Milder　thoughts；　we　say；　and　consented　to　a　meeting　next　autumn；　at　some　half…way　station；　where　their　great　business　might　be　brought　to　a　happy　settlement　and　betrothment。　　Both　Olaf　Tryggveson　and　the　high　dowager　appear　to　have　been　tolerably　of　willing　mind　at　this　meeting；　but　Olaf　interposed；　what　was　always　one　condition　with　him；　〃Thou　must　consent　to　baptism；　and　give　up　thy　idol…gods。〃　　〃They　are　the　gods　of　all　my　forefathers；〃　answered　the　lady；　〃choose　thou　what　gods　thou　pleasest；　but　leave　me　mine。〃　　Whereupon　an　altercation；　and　Tryggveson；　as　was　his　wont；　towered　up　into　shining　wrath；　and　exclaimed　at　last；　〃Why　should　I　care　about　thee　then；　old　faded　heathen　creature？〃　　And　impatiently　wagging　his　glove；　hit　her；　or　slightly　switched　her；　on　the　face　with　it；　and　contemptuously　turning　away；　walked　out　of　the　adventure。　　〃This　is　a　feat　that　may　cost　thee　dear　one　day；〃　said　Sigrid。　　And　in　the　end　it　came　to　do　so；　little　as　the　magnificent　Olaf　deigned　to　think　of　it　at　the　moment。
  One　of　the　last　scuffles　I　remember　of　Olaf's　having　with　his　refractory　heathens；　was　at　a　Thing　in　Hordaland　or　Rogaland；　far　in　the　North；　where　the　chief　opposition　hero　was　one　Jaernskaegg　（〃ironbeard〃）　Scottice　（〃Airn…shag；〃　as　it　were！）。　　Here　again　was　a　grand　heathen　temple；　Hakon　Jarl's　building；　with　a　splendid　Thor　in　it　and　much　idol　furniture。　　The　king　stated　what　was　his　constant　wish　here　as　elsewhere；　but　had　no　sooner　entered　upon　the　subject　of　Christianity　than　universal　murmur；　rising　into　clangor　and　violent　dissent；　interrupted　him；　and　Ironbeard　took　up　the　discourse　in　reply。　　Ironbeard　did　not　break　down；　on　the　contrary；　he；　with　great　brevity；　emphasis；　and　clearness；　signified　〃that　the　proposal　to　reject　their　old　gods　was　in　the　highest　degree　unacceptable　to　this　Thing；　that　it　was　contrary　to　bargain；　withal；　so　that　if　it　were　insisted　on；　they　would　have　to　fight　with　the　king　about　it；　and　in　fact　were　now　ready　to　do　so。〃　　In　reply　to　this；　Olaf；　without　word　uttered；　but　merely　with　some　signal　to　the　trusty　armed　men　he　had　with　him；　rushed　off　to　the　temple　close　at　hand；　burst　into　it；　shutting　the　door　behind　him；　smashed　Thor　and　Co。　to　destruction；　then　reappearing　victorious；　found　much　confusion　outside；　and；　in　particular；　what　was　a　most　important　item；　the　rugged　Ironbeard　done　to　death　by　Olaf's　men　in　the　interim。　　Which　entirely　disheartened　the　Thing　from　fighting　at　that　moment；　having　now　no　leader　who　dared　to　head　them　in　so　dangerous　an　enterprise。　　So　that　every　one　departed　to　digest　his　rage　in　silence　as　he　could。
  Matters　having　cooled　for　a　week　or　two；　there　was　another　Thing　held；　in　which　King　Olaf　testified　regret　for　the　quarrel　that　had　fallen　out；　readiness　to　pay　what　_mulct_　was　due　by　law　for　that　unlucky　homicide　of　Ironbeard　by　his　people；　and；　withal；　to　take　the　fair　daughter　of　Ironbeard　to　wife；　if　all　would　comply　and　be　friends　with　him　in　other　matters；　which　was　the　course　resolved　on　as　most　convenient：　　accept　baptism；　we；　marry　Jaernskaegg's　daughter；　you。　