540 THE LAWS OF THE EABLIER ENGLISH TRIBES. 



at the Thing and at home, but not to give advice in a suit. . . . 

 If the lawman commits something which the greater part of 

 the Thingmen would call Thing-breach then he is liable to 

 lesser outlawry " (Gragas, i. 4). 



" We shall go to the law-hill in the morning, and lead the 

 courts forward for challenging not later than when the sun is 

 to be seen on the western rock of the chasm seen from the seat 

 of the law-man on the law-hill. The law-man shall go out first 

 if he is in good health, then the godis with their judges if they 

 are not hindered ; otherwise every one of them shall get a man 

 in his place" (Gragas, i. 26). 



" Jf one or more judges retire, then the prosecutor has 

 the right to invite to lot-drawing at the court all those who 

 have cases before it, and decide the place where they shall 

 draw lots about proffering the case. Every man who has a 

 case before the court shall put one lot in a cloak skirt, though 

 he has more than one case. Every man shall mark out his 

 lot, and they shall all be put into a skirt, and four shall be 

 taken out in one " (Gragas, 37). 



" The first summer that Bergthor (Hrafnsson) recited laws a 

 new law was made that our laws should be written in a book 

 the next winter in the house of Haflidi Masson, after the 

 dictation and ruling of Bergthor and other wise men chosen 

 for it. They were to make new laws wherever they thought 

 them better than the old ones. These were to be recited the 

 following summer in the Logretta (law-court), and all those 

 were to be kept against which the greater part of the people 

 did not vote. Vigdocli (part of the laws treating about man- 

 slayings) and many other laws were written and recited in the 

 Logretta by priests the following summer. All liked them 

 well, and none were against them " (Islendingabok, c. 10). 



From the following account we can see what great power 

 the lawman had over the people, and how well the latter 

 understood that the price of freedom was constant watchfulness. 



King Olaf of Sweden and St. Olaf of Norway constantly 

 quarrelled about the frontiers of their countries. The bcendr 

 in the Vikin got St. Olaf to send men to the King of Sweden 

 to make peace. Eognvald jarl of Vestr Gautland, who was 

 friendly to Norway, helped the men sent, whose leader was 

 Bjoru Stallari (marshal). The following account tells how 

 they succeeded, with the help of Thorgnyr, lawman : 



" At this time there was in Tiundaland a lawman named 



