ned　to　have　been　fifty　to　sixty　when　St。　Edmund　finished　him　at　Gainsborough。　　We　now　return　to　Norway；　ashamed　of　this　long　circuit　which　has　been　a　truancy　more　or　less。
  CHAPTER　IX。
  KING　OLAF　THE　THICK…SET'S　VIKING　DAYS；
  King　Harald　Graenske；　who；　with　another　from　Russia　accidentally　lodging　beside　him；　got　burned　to　death　in　Sweden；　courting　that　unspeakable　Sigrid　the　Proud；was　third　cousin　or　so　to　Tryggve；　father　of　our　heroic　Olaf。　　Accurately　counted；　he　is　great…grandson　of　Bjorn　the　Chapman；　first　of　Haarfagr's　sons　whom　Eric　Bloodaxe　made　away　with。　　His　little　〃kingdom；〃　as　he　called　it；　was　a　district　named　the　Greenland　（_Graeneland_）；　he　himself　was　one　of　those　little　Haarfagr　kinglets　whom　Hakon　Jarl；　much　more　Olaf　Tryggveson；　was　content　to　leave　reigning；　since　they　would　keep　the　peace　with　him。　Harald　had　a　loving　wife　of　his　own；　Aasta　the　name　of　her；　soon　expecting　the　birth　of　her　and　his　pretty　babe；　named　Olaf；at　the　time　he　went　on　that　deplorable　Swedish　adventure；　the　foolish；　fated　creature；　and　ended　self　and　kingdom　altogether。　　Aasta　was　greatly　shocked；　composed　herself　however；　married　a　new　husband；　Sigurd　Syr；　a　kinglet；　and　a　great…grandson　of　Harald　Fairhair；　a　man　of　great　wealth；　prudence；　and　influence　in　those　countries；　in　whose　house；　as　favorite　and　well…beloved　stepson；　little　Olaf　was　wholesomely　and　skilfully　brought　up。　　In　Sigurd's　house　he　had；　withal；　a　special　tutor　entertained　for　him；　one　Rane；　known　as　Rane　the　Far…travelled；　by　whom　he　could　be　trained；　from　the　earliest　basis；　in　Norse　accomplishments　and　arts。　　New　children　came；　one　or　two；　but　Olaf；　from　his　mother；　seems　always　to　have　known　that　he　was　the　distinguished　and　royal　article　there。　　One　day　his　Foster…father；　hurrying　to　leave　home　on　business；　hastily　bade　Olaf；　no　other　being　by；　saddle　his　horse　for　him。　　Olaf　went　out　with　the　saddle；　chose　the　biggest　he…goat　about；　saddled　that；　and　brought　it　to　the　door　by　way　of　horse。　　Old　Sigurd；　a　most　grave　man；　grinned　sardonically　at　the　sight。　　〃Hah；　I　see　thou　hast　no　mind　to　take　commands　from　me；　thou　art　of　too　high　a　humor　to　take　commands。〃　　To　which；　says　Snorro；　Boy　Olaf　answered　little　except　by　laughing；　till　Sigurd　saddled　for　himself；　and　rode　away。　　His　mother　Aasta　appears　to　have　been　a　thoughtful；　prudent　woman；　though　always　with　a　fierce　royalism　at　the　bottom　of　her　memory；　and　a　secret　implacability　on　that　head。
  At　the　age　of　twelve　Olaf　went　to　sea；　furnished　with　a　little　fleet；　and　skilful　sea…counsellor；　expert　old　Rane；　by　his　Foster…father；　and　set　out　to　push　his　fortune　in　the　world。　　Rane　was　a　steersman　and　counsellor　in　these　incipient　times；　but　the　crew　always　called　Olaf　〃King；〃　though　at　first；　as　Snorro　thinks；　except　it　were　in　the　hour　of　battle；　he　merely　pulled　an　oar。　　He　cruised　and　fought　in　this　capacity　on　many　seas　and　shores；　passed　several　years；　perhaps　till　the　age　of　nineteen　or　twenty；　in　this　wild　element　and　way　of　life；　fighting　always　in　a　glorious　and　distinguished　manner。　　In　the　hour　of　battle；　diligent　enough　〃to　amass　property；〃　as　the　Vikings　termed　it；　and　in　the　long　days　and　nights　of　sailing；　given　over；　it　is　likely；　to　his　own　thoughts　and　the　unfathomable　dialogue　with　the　ever…moaning　Sea；　not　the　worst　High　School　a　man　could　have；　and　indeed　infinitely　preferable　to　the　most　that　are　going　even　now；　for　a　high　and　deep　young　soul。