This　bargain　held　on　both　sides。　　The　wedding；　too；　was　celebrated；　but　that　took　rather　a　strange　turn。　　On　the　morning　of　the　bride…night；　Olaf；　who　had　not　been　sleeping；　though　his　fair　partner　thought　he　had；　opened　his　eyes；　and　saw；　with　astonishment；　the　fair　partner　aiming　a　long　knife　ready　to　strike　home　upon　him！　　Which　at　once　ended　their　wedded　life；　poor　Demoiselle　Ironbeard　immediately　bundling　off　with　her　attendants　home　again；　King　Olaf　into　the　apartment　of　his　servants；　mentioning　there　what　had　happened；　and　forbidding　any　of　them　to　follow　her。
  Olaf　Tryggveson；　though　his　kingdom　was　the　smallest　of　the　Norse　Three；　had　risen　to　a　renown　over　all　the　Norse　world；　which　neither　he　of　Denmark　nor　he　of　Sweden　could　pretend　to　rival。　　A　magnificent；　far…shining　man；　more　expert　in　all　〃bodily　exercises〃　as　the　Norse　call　them；　than　any　man　had　ever　been　before　him；　or　after　was。　　Could　keep　five　daggers　in　the　air；　always　catching　the　proper　fifth　by　its　handle；　and　sending　it　aloft　again；　could　shoot　supremely；　throw　a　javelin　with　either　hand；　and；　in　fact；　in　battle　usually　throw　two　together。　　These；　with　swimming；　climbing；　leaping；　were　the　then　admirable　Fine　Arts　of　the　North；　in　all　which　Tryggveson　appears　to　have　been　the　Raphael　and　the　Michael　Angelo　at　once。　　Essentially　definable；　too；　if　we　look　well　into　him；　as　a　wild　bit　of　real　heroism；　in　such　rude　guise　and　environment；　a　high；　true；　and　great　human　soul。　　A　jovial　burst　of　laughter　in　him；　withal；　a　bright；　airy；　wise　way　of　speech；　dressed　beautifully　and　with　care；　a　man　admired　and　loved　exceedingly　by　those　he　liked；　dreaded　as　death　by　those　he　did　not　like。　　〃Hardly　any　king；〃　says　Snorro；　〃was　ever　so　well　obeyed；　by　one　class　out　of　zeal　and　love；　by　the　rest　out　of　dread。〃　　His　glorious　course；　however；　was　not　to　last　long。
  King　Svein　of　the　Double…Beard　had　not　yet　completed　his　conquest　of　England；by　no　means　yet；　some　thirteen　horrid　years　of　that　still　before　him！when；　over　in　Denmark；　he　found　that　complaints　against　him　and　intricacies　had　arisen；　on　the　part　principally　of　one　Burislav；　King　of　the　Wends　（far　up　the　Baltic）；　and　in　a　less　degree　with　the　King　of　Sweden　and　other　minor　individuals。　　Svein　earnestly　applied　himself　to　settle　these；　and　have　his　hands　free。　　Burislav；　an　aged　heathen　gentleman；　proved　reasonable　and　conciliatory；　so；　too；　the　King　of　Sweden；　and　Dowager　Queen　Sigrid；　his　managing　mother。　　Bargain　in　both　these　cases　got　sealed　and　crowned　by　marriage。　　Svein；　who　had　become　a　widower　lately；　now　wedded　Sigrid；　and　might　think；　possibly　enough；　he　had　got　a　proud　bargain；　though　a　heathen　one。　　Burislav　also　insisted　on　marriage　with　Princess　Thyri；　the　Double…Beard's　sister。　　Thyri；　inexpressibly　disinclined　to　wed　an　aged　heathen　of　that　stamp；　pleaded　hard　with　her　brother；　but　the　Double…Bearded　was　inexorable；　Thyri's　wailings　and　entreaties　went　for　nothing。　　With　some　guardian　foster…brother；　and　a　serving…maid　or　two；　she　had　to　go　on　this　hated　journey。　　