early kings of norway-第13节

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t　assert　the　place　and　career　that　belonged　to　him　there。　　Jarl　Eric　had　vanished　with　all　his　war　forces　towards　England；　leaving　only　a　boy；　Hakon；　as　successor；　and　Svein；　his　own　brother；a　quiet　man；　who　had　always　avoided　war。　　Olaf　landed　in　Norway　without　obstacle；　but　decided　to　be　quiet　till　he　had　himself　examined　and　consulted　friends。

His　reception　by　his　mother　Aasta　was　of　the　kindest　and　proudest；　and　is　lovingly　described　by　Snorro。　　A　pretty　idyllic；　or　epic　piece；　of　_Norse_　Homeric　type：　　How　Aasta；　hearing　of　her　son's　advent；　set　all　her　maids　and　menials　to　work　at　the　top　of　their　speed；　despatched　a　runner　to　the　harvest…field；　where　her　husband　Sigurd　was；　to　warn　him　to　come　home　and　dress。　　How　Sigurd　was　standing　among　his　harvest　folk；　reapers　and　binders；　and　what　he　had　on；broad　slouch　hat；　with　veil　（against　the　midges）；　blue　kirtle；　hose　of　I　forget　what　color；　with　laced　boots；　and　in　his　hand　a　stick　with　silver　head　and　ditto　ring　upon　it；a　personable　old　gentleman；　of　the　eleventh　century；　in　those　parts。　　Sigurd　was　cautious；　prudentially　cunctatory；　though　heartily　friendly　in　his　counsel　to　Olaf　as　to　the　King　question。　Aasta　had　a　Spartan　tone　in　her　wild　maternal　heart；　and　assures　Olaf　that　she；　with　a　half…reproachful　glance　at　Sigurd；　will　stand　by　him　to　the　death　in　this　his　just　and　noble　enterprise。　　Sigurd　promises　to　consult　farther　in　his　neighborhood；　and　to　correspond　by　messages；　the　result　is；　Olaf　resolutely　pushing　forward　himself；　resolves　to　call　a　Thing；　and　openly　claim　his　kingship　there。　　The　Thing　itself　was　willing　enough：　　opposition　parties　do　here　and　there　bestir　themselves；　but　Olaf　is　always　swifter　than　they。　　Five　kinglets　somewhere　in　the　Uplands；＇11＇all　descendants　of　Haarfagr；　but　averse　to　break　the　peace；　which　Jarl　Eric　and　Hakon　Jarl　both　have　always　willingly　allowed　to　peaceable　people；seem　to　be　the　main　opposition　party。　　These　five　take　the　field　against　Olaf　with　what　force　they　have；　Olaf；　one　night；　by　beautiful　celerity　and　strategic　practice　which　a　Friedrich　or　a　Turenne　might　have　approved；　surrounds　these　Five；　and　when　morning　breaks；　there　is　nothing　for　them　but　either　death；　or　else　instant　surrender；　and　swearing　of　fealty　to　King　Olaf。　Which　latter　branch　of　the　alternative　they　gladly　accept；　the　whole　five　of　them；　and　go　home　again。

