early kings of norway-第22节

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st　of　Ireland。　　Marched　easily　victorious　for　a　time；　and　got；　some　say；　into　the　wilds　of　Connaught；　but　there　saw　himself　beset　by　ambuscades　and　wild　Irish　countenances　intent　on　mischief；　and　had；　on　the　sudden；　to　draw　up　for　battle；place；　I　regret　to　say；　altogether　undiscoverable　to　me；　known　only　that　it　was　boggy　in　the　extreme。　　Certain　enough；　too　certain　and　evident；　Magnus　Barefoot；　searching　eagerly；　could　find　no　firm　footing　there；　nor；　fighting　furiously　up　to　the　knees　or　deeper；　any　result　but　honorable　death！　　Date　is　confidently　marked　〃24　August；　1103；〃as　if　people　knew　the　very　day　of　the　month。　　The　natives　did　humanely　give　King　Magnus　Christian　burial。　　The　remnants　of　his　force；　without　further　molestation；　found　their　ships　on　the　Coast　of　Ulster；　and　sailed　home；without　conquest　of　Ireland；　nay　perhaps；　leaving　royal　Murdog　disposed　to　be　relieved　of　his　procession　with　the　pair　of　shoes。

Magnus　Barefoot　left　three　sons；　all　kings　at　once；　reigning　peaceably　together。　　But　to　us；　at　present；　the　only　noteworthy　one　of　them　was　Sigurd；　who；　finding　nothing　special　to　do　at　home；　left　his　brothers　to　manage　for　him；　and　went　off　on　a　far　Voyage；　which　has　rendered　him　distinguishable　in　the　crowd。　　Voyage　through　the　Straits　of　Gibraltar；　on　to　Jerusalem；　thence　to　Constantinople；　and　so　home　through　Russia；　shining　with　such　renown　as　filled　all　Norway　for　the　time　being。　　A　King　called　Sigurd　Jorsalafarer　（Jerusalemer）　or　Sigurd　the　Crusader　henceforth。　　His　voyage　had　been　only　partially　of　the　Viking　type；　in　general　it　was　of　the　Royal…Progress　kind　rather；　Vikingism　only　intervening　in　cases　of　incivility　or　the　like。　　His　reception　in　the　Courts　of　Portugal；　Spain；　Sicily；　Italy；　had　been　honorable　and　sumptuous。　　The　King　of　Jerusalem　broke　out　into　utmost　splendor　and　effusion　at　sight　of　such　a　pilgrim；　and　Constantinople　did　its　highest　honors　to　such　a　Prince　of　Vaeringers。　　And　the　truth　is；　Sigurd　intrinsically　was　a　wise；　able；　and　prudent　man；　who；　surviving　both　his　brothers；　reigned　a　good　while　alone　in　a　solid　and　successful　way。　　He　shows　features　of　an　original；　independent…thinking　man；　something　of　ruggedly　strong；　sincere；　and　honest；　with　peculiarities　that　are　amiable　and　even　pathetic　in　the　character　and　temperament　of　him；　as　certainly；　the　course　of　life　he　took　was　of　his　own　choosing；　and　peculiar　enough。　　He　happens　furthermore　to　be；　what　he　least　of　all　could　have　chosen　or　expected；　the　last　of　the　Haarfagr　Genealogy　that　had　any　success；　or　much　deserved　any；　in　this　world。　　The　last　of　the　Haarfagrs；　or　as　good　as　the　last！　　So　that；　singular　to　say；　it　is　in　reality；　for　one　thing　only　that　Sigurd；　after　all　his　crusadings　and　wonderful　adventures；　is　memorable　to　us　here：　　the　advent　of　an　Irish　gentleman　called　〃Gylle　Krist〃　（Gil…christ；　Servant　of　Christ）；　who；not　over　welcome；　I　should　think；　but　（unconsciously）　big　with　the　above　result；appeared　in　Norway；　while　King　Sigurd　was　supreme。　　Let　us　explain　a　little。

