which glows in iron, heated white
furnace, roused to tenfold heat,
his heart was wrath at Oren's words,
of Shaul, and of the clamouring herd,
ng tame submission to the foe,
hasement of craven peace with gold.
King Emeth therefore, raging fierce,
1ost hateful of all dastard men,
in of Shaul, and of the coward crew,
e not meet death with a valiant heart,
lave art thou, speaker of vain words,
I spit upon thy words. I hate
I thy fellows, saying evil things.
thou art, much thinking of thy wash,
he brute-beast comforts of thy sty,
ing of the thoughts of nobler men,
ow that thou art guilty in our eyes;
y peers acquit thee of offence,
d thy fellow-dastards, craving peace,
bought of Arvan with much gold,
h loss of fame, worthier than wealth,
, or walled cities, filled with men ;
both for thee and them. But if their voice
n thee, speaking sentence of dispraise;
not thy gains, nor that thy hoary hairs
ield thee, Oren, from a fitting doom;
nd thy fellows shall have due reward."
retching out his hand King Emeth said,
and others fain would purchase peace
an, granting to him weighed gold,
uch land and cities full of men ;
owing them beneath his conquering yoke.
All ye who deem that Oren's thought is just
Abide in peace, sitting upon your thrones.
But ye who do condemn him, rise, stand forth."
Then all the councillors and warrior men
Straightway arose before King Emeth's face,
And stood forth on the plain, showing their doom.
But Emeth, king of nations, spake again,
"Oren, thou now art judgèd, thou and they,
Who with thee would have wrecked their country's fame, Purchasing quiet plenty with base life.
Ye who have judged them guilty, warrior chiefs,
And wise men, show their fate declaring doom."
Then cried they with one voice, answering the word
Of Emeth, the great king: "Let them be slain."
"Arise, and slay them straightway," said the king,
"Traitors they are unto their fathers' land,
Counselling tame submission to the foe.
It is not fitting that such men should live
Drawing the pure air breathed of gods and men."
Thereon the chiefs and stalwart men arose,
Being four hundred, valiant men in fight,
On Oren fell they, and upon his friends,
And with their ponderous swords made sharp to slay,
They smote them on their necks so that they died.
Then from their place came forth the javelin men,
Who, a strong guard, watched round the council plain,
Lest common men, with curious spying eyes,
Should listen to the sayings of the chiefs.
Twelve score and ten were they, strong-sinewed men ;
These, coming forward, at the king's command,
Placed through the broidered girdles of the slain
Their own broad sword-belts, made of well-dressed hide,
gged their bodies from the grassy
a horse drags from discumbered fields
y tree-trunks, felled by peasant's axe.
meth, who upon his granite throne,
unmoving, seeing justice wrought,
es, still as a statue's eyes of stone,
k straight forward, faltering not at all,
he last corpse had past beyond his gaze,
o the chiefs and warriors once again.
aitors' lives have ceased from off the land,
earts that feared death, in death are cold.
h all who love life more than fame,
l of their country's sacred wealth,
rs of her king and of her gods.
oh! chiefs, go forth upon your ways;
e unto the task to him assigned
nslack hand. King Arvan's host is strong;
rd is sharp, and he inured to war.
le the river will we hold the plain;
t this strife will be even unto death,
ring, we will not spare to smite and slay,
red, scant mercy will the foeman grant.
tage ground must we neglect. Must use
ught, and wise precaution as befits
ho contend, not idly for renown;
10 defend their wives and little ones,
ands and cities from the sword and flame.
keep up your hearts, and be ye strong;
for the sword, it may be men speak false,
e gods gave unto the sons of men
ying tongues, and tongues that speak the truth. owsoe'er it be, on our side fight
Love of our country, and the gods' great strength,
Which things are mightier than a demon sword.
Fear not for Arvan's threatenings. The just gods
Place fitting boundary to all pride of man.
The falling time comes for the strongest tree,
Lord of the forest, that for circling years
Has with haught head looked o'er the subject woods,
With emerald crest mocking the strength of winds,
And nightly frost, and gathered might of storms.
Also the longest day reaches its close;
Then the bright sun that ruled in the heavens,
Through the extended hours much-praised of men,
Stoops to his setting. Thus shail Arvan's power
Cease from the world, when the gods doom his fall.
Therefore, oh! chieftains, rise. Quit you like men,
Sparing not toil, lavish of thought and blood.
Strive; and the gods be with us in the strife.
vilight glistened dewy in the sky, aon's ways were full of seething life; an's host marched on its armed way rough the giant city's southern gates.
upon crowds thronged the much-peopled street, kened all the roofs with human life. from rejoicing myriads rent the air, shone on every face; no sign of woe, ɔt, or fear, spoke of a feeble heart. idows' eyes, seeing an only son h to war, were all unfilled with tears. iden sent her lover from her side,
"Be brave, and quit thee like a man.” looked upon their husbands going forth, faced, as though 'twere to some feast of wine at wounds were not, nor the fear of death. the uncounted palaces, high waved
ies many-hued. The breadth of way
the weaponed men gleamed green with boughs, d triumph-wise for their advancing feet. as though not unto dubious strife, to sure success the great king moved; ctory had smiled on him so long, ly the wisest dreamed of near defeat. ot even one, who saw the stream of steel
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