Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/164

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CHAPTER XI. MAGNUS THE GOOD AND OTHERS. St. Olaf is the higliest of these Norway Kings, and is the last that much attracts us. For this reason, if a reason were not superfluous, we might here end our poor reminiscences of those dim Sovereigns. But we will, nevertheless, for the sake of their connection with bits of English History, still hastily mention the names of one or two who follow, and who throw a momentary gleam of life and illumination on events and epochs that have fallen so extinct among ourselves at present, though once they were so momentous and memorable. The new King Svein from Jomsburg, Knut*s natural son, had no success in Norway, nor seems to have deserved any. His English mother and he were found to be grasping, oppressive persons ; and awoke, almost from the instant that Olaf was suppressed and