3" suborning false witnesses, encouraging perjured clerics, and by placing Norway under an Interdict—and was beaten. King Sverrir died on March 8, 1202. As he lay on his death-bed in the castle at Bergen he said : " I would desire to be raised up and placed on my throne and there await whatever may befall me. Bishop Nicolas (the agent of Innocent) will see, if I die in my high seat, encircled by my friends, that my end is very different from what he predicted— that I should be hacked to pieces and cast to the dogs and ravens. God be praised that in so many perils I have been preserved from the weapons of my foes." Then he was anointed, seated on his throne, and, finding his strength rapidly ebbing, he gave orders that after his death he should be laid with exposed face, so that friend and foe alike might see that the ban under which he had been placed by Innocent III had had no effect on his body. " I have," said he, " undergone more labour, opposition and dangers, than peace and contentment, since I became King. I am convinced that many of my enemies were provoked to hostility by pure envy, and I pray God to judge between me and them. For my part, I frankly forgive them." He died on Saturday, 9th March, 1202. His body was exposed with bared face, as he had desired, and all who saw it remarked how fair and noble was its appearance. Afterwards it was conveyed with pomp to the cathedral and laid beside the choir. Above his tomb were suspended his helmet, shield and banner, and a copper plate was let into the wall bearing an inscription commemorative of his many virtues. Well will it be for the murderous Innocent at the Resurrection of the Just, if he finds a place under the foot-stool of the good and noble King Sverrir. The blood of King Sverrir was carried down till it entered into the Royal Danish, Royal Russian and ancient Swedish Royal families. Moreover, through Margaret, daughter of Christian of Holstein, married to James III of Scotland, it was conveyed to James VI of Scotland and I of England. Oh, what a falling off was there ! It is not my intention to re-describe my travels in Iceland. I gave a full account of them in Iceland : its Scenes and Sagas.
