early kings of norway-第9部分

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into　ever　deeper　anxiety　and　eagerness　about　this　Wendland　object；　took　to　weeping；　sat　weeping　whole　days；　and　when　Olaf　asked；　〃What　ails　thee；　then？〃　would　answer；　or　did　answer　once；　〃What　a　different　man　my　father　Harald　Gormson　was　＇vulgarly　called　Blue…tooth＇；　compared　with　some　that　are　now　kings！　　For　no　King　Svein　in　the　world　would　Harald　Gormson　have　given　up　his　own　or　his　wife's　just　rights！〃　　Whereupon　Tryggveson　started　up；　exclaiming　in　some　heat；　〃Of　thy　brother　Svein　I　never　was　afraid；　if　Svein　and　I　meet　in　contest；　it　will　not　be　Svein；　I　believe；　that　conquers；〃　and　went　off　in　a　towering　fume。　　Consented；　however；　at　last；　had　to　consent；　to　get　his　fine　fleet　equipped　and　armed；　and　decide　to　sail　with　it　to　Wendland　to　have　speech　and　settlement　with　King　Burislav。

Tryggveson　had　already　ships　and　navies　that　were　the　wonder　of　the　North。　　Especially　in　building　war　ships；　the　Crane；　the　Serpent；　last　of　all　the　Long　Serpent；＇7＇he　had；　for　size；　for　outward　beauty；　and　inward　perfection　of　equipment；　transcended　all　example。

This　new　sea　expedition　became　an　object　of　attention　to　all　neighbors；　especially　Queen　Sigrid　the　Proud　and　Svein　Double…Beard；　her　now　king；　were　attentive　to　it。

〃This　insolent　Tryggveson；〃　Queen　Sigrid　would　often　say；　and　had　long　been　saying；　to　her　Svein；　〃to　marry　thy　sister　without　leave　had　or　asked　of　thee；　and　now　flaunting　forth　his　war　navies；　as　if　he；　king　only　of　paltry　Norway；　were　the　big　hero　of　the　North！　　Why　do　you　suffer　it；　you　kings　really　great？〃

By　such　persuasions　and　reiterations；　King　Svein　of　Denmark；　King　Olaf　of　Sweden；　and　Jarl　Eric；　now　a　great　man　there；　grown　rich　by　prosperous　sea　robbery　and　other　good　management；　were　brought　to　take　the　matter　up；　and　combine　strenuously　for　destruction　of　King　Olaf　Tryggveson　on　this　grand　Wendland　expedition　of　his。　　Fleets　and　forces　were　with　best　diligence　got　ready；　and；　withal；　a　certain　Jarl　Sigwald；　of　Jomsburg；　chieftain　of　the　Jomsvikings；　a　powerful；　plausible；　and　cunning　man；　was　appointed　to　find　means　of　joining　himself　to　Tryggveson's　grand　voyage；　of　getting　into　Tryggveson's　confidence；　and　keeping　Svein　Double…Beard；　Eric；　and　the　Swedish　King　aware　of　all　his　movements。

King　Olaf　Tryggveson；　unacquainted　with　all　this；　sailed　away　in　summer；　with　his　splendid　fleet；　went　through　the　Belts　with　prosperous　winds；　under　bright　skies；　to　the　admiration　of　both　shores。　　Such　a　fleet；　with　its　shining　Serpents；　long　and　short；　and　perfection　of　equipment　and　appearance；　the　Baltic　never　saw　before。　Jarl　Sigwald　joined　with　new　ships　by　the　way：　　〃Had；〃　he　too；　〃a　visit　to　King　Burislav　to　pay；　how　could　he　ever　do　it　in　better　company？〃　and　studiously　and　skilfully　ingratiated　himself　with　King　Olaf。　　Old　Burislav；　when　they　arrived；　proved　altogether　courteous；　handsome；　and　amenable；　agreed　at　once　to　Olaf's　claims　for　his　now　queen；　did　the　rites　of　hospitality　with　a　generous　plenitude　to　Olaf；　who　cheerily　renewed　acquaintance　with　that　country；　known　to　him　in　early　days　（the　cradle　of　his　fortunes　in　the　viking　line）；　and　found　old　friends　there　still　surviving；　joyful　to　meet　him　again。　　Jarl　Sigwald　encouraged　these　delays；　King　Svein　and　Co。　not　being　yet　quite　ready。　　〃Get　ready！〃　　Sigwald　directed　them；　and　they　diligently　did。　　Olaf's　men；　their　business　now　done；　were　impatient　to　be　home；　and　grudged　every　day　of　loitering　there；　but；　till　Sigwald　pleased；　such　his　power　of　flattering　and　cajoling　Tryggveson；　they　could　not　get　away。

