OF EYJOLF BOLVERK'S SON.
There was a man named Eyjolf. He was the son of Bolverk, the son of
Eyjolf the guileful, of Otterdale. Eyjolf was a man of great rank, and
best skilled in law of all men, so that some said he was the third best
lawyer in Iceland. He was the fairest in face of all men, tall and
strong, and there was the making of a great chief in him. He was greedy
of money, like the rest of his kinsfolk.
One day Flosi went to the booth of Bjarni Broddhelgi's son. Bjarni took
him by both hands, and sat Flosi down by his side. They talked about
many things, and at last Flosi said to Bjarni--
"What counsel shall we now take?"
"I think," answered Bjarni, "that it is now hard to say what to do, but
the wisest thing seems to me to go round and ask for help, since they
are drawing strength together against you. I will also ask thee, Flosi,
whether there be any very good lawyer in your band; for now there are
but two courses left; one to ask if they will take an atonement, and
that is not a bad choice, but the other is to defend the suit at law, if
there be any defence to it, though that will seem to be a bold course;
and this is why I think this last ought to be chosen, because ye have
hitherto fared high and mightily, and it is unseemly now to take a lower
course."
"As to thy asking about lawyers," said Flosi, "I will answer thee at
once that there is no such man in our band; nor do I know where to look
for one except it be Thorkel Geiti's son, thy kinsman."
"We must not reckon on him," said Bjarni, "for though he knows something
of law, he is far too wary, and no man need hope to have him as his
shield; but he will back thee as well as any man who backs thee best,
for he has a stout heart; besides, I must tell thee that it will be that
man's bane who undertakes the defence in this suit for the Burning, but
I have no mind that this should befall my kinsman Thorkel, so ye must
turn your eyes elsewhither."
Flosi said he knew nothing about who were the best lawyers.
"There is a man named Eyjolf," said Bjarni; "he is Bolverk's son, and he
is the best lawyer in the Westfirther's Quarter; but you will need to
give him much money if you are to bring him into the suit, but still we
must not stop at that. We must also go with our arms to all law
business, and be most wary of ourselves, but not meddle with them before
we are forced to fight for our lives. And now I will go with thee, and
set out at once on our begging for help, for now methinks the peace will
be kept but a little while longer."
After that they go out of the booth, and to the booths of the
Axefirthers. Then Bjarni talks with Lyting and Bleing, and Hroi
Arnstein's son, and he got speedily whatever he asked of them. Then they
fared to see Kol, the son of Killing-Skuti, and Eyvind Thorkel's son,
the son of Askel the priest, and asked them for their help; but they
stood out a long while, but the end of it was that they took three marks
of silver for it, and so went into the suit with them.
Then they went to the booths of the men of Lightwater, and stayed there
some time. Flosi begged the men of Lightwater for help, but they were
stubborn and hard to win over, and then Flosi said, with much wrath, "Ye
are ill-behaved! ye are grasping and wrongful at home in your own
country, and ye will not help men at the Thing, though they need it. No
doubt you will be held up to reproach at the Thing, and very great blame
will be laid on you if ye bare not in mind that scorn and those biting
words which Skarphedinn hurled at you men of Lightwater."
But on the other hand, Flosi dealt secretly with them, and bade them
money for their help, and so coaxed them over with fair words, until it
came about that they promised him their aid, and then became so
steadfast that they said they would fight for Flosi, if need were.
Then Bjarni said to Flosi--
"Well done! well done! Thou art a mighty chief, and a bold outspoken
man, and reckest little what thou sayest to men."
After that they fared away west across the river, and so to the
Hladbooth. They saw many men outside before the booth. There was one man
who had a scarlet cloak over his shoulders, and a gold band round his
head, and an axe studded with silver in his hand.
"This is just right," said Bjarni, "here now is the man I spoke of,
Eyjolf Bolverk's son, if thou wilt see him, Flosi."
