Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/187

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 179 Valclers, where the people were still heathen. The sa ga v u king hastened up to the lake in Valders, came unex- pectedly on the bonders, seized their vessels, and went on board of them with all his men. He then sent out message-tokens, and appointed a Thing so near the lake that he could use the vessels if he found he required them. The bonders resorted to the Thing in a great and well-armed host ; and when he commanded them to accept Christianity the bonders shouted against him, told him to be silent, and made a great uproar and clashing of weapons. But when the king saw that they would not listen to what he would teach them, and also that they had too great a force to contend with, he turned his discourse, and asked if there were people at the Thing who had disputes with each other which they wished him to settle. It was soon found by the conversation of the bonders that they had many quarrels among themselves, although they had all joined in speaking against Christianity. When the bonders began to set forth their own cases, each endeavoured to get some upon his side to sup- port him ; and this lasted the whole day long until evening, when the Thing was concluded. When the bonders had heard that the king had travelled to Yalders, and was come into their neighbourhood, they had sent out message-tokens summoning the free and the unfree to meet in arms, and with this force they had advanced against the king ; so that the neighbour- hood all around was left without people. When the Thing was concluded the bonders still remained as- sembled ; and when the king observed this he went on board his ships, rowed in the night right across the water, landed in the country there, and began to plunder and burn. The day after the king's men rowed from one point of land to another, and over all the king ordered the habitations to be set on fire. Now when the bonders who were assembled saw what N 2