Northern Antiquities/Chapter 10

by Paul Henri Mallet

CHAPTER X.

Of the Maritime Expeditions of the ancient Danes.

HOW formidable soever the ancient Scandinavians were by land to most of the inhabitants of Europe, it must yet be allowed that their maritime expeditions occasioned still more destructive ravages and greater terror. We cannot read the history of the eighth, the ninth and tenth centuries, without observing with surprize, the sea covered with their vessels, and from one end of Europe to the other, the coasts of those countries, now the most powerful, a prey to their depredations. During the space of two hundred years, they almost incessantly ravaged England, and frequently subdued it. They often invaded Scotland and Ireland, and made incursions on the coasts of Livonia, Courland and Pomerania. Already feared, before the time of Charlemagne, they became Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/321 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/322 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/323 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/324 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/325 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/326 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/327 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/328 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/329 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/330 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/331 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/332 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/333 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/334 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/335 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/336 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/337 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/338 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/339 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/340 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/341 the same colours. Such were Harold Harfagre, Olave Tryggueson, Magnus king of Norway, Canute the Great, &c. men born with truly heroic qualities, which they alas! degraded by injustice and inhumanity: but who wanted only another age and another education to render them most accomplished persons.