第84章

At last, having meditated what spot he should choose for the fight -- for he said that he was unskilled in combat by land and in all warfare -- he demanded it should be on the frozen sea.To this both sides agreed.The king granted a truce for preparations, and bade the sons of Westmar withdraw, saying that it was amiss that a guest, even if he had deserved ill should be driven from his lodging.Then he went back to examine into the manner of the punishment, which he had left to the queen's own choice to exact.For she forebore to give judgment, and begged pardon for her slip.Erik added, that woman's errors must often be forgiven, and that punishment ought not to be inflicted, unless amendment were unable to get rid of her fault.So the king pardoned Hanund.As twilight drew near, Erik said: "With Gotar, not only are rooms provided when the soldiers are coming to feast at the banquet, but each is appointed a separate place and seat where he is to lie." Then the king gave up for their occupation the places where his own champions had sat; and next the servants brought the banquet.But Erik, knowing well the courtesy of the king, which made him forbid them to use up any of the meal that was left, cast away the piece of which he had tasted very little, calling whole portions broken bits of food.

And so, as the dishes dwindled, the servants brought up fresh ones to the lacking and shamefaced guests, thus spending on a little supper what might have served for a great banquet.

So the king said: "Are the soldiers of Gotar wont to squander the meat after once touching it, as if it were so many pared-off crusts? And to spurn the first dishes as if they were the last morsels?"Erik said: "Uncouthness claims no place in the manners of Gotar, neither does any disorderly habit feign there."But Frode said: "Then thy manners are not those of thy lord, and thou hast proved that thou hast not taken all wisdom to heart.

For he who goes against the example of his elders shows himself a deserter and a renegade."Then said Erik: "The wise man must be taught by the wiser.For knowledge grows by learning, and instruction is advanced by doctrine."Frode rejoined: "This affectation of thine of superfluous words, what exemplary lesson will it teach me?"Erik said: "A loyal few are a safer defence for a king than many traitors."Frode said to him: "Wilt thou then show us closer allegiance than the rest?"Erik answered: "No man ties the unborn (horse) to the crib, or the unbegotten to the stall.For thou hast not yet experienced all things.Besides, with Gotar there is always a mixture of drinking with feasting; liquor, over and above, and as well as meat, is the joy of the reveller."Frode said: "Never have I found a more shameless beggar of meat and drink."Erik replied: "Few reckon the need of the silent, or measure the wants of him who holds his peace."Then the king bade his sister bring forth the drink in a great goblet.Erik caught hold of her right hand and of the goblet she offered at the same time, and said: "Noblest of kings, hath thy benignity granted me this present? Dost thou assure me that what I hold shall be mine as an irrevocable gift?"The king, thinking that he was only asking for the cup, declared it was a gift.But Erik drew the maiden to him, as if she was given with the cup.When the king saw it, he said: "A fool is shown by his deed; with us freedom of maidens is ever held inviolate."Then Erik, feigning that he would cut off the girl's hand with his sword, as though it had been granted under the name of the cup, said: "If I have taken more than thou gavest, or if I am rash to keep the whole, let me at least get some." The king saw his mistake in his promise, and gave him the maiden, being loth to undo his heedlessness by fickleness, and that the weight of his pledge might seem the greater; though it is held an act more of ripe judgment than of unsteadfastness to take back a foolish promise.

Then, taking from Erik security that he would return, he sent him to the ships; for the time appointed for the battle was at hand.

Erik and his men went on to the sea, then covered near with ice;and, thanks to the stability of their sandals, felled the enemy, whose footing was slippery and unsteady.For Frode had decreed that no man should help either side if it wavered or were distressed.Then he went back in triumph to the king.So Gotwar, sorrowing at the destruction of her children who had miserably perished, and eager to avenge them, announced that it would please her to have a flyting with Erik, on condition that she should gage a heavy necklace and he his life; so that if he conquered he should win gold, but if he gave in, death.Erik agreed to the contest, and the gage was deposited with Gunwar.

So Gotwar began thus:

"Quando tuam limas admissa cote bipennem, Nonne terit tremulas mentula quassa nates?"Erik rejoined:

"Ut cuivis natura pilos in corpore sevit, Omnis nempe suo barba ferenda loco est.

Re Veneris homines artus agitare necesse est;Motus quippe suos nam labor omnis habet.

Cum natis excipitur nate, vel cum subdita penem Vulva capit, quid ad haec addere mas renuit?"Powerless to answer this, Gotwar had to give the gold to the man whom she had meant to kill, and thus wasted a lordly gift instead of punishing the slayer of her son.For her ill fate was crowned, instead of her ill-will being avenged.First bereaved, and then silenced by furious words, she lost at once her wealth and all reward of her eloquence.She made the man blest who had taken away her children, and enriched her bereaver with a present: and took away nothing to make up the slaughter of her sons save the reproach of ignorance and the loss of goods.

Westmar, when he saw this, determined to attack the man by force, since he was the stronger of tongue, and laid down the condition that the reward of the conqueror should be the death of the conquered, so that the life of both parties was plainly at stake.

Erik, unwilling to be thought quicker of tongue than of hand, did not refuse the terms.