Old　Burislav；　at　sight　of　her；　blazed　out　into　marriage…feast　of　supreme　magnificence；　and　was　charmed　to　see　her；　but　Thyri　would　not　join　the　marriage　party；　refused　to　eat　with　it　or　sit　with　it　at　all。　　Day　after　day；　for　six　days；　flatly　refused；　and　after　nightfall　of　the　sixth；　glided　out　with　her　foster…brother　into　the　woods；　into　by…paths　and　inconceivable　wanderings；　and；　in　effect；　got　home　to　Denmark。　Brother　Svein　was　not　for　the　moment　there；　probably　enough　gone　to　England　again。　　But　Thyri　knew　too　well　he　would　not　allow　her　to　stay　here；　or　anywhere　that　he　could　help；　except　with　the　old　heathen　she　had　just　fled　from。
  Thyri；　looking　round　the　world；　saw　no　likely　road　for　her；　but　to　Olaf　Tryggveson　in　Norway；　to　beg　protection　from　the　most　heroic　man　she　knew　of　in　the　world。　　Olaf；　except　by　renown；　was　not　known　to　her；　but　by　renown　he　well　was。　　Olaf；　at　sight　of　her；　promised　protection　and　asylum　against　all　mortals。　　Nay；　in　discoursing　with　Thyri　Olaf　perceived　more　and　more　clearly　what　a　fine　handsome　being；　soul　and　body；　Thyri　was；　and　in　a　short　space　of　time　winded　up　by　proposing　marriage　to　Thyri；　who；　humbly；　and　we　may　fancy　with　what　secret　joy；　consented　to　say　yes；　and　become　Queen　of　Norway。　　In　the　due　months　they　had　a　little　son；　Harald；　who；　it　is　credibly　recorded；　was　the　joy　of　both　his　parents；　but　who；　to　their　inexpressible　sorrow；　in　about　a　year　died；　and　vanished　from　them。　This；　and　one　other　fact　now　to　be　mentioned；　is　all　the　wedded　history　we　have　of　Thyri。
  The　other　fact　is；　that　Thyri　had；　by　inheritance　or　covenant；　not　depending　on　her　marriage　with　old　Burislav；　considerable　properties　in　Wendland；　which；　she　often　reflected；　might　be　not　a　little　behooveful　to　her　here　in　Norway；　where　her　civil…list　was　probably　but　straitened。　　She　spoke　of　this　to　her　husband；　but　her　husband　would　take　no　hold；　merely　made　her　gifts；　and　said；　〃Pooh；　pooh；　can't　we　live　without　old　Burislav　and　his　Wendland　properties？〃　　So　that　the　lady　sank　into　ever　deeper　anxiety　and　eagerness　about　this　Wendland　object；　took　to　weeping；　sat　weeping　whole　days；　and　when　Olaf　asked；　〃What　ails　thee；　then？〃　would　answer；　or　did　answer　once；　〃What　a　different　man　my　father　Harald　Gormson　was　＇vulgarly　called　Blue…tooth＇；　compared　with　some　that　are　now　kings！　　For　no　King　Svein　in　the　world　would　Harald　Gormson　have　given　up　his　own　or　his　wife's　just　rights！〃　　Whereupon　Tryggveson　started　up；　exclaiming　in　some　heat；　〃Of　thy　brother　Svein　I　never　was　afraid；　if　Svein　and　I　meet　in　contest；　it　will　not　be　Svein；　I　believe；　that　conquers；〃　and　went　off　in　a　towering　fume。　　Consented；　however；　at　last；　had　to　consent；　to　get　his　fine　fleet　equipped　and　armed；　and　decide　to　sail　with　it　to　Wendland　to　have　speech　and　settlement　with　King　Burislav。
  Tryggveson　had　already　ships　and　navies　that　were　the　wonder　of　the　North。　　Especially　in　building　war　ships；　the　Crane；　the　Serpent；　last　of　all　the　Long　Serpent；＇7＇he　had；　for　size；　for　outward　beauty；　and　inward　perfection　of　equipment；　transcended　all　example。
  This　new　sea　expedition　became　an