Danes. Olaf such baptism notwithstanding, 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 Saxon Chronicle gives date to it, A.D. 994, and
names expressly, as Svein's co-partner, "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. Famed Olaf
Tryggveson, seen visibly at the siege of London, year 994, it throws a
kind of momentary light to us over that disastrous whirlpool of
miseries and confusions, all dark and painful to the fancy otherwise!
This big voyage and furious siege of London is Svein Double-beard's
first real attempt to fulfil that vow of his at Father Blue-tooth's
"funeral ale," and conquer England,--which it is a pity he could not
yet do. Had London now fallen to him, it is pretty evident all
England must have followed, and poor England, with Svein as king over
it, been delivered from immeasurable woes, which had to last some
two-and-twenty years farther, before this result could be arrived at.
But finding London 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