Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/267

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 259 Sarpsburg. He presented himself before the king saga vh. just as he was sitting down to table. Sigvat saluted him. The king looked at Sigvat and w^as silent. Then Sigvat sang, — " Great king ! thy marshal is come home, No more by land or sea to roam, But by thy side Still to abide. Great king ! what seat here shall he take For the king's honour — not his sake? For all seats here To me are dear." Then was verified the old saying, that " many are the ears of a king;" for King Olaf had heard all about Sigvat' s journey, and that he had spoken with Canute. He says to Sigvat, " I do not know if thou art my marshal, or hast become one of Canute's men." Sigvat said, — " Canute, whose golden gifts display A generous heart, would have me stay, Service in his great court to take, And my own Norway king forsake. Two masters at a time, 1 said, Were one too many for men bred Where truth and virtue, shown to all, Make all men true in Olaf 's hall." Then King Olaf told Sigvat to take his seat where he before used to sit ; and in a short time Sigvat was in as high favour with the king as ever. Erling Skialgsson and all his sons had been all chapter summer in King Canute's army, in the retinue of q/e^w Earl Hakon. Thorer Hund was also there, and was skialgsson i n c 1 * i ^ in high esteem. Now when King Canute heard that sons. King Olaf had gone overland to Norway, he dis- charged his army, and gave all men leave to go to their winter abodes. There was then in Denmark a great army of foreigners, both English, Norwegians, and men of other countries, who had joined the expe- s 2