Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/222

 2X4 CHRONICLE OF THE s ,o a vii. The Icelanders, Thorodd Snorresson and Stein Skop- c™ tason, were ill pleased at not being allowed to do as cxlviit. the y ^ e( j # Stein was a remarkably handsome man, s S tot' S dexterous at all feats, a great poet, splendid in his apparel, and very ambitious of distinction. His father, Skopte,'had composed a poem on King Olaf, which he had taught Stein, in the intention that he should bring it to King Olaf. Stein could not now restrain him- self from making the king reproaches in word and speech, both in verse and prose. Both he and Thorodd were imprudent in their conversation, and said the king would be looked upon as a worse man than those who, under faith and law, had sent their sons to him, as he now treated them as men without liberty. The king was angry at this. One day Stein stood before the king, and asked if he would listen to the poem which his father Skopte had composed about him. The king replies, " Thou must first repeat that, Stein, which thou hast composed about me." Stein replies, that it was not the case that he had composed any. " I am no scald, sire," said he ; " and if I even could compose any thing, it, and all that concerns me, would appear to thee of little value." Stein then went out, but thought he perceived what the king alluded to. Thorgeir, one of the king's land -bailiffs, who managed one of his farms in Orkadal, happened to be present, and heard the conversation of the king and Stein, and soon afterwards Thorgeir returned home. One night Stein left the city, and his footboy with him. They went up Gulaasen and into Orkadal. One evening they came to one of the king's farms which Thorgeir had the management of, and Thorgeir invited Stein to pass the night there, and asked where he was travel- ling to. Stein begged the loan of a horse and sledge, for he saw they were just driving home corn. Thorgeir replies, "I do not exactly see how it stands with thy journey, and if thou art travelling