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you　know；　we　have　been　assembled　in　summer；　and　have　forayed　wide　around　in　Denmark；　and　have　gained　much　booty；　but　no　land。　　I　had　350　vessels；　and　now　have　not　above　100　remaining　with　me。　　Now　it　appears　to　me　we　can　make　no　greater　progress　than　we　have　made；　although　you　have　still　the　60　vessels　which　have　followed　you　the　whole　summer。　　It　therefore　appears　to　me　best　that　we　come　back　to　my　kingdom；　for　it　is　always　good　to　drive　home　with　the　wagon　safe。　　In　this　expedition　we　have　won　something；　and　lost　nothing。　　Now　I　will　offer　you；　King　Olaf；　to　come　with　me；　and　we　shall　remain　assembled　during　the　winter。　　Take　as　much　of　my　kingdom　as　you　will；　so　that　you　and　the　men　who　follow　you　may　support　yourselves　well；　and　when　spring　comes　let　us　take　such　measures　as　we　find　serviceable。　　If　you；　however；　will　prefer　to　travel　across　our　country；　and　go　overland　to　Norway；　it　shall　be　free　for　you　to　do　so。〃

King　Olaf　thanked　King　Onund　for　his　friendly　offer。　　〃But　if　I　may　advise；〃　says　he；　〃then　we　should　take　another　resolution；　and　keep　together　the　forces　we　have　still　remaining。　　I　had　in　the　first　of　summer；　before　I　left　Norway；　350　ships；　but　when　I　left　the　country　I　chose　from　among　the　whole　war…levy　those　I　thought　to　be　the　best；　and　with　them　I　manned　60　ships；　and　these　I　still　have。　　Now　it　appears　to　me　that　the　part　of　your　war…force　which　has　now　run　away　is　the　most　worthless；　and　of　least　resistance；　but　now　I　see　here　all　your　chiefs　and　leaders；　and　I　know　well　that　the　people　who　belong　to　the　court…troops　（1）　are　by　far　the　best　suited　to　carry　arms。　　We　have　here　chosen　men　and　superb　ships；　and　we　can　very　well　lie　all　winter　in　our　ships；　as　viking's　custom　is。　　But　Canute　cannot　lie　long　in　Helga　river；　for　the　harbour　will　not　hold　so　many　vessels　as　he　has。　　If　he　steers　eastward　after　us；　we　can　escape　from　him；　and　then　people　will　soon　gather　to　us；　but　if　he　return　to　the　harbours　where　his　fleet　can　lie；　I　know　for　certain　that　the　desire　to　return　home　will　not　be　less　in　his　army　than　in　ours。　I　think；　also；　we　have　ravaged　so　widely　in　summer；　that　the　villagers；　both　in　Scania　and　in　Halland；　know　well　whose　favour　they　have　to　seek。　　Canute's　army　will　thus　be　dispersed　so　widely；　that　it　is　uncertain　to　whom　fate　may　at　the　last　give　the　victory；　but　let　us　first　find　out　what　resolution　he　takes。〃

Thus　King　Olaf　ended　his　speech；　and　it　found　much　applause；　and　his　advice　was　followed。　　Spies　were　sent　into　King　Canute's　army；　and　both　the　kings　Olaf　and　Onund　remained　lying　where　they　were。


