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 stead of sleep, and a quiet mind; yea, draw them not to thee with kisses or other sweet things of love.

“If thou hearest the fool’s word of a drunken man, strive not with him being drunk with drink and witless; many a grief, yea, and the very death, groweth from out such things.

“Fight thy foes in the field, nor be burnt in thine house.

“Never swear thou wrongsome oath; great and grim is the reward for the breaking of plighted troth.

“Give kind heed to dead men,—sick-dead, sea-dead, or sword-dead; deal heedfully with their dead corpses.

“Trow never in him for whom thou hast slain father, brother, or whatso near kin, yea, though young he be; for oft waxes wolf in youngling.

“Look thou with good heed to the wiles of thy friends; but little skill is given to me, that I should foresee the ways of thy life; yet good it were that hate fell not on thee from those of thy wife’s house.”

Sigurd spake, “None among the sons of men can be found wiser than thou; and thereby swear I, that thee will I have as my own, for near to my heart thou liest.”

She answers, “Thee would I fainest choose, though I had all men’s sons to choose from.”

And thereto they plighted troth both of them.