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126 III. THE ROMANIZED CHURCH (A.D. 11301389).
and mortifications, and learnt to say the
"
hours
"
of the
Virgin with her, while she took care not to press him too
hard, and encouraged him to study books of law and jus
tice, so that he might better discharge the duties of his
office. He succeeded his father as lagman of Nerike, but
they generally lived at Ulfasa in East Gothland.
In one instance he took his own way in giving their
daughter Marta in marriage to Seved Ribbing a rough
hard man whom Birgitta generally calls
"
the robber."
But, on the whole, Ulf was a man of excellent and honest
character, a good knight and a good man of business.
Amongst her particular occupations, probably begun at
Finstad, a high place was given to the reading of the Bible,
which she caused to be translated at least in part into
Swedish for her use.
It is interesting to know that she was not alone in her use
of the Bible, for King Magnus Ericsson, who succeeded
his uncle, Birger,
"
possessed a great book of the Bible in
Swedish."
15
Some time in her married life Birgitta seems to have re
sided at the court as
"
court-mistress
"
to Blanche of
Namur, Queen of Magnus. Her judgment on both the
gay young king and queen was very severe, and was per
haps dictated by her partisanship in politics although
Magnus was son of Duke Eric, whom her father had fol
lowed.16
What is astonishing is that a woman should have
been bold enough, in this age, to take so decided a line in
politics in such a country as Sweden.
15
Wetzer and Welte :
Realenc, s.v. Bibelubersetzungen, p.
768. This was probably the Pentateuch. It is mentioned in
his will, dated 1340. This and other pre-Reformation versions
were printed by Klemming
1
in Svenska medeltidens Bibel-
arbeten, 2 vols. Stkh., 1848 1855.
16
For an interpretation of the passages in her revelations
touching- the king and queen, which are contained in the
appendix Extravagantes 80, and in lib. iv., ch. 3, etc., we may
refer to Commentarii historici super nonnullis Rev. S. Birgittcz
in Scr. rer. Suec. III. 2
,
16-20. In Extrav. 59 Birgitta tells
a story about a box of relics given to her when she was "
magi-
stra Reginae Blancae quondam Regina3 Suecia3.
"
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