s the golden clouds when they
are dipped in silver. Her father held counsel with spirits of evil. They
were obedient to his will. He invoked them to endue his daughter with
more than mortal beauty, that she might inflame the soul of princes, and
sit upon their throne. Such was the tale of men. Her beauty was the
burden of the song of bards. In their chorus to swell the praise of
others, they said that they were "lovely as the fair daughter of
Gormack."

The tale of her charms was heard by Ethelfrith. It was heard by the
fierce in war--the impetuous in love--the victor in battle--yea, even
by Ethelfrith, king of Bernicia. "I will see the fair daughter of the
thane," said the proud king, to whose will even war and the mighty in
war did homage. Moreover, Gormack the thane was his vassal. He had sworn
to his obedience.

The king went forth to the dwelling of Gormack, among the cliffs.
Ealdormen,[N] comites,[O] and thanes,[P] attended him. The weird thane
came forth to meet him; he bowed his head and made obeisance.

[N] Earls.

[O] Companions.

[P] Thanes signified men high in power, of various degrees of rank.

Ethelfrith beheld Bethoc the Beautiful; and the songs that he had heard
in her praise were as an idle tale, for her loveliness exceeded the
power of song. The soul of the fierce king melted within him. It was
subdued by the sorcery of her charms.

"Give me," said he unto her father--and commandments ever fell from his
lips--"give me Bethoc to be my wife; for she is more lovely than the
morning star. She is fit for a warrior's bride; she shall be THE LADY[Q]
of Bernicia."

[Q] THE LADY was the appellation given to a queen amongst the
Anglo-Saxons.

Again the weird bowed his head. He knelt upon his knee. He presented his
daughter to the king. Then did Ethelfrith take her by the hand. He led
her forth to his chariot of war, through the midst of his ealdormen, his
comites, and his thanes, who were in great power and resistless in war,
and they made obeisance to her as she passed through the midst of them.
They saluted her as their queen. Her breast swelled with exultation.
Pride flashed from her eyes, as the sun bursting from a cloud dazzleth
the eye of the gazer. The king gazed upon her beauty as a dreamer upon a
fair vision.

Now, the beauty of Bethoc was sin made lovely. Her bosom was as a hill
where the vine and the cedar grew, and where flowers shed forth perfume;
but beneath which a volcano