Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/104

 92 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA IX. wards the warmest conflict, and Earl Toste had taken charge of the king's banner. They began on both sides to form their array again, and for a long time there was a pause in fighting. Then Thiodolf sang these verses : — '^ The army stands in hushed dismay; Stilled is the clamour of the fray. Harald is dead, and with him goes The spirit to withstand our foes. A bloody scatt the folk must pay For their king's folly on this day. He fell; and now, without disguise. We say this business was not wise." But before the battle began again Harald Godwinsson oiFered his brother Earl Toste peace, and also quarter to the Northmen who were still alive ; but the North- men called out all of them together that they would rather fall, one across the other, than accept of quarter from the Englishmen. Then each side set up a war- shout, and the battle began again. So says Arnor, the earl's scald : — " The king, whose name would ill-doers scare, The gold-tipped arrow would not spare. Unhelmed, unpanzered, without shield, He fell among us in the field. The gallant men who saw him fall Would take no quarter; one and all Resolved to die with their loved king. Around his corpse in a corpse-ring." Chapter Eystciu Orrc caiTic up at this moment from the Skirmish of ships with the men who followed him, and all were ^^^^' clad in armour. Then Eystein got King Harald's banner Land-ravager ; and now was, for the third time, one of the sharpest of conflicts, in which many En- glishmen fell, and they were near to taking flight. This conflict is called Orre's storm. Eystein and his men had hastened so fast from the ships that they were quite exhausted, and scarcely fit to fight before they came into the battle ; but afterwards they became so furious, that they did not guard themselves with