of the Treaty; both Countries
longing for mutual peace, and the end of such incessant broils.
Magnus was triumphantly received as King in Denmark. The only
unfortunate thing was, that Svein Estrithson, the exile son of Ulf,
Knut's Brother-in-law, whom Knut, as we saw, had summarily killed twelve
years before, emerged from his exile in Sweden in a flattering form;
and proposed that Magnus should make him Jarl of Denmark, and general
administrator there, in his own stead. To which the sanguine Magnus, in
spite of advice to the contrary, insisted on acceding. "Too powerful a
Jarl," said Einar Tamberskelver--the same Einar whose bow was heard to
break in Olaf Tryggveson's last battle ("Norway breaking from thy hand,
King!"), who had now become Magnus's chief man, and had long been
among the highest chiefs in Norway; "too powerful a Jarl," said Einar
earnestly. But Magnus disregarded it; and a troublesome experience had
to teach him that it was true. In about a year, crafty Svein, bringing
ends to meet, got himself declared King of Denmark for his own behoof,
instead of Jarl for another's: and had to be beaten and driven out by
Magnus. Beaten every year; but almost always returned next year, for a
new beating,--almost, though not altogether; having at length got one
dreadful smashing-down and half-killing, which held him quiet for a
while,--so long as Magnus lived. Nay in the end, he made good his point,
as if by mere patience in being beaten; and did become King himself,
and progenitor of all the Kings that followed. King Svein Estrithson;
so called from Astrid or Estrith, his mother, the great Knut's sister,
daughter of Svein Forkbeard by that amazing Sigrid the Proud, who
_burnt_ those two ineligible suitors of hers both at once, and got a
switch on the face from Olaf Tryggveson, which proved the death of that
high man.
But all this fine fortune of the often beaten Estrithson was posterior
to Magnus's death; who never would have suffered it, had he been alive.
Magnus was a mighty fighter; a fiery man; very proud and positive,
among other qualities, and had such luck as was never seen before. Luck
invariably good, said everybody; never once was beaten,--which proves,
continued everybody, that his Father Olaf and the miraculous power of
Heaven were with him always. Magnus, I believe, did put down a great
deal of anarchy in those countries. One of his earliest enterprises
was to abolish Jomsburg, and trample out that nest
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