lley。〃＇13＇
  Olaf　was　by　no　means　an　unmerciful　man；much　the　reverse　where　he　saw　good　cause。　　There　was　a　wicked　old　King　Raerik；　for　example；　one　of　those　five　kinglets　whom；　with　their　bits　of　armaments；　Olaf　by　stratagem　had　surrounded　one　night；　and　at　once　bagged　and　subjected　when　morning　rose；　all　of　them　consenting；　all　of　them　except　this　Raerik；　whom　Olaf；　as　the　readiest　sure　course；　took　home　with　him；　blinded；　and　kept　in　his　own　house；　finding　there　was　no　alternative　but　that　or　death　to　the　obstinate　old　dog；　who　was　a　kind　of　distant　cousin　withal；　and　could　not　conscientiously　be　killed。　　Stone…blind　old　Raerik　was　not　always　in　murderous　humor。　　Indeed；　for　most　part　he　wore　a　placid；　conciliatory　aspect；　and　said　shrewd　amusing　things；　but　had　thrice　over　tried；　with　amazing　cunning　of　contrivance；　though　stone…blind；　to　thrust　a　dagger　into　Olaf　and　the　last　time　had　all　but　succeeded。　　So　that；　as　Olaf　still　refused　to　have　him　killed；　it　had　become　a　problem　what　was　to　be　done　with　him。　　Olaf's　good　humor；　as　well　as　_his_　quiet；　ready　sense　and　practicality；　are　manifested　in　his　final　settlement　of　this　Raerik　problem。　　Olaf's　laugh；　I　can　perceive；　was　not　so　loud　as　Tryggveson's　but　equally　hearty；　coming　from　the　bright　mind　of　him！
  Besides　blind　Raerik；　Olaf　had　in　his　household　one　Thorarin；　an　Icelander；　a　remarkably　ugly　man；　says　Snorro；　but　a　far…travelled；　shrewdly　observant；　loyal…minded；　and　good…humored　person；　whom　Olaf　liked　to　talk　with。　　〃Remarkably　ugly；〃　says　Snorro；　〃especially　in　his　hands　and　feet；　which　were　large　and　ill…shaped　to　a　degree。〃　　One　morning　Thorarin；　who；　with　other　trusted　ones；　slept　in　Olaf's　apartment；　was　lazily　dozing　and　yawning；　and　had　stretched　one　of　his　feet　out　of　the　bed　before　the　king　awoke。　　The　foot　was　still　there　when　Olaf　did　open　his　bright　eyes；　which　instantly　lighted　on　this　foot。
  〃Well；　here　is　a　foot；〃　says　Olaf；　gayly；　〃which　one　seldom　sees　the　match　of；　I　durst　venture　there　is　not　another　so　ugly　in　this　city　of　Nidaros。〃
  〃Hah；　king！〃　said　Thorarin；　〃there　are　few　things　one　cannot　match　if　one　seek　long　and　take　pains。　　I　would　bet；　with　thy　permission；　King；　to　find　an　uglier。〃
  〃Done！〃　　cried　Olaf。　　Upon　which　Thorarin　stretched　out　the　other　foot。
  〃A　still　uglier；〃　cried　he；　〃for　it　has　lost　the　little　toe。〃
  〃Ho；　ho！〃　said　Olaf；　〃but　it　is　I　who　have　gained　the　bet。　　The　_less_　of　an　ugly　thing　the　less　ugly；　not　the　more！〃
  Loyal　Thorarin　respectfully　submitted。
  〃What　is　to　be　my　penalty；　then？　　The　king　it　is　that　must　decide。〃
  〃To　take　me　that　wicked　old　Raerik　to　Leif　Ericson　in　Greenland。〃
  Which　the　Icelander　did；　leaving　two　vacant　seats　henceforth　at　Olaf's　table。　　Leif　Ericson；　son　of　Eric　discoverer　of　America；　quietly　managed　Raerik　henceforth；　sent　him　to　Iceland；I　think　to　father　Eric　himself；　certainly　to　some　safe　hand　there；　in　whose　house；　or　in　some　still　quieter　neighboring　lodging；　at　his　own　choice；　old　Raerik　spent　the　last　three　years　of　his　life　in　a　perfectly　quiescent　manner。
