Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/299

Rh Nidaros in Yule; and one evening in the beginning of saga xv. Yule his men fought in the room of the court, and in this affray eight men were killed, and many were wounded. The eighth day of Yule, King Hakon's man Alf Rode, son of Ottar Birting, with about eighty men, went to Elda, and came in the night unexpectedly on the people, who were very drunk, and set fire to the room ; but they went out, and defended themselves bravely. There fell Bergliot, Ivar's son, and Ogmund his brother, and many more. They had been nearly thirty altogether in number. In winter died, north in the merchant-town, Andreas Simunsson, King Hakon's foster-brother ; and his death was much deplored. Erling Skakke and Inge's men, who were in Bergen, threatened that in winter they would proceed against Hakon and his men ; but it came to nothing. Gregorius sent word from the east, from Konghelle, that if he were so near as Erling and his men, he would not sit quietly in Bergen while Hakon was killing King Inge's friends and their com- rades in war north in the Drontheim country.

King Inge and Gregorius left the east in spring, chapter and came to Bergen ; but as soon as Hakon and xh^con. Sigurd heard that Inge had left Yiken, they went fli^t upon there by land. When King Inge and his people came to Bergen, a quarrel arose between Haldor Bryniulfs- son and Biorn Nicolasson. Biorn's house-man asked Haldor's when they met at the pier, why he looked so pale.

He replied, because he had been bled.

"I could not look so pale if I tried, at merely being bled."

"I again think," retorted the other, "that thou wouldst have borne it worse, and less manfully." And no other beginning was there for their quarrel than this. Afterwards one word followed another, till from bawling they came to fighting. It was told