Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/72

62 EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY. above noted, that Hakon's spy found him ; and from the Liffey that his squadron sailed, through the Hebrides, through the Orkneys, plundering and bap- tising in their strange way, towards such success as we have seen. 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 riiethods 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 endeavour 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