ENDNOTES：　（1）　　The　thingmen；　or　hired　body…guard　attending　the　court。　　L。



162。　OF　KING　CANUTE　AND　EARL　ULF。

When　King　Canute　saw　that　the　kings　of　Norway　and　Sweden　steered　eastward　with　their　forces　along　the　coast；　he　sent　men　to　ride　night　and　day　on　the　land　to　follow　their　movements。　　Some　spies　went　forward；　others　returned；　so　that　King　Canute　had　news　every　day　of　their　progress。　　He　had　also　spies　always　in　their　army。　Now　when　he　heard　that　a　great　part　of　the　fleet　had　sailed　away　from　the　kings；　he　turned　back　with　his　forces　to　Seeland；　and　lay　with　his　whole　fleet　in　the　Sound；　so　that　a　part　lay　on　the　Scania　side；　and　a　part　on　the　Seeland　side。　　King　Canute　himself；　the　day　before　Michaelmas；　rode　with　a　great　retinue　to　Roeskilde。　　There　his　brother…in…law；　Earl　Ulf；　had　prepared　a　great　feast　for　him。　　The　earl　was　the　most　agreeable　host；　but　the　king　was　silent　and　sullen。　　The　earl　talked　to　him　in　every　way　to　make　him　cheerful；　and　brought　forward　everything　which　he　thought　would　amuse　him；　but　the　king　remained　stern；　and　speaking　little。　　At　last　the　earl　proposed　to　him　a　game　at　chess；　which　he　agreed　to；　and　a　chess…board　was　produced；　and　they　played　together。　　Earl　Ulf　was　hasty　in　temper；　stiff；　and　in　nothing　yielding；　but　everything　he　managed　went　on　well　in　his　hands；　and　he　was　a　great　warrior；　about　whom　there　are　many　stories。　　He　was　the　most　powerful　man　in　Denmark　next　to　the　king。　　Earl　Ulf's　sister　Gyda　was　married　to　Earl　Gudin　（Godwin）　Ulfnadson；　and　their　sons　were　Harald　king　of　England；　and　Earl　Toste；　Earl　Valthiof；　Earl　Morukare；　and　Earl　Svein。　　Gyda　was　the　name　of　their　daughter；　who　was　married　to　the　English　king　Edward　the　Good。



163。　OF　THE　EARL'S　MURDER。

When　they　had　played　a　while　the　king　made　a　false　move；　at　which　the　earl　took　a　knight　from　the　king；　but　the　king　set　the　piece　again　upon　the　board；　and　told　the　earl　to　make　another　move；　but　the　earl　grew　angry；　threw　over　the　chess…board；　stood　up；　and　went　away。　　The　king　said；　〃Runnest　thou　away；　Ulf　the　coward？〃　The　earl　turned　round　at　the　door　and　said；　〃Thou　wouldst　have　run　farther　at　Helga　river；　if　thou　hadst　come　to　battle　there。　Thou　didst　not　call　me　Ulf　the　coward；　when　I　hastened　to　thy　help　while　the　Swedes　were　beating　thee　like　a　dog。〃　　The　earl　then　went　out；　and　went　to　bed。　　A　little　later　the　king　also　went　to　bed。　　The　following　morning　while　the　king　was　putting　on　his　clothes　he　said　to　his　footboy；　〃Go　thou　to　Earl　Ulf；　and　kill　him。〃

The　lad　went；　was　away　a　while；　and　then　came　back。

The　king　said；　〃Hast　thou　killed　the　earl？〃

〃I　did　not　kill　him；　for　he　was　gone　to　Saint　Lucius'　church。〃

There　was　a　man　called　Ivar　White；　a　Norwegian　by　birth；　who　was　the　king's　courtman　and　chamberlain。　　The　king　said　to　him；　〃Go　thou　and　kill　the　earl。〃

Ivar　went　to　the　church；　and　in　at　the　choir；　and　thrust　his　sword　through　the　earl；　who　died　on　the　spot。　　Then　Ivar　went　to　the　king；　with　the　bloody　sword　in　his　hand。

The　king　said；　〃Hast　thou　killed　the　earl？〃

〃I　have　killed　him；〃　says　he。

〃Thou　didst　well。〃

After　the　earl　was　killed　the　monks　closed　the　church；　and　locked　the　doors。　　When　that　was　told　the　king　he　sent　a　message　to　the　monks；　ordering　them　to　open　the　church　and　sing　high　mass。　　They　did　as　the　king　ordered；　and　when　the　king　came　to　the　church　he　bestowed　on　it　great　property；　so　that　it　had　a　large　domain；　by　which　that　place　was　raised　very　high；　and　these　lands　have　since　always　belonged　to　it。　　King　Canute　rode　down　to　his　ships；　and　lay　there　till　late　in　harvest　with　a　very　large　army。



164。　OF　KING　OLAF　AND　THE　SWEDES。

When　King　Olaf　and　King　Onund　heard　that　King　Canute　had　sailed　to　the　Sound；　and　lay　there　with　a　great　force；　the　kings　held　a　House…thing；　and　spoke　much　about　what　resolution　they　should　adopt。　　King　Olaf　wished　they　should　remain　there　with　all　the　fleet；　and　see　what　King　Canute　would　at　last　resolve　to　do。　　But　the　Swedes　held　it　to　be　unadvisable　to　remain　until　the　frost　set　in；　and　so　it　was　determined；　and　King　Onund　went　home　with　all　his　army；　and　King　Olaf　remained　lying　after　them。



