f my judgment, I
think. Some consider that ye are too great earls, and others that ye are
fit for nothing."

Then the king stood up, took a sword, and girt it on the earl's loins,
and took a shield and fastened it on his shoulders, put a helmet upon
his head, and gave him the title of earl, with the same fiefs in Denmark
which his father Earl Ulf had formerly held. Afterwards a shrine was
brought forth containing holy relics, and Svein laid his hand hereon,
and swore the oath of fidelity to King Magnus; upon which the king led
the earl to the highseat by his side. So says Thiodolf:--

"Twas at the Gaut river's shore,
With hand on shrine Svein Ulfson swore.
King Magnus first said o'er the oath,
With which Svein Ulfson pledged his troth.
The vows by Svein solemnly given,
On holy bones of saints in heaven,
To Magnus seemed both fair and fast;
He found they were too fair to last."

Earl Svein went thereafter to Denmark, and the whole nation received him
well. He established a court about him, and soon became a great man.
In winter (A.D. 1043), he went much about the country, and made friends
among the powerful chiefs; and, indeed, he was beloved by all the people
of the land.

25. KING MAGNUS'S FORAY.

King Magnus proceeded northward to Norway with his fleet, and wintered
there; but when the spring set in (A.D. 1048) he gathered a large
force, with which he sailed south to Demnark, having heard the news from
Vindland that the Vindland people in Jomsborg had withdrawn from their
submission to him. The Danish kings had formerly had a very large
earldom there, and they first founded Jomsborg; and now the place
was become a very strong fortress. When King Magnus heard of this, he
ordered a large fleet and army to be levied in Denmark, and sailed in
summer to Vindland with all his forces, which made a very large army
altogether. Arnor, the earls' skald, tells of it thus:--

"Now in this strophe, royal youth!
I tell no more than the plain truth.
Thy armed outfit from the strand
Left many a keel-trace on the sand,
And never did a king before
SO many ships to any shore
Lead on, as thou to Vindland's isle:
The Vindland men in fright recoil."

Now when King Magnus came to Vindland he attacked Jomsborg, and soon
took the fortress, killing' many people, burning and destroying both in
the town and in the courttry all around, and making th