第269章

When Harald Gille had been six years (A.D.1136), king of Norway, Sigurd came to the country and went to his brother King Harald, and found him in Bergen.He placed himself entirely in the king's hands, disclosed who his father was, and asked him to acknowledge their relationship.The king gave him no hasty or distinct reply; but laid the matter before his friends in a conference at a specially appointed meeting.After this conference it became known that the king laid an accusation against Sigurd, because he had been at the killing of Thorkel Fostre in the West.Thorkel had accompanied Harald to Norway when he first came to the country, and had been one of Harald's best friends.This case was followed up so severely, that a capital accusation against Sigurd was made, and, by the advice of the lendermen, was carried so far, that some of the king's pursuivants went one evening late to Sigurd, and called him to them.They then took a boat and rowed away with Sigurd from the town south to Nordnes.Sigurd sat on a chest in the stern of the boat, and had his suspicions that foul play was intended.He was clothed in blue trousers, and over his shirt he had a hood tied with ribands, which served him for a cloak.He sat looking down, and holding his hood-strings; and sometimes moved them over his head, sometimes let them fall again before him.Now when they had passed the ness, they were drunk, and merry, were rowing so eagerly that they were not taking notice of anything.Sigurd stood up, and went on the boat's deck; but the two men who were placed to guard him stood up also, and followed him to the side of the vessel, holding by his cloak, as is the custom in guarding people of distinction.As he was afraid that they would catch hold of more of his clothes, he seized them both, and leaped overboard with them.The boat, in the meantime, had gone on a long way, and it was a long time before those on board could turn the vessel, and long before they could get their own men taken on board again; and Sigurd dived under water, and swam so far away that he reached the land before they could get the boat turned to pursue him.Sigurd, who was very swift of foot, hied up to the mountains, and the king's men travelled about the whole night seeking him without finding him.He lay down in a cleft of the rocks; and as he was very cold he took off his trousers, cut a hole in the seat of them, and stuck his head through it, and put his arms in the legs of them.He escaped with life this time;and the king's men returned, and could not conceal their unsuccessful adventure.

17.TREACHERY TOWARDS KING HARALD.

Sigurd thought now that it would be of no use to seek any help from King Harald again; and he kept himself concealed all the autumn and the beginning of the winter.He lay hid in Bergen, in the house of a priest.King Harald was also in the town, and many great people with him.Now Sigurd considered how, with his friends' help, he might take the king by surprise, and make an end of him.Many men took part in this design; and among them some who were King Harald's court-men and chamberlains, but who had formerly been King Magnus's court-men.They stood in great favour with the king, and some of them sat constantly at the king's table.On Saint Lucia's day (December 13), in the evening when they proposed to execute this treason, two men sat at the king's table talking together; and one of them said to the king, "Sire, we two table-companions submit our dispute to your judgment, having made a wager of a basket of honey to him who guesses right.I say that you will sleep this night with your Queen Ingerid; and he says that you will sleep with Thora, Guthorm's daughter."The king answered laughing, and without suspecting in the least that there lay treachery under the question, that he who had asked had lost his bet.

They knew thus where he was to be found that night; but the main guard was without the house in which most people thought the king would sleep, viz., that which the queen was in.

18.MURDER OF KING HARALD.

Sigurd Slembe, and some men who were in his design, came in the night to the lodging in which King Harald was sleeping; killed the watchman first; then broke open the door, and went in with drawn swords.Ivar Kolbeinson made the first attack on King Harald; and as the king had been drunk when he went to bed he slept sound, and awoke only when the men were striking at him.

Then he said in his sleep, "Thou art treating me hardly, Thora."She sprang up, saying, "They are treating thee hardly who love thee less than I do." Harald was deprived of life.Then Sigurd went out with his helpers, and ordered the men to be called to him who had promised him their support if he should get King Harald taken out of the way.Sigurd and his men then went on, and took a boat, set themselves to the oars, and rowed out in front of the king's house; and then it was just beginning to be daylight.Then Sigurd stood up, spoke to those who were standing on the king's pier, made known to them the murder of King Harald by his hand, and desired that they would take him, and choose him as chief according to his birth.Now came many swarming down to the pier from the king's house; and all with one voice replied, that they would never give obedience or service to a man who had murdered his own brother."And if thou are not his brother, thou hast no claim from descent to be king." They clashed their weapons together, and adjudged all murderers to be banished and outlawed men.Now the king's horn sounded, and all lendermen and courtmen were called together.Sigurd and his companions saw it was best for them to get way; and he went northward to North Hordaland, where he held a Thing with the bondes, who submitted to him, and gave him the title of king.From thence he went to Sogn, and held a Thing there with the bondes and was proclaimed king.Then he went north across the fjords, and most people supported his cause.So says Ivar Ingemundson: --"On Harald's fall The bondes all, In Hord and Sogn, Took Magnus' son.