This　Gylle　Krist；　the　unconsciously　fatal　individual；　who　〃spoke　Norse　imperfectly；〃　declared　himself　to　be　the　natural　son　of　whilom　Magnus　Barefoot；　born　to　him　there　while　engaged　in　that　unfortunate　〃Conquest　of　Ireland。〃　　〃Here　is　my　mother　come　with　me；〃　said　Gilchrist；　〃who　declares　my　real　baptismal　name　to　have　been　Harald；　given　me　by　that　great　King；　and　who　will　carry　the　red…hot　ploughshares　or　do　any　reasonable　ordeal　in　testimony　of　these　facts。　I　am　King　Sigurd's　veritable　half…brother：　　what　will　King　Sigurd　think　it　fair　to　do　with　me？〃　　Sigurd　clearly　seems　to　have　believed　the　man　to　be　speaking　truth；　and　indeed　nobody　to　have　doubted　but　he　was。　　Sigurd　said；　〃Honorable　sustenance　shalt　thou　have　from　me　here。　But；　under　pain　of　extirpation；　swear　that；　neither　in　my　time；　nor　in　that　of　my　young　son　Magnus；　wilt　thou　ever　claim　any　share　in　this　Government。〃　　Gylle　swore；　and　punctually　kept　his　promise　during　Sigurd's　reign。　　But　during　Magnus's；　he　conspicuously　broke　it；　and；　in　result；　through　many　reigns；　and　during　three　or　four　generations　afterwards；　produced　unspeakable　contentions；　massacrings；　confusions　in　the　country　he　had　adopted。　　There　are　reckoned；　from　the　time　of　Sigurd's　death　（A。D。　1130）；　about　a　hundred　years　of　civil　war：　　no　king　allowed　to　distinguish　himself　by　a　solid　reign　of　well…doing；　or　by　any　continuing　reign　at　all；sometimes　as　many　as　four　kings　simultaneously　fighting；and　in　Norway；　from　sire　to　son；　nothing　but　sanguinary　anarchy；　disaster　and　bewilderment；　a　Country　sinking　steadily　as　if　towards　absolute　ruin。　　Of　all　which　frightful　misery　and　discord　Irish　Gylle；　styled　afterwards　King　Harald　Gylle；　was；　by　ill　destiny　and　otherwise；　the　visible　origin：　　an　illegitimate　Irish　Haarfagr　who　proved　to　be　his　own　destruction；　and　that　of　the　Haarfagr　kindred　altogether！

Sigurd　himself　seems　always　to　have　rather　favored　Gylle；　who　was　a　cheerful；　shrewd；　patient；　witty；　and　effective　fellow；　and　had　at　first　much　quizzing　to　endure；　from　the　younger　kind；　on　account　of　his　Irish　way　of　speaking　Norse；　and　for　other　reasons。　　One　evening；　for　example；　while　the　drink　was　going　round；　Gylle　mentioned　that　the　Irish　had　a　wonderful　talent　of　swift　running　and　that　there　were　among　them　people　who　could　keep　up　with　the　swiftest　horse。　　At　which；　especially　from　young　Magnus；　there　were　peals　of　laughter；　and　a　declaration　from　the　latter　that　Gylle　and　he　would　have　it　tried　to…morrow　morning！　　Gylle　in　vain　urged　that　he　had　not　himself　professed　to　be　so　swift　a　runner　as　to　keep　up　with　the　Prince's　horses；　but　only　that　there　were　men　in　Ireland　who　could。　　Magnus　was　positive；　and；　early　next　morning；　Gylle　had　to　be　on　the　ground；　and　the　race；　naturally　under　heavy　bet；　actually　went　off。　　Gylle　started　parallel　to　Magnus's　stirrup；　ran　like　a　very　roe；　and　was　clearly　ahead　at　the　goal。　　〃Unfair；〃　said　Magnus；　〃thou　must　have　had　hold　of　my　stirrup…leather；　and　helped　thyself　along；　we　must　try　it　again。〃　Gylle　ran　behind　the　horse　this　second　time；　then　at　the　end；　sprang　forward；　and　again　was　fairly　in　ahead。　　〃Thou　must　have　held　by　the　tail；〃　said　Magnus；　〃not　by　fair　running　was　this　possible；　we　must　try　a　third　time！〃　　Gylle　started　ahead　of　Magnus　and　his　horse；　this　third　time；　kept　ahead　with　increasing　distance；　Magnus　galloping　his　very　best；　and　reached　the　goal　more　palpably　foremost　than　ever。　　So　that　Magnus　had　to　pay　his　bet；　and　other　damage　and　humiliation。　　And　got　from　his　father；　who　heard　of　it　soon　afterwards；　scoffing　rebuke　as　a　silly　fellow；　who　did　not　know　the　worth　of　men；　but　only　the　clothes　and　rank　of　them；　and　well　deserved　what　he　had　got　from　Gylle。　　All　the　time　King　Sigurd　lived；　Gylle　seems　to　have　had　good　recognition　and　protection　from　that　famous　man；　and；　indeed；　to　have　gained　favor　all　round；　by　his　quiet　social　demeanor　and　the　qualities　he　showed。