At　length；　Sigwald's　secret　messengers　reporting　all　ready　on　the　part　of　Svein　and　Co。；　Olaf　took　farewell　of　Burislav　and　Wendland；　and　all　gladly　sailed　away。　　Svein；　Eric；　and　the　Swedish　king；　with　their　combined　fleets；　lay　in　wait　behind　some　cape　in　a　safe　little　bay　of　some　island；　then　called　Svolde；　but　not　in　our　time　to　be　found；　the　Baltic　tumults　in　the　fourteenth　century　having　swallowed　it；　as　some　think；　and　leaving　us　uncertain　whether　it　was　in　the　neighborhood　of　Rugen　Island　or　in　the　Sound　of　Elsinore。　　There　lay　Svein；　Eric；　and　Co。　waiting　till　Tryggveson　and　his　fleet　came　up；　Sigwald's　spy　messengers　daily　reporting　what　progress　he　and　it　had　made。　　At　length；　one　bright　summer　morning；　the　fleet　made　appearance；　sailing　in　loose　order；　Sigwald；　as　one　acquainted　with　the　shoal　places；　steering　ahead；　and　showing　them　the　way。

Snorro　rises　into　one　of　his　pictorial　fits；　seized　with　enthusiasm　at　the　thought　of　such　a　fleet；　and　reports　to　us　largely　in　what　order　Tryggveson's　winged　Coursers　of　the　Deep；　in　long　series；　for　perhaps　an　hour　or　more；　came　on；　and　what　the　three　potentates；　from　their　knoll　of　vantage；　said　of　each　as　it　hove　in　sight；　Svein　thrice　over　guessed　this　and　the　other　noble　vessel　to　be　the　Long　Serpent；　Eric；　always　correcting　him；　〃No；　that　is　not　the　Long　Serpent　yet〃　（and　aside　always）；　〃Nor　shall　you　be　lord　of　it；　king；　when　it　does　come。〃　The　Long　Serpent　itself　did　make　appearance。　　Eric；　Svein；　and　the　Swedish　king　hurried　on　board；　and　pushed　out　of　their　hiding…place　into　the　open　sea。　　Treacherous　Sigwald；　at　the　beginning　of　all　this；　had　suddenly　doubled　that　cape　of　theirs；　and　struck　into　the　bay　out　of　sight；　leaving　the　foremost　Tryggveson　ships　astonished；　and　uncertain　what　to　do；　if　it　were　not　simply　to　strike　sail　and　wait　till　Olaf　himself　with　the　Long　Serpent　arrived。

Olaf's　chief　captains；　seeing　the　enemy's　huge　fleet　come　out；　and　how　the　matter　lay；　strongly　advised　King　Olaf　to　elude　this　stroke　of　treachery；　and；　with　all　sail；　hold　on　his　course；　fight　being　now　on　so　unequal　terms。　　Snorro　says；　the　king；　high　on　the　quarter…deck　where　he　stood；　replied；　〃Strike　the　sails；　never　shall　men　of　mine　think　of　flight。　　I　never　fled　from　battle。　　Let　God　dispose　of　my　life；　but　flight　I　will　never　take。〃　　And　so　the　battle　arrangements　immediately　began；　and　the　battle　with　all　fury　went　loose；　and　lasted　hour　after　hour；　till　almost　sunset；　if　I　well　recollect。　　〃Olaf　stood　on　the　Serpent's　quarter…deck；〃　says　Snorro；　〃high　over　the　others。　He　had　a　gilt　shield　and　a　helmet　inlaid　with　gold；　over　his　armor　he　had　a　short　red　coat；　and　was　easily　distinguished　from　other　men。〃　Snorro's　account　of　the　battle　is　altogether　animated；　graphic；　and　so　minute　that　antiquaries　gather　from　it；　if　so　disposed　（which　we　but　little　are）；　what　the　methods　of　Norse　sea…fighting　were；　their　shooting　of　arrows；　casting　of　javelins；　pitching　of　big　stones；　ultimately　boarding；　and　mutual　clashing　and　smashing；　which　it　would　not　avail　us　to　speak　of　here。　　Olaf　stood　conspicuous　all　day；　throwing　javelins；　of　deadly　aim；　with　both　hands　at　once；　encouraging；　fighting　and　commanding　like　a　highest　sea…king。

