Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/322

 310 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA XVI. Chapter IX. Of King Sigurd's beginning. Chapter X. Earl Si- towards him and his son. King Magnus was then called king of the whole country. King Hakon had been a handsome man in appear- ance, well groAvn, tall and thin; but rather broad- shouldered, on which account his men called him Herdabreid. As he was young in years, his lendermen ruled for him. He was cheerful and friendly in con- versation, playful and youthful in his ways, and was much liked by the people. There was an Upland man called Marcus of Skog, who was a relation of Earl Sigurd. Marcus brought up a son of King Harald Sigurdsson, who was also called Sigurd. This Sigurd was chosen king by the Upland people, by the advice of Earl Sigurd and the other chiefs who had followed King Hakon. They had now a great army, and the troops were divided in two bodies ; so that Marcus and the king were less exposed where there was any thing to do, and Earl Sigurd and his troop, along with the lendermen, were most in the way of danger. They went with their troops mostly through the Uplands, and some- times eastwards to Yiken. Erling Skakke had his son King Magnus always with him, and he had also the whole fleet and the land defence under him. He was a while in Bergen in autumn ; but went from thence eastward to Yiken, where he settled in Tuns- berg for his winter quarters, and collected in Yiken all the taxes and revenues that belono^ed to Maonus as king ; and he had many and very fine troops. As King Sigurd had but a small part of the country, and kept many men on foot, he soon was in want of money; and where there was no chief in the neiochbourhood he had to seek money by unla^yful ways, — sometimes by unfounded accusations and fines, sometimes by open robbery. At that time the realm of Norway was in great prosperity. The bonders were rich and powerful,