Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-05-07
The Battle orLonuon Bridge.

The Battle OF London Bridge.
Under the cliffs of Kinlimma, in
Frieslnnd, hasty word came to the Boy
Viking that the English king, Ethel,
red "Thc Unready, was calling for help
town back his heritage and crown
from young King Cnut, Or Canutc the
Dane. Instantly Olaf, the ever ready,
hoistcd his blue and crimson sails and
steercd his war-ships over sea. Up the
Thames and straight for London towD
he rowed.
upon the bridge betwixt the castle
and Southwark" said King Ethelred,
"have the ravaging Danes raised tow
ers and parapets, and blocked the free
river-way to my castle. And now
Sea King, what doth thou counsel?"
mlpetuous as ever, and impatient
of obstacles, the young viking said,
GLOW? Why pull thou down THU
bridge"
"Break down great London Bridge,
young hero" cried the amazed king
'How may that be? Have we a Duke
Samson among us 10 do 50 great
'eat?'
day Inc thy ships alongside NINE
said the valorous boy, "and will vow
to break it down.
"Be it So" said Ethclred.
Old London Bridge was not what
we should now call an imposing struc.
ture, but our ancestors of eight centu.
ries back esteemed it quite bridge.
The chronicler says that it was $50
broad that two wagons could pass each
other upon it, and "under the bridge
were piles driven into the bottom OF
the river"
So Olaf decided to wreck the bridge
by a bold viking stroke. And first ht
had erected over each ship a stout, ov
changing roof Of wood.
"Now, out oars and pull for thu
bridge" young Olaf commanded; and
the roofcd-over war-ships were rowej
close up to London Bridge
And as they came near the bridge,
the chronicle says, "there were cast up
on them, by the Danes upon the bridge
many stones and missile weapons"
But Olaf and his Norsemen were
not thus to be driven back. Straight
ahead they rowed, "quito up under thu
bridge
"0ut cables, all, and lay them
around the piles" tie young soaking
shouted; and the strong, brave rowers,
unshipping their oars, reached out TN,
der the roofs and passed the stout CO.
bles twice around the wooden sup.
ports Of the bridge, and made them
fast to cleats in the stern of each yes.
sci.
"Out oars" then cried Olaf; "pull
war birds. Pull, all, as if We were foi
Norway"
Forward and backward swayed tho
stout Morse rowers; tighter and tight
or pulled the cables; fast down upon
the straining war-ships raincd the
Danish spears and stones; but the
wooden piles under the great bridge
were loosencd by the steady tug Of the
cables. and soon with sudden squirt
the Morse war-ships darted down the
river, while the slackenel cables tow
ed astern the captured piles of London
Bridge. A great shout went up from
the beSlegers, and now" says the
chroncle, "as the armed troops stood
thick upon the bridge, and there
were likewise many heaps Of stones
and other weapons upca it, the bridge
gave away; and great part of the
men upon it fell into the river, and all
the others fled some into the castle
and sonic into Southwark" And be-
fore King ELhelrcI, "Tho Unready,"
could pull his ships to tho attrck
young O'ara hghting-mcn had sprung
ashore, and storming the Southwark
earthwor.s, cal ried all before them.
and the Battle of London bridge wal
was won. st. Nicholas.