Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/178

 168 EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY. thanks now and then rather to Harald than to Magnus. Magnus too was very noble; and Harald, with his wide experience and greater length of years, carefully held his heat of temper well covered in. Prior to Uncle Harald's coming, Magnus had dis- tinguished himself as a Lawgiver. His Code of Laws for the Trondhjem Province was considered a pretty piece of legislation; and in subsequent times got the name of Grey -goose (Gragas) ; one of the wonderfullest names ever given to a wise Book. Some say it came from the grey colour of the parch- ment, some give other incredible origins; the last guess I have heard is, that the name merely denotes antiquity ; the witty name in Norway, for a man growing old having been, in those times, that he was now * becoming a grey-goose.' Yery fantastic indeed ; certain, however, that Grey-goose is the name of that venerable Law Book; nay, there is another, still more famous, belonging to Iceland, and not far from a century younger, the Iceland Grey-goose. The Norway one is perhaps of date about 1037, the other of about 1118; peace be with them both! Or, if anybody is inclined to such matters let him go to