e in shades of alder!
Haste to the still, the peace-accustom'd valley,
Where lazy herdsmen dance amid the clover.
There wet each leaf which soft the west wind kisses,
Each plant which breathes around voluptuous odours,
With tears! There sigh and moan, and the tired peasant
Shall hear thee, and, behind his ploughshare resting,
Shall wonder at thy grief, and pity Balder!

There are lyrics interspersed. The following is sung by three Valkyries
marching round the cauldron before Rota dips the fatal spear that she is
to present to Hother:

In juice of rue
And trefoil too;
In marrow of bear
And blood of Trold,
Be cool'd the spear,
Threetimes cool'd,
When hot from blazes
Which Nastroud raises
For Valhall's May.

1st Valk. Whom it woundeth,
It shall slay.

2nd Whom it woundeth,
It shall slay.

3rd Whom it woundeth,
It shall slay.

In 1826 he was to publish "Romantic Ballads," translated from the Gaelic,
Danish, Norse, Swedish, and German, with eight original pieces. He
"hoped shortly" to publish a complete translation of the "Kjaempe Viser"
and of Gaelic songs, made by him "some years ago." Few of these are
valuable or interesting, but I must quote "Svend Vonved" because Borrow
himself so often refers to it. The legend haunted him of "that strange
melancholy Swayne Vonved, who roams about the world propounding people
riddles; slaying those who cannot answer, and rewarding those who can
with golden bracelets." When he was walking alone in wild weather in
Cornwall he roared it aloud:

Svend Vonved sits in his lonely bower;
He strikes his harp with a hand of power;
His harp returned a responsive din;
Then came his mother hurrying in:
Look out, look out, Svend Vonved.

In came his mother Adeline,
And who was she, but a queen so fine:
"Now hark, Svend Vonved! out must thou ride
And wage stout battle with knights of pride."
Look out, look out, Svend Vonved.

"Avenge thy father's untimely end;
To me, or another, thy gold harp lend;
This moment boune thee, and straight begone!
I rede thee, do it, my own dear son."
Look out, look out, Svend Vonved.

Svend Vonved binds his sword to his side;
He fain will battle with knights of pride.
"When may I look for thee once more here?
When roast the heifer and spice the beer?"
Look out, look out, Svend Vonved.

"W