Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/58

 50 CHUONICLE OF THE saga vii. country ; for there it appeared to him was the greatest strength of the land, if he could subdue it for himself while the earl was abroad. When Olaf came to Dron- theim there was no opposition, and he was elected there to be king. In harvest he took his seat in the town of Nidaros, and collected the needful winter provision. He built a king's house, and raised Cle- ment's church on the spot on which it now stands. He parcelled out building ground, which he gave to bonders, merchants, or others who he thought would build. There he sat down, with many men-at-arms around him; for he put no great confidence in the Drontheim people, if the earl should return to the country. The people of the interior of the Drontheim country showed this clearly, for he got no land-scatt from them. Chapter Earl Swend went first to Sweden, to his brother- LII. . . Plan of in-law Olaf the Swedish king, told him all that had mid rl th Wend happened between him and Olaf the Thick, and asked Swedish his advice about what he should now undertake. The king said that the earl should stay with him if he liked, and get such a portion of his kingdom to rule over as should seem to him sufficient; " or otherwise," says he, " I will give thee help of forces to conquer the country again from Olaf." The earl chose the latter ; for all those among his men who had great possessions in Norway, which was the case with many who were with him, were anxious to get back ; and in the council they held about this, it was resolved that in winter they should take the land-way over Helsingialand and Jemteland, and so down into the Drontheim land ; for the earl reckoned most upon the faithful help and strength of the Drontheim peo- ple of the interior as soon as he should appear there. In the mean time, however, it was determined to take a cruise in summer in the Baltic to gather pro- perty.