Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/304

 292 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA XV. Chapter XVT. Of King Inge. She thouglit it was dangerous and unsafe for a female to be there. The king would not let her go. " For if it go well with me, as I hope, you will be well here ; and if I fall, my friends may not get leave to dress my body ; but you can ask permission, and it will not be denied you, and you will thereby best requite what I have done for you." On Saint Blasius' day, in the evening, King Inge^s S23ies brought him the news that King Hakon was coming towards the town. Then King Inge ordered the war-horns to call together all the troops up from the town; and when he drew them up he could reckon them to be nearly 4000 men. The king let the array be long, but not more than five men deep. Then some said that the king should not be himself in the battle, as they thought the risk too great ; but that his brother Orm should be the leader of the army. The king replied, " I think if Gregorius were alive and here now, and I had fallen and was to be avenged, he would not lie concealed, but would be in the battle. Now, although I, on account of my ill health, am not fit for the combat as he was, yet will I show as good will as he would have had ; and it is not to be thought of that I should not be in the battle." People say that Gunhild, who was married to Simun, King Hakon's foster-brother, had a witch em- ployed to sit out* all night and procure the victory for Hakon ; and that the answer was obtained, that they should fight King Inge by night, and never by day, and then the result would be favourable. The witch who, as people say, sat out was called Thordis Seggia ; but what truth there may be in the report I know not. Simun Skalp had gone to the town, and was gone At sitia uti — to sit out — was a form of expression for exercising witchcraft.