Olaf's own.
He even made court visits to King Ethelred; one visit to him at
Andover of a very serious nature. By Elphegus, as we can discover, he
was introduced into the real depths of the Christian faith. Elphegus,
with due solemnity of apparatus, in presence of the king, at Andover
baptized Olaf anew, and to him Olaf engaged that he would never
plunder in England any more; which promise, too, he kept. In fact, not
long after, Svein's conquest of England being in an evidently forward
state, Tryggveson (having made, withal, a great English or Irish
marriage,--a dowager princess, who had voluntarily fallen in love with
him,--see Snorro for this fine romantic fact!) mainly resided in our
island for two or three years, or else in Dublin, in the precincts of
the Danish Court there in the Sister Isle. Accordingly it was in
Dublin, as above noted, that Hakon's spy found him; and from the
Liffey that his squadron sailed, through the Hebrides, through the
Orkneys, plundering and baptizing in their strange way, toward such
success as we have seen.[11]

[Footnote 11: Hakon, now King of Norway, sent a spy to learn
if Olaf thought of regaining his inheritance. Guided by the
spy, Olaf did sail with his fleet for Norway, found the
people there in unexpected rebellion against Hakon's tyranny,
set himself at their head, easily overthrew the king,
executed him amid general rejoicing and established himself
upon the throne.]

Tryggveson made a stout, and, in effect, victorious and glorious
struggle for himself as king. Daily and hourly vigilant to do so,
often enough by soft and even merry methods,--for he was a witty,
jocund man, and had a fine ringing laugh in him, and clear pregnant
words ever ready,--or if soft methods would not serve, then by hard,
and even hardest, he put down a great deal of miscellaneous anarchy in
Norway; was especially busy against heathenism (devil-worship and its
rites): this, indeed, may be called the focus and heart of all his
royal endeavor in Norway, and of all the troubles he now had with his
people there. For this was a serious, vital, all-comprehending matter:
devil-worship, a thing not to be tolerated one moment longer than you
could by any method help! Olaf's success was intermittent, of varying
complexion; but his effort, swift or slow, was strong and continual;
and on the whole he did succeed. Take a sample or two of that
wonderful c