Part 15 (2/2)

Now that cunning Kaiser was a scholar wise, And could of gramarye, And he cast a spell on that old old Balt, Till lowly and meek spake he.

'Oh oft have I heard of the Micklegard, What I held for chapmen's lies; But now do I know of the Micklegard, By the sight of mine own eyes.

'Woden in Valhalla, But thou on earth art G.o.d; And he that dare withstand thee, Kaiser, On his own head lies his blood.'

Then out and spake that little Baltung, Rode at the king's right knee, Quoth 'Fridigern slew false Kaiser Valens, And he died like you or me.'

'And who art thou, thou pretty bold boy, Rides at the king's right knee?'

'Oh I am the Baltung, boy Alaric, And as good a man as thee.'

'As good as me, thou pretty bold boy, With down upon thy chin?'

'Oh a spae-wife laid a doom on me, The best of thy realm to win.'

'If thou be so fierce, thou little wolf cub Or ever thy teeth be grown; Then I must guard my two young sons Lest they should lose their own.'

'Oh, it's I will guard your two lither lads, In their burgh beside the sea, And it's I will prove true man to them If they will prove true to me.

'But it's you must warn your two lither lads, And warn them bitterly, That if I shall find them two false Kaisers, High hanged they both shall be.'

Now they are gone into the Kaiser's palace To eat the peac.o.c.k fine, And they are gone into the Kaiser's palace To drink the good Greek wine.

The Kaiser alone, and the old old Balt, They sat at the cedar board; And round them served on the bended knee Full many a Roman lord.

'What ails thee, what ails thee, friend Athanarich?

What makes thee look so pale?'

'I fear I am poisoned, thou cunning Kaiser, For I feel my heart-strings fail.

'Oh would I had kept that great great oath I swore by the horse's head, I would never set foot on Roman ground Till the day that I lay dead.

'Oh would I were home in Caucaland, To hear my harpers play, And to drink my last of the nut-brown ale, While I gave the gold rings away.

'Oh would I were home in Caucaland, To hear the Gothmen's horn, And watch the waggons, and brown brood mares And the tents where I was born.

'But now I must die between four stone walls In Byzant beside the sea: And as thou shalt deal with my little Baltung, So G.o.d shall deal with thee.'

The Kaiser he purged himself with oaths, And he buried him royally, And he set on his barrow an idol of gold, Where all Romans must bow the knee.

And now the Goths are the Kaiser's men, And guard him with lance and sword, And the little Baltung is his sworn son-at-arms, And eats at the Kaiser's board,

And the Kaiser's two sons are two false white lads That a clerk may beat with cane.

The clerk that should beat that little Baltung Would never sing ma.s.s again.

Oh the gates of Rome they are steel without, And beaten gold within: But they shall fly wide to the little Baltung With the down upon his chin.

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