and, on which country the king had
pretensions; and besides he would repay the Gautland people the disgrace
they had occasioned him in spring, when he was obliged to fly from
them. He had then a great force in arms, and the West Gautlanders in the
northern districts submitted to him. He set up his camp on the borders,
intending to make a foray from thence. When King Inge heard of this
he collected troops, and hastened to oppose King Magnus; and when King
Magnus heard of this expedition, many of the chiefs of the people urged
him to turn back; but this the king would not listen to, but in the
night time went unsuspectedly against the Swedish king. They met at
Foxerne; and when he was drawing up his men in battle order he asked,
"Where is Giparde?" but he was not to be found. Then the king made these
verses:--

"Cannot the foreign knight abide
Our rough array?--where does he hide?"

Then a skald who followed the king replied:--

"The king asks where the foreign knight
In our array rides to the fight:
Giparde the knight rode quite away
When our men joined in bloody fray.
When swords were wet the knight was slow
With his bay horse in front to go;
The foreign knight could not abide
Our rough array, and went to hide."

There was a great slaughter, and after the battle the field was covered
with the Swedes slain, and King Inge escaped by flight. King Magnus
gained a great victory. Then came Giparde riding down from the country,
and people did not speak well of him for not being in the fight. He went
away, and proceeded westward to England; and the voyage was stormy, and
Giparde lay in bed. There was an Iceland man called Eldjarn, who went to
bale out the water in the ship's hold, and when he saw where Giparde was
lying he made this verse:--

"Does it beseem a courtman bold
Here to be dozing in the hold?
The bearded knight should danger face:
The leak gains on our ship apace.
Here, ply this bucket! bale who can;
We need the work of every man.
Our sea-horse stands full to the breast,--
Sluggards and cowards must not rest."

When they came west to England, Giparde said the Northmen had slandered
him. A meeting was appointed, and a count came to it, and the case was
brought before him for trial. He said he was not much acquainted with
law cases, as he was but young, and had only been a short time in
office; and also, of all thin