The　Danish　fleet；　the　Swedish　fleet；　were；　both　of　them；　quickly　dealt　with；　and　successively　withdrew　out　of　shot…range。　　And　then　Jarl　Eric　came　up；　and　fiercely　grappled　with　the　Long　Serpent；　or；　rather；　with　her　surrounding　comrades；　and　gradually；　as　they　were　beaten　empty　of　men；　with　the　Long　Serpent　herself。　　The　fight　grew　ever　fiercer；　more　furious。　　Eric　was　supplied　with　new　men　from　the　Swedes　and　Danes；　Olaf　had　no　such　resource；　except　from　the　crews　of　his　own　beaten　ships；　and　at　length　this　also　failed　him；　all　his　ships；　except　the　Long　Serpent；　being　beaten　and　emptied。　　Olaf　fought　on　unyielding。　Eric　twice　boarded　him；　was　twice　repulsed。　　Olaf　kept　his　quarterdeck；　unconquerable；　though　left　now　more　and　more　hopeless；　fatally　short　of　help。　　A　tall　young　man；　called　Einar　Tamberskelver；　very　celebrated　and　important　afterwards　in　Norway；　and　already　the　best　archer　known；　kept　busy　with　his　bow。　　Twice　he　nearly　shot　Jarl　Eric　in　his　ship。　　〃Shoot　me　that　man；〃　said　Jarl　Eric　to　a　bowman　near　him；　and；　just　as　Tamberskelver　was　drawing　his　bow　the　third　time；　an　arrow　hit　it　in　the　middle　and　broke　it　in　two。　　〃What　is　this　that　has　broken？〃　asked　King　Olaf。　　〃Norway　from　thy　hand；　king；〃　answered　Tamberskelver。　　Tryggveson's　men；　he　observed　with　surprise；　were　striking　violently　on　Eric's；　but　to　no　purpose：　　nobody　fell。　〃How　is　this？〃　　asked　Tryggveson。　　〃Our　swords　are　notched　and　blunted；　king；　they　do　not　cut。〃　　Olaf　stept　down　to　his　arm…chest；　delivered　out　new　swords；　and　it　was　observed　as　he　did　it；　blood　ran　trickling　from　his　wrist；　but　none　knew　where　the　wound　was。　　Eric　boarded　a　third　time。　　Olaf；　left　with　hardly　more　than　one　man；　sprang　overboard　（one　sees　that　red　coat　of　his　still　glancing　in　the　evening　sun）；　and　sank　in　the　deep　waters　to　his　long　rest。

Rumor　ran　among　his　people　that　he　still　was　not　dead；　grounding　on　some　movement　by　the　ships　of　that　traitorous　Sigwald；　they　fancied　Olaf　had　dived　beneath　the　keels　of　his　enemies；　and　got　away　with　Sigwald；　as　Sigwald　himself　evidently　did。　　〃Much　was　hoped；　supposed；　spoken；〃　says　one　old　mourning　Skald；　〃but　the　truth　was；　Olaf　Tryggveson　was　never　seen　in　Norseland　more。〃　　Strangely　he　remains　still　a　shining　figure　to　us；　the　wildly　beautifulest　man；　in　body　and　in　soul；　that　one　has　ever　heard　of　in　the　North。



CHAPTER　VIII。

JARLS　ERIC　AND　SVEIN。

Jarl　Eric；　splendent　with　this　victory；　not　to　speak　of　that　over　the　Jomsburgers　with　his　father　long　ago；　was　now　made　Governor　of　Norway：　Governor　or　quasi…sovereign；　with　his　brother；　Jarl。　　Svein；　as　partner；　who；　however；　took　but　little　hand　in　governing；and；　under　the　patronage　of　Svein　Double…Beard　and　the　then　Swedish　king　（Olaf　his　name；　Sigrid　the　Proud；　his　mother's）；　administered　it；　they　say；　with　skill　and　prudence　for　above　fourteen　years。　　Tryggveson's　death　is　understood　and　laboriously　computed　to　have　happened　in　the　year　1000；　but　there　is　no　exact　chronology　in　these　things；　but　a　continual　uncertain　guessing　after　such；　so　that　one　eye　in　History　as　regards　them　is　as　if　put　out；neither　indeed　have　I　yet　had　the　luck　to　find　any　decipherable　and　intelligible　map　of　Norway：　　so　that　the　other　eye　of　History　is　much　blinded　withal；　and　her　path　through　those　wild　regions　and　epochs　is　an　extremely　dim　and　chaotic　one。　　An　evil　that　much　demands　remedying；　and　especially　wants　some　first　attempt　at　remedying；　by　inquirers　into　English　History；　the　whole　period　from　Egbert；　the　first