  Olaf's　struggles　in　the　matter　of　religion　had　actually　settled　that　question　in　Norway。　　By　these　rough　methods　of　his；　whatever　we　may　think　of　them；　Heathenism　had　got　itself　smashed　dead；　and　was　no　more　heard　of　in　that　country。　　Olaf　himself　was　evidently　a　highly　devout　and　pious　man；whosoever　is　born　with　Olaf's　temper　now　will　still　find；　as　Olaf　did；　new　and　infinite　field　for　it！　　Christianity　in　Norway　had　the　like　fertility　as　in　other　countries；　or　even　rose　to　a　higher；　and　what　Dahlmann　thinks；　exuberant　pitch；　in　the　course　of　the　two　centuries　which　followed　that　of　Olaf。　　Him　all　testimony　represents　to　us　as　a　most　righteous　no　less　than　most　religious　king。　Continually　vigilant；　just；　and　rigorous　was　Olaf's　administration　of　the　laws；　repression　of　robbery；　punishment　of　injustice；　stern　repayment　of　evil…doers；　wherever　he　could　lay　hold　of　them。
  Among　the　Bonder　or　opulent　class；　and　indeed　everywhere；　for　the　poor　too　can　be　sinners　and　need　punishment；　Olaf　had；　by　this　course　of　conduct；　naturally　made　enemies。　　His　severity　so　visible　to　all；　and　the　justice　and　infinite　beneficence　of　it　so　invisible　except　to　a　very　few。　　But；　at　any　rate；　his　reign　for　the　first　ten　years　was　victorious；　and　might　have　been　so　to　the　end；　had　it　not　been　intersected；　and　interfered　with；　by　King　Knut　in　his　far　bigger　orbit　and　current　of　affairs　and　interests。　　Knut's　English　affairs　and　Danish　being　all　settled　to　his　mind；　he　seems；　especially　after　that　year　of　pilgrimage　to　Rome；　and　association　with　the　Pontiffs　and　Kaisers　of　the　world　on　that　occasion；　to　have　turned　his　more　particular　attention　upon　Norway；　and　the　claims　he　himself　had　there。　Jarl　Hakon；　too；　sister's　son　of　Knut；　and　always　well　seen　by　him；　had　long　been　busy　in　this　direction；　much　forgetful　of　that　oath　to　Olaf　when　his　barge　got　canted　over　by　the　cable　of　two　capstans；　and　his　life　was　given　him；　not　without　conditions　altogether！
  About　the　year　1026　there　arrived　two　splendid　persons　out　of　England；　bearing　King　Knut　the　Great's　letter　and　seal；　with　a　message；　likely　enough　to　be　far　from　welcome　to　Olaf。　　For　some　days　Olaf　refused　to　see　them　or　their　letter；　shrewdly　guessing　what　the　purport　would　be。　Which　indeed　was　couched　in　mild　language；　but　of　sharp　meaning　enough：　　a　notice　to　King　Olaf　namely；　That　Norway　was　properly；　by　just　heritage；　Knut　the　Great's；　and　that　Olaf　must　become　the　great　Knut's　liegeman；　and　pay　tribute　to　him；　or　worse　would　follow。　　King　Olaf　listening　to　these　two　splendid　persons　and　their　letter；　in　indignant　silence　till　they　quite　ended；　made　answer：　　〃I　have　heard　say；　by　old　accounts　there　are；　that　King　Gorm　of　Denmark　＇Blue…tooth's　father；　Knut's　great…grandfather＇　was　considered　but　a　small　king；　having　Denmark　only　and　few　people　to　rule　over。　　But　the　kings　who　succeeded　him　thought　that　insufficient　for　them；　and　it　has　since　come　so　far　that　King　Knut　rules　over　both　Denmark　and　England；　and　has　conquered　for　himself　a　part　of　Scotland。　　And　now　he　claims　also　my　paternal　bit　of　heritage；　cannot　be　contented　without　that　too。　　