180 EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY. not much bestead poor TJlf himself. He had been in disfavour before, pardoned with difficulty, by Queen Emma's intercession ; an ambitious, officious, pushing, stirring, and, both in England and Denmark, almost dangerous man ; and this conspicuous accidental merit only awoke new jealousy in Knut. Knut, finding nothing pass the Sound worth much blockading, went ashore; 'and the day before Michaelmas,' says Snorro, 'rode with a great retinue to Eoeskilde.' Snorro continues his tragic narrative of what befeU there :
- There Knut's brother-in-law, Jarl IJlf, had pre-
' pared a great feast for him. The Jarl was the most 'agreeable of hosts; but the King was silent and 'suUen. The Jarl talked to him in every way to
- make him cheerful, and brought forward everything
- he could think of to amuse him ; but the King
- remained stem, and speaking little. At last the Jarl
- proposed a game of chess, which he agreed to. A
' chess-board was produced, and they played together.'^ ' Jarl XJlf was hasty in temper, stiff, and in nothing ' yielding ; but everything he managed went on well 'in his hands: and he was a great warrior, about
