Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/399

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 391 SAGA VIII. Their hasty footmarks in the clay Showed that to Ringsted led their way. " Spattered with mud from heel to head, Our gallant lord his true men led. Will Lund's earl halt his hasty flight, And try on land another fight? His banner yesterday was seen, The sand-hills and green trees between, Through moss and mire to the strand, In arrow flight, leaving the land." Then Swend fled over to Fyen Island, and King Magnus carried fire and sword through Sealand, and burnt all round, because their men had joined Swend's troop in harvest. So says Thiodolf : — " As Swend in winter had destroyed The royal house, the king employed No little force to guard the land, And the earl's forays to withstand. An armed band one morn he found, And so beset them round and round, That Canute's nephew quickly fled, Or he would have been captive led. " Our Drontheim king in his just ire Laid waste the land with sword and fire, Burnt every house, and over all Struck terror into great and small. To the earl's friends he well repaid Their deadly hate — such wild work made On them and theirs, that from his fury, Flying for life, away they hurry." As soon as King Magnus heard that Swend with Chaptkr his troops had gone across to Fyen, he sailed after Burning them ; and when Swend heard this news he went on ln p y en - board ship and sailed to Scania, and from thence to Gotland, and at last to the Swedish king. King Magnus landed in Fyen, and plundered and burned over all ; and all of Swend's men who came there fled far enough. Thiodolf speaks of it thus : — " Fiona Isle, once green and fair, Lies black and reeking through the air: The red fog rises, thick and hot, From burning farm and smouldering cot. C C 4