New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-19

invasion. Their ships explored all the navigaoe
waters of France and Holland and Germany-tnat
is, of the countries now so-called. They captureu
most of the towns lying on the river oanKs
plundered and destroyed them. Only once did
they sustain q severe check, and that was at
Paris. where Charless bridge and its defences
proved too strong for them
One effect followed the Viking raids which does
not appear to have been sufficiently considered
At this time the most important shrines, mon
asteries and cathcdrals were situated near the
coast, or on rivers which could be easily assembled
This was especially the case in Ireland and Britain
Now this custom exposed the ecclesastics, in
Guiding the leaders of the Church. to the sudden
blows of the Mortimer. and consequence the
mortality in this class was very great. Bishop
after Bishop was slain or abducted. The most
able and eminent missionaries fell under the sword
Of the heather. Even Huilmas. the strongest
Churchman Of his time, narrowly escaped them on
one occasion. The losses by plumber were more
over enormous. The Vikings had a vulture S
scent for rich shrnes and they were professional
robbers they left nothing Of value behind them
10 is evident that the Church must have been
sensibly weakened by these constant and heavy
blows. Its best men were killed and its most
opulent treasures emptied, and this not only
once or twice. but at short intervals through gen.
erations together. There is another rather inter-
esting consideration, namely, what became of the
immense amount of plumber taken from Christen-
dom during all these years? The Vikings are
supposed to have carried the bulk Of it home to
Scandinavia. No doubt a certain percentage Of
it was lost at sea, and lies to this day on the
bottom of the ocean. The greater part, how
ever, must have reached the home ports, and that
ic fha locr xrah hoo Of 10 wv
rich. either before or after the Viking Age. 1t
would almost seem that the Trolls must have got
hold of this mighty treasure and that they have
kept 10 from human use ever since after the man.
ner of the treasure of the Nibelung
What the Vikings learned through their bold
adventures and explorations was that Christen-
dom was in many parts quite defenceless. They
had sailed beyond the Pillars of Hercules, and had
essayed the coasts of Mahometan Spain; but the
Arabs were not to be caught mapping. They pos
sessed powerful fleets and armies, magnf
cent fighters and keen watchers, and in every case
they drove off their Morse assaiants with heavy
loss Elsewhere no such dangers were to be feared
Continental Europe was chaos. Absorbed in its
civil wars, it had no time and no inclination TO
protect its coasts and rivers and the pirates could
sail along the one and up the other and take what
ever suited them, commonly without even having
W hgh1 lor IL. III tnls was Ihe lorHallNe pcIlOu
of European States, it is difficult to understand
how they ever passed out of it, In fact they
only passed ont of it by sacrificing much of their
former individuality, by absorbing or being alb
sorbed by the elements which had threatened to
destroy them, and at cost of blood and wretch
edness which makes one sick TO think Of To the
witches caudron of this dreadful period the Vi
kings contributed ferocious virility which in
sured the perpetuation of ITSELF but which did not
promise any more civilizing element Christen-
dom was to come from the fiery ordeal changed
and in some respects purified Mr.. Keary has
written deeply interesting book, though it is
not always an easy one to read. His learning,
industry and perseverance, however, entite him
to high praise, and he has covered a most obscure
period perhaps as well as 1t is likely to be COW
cred.