The　tither　was　winsome　Finn。
  and　so　forth；　which　was　still　sung；　with　other　〃rimur；〃　or　ballads；
  in　the　Faroes；　at　the　end　of　the　last　century。　　Professor　Rafn　has
  inserted　it；　because　it　talks　of　Vinland　as　a　well…known　place；　and
  because　the　brothers　are　sent　by　the　princess　to　slay　American
  kings；　but　that　Rime　has　another　value。　　It　is　of　a　beauty　so
  perfect；　and　yet　so　like　the　old　Scotch　ballads　in　its　heroic
  conception　of　love；　and　in　all　its　forms　and　its　qualities；　that　it
  is　one　proof　more；　to　any　student　of　early　European　poetry；　that　we
  and　these　old　Norsemen　are　men　of　the　same　blood。
  If　anything　more　important　than　is　told　by　Professor　Rafn　and　Mr。
  Black　｛2｝　be　now　known　to　the　antiquarians　of　Massachusetts；　let　me
  entreat　them　to　pardon　my　ignorance。　　But　let　me　record　my　opinion
  that；　though　somewhat　too　much　may　have　been　made　in　past　years　of
  certain　rock…inscriptions；　and　so　forth；　on　this　side　of　the
  Atlantic；　there　can　be　no　reasonable　doubt　that　our　own　race　landed
  and　tried　to　settle　on　the　shore　of　New　England　six　hundred　years
  before　their　kinsmen；　and；　in　many　cases；　their　actual　descendants；
  the　august　Pilgrim　Fathers　of　the　seventeenth　century。　　And　so；　as　I
  said；　a　Scandinavian　dynasty　might　have　been　seated　now　upon　the
  throne　of　Mexico。　　And　how　was　that　strange　chance　lost？　　First；　of
  course；　by　the　length　and　danger　of　the　coasting　voyage。　　It　was　one
  thing　to　have；　like　Columbus　and　Vespucci；　Cortes　and　Pizarro；　the
  Azores　as　a　halfway　port；　another　to　have　Greenland；　or　even
  Iceland。　　It　was　one　thing　to　run　south…west　upon　Columbus's　track；
  across　the　Mar　de　Damas；　the　Ladies'　Sea；　which　hardly　knows　a
  storm；　with　the　blazing　blue　above；　the　blazing　blue　below；　in　an
  ever…warming　climate；　where　every　breath　is　life　and　joy；　another　to
  struggle　against　the　fogs　and　icebergs；　the　rocks　and　currents　of
  the　dreary　North　Atlantic。　　No　wonder；　then；　that　the　knowledge　of
  Markland；　and　Vinland；　and　Whiteman's　Land　died　away　in　a　few
  generations；　and　became　but　fireside　sagas　for　the　winter　nights。
  But　there　were　other　causes；　more　honourable　to　the　dogged　energy　of
  the　Norse。　　They　were　in　those　very　years　conquering　and　settling
  nearer　home　as　no　other　peopleunless；　perhaps；　the　old　Ionian
  Greeksconquered　and　settled。
  Greenland；　we　have　seen；　they　heldthe　western　side　at　leastand
  held　it　long　and　well　enough　to　afford；　it　is　said；　2；600　pounds　of
  walrus'　teeth　as　yearly　tithe　to　the　Pope；　besides　Peter's　pence；
  and　to　build　many　a　convent；　and　church；　and　cathedral；　with　farms
  and　homesteads　round；　for　one　saga　speaks　of　Greenland　as　producing
  wheat　of　the　finest　quality。　　All　is　ruined　now；　perhaps　by　gradual
  change　of　climate。
  But　they　had　richer　fields　of　enterprise　than　Greenland；　Iceland；
  and　the　Faroes。　　Their　boldest　outlaws　at　that　very　timewhether
  from　Norway；　Sweden；　Denmark；　or　Britainwere　forming　the　imperial
  life…guard　of　the　Byzantine　Emperor；　as　the　once　famous　Varangers　of
  Constantinople；　and　that　splendid　epoch　of　their　race　was　just
  dawning；　of　which　my　lamented　friend；　the　late　Sir　Edmund　Head；　says
  so　well　in　his　preface　to　Viga　Glum's　Icelandic　Saga；　〃The　Sagas；　of
  which　this　tale　is　one；　were　composed　for　the　men　who　have　left
  their　mark　in　every　corner　of　Europe；　and　whose　language　and　laws
  are　at　this　moment　important　elements　in　the　speech　and　institutions
  of　England；　America；　and　Australia。　　There　is　no　page　of　modern
  history　in　which　the　influence　of　the　Norsemen　and　their　conquests
  must　not　be　taken　into　accountRussia；　Constantinople；　Greece；
  Palestine；　Sicily；　the　coasts　of　Africa；　Southern　Italy；　France；　the
  Spanish　Peninsula；　England；　Scotland；　Ireland；　and　every　rock　and
  island　round　them；　have　been　visited；　and　most　of　them　at　one　time
  or　the　other　ruled；　by　the　men　of　Scandinavia。　　The　motto　on　the
  sword　of　Roger　Guiscard　was　a　proud　one：
  Appulus　et　Calaber；　Siculus　mihi　servit　et　Afer。
  Every　island；　says　Sir　Edmund　Head；　and　trulyfor　the　name　of
  almost　every　island　on　the　coast　of　England；　Scotland；　and　Eastern
  Ireland；　ends　in　either　EY　or　AY　or　OE；　a　Norse　appellative；　as　is
