e, lifting its head above the sacred oaks. She is lovely
as the moon when it blesseth the harvest fields. A king only shall
possess her hand, and give a kingdom in exchange for it."

Thus spoke her father, the mighty Ethelfrith, whose word was power,
and whose purpose was fixed as the everlasting rocks on which the
foundations of the earth are built. He said, therefore, unto the Chylde
Wynde--"Strong art thou in battle, son of my brother; the mighty bend
before thy spear, and thy javelins pierce through the shields of our
enemies. As an eagle descendeth on its prey, so rusheth my kinsman to
the onset. But thou hast no nation to serve thee--no throne to offer
for my daughter's hand. Whoso calleth himself her husband, shall for
that title exchange the name of king, and become tributary unto me--even
as my sword, before which thrones shake and nations tremble, has caused
others to do homage. Go, therefore, son of my brother, take with thee
ships and warriors, and seek thee a people to conquer. Go, find a land
to possess; and when with thy sword and with thy bow thou hast done
this, return ye to me, bringing a crown in thy left hand, and in thy
right will I place the hand of Agitha with the bright hair, whose eyes
are as stars."

"O king!" answered the Chylde--"thou who holdest the fate of princes
in thy hands, and the shadow of whose sceptre stretcheth over many
nations--the uplifting of whose arm turneth the tide of battle--swear
unto me, by the spirit of mighty Woden, that while I am doing that which
thou requirest, and ere I can return to lay a crown at thy feet, swear
that thou will not bless another king, for an offered kingdom, with the
hand of Agitha, in whom my soul liveth!"

Then did the wrath of the king wax terrible; his eyes were as consuming
fires, even as the fire of heaven when it darteth from the dark clouds
of midnight. His countenance was fierce as the sea, when its waves boil
and are lifted up with the tempest. In his wrath he dashed his heel upon
the floor; and the armour of conquered kings, the spoils of a hundred
battles, rang round the halls of Ida.

"Shall the blood of my brother," he cried "stain the floor of his
father? Boy! ask ye an oath from a king, the descendant of Woden?[M]
Away! do as I command thee, lest ye perish!"

[M] It may be necessary to mention, that the imaginary deities
of the Saxons were named Woden, Tuisco, Thor, Frea, and Seator. They
also worshipped the sun and moon