Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/150

 138 CHRONICLE OF THE SAOA XI. pointed, and a count came to it, and the case was brought before him for trial. He said he was not much acquainted with law cases, as he was but young, and had only been a short time in office ; and also, of all things, he said what he least understood to judge about was poetry. "But let us hear what it was." Then Elldiarn sano^ : — " I heard that in the bloody fight Gifford drove all our foes to flight: Brave GifFord would the foe abide, AVhile all our men ran oiF to hide. At Foxerne the fight was won By Gifford's valour all alone : Where Gifford fought, alone was he ; Not one survived to fight or flee." Then said the count, " Although I know but little about scald-craft, I can hear that this is no slander, but rather the highest praise and honour." Gifford could say nothing against it, yet he felt it was a mockery. Chapter Thc followino; summcr a meetino: of the kins^s was XVII. Meetin'r'of ^grccd upou at Konghelle on the Gotha river; and the kings Kino: Mao-nus, the Swedish kino; Ino;e, and the Danish at the o O ' o CD J Gotha king Eric Swendsson all met there, after giving each other safe conduct to the meeting. Now when the Thing had sat down the kings went forward upon thc plain, apart from the rest of the people, and they talked with each other a little while. Then they re- turned to their people, and a treaty was brought about, by which each should possess the dominions his forefathers had held before him ; but each should make good to his own men the waste and manslaugh- ter suffered by them, and then they should agree be- tween themselves about settling this with each other. King Magnus should marry King Inge's daughter Margaret, Avho afterwards was called Peace-offering. This was proclaimed to the people ; and thus, within at the Goth river.