Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/140

 132 CHRONICLE OF THE saga vii. " Under the rim of heaven no other, So young in years as Einar's brother, In battle had a braver hand, Or stouter, to defend the land." Chapter The brothers Einar and Bruse were very unlike of the* in disposition. Bruse was a soft-minded, peaceable ^Bnwe* man ? — sociable, eloquent, and of good understanding. Einar was obstinate, taciturn, and dull ; but ambitious, greedy of money, and withal a great warrior. Su- marlid, the eldest of the brothers, was in disposition like Bruse, and lived not long, but died in his bed. After his death Thorfinn claimed his share of the Orkney Islands. Einar replied, that Thorfinn had the dominions which their father Sigurd had possessed, namely, Caithness and Sutherland, which he insisted were much larger than a third part of Orkney ; there- fore he would not consent to Thorfinn' s having any share. Bruse, on the other hand, was willing, he said, to divide with him. " I do not desire," he said, " more than the third part of the land, and which of right belongs to me." Then Einar took possession of two parts of the country, by which he became a powerful man, surrounded by many followers. He was often in summer out on marauding expeditions, and called out great numbers of the people to join him ; but it went always unpleasantly with the division of the booty made on his viking cruises. Then the bonders grew weary of all these burdens ; but Earl Einar held fast by them with severity, calling in all services laid upon the people, and allowing no opposi- tion from any man ; for he was excessively proud and overbearing. ^ And now there came dearth and scarcity in his lands, in consequence of the services and money outlay exacted from the bonders; while in the part of the country belonging to Bruse there were peace and plenty, and therefore he was the best beloved by the bonders.