Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/70

 58 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA IX. cording to what had been agreed upon between them, he took the same course as before, — letting the bonder troops return home, but manning 150 ships, with which he sailed southwards along Halland, where he berried all round, and then brought up with his fleet in Lofo fiord, and laid waste the country. A little afterwards King Swend came upon them with all the Danish fleet, consisting of 300 ships. When the Northmen saw them. King Harald ordered a general meeting of the fleet to be called by sound of trumpet ; and many there said it was better to fly, as it was not now advisable to fight. The king replied, " Sooner shall all he dead one upon another than fly." So says Stein Herdisarson : — " With falcon eye, and courage bright. Our king saw glory in the fight; To fly_, he saw_, would ruin bring On them and him — the folk and king. ' Hand up the arms to one and all l! ' Cries out the king ; ' we'll win or fall ! Sooner than fly, heaped on each other Each man shall fall across his brother ! ' " Then King Harald drew up his ships to attack, and brought forward his great dragon in the middle of his fleet. So says Thiodolf : — "■ The brave king through his vessels' throng His dragon war-ship moves along; He runs her gaily to the front. To meet the coming battle's brunt." The ship was remarkably well equipt, and fully manned. So says Thiodolf : — " The king had got a chosen crew — He told his brave lads to stand true. The ring of shields seemed to enclose The ship's deck from the boarding foes. The dragon, on the Nisaa flood. Beset with men, who thickly stood. Shield touching shield, was something rare, That seemed all force of man to dare." Ulf the marshal laid his ship by the side of the