The Swedes in Rtissia 8 1 



been this obstinate resistance that saved France from a 

 conquest as great as that which afflicted EngLand. 



None of these achievements were as lasting as they 

 were impressive. The Northumbrian kingdom remained 

 for some years ; the other Danish settlements in England 

 gradually diminished under Alfred's successors, Edward 

 and ^thelstan. The invasions on the Continent were 

 not lasting either ; the result of them finally narrowed 

 itself to the settlement of the Vikings, under their 

 leader Hrolf, or Eolf, or Rollo, in the country which 

 was then called Neustria, but whicli, from the North- 

 men, took the name of Normandy. 



Before we close this chapter of the great age of 

 northern conquest in Europe, and sum up the results 

 thereof, which we must do in the succeeding chapter, let 

 us take note of one other sphere of achievement on the 

 part of the Scandinavians. This is Eussia. While the 

 Danes and the Norsemen were turning their ambition 

 towards the west and south, their brother Scandinavians, 

 the Swedes, were bent in an exactly opposite direction. 

 They turned eastward, navigated the Gulf of Finland, 

 and settled themselves in the province of Novgorod, a 

 little to the south of Lake Ladoga. Thence they 

 gradually extended their power, until they had founded 

 a kingdom which in size was greater than the ancient 

 kingdom of Sweden, and went by the name of Greater 

 Suithiod — Greater Sweden. It extended from Lake 

 Ladoga in the north as far as Kiev iipon the Dnieper. 

 By this last river, which afforded excellent navigation 

 for their ships, the inhabitants of Greater Suithiod 

 made their way down to the Black Sea, and eventually 



F 



