Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/77

 KEIGN OF OLAF TRYGGVESON. 67 and blusterous rather than eloquent and piously convincing. Two skalds of repute made biting lampoons upon Thangbrand, whom Thangbrand, by two opportunities that offered, cut down and did to death because of their skaldic quality. Another he killed with his own hand, I know not for what reason. In brief, after about a year, Thangbrand returned to I^orway and king Olaf ; declaring the Icelanders to be a perverse, satirical, and inconvertible people, having himself, the record says, ' been the death of three men there.' King Olaf was in high rage at this result; but was persuaded by the Icelanders about him to try farther, and by a milder instrument. He accordingly chose one Thormod, a pious, patient, and kindly man, who, within the next year or so, did actually accomplish the matter; namely, get Chris- tianity, by open vote, declared at Thingvalla by the general Thing of Iceland there ; the roar of a volcanic eruption at the right moment rather helping the conclusion, if I recollect. Whereupon Olaf's joy was no doubt great. One general result of these successful operations was the discontent, to all manner of degrees, on the part F 2