Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/56

 44 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA IX. Ch AFTER XLVIl. Of Finn A meson's journey. Chapter XLVIII. Of Finn and Ilakon Ivarsson. The king replies, '^ Thou shalt first hear what Hakon on his part requires for making an agreement ; then promote my interest as thou art best able ; and deny him nothing in the end short of the kingdom." Then King Harald proceeded southwards to Maere, and drew together men in considerable numbers. Finn Arneson proceeded to the town, and had with him his house servants, nearly eighty men. When he came into the town he held a Thing with the town's people. Finn spoke long and ably at the Thing ; and told the town's people, and bonders, above all things not to have a hatred against their king, or to drive him away. He reminded them of how much evil they had suffered by acting thus against King Olaf the Saint ; and added, that the king was willing to pay penalty for this murder, according to the judgment of understanding and good men. The effect of Finn's speech was, that the bonders pro- mised to wait quietly until the messengers came back whom Bergliot had sent to the Uplands to her relative Hakon Ivarsson. Finn then went out to Orkadal with the men who had accompanied him to the town. From thence he went up to the Dovrefield, and east- wards over the Fielde. He went first to his son-in- law Earl Orm, who was married to Sigrid, Finn's daughter, and told him his business. Then Finn and Earl Orm ap^^ointed a meeting with Hakon Ivarsson ; and when they met Finn explained his errand to Hakon, and the offer which King Harald made him. It Avas soon seen, from Hakon' s speech, that he considered it to be his great duty to avenge the death of his relative Endrid ; and added, that word was come to him from Drontheim, from which he might expect help in making head against the king. Then Finn represented to Hakon how much better it would be for him to accept of as high a dignity from the king as he himself could desire, rather than to at-