Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/67

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 59 rich man. Eilif was also of great family, and very sag a vu. wealthy. Now when King Olaf came to Ranrige he summoned the people to a Thing, and all who dwelt on the sea-coast, or in the out-islands, came to him. Now when the Thing was seated the king's marshal, Biorn, held a speech to them, in which he told the bonders to receive Olaf as their king, in the same way as had been done in all other parts of Norway. Then stood up a bold bonder, by name Bryniulf Ulfalde, and said, " We bonders know where the division-boundaries between the Norway and Danish and Swedish kings' lands have stood by rights in old times ; namely, that the Gotha river di- vided their lands between the Venner lake and the sea ; but towards the north the forests until Eida forest, and from thence the ridge of the country all north to Finmark. We know, also, that by turns they have made inroads upon each other's territories, and that the Swedes have long had power all the way to Swinesund. But, sooth to say, I know that it is the inclination of many rather to serve the king of Norway, but they dare not ; for the Swedish king's dominions surround us, both eastward, southward, and also up the country ; and besides, it may be ex- pected that the king of Norway must soon go to the north, where the strength of his kingdom lies, and then we have no power to withstand the Gotlanders. Now it is for the king to give us good counsel, for we have great desire to be his men." After the Thing, in the evening, Bryniulf was in the king's tent, and the day after likewise, and they had much private conversation together. Then the king pro- ceeded eastwards along Yiken. Now when Eilif heard of his arrival, he sent out spies to discover what he was about ; but he himself, with thirty men, kept himself high up in the habitations among the hills, where he had gathered together bonders. Many