  the　word　〃island〃　itselfis　a　mark　of　its　having　been；　at　some　time
  or　other；　visited　by　the　Vikings　of　Scandinavia。
  Norway；　meanwhile；　was　convulsed　by　war；　and　what　perhaps　was　of
  more　immediate　consequence；　Svend　Fork…beard；　whom　we　Englishmen
  call　Sweynthe　renegade　from　that　Christian　Faith　which　had　been
  forced　on　him　by　his　German　conqueror；　the　Emperor　Otto　II。with
  his　illustrious　son　Cnut；　whom　we　call　Canute；　were　just　calling
  together　all　the　most　daring　spirits　of　the　Baltic　coasts　for　the
  subjugation　of　England；　and　when　that　great　feat　was　performed；　the
  Scandinavian　emigration　was　paralysed；　probably；　for　a　time　by　the
  fearful　wars　at　home。　　While　the　king　of　Sweden；　and　St。　Olaf
  Tryggvason；　king　of　Norway；　were　setting　on　Denmark　during　Cnut's
  pilgrimage　to　Rome；　and　Cnut；　sailing　with　a　mighty　fleet　to　Norway；
  was　driving　St。　Olaf　into　Russia；　to　return　and　fall　in　the
  fratricidal　battle　of　Stiklesteadduring；　strangely　enough；　a　total
  eclipse　of　the　sunVinland　was　like　enough　to　remain　still
  uncolonised。　　After　Cnut's　short…lived　triumphking　as　he　was　of
  Denmark；　Norway；　England；　and　half　Scotland；　and　what　not　of　Wendish
  Folk　inside　the　Balticthe　force　of　the　Norsemen　seems　to　have　been
  exhausted　in　their　native　lands。　　Once　more　only；　if　I　remember
  right；　did　〃Lochlin；〃　really　and　hopefully　send　forth　her　〃mailed
  swarm〃　to　conquer　a　foreign　land；　and　with　a　result　unexpected　alike
  by　them　and　by　their　enemies。　　Had　it　been　otherwise；　we　might　not
  have　been　here　this　day。
  Let　me　sketch　for　you　once　morethough　you　have　heard　it；
  doubtless；　many　a　timethe　tale　of　that　tremendous　fortnight　which
  settled　the　fate　of　Britain；　and　therefore　of　North　America；　which
  decidedjust　in　those　great　times　when　the　decision　was　to　be　made…
  …whether　we　should　be　on　a　par　with　the　other　civilised　nations　of
  Europe；　like　them　the　〃heirs　of　all　the　ages；〃　with　our　share　not
  only　of　Roman　Christianity　and　Roman　centralisationa　member　of　the
  great　comity　of　European　nations；　held　together　in　one　Christian
  bond　by　the　Popebut　heirs　also　of　Roman　civilisation；　Roman
  literature；　Roman　Law；　and　therefore；　in　due　time；　of　Greek
  philosophy　and　art。　　No　less　a　question　than　this；　it　seems　to　me；
  hung　in　the　balance　during　that　fortnight　of　autumn；　1066。
  Poor　old　Edward　the　Confessor；　holy；　weak；　and　sad；　lay　in　his　new
  choir　of　Westminsterwhere　the　wicked　ceased　from　troubling；　and
  the　weary　were　at　rest。　　The　crowned　ascetic　had　left　no　heir
  behind。　　England　seemed　as　a　corpse；　to　which　all　the　eagles　might
  gather　together；　and　the　South…English；　in　their　utter　need；　had
  chosen　for　their　king　the　ablest；　and　it　may　be　the　justest；　man　in
  BritainEarl　Harold　Godwinsson：　　　himself；　like　half　the　upper
  classes　of　England　then；　of　the　all…dominant　Norse　blood；　for　his
  mother　was　a　Danish　princess。　　Then　out　of　Norway；　with　a　mighty
  host；　came　Harold　Hardraade；　taller　than　all　men；　the　ideal　Viking
  of　his　time。　　Half…brother　of　the　now　dead　St。　Olaf；　severely
  wounded　when　he　was　but　fifteen；　at　Stiklestead；　when　Olaf　fell；　he
  had　warred　and　plundered　on　many　a　coast。　　He　had　been　away　to
  Russia　to　King　Jaroslaf；　he　had　been　in　the　Emperor's　Varanger　guard
  at　Constantinopleand；　it　was　whispered；　had　slain　a　lion　there
  with　his　bare　hands；　he　had　carved　his　name　and　his　comrades'　in
  Runic　charactersif　you　go　to　Venice　you　may　see　them　at　this　day
  on　the　loins　of　the　great　marble　lion；　which　stood　in　his　time　not
  in　Venice　but　in　Athens。　　And　now；　king　of　Norway　and　conqueror；　for
  the　time；　of　Denmark；　why　should　he　not　take　England；　as　Sweyn　and
  Canute　took　it　sixty　years　before；　when　the　flower　of　the　English
  gentry　perished　at　the　fatal　battle　of　Assingdune？　　If　he　and　his
  half…barbarous　host　had　conquered；　the　civilisation　of　Britain　would
  have　been　thrown　back；　perhaps；　for　centuries。　　But　it　was　not　to
  be。
  England　WAS　to　be　conquered　by　the　Norman；　but　by　the　civilised；　not
  the　barbaric；　by　the　Norse　who　had　settled；　but　four　generations
  before；　in　the　North　East　of　France　under　Rou；　Rollo；　Rolf　the
  Gangerso…called；　they　say；　because　his　legs　were　so　long　that；
  when　on　horseback；　he　touched　the　ground　and　see