  His　first　distinguished　expedition　was　to　Sweden：　　natural　to　go　thither　first；　to　avenge　his　poor　father's　death；　were　it　nothing　more。　　Which　he　did；　the　Skalds　say；　in　a　distinguished　manner；　making　victorious　and　handsome　battle　for　himself；　in　entering　Maelare　Lake；　and　in　getting　out　of　it　again；　after　being　frozen　there　all　winter；　showing　still　more　surprising；　almost　miraculous　contrivance　and　dexterity。　　This　was　the　first　of　his　glorious　victories；　of　which　the　Skalds　reckon　up　some　fourteen　or　thirteen　very　glorious　indeed；　mostly　in　the　Western　and　Southern　countries；　most　of　all　in　England；　till　the　name　of　Olaf　Haraldson　became　quite　famous　in　the　Viking　and　strategic　world。　　He　seems　really　to　have　learned　the　secrets　of　his　trade；　and　to　have　been；　then　and　afterwards；　for　vigilance；　contrivance；　valor；　and　promptitude　of　execution；　a　superior　fighter。　Several　exploits　recorded　of　him　betoken；　in　simple　forms；　what　may　be　called　a　military　genius。
  The　principal；　and　to　us　the　alone　interesting；　of　his　exploits　seem　to　have　lain　in　England；　and；　what　is　further　notable；　always　on　the　anti…Svein　side。　　English　books　do　not　mention　him　at　all　that　I　can　find；　but　it　is　fairly　credible　that；　as　the　Norse　records　report；　in　the　end　of　Ethelred's　reign；　he　was　the　ally　or　hired　general　of　Ethelred；　and　did　a　great　deal　of　sea…fighting；　watching；　sailing；　and　sieging　for　this　miserable　king　and　Edmund　Ironside；　his　son。　　Snorro　says　expressly；　London；　the　impregnable　city；　had　to　be　besieged　again　for　Ethelred's　behoof　（in　the　interval　between　Svein's　death　and　young　Knut's　getting　back　from　Denmark）；　and　that　our　Olaf　Haraldson　was　the　great　engineer　and　victorious　captor　of　London　on　that　singular　occasion；London　captured　for　the　first　time。　　The　Bridge；　as　usual；　Snorro　says；　offered　almost　insuperable　obstacles。　　But　the　engineering　genius　of　Olaf　contrived　huge　〃platforms　of　wainscoting　＇old　walls　of　wooden　houses；　in　fact＇；　bound　together　by　withes；〃　these；　carried　steadily　aloft　above　the　ships；　will　（thinks　Olaf）　considerably　secure　them　and　us　from　the　destructive　missiles；　big　boulder　stones；　and　other；　mischief　profusely　showered　down　on　us；　till　we　get　under　the　Bridge　with　axes　and　cables；　and　do　some　good　upon　it。　　Olaf's　plan　was　tried；　most　of　the　other　ships；　in　spite　of　their　wainscoting　and　withes；　recoiled　on　reaching　the　Bridge；　so　destructive　were　the　boulder　and　other　missile　showers。　　But　Olaf's　ships　and　self　got　actually　under　the　Bridge；　fixed　all　manner　of　cables　there；　and　then；　with　the　river　current　in　their　favor；　and　the　frightened　ships　rallying　to　help　in　this　safer　part　of　the　enterprise；　tore　out　the　important　piles　and　props；　and　fairly　broke　the　poor　Bridge；　wholly　or　partly；　down　into　the　river；　and　its　Danish　defenders　into　immediate　surrender。　　That　is　Snorro's　account。
