“Happy am I, that have deserved to have joy of such a consort, and not to go basely alone to the gods of Tartarus!

“Then let the knot gripe the midst of the throat; nought but pleasure the last doom shall bring,

“Since there remains a sure hope of the renewal of love, and a death which will soon have joys of its own.

“Either country is sweet; in both worlds shall be held in honour the repose of our souls together, our equal truth in love,

“For, see now, I welcome the doom before me; since not even among the shades does very love suffer the embrace of its partner to perish.”  And as he spoke the executioners strangled him.  And, that none may think that all traces of antiquity have utterly disappeared, a proof of the aforesaid event is afforded by local marks yet existing; for the killing of Hagbard gave his name to the stead; and not far from the town of Sigar there is a place to be seen, where a mound a little above the level, with the appearance of a swelling in the ground, looks like an ancient homestead.  Moreover, a man told Absalon that he had seen a beam found in the spot, which a countryman struck with his ploughshare as he burrowed into the clods.

Hakon, the son of Hamund, heard of this; but when he was seen to be on the point of turning his arms from the Irish against the Danes in order to avenge his brother, Hakon the Zealander, the son of Wigar, and Starkad deserted him.  They had been his allies from the death of Ragnald up to that hour:  one, because he was moved by regard for friendship, the other by regard for his birth; so that different reasons made both desire the same thing.

Now patriotism diverted Hakon (of Zealand) from attacking his country; for it was apparent that he was going to fight his own people, while all the rest warred with foreigners.  But Starkad forbore to become the foe of the aged Sigar, whose hospitality he had enjoyed, lest he should be thought to wrong one who deserved well of him.  For some men pay such respect to hospitality that, if they can remember ever to have experienced kindly offices from folk, they cannot be thought to inflict any annoyance on them.  But Hakon thought the death of his brother a worse loss than the defection of his champions; and, gathering his fleet into the haven called Herwig in Danish, and in Latin Hosts’ Bight, he drew up his men, and posted his line of foot-soldiers in the spot where the town built by Esbern now defends with its fortifications those who dwell hard by, and repels the approach of barbarous savages.  Then he divided his forces in three, and sent on two-thirds of his ships, appointing a few men to row to the river Susa.  This force was to advance on a dangerous voyage along its winding reaches, and to help those on foot if necessary.  He marched in person by land with the remainder, advancing chiefly over wooded country to escape notice.  Part of this path, which was once closed up with thick