Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/173

 MAGNUS THE GOOD AND OTHERS. 163 mother, the great Knut's sister, daughter of Svein Forkbeard by that amazing Sigrid the Proud, who burnt those two ineligible suitors of hers both at once, and got a switch on the face from Olaf Tryggveson, which proved the death of that high man. But all this fine fortune of the often beaten Estrithson was posterior to Magnus's death ; who never would have suffered it, had he been alive. Magnus was a mighty fighter; a fiery man; very proud and positive, among other qualities, and had such luck as was never seen before. Luck invariably good, said everybody ; never once was beaten, — ^which proves, continued everybody, that his Father Olaf and the miraculous power of Heaven were with him always. Magnus, I believe, did put down a great deal of anarchy in those countries. One of his earliest enterprises was to abolish Jomsburg, and trample out that nest of pirates. Which he managed so completely that Jomsburg remained a mere reminiscence thence- forth ; and its place is not now known to any mortal. One perverse thing did at last turn up in the course of Magnus : a new Claimant for the Crown of Norway m2