The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-10

once, as lOiu III biSN
Tales Of the stormy sea,
Soft eyes did gaze on me-
Burning yet terder;
And as the white stars shine
On the dark Norway pine,
On that dark heart Of mine
Fell their soft splendor."
having captured the maiden's fancy,
the viking sought her fathers consent,
but the old chieftain laughed him 10
scorn: and even the minstrels hushed
their songs and stood aghast at his pre-
sumption. Nothing daunted, however,
the bold lover taking advantage Of the
lady's unguarded condition, carried her
OF and put 10 sea.
"Three weeks we westward bore,
And. when the storm was Ger,
Cloud-like, we saw the shore
Stretching TO leeward.
There, for my lady's bower.
Built the lofty tower
Which to this very hour
Stands looking seward"
(The writer came across a bit of infor-
nation In reference TO the old tower, not
long ago, which. though not propos OF
the Vikings. may still be interesting. 1t is
10 the effect that in the town records or
Newport is an old Will. dated December
"A.
"stone mill and the lot on which IL
stands" to his dear daughter, Gods Gift
Arnold" and signs the document with the
same name which, a century later became
Infamous In our national history, Bene-
dict Arnold.
The finding OF "a fragment Of statue,
rudely chiselled from dark grey stone,
mt Bradford, Massachusetts, was the ORR
gin Of Whittier's poem of the Morse
u a. Fs,. Cot a a. 1at
Norsemen visited New England. some
centuries before the discovery of Column
bus. IS now very generally admitted
Onward they glde-and now / view
Their iron-armed and staiwart crew;
JOY glistens i'm each Wild blue eye.
Turned to green earth and summer
sky.
Each broad scanned breast has cast
aside
Its numbering vest of shaggy hide:
And barred TO sun and soft. warm air
Streams back the Norsemens yellow
hair"
This was the expedition which ouI-
minated In the building OF the town OF
Norumbega. previously mentioned.
IL the old Norsemen really did discover
America, as is claimed, the pity of II is
that no substantial proof Of the fact exista
those famous sea rovers, setting up king
doms in Ireland, England and the Ork-
neys; conquering Normandy. under Rolf
CANCER. and even penetrating TO the far
East, OF which there is abundant proof
In the museums of the North We are
told that one of the old Greek emperors
had body-guard OF Vikings, and so rich
were they In plumber, that even their
horses were shod with silver. and both
hnFNA ri L
with gold, almost What a magnificent
garde du corps they must have made,
those tall, strong. fair-hsired rovers, and |
what contrast to the dark, effemnate- |
looking Greeks about them. Certainly.
tho sovereign might sleep or ride forth |
Ia perfect security. surrounded by such |
an escort, whose fidelity was unassailable. |
Even ". at some future date, II should |
be proved beyond the shadow of "A doubt |
that their claim of previous discovery |
admits Of no question, 1T can in no wise
detract from the credit due TO Columbus;
because at the time when he set forth on |
his voyage OF discovery. there was no |
knowledge OF the existence of the New |
World. and even Columbus himself died in
the belief that the country he had dscov- |
cred was only the Eastern limit of Asia,
the Cathay of his dreams. AS Irving says |
AT the beginning OF the fifteenth century |
when the most intelligent minds were |
looking Ia very direction for the scattered |
lights of geographical knowledge. pro- |
found ignorance prevailed among the most |
learned as 10 the western regions of the |
Atlantic its vast waters were regarded |
with awe and wonder, seeming to bound |
the world as with chaos, into which |
conjecture could not penetrate and enter |
rSise feared 10 adventure"
l cannot close this sketch without some
brief mention of the most famous Viking |
OF them all, Olaf Trygguess )l--Olaf, the /
king,-whose deeds have been celebrated |
In song and story. and who our own Long
fellow has made familiar to us all. His
early life, even from his infancy, was
full OF trials and vicissitudes. His father
having been murder ed. and the kingdom
having fallen into the hands OF the usur-
per- his mother. Astrid, was Obliged 10
flee for safety 20 Russia. On the way
thither. they fell into the hands OF
pirates, and Olaf was sold for new
cloak. Eventually, he attracted the atten-
lion OF Queen Allogia, under whose pro-
lection he remained until he reached
his eighteenth year. when she fitted
out fine feet for him, and for
many years he cruised In the North
seas, plundering in true Viking fash
Ion. During one of his forays in the
Scilly Islands. he became converted 70
Christianity. through the means OF pious
hermit, but his conversion brought with
IL no finer perception OF the law ''meum
81 tuum, for he plundered all the more
as nothing could be more commendable
Than despoiling the heather. who stin
persisted in the worship OF Odin and
Thor
When the Norwegians revolted against
the usurper Olaf put himself at their
mead and defeated and slew his enemy;
after which he was chosen King OF Nor
way by the great council at Drontheln
lie now developed passion for making
converts. aud so great was the force of
me- arguments always assisted by his
sood sword that all Norway-save the
province OF Vixen. ruled over by Earl
ERIC. son OF the late King-became chrss-
uanized. IL ali his subjects did not truly
ssnpeIienee change OF heart" they
!ound i healthy. at any rate. 10 assume
the virtue they die not possess; and All
m r wen TIL he proposed marriage Ia
queen slgrid. the Naughty. sister OF the
xlhx OF sweden, who accepted him. When
she marriage was about 10 take place
Ssvssss' ne Tried 70 convert her also