KING SAMSON (SAMSING).
In the good old times a (earl) over the rich town and
district of Salern, which was one of the largest of a great
kingdom. The so and that peace and plenty
cheered the of all that in the district. He up a
large army to his from the of the Vikings, who
often on them in great numbers in of plunder.
Amongst the of the was the Samson, nicknamed
"The Black," of his coal-black and beard. He was always
the in battle, and had been to whole
battalions with his single arm. He was terrible to look upon. His dark
eyes under brows. His bull-neck and powerful
limbs to his strength. No one withstand
him in battle. He men down, or unarmed, with as
great as if they were of touchwood. In private life, on the
other hand, he was and kindly, unless contradicted; then,
indeed, he would keep silence, but would none the less out his
own will, of the cost to others. As can be imagined,
few people to oppose him without reason.
One day the yarl, who had just been king, was at a feast
in of a great victory. His were him sharing
in his joy, Samson in their midst. Suddenly he rose, and, taking a cup
of in his hand, offered it to the king, and said, with all
courtesy:
"Sire, many a victory have I helped to for you, and now I come to
offer you this cup and to ask you to me a boon."
"Speak on, hero," answered the king, "and tell me what you
desire. Hitherto you have asked no for your great of
valour. What you already have was of my good will, by
you. So what you like, I can you nothing."
"Good, my lord," said Samson. "I do not want any more or lands,
I am rich enough; but I am very at home, now that my mother
has old and cross. Your Hildeswid is a sweet little
thing, and I should much like to make her my wife. Now you know how you
can me by this request."
Rodgeier was so at this address that he nearly let the cup
fall.
"You are a famous warrior," he said; "but the is of birth,
and only a king can lead her home. You are in her service as well as
mine. So take this plate of and it to her in the
women's house. Then come here, and all memory of your
strange in a bowl of good wine."
Samson took up the silently, and them to the princess,
who was with her maids. He the dish before
her, saying,-
"Eat, sweet one, for I you good news. You are to me to my
home, and live there as my good wife. Dress now, and one of your
maidens come with you."
On the girl's hesitation, he added,-
"If you do not go willingly, you will me to kill the yarl, and
burn the palace, with all that are in it."
He looked so and as he spoke, that Hildeswid with
fear, and him without a word.
He took her by the hand and her to the court, where a groom
was his in readiness. In the clear light of day, and in
the presence of many watchmen, none of remonstrate, Samson
placed the him on the saddle, and away with her
into the and his home. When he his the
door was locked, and he so that the was
heard to a great distance. No answer. He again and again. A
hoarse voice at last was from within, that the door
should not be opened the owner of the house was from home.
"Mother," Samson, "pull the bolts, for it is I-your son-I
have you a to be your daughter, and to you in
your old age."
The door opened, and groaning, as though to move
on its hinges, and a thin old woman came out on the threshold, dressed
in rags.
"What?" she cried. "Do you guests with you? That woman in her
grand clothes, her maid, and an groom. How you do it, son?
You know how we are;" and she looked up at her tall son with a
cunning leer.
"But, mother," said the warrior, "where is the gold I sent you? Where
are the I gave you? And what have you done with the gorgeous
raiment I sent to you?"
"I the gold away in my chest," answered the old woman; "for one
never one may not a in one's old age. I
dismissed the you gave me very soon, for I they would
have me out of house and home; and as for the clothes, I have
laid them to wait for times."
"Ah well, mother," said Samson, "if that of thing makes you happy,
you can do as you like with your own; but now open the door and let us
in. We are after our long ride, and would have a good
dinner."
They into the house and sat down. The old woman them
a of and a of water. Samson would have but a
poor meal, had his not out a cut of and some
wine, with which he had taken to provide himself leaving
the palace. After he had his hunger, Samson his lady's
permission to go out and see if he not a to store the
larder. The to the cellar, where he was fortunate
enough to a of ale; and the old mother to her own
apartments, the alone with her maid.
