XII.] DEATH OF OLAF. 223 



" Norway, King, from thy hands ! " cried Einar. 



" No ! not so much as that," says the King ; " take my 

 bow, and shoot," — flinging the bow to him. 



Einar took the bow, and drew it over the head of the 

 arrow. " Too weak, too weak/' said he, " for the bow of a 

 mighty King ! " and throwing the bow aside, " he took 

 sword and buckler, and fought valiantly." 



But Olaf's hour is come. Many slain lie around him : 

 many that have fallen by his hand, more that have fallen at 

 his side. The thinned ranks onboard the "Iron Beard" 

 are constantly replenished by fresh combatants from other 

 vessels, even by the Swedes and soft Danes, now " strong, 

 upon the stronger side," — while Olaf, cut off from succour, 

 stands almost alone upon the "Serpents" deck, made slip- 

 pery by his people's blood. The Jarl had laid out boats to 

 intercept all who might escape from the ship ; but escape is 

 not in the King's thoughts. He casts one look around him, 

 glances at his sword — broken like Einar's bow — draws a 

 deep breath, and, holding his shield above his head, springs 

 overboard. A shout — a rush ! who shall first grasp that 

 noble prisoner? Back, slaves ! the shield that has brought 

 him scathless through a hundred fights, shall yet shelter 

 him from dishonour. 



Countless hands are stretched to snatch him back to 

 worthless life, but the shield alone floats on the swirl of the 

 wave ; — King Olaf has sunk beneath it. 



Perhaps you have already had enough of my Saga lore ; 

 but with that grey cathedral full in sight, I cannot but 

 dedicate a few lines to another Olaf, king and warrior like 

 the last, but to whom after times" have accorded a yet 

 higher title. 



Saint Olaf s— Saint Olave, as we call him— early history 

 savours little of the odour of sanctity, but has rather that 

 " ancient and fish-like smell" which characterised the doings 

 of the Vikings, his ancestors. But those were days when 

 honour rather than disgrace attached to the ideas of booty 

 and plunder, especially in an enemy's country; it was a 



