The alliteration of the original line, and its peculiar poetic beauty, which consists in an allusion to one of the fables of the Northern mythology, is happily preserved in this translation. Gardar-rike—Russia, the Russian land. Gerda, a mythic poetic name for Harald’s mistress Elizabeth. Gerda was the beloved of Freyr, the god of the sun, whose love was so long resisted by Gerda. Freyr had also offered to Gerda a golden ring—hence the allusion.—_F. Magnussen_, Lex. Myt. Bor. 116. 439. Footnote 144: Yet only seven are enumerated. Professor F. Magnussen supposes the original second line may have been Oð fet ek lið, at smiða. Which may be rendered—I make verses—I arrange the battle—I forge (or smith) the ore. (These notes are from Wheaton, p. 343.) Footnote 145: We merely _allude_ to English occurrences, the detail of which must be sought in our own history. Footnote 146: Harald, Canute, Olaf, Eric, Nicholas or Niels. Footnote 147: Mallet, tom. iii. Footnote 148: But was she not his step-daughter? Had he married the _mother_ Gunhilda some years before, and lost her by death? We are not very clear as to the degree of affinity. Footnote 149: See Vol. I. p. 268. Footnote 150: For the way in which history is sometimes perverted to suit party purposes, we gave a good illustration in the Appendix to Vol. I. That of St. Canute (see the Appendix to the present volume) is scarcely better. It contains nearly as many inaccuracies as there are sentences. Footnote 151: The Vandals were certainly of Slavonic stock. The name, however, though constantly used by the Danish historians, is not the best that might be used. Footnote 152: See before, p. 185. Footnote 153: See the chapter on that kingdom. Footnote 154: See before, p. 201. Footnote 155: For the exploits of this prince, see History of Russia, Vol. I. (_Cab. Cyc._), one of the most judicious historical compendiums we have ever seen. Footnote 156: So called from his frequent use of the word _mœn_—_certainly_. Footnote 157: Known as the _Congesta Menvedi_. Footnote 158: Authorities for the present chapter:—Snorronis Sturlonidis Heims-Kringla (in the Sagas of each reign). Torfœus, Historia Rerum Norvegicarum. Saxonis Grammatici Historia Danica. The Chronicles in Langebek, Scriptores Rerum Danicarum. Mallet, Histoire de Daunemarc. Footnote 159: According to the chronology of Thorlak, and even Snorro himself, Magnus was invited to Norway _before_ the death of Canute, though in the same year (1035). This is too improbable to be received. Certainly the father of Norwegian history must have confounded dates. Footnote 160: See Vol. I. p. 273. Footnote 161: See Vol. I. p. 273. Footnote 162: See Vol. I. p. 254. Footnote 163: For these events, see the commencement of the last chapter. Footnote 164: