74 CHRONICLE OF THE saga vn. king, and often spoke with him ; for the king thought, what was true, that he was a man of much under- standing and eloquence. Now Hialte told Gissur and Ottar that he was sent with tokens to the king's daughter Ingigerd, to obtain her protection and friendship; and he begged of them to procure him some opportunity to speak with her. They answered, that this was an easy thing to do; and went one day to her house, where she sat at the drinking table with many men. She received the scalds in a friendly manner, for they were known to her. Hialte brought her a salutation from the earl's wife, Ino-e- borg; and said she had sent him here to obtain friendly help and succour from her, and in proof whereof produced his tokens. The king's daughter received him also kindly, and said he should be wel- come to her friendship. They sat there till late in the day drinking. The king's daughter made Hialte tell her much news, and invited him to come often and converse with her. He did so : came there often, and spoke with the king's daughter ; and at last en- trusted her with the purpose of Biorn's and his com- rades' journey, and asked her how she thought the Swedish king would receive the proposal that there should be a reconciliation between the kings. The king's daughter replied, that, in her opinion, it would be a useless attempt to propose to the king any recon- ciliation with Olaf the Thick; for the king was so enraged against him, that he would not suffer his name to be mentioned before him. It happened one day that Hialte was sitting with the king and talking to him, and the king was very merry and drunk Then Hialte said, " Manifold splendour and grandeur have I seen here ; and I have now witnessed with my eyes what I have often heard of, that no monarch in the north is so magnificent : but it is very vexatious that we who come so far to visit it have a road so
