Botolf.—­A captive bishop is content to be seated on the lower high seat, my daughter!

Helga.—­As you wish, my lord. (Leads him to the lower seat of honor, where he is seated.  SALVOR moves the table to the lower high seat and puts the tapers upon it.  Most of the men are sitting; drink-horns and ale are brought in.)

Kolbein (is given a drinking-horn, BOTOLF another, from whom they are passed on from man to man.  KOLBEIN seats himself on the higher seat of honor).—­There is courage in our men; they all are minded to do battle in order to be rid of that horde of rebels.

Botolf.—­You take much power upon yourself, Kolbein, to begin war and kill so many men without law and its decrees.

Kolbein.—­Why do you speak thus, my lord?  You freed the slayers of Thorolf from the interdict; and yet they slew him without the law and its decrees.

Botolf.—­It is a labor of love for the Holy Church to pardon the guilty.  We do it for God’s sake.

Kolbein.—­And it is the task of chieftains to administer the laws themselves, and to begin hostilities in order to make others submit to their will.

(The horns pass around until HAF has finished reciting his lay.)

Botolf.—­An ill task and a disastrous one.  To me it seems that parliament ought to administer the laws and pronounce judgment according to them.

Kolbein.—­We chieftains have all power over law and decrees in parliament.  It would only delay sentence to seek a decision there.

Botolf.—­It has come to my ears that Brand Kolbeinsson owns by rights the greater part of the dominions you now govern, and that, for this reason you are not rightfully chieftain here.

Kolbein.—­I, as well as Brand, am of the race of Asbjorn, and Sighvat Sturluson put me in possession of the land when I was but fifteen years old.

Botolf.—­And therefore had you Sighvat and his sons killed in the battle of Orlygsstad.

Kolbein.—­Sighvat wanted to lure my constituents from me by his wiles.  The yeomen chose me their chieftain twenty years ago, and ever since I have performed, now this, now that deed, so that the yeomen would not choose another chieftain in my stead.  Therefore is it right that I should be chieftain here.  But to my ears it has come that you, my lord, have not lawfully come to be bishop at Holar!

Helga (drinks from the horn and smiles).—­To your health, sir bishop!

Botolf (responds after a while to her toast).—­You astonish me!  The archbishop appointed me!

Kolbein.—­No one becomes lawfully bishop of Holar until we of the North Quarter have chosen him.  And you we have not chosen, my lord!  You are bishop here as long as I will, and no longer.  Another matter it is that I shall do all to be at peace with the Holy Church, because the days of my life are probably counted.