Page:The lay of the Nibelungs; (IA nibelungslay00hortrich).pdf/54

l Court to a high-tide at Etzel’s: she has charged the messengers to say that she is happy, and to bring all Gunther’s champions with them. Her eye was on Hagen, but she could not single him from the rest. After seven days’ deliberation, Gunther answers that he will come. Hagen has loudly dissuaded the journey, but again been overruled. “It is his fate,” says a commentator, “like Cassandra’s, ever to foresee the evil, and ever to be disregarded. He himself shut his ear against the inward voice; and now his warnings are uttered to the deaf.” He argues long, but in vain: nay young Gernot hints at last that this aversion originates in personal fear:

Then spake Von Troneg Hagen: “Nowise is it through fear;

So you command it, Heroes, Then up, gird on your gear;

I ride with you the foremost Into King Etzel’s land.”

Since then full many a helm Was shivered by his hand.

Frau Ute’s dreams and omens are now unavailing with him; “whoso heedeth dreams,” said Hagen, “of the right story wotteth not:” he has computed the worst issue, and defied it.

Many a little touch of pathos, and even solemn beauty lies carelessly scattered in these rhymes, had we space to exhibit such here. As specimen of a strange, winding, diffuse, yet innocently graceful style of narrative, we had translated some considerable portion of this Twenty-fifth Aventiure, “How the Nibelungen marched (fared) to the Huns,” into verses as literal as might be; which now, alas, look mournfully different from the original; almost like Scriblerus’s shield when the barbarian housemaid had scoured it! Nevertheless, to do for the reader what we can, let somewhat of that modernized ware, such as it is, be set before him, The brave Nibelungen are on the eve of departure; and about ferrying over the Rhine: and here it may be noted that Worms, with our old Singer, lies not in its true position, but at