Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/281

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 269 or out in the ships. It was fought on a Friday, and sagaxiv. fourteen days before Saint John the Baptist's day. Two or three days after, King Eystein came from the eastward with thirty ships, and had along with him his brother's son Hakon, a son of King Sigurd. Ey- stein did not come up to the town, but lay in Flore- vaag, and good men went between to get a recon- ciliation made. But Gregorius wanted that they should go out against him, thinking there never would be a better opportunity ; and offered to be himself the leader. "For thou, king, shaltnotgo, for we have no want of men." But many dissuaded from this course, and it came to nothing. King Eystein returned back to Viken, and King Inge to Drontheim, and they were in a sort reconciled ; but they did not meet each other. Somewhat later than King Eystein, Gregorius Dags- Chapter son also set out to the eastward, and came to his of Cre- farm Bratsberg in Hafund ; but King Eystein was up ^^'^"'' in the fiord at Opslo, and had his ships drawn above two miles over the frozen sea, for there was much ice at that time in Viken. King Eystein went up to Hafund to take Gregorius ; but he got news of what was on foot, and escaped to Telemark with ninety men, from thence over the Fielde, and came down in Hardanger ; and at last to Stodla in Etne, to Erling Skakke's farm. Erling himself had gone north to Bergen ; but his wife Christina, a daughter of King Sigurd, was at home, and offered Gregorius all the assistance he wanted ; and he was hospitably received. He got a long-ship there which belonged to Erling, and every thing else he required. Gregorius thanked her kindly, and allowed that she had behaved nobly, and as might have been expected of her. Gregorius then proceeded to Bergen, where he met Erling, who thought also that his wife had done well. Dagsscn.