did valiant men earn of old; and thus did the ancients think
noble rank the due of bravery. For it was thought that the luck a man
had should be set down to his valour, and not his valour to his luck.
(o) He also enacted that no dispute should be entered on with a promise
made under oath and a gage deposited; but whosoever requested another
man to deposit a gage against him should pay that man half a gold mark,
on pain of severe bodily chastisement. For the king had foreseen that
the greatest occasions of strife might arise from the depositing of
gages. (p) But he decided that any quarrel whatsoever should be decided
by the sword, thinking a combat of weapons more honourable than one of
words. But if either of the combatants drew back his foot, and stepped
out of the ring of the circle previously marked, he was to consider
himself conquered, and suffer the loss of his case. But a man of the
people, if he attacked a champion on any score, should be armed to meet
him; but the champion should only fight with a truncheon an ell long.
(q) Further, he appointed that if an alien killed a Dane, his death
should be redressed by the slaying of two foreigners.

Meanwhile, Gotar, in order to punish Erik, equipped his army for war:
and Frode, on the other side, equipped a great fleet to go against
Norway. When both alike had put into Rennes-Isle, Gotar, terrified by
the greatness of Frode's name, sent ambassadors to pray for peace. Erik
said to them, "Shameless is the robber who is the first to seek peace,
or ventures to offer it to the good. He who longs to win must struggle:
blow must counter blow, malice repel malice."

Gotar listened attentively to this from a distance, and then said,
as loudly as he could: "Each man fights for valour according as he
remembers kindness." Erik said to him: "I have requited thy kindness by
giving thee back counsel." By this speech he meant that his excellent
advice was worth more than all manner of gifts. And, in order to show
that Gotar was ungrateful for the counsel he had received, he said:
"When thou desiredst to take my life and my wife, thou didst mar the
look of thy fair example. Only the sword has the right to decide between
us." Then Gotar attacked the fleet of the Danes; he was unsuccessful in
the engagement, and slain.

Afterwards Roller received his realm from Frode as a gift; it stretched
over seven provinces. Erik likewise presented Roller with the province
which Gotar had once bes