Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/38

 30 CHRONICLE OF THE saga vit. made try King Harald Haarfager, that nothing shall be of such importance to you as to prevent you from throwing off the disgrace from our family of being slow at supporting the man who comes forward to raise up again our race. But whether ye show any manhood in this affair or not, I know the inclination of the people well, — that all want to be free from the slavery of foreign masters, and will give aid and strength to the attempt. I have not proposed this matter to any before thee, because I know thou art a man of understanding, and can best judge how this my purpose shall be brought forward in the be- ginning, and whether we shall, in all quietness, talk about it to a few persons, or instantly declare it to the people at large. I have already showed my teeth by taking prisoner the Earl Hakon, who has now left the country, and given me, under oath, the part of the kingdom which he had before ; and I think it will be easier to have Earl Swend alone to deal with, than if both were defending the country against us." King Sigurd answers, " It is no small affair, King Olaf, thou hast in thy mind ; and thy purpose comes more, methinks, from hasty pride than from pru- dence. But it may be there is a wide difference be- tween my humble ways and the high thoughts thou hast ; for whilst yet in thy childhood thou wast full always of ambition and desire of command, and now thou art experienced in battles, and hast formed thy- self upon the manner of foreign chiefs. I know therefore well, that as thou hast taken this into thy head, it is useless to dissuade thee from it ; and also it is not to be denied that it goes to the heart of all who have courage in them, that the whole Haarfager race and kingdom should go to the ground. But I will not bind myself by any promise, before I know the views and intentions of other Upland kings ; but thou hast done well in letting me know thy purpose, be-