  On　a　previous　occasion；　Olaf　had　been　deep　in　a　hopeful　combination　with　Ethelred's　two　younger　sons；　Alfred　and　Edward；　afterwards　King　Edward　the　Confessor：　　That　they　two　should　sally　out　from　Normandy　in　strong　force；　unite　with　Olaf　in　ditto；　and；　landing　on　the　Thames；　do　something　effectual　for　themselves。　　But　impediments；　bad　weather　or　the　like；　disheartened　the　poor　Princes；　and　it　came　to　nothing。　　Olaf　was　much　in　Normandy；　what　they　then　called　Walland；　a　man　held　in　honor　by　those　Norman　Dukes。
  What　amount　of　〃property〃　he　had　amassed　I　do　not　know；　but　could　prove；　were　it　necessary；　that　he　had　acquired　some　tactical　or　even　strategic　faculty　and　real　talent　for　war。　　At　Lymfjord；　in　Jutland；　but　some　years　after　this　（A。D。　1027）；　he　had　a　sea…battle　with　the　great　Knut　himself；ships　combined　with　flood…gates；　with　roaring；　artificial　deluges；　right　well　managed　by　King　Olaf；　which　were　within　a　hair's…breadth　of　destroying　Knut；　now　become　a　King　and　Great；　and　did　in　effect　send　him　instantly　running。　　But　of　this　more　particularly　by　and　by。
  What　still　more　surprises　me　is　the　mystery；　where　Olaf；　in　this　wandering；　fighting；　sea…roving　life；　acquired　his　deeply　religious　feeling；　his　intense　adherence　to　the　Christian　Faith。　　I　suppose　it　had　been　in　England；　where　many　pious　persons；　priestly　and　other；　were　still　to　be　met　with；　that　Olaf　had　gathered　these　doctrines；　and　that　in　those　his　unfathomable　dialogues　with　the　ever…moaning　Ocean；　they　had　struck　root　downwards　in　the　soul　of　him；　and　borne　fruit　upwards　to　the　degree　so　conspicuous　afterwards。　　It　is　certain　he　became　a　deeply　pious　man　during　these　long　Viking　cruises；　and　directed　all　his　strength；　when　strength　and　authority　were　lent　him；　to　establishing　the　Christian　religion　in　his　country；　and　suppressing　and　abolishing　Vikingism　there；　both　of　which　objects；　and　their　respective　worth　and　unworth；　he；　must　himself　have　long　known　so　well。
  It　was　well　on　in　A。D。　1016　that　Knut　gained　his　last　victory；　at　Ashdon；　in　Essex；　where　the　earth　pyramids　and　antique　church　near　by　still　testify　the　thankful　piety　of　Knut；or；　at　lowest　his　joy　at　having　_won_　instead　of　lost　and　perished；　as　he　was　near　doing　there。　And　it　was　still　this　same　year　when　the　noble　Edmund　Ironside；　after　forced　partition…treaty　〃in　the　Isle　of　Alney；〃　got　scandalously　murdered；　and　Knut　became　indisputable　sole　King　of　England；　and　decisively　settled　himself　to　his　work　of　governing　there。　　In　the　year　before　either　of　which　events；　while　all　still　hung　uncertain　for　Knut；　and　even　Eric　Jarl　of　Norway　had　to　be　summoned　in　aid　of　him；　in　that　year　1015；　as　one　might　naturally　guess　and　as　all　Icelandic　hints　and　indications　lead　us　to　date　the　thing；　Olaf　had　decided　to　give　up　Vikingism　in　all　its　forms；　to　return　to　Norway；　and　try　whether　he　could　not　assert　the　place　and　career　that　belonged　to　him　there。　　Jarl　Eric　had　vanished　with　all　his　war　f