This　was　a　beautiful　bit　of　war…practice　by　King　Olaf　on　land。　　By　another　stroke　still　more　compendious　at　sea；　he　had　already　settled　poor　young　Hakon；　and　made　him　peaceable　for　a　long　while。　　Olaf　by　diligent　quest　and　spy…messaging；　had　ascertained　that　Hakon；　just　returning　from　Denmark　and　farewell　to　Papa　and　Knut；　both　now　under　way　for　England；　was　coasting　north　towards　Trondhjem；　and　intended　on　or　about　such　a　day　to　land　in　such　and　such　a　fjord　towards　the　end　of　this　Trondhjem　voyage。　　Olaf　at　once　mans　two　big　ships；　steers　through　the　narrow　mouth　of　the　said　fjord；　moors　one　ship　on　the　north　shore；　another　on　the　south；　fixes　a　strong　cable；　well　sunk　under　water；　to　the　capstans　of　these　two；　and　in　all　quietness　waits　for　Hakon。　　Before　many　hours；　Hakon's　royal　or　quasi…royal　barge　steers　gaily　into　this　fjord；　is　a　little　surprised；　perhaps；　to　see　within　the　jaws　of　it　two　big　ships　at　anchor；　but　steers　gallantly　along；　nothing　doubting。　　Olaf　with　a　signal　of　〃All　hands；〃　works　his　two　capstans；　has　the　cable　up　high　enough　at　the　right　moment；　catches　with　it　the　keel　of　poor　Hakon's　barge；　upsets　it；　empties　it　wholly　into　the　sea。　　Wholly　into　the　sea；　saves　Hakon；　however；　and　his　people　from　drowning；　and　brings　them　on　board。　　His　dialogue　with　poor　young　Hakon；　especially　poor　young　Hakon's　responses；　is　very　pretty。　　Shall　I　give　it；　out　of　Snorro；　and　let　the　reader　take　it　for　as　authentic　as　he　can？　　It　is　at　least　the　true　image　of　it　in　authentic　Snorro's　head；　little　more　than　two　centuries　later。

〃Jarl　Hakon　was　led　up　to　the　king's　ship。　　He　was　the　handsomest　man　that　could　be　seen。　　He　had　long　hair　as　fine　as　silk；　bound　about　his　head　with　a　gold　ornament。　　When　he　sat　down　in　the　forehold　the　king　said　to　him：

_King。_　　〃'It　is　not　false；　what　is　said　of　your　family；　that　ye　are　handsome　people　to　look　at；　but　now　your　luck　has　deserted　you。'

_Hakon。_　　〃'It　has　always　been　the　case　that　success　is　changeable；　and　there　is　no　luck　in　the　matter。　　It　has　gone　with　your　family　as　with　mine　to　have　by　turns　the　better　lot。　　I　am　little　beyond　childhood　in　years；　and　at　any　rate　we　could　not　have　defended　ourselves；　as　we　did　not　expect　any　attack　on　the　way。　　It　may　turn　out　better　with　us　another　time。'

_King。_　　〃'Dost　thou　not　apprehend　that　thou　art　in　such　a　condition　that；　hereafter；　there　can　be　neither　victory　nor　defeat　for　thee？'

_Hakon。_　　〃'That　is　what　only　thou　canst　determine；　King；　according　to　thy　pleasure。'

_King。_　　〃'What　wilt　thou　give　me；　Jarl；　if；　for　this　time；　I　let　thee　go；　whole　and　unhurt？'

_Hakon。_　　〃'What　wilt　thou　take；　King？'

_King。_　　　〃'Nothing；　except　that　thou　shalt　leave　the　country；　give　up　thy　kingdom；　and　take　an　oath　that　thou　wilt　never　go　into　battle　against　me。'〃＇12＇

Jarl　Hakon　accepted　the　generous　terms；　went　to　England　and　King　Knut；　and　kept　his　bargain　for　a　good　few　years；　though　he　was　at　last　driven；　by　pressure　of　King　Knut；　to　violate　it；little　to　his　profit；　as　we　shall　see。　　One　victorious　naval　battle　with　Jarl　Svein；　Hakon's　uncle；　and　his　adherents；　who　fled　to　Sweden；　after　his　beating；battle　not　difficult　to　a　skilful；　hard…hitting　king；was　pretty　much　all　the　actual　fighting　Olaf　had　to　do　in　this　enterprise。　He　various　times　met　angry　Bonders　and　refractory　Things　with　arms　in　their　hand；　but　by　skilful；　firm　management；perfectly　patient；　but　also　perfectly　ready　to　be　active；he　mostly　managed　without　coming　to　strokes；　and　was　universally　recognized　by　Norway　as　its　real　king。　A　promising　young　man；　and　fit　to　be　a　king；　thinks　Snorro。　　Only　of　middle　stature；　almost　rather　shortish；　but　firm…standing；　and　stout…built；　so　that　they　got　to　call　him　Olaf　the　Thick　（meaning　Olaf　the　Thick…set；　or　Stout…built）；　though　his　final　epithet　among　them　was　infinitely　higher。　　For　the　rest；　〃a　comely；　earnest；　prepossessing　look；　beautiful　yellow　hair　in　quantity；　broad；　honest　face；　of　a　complexion　pure　as　snow　and　rose；〃　and　finally　（or　firstly）　〃the　brightest　eyes　in　the　world；　such　that；　in　his　anger；　no　man　could　stand　them。〃　　He　had　a　heavy　task　ahead；　and　needed　all　his　qualities　and　fine　gifts　to　get　it　done。



