orely stricken, and was for some time feeble with
the wounds he had received. One of these was inflicted conspicuously
on his mouth, and its scar was so manifest that it remained as an open
blotch when all the other wounds were healed; for the crushed portion of
the lip was so ulcerated by the swelling, that the flesh would not grow
out again and mend the noisome gash. This circumstance fixed on him a
most insulting nickname,... although wounds in the front of the body
commonly bring praise and not ignominy. So spiteful a colour does the
belief of the vulgar sometimes put upon men's virtues.

Meanwhile Gurid, the daughter of Alf, seeing that the royal line was
reduced to herself alone, and having no equal in birth whom she could
marry, proclaimed a vow imposing chastity on herself, thinking it better
to have no husband than to take one from the commons. Moreover, to
escape outrage, she guarded her room with a chosen band of champions.
Once Halfdan happened to come to see her. The champions, whose brother
he had himself slain in his boyhood, were away. He told her that she
ought to loose her virgin zone, and exchange her austere chastity for
deeds of love; that she ought not to give in so much to her inclination
for modesty as to be too proud to make a match, and so by her service
repair the fallen monarchy. So he bade her look on himself, who was
of eminently illustrious birth, in the light of a husband, since it
appeared that she would only admit pleasure for the reason he had named.
Gurid answered that she could not bring her mind to ally the remnants of
the royal line to a man of meaner rank. Not content with reproaching
his obscure birth, she also taunted his unsightly countenance. Halfdan
rejoined that she brought against him two faults: one that his blood was
not illustrious enough; another, that he was blemished with a cracked
lip whose scar had never healed. Therefore he would not come back to ask
for her before he had wiped away both marks of shame by winning glory in
war.

Halfdan entreated her to suffer no man to be privy to her bed until she
heard certain tidings either of his return or his death. The champions,
whom he had bereaved of their brother long ago, were angry that he had
spoken to Gurid, and tried to ride after him as he went away. When
he saw it, he told his comrades to go into ambush, and said he would
encounter the champions alone. His followers lingered, and thought it
shameful to obey his or