H8 EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY.

'before the ugly idol. Thereupon it was set down 'upon the Thing field; and on the one side of it sat 'the Bonders, and on the other the King and his

• people.
• Then Dale Gudbrand stood up and said, " Where

'now, king, is thy God? I think he will now carry '.his head lower ; and neither thou, nor the man with

• the horn, sitting beside thee there, whom thou callest

'Bishop, are so bold to-day as on the former days. ' For now our God, who rules over all, is come, and 'looks on you with an angry eye; and now I see ' well enough that you are terrified, and scarcely dare

• raise your eyes. Throw away now all your opposi-

'tion, and believe in the God who has your fate

• wholly in his hands."
• The king now whispers to Kolbein the Strong,
• ^thout the Bonders perceiving it, "If it come so

'in. the course of my speech that the Bonders look

• another way than towards their idol, strike him as

' hard as thou canst with thy club." ' The king then stood up and spoke : " Much hast

• thou talked to us this morning, and greatly hast

' thou wondered that thou canst not see our God ;