KINGS OF NORWAY. 135 burgh that they might retire with all the booty they saga xi. had taken, and go to Norway. When the messengers brought this message, Sigurd Ullstring replied to it ; saying that King Inge must take the trouble to come, if he wished to drive them away like cattle out of a grass field, and said he must come nearer if he wished them to remove. The messengers returned with this answer to the king, who then rode out with all his army to the island, and again sent a message to the Northmen that they might go away, taking with them their weapons, clothes, and horses; but must leave behind all their booty. This they refused. The king made an assault upon them, and they shot at each other. Then the king ordered timber and stones to be collected, and he filled up the ditch ; and then he fastened anchors to long spars which were brought up to the timber-walls, and, by the strength of many hands, the walls were broken down. Thereafter a large pile of wood was set on fire, and the lighted brands were flung in among them. Then the North- men asked for quarter. The king ordered them to go out Avithout AVeapons or cloaks. As they went out each of them received a stroke with a whip, and then they set off" for Norway, and all the forest-men sub- mitted again to King Inge. Sigurd and his people went to Kino^ Mao'nus, and told him their misfortune. The spring after, as soon as the ice broke up. King Chapter Magnus, with a great army, sailed eastwards to the g^ttie at Gotha river, and went up the eastern arm of it, laying Foxeme. waste all that belonged to the Swedish dominions. When they came to Foxerne they landed from their vessels ; but as they came over a river on their way an army of Gotland people came against them, and there was immediately a great battle, in which the Northmen were overwhelmed by numbers, driven to flight, and many of them killed near to a waterfall. King Magnus fled, and the Gotlanders pursued, and K 4
