twilight vespers.

But now she has gone, and his joy forsooth
Has gone with the maiden. The blood of youth
His cheek is mounting,
He silently sighs while the past recounting.

His grief at her absence he sent by the dove,
Which joyous set out with its message of love;
But oh! new sorrow,
It stayed with its mate, nor returned on the morrow.

His conduct to Bjorn was displeasing; said he:
"What ails our young eagle, he seems to be
Like some shy sparrow,—
Has his breast or his pinion been pierced by an arrow?

"What wilt thou, Fridthjof? We have for need
The yellow bacon, and the good, brown mead;
And poets singing,
Their jubilant music forever ringing.

"The steeds impatiently stamp in the stalls,—
To the chase! to the chase! the falcon calls;
But Fridthjof retaineth
His gloom. He hunteth in clouds and complaineth.

"Ellide is restless upon the main,—
She frets and she chafes at her cable chain;
Lie still my treasure!
Our Fridthjof is peaceable. Strife is no pleasure.

"Who dies on his pallet,, is dead indeed;
By the lance, as did Odin, we'll die, if need,—
And thus ensure us
A welcome to Hel, and heaven secure us."

Then Fridthjof unloos'd the dragon,—and proud,
With full swelling canvas, the waves she plowed,
And swiftly over
The bay to the palace she bore the lover.

The kings were at Bele's grave met that day,—
To administer justice and counsel weigh;
Fridthjof advances,—
His voice sounds afar like clashing lances.

"Ye kings, lovely Ing'borg, the people's pride,
I choose, from all women, to be my bride;
The king intended
Our lives thus united in one should be blended.

"He reared us together in Hilding's sight,—
As two forest saplings whose tops unite,—
A golden cover
Of lace bindeth Freyja the green tops over.

"My sire was a peasant, no earl nor king,—
Yet his memory will live while the poets sing;
In runic story
The grave-mounds are telling my ancestors' glory.

"I could easily win me a crown and land,
But choose to remain on my native strand:
In battle wielding
My sword for the king, and the peasant shielding.

"On king Bele's grave we are standing now,
He hears every word in the grave below,
With me he pleadeth,—
A dead father's counsel a wise son heedeth."

Then Helge uprose, and replied with scorn,
"Our sister was not for a peasant born,
To kings 'tis given
To strive for our Ingeborg, daughter of heaven.

"You boastfully call yourself chief of swords,—
Win men by violence, women bv words;
Boast not of slaughter,
For arrogance winneth not Odin's daughter.

"My kingdom doth not seek protection from thee,
I shield it myself. My man wouldst thou be,—
A situation
Among my domestics befits thy station."

"Thy servant! no, never!" was Fridthjof's reply,
"My father had never a master—shall I?
From thy silver dwelling
Now fly, Angervadil, the insult repelling."

In sunshine now glitters the blue steel blade,—
Displaying its letters in flaming red.
"My good sword loyal,
Thy lineage at least," said Fridthjof, "is royal.

"And were it not now for the high grave's renown,
Right here would I hew thee, swarthy king, down:
Yet will I teach thee
To come not again where my sword can reach thee."

So saying, be severed at one fell blow
The gold shield of Helge which hung on a bough.
It fell asunder,—
Its clang on the grave-mound was echoed under.

"Well done, Angervadil. lie still and dream
Of high achievements,— meanwhile the gleam
Of rune-fires paling!
And now we'll go home o'er the blue waters sailing."

V.

King Ring.

King Ring moved his gold-stool back. Then uprose
 Champion and dreamer;—
For where in the North does such goodness repose?
His word o'erflows
 With the wisdom which dwells in god Mimer.

Like the groves of the peaceful gods was his land,—
 War's sable pinion
Cast not a shadow where on every hand
Flowers expand
Through the length of his quiet dominion.

Here Justice alone on the judgment-seat
 With Right presided;
And Peace every year paid its tribute meet,—
While golden wheat
 With plenty the harvest provided.

And swarthy-prowed ships to this favored shore,
 With snowy pinions
The products of numberless nations bore,—
A varied store
 Of riches for fortune's rich minions.

Here freedom and peace did in concord dwell,
 Kindly united;
And all loved their father, the king, full well,
For each might tell
 His mind in the thing,* none were slighted.

*See glossary.

Supreme in the Northland through thirty years
 His reign extended;
Contented each went to his daily cares;
At evening prayers
 The king's name in blessings ascended.

King Ring moved his gold-stool back. From the board
 All there assembled
Arose to attend on the royal word,—
Renowned where heard:
 But he sighed, and in accents that trembled,

He said: "My lost queen is in Folkvang-hall
 On purple seated;
But here on her grave is a grassy pall,
While breathe o'er all
 The flowers with sweet odor freighted.

"So queenly, so honored, so good and so fair,
 There's not another.
Immortal she dwelleth in Valhal's care,
But the people's prayer,
 The children's desire, is a mother.

"King Bele oft sat as a guest at my side
 When winter ended;
The daughter he left I would choose for my bride,—
Her father's pride,
 In whose cheeks rose and lily are blended.

"I know she is young, and in youth sublime.
 Would gather flowers;
My flower is past and my early prime;
My locks has Time
 Besprinkled with snowy showers.

Oh, could she but honor the withered tree
 Which age has blighted;
And could she a friend to the motherless be,
Then should you see
 To the throne Spring by Autumn invited.

"Take gold froth my coffers, take jewels rare,
 Unstinted measure
Let minstrels attending the way prepare
To win the fair,—
 For song heralds wooing and pleasure."

With gold and petitions, a noisy throng,
 The young men speeded;
And minstrels and skalds, in procession long,
With hero-song
 To the sons of King Bele proceeded.

The feast, where with wassail they drink and sing,
 For three days lasted,
But they sought the fourth morning what answer they'd bring
From Helge king,—
 For now their return must be hasted.

In the grove Helge offered both bird and beast,—
 A sacred duty;
Asked counsel of vala, consulted the priest
What answer was best
 For the