in gathering men,
promising large rewards to any one who would attack and slay Hagen. Urged
on by her, Iring attempted to force an entrance, but was soon driven back;
and when he would have made a second assault, Hagen ruthlessly slew him.

Irnfried the Thuringian, and Hawart the Dane, seeing him fall, rushed
impetuously upon the Burgundians to avenge him; but both fell under Hagen's
and Volker's mighty blows, while their numerous followers were all slain by
the other Burgundians.

"A thousand and four together had come into the hall;
You might see the broadswords flashing rise and fall;
Soon the bold intruders all dead together lay;
Of those renown'd Burgundians strange marvels one might say."
_Nibelungenlied_ (Lettsom's
tr.).

Etzel and the Huns were mourning over their dead; so the weary Burgundians
removed their helmets and rested, while Kriemhild continued to muster new
troops to attack her kinsmen, who were still strongly intrenched in the
great hall.

"'Twas e'en on a midsummer befell that murderous fight,
When on her nearest kinsmen and many a noble knight
Dame Kriemhild wreak'd the anguish that long in heart she bore,
Whence inly griev'd King Etzel, nor joy knew evermore.

"Yet on such sweeping slaughter at first she had not thought;
She only had for vengeance on one transgressor sought.
She wish'd that but on Hagen the stroke of death might fall;
'Twas the foul fiend's contriving that they should perish all."
_Nibelungenlied_ (Lettsom's
tr.).

An attempt was now made by the Burgundians to treat with Etzel for a
safe-conduct. Obdurate at first, he would have yielded had not Kriemhild
advised him to pursue the feud to the bitter end, unless her brothers
consented to surrender Hagen to her tender mercies. This, of course,
Gunther absolutely refused to do; so Kriemhild gave secret orders that the
hall in which the Burgundians were intrenched should be set on fire.
Surrounded by bitter foes, blinded by smoke, and overcome by the heat, the
Burgundians still held their own, slaking their burning thirst by drinking
the blood of the slain, and taking refuge from the flames under the stone
arches which supported the ceiling of the hall.

[Sidenote: Ruediger's oath.] Thus they managed to survive that terrible
night; but when morning dawned and the