wn the fjord, and
afterwards proceeded day and night, when the wind suited. He sailed
out into the West sea, and was there a long time plundering in Ireland,
Scotland, and the Hebudes. Bjarne Gullbrarskald tells of this in the
song about Kalf:--

"Brother of Thorberg, who still stood
Well with the king! in angry mood
He is the first to break with thee,
Who well deserves esteemed to be;
He is the first who friendship broke,
For envious men the falsehood spoke;
And he will he the first to rue
The breach of friendship 'twixt you two."

16. OF THE THREATS OF THE BONDES.

King Magnus added to his property Veggia, which Hrut had been owner of,
and Kviststad, which had belonged to Thorgeir, and also Eggja, with all
the goods which Kalf had left behind him; and thus he confiscated to
the king's estate many great farms, which had belonged to those of the
bonde-army who had fallen at Stiklestad. In like manner, he laid heavy
fined upon many of those who made the greatest opposition to King Olaf.
He drove some out of the country, took large sums of money from others,
and had the cattle of others slaughtered for his use. Then the bondes
began to murmur, and to say among themselves, "Will he go on in the same
way as his father and other chiefs, whom we made an end of when their
pride and lawless proceedings became insupportable?" This discontent
spread widely through the country. The people of Sogn gathered men, and,
it was said, were determined to give battle to King Magnus, if he came
into the Fjord district. King Magnus was then in Hordaland, where he had
remained a long time with a numerous retinue, and was now come to the
resolution to proceed north to Sogn. When the king's friends observed
this, twelve men had a meeting, and resolved to determine by casting
lots which of them should inform the king of the discontent of the
people; and it so happened that the lot fell upon Sigvat.

17. OF THE FREE-SPEAKING SONG ("BERSOGLISVISUR").

Sigvat accordingly composed a poem, which he called the "Free-speaking
Song", which begins with saying the king had delayed too long to pacify
the people, who were threatening to rise in tumult against him. He
said:--

"Here in the south, from Sogn is spread
The news that strife draws to a head:
The bondes will the king oppose--
Kings and their folk should ne'er be foes.
Let us take arms, and briskly go
To