"It has been reported to me," said the king, "that thou are neither so prudent nor so obedient as to fulfil my commands." "In that case," replied Halfred, "put me to death." "Thou art a skald who composes difficulties," says the king; "but into my service, Halfred, thou shalt be received." Halfred says, "if I am to be named the composer of difficulties, what cost thou give me, king, on my name-day?" The king gave him a sword without a scabbard, and said, "Now compose me a song upon this sword, and let the word sword be in every line of the strophe." Halfred sang thus: "This sword of swords is my reward. For him who knows to wield a sword, And with his sword to serve his lord, Yet wants a sword, his lot is hard. I would I had my good lord's leave For this good sword a sheath to choose: I'm worth three swords when men use, But for the sword-sheath now I grieve." Then the king gave him the scabbard, observing that the word sword was wanting in one line of his strophe. "But there instead are three swords in one of the lines," says Halfred. "That is true," replies the king.--Out of Halfred's lays we have taken the most of the true and faithful accounts that are here related about Olaf Trygvason. 91. THANGBRAND RETURNS FROM ICELAND. The same harvest (A.D. 999) Thangbrand the priest came back from Iceland to King Olaf, and told the ill success of his journey; namely, that the Icelanders had made lampoons about him; and that some even sought to kill him, and there was little hope of that country ever being made Christian. King Olaf was so enraged at this, that he ordered all the Icelanders to be assembled by sound of horn, and was going to kill all who were in the town, but Kjartan, Gissur, and Hjalte, with the other Icelanders who had become Christians, went to him, and said, "King, thou must not fail from thy word--that however much any man may irritate thee, thou wilt forgive him if he turn from heathenism and become Christian. All the Icelanders here are willing to be baptized; and through them we may find means to bring Christianity into Iceland: for there are many amongst them, sons of considerable people in Iceland, whose friends can advance the cause; but the priest Thangbrand proceeded there as he did here in the court, with violence and manslaughter, and such conduct the people there would not submit to." The king harkened to those remonstrances; and all the Iceland men who were there were baptized. 92. OF KING OLAF'S FEATS.