165。　OF　EGIL　AND　TOFE。

While　King　Olaf　lay　there；　he　had　frequently　conferences　and　consultations　with　his　people。　　One　night　Egil　Halson　and　Tofe　Valgautson　had　the　watch　upon　the　king's　ship。　　Tofe　came　from　West　Gautland；　and　was　a　man　of　high　birth。　　While　they　sat　on　watch　they　heard　much　lamentation　and　crying　among　the　people　who　had　been　taken　in　the　war；　and　who　lay　bound　on　the　shore　at　night。　　Tofe　said　it　made　him　ill　to　hear　such　distress；　and　asked　Egil　to　go　with　him；　and　let　loose　these　people。　　This　work　they　set　about；　cut　the　cords；　and　let　the　people　escape；　and　they　looked　upon　it　as　a　piece　of　great　friendship；　but　the　king　was　so　enraged　at　it；　that　they　themselves　were　in　the　greatest　danger。　　When　Egil　afterwards　fell　sick　the　king　for　a　long　time　would　not　visit　him；　until　many　people　entreated　it　of　him。　　It　vexed　Egil　much　to　have　done　anything　the　king　was　angry　at；　and　he　begged　his　forgiveness。　　The　king　now　dismissed　his　wrath　against　Egil；　laid　his　hands　upon　the　side　on　which　Egil's　pain　was；　and　sang　a　prayer；　upon　which　the　pain　ceased　instantly；　and　Egil　grew　better。　　Tofe　came；　after　entreaty；　into　reconciliation　with　the　king；　on　condition　that　he　should　exhort　his　father　Valgaut　to　come　to　the　king。　　He　was　a　heathen；　but　after　conversation　with　the　king　he　went　over　to　Christianity；　and　died　instantly　when　he　was　baptized。



166。　TREACHERY　TOWARDS　KING　OLAF。

King　Olaf　had　now　frequent　conferences　with　his　people；　and　asked　advice　from　them；　and　from　his　chiefs；　as　to　what　he　should　determine　upon。　　But　there　was　no　unanimity　among　them　　some　considering　that　unadvisable　which　others　considered　highly　serviceable；　and　there　was　much　indecision　in　their　councils。　King　Canute　had　always　spies　in　King　Olaf's　army；　who　entered　into　conversation　with　many　of　his　men；　offering　them　presents　and　favour　on　account　of　King　Canute。　　Many　allowed　themselves　to　be　seduced；　and　gave　promises　of　fidelity；　and　to　be　King　Canute's　men；　and　bring　the　country　into　his　hands　if　he　came　to　Norway。　　This　was　apparent；　afterwards；　of　many　who　at　first　kept　it　concealed。　　Some　took　at　once　money　bribes；　and　others　were　promised　money　afterwards；　and　a　great　many　there　were　who　had　got　great　presents　of　money　from　him　before：　for　it　may　be　said　with　truth　of　King　Canute；　that　every　man　who　came　to　him；　and　who　he　thought　had　the　spirit　of　a　man　and　would　like　his　favour；　got　his　hands　full　of　gifts　and　money。　　On　this　account　he　was　very　popular；　although　his　generosity　was　principally　shown　to　foreigners；　and　was　greatest　the　greater　distance　they　came　from。



167。　KING　OLAF'S　CONSULTATIONS。

King　Olaf　had　often　conferences　and　meetings　with　his　people；　and　asked　their　counsel；　but　as　he　observed　they　gave　different　opinions；　he　had　a　suspicion　that　there　must　be　some　who　spoke　differently　from　what　they　really　thought　advisable　for　him；　and　he　was　thus　uncertain　if　all　gave　him　due　fidelity　in　council。　Some　pressed　that　with　the　first　fair　wind　they　should　sail　to　the　Sound；　and　so　to　Norway。　　They　said　the　Danes　would　not　dare　to　attack　them；　although　they　lay　with　so　great　a　force　right　in　the　way。　　But　the　king　was　a　man　of　too　much　understanding　not　to　see　that　this　was　impracticable。　　He　knew　also　that　Olaf　Trygvason　had　found　it　quite　otherwise；　as　to　the　Danes　not　daring　to　fight；　when　he　with　a　few　people　went　into　battle　against　a　great　body　of　them。　　The　king　also　knew　that　in　King　Canute's　army　there　were　a　great　man