The Death of Balder Part 9

BALDER. Ay, doth she!

THOR. That rejoices thee? Thou ravest.

BALDER. Ah hear!--my joy thou wilt thyself approve of.

THOR (after some reflection). Now, n.o.ble one, I understand: embrace me-- Thy vict'ry's worthy thee--and me--and Odin.

On Gevar's rocks I will myself engrave it.

Oh! not a weak, soft-hearted maid, but Balder, But thee, my friend--the monster in thy bosom, Thy love, thy foolish love, thou overcamest.

BALDER. Ah, hush thee, cruel one! I feel I'm blushing.

Know, I had never o'er my heart less power.

I burn, and tremble at the thought of seeing The flame put out by which I am tormented.

THOR. What do I hear? Ye heavens! can an Asa Lose virtue thus, and all--well, quaff thy pleasure!

And rave and dote! Thou lov'st and art rejected?

How pleasurably! By my arm, I'm thinking The Valkyrie has touch'd thy skull already, Thou ravest so--I see thy fate is hastening.

BALDER. My fate's first law is love.

THOR. Alas, the second Is death!

BALDER. And where's the battle? where's the slayer?

THOR. The slayer? Hother.

BALDER. Weaponless, despairing, He wanders 'mong the rocks. We fought.

THOR. He liveth?

BALDER. Ah, Nanna wept.

THOR. Curst tears! the blood of Asa For ye must pay!

BALDER. And friend, had he the power, Think'st thou that Hother, that the Skiolding basely Would murder him to whom his life he oweth?

THOR. Not so would he. But if he must, what can he 'Gainst destiny, if she the death-spear hands him, And guides herself his arm?

BALDER. Oh, banish, banish Thy timid care, and hear and share my transport; Just now, as Hother's life I spar'd there glitter'd, Through Nanna's tears the first, first glimpse of pity; Sweetly she smil'd, and granting me her friendship, She press'd my hand with loving warmth.

THOR. Ha! vex not Mine ear, I pray thee, with thy follies--little Is Asa Thor with dastard love acquainted; Yet can I see into her heart. She thanks thee For Hother's life: that gives thee joy? Thou dreamest.

BALDER. My life's the dream thou dost aspire to scatter.

THOR. It is thy death!

BALDER. What death? See fate accomplished!

Behold this spear which late the Leir-King brandish'd!

My knee grew weak: I stagger'd when it struck me; Yet still I live, and it to earth fell blunted.

THOR (Whilst he surveys the spear). Do not deceive thyself, this spear was harden'd In flames celestial, not in Nastroud's blazes.

But death has greeted Odin's son, and Rota, She who invites the hero-kings to Valhall, Is here, where never din of arms resounded.

With terror view'd I battle's haughty daughter: Dark stood she on a rock, enveiled in vapour; And on her shoulder, on her steel-cas'd shoulder, The bird of death, the mournful owl, sat croaking.

Whom seeks she, far from every b.l.o.o.d.y Champain?

And Surtur's branch, how soon is that discover'd, If fate but wish! And think'st thou Loke slumbers?

Ah, Balder fly! forget a foolish pa.s.sion!

Fly, ere thy fate, which hasteneth, is accomplish'd.

Follow me straight!

BALDER. What--fly! and give up Nanna!

The hope in which I live is far too n.o.ble For me to fly from it.

THOR. O Balder, hear me!

Hear why I come, and if thou wish'st for rescue, Then heed a friend's, a father's last, last warning!

Wondering at thy infatuation, troubled By threatening, now no longer dark forebodings, By panic seiz'd, press'd by unwonted sadness, I left these hills, and thunder-peals announced me In Asgaard, every eye my trouble notic'd; Straightway around me stream'd the eldest Aser, Each first would know, what grief, or rather terror, Press'd down my eye. But straight Allfather made me A sign: he blushes, Balder, at thy weakness!

He bade me keep it, whilst we could, a secret, And question first once more the ancient Mimer.

I question'd him, and murky fate's explorer Thus answer'd: "If the sun (ah, hear and tremble, And save thee, whilst thou canst!) if it to-morrow, When by its glories yonder hills are brighten'd, Which oft have echoed back the half-G.o.d's wailings, Behold him yet in love and yet rejected, Then likewise it beholds the spear which slays him, And Odin's tears and all the Aser's sorrow!"

BALDER. Time presses, then. Excuse me, Thor; I hasten With tears to soften Nanna's n.o.ble bosom, To move her with my prayer, and, lowly kneeling, My doom demand, be't life or death; for quickly Shall Balder's fate disclose itself. [He goes.

THOR (whilst he looks after him with compa.s.sion). Ah, madman!

Headlong thou hurriest to meet destruction!

ACT THE THIRD.

It is dark night. The storm howls among the rocks. Sometimes it lightens and thunders, and the bears bellow here and there in the forest.

HOTHER (sitting upon a rock unarmed and in a dejected att.i.tude).

The rocks are reeling, When storms are roaring, And thunders pealing, I feel no fright!

What I'm enduring Is wilder, stranger Than thunder's anger Or tempests might.

Welcome, thou night! O darkness thick! how friendly, Compa.s.sionately hid'st thou me from Hother!

From him, the weak, the overcome, the fallen!

Come, then, embrace me, Hoe;theim's murky princess!

With all thy horrors dark, thou foe of gladness!

Ah, come! conceal the feeble, shiver'd weapon!

Cover the gloomy rock where I-- Ha! thunder Annihilate thee, accursed thought, that darest Disturb the Skoldung where to rest he's flung him!

But I may breathe it to the night, and Hoe;theim I may entrust with Hother's ignominy.

Ha! hear it, night! and in thy depths conceal it!

There is a rock--a gloomy one--a horrid, For ugly demons swarm upon its summit, And dragons nestle in its murky caverns: There did I fall, and with me fell my honour.

There knelt I powerless, and my life accepted!

Now am I calm, for I no more behold it; Nor yet behold the proud, the n.o.ble foeman, Nor yet my Nanna's cheek, o'erspread with blushes; Nor yet the burning, hated tears which rescued, Which purchased Hother from triumphant Balder!

Ha! storm, thou sinkest! Howl and whoop around me!

Peal, thunders, peal! and drown the cruel echo Of dastard prayer, of Nanna's intercession!