l talked to him in every way to make him cheerful,
and brought forward everything he could think of to amuse him; but the
King remained stern, and speaking little. At last the Jarl proposed a
game of chess, which he agreed to. A chess-board was produced, and they
played together. Jarl Ulf was hasty in temper, stiff, and in nothing
yielding; but everything he managed went on well in his hands: and he
was a great warrior, about whom there are many stories. He was the most
powerful man in Denmark next to the King. Jarl Ulf's sister, Gyda, was
married to Jarl Gudin (Godwin) Ulfnadson; and their sons were, Harald
King of England, and Jarl Tosti, Jarl Walthiof, Jarl Mauro-Kaare, and
Jarl Svein. Gyda was the name of their daughter, who was married to the
English King Edward, the Good (whom we call the Confessor).

"When they had played a while, the King made a false move; on which the
Jarl took a knight from him; but the King set the piece on the board
again, and told the Jarl to make another move. But the Jarl flew angry,
tumbled the chess-board over, rose, and went away. The King said, 'Run
thy ways, Ulf the Fearful.' The Jarl turned round at the door and said,
'Thou wouldst have run farther at Helge river hadst thou been left to
battle there. Thou didst not call me Ulf the Fearful when I hastened to
thy help while the Swedes were beating thee like a dog.' The Jarl then
went out, and went to bed.

"The following morning, while the King was putting on his clothes, he
said to his footboy, 'Go thou to Jarl Ulf and kill him.' The lad went,
was away a while, and then came back. The King said, 'Hast thou killed
the Jarl?' 'I did not kill him, for he was gone to St. Lucius's church.'
There was a man called Ivar the White, a Norwegian by birth, who was the
King's courtman and chamberlain. The King said to him, 'Go thou and kill
the Jarl.' Ivar went to the church, and in at the choir, and thrust
his sword through the Jarl, who died on the spot. Then Ivar went to the
King, with the bloody sword in his hand.

"The King said, 'Hast thou killed the Jarl?' 'I have killed him,' said
he. 'Thou hast done well,' answered the King." I

From a man who built so many churches (one on each battlefield where
he had fought, to say nothing of the others), and who had in him such
depths of real devotion and other fine cosmic quality, this does seem
rather strong! But it is characteristic, withal,--of the man, and
perhaps of the times still more. [1