Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/257

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 249 castle, and had besides such a numerous and chosen saga vn. crew on board, well armed and exercised, that it was not easy to attack her. After a short time also Earl Ulf came up with his fleet ; and then the battle be- gan, and King Canute's fleet gathered together from all quarters. But the kings Olaf and Onund, seeing they had for this time got all the victory that fate permitted them to gain, let their ships retreat, cast themselves loose from King Canute's ship, and the fleets separated. But as the attack had not been made as King Canute had determined, he made no farther attempt ; and the kings on each side arranged their fleets, and put their ships in order. When the fleets were parted, and each sailing its course, Olaf and Onund looked over their forces, and found they had suffered no loss of men. In the mean time they saw that if they waited until King Canute got his large fleet in order to attack them, the difference of force was so great that for them there was little chance of victorv. It was also evident that if the battle was renewed, they must suffer a great loss of men. They took the resolution, therefore, to row with the whole fleet eastward along the coast.* Observing that King Canute did not pursue them, they raised up their masts and set sail. Ottar Swarte tells thus of it in the poem he composed upon King Canute the Great : — w The king, in battle fray, Drove the Swedish host away; The wolf did not miss prey, Nor the raven on that day. Great Canute might deride Two kings if he had pride, For at Helge river's side They would not his sword abide." Helge-aa, or Holy River, took place in the year 1025. In the dates of events it is probable that the Saxon Chronicle, being a dry list of the events of each year, is much better authority than the Sagas, or Snorro.
 * According to the Saxon Chronicle, this battle of Canute at the