make some opening in that ring. For a long time trying
in vain, till at length, getting them enticed to burst out somewhere
in pursuit, they quickly turned round, and quickly made an end, of that
matter. Snorro represents English Harold, with a first party of these
horse coming up, and, with preliminary salutations, asking if Tosti were
there, and if Harald were; making generous proposals to Tosti; but,
in regard to Harald and what share of England was to be his, answering
Tosti with the words, "Seven feet of English earth, or more if he
require it, for a grave." Upon which Tosti, like an honorable man and
copartner, said, "No, never; let us fight you rather till we all die."
"Who is this that spoke to you?" inquired Harald, when the cavaliers had
withdrawn. "My brother Harold," answers Tosti; which looks rather like a
Saga, but may be historical after all. Snorro's history of the battle is
intelligible only after you have premised to it, what he never hints at,
that the scene was on the east side of the bridge and of the Derwent;
the great struggle for the bridge, one at last finds, was after the
fall of Harald; and to the English Chroniclers, said struggle, which was
abundantly severe, is all they know of the battle.

Enraged at that breaking loose of his steel ring of infantry, Norse
Harald blazed up into true Norse fury, all the old Vaeringer and
Berserkir rage awakening in him; sprang forth into the front of the
fight, and mauled and cut and smashed down, on both hands of him,
everything he met, irresistible by any horse or man, till an arrow cut
him through the windpipe, and laid him low forever. That was the end of
King Harald and of his workings in this world. The circumstance that
he was a Waring or Baring and had smitten to pieces so many Oriental
cohorts or crowds, and had made love-verses (kind of iron madrigals) to
his Russian Princess, and caught the fancy of questionable Greek queens,
and had amassed such heaps of money, while poor nephew Magnus had
only one gold ring (which had been his father's, and even his father's
_mother's_, as Uncle Harald noticed), and nothing more whatever of that
precious metal to combine with Harald's treasures:--all this is new to
me, naturally no hint of it in any English book; and lends some gleam of
romantic splendor to that dim business of Stamford Bridge, now fallen
so dull and torpid to most English minds, transcendently important as it
once was to all Englishmen. Adam of