Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/68

 58 EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY. miracle, rumour, and fable ; but the fact itself seems certain, and is very interesting ; the great, wild, noble soul of fierce Olaf opening to tbis wonderful gospel of tidings from beyond the world, tidings which infinitely transcended all else he had ever heard or dreamt of ! It seems certain he was baptised here ; date not fixable; shortly before poor heart-broken Dunstan's death, or shortly after ; most English churches, mon- asteries especially, lying burnt, under continual visitation of the Danes. Olaf, such baptism notwith- standing, did not quit his viking profession ; 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 interesting 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 succeed. The