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Page 23
_Kolbein_.--Did you have a part in this farce, my lord?
_Botolf_.--No, my lord! (_Mutters_.) Pia fraus, pia fraus!
_Kolbein_.--Then all is well. Bishop Gudmund was a witless man, but no
saint.
_Botolf_.--That is without example in Christendom how you laymen of
Iceland treated Bishop Gudmund; you killed his men and his clerks, went
to battle against him, beat and bound him, and in no wise let him enjoy
peace.
_Kolbein_.--Bishop Gudmund was a scourge upon the land. On his journeys
he devoured the property of one farmer in the morning, and of another in
the evening.
_Botolf_.--Finally you deprived him even of his freedom.
_Kolbein_.--That was the very best thing for him!
_Botolf_.--Such conduct on your part violated God's laws.
_Kolbein_.--But not the laws of this land, sir bishop. They say, 'But if
a man have a savage dog, then shall this dog be kept bound.' And I took
the dog and bound him, sir bishop!
_Botolf_.--The property of the church it was that tempted you, and not
the laws of the land; and how have you atoned for your robbery?
_Kolbein_.--With my and Thorolf Bjarnason's pilgrimage to Rome.
_Botolf_.--And with the help of this property of the church you have
set yourself in the place of that man who alone had divine right to the
land.
_Kolbein_.--His is the land who holds it.
_Botolf_.--The king of Norway lays claim to all the land settled by
Norwegians.
_Kolbein_.--The fewest of the settlers on Iceland's soil were subjects
of the king of Norway. For that matter, why comes not King Hakon and
take the land from us?
_Botolf_.--Because many hands would be raised in its defence, and the
king wishes the land to remain in peace.
_Kolbein_.--No one has caused more feuds among us Icelanders than has
King Hakon. All feuds arose through his devices.
_Botolf_.--Raise the banner of King Hakon in this land, Kolbein!
_Kolbein_.--Who would bear the banner for that coward? No, but should
the king come hither you will see me take up a banner; but it will not
be that of King Hakon!
_Botolf_.--In order to bring the land under the king's dominion you
would need but to ride to the king with twelve hundred men and let all
the assembly swear an oath of allegiance to the king. Both bishops would
stand back of you in that undertaking.
_Kolbein_.--Norwegians both!
_Botolf_.--The archbishop has written me that the king would raise you
to the highest rank among Icelanders if you did that.
_Kolbein_.--What I am already I need not become by the grace of Hakon.
_Botolf_.--He would give you an earl's rank and set you over all
Iceland.
_Kolbein_.--They gave Snorri Sturluson an earl's name, and the king
became the contriver of his death.
_Botolf_.--The archbishop writes that the king would make you highest
commander among his forces, if you should prefer that.
_Kolbein_ (_rejoiced at first, but quickly controls himself_).--Is that
written in the archbishop's letter?
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