anner of desire had he either to flee.' Then caused
the King his banner 'Land-waster' to be borne aloft, and Fridrek was the
man hight who bore the banner.

|| After these things arrayed King Harald his host.

And he let the muster be long and not dense, and then after doing this
doubled he both the arms thereof backward so that they reached together
and made a wide ring thick and even on all sides without, shield by
shield, and the same within likewise; and the King's company was without
the ring and there too was his banner.

In another spot was Earl Tosti with his company, and another banner had
he, and the men to him were all picked men. Now the array was made in
this fashion because the King wist that the horsemenSec. were wont to ride
forward in a mass & thereupon fall back. Now said the King that his
company should advance whithersoever it were most needed, 'but our
archers shall also be with us, and those who stand farthest forward will
set their spear handles in the earth and point their spears at the
breasts of the riders if they should ride us down, and those who stand
in the next row will thrust their spears into the chests of the horses.'

|| It was with an exceeding vast host that King Harald Godwinson had come
thither, a host of both horse and foot-folk. Around his array rode King
Harald Sigurdson having a wary eye to see how it had been ranked, and he
bestrode a black piebald horse.

Now the horse fell under him but the King arose in haste & said:
'Falling when faring betokens fortune.' Then said Harald, the King of
the English, to those Norwegians who were with him: 'Knowest thou the
big man yonder who fell from his horse, the man with the blue kirtle and
the fair helme?' 'That is the King,' said they.

'A big man and of masterful appearance, yet belike his luck is over,'
answered the English King.

|| Twenty horsemen rode forward from the Thingmanna host before the
battle-array of the Norwegians; and they were wholly clad in chain-mail
and their horses like unto them. Then said one horseman: 'Is Earl Tosti
in the host?' to which was made answer: 'There is no hiding it, ye can
find him there.'

Then said the horseman: 'Harald, thy brother, sent thee a greeting, and
word therewith that thou shouldst have grace & the whole of
Northumberland; and rather than thou shouldst not go over to him will he
give thee a third share of the whole of his kingdom.' Then answered the
Earl: 'That is a very