30 James Christian Liiidberg 



Thorcr. It was, 



My lord ! Accordingly our wisest men 

 Have prophesied : this dream foretells how great 

 Will be the royal race, that after him 

 Shall rule the North. 



Olaf. [Stands in deep meditation.'] 



Thorer. What virgin thoughts are waking in thy soul ? 



Olaf. What virgin thoughts ? Not so ; my thoughts are old 

 And cherished; dreams of youth, and manhood's fond 

 Ambition. 



Thorer. Worthy of thy birth. Forgive 

 Me, lord ; but why hast thou not claimed before 

 Thy right, by birth, to Norway's crown ? 



Olaf. It seemed 



So far away, — 't was occupied. Besides 

 My mind was filled with other thoughts. The soul's 

 Eternal rest outweighs the thrones of all 

 The earth. Its craving, hitherto, has drawn 

 Me toward the South, where Christian faith is taught. 

 Still fortune ne'er forsook me ; twice have I 

 Been chosen king. 'T was love that forced me leave 

 The Wendish^*^ sceptre ; aye, 't was love rccrowned 

 Me on the Irish throne. But never once 

 In all my life, in all my ramblings, here 

 And there, have I forgot my proper place, — 

 The North, there born of kingly blood. Full oft 

 The thought has stirred me : seize the sword, defend 

 Thy rights by birth ! But everywhere T heard 

 That Norway's peasants throve, were satisfied 

 With Hakon Jarl. What power had I ? One needs 

 Must have a mighty force thus to invade 

 A well-contented land. And could I not 

 Be Norway's king, I could not wish myself 

 The sole disturber of her peace. 



Thorer. But now 



The times have changed. When Throndhiem's^^ peasants hear 

 That Harald's great-great-grandson lives, then naught 



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