Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/149

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 141 he who is to rule over these lands may expect hostility saga vit from thee, and thou must not think it strange if like meet like in this business." The earl begged of the king some time to consider the matter. The king did so, and gave the earl time to take the counsel of his friends on the choosing one or other of these conditions. Then the earl requested a delay until next summer, that he might go over the sea to the West, for his proper counsellors were all at home, and he himself was but a child in respect of age ; but the king required that he should now make his election of one or other of the conditions. Thorkel Fosterer was then with the king, and he privately sent a person to Earl Thorfinn, and told him, whatever his intentions might be, not to think of leaving Olaf with- out being reconciled with him, as he stood entirely in Olaf 's power. From such hints the earl saw there was no other way than to let the king have his own will. It was no doubt a hard condition to have no hope of ever regaining his paternal heritage, and moreover to bind himself by oath to allow those to enjoy in peace his domain who had no hereditary right to it ; but seeing it was uncertain how he could get away, he resolved to submit to the king and become his vassal, as Bruse had done. The king ob- served that Thorfinn was more high-minded, and less disposed to suffer subjection than Bruse, and therefore he trusted less to Thorfinn than to Bruse ; and he considered also that Thorfinn would trust to the aid of the Scottish king, if he broke the agreement. The king also had discernment enough to perceive that Bruse, although slow to enter into an agreement, would promise nothing but what he in- tended to keep ; but as to Thorfinn, when he had once made up his mind he went readily into every proposal, and made no attempt to obtain any alteration of the king's first conditions : therefore the king had