s way
into the city, and learned that Berchther and his sons had been put in
prison. There the former had died, but the latter were still languishing in
captivity. Wolfdietrich bribed the jailer to bear them a cheering message
and strengthening food, and led his army against Sabene, whom he utterly
routed.

After recovering possession of Constantinople, granting full forgiveness to
his erring brothers, executing Sabene, and liberating his companions, to
whom he intrusted the sovereignty of the empire, Wolfdietrich returned to
Lombardy, and from thence proceeded with Liebgart to Romaburg (Rome), where
he was duly crowned emperor.

To reward Herbrand, Berchther's eldest son, for his faithfulness,
Wolfdietrich gave him the city of Garden and all its territories, a realm
which subsequently was inherited by his son Hildebrand, a hero whom we
shall have further occasion to describe.

Hache, another of Berchther's sons, received as his share all the Rhine
land, which he left to his son, the trusty Eckhardt (Eckewart) who ever and
anon appears in northern literature to win mortals back to virtue and point
out the road to honor. Wolfdietrich and Liebgart were the happy parents of
a son called Hugdietrich, like his grandfather; and this king's second son,
Dietmar, was the father of the famous Dietrich von Bern, the hero of the
next chapter of this volume.

CHAPTER VII.

DIETRICH VON BERN.

DIETRICH VON BERN, whose name is spelled in eighty-five different ways in
the various ballads and chronicles written about him, has been identified
with the historical Theodoric of Verona, whose "name was chosen by the
poets of the early middle ages as the string upon which the pearls of their
fantastic imagination were to be strung."

This hero is one of the principal characters in the ancient German "Book of
Heroes," and his adventures, which are recorded in many ancient
manuscripts, and more especially in the Wilkina saga, are about as follows:

[Sidenote: Parentage of Deitrich.] Dietmar, the second son of Hugdietrich,
or of Samson according to other authorities, became the independent ruler
of Bern (Verona), and refused to recognize his elder brother, Ermenrich,
Emperor of the West, as his liege lord. The young prince had married
Odilia, the heiress of the conquered Duke of Verona, who bore him a son
called Dietrich. Gentle and generous when all went according to his wishes,
this child was uncontrollable when his anger