Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/325

 'and has  landed  here  suddenly  even  now  with  an  army,

that he  may  take  up  his  winter-quarters  here  with  his  host.

Now he  commandeth  thee  to  divide  thy  secret  treasures

and thine  ancestors'  wealth  quickly  with  him,

and thou  shalt  be  his  under-king,  if  thou  desire  to  live,

because thou  hast  not  the  power  that  thou  mayst  withstand  him.'

So then  king  Edmund  called  a  bishop

who was  handiest  to  him,  and  consulted  with  him

how he  should  answer  the  savage  Hingwar.

Then the  bishop  feared  for  this  terrible  misfortune,

and for  the  king's  life,  and  said  that  it  seemed  best  to  him

that he  should  submit  to  that  which  Hingwar  bade  him.

Then the  king  kept  silence  and  looked  on  the  ground,

and said  to  him  at  last  even  like  a  king;

' Behold,  thou  bishop,  the  poor  people  of  this  land

are brought  to  shame,  and  it  were  now  dearer  to  me

that I  should  fall  in  fight  against  him  who  would  possess

my people's  inheritance.'     And  the  bishop  said,

' Alas,  thou  dear  king    thy  people  lie  slain,

and thou  hast  not  sufficient  forces  with  which  thou  mayest  fight,

and these  seamen  will  come  and  will  bind  thee  alive,

unless thou  save  thy  life  by  means  of  flight,

or thus  save  thyself  by  yielding  to  him.'

Then said  Edmund  the  king,  full  brave  as  he  was;

' This  I  desire  and  wish  in  my  mind,

that I  should  not  be  left  alone  after  my  dear  thanes,

who even  in  their  beds,  with  their  bairns  and  their  wives,

have by  these  seamen  been  suddenly  slain.