84 SOLDIERS AND SAILORS ine, question, and discourse with him ; and, after some reflection, accepted Chris, tian baptism from the venerable man. In Snorro the story is involved in mira- cle, rumor, and fable ; but the fact itself seems certain, and is very interesting ; the great, wild, noble soul of fierce Olaf opening to this wonderful gospel of tid- ings from beyond the world, tidings which infinitely transcended all else he had ever heard or dreamt of ! It seems certain he was baptized here ; date not fix able ; shortly before poor heart-broken Dunstan's death, or shortly after ; most English churches, monasteries especially, lying burnt, under continual visitation of the Danes. Olaf, such baptism notwithstanding, did not quit his viking pro- fession ; indeed, what other was there for him in the world as yet ? We mentioned his occasional copartneries with Svein of the Double-beard, now become King of Denmark, but the greatest of these, and the alone interest- ing at this time, is their joint invasion of England, and Tryggveson's exploits and fortunes there some years after that adventure of baptism in the Scilly Isles. Svein and he " were above a year in England together," this time : they steered up the Thames with three hundred ships and many fighters ; siege, or at least furious assault, of London was their first or main enterprise, but it did not suc- ceed. The "Saxon Chronicle" gives date to it, A.D. 994, and names expressly, as Svein's copartner, " Olaus, King of Norway," which he was as yet far from being ; but in regard to the Year of Grace the " Saxon Chronicle " is to be held indisputable, and, indeed, has the field to itself in this matter. But finding Lon- don impregnable for the moment (no ship able to get athwart the bridge, and many Danes perishing in the attempt to do it by swimming), Svein and Olaf turned to other enterprises ; all England in a manner lying open to them, turn which way they liked. They burnt and plundered over Kent, over Hampshire, Sussex ; they stormed far and wide ; world lying all before them where to choose. Wretched Ethelred, as the one invention he could fall upon, offered them Danegelt (,16,000 of silver this year, but it rose in other years as high as ^48,000) ; the desperate Ethelred, a clear method of quenching fire by pouring oil on it ! Svein and Olaf accepted ; withdrew to Southampton Olaf at least did till the money was got ready. Strange to think of, fierce Svein of the Double-beard, and conquest of England by him ; this had at last become the one salutary result which remained for that distracted, down-trodden, now utterly chaotic and anarchic country. A conquering Svein, followed by an ably and earnestly administrative, as well as conquering, Knut (whom Dahlmann com- pares to Charlemagne), were thus by the mysterious destinies appointed the ef- fective saviours of England. Tryggveson, on this occasion, was a good while at Southampton ; and roamed extensively about, easily victorious over everything, if resistance were attempted; but finding little or none ; and acting now in a peaceable or even friendly capac- ity. In the Southampton country he came in contact with the then Bishop of Winchester, afterward Archbishop of Canterbury, excellent Elphegus, still dimly decipherable to us as a man of great natural discernment, piety, and inborn veracity ; a hero-soul, probably of real brotherhood with Olafs own. He even
