Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/303

 KINGS OF NOHWAY. 295 called Bulgaria*, which is a part of Russia, and in saga vii. which land the people were still heathen. King Olaf thought over this offer ; but when he proposed it to his men they dissuaded him from settling himself there, and urged the king to betake himself to Norway to his own kingdom: but the king himself had re- solved almost in his own mind to lay down his royal dignity, to go out into the world to Jerusalem, or other holy places, and to enter into some order of monks. But yet the thought lay deep in his soul to recover again, if there should be any opportunity for him, his kingdom in Norway. When he thought over this, it recurred to his mind how all things had gone prosperously with him during the first ten years of his reign, and how afterwards every thing he un- dertook became heavy, difficult, and hard ; and that he had been unlucky on all occasions in which he had tried his luck. On this account he doubted if it would be prudent to depend so much upon his luck, as to go with so little strength into the hands of his enemies, seeing that all the people of the country had taken part with them to oppose King Olaf. Such cares he had often on his mind, and he left his cause to God, praying that he would do what to him seemed best. These thoughts he turned over in his mind, and knew not what to resolve upon ; for he saw how evidently dangerous that was which his inclination was most bent upon. One night the king lay awake in his bed, thinking Chapter with great anxiety about his determination, and at of^K-J*" last, being tired of thinking, sleep came over him olaf ' s towards morning ; but his sleep was so light that he thought he was awake, and could see all that was doing in the house. Then he saw a great and superb empire; but the present Russian province Casan, on the east of the Wolga. u 4
 * Valgaria was not the present province Bulgaria of the Turkish