At the age of seventeen the boy was sent to school in Christiania, and
in 1852 entered the University. Instead of devoting himself to his
studies, he wrote a play called 'Valborg,' which was actually accepted
by the management of the Christiania Theatre. The piece was, however,
never printed or even performed; for the author became so conscious of
its imperfections that he withdrew it from rehearsal. But it gave him
the _entrée_ of the playhouse, a fact which did much to determine the
direction of his literary activities. He left the University with his
course uncompleted, and for two or three years thereafter supported
himself by journalism. In 1857, at the age of twenty-four, his serious
literary career began with the publication of 'Synnöve Solbakken,' his
first novel, and 'Mellern Slagene' (Between the Battles), his first
printed dramatic work. In this year also, upon the invitation of Ole
Bull, he went to Bergen, where he remained for two years as director of
the theatre. In 1860 he secured from the government a traveling stipend,
and spent the greater part of the next two years abroad, mostly in Rome,
busily writing all the time. Returning to Norway, he has since remained
there for the most part, although his winters have frequently been spent
in other countries. For a long time he lived regularly in Paris several
months of each year; one winter (1879-80) he was the guest of the Grand
Duke of Meiningen; the following (1880-81) he spent in the United
States, lecturing in many cities. Since 1874 his Norwegian home has been
at Aulestad in the Gausdal, where he has an estate, and occupies a
capacious dwelling--half farm-house, half villa--whose broad verandas
look out upon the charming open landscape of Southern Norway. For the
last twenty years he has been almost as conspicuous a figure in the
political as in the literary arena, and the recognized leader of the
Norwegian republican movement. Numerous kinds of social and religious
controversy have also engaged his attention, and made his life a
stirring one in many ways.