Towards spring (A.D. 1047) King Magnus and his relation, King Harald,
ordered a levy in Norway. It happened once that the kings lay all night
in the same harbour and next day, King Harald, being first ready, made
sail. Towards evening he brought up in the harbour in which Magnus and
his retinue had intended to pass the night. Harald laid his vessel in
the royal ground, and there set up his tents. King Magnus got under sail
later in the day and came into the harbour just as King Harald had done
pitching his tents. They saw then that King Harald had taken up the
king's ground and intended to lie there. After King Magnus had ordered
the sails to be taken in, he said, "The men will now get ready along
both sides of the vessel to lay out their oars, and some will open the
hatches and bring up the arms and arm themselves; for, if they will not
make way for us, we will fight them." Now when King Harald sees
that King Magnus will give him battle, he says to his men, "Cut our
land-fastenings and back the ship out of the ground, for friend Magnus
is in a passion." They did so and laid the vessel out of the ground
and King Magnus laid his vessel in it. When they were now ready on both
sides with their business, King Harald went with a few men on board of
King Magnus's ship. King Magnus received him in a friendly way, and
bade him welcome. King Harald answered, "I thought we were come among
friends; but just now I was in doubt if ye would have it so. But it is a
truth that childhood is hasty, and I will only consider it as a childish
freak." Then said King Magnus, "It is no childish whim, but a trait of
my family, that I never forget what I have given, or what I have not
given. If this trifle had been settled against my will, there would soon
have followed' some other discord like it. In all particulars I will
hold the agreement between us; but in the same way we will have all that
belongs to us by that right." King Harald coolly replied, that it is an
old custom for the wisest to give way; and returned to his ship. From
such circumstances it was found difficult to preserve good understanding
between the kings. King Magnus's men said he was in the right; but
others, less wise, thought there was some slight put upon Harald in the
business. King Harald's men, besides, insisted that the agreement was
only that King Magnus should have the preference of the harbour-ground
when they arrived together, but that King Harald was not bound to draw
out of his place when he came first. They observed, also, that King
Harald had conducted himself well and wisely in the matter. Those who
viewed the business in the worst light insisted that King Magnus wanted
to break the agreement, and that he had done King Harald injustice,
and put an affront on him. Such disputes were talked over so long
among foolish people, that the spirit of disagreeing affected the kings
themselves. Many other things also occurred, in which the kings appeared
determined to have each his own way; but of these little will be set
down here.