Does　he　wish　to　rule　over　all　the　countries　of　the　North？　　Can　he　eat　up　all　the　kale　in　England　itself；　this　Knut　the　Great？　　He　shall　do　that；　and　reduce　his　England　to　a　desert；　before　I　lay　my　head　in　his　hands；　or　show　him　any　other　kind　of　vassalage。　　And　so　I　bid　you　tell　him　these　my　words：　　I　will　defend　Norway　with　battle…axe　and　sword　as　long　as　life　is　given　me；　and　will　pay　tax　to　no　man　for　my　kingdom。〃　　Words　which　naturally　irritated　Knut　to　a　high　degree。
  Next　year　accordingly　（year　1027）；　tenth　or　eleventh　year　of　Olaf's　reign；　there　came　bad　rumors　out　of　England：　　That　Knut　was　equipping　an　immense　army；land…army；　and　such　a　fleet　as　had　never　sailed　before；　Knut's　own　ship　in　it；a　Gold　Dragon　with　no　fewer　than　sixty　benches　of　oars。　　Olaf　and　Onund　King　of　Sweden；　whose　sister　he　had　married；　well　guessed　whither　this　armament　was　bound。　　They　were　friends　withal；　they　recognized　their　common　peril　in　this　imminence；　and　had；　in　repeated　consultations；　taken　measures　the　best　that　their　united　skill　（which　I　find　was　mainly　Olaf's　but　loyally　accepted　by　the　other）　could　suggest。　　It　was　in　this　year　that　Olaf　（with　his　Swedish　king　assisting）　did　his　grand　feat　upon　Knut　in　Lymfjord　of　Jutland；　which　was　already　spoken　of。　　The　special　circumstances　of　which　were　these：
  Knut's　big　armament　arriving　on　the　Jutish　coasts　too　late　in　the　season；　and　the　coast　country　lying　all　plundered　into　temporary　wreck　by　the　two　Norse　kings；　who　shrank　away　on　sight　of　Knut；　there　was　nothing　could　be　done　upon　them　by　Knut　this　year；or；　if　anything；　what？　　Knut's　ships　ran　into　Lymfjord；　the　safe…sheltered　frith；　or　intricate　long　straggle　of　friths　and　straits；　which　almost　cuts　Jutland　in　two　in　that　region；　and　lay　safe；　idly　rocking　on　the　waters　there；　uncertain　what　to　do　farther。　　At　last　he　steered　in　his　big　ship　and　some　others；　deeper　into　the　interior　of　Lymfjord；　deeper　and　deeper　onwards　to　the　mouth　of　a　big　river　called　the　Helge　（_Helge…aa_；　the　Holy　River；　not　discoverable　in　my　poor　maps；　but　certainly　enough　still　existing　and　still　flowing　somewhere　among　those　intricate　straits　and　friths）；　towards　the　bottom　of　which　Helge　river　lay；　in　some　safe　nook；　the　small　combined　Swedish　and　Norse　fleet；　under　the　charge　of　Onund；　the　Swedish　king；　while　at　the　top　or　source；　which　is　a　biggish　mountain　lake；　King　Olaf　had　been　doing　considerable　engineering　works；　well　suited　to　such　an　occasion；　and　was　now　ready　at　a　moment's　notice。　　Knut's　fleet　having　idly　taken　station　here；　notice　from　the　Swedish　king　was　instantly　sent；　instantly　Olaf's　well…engineered　flood…gates　were　thrown　open；　from　the　swollen　lake　a　huge　deluge　of　water　was　let　loose；　Olaf　himself　with　all　his　people　hastening　down　to　join　his　Swedish　friend；　and　get　on　board　in　time；　Helge　river　all　the　while　alongside　of　him；　with　ever…increasing　roar；　and　wider…spreading　deluge；　hastening　down　the　steeps　in　the　night…watches。　　So　that；　along　with　Olaf　or　some　way　ahead　of　him；　came　immeasurable　roaring　waste　of　waters　upon　Knut's　negligent