CHAPTER　X。

REIGN　OF　KING　OLAF　THE　SAINT。

The　late　two　Jarls；　now　gone　about　their　business；　had　both　been　baptized；　and　called　themselves　Christians。　　But　during　their　government　they　did　nothing　in　the　conversion　way；　left　every　man　to　choose　his　own　God　or　Gods；　so　that　some　had　actually　two；　the　Christian　God　by　land；　and　at　sea　Thor；　whom　they　considered　safer　in　that　element。　　And　in　effect　the　mass　of　the　people　had　fallen　back　into　a　sluggish　heathenism　or　half…heathenism；　the　life…labor　of　Olaf　Tryggveson　lying　ruinous　or　almost　quite　overset。　　The　new　Olaf；　son　of　Harald；　set　himself　with　all　his　strength　to　mend　such　a　state　of　matters；　and　stood　by　his　enterprise　to　the　end；　as　the　one　highest　interest；　including　all　others；　for　his　People　and　him。　　His　method　was　by　no　means　soft；　on　the　contrary；　it　was　hard；　rapid；　severe；somewhat　on　the　model　of　Tryggveson's；　though　with　more　of　_bishoping_　and　preaching　superadded。　　Yet　still　there　was　a　great　deal　of　mauling；　vigorous　punishing；　and　an　entire　intolerance　of　these　two　things：　　Heathenism　and　Sea…robbery；　at　least　of　Sea…robbery　in　the　old　style；　whether　in　the　style　we　moderns　still　practise；　and　call　privateering；　I　do　not　quite　know。　　But　Vikingism　proper　had　to　cease　in　Norway；　still　more；　Heathenism；　under　penalties　too　severe　to　he　borne；　death；　mutilation　of　limb；　not　to　mention　forfeiture　and　less　rigorous　coercion。　　Olaf　was　inexorable　against　violation　of　the　law。　　〃Too　severe；〃　cried　many；　to　whom　one　answers；　〃Perhaps　in　part　_yes_；　perhaps　also　in　great　part　_no_；　depends　altogether　on　the　previous　question；　How　far　the　law　was　the　eternal　one　of　God　Almighty　in　the　universe；　How　far　the　law　merely　of　Olaf　（destitute　of　right　inspiration）　left　to　his　own　passions　and　whims？〃

Many　were　the　jangles　Olaf　had　with　the　refractory　Heathen　Things　and　Ironbeards　of　a　new　generation：　　very　curious　to　see。　　Scarcely　ever　did　it　come　to　fighting　between　King　and　Thing；　though　often　enough　near　it；　but　the　Thing　discerning；　as　it　usually　did　in　time；　that　the　King　was　stronger　in　men；　seemed　to　say　unanimously　to　itself；　〃We　have　lost；　then；　baptize　us；　we　must　burn　our　old　gods　and　conform。〃　One　new　feature　we　do　slightly　discern：　　here　and　there　a　touch　of　theological　argument　on　the　heathen　side。　　At　one　wild　Thing；　far　up　in　the　Dovrefjeld；　of　a　very　heathen　temper；　there　was　much　of　that；　not　to　be　quenched　by　King　Olaf　at　the　moment；　so　that　it　had　to　be　adjourned　till　the　morrow；　and　again　till　the　next　day。　　Here　are　some　traits　of　it；　much　abridged　from　Snorro　（who　gives　a　highly　punctual　account）；　which　vividly　represent　Olaf's　posture　and　manner　of　proceeding　in　such　intricacies。