f he would invade
Norway with a Danish army, and subdue the country; saying, that if he
came to Norway with his army, no man in Norway would venture to throw
a spear against him. The king allowed himself to be moved by Magnus's
persuasions, ordered a levy, and went north to Norway with 200 ships;
and Magnus and his men were with him on this expedition. When they came
to Viken, they proceeded peacefully and gently on the east side of the
fjord; but when the fleet came westward to Tunsberg, a great number
of King Inge's lendermen came against them. Their leader was Vatnorm
Dagson, a brother of Gregorius. The Danes could not land to get water
without many of them being killed; and therefore they went in through
the fjord to Oslo, where Thjostolf Alason opposed them. It is told that
some people wanted to carry the holy Halvard's coffin out of the town in
the evening when the fleet was first observed, and as many as could took
hold of it; but the coffin became so heavy that they could not carry
it over the church floor. The morning after, however, when they saw the
fleet sailing in past the Hofud Isle, four men carried the coffin out of
the town, and Thjostolf and all the townspeople followed it.

4. THE TOWN OF OSLO BURNT.

King Eirik and his army advanced against the town; and some of his men
hastened after Thjostolf and his troop. Thjostolf threw a spear at a
man named Askel, which hit him under the throat, so that the spear point
went through his neck; and Thjostolf thought he had never made a better
spear-cast, for, except the place he hit, there was nothing bare to be
seen. The shrine of St. Halvard, was taken up to Raumarike, where it
remained for three months. Thjostolf went up to Raumarike, and collected
men during the night, with whom he returned towards the town in the
morning. In the meantime King Eirik set fire to Halvard's church, and
to the town, which was entirely burnt. Thjostolf came soon after to the
town with the men he had assembled, and Eirik sailed off with his fleet;
but could not land anywhere on that side of the fjord, on account of the
troops of the lendermen who came down against them; and wherever they
attempted a landing, they left five or six men or more upon the strand.
King Inge lay with a great number of people into Hornborusund, but when
he learned this, he turned about southwards to Denmark again. King Inge
pursued him, and took from him all the ships he could get hold of; and
it wa