39th Adventure. On approaching the hall, Dietrich summons Hagen and Gunther to surrender, promising to use his influence to secure their safe return home; but the two Burgundians, feeling sure Kriemhild will show no mercy, refuse to yield.  A duel, therefore, takes place between Dietrich and the exhausted Hagen, in the course of which, by means of a sudden feint, Dietrich seizes and binds his foe.  Then, leading him to Kriemhild, he implores her to be merciful to this prisoner, while he returns to secure Gunther also.

  “Fair and noble Kriemhild,” thus Sir Dietrich spake,
  “Spare this captive warrior who full amends will make
  For all his past transgressions; him here in bonds you see;
  Revenge not on the fetter’d th’ offences of the free.”

While Dietrich is securing Gunther in the same way, the queen, left alone with Hagen, again demands her treasures.  Hagen rejoins that, having promised never to reveal their hiding-place as long as his lords live, he cannot reveal the secret to her.  Hearing this statement, Kriemhild, whose cruelty now knows no bounds, orders Gunther—­her last brother—­slain, and herself carries his head to Hagen, as proof there is no more reason for guarding the secret.  Proudly informing her, since it now depends upon him alone, it will remain secret forever, Hagen so exasperates Kriemhild that, drawing from its scabbard the sword which once belonged to Siegfried, she hews off her prisoner’s head with one revengeful stroke!  Although neither her husband nor Hildebrand have been quick enough to forestall this crime, the latter is so exasperated by Kriemhild’s cruelty that he now slays her in his turn.

  Hildebrand the aged, fierce on Kriemhild sprung;
  To the death he smote her as his sword he swung. 
  Sudden and remorseless he his wrath did wreak. 
  What could then avail her her fearful thrilling shriek!

It is, therefore, in the presence of her corpse that Dietrich and Etzel utter the loud lament with which the Nibelungenlied closes.

There is, however, another poem called the Nibelungenklage, or the Lament of the Nibelungs, wherein Etzel, Dietrich, Hildebrand, Bishop Pilgrin, and the rest utter successive laments over the slain.  Then the spoil of the Burgundians is sent back to Worms, where these lamentations are continued, each mourner reciting the deeds of the man whose fate he bewails.  This poem is, however, greatly inferior to the real Nibelungenlied, and was evidently not composed by the same bard.

  “’Tis more than I can tell you what afterward befell,
  Save that there was weeping for friends belov’d so well
  Knights and squires, dames and damsels, were seen lamenting all. 
  So here I end my story.  This is the Nibelungers’ Fall.”

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 29:  See the author’s “Legends of the Middle Ages.”]

[Footnote 30:  All the quotations in this chapter are from Lettsom’s translation of “The Nibelungenlied.”]