Oehlenschlaegcr's Hakon Jarl 8g 



Hakun. [Gladly giz'cs her his hand.] 



My Valkyrs, come! My glorious Hella! Come; 

 Dauntless I go. 



Thora. O gods ! Ye gentle powers ! 



Hakon. Dost think I tremble at thy countenance, 

 O incensed woman ? Thou art pale, thy lips 

 Are blue; thou dost not kill as do thy sisters, 

 The battle-nymphs, with but a passing stroke. 

 Thy sword is slow to kill ; with ice-cold fear 

 Thou strikest first his courage, then the man. 

 'T is all the same. Come hasten onward ! Still 

 There smolders in my breast a spark of pride. 

 With hasty steps I follow toward the grave. 



Thora. Ye gentle gods, grant Hakon strength to live ! 



[Exeunt.. 



Scene IT. 



Woods near Gaidaa. 



Olaf Trygveson, Carlshoved, JosTEix, Griffin and a host 



of 7varriors. 



Griffin. Gray dawn now steals upon us, sir. It seems 

 The day will be as fair as night was foul. 

 Art thou not weary, sir ? Perhaps thou 'It rest 

 Beneath the trees, the while thy horses feed? 



Olaf. No rest for me, — I swore a solemn oath, 

 No rest for me before the Jarl is found. 

 That shameful crime he wrought upon his son, — ■ 

 That must be punished, it shall cost his life. 

 Where find example for 't, for such a deed? 

 A holy myth, from far oft days relates 

 How once a partiarch, his father-heart 

 All crushed with grief, went out to do God's bidding; 

 'T was only done to try his faith. The bright 

 Sharp steel had surely fallen from his grasp. 

 If Heaven liad not restrained his hand."'' But Hakon ! — 



J ostein. My lord, thou 'rt right, the deed was bloody, awful! 



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