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“And who may be the comrades,” inquired the royal maid,

“Who shall to court go with you, thus gorgeously arrayed?”

“I and three more,” he answered, “and two my men will be,

Sir Dankwart and Sir Hagen;— these go to court with me.

”And mark you well, dear lady, and list to what I say!—

We four companions must have enough for four days’ stay.

Three shifts of clothing daily, of good stuff all of it,

That we Brunhilda’s country without disgrace may quit.”

With kind farewells the heroes soon after did depart.

Then, of her maidens, thirty, well skilled in needle-art,

Did the young queen Kriemhilda call from their room, in haste;

These all for such-like labours had wit beyond the rest!

Arabian samite was there, white as new-fallen snow,

And Zazemang silks also,— so green doth clover grow,—

Whereon they wrought the jewels; fine clothes, in sooth, they were;

The peerless maid, Kriemhilda, herself the cloth did shear.

Of foreign fish-skin made they the linings, good and rare,

For stranger-folk to stare at,— as many as there were;

And these with silk were covered, as then the mode did hold.

There might be many a marvel of this bright raiment told.

From far Morocco’s borders, and from the Libyan shore,

The very choicest samite, that e’er enriched the store

Of any king soever,— this had they, and to spare.

Right plainly showed Kriemhilda to whom she kindness bare!