Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/157

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 145 intend to direct the march ? The men think we are s^^_^^^- advancing imprudently. You know the Irish are treacherous ; think, therefore, of a good counsel for your men." Then the king said, " Let us draw up our men, and be ready, if there be treachery." This was done, and the king and Eyvind went before the line. King Magnus had a helmet on his head ; a red shield, in which was inlaid a gilded lion ; and was girt with the sword Legbiter, of which the hilt was of tooth (ivory), and the hand-grip wound about with gold thread ; and the sword was extremely sharp. In his hand he had a short spear, and a red silk, short cloak over his coat, on which, both before and behind, was embroidered a lion in yellow silk ; and all men acknowledged that they never had seen a brisker, statelier man. Eyvind had also a red silk cloak like the king's; and he also was a stout, handsome, war- like man. When the dust-cloud approached nearer they knew Chapter • • "VX VTT their own men, who were driving the cattle. The p^n ^f ' Irish king had been faithful to the promises he ^^"s had given the king, and had sent them. There- upon they all turned towards the ships, and it was mid-day. When they came to the mires they went but slowly over the boggy places ; and then the Irish started up on every side against them from every bushy point of land, and the battle began instantly. The Northmen were going divided in various heaps, so that many of them fell. Then said Eyvind to the king, " Unfortunate is this march to our people, and we must instantly hit upon some good plan." The king answered, " Call all the men together with the war-horns under the banner, and the men who are here shall make a rampart with their shields, and thus we mil retreat backwards out of the mires ; VOL. HI. L