THE KING'S MIRROR 



159 



from the east, whence formerly he was accustomed to 

 receive shining beams with festive gifts, he understands 

 clearly that the covenant is broken and that all treaties 

 are renounced. Deeply grieved and pained because of 

 the unpeace, he puts on a black robe of mourning over 

 which he pulls a cloud-gray cloak, and, sitting with 

 wrinkled nose and pouting lips, he breathes heavily with 

 regretful care. And when the ill-tempered northwest 

 wind observes how sorrowful his neighbors look, and 

 sees how he himself has suffered the loss of the evening 

 beauty which he was formerly accustomed to display, 

 he shows at once his temper in stern wrath : he knits his 

 brows fiercely, throws rattling hail violently about, and 

 sends forth the rolling thunder with terrifying gleams 

 of lightning, thus displaying on his part a fearful and 

 merciless anger. But when the north wind misses the 

 friendliness and the kind gifts which he was wont to get 

 from the south wind, he seeks out his hidden treasures 

 and displays the wealth that he has most of: he brings 

 out a dim sheen which glitters with frost, places an ice- 

 cold helmet on his head above his frozen beard, and 

 blows hard against the hail-bearing cloud-heaps. But 

 the chill northeast wind sits wrathful with snowy beard 

 and breathes coldly through his wind-swollen nostrils. 

 Glaring fiercely under his rimy brows, he wrinkles his 

 cheeks beneath his cold and cloudy temples, puffs his 

 jowl with his icy tongue, and blows the piercing drjft- 

 snow vigorously forth. 



But since peace has been broken among these eight 

 chiefs and the winds are stirred to stormy violence, 

 it is no longer advisable for men to travel over-seas"7 



