and arms--"Farewell, Berse!" He replied,
"Farewell, king!" So says Berse himself, in a poem he composed when he
fell into King Olaf's power, and was laid in prison and in fetters on
board a ship:--

"Olaf the Brave
A 'farewell' gave,
(No time was there to parley long,)
To me who knows the art of song.
The skald was fain
'Farewell' again
In the same terms back to send--
The rule in arms to foe or friend.
Earl Svein's distress
I well can guess,
When flight he was compelled to take:
His fortunes I will ne'er forsake,
Though I lie here
In chains a year,
In thy great vessel all forlorn,
To crouch to thee I still will scorn:
I still will say,
No milder sway
Than from thy foe this land e'er knew:
To him, my early friend, I'm true."

49. EARL SVEIN LEAVES THE COUNTRY.

Now some of the earl's men fled up the country, some surrendered at
discretion; but Svein and his followers rowed out of the fjord, and the
chiefs laid their vessels together to talk with each other, for the earl
wanted counsel from his lendermen. Erling Skialgson advised that they
should sail north, collect people, and fight King Olaf again; but as
they had lost many people, the most were of opinion that the earl should
leave the country, and repair to his brother-in-law the Swedish King,
and strengthen himself there with men. Einar Tambaskelfer approved also
of that advice, as they had no power to hold battle against Olaf. So
they discharged their fleet. The earl sailed across Folden, and with
him Einar Tambaskelfer. Erling Skialgson again, and likewise many other
lendermen who would not abandon their udal possessions, went north to
their homes; and Erling had many people that summer about him.

50. OLAF'S AND SIGURD'S CONSULTATION.

When King Olaf and his men saw that the earl had gathered his ships
together, Sigurd Syr was in haste for pursuing the earl, and letting
steel decide their cause. But King Olaf replies, that he would first see
what the earl intended doing--whether he would keep his force together
or discharge his fleet. Sigurd Syr said, "It is for thee, king, to
command; but," he adds, "I fear, from thy disposition and wilfulness,
that thou wilt some day be betrayed by trusting to those great people,
for they are accustomed of old to bid defiance to their sovereigns."
There was no attack