, so called because he was a canon of that church. He was born, according
, so called because he was a canon
of that church. He was born, according to some writers,
at Misnia in the eleventh century; he devoted himself
early to the church, and in 1067, was made a canon by
Adelbert, archbishop of Bremen, and at the same time
placed at the head of the school of that city, a situation
equally important and honourable at a time when schools
were the only establishments for public instruction. Adam
employed his whole life in the functions of his office, in
propagating religion, and in compiling his history, “Historia ecclesiastica ecclesiarum Hamburgensis et Bremensis
vicinorurnque locorum septentrionalium, ab anno 788 ad
annum 1072,
” Copenhagen, 1579, 4to; Leyden, 159.5,
4to; Helmstadt, 1670, 4to the latter, edited by John
Mader, is the best edition. This work contains the most
accurate account we have of the establishment of Christianity in the north of Europe. As Bremen was the centre
of the missions for this purpose, in which Adam was himself engaged, and had travelled over the countries visited
by Anscharius about 200 years before, he had the farther
advantage of making valuable collections from the archives
of the archbishoprick, the library of his convent, and the
conversations he held with the missionaries. He lived in
an age when the dignified clergy were not inattentive to
temporal affairs, and yet acquitted himself with much impartiality in writing the history of his patron Adelbert, a
man of intrigue and ambition. He made a tour in Denmark, where he was favourably received by the reigning
sovereign; and on his return wrote a geographical treatise,
which was published at Stockholm, under the title of
“Chronographia Scandinavise,
” De situ Daniae et reliquarum
trans Daniam regionum natura,
” Scriptores rerum Gerrn. septentrional.
”
Hamburgh,