he set out soon afterwards on an errand of conquest, he left his
brothers in the charge of a Livonian knight, who had evidently been
bidden to treat them harshly, for he removed them to the lowest dungeon
and placed a beam upon their legs. They were fastened to the wall by
thick iron round the throat and chains weighing one hundred and forty
pounds were riveted on their wrists, the other end being fastened to the
beam. When the chain was fastened upon Erik it was done with such
violence that a piece of iron broke out, cutting him on the eye so that
blood ran down his cheek.

Their dungeon was at the bottom of the tower, where they lay on the bare
rock, a pool of water lying between them. Their food was wretched, their
clothing was wretched, and there was every indication that their wicked
brother did not wish to have them leave that prison alive.

But the cruel and treacherous king did not find it so easy to bring all
Sweden under his rule. The news of his wicked act got abroad and spread
through the land, exciting general horror and detestation. When he rode
up to Stockholm to take possession he found it closed against him and the
burghers made a sally against him, putting his forces to flight. It was
the same way everywhere, the whole country rising against him. The wicked
king now began to learn that the way of the transgressor is hard, and in
his fury of disappointment he locked the door of the dungeon in which his
brothers lay and threw the key into the stream, leaving them to die of
starvation.

But the poor victims were to be thoroughly avenged, for the people were
implacable in their wrath, and in a short time had so environed the king
that the fortresses of Nykoeping and Stegeborg were alone left to him, and
both of these were besieged.

Nykoeping was soon so severely pressed that the garrison brought up the
dead bodies of the dukes and laid them under a dais outside the castle,
saying to the besiegers:

"Your siege will now answer no purpose, for the dukes are dead and King
Birger is heir to all the kingdom."

"No one can hope to win an inheritance by murder," they replied. "We now
serve as our ruler, Lord Magnus, Duke Erik's son."

The bodies of the murdered dukes were carried to Stockholm, where they
were buried with much ceremony. But the siege of the castle was continued
until the garrison was forced to surrender. On obtaining possession of it
the enraged people razed it to the ground.

Stegeborg