But his policy was defeated by the tardiness or timi dity of the East Anglians. His orders to destroy the ships were disobeyed, and only a small portion of the people rallied round him for battle. With these, how ever, he attacked the Danes with all a Dane's fierceness and bravery — for he too belonged to the Scandinavian race — and so fiery was his impetuosity, and so well was he seconded by the small force at his command, that, by the confession of the invaders themselves, they never engaged in a more sanguinary con?ict on English ground. Many of the East Anglian nobles fell in this battle, which might have proved fatal to Sweyn and his whole army had the rising against them been general. As it was,he fought his way with much difficulty to his ships.