Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/115

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 107 fore was called the king's slave-girl. Their children sagavii. were Eymund, Astrid, and Holmfrid. He had, be- king's sides, a son by his queen, who was born the day before St. Jacob's-day. When the boy was to be christened the bishop called him Jacob, which the Swedes did not like, as there never had been a Swe- dish king called Jacob. All King Olaf's children were handsome in appearance, and clever from child- hood. The queen was proud, and did not behave well towards her stepchildren; therefore the king sent his son Eymund to Vendland, to be fostered by his mother's relations, where he for a long time neglected his Christianity. The king's daughter, Astrid, was brought up in West Gotland, in the house of a worthy man called Egil. She was a very lovely girl : her words came well into her conversa- tion ; she was merry, but modest, and very generous. When she was grown up she was often in her father's house, and every man thought well of her. King Olaf was haughty and harsh in his speech. He took very ill the uproar and clamour the country people had raised against him at the Upsal Thing, as they had threatened him with violence, for which he laid the chief blame on Earl Rognvald. He made no preparation for the bridal, according to the agreement to marry his daughter Ingigerd to Olaf the king of Norway, and to meet him on the borders for that purpose. As the summer advanced many of his men were anxious to know what the king's intentions were; whether to keep to the agreement with King Olaf, or break his word, and with it the peace of the country. But no one was so bold as to ask the king, although they complained of it to Ingigerd, and be- sought her to find out what the king intended. She replied, "I have no inclination to speak to the king again about the matters between him and King Olaf; for he answered me ill enough once before when I