153 



who perish in regular battle. Being, however, on this occasion 

 vanquished by Frotho, together with their King Cepo, and when his 

 brother promised tribute, they submitted to the Danish laws." Saxo 

 Grammaticus also, in his account of the siege of Dublin by Fridleve, 

 writes, " when this prince was besieging Dublin, and perceived by 

 the strength of the walls that the power of taking it was denied him, 

 emulating the ingenious invention of Hadingianus, he ordered con- 

 cealed fire to be fastened to the wings of a swallow, which being so 

 received into their nests, the houses suddenly kindled with flames, and 

 while the citizens ran to extinguish the conflagration, and were more 

 influenced by anxiety to put down the fire than to repel the enemy, he • 

 takes the city/'* The same author, speaking of the expedition of 

 Frotho the Third to Ireland, says "In the mean time the Irish, terri- 

 fied by the growing reputation of the Danes for bravery, in order to 

 make an invasion of their island more difficult, planted iron caltraps 

 in the earth, by which the approach to the shores was precluded. But 

 the Irish nation use a light and ready kind of armour. They thin 

 their hair with razors, they cut off" all the hair from the top of the 

 head, lest in flight they might be caught thereby. They resist a 

 charge with their spears, and are in the habit of opposing their sharp 

 swords to those who pursue them, and of frequently hurling their 

 lances behind them, having more skill at vanquishing in flight than in 

 open battle, whence it happens, that when you think the victory most 

 sure, the danger is most imminent. Frotho, however, following 

 them in one of these artful flights, with prudence rather than rashness, 



* " Idem cum Duflynum oppidum obsideret, murorumque firmitate expugnationis facul- 

 tatem negari conspiceret, Hadingiani acuminis ingenium amulatus, hirundinis .alls inclusum 

 iungis ignem affigi proecepit, quibus propria nidificatione receptis, subito flammis tecta luxe- 

 runt: quos oppidanis restinguere concurrentibus, majoremque sopiendi ignis quam cavendi 

 hostis curam praestantibus, Duflino potitur." — Saxo Gram. Hist. Dan. lib. 4. p. 67. 



VOL. XVI. X 



