Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/142

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132 EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY. ' ting on his clothes, he said to his foothoy, " Go thou ' to Jarl Ulf and kill him." The lad went, was away

  • a while, and then came back. The King said,

'"Hast thou killed the Jarl? "I did not kill

  • him, for he was gone to St. Lucius's church." There

' was a man called Ivar the White, a Norwegian by

  • birth, who was the King's courtman and chamber-
  • lain. The King said to him, " Go thou and kill
  • the Jarl." Ivar went to the church, and in at the

'choir, -and thrust his sword through the Jarl, who ' died on the spot. Then Ivar went to the King, with

  • the bloody sword in his hand.

'The King said, "Hast thou killed the Jarl?" ' " I have killed him," said he. " Thou hast done ' well," answered the King.' * From a man who built so many churches (one on each battle-field where he had fought, to say nothing of the others), and who had in him such depths of real devotion and other fine cosmic quality, this does seem rather strong ! But it is characteristic, withal, — of the man, and perhaps of the times still more. In any case, it is an event worth noting, the slain Jarl

  • Snorro, ii. pp. 252-3.