Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/97

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 89 ance, and Hialte accompanied her. But before he SAGA vn - took his departure he went to King Olaf, and said, " Continue always to be the most fortunate of mo- narchs ! Such splendour as I have seen about thee I have in truth never witnessed elsewhere, and where- soever I come it shall not be concealed. Now, king, may I entreat thy favour and friendship in time to come ?" The king replies, " Why art thou in so great a haste, and where art thou going ?" Hialte replies, " I am to ride out to Ullarager with Ingigerd thy daughter." The king says, " Farewell then : a man thou art of understanding and politeness, and well suited to live with people of rank." Thereupon Hialte withdrew. The king's daughter Ingigerd rode to her farm in Ullarager, and ordered a great feast to be prepared for the earl. When the earl arrived he was welcomed with gladness, and he remained there several days. The earl and the king's daughter talked much, and of many things, but most about the Swedish and Norwegian kings ; and she told the earl that in her opinion there was no hope of peace between them. Then said the earl, " How wouldst thou like it, my cousin, if Olaf king of Norway were to pay his ad- dresses to thee ? It appears to us that it would con- tribute most towards a settled peace if there was relationship established between the kings ; but I would not support such a matter if it were against thy inclination." She replies, " My father disposes of my hand; but among all my other relations thou art he whose advice I would rather follow in weighty affairs. Dost thou think it would be advisable?" The earl recommended it to her strongly, and reckoned up many excellent achievements of King Olaf 's. He told her, in particu-