soever any wrought within it, none saw him. Thus he won Brunhild, which brought him dole.
“Now tell me, good Knight Siegfried, before our trip begin, shall we not take warriors with us into Brunhild’s land, that we may come with passing honors to the sea? Thirty thousand men-at-arms can soon be called.”
“However many men we take,” quoth Siegfried, “the queen doth use so fierce a wont that they must perish through her haughty pride. I’ll give thee better counsel, O brave and worthy king. Let us fare as wandering knights adown the Rhine, and I will tell thee those that shall be of the band. In all four knights, we’ll journey to the sea and thus we’ll woo the lady, whatever be our fate thereafter. I shall be one of the four comrades, the second thou shalt be. Let Hagen be the third (then have we hope of life), Dankwart then the fourth, the valiant man. A thousand others durst not match us in the fight.”
“Gladly would I know,” spake then the king, “ere we go hence (’t would please me much), what garments we should wear before Brunhild, which would beseem us there. Pray tell this now to Gunther.”
“Weeds of the very best which can be found are worn all times in Brunhild’s land. We must wear rich clothes before the lady, that we feel no shame when men shall hear the tidings told.”
The good knight spake: “Then will I go myself to my dear mother, if perchance I can bring it to pass that her fair maids purvey us garments which we may wear with honor before the high-born maid.”
Hagen of Troneg spake then in lordly wise: “Where-
