Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/24

14 EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY. came into the world, there entered Fairhair's palace, one evening as Fairhair sat feasting, an English am- bassador or messenger, bearing in bis band, as gift from King Atbelstan, a magnificent sword, with gold hilt and other fine trimmings, to the great Harald, King of Norway. Harald took the sword, drew it, or was half-drawing it, admiringly from the scabbard, when the English excellency broke into a scornful laugh, " Ha, ha ; thou art now the feudatory of my English king; thou hast accepted the sword from him, and art now his man ! " (acceptance of a sword in that manner being the symbol of investiture in those days). Harald looked a trifle flurried, it is probable ; but held-in his wrath, and did no damage to the tricksy Englishman. He kept the matter in his mind, however, and next summer little Hakon, having got his weaning done, — one of the prettiest, healthiest little creatures, — Harald sent him ofi", under charge of 'Hauk' {Hawk so-called), one of his prin- cipal warriors, with order, " Take him to England," and instructions what to do with him there. And accordingly, one evening, Hauk, with thirty men escorting, strode into Athelstan's high dwelling (where