第76章

Westmar had twelve sons, three of whom had the same name -- Grep in common.These three men were conceived at once and delivered at one birth, and their common name declared their simultaneous origin.They were exceedingly skillful swordsmen and boxers.Frode had also given the supremacy of the sea to Odd; who was very closely related to the king.Koll rejoiced in an offspring of three sons.At this time a certain son of Frode's brother held the chief command of naval affairs for the protection of the country, Now the king had a sister, Gunwar, surnamed the Fair because of her surpassing beauty.The sons of Westmar and Koll, being ungrown in years and bold in spirit, let their courage become recklessness and devoted their guilt-stained minds to foul and degraded orgies.

Their behaviour was so outrageous and uncontrollable that they ravished other men's brides and daughters, and seemed to have outlawed chastity and banished it to the stews.Nay, they defiled the couches of matrons, and did not even refrain from the bed of virgins.A man's own chamber was no safety to him: there was scarce a spot in the land but bore traces of their lust.

Husbands were vexed with fear, and wives with insult to their persons: and to these wrongs folk bowed.No ties were respected, and forced embraces became a common thing.Love was prostituted, all reverence for marriage ties died out, and lust was greedily run after.And the reason of all this was the peace; for men's bodies lacked exercise and were enervated in the ease so propitious to vices.At last the eldest of those who shared the name of Grep, wishing to regulate and steady his promiscuous wantonness, ventured to seek a haven for his vagrant amours in the love of the king's sister.Yet he did amiss.For though it was right that his vagabond and straying delights should be bridled by modesty, yet it was audacious for a man of the people to covet the child of a king.She, much fearing the impudence of her wooer, and wishing to be safer from outrage, went into a fortified building.Thirty attendants were given to her, to keep guard and constant watch over her person.

Now the comrades of Frode, sadly lacking the help of women in the matter of the wear of their garments, inasmuch as they had no means of patching or of repairing rents, advised and urged the king to marry.At first he alleged his tender years as an excuse, but in the end yielded to the persistent requests of his people.And when he carefully inquired of his advisers who would be a fit wife for him, they all praised the daughter of the King of the Huns beyond the rest.When the question was pushed, what reason Frode had for objecting to her, he replied that he had heard from his father that it was not expedient for kings to seek alliance far afield, or to demand love save from neighbours.

When Gotwar heard this she knew that the king's resistance to his friends was wily.Wishing to establish his wavering spirit, and strengthen the courage of his weakling soul, she said: "Bridals are for young men, but the tomb awaits the old.The steps of youth go forward in desires and in fortune; but old age declines helpless to the sepulchre.Hope attends youth; age is bowed with hopeless decay.The fortune of young men increases; it will never leave unfinished what it begins." Respecting her words, he begged her to undertake the management of the suit.But she refused, pleading her age as her pretext, and declaring herself too stricken in years to bear so difficult a commission.The king saw that a bribe was wanted, and, proffering a golden necklace, promised it as the reward of her embassy.For the necklace had links consisting of studs, and figures of kings interspersed in bas-relief, which could be now separated and now drawn together by pulling a thread inside; a gewgaw devised more for luxury than use.Frode also ordered that Westmar and Koll, with their sons, should be summoned to go on the same embassy, thinking that their cunning would avoid the shame of a rebuff.

They went with Gotwar, and were entertained by the King of the Huns at a three days' banquet, ere they uttered the purpose of their embassy.For it was customary of old thus to welcome guests.When the feast had been prolonged three days, the princess came forth to make herself pleasant to the envoys with a most courteous address, and her blithe presence added not a little to the festal delights of the banqueters.And as the drink went faster Westmar revealed his purpose in due course, in a very merry declaration, wishing to sound the mind of the maiden in talk of a friendly sort.And, in order not to inflict on himself a rebuff, he spoke in a mirthful vein, and broke the ground of his mission, by venturing to make up a sportive speech amid the applause of the revellers.The princess said that she disdained Frode because he lacked honour and glory.For in days of old no men were thought fit for the hand of high-born women but those who had won some great prize of glory by the lustre of their admirable deeds.Sloth was the worst of vices in a suitor, and nothing was more of a reproach in one who sought marriage than the lack of fame.A harvest of glory, and that alone, could bring wealth in everything else.Maidens admired in their wooers not so much good looks as deeds nobly done.So the envoys, flagging and despairing of their wish, left the further conduct of the affair to the wisdom of Gotwar, who tried to subdue the maiden not only with words but with love-philtres, and began to declare that Frode used his left hand as well as his right, and was a quick and skillful swimmer and fighter.Also by the drink which she gave she changed the strictness of the maiden to desire, and replaced her vanished anger with love and delight.

Then she bade Westmar, Koll, and their sons go to the king and urge their mission afresh; and finally, should they find him froward, to anticipate a rebuff by a challenge to fight.

So Westmar entered the palace with his men-at-arms, and said: