Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/149

 KINGS OF NORWAY. Magnus ; and when King Magnus heard of this ex- pedition, many of the chiefs of the people urged him to turn back : but this the king would not listen to, but in the night-time went unsuspectedly against the Swedish king. They met at Foxerne ; and when he was drawing up his men in battle order he asked, "Where is Gifford?" but he was not to be found. Then the king made these verses : — " Cannot the foreign knight abide (Jur rough array? — where does he hide?" Then a scald who followed the king replied, — " The king asks where the foreign knight In our array rides to the fight : Gifford the knight rode quite away When our men joined in bloody fray. When swords were wet the knight was slow With his bay horse in front to go: The foreign knight could not abide Our rough array, and went to hide." There was a great slaughter, and after the battle the field was covered with the Swedes slain, and King Inge escaped by flight. King Magnus gained a great victory. Then came Gifford riding down from the country, and people did not speak well of him for not being in the fight. He went away, and proceeded westward to England; and the voyage was stormy, and Gifford lay in bed. There was an Iceland man called EUdiarn, who went to bale out the water in the ship's hold, and when he saw where Gifford was lying he made this verse : — '* Does it beseem a courtman bold Here to be dosing in the hold ? The bearded knight should danger face: The leak gains on our ship apace. Here, ply this bucket ! bale who can ; We need the work of every man. Our sea-horse stands full to the breast, — Sluggards and cowards must not rest." When they came west to England, Gifford said the Northmen had slandered him. A meeting was ap- 137 SAGA XI.