CURIOUS CREATURES. 295 



grown up, by their venomous breath poysoned the 

 neighbouring parts ; but the King, repenting his folly, 

 proclaimed that he who could remove this plague, should 

 have his daughter. 



" When Regnerus of Norway, descended of the King's 

 race, who was the chief Suiter this Virgin had, heard 

 this Report, he obtained from the Nurse a woollen 

 Cassock, and hairy Breeches, whereby he might hinder 

 the biting of the Adders. And when he came to Sweden 

 in a ship, he purposely suffered his Clothes to grow stiff 

 with cold, casting water upon them : and thus clothed, 

 having onely his Sword and Dart to defend him, he 

 went to the King. As he went forward, two huge 

 Adders met him on the way, that would kill the young 

 man, with the twisting of their tails, and by the venome 

 they cast forth. 



" But Regnerus confiding in the hardness of his frozen 

 Garments, both endured and repulsed their Venome, by 

 his clothes, and their biting his Harness, being indefati- 

 gable in pressing hard upon these Wild Beasts. Last 

 of all he strongly casts out of his hand his Javelin that 

 was fastened with a Hoop, and struck it into their bodies. 

 Then, with his two-edged Sword, rending both their 

 hearts, he obtained a happy end of an ingenious and 

 dangerous fight. The King, looking curiously on his 

 clothes, when he saw them so hairy on the back-side, 

 and unpolished like ragged Frize, he spake merrily, and 

 called him Lodbrock : that is Hair Coat ; and to recreate 

 him after his pains, he sent for him to a Banquet with 

 his friends. He answered, That he must first go see 

 those Companions he had left : and he brought them to 

 the King's Table, very brave in clothes, as he was then : 

 and lastly, when that was done, he received the pledge 



