Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/54

 44 EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY. Beyond doubt a powerful Norse-pirate armament dropt anchor at the Red Head, to the alarm of peace- able mortals, about that time. It was thought and hoped to be on its way for England, but it visibly hung on for several days, deliberating (as was thought) whether they would do this poorer coast the honour to land on it before going farther. Did land, and vigor- ously plunder and burn south-westward as far as Perth ; laid siege to Perth ; but brought out King Kenneth on them, and produced that * Battle of Loncarty ' which still dwells in vague memory among the Scots. Perhaps it might be the Jomsburgers ; perhaps also not ; for there were many pirate associa- tions, lasting not from century to century like the Jomsburgers, but only for very limited periods, or from year to year ; indeed, it was mainly by such that the splendid thief- harvest of England was reaped in this disastrous time. No Scottish chronicler gives the least of exact date to their famed victory of Lon- carty, only that it was achieved by Kenneth III., which will mean some time between a.d. 975 and 994 ; and, by the order they put it in, probably soon after a.d. 975, or the beginning of this Kenneth's