th the king of Norway. He recounted
all the evils the West Gautlanders were suffering under; that they must
go without all the things from Norway which were necessary in their
households; and, on the other hand, were exposed to attack and hostility
whenever the king of Norway gathered an army and made an inroad on them.
The earl added, that Olaf the Norway king had sent men hither with the
intent to obtain Ingegerd the king's daughter in marriage.

When the earl had done speaking Olaf the Swedish king stood up and
replied, and was altogether against listening to any proposals of peace,
and made many and heavy reproaches against the earl for his impudence
in entering into a peaceful truce with the thick fellow, and making up
a peaceful friendship with him, and which in truth he considered treason
against himself. He added, that it would be well deserved if Earl
Ragnvald were driven out of the kingdom. The earl had, in his opinion,
the influence of his wife Ingebjorg to thank for what might happen; and
it was the most imprudent fancy he could have fallen upon to take up
with such a wife. The king spoke long and bitterly, turning his speech
always against Olaf the Thick. When he sat down not a sound was to be
heard at first.

81. THORGNY'S SPEECH.

Then Thorgny stood up; and when he arose all the bondes stood up who
had before been sitting, and rushed together from all parts to listen to
what Lagman Thorgny would say. At first there was a great din of people
and weapons; but when the noise was settled into silent listening,
Thorguy made his speech. "The disposition of Swedish kings is different
now from what it has been formerly. My grandfather Thorgny could well
remember the Upsala king Eirik Eymundson, and used to say of him that
when he was in his best years he went out every summer on expeditions
to different countries, and conquered for himself Finland, Kirjalaland,
Courland, Esthonia, and the eastern countries all around; and at the
present day the earth-bulwarks, ramparts, and other great works which he
made are to be seen. And, more over, he was not so proud that he would
not listen to people who had anything to say to him. My father, again,
was a long time with King Bjorn, and was well acquainted with his ways
and manners. In Bjorn's lifetime his kingdom stood in great power, and
no kind of want was felt, and he was gay and sociable with his friends.
I also remember King Eirik the Victorious, and was with