Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/142

ting on his clothes, he said to his footboy, "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 chamberlain. 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.'^[1]

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