第209章
Svein Ulfson remained behind in the harbour after Harald had gone away, and inquired about his proceedings.When he heard at last of Magnus and Harald having agreed and joined their forces, he steered with his forces eastward along Scania, and remained there until towards winter, when he heard that King Magnus and King Harald had gone northwards to Norway.Then Svein, with his troops, came south to Denmark and took all the royal income that winter (A.D.1047).
27.OF THE LEVY OF THE TWO KINGS.
Towards spring (A.D.1047) King Magnus and his relation, King Harald, ordered a levy in Norway.It happened once that the kings lay all night in the same harbour and next day, King Harald, being first ready, made sail.Towards evening he brought up in the harbour in which Magnus and his retinue had intended to pass the night.Harald laid his vessel in the royal ground, and there set up his tents.King Magnus got under sail later in the day and came into the harbour just as King Harald had done pitching his tents.They saw then that King Harald had taken up the king's ground and intended to lie there.After King Magnus had ordered the sails to be taken in, he said, "The men will now get ready along both sides of the vessel to lay out their oars, and some will open the hatches and bring up the arms and arm themselves; for, if they will not make way for us, we will fight them." Now when King Harald sees that King Magnus will give him battle, he says to his men, "Cut our land-fastenings and back the ship out of the ground, for friend Magnus is in a passion." They did so and laid the vessel out of the ground and King Magnus laid his vessel in it.When they were now ready on both sides with their business, King Harald went with a few men on board of King Magnus's ship.King Magnus received him in a friendly way, and bade him welcome.King Harald answered, "I thought we were come among friends; but just now I was in doubt if ye would have it so.But it is a truth that childhood is hasty, and I will only consider it as a childish freak." Then said King Magnus, "It is no childish whim, but a trait of my family, that I never forget what I have given, or what I have not given.If this trifle had been settled against my will, there would soon have followed'
some other discord like it.In all particulars I will hold the agreement between us; but in the same way we will have all that belongs to us by that right." King Harald coolly replied, that it is an old custom for the wisest to give way; and returned to his ship.From such circumstances it was found difficult to preserve good understanding between the kings.King Magnus's men said he was in the right; but others, less wise, thought there was some slight put upon Harald in the business.King Harald's men, besides, insisted that the agreement was only that King Magnus should have the preference of the harbour-ground when they arrived together, but that King Harald was not bound to draw out of his place when he came first.They observed, also, that King Harald had conducted himself well and wisely in the matter.
Those who viewed the business in the worst light insisted that King Magnus wanted to break the agreement, and that he had done King Harald injustice, and put an affront on him.Such disputes were talked over so long among foolish people, that the spirit of disagreeing affected the kings themselves.Many other things also occurred, in which the kings appeared determined to have each his own way; but of these little will be set down here.
25.KING MAGNUS THE GOOD'S DEATH.
The kings, Magnus and Harald, sailed with their fleet south to Denmark; and when Svein heard of their approach, he fled away east to Scania.Magnus and Harald remained in Denmark late in summer, and subdued the whole country.In autumn they were in Jutland.One night, as King Magnus lay in his bed, it appeared to him in a dream that he was in the same place as his father, Saint Olaf, and that he spoke to him thus: "Wilt thou choose, my son, to follow me, or to become a mighty king, and have long life; but to commit a crime which thou wilt never be able to expiate?" He thought he made the answer, "Do thou, father, choose for me." Then the king thought the answer was, "Thou shalt follow me." King Magnus told his men this dream.Soon after he fell sick and lay at a place called Sudathorp.When he was near his death he sent his brother, Thorer, with tokens to Svein Ulfson, with the request to give Thorer the aid he might require.In this message King Magnus also gave the Danish dominions to Svein after his death; and said it was just that Harald should rule over Norway and Svein over Denmark.Then King Magnus the Good died (A.D.1047), and great was the sorrow of all the people at his death.So says Od Kikinaskald: --"The tears o'er good King Magnus' bier, The people's tears, were all sincere:
Even they to whom he riches gave Carried him heavily to the grave.
All hearts were struck at the king's end;His house-thralls wept as for a friend;
His court-men oft alone would muse, As pondering o'er unthought of news."29.KING MAGNUS'S FUNERAL.