CHAPTER　XIII。

MAGNUS　THE　BLIND；　HARALD　GYLLE；　AND　MUTUAL　EXTINCTION　OF　THE　HAARFAGRS。

On　Sigurd　the　Crusader's　death；　Magnus　naturally　came　to　the　throne；　Gylle　keeping　silence　and　a　cheerful　face　for　the　time。　　But　it　was　not　long　till　claim　arose　on　Gylle's　part；　till　war　and　fight　arose　between　Magnus　and　him；　till　the　skilful；　popular；　ever…active　and　shifty　Gylle　had　entirely　beaten　Magnus；　put　out　his　eyes；　mutilated　the　poor　body　of　him　in　a　horrid　and　unnamable　manner；　and　shut　him　up　in　a　convent　as　out　of　the　game　henceforth。　　There　in　his　dark　misery　Magnus　lived　now　as　a　monk；　called　〃Magnus　the　Blind〃　by　those　Norse　populations；　King　Harald　Gylle　reigning　victoriously　in　his　stead。　But　this　also　was　only　for　a　time。　　There　arose　avenging　kinsfolk　of　Magnus；　who　had　no　Irish　accent　in　their　Norse；　and　were　themselves　eager　enough　to　bear　rule　in　their　native　country。　　By　one　of　these；a　terribly　stronghanded；　fighting；　violent；　and　regardless　fellow；　who　also　was　a　Bastard　of　Magnus　Barefoot's；　and　had　been　made　a　Priest；　but　liked　it　unbearably　ill；　and　had　broken　loose　from　it　into　the　wildest　courses　at　home　and　abroad；　so　that　his　current　name　got　to　be　〃Slembi…diakn；〃　Slim　or　Ill　Deacon；　under　which　he　is　much　noised　of　in　Snorro　and　the　Sagas：　　by　this　Slim…Deacon；　Gylle　was　put　an　end　to　（murdered　by　night；　drunk　in　his　sleep）；　and　poor　blind　Magnus　was　brought　out；　and　again　set　to　act　as　King；　or　King's　Cloak；　in　hopes　Gylle's　posterity　would　never　rise　to　victory　more。　　But　Gylle's　posterity　did；　to　victory　and　also　to　defeat；　and　were　the　death　of　Magnus　and　of　Slim…Deacon　too；　in　a　frightful　way；　and　all　got　their　own　death　by　and　by　in　a　ditto。　　In　brief；　these　two　kindreds　（reckoned　to　be　authentic　enough　Haarfagr　people；　both　kinds　of　them）　proved　now　to　have　become　a　veritable　crop　of　dragon's　teeth；　who　mutually　fought；　plotted；　struggled；　as　if　it　had　been　their　life's　business；　never　ended　fighting　and　seldom　long　intermitted　it；　till　they　had　exterminated　one　another；　and　did　at　last　all　rest　in　death。　　One　of　these　later　Gylle　temporary　Kings　I　remember　by　the　name　of　Harald　Herdebred；　Harald　of　the　Broad　Shoulders。　　The　very　last　of　them　I　think　was　Harald　Mund　（Harald　of　the　_Wry…Mouth_）；　who　gave　rise　to　two　Impostors；　pretending　to　be　Sons　of　hi