Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/62

 50 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA IX. son's expe- dition out of the country. Chapter LVI. Of Gut- torm Gun- hildsson. Kalf 's death ; and said the king had betrayed Kalf to his fall, and had also deceived him by making him entice his brother Kalf to come over from the West and trust to King Harald's faith. When these speeches came out among people, many said that it was very foolish in Finn to have ever supposed that Kalf could obtain the king's sincere friendship and favour ; for they thought the king was the man to seek revenge for smaller offences than Kalf had committed against the king. The king let every one say what he chose, and he himself neither said yes nor no about the aiFair ; but people perceived that the king was very well pleased with what had happened. King Harald once made these verses : — " I have, in all, the death-stroke given To foes of mine at least eleven ; Two more, perhaps, if I remember. May yet be added to this number. I prize myself upon these deeds, My people such examples needs. Bright gold itself they would despise, Or healing leek-herb* underprize. If not still brought before their eyes.'* Finn Arneson took the business so much to heart that he left the country, and went to Denmark to King Swend, where he met a friendly reception. They spoke together in private for a long time ; and the end of the business was that Finn went into King Swend' s service, and became his man. King Swend then gave Finn an earldom, and placed him in Hal- land, where he was long earl, and defended the coun- try against the Northmen. Ketil Kalf and Gunhild of Ringaness had a son called Guttorm, and he was a sister's son to King Olaf Northmen for its healing qualities when applied to wounds. The mean- ing of the king seems to be, that his people require examples of his power always before them ; for they would forget the virtue of gold or of leeks without examples.
 * The leek appears to have been held in great esteem among the