Then they went to meet Eyjolf, and hailed him. Eyjolf knew Bjarni at
once, and greeted him well. Bjarni took Eyjolf by the hand, and led him
up into the "Great Rift". Flosi's and Bjarni's men followed after, and
Eyjolf's men went also with him. They bade them stay upon the lower
brink of the Rift, and look about them, but Flosi, and Bjarni, and
Eyjolf went on till they came to where the path leads down from the
upper brink of the Rift.
Flosi said it was a good spot to sit down there, for they could see
around them far and wide. Then they sat them down there. They were four
of them together, and no more.
Then Bjarni spoke to Eyjolf, and said--
"Thee, friend, have we come to see, for we much need thy help in every
way."
"Now," said Eyjolf, "there is good choice of men here at the Thing, and
ye will not find it hard to fall on those who will be a much greater
strength to you than I can be."
"Not so," said Bjarni, "Thou hast many things which show that there is
no greater man than thou at the Thing; first of all, that thou art so
well-born, as all those men are who are sprung from Ragnar hairybreeks;
thy forefathers, too, have always stood first in great suits, both here
at the Thing, and at home in their own country, and they have always had
the best of it; we think, therefore, it is likely that thou wilt be
lucky in winning suits, like thy kinsfolk."
"Thou speakest well, Bjarni," said Eyjolf; "but I think that I have
small share in all this that thou sayest."
Then Flosi said--
"There is no need beating about the bush as to what we have in mind. We
wish to ask for thy help, Eyjolf, and that thou wilt stand by us in our
suits, and go to the court with us, and undertake the defence, if there
be any, and plead it for us, and stand by us in all things that may
happen at this Thing."
Eyjolf jumped up in wrath, and said that no man had any right to think
that he could make a catspaw of him, or drag him on if he had no mind to
go himself.
"I see, too, now," he says, "what has led you to utter all those fair
words with which ye began to speak to me."
Then Hallbjorn the strong caught hold of him and sate him down by his
side, between him and Bjarni, and said--
"No tree falls at the first stroke, friend, but sit here awhile by us."
Then Flosi drew a gold ring off his arm.
"This ring will I give thee, Eyjolf, for thy help and friendship, and so
show thee that I will not befool thee. It will be best for thee to take
the ring, for there is no man here at the Thing to whom I have ever
given such a gift."
The ring was such a good one, and so well made, that it was worth twelve
hundred yards of russet stuff.
Hallbjorn drew the ring on Eyjolf's arm; and Eyjolf said--
"It is now most fitting that I should take the ring, since thou behavest
so handsomely; and now thou mayest make up thy mind that I will
undertake the defence, and do all things needful."
"Now," said Bjarni, "ye behave handsomely on both sides, and here are
men well fitted to be witnesses, since I and Hallbjorn are here, that
thou hast undertaken the suit."
Then Eyjolf arose, and Flosi too, and they took one another by the hand;
and so Eyjolf undertook the whole defence of the suit off Flosi's hands,
and so, too, if any suit arose out of the defence, for it often happens
that what is a defence in one suit, is a plaintiff's plea in another. So
he took upon him all the proofs and proceedings which belonged to those
suits, whether they were to be pleaded before the Quarter Court or the
Fifth Court. Flosi handed them over in lawful form, and Eyjolf took them
in lawful form, and then he said to Flosi and Bjarni.
"Now I have undertaken this defence just as ye asked, but my wish it is
that ye should still keep it secret at first; but if the matter comes
into the Fifth Court, then be most careful not to say that ye have given
goods for my help."
Then Flosi went home to his booth, and Bjarni with him, but Eyjolf went
to the booth of Snorri the priest, and sate down by him, and they talked
much together.
Snorri the priest caught hold of Eyjolf's arm, and turned up the sleeve,
and sees that he had a great ring of gold on his arm. Then Snorri the
priest said--
"Pray, was this ring bought or given?"
Eyjolf was put out about it, and had never a word to say. Then Snorri
said--
"I see plainly that thou must have taken it as a gift, and may this ring
not be thy death!"
Eyjolf jumped up and went away, and would not speak about it; and Snorri
said, as Eyjolf arose--
"It is very likely that thou wilt know what kind of gift thou hast taken
by the time this Thing is ended."
Then Eyjolf went to his booth.