University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The Collected Works of William Morris

With Introductions by his Daughter May Morris

expand sectionI. 
expand sectionII. 
expand sectionIII, IV, V, VI. 
collapse sectionVII. 
expand section 
collapse section 
  
collapse section 
expand section 
collapse section 
expand sectionXIV. 
expand sectionXVI. 
expand sectionXVII. 
expand sectionXVIII. 
expand sectionXIX. 
expand sectionXXI. 
expand sectionXXII. 
expand sectionXXIV. 
expand sectionXXVII. 
expand sectionXXVIII. 
expand sectionXXXI. 
expand sectionXXXVII. 
expand sectionXL. 
expand sectionXLVII. 
expand sectionXLVIII. 
expand sectionLII. 
expand sectionLIV. 
expand sectionLVII. 
expand sectionLIX. 
expand sectionLXI. 
expand sectionLXII. 
expand sectionLXIII. 
expand sectionLXVI. 
expand sectionLXXIV. 
expand sectionLXXVII. 
expand sectionLXXXII. 
expand sectionLXXXVI. 
expand sectionXC. 
  
expand section 
expand sectionVIII. 
expand sectionXIV. 
expand sectionXVII. 
expand sectionXIX. 
expand sectionXX. 
expand sectionXXVII. 
expand sectionXXVIII. 
expand sectionXXIX. 
expand sectionXXX. 
expand sectionXXXI. 
expand sectionXXXIII. 
expand sectionXLIII. 
expand section 
expand sectionIX. 
expand sectionX. 
expand sectionXII. 
expand sectionXIV. 
expand sectionXV. 
expand sectionXVI. 
expand sectionXVII. 
expand sectionXXI. 
expand sectionXXIV. 

Now Hiordis looked from the dead, and her eyes strayed down to the sea,
And a shielded ship she saw, and a war-dight company,
Who beached the ship for the landing: so swift she fled away,
And once more to the depth of the thicket, wherein her handmaid lay:
And she said: “I have left my lord, and my lord is dead and gone,
And he gave me a charge full heavy, and here are we twain alone,
And earls from the sea are landing: give me thy blue attire,
And take my purple and gold and my crown of the sea-flood's fire,
And be thou the wife of King Volsung when men of our names shall ask,
And I will be the handmaid: now I bid thee to this task,
And I pray thee not to fail me, because of thy faith and truth,
And because I have ever loved thee, and thy mother fostered my youth.
Yea, because my womb is wealthy with a gift for the days to be.
Now do this deed for mine asking and the tale shall be told of thee.”