Ne'er may woman touch the fire,
Ne'er may woman wield the brand!

HERVOR.

Wherefore, father, this delay,

Wherefore break the word you gave ?
Coldly burn the flames which play
In a breathlefs warrior's grave.

Give me ftraight the fpell-fraught fword,
Then my potent charms fhall cease:
Be the dead to fleep restored,

Reft, fad fpirit, reft in peace!

ANGANTYR.

Oh! what dæmon's direful power
Haplefs Hervor, fires thy brain?
Fain would I retard the hour,

Deftined for my daughter's pain!

Yet be wife, the fword forego :
It endures no female hand;
Flames around her feet fhall glow,
Who prefumes to touch the brand.

HERVOR.

Wilt thou ftill the brand conceal?
I muft hafte my friends to join,
Where Hidalvar, clad in fteel,
Leads his troops, and waits for mine:

Father,

Father, now the fword beftow,
Soon 'twill hew my path to fame;
Soon 'twill make each trembling foe
Shrink with fear at Hervor's name!

ANGANTYR.

Hark! what horrid voices ring
Through the manfions of the dead!
'Tis the Valkyries who fing,
While they fpin thy vital thread.

-"Angantyr !" I hear them fay, Sitting by their magic loom,

"Yield the fword, no more delay, "Let the forcerefs met her doom!

"Soon the proud one shall perceive,
"Anguish ends what crimes begin:
"Lo! her web of life we weave,
"Lo! the final thread we spin!”

I obey the voice of hell,

It enfures repofe to me:

Hervor, now unbind the spell,
And the Tyrfing thine shall be.

HERVOR.

Since thy dread commands my fire
Force the Tyrfing to forego,

On

On thine altars, fifters dire,

Thrice twelve heroes' blood fhall flow.

With respect the mandate hear;

Angantyr, the sword resign:

Valued gift, to me more dear,
Than were Norway's fceptre mine.

ANGANTYR.

I obey the magic glaive

Thirty warriors' blood hath spilt ; Lo! I reach it from my grave, Death is in the fheath and hilt!

Now 'tis thine: that daring arm

Wields at length the flaming sword ;

Hervor, now unbind the charm,

Be my ghoft to fleep restored.

HERVOR.

Reft in peace, lamented fhade!
Be thy flumbers foft and fweet,
While obtain'd the wond'rous blade,
Home I bend my gladfome feet.

But from out the gory fteel'

Streams of fire their radiance dart!

Mercy! mercy! oh! I feel

Burning pangs invade my heart!

Flames

Flames amid my ringlets play,
Blazing torrents dim my fight!
Fatal weapon, hence away!

Woe be to thy blasting might!

Woe be to the night and time,

When the magic fword was given !

Woe be to the Runic rhyme,

Which reverfed the laws of Heaven!

Curft be cruel Hilda's fire,

Which around the weapon curl'd! Curft the Tyrfing's vengeful ire, Curst myself, and curft the world!

What! can nothing cool my brain?
Nothing calm my anguish wild?
Angantyr, oh, fpeak again!

Father! father! aid your child!

ANGANTYR.

'Tis in vain your shrieks refound, Haplefs prey of ftrange defpair ! 'Tis in vain you beat the ground, While you rend your raven hair!

They, who dare the dead to wake,
Still too late the crime deplore:
None fall now my filence break,
Now i fleep to wake no more!

HERVOR.

HERVOR.

Curfes! curfes! oh! what pain!
How my melting eye-balls glow!
Curfes! curfes! through each vein
How do boiling torrents flow!

Scorching flames my heart devour!
Nought can cool them but the grave!

Hela! I obey thy power,
Hela! take thy willing flave!

No.