Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/172

 164 CHRONICLE OF THE saga vn. Erling replies to this, " I will answer at once. I deny altogether that I have ever injured Aslak, or any one else, for being in your service ; but this I will not deny, that it is now, as it has long been, that each of us relations will willingly be greater than the other: and, moreover, I freely acknowledge that I am ready to bow my neck to thee, King Olaf ; but it is more difficult for me to stoop before one who is of slave descent in all his generation, although he is now your bailiff, or before others who are but equal to him in descent, although you bestow honours on them." Now the friends of both interfered, and entreated that they would be reconciled ; saying, that the king never could have such powerful aid as from Erling, " if he was your friend entirely." On the other hand, they represent to Erling that he should give up to the king ; for if he was in friendship with the king, it would be easy to do with all the others what he pleased. The meeting accordingly ended so that Erling should retain the fiefs he formerly had, and every complaint the king had against Erling should be dropped ; but Skialg, Erling's son, should come to the king, and remain in his power. Then Aslak returned to his dominions, and the two were in some sort reconciled. Erling returned home also to his domains, and followed his own way of ruling them. There was a man called Sigurd Thorisson, a Here be- brother of Thorer Hund of Biarko Island. Sigurd s^orVof was married to Sigrid Skialg's daughter, a sister of Erling. Their son, called Asbiorn, became as he grew up a very able man. Sigurd dwelt at Aumd, in Thrandarness, and was a very rich and respected man. He had not gone into the king's service ; and Thorer in so far had attained higher dignity than his brother, that he was the king's lenderman. But at home, on his farm, Sigurd stood in no respect behind Chapter CXXIII Asbiorn Selsbane.