roude: "Short Studies on Great Subjects."

THE SEA-KING'S BURIAL

"My strength is failing fast,"
Said the sea-king to his men;
"I shall never sail the seas
As a conqueror again.
But while yet a drop remains
Of the life-blood in my veins,
Raise, O raise me from the bed;
Put the crown upon my head;
Put my good sword in my hand,
And so lead me to the strand,
Where my ship at anchor rides
Steadily;
If I cannot end my life
In the crimsoned battle-strife,
Let me die as I have lived,
On the sea."

They have raised King Balder up,
Put his crown upon his head;
They have sheathed his limbs in mail,
And the purple o'er him spread;
And amid the greeting rude
Of a gathering multitude,
Borne him slowly to the shore--
All the energy of yore
From his dim eyes flashing forth--
Old sea-lion of the north--
As he looked upon his ship
Riding free,
And on his forehead pale
Felt the cold, refreshing gale,
And heard the welcome sound
Of the sea.

They have borne him to the ship
With a slow and solemn tread;
They have placed him on the deck
With his crown upon his head,
Where he sat as on a throne;
And have left him there alone,
With his anchor ready weighed
And his snowy sails displayed
To the favouring wind, once more
Blowing freshly from the shore;
And have bidden him farewell
Tenderly,
Saying, "_King of mighty men,
We shall meet thee yet again,
In Valhalla, with the monarchs
Of the sea_."

Underneath him in the hold
They have placed the lighted brand;
And the fire was burning slow
As the vessel from the land,
Like a stag-hound from the slips,
Darted forth from out the ships.
There was music in her sail
As it swelled before the gale,
And a dashing at her prow
As it cleft the waves below,
And the good ship sped along,
Scudding free;
As on many a battle morn
In her time she had been borne,
To struggle and to conquer
On the sea.

And the king, with sudden strength,
Started up and paced the deck,
With his good sword for his staff
And his robe around his neck:
Once alone, he raised his hand
To the people on the land;
An