in all the
courts of the north, has been for many years celebrated as a warrior
and singer, and crowned with all earthly fame and happiness, Jarl
Sigurd Halfredson; who appeared suddenly at the court of King Harald of
Halogaland--none knew whence he came--with one of the skalds of the
King, and through hammer throwing, and harp playing, soon won for
himself such renown that King Harald gave him three castles, the
command of all his armies, and his daughter Gunnlodh in marriage.

But King Harald was the most furious Christian hater, and the bitterest
opposer of the Gospel in all the North.

And for long years Jarl Sigurd led the troops of King Harald, and
always led them to victory.

The Lord at that time tried his own with severe affliction. He had
turned his face from them, and the vassals of the Bishops, and of the
Christian princes of the North, could not stand before Jarl Sigurd, and
his dreaded hammer.

But the end of this man of blood was horrible, and therefore it has
been--by the command of the holy Father--copied from the letter of the
Archbishop, as a fearful warning to all who read these pages.

As he, that is to say, after once more in a great battle overthrowing
the Bishop's troops, was pursuing them in sinful joy, and shouting
"victory, victory!" he was mortally wounded by an arrow in the breast.

King Harald caused his heathen priests and the skalds to draw near to
the right sid