Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/127

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 119 to Russia. There Ingigerd was married to King Jaris- saga vn. leif ; and their children were Valdemar, Visivald, and Halte the Bold. Queen Ingigerd gave Earl Rognvald the town of Ladoga, and earldom belonging to it. Earl Rognvald was there a long time, and was a cele- brated man. His sons and Ingeborg's were Earl Ulf and Earl Eyliff. There was a man called Emund of Skara, who was Chapter lagman of West Gotland, and was a man of great Hktoryof understanding and eloquence, and of high birth, the lagman great connection, and very wealthy ; but was con- sidered deceitful, and not to be trusted. He was the most powerful man in West Gotland after the earl was gone. The same spring that Earl Rognvald left Gotland the Gotland people held a Thing among themselves, and often expressed their anxiety to each other about what the Swedish king might do. They heard he was incensed because they had rather held in friendship with the king of Norway than striven against him ; and he was also enraged against those who had attended his daughter Astrid to Norway. Some proposed to seek help and support from the king of Norway, and to offer him their services ; others dissuaded from this measure, as West Gotland had no strength to oppose to the Swedes. "And the king of Norway," said they, " is far from us, the chief strength of his country very distant ; and therefore let us first send men to the Swedish king to attempt to come to some reconciliation with him. If that fail, we can still turn to the king of Norway." Then the bonders asked Emund to undertake this mission, to which he agreed ; and he proceeded with thirty men to East Gotland, where there were many of his relations and friends, who received him hospitably. He conversed there with the most prudent men about this difficult business ; and they were all unanimous on one point, — that the king's treatment of them i 4