e his land-dues and the taxes which he had a right to
demand, & thereafter fared he back east to Gautland and dwelt there the
spring.

King Harald abode the winter in Oslo, and sent his men to the Uplands to
gather taxes and land-dues and the King's fines; but the Uplanders said
that they would not pay to him all dues which it behoved them to pay
into the hands of Earl Hakon even so long as he was alive and had not
forfeited life or dominions; & no land-dues did the King therefrom
obtain that winter.

|| Now betwixt Norway and Denmark there were sent that winter messengers
and messages, for both Norwegians and Danes alike desired to make peace
and agreement either with other, and they prayed their Kings to do the
same. The sending of these messages appeared prone to bring about
concord, for in the end a peace-meeting was agreed upon in the River
betwixt King Harald and King Svein. When spring-tide was come both Kings
called out many men and ships for this journey. Saith a skald in a poem:

'Leader of armed men, he who the ground engirdles
From Eyrasund northward shuts with his long-ship's prows
The land (the haven spurned he).
Gleaming with gold the stems cut the waves keenly;
Onward of Halland west, with host aboard, and the keels thrilling.
Harald firm-oathed!
oft hast thou the earth engirdled with thy ships;
Svein, too, through the sound sailed the King to meet.
Praise-dight filler of ravens, who every bay doth close,
Hath out a teeming host of Danes, from the south all.'

|| It is said here that these Kings kept to their agreement, to wit, that
there should be a meeting betwixt them; and that both came to the
marches. It is set forth thus below:

'Shrewd leader of armed men
To trysting south once more
Thou sailst as all Danes wished
(No lesser was thy purpose).
Svein now to the northward fares
The land-marches nigh,
The tryst to keep with Harald--
Windy was the weather off the land.'

|| When the Kings were come face to face the one with other forthwith
betwixt them was broached ye matter of peace; and no sooner was this
opened than many men made plaint of the harm they had suffered through
war-fare, rapine, and the slaying of men. And long talked they about
this, as is said hereafter:

'The yeomen shrewd
Such words do say aloud
That when the men meet,
An' angered are mostly
The others. Far seemeth
Concord to lie from men
Who on all things