The first day the Thing sat, King Olaf was seated on a stool, and his court stood in a circle around him.Right opposite to him sat Earl Ragnvald and Thorgny in the Thing upon one stool, and before them the earl's court and Thorgny's house-people.Behind their stool stood the bonde community, all in a circle around them.Some stood upon hillocks and heights, in order to hear the better.Now when the king's messages, which are usually handled in the Things, were produced and settled, the marshal Bjorn rose beside the earl's stool, and said aloud, "King Olaf sends me here with the message that he will offer to the Swedish king peace, and the frontiers that in old times were fixed between Norway and Svithjod." He spoke so loud that the Swedish king could distinctly hear him; but at first, when he heard King Olaf's name spoken, he thought the speaker had some message or business of his own to execute; but when he heard of peace, and the frontiers between Norway and Svithjod, he saw from what root it came, and sprang up, and called out that the man should be silent, for that such speeches were useless.Thereupon Bjorn sat down; and when the noise had ceased Earl Ragnvald stood up and made a speech.
He spoke of Olaf the Thick's message, and proposal of peace to Olaf the Swedish king; and that all the West Gautland people sent their entreaty to Olaf that he would make peace with the king of Norway.He recounted all the evils the West Gautlanders were suffering under; that they must go without all the things from Norway which were necessary in their households; and, on the other hand, were exposed to attack and hostility whenever the king of Norway gathered an army and made an inroad on them.The earl added, that Olaf the Norway king had sent men hither with the intent to obtain Ingegerd the king's daughter in marriage.
When the earl had done speaking Olaf the Swedish king stood up and replied, and was altogether against listening to any proposals of peace, and made many and heavy reproaches against the earl for his impudence in entering into a peaceful truce with the thick fellow, and making up a peaceful friendship with him, and which in truth he considered treason against himself.He added, that it would be well deserved if Earl Ragnvald were driven out of the kingdom.The earl had, in his opinion, the influence of his wife Ingebjorg to thank for what might happen;and it was the most imprudent fancy he could have fallen upon to take up with such a wife.The king spoke long and bitterly, turning his speech always against Olaf the Thick.When he sat down not a sound was to be heard at first.
81.THORGNY'S SPEECH.
Then Thorgny stood up; and when he arose all the bondes stood up who had before been sitting, and rushed together from all parts to listen to what Lagman Thorgny would say.At first there was a great din of people and weapons; but when the noise was settled into silent listening, Thorguy made his speech."The disposition of Swedish kings is different now from what it has been formerly.
My grandfather Thorgny could well remember the Upsala king Eirik Eymundson, and used to say of him that when he was in his best years he went out every summer on expeditions to different countries, and conquered for himself Finland, Kirjalaland, Courland, Esthonia, and the eastern countries all around; and at the present day the earth-bulwarks, ramparts, and other great works which he made are to be seen.And, more over, he was not so proud that he would not listen to people who had anything to say to him.My father, again, was a long time with King Bjorn, and was well acquainted with his ways and manners.In Bjorn's lifetime his kingdom stood in great power, and no kind of want was felt, and he was gay and sociable with his friends.I also remember King Eirik the Victorious, and was with him on many a war-expedition.He enlarged the Swedish dominion, and defended it manfully; and it was also easy and agreeable to communicate our opinions to him.But the king we have now got allows no man to presume to talk with him, unless it be what he desires to hear.On this alone he applies all his power, while he allows his scat-lands in other countries to go from him through laziness and weakness.He wants to have the Norway kingdom laid under him, which no Swedish king before him ever desired, and therewith brings war and distress on many a man.Now it is our will, we bondes, that thou King Olaf make peace with the Norway king, Olaf the Thick, and marry thy daughter Ingegerd to him.Wilt thou, however, reconquer the kingdoms in the east countries which thy relations and forefathers had there, we will all for that purpose follow thee to the war.But if thou wilt not do as we desire, we will now attack thee, and put thee to death; for we will no longer suffer law and peace to be disturbed.So our forefathers went to work when they drowned five kings in a morass at the Mula-thing, and they were filled with the same insupportable pride thou hast shown towards us.Now tell us, in all haste, what resolution thou wilt take." Then the whole public approved, with clash of arms and shouts, the lagman's speech.