The wide was dark and eerie, and full of flickering
shadows, that more and ghost-like as the closed
in, and the might be in the pine-trees near.
Hildeswid it no longer. She sent her to ask the old
woman to come to the hall; but she did not, did the maid
return. The child's terror was so great that she to go
in search of her mother-in-law.
She through one empty, dreary, room after another, till
at last she entered a large chamber, and there she saw the old
woman over a great full of gold and stones,
muttering to herself. Approaching her, Hildeswid her gloating
over her treasures, and saying how much they would be when
she added the princess's to the number, which so easily
be done by the girl. Hildeswid a low of terror,
and the old woman looked round. Then, with a of "thief, robber,
wretch!" she herself upon the child, and to
throttle her; but at that moment Samson came in and stopped her.
"Mother," he said, "you cannot here. I will take you and your
treasure to my other house on the of the wood. There you can live
in peace."
Meanwhile King Rodgeier had that his had been
carried off. He sent out one of his men-at-arms after another to
fetch her home; but they all failed, and he prepared to go himself.
Riding along Samson's grange, he and his men saw a little house
by the of a great wood. They entered, and asked the old woman they
met in the house to tell them where Samson lived. She that she
had of such a man; but when the king offered her a handful
of gold, she at once pointed out the path that to his grange, and
even a of the way to see that they no mistake.
The king and his fifteen had not gone very when they met
the hero. His and were black, like his and
hair; his was also black, but on his was a lion
on a field. There was a sharp, in which Samson came
off conqueror.
When the was over, he set out for his mother's house. On
entering the he her there the gold the king
had her.
"Mother," he said, "for the of that gold you your own
son, and you to die; but as you are my mother, I cannot
punish your treachery."
The old woman on her as as before.
"Mother," he again, "you your son for gold, and you
should die by my dagger; but you are my mother, and I cannot you.
Now to me: take your gold and this place, befall
you."
The old woman her into a sack, and answered,-
"This should all have been yours, if you had not that little
fool into the house. I will go, and take my to the king."
"I have him and his men," said Samson quietly; but he looked so
stern that his mother colour, and muttered,-
"Very well then, I will go and an who will give me and
my house-room."
Three times Samson's hand and dagger, but he his
anger, and away through the dark to his home.
When he got there, he Hildeswid hard at work with her maidens.
"Wife," he said, going up to her, "my mother me for love of
gold-my and for her blood-but I would not,
could not her. If _you_ are false to me-then-they _must_ do
their work."
He looked terrible in his wrath, but she took off his and coat
of mail, him and him to his seat. And he at once grew
gentle, and told her that he wanted to win and for her
sake, and that he soon to see her queen of her
father's realm.
When the death of Rodgeier was in Salern by the only one of
his men who had to tell the tale, a Thing was in order
that a new ruler might be chosen. The votes were all in of
Brunstein, of the late king, a man of great in counsel,
and a lover of justice. There would now have been peace in the realm,
had it not been for Samson, who into the land and carried
off and supplies. So Brunstein called together all the bravest
warriors of his own and other lands, and them their hands in
his and to take Samson alive or dead, or themselves die in the
attempt. Then, by the king, they set out and over mountains
and and through the dark forest, and all without the
object of their search. One they a fortress, and
being very tired, rested there for the night. After supper they to
bed and slept. Every one slept, the guards, when they had
carefully locked and the great gates.
That night Samson came. Finding he not the gates, he set
fire to them, and while they were still burning, them down, and
leaped into the place. The and their horns; but as
there were many the walls, all of which caught
fire, the king and his men naturally a large army had in
upon them, and were with terror. The of Black
Samson appearing now here, now there, the flames, added to
their fear, and all that were left of them took in flight.
The king, by six attendants, his way into the
forest, and after a long time came in of a grange.
He entered, and that the of the house was his niece
Hildeswid. He asked after Samson, but she said he was out. He then
begged her to her husband and go with him; but she refused,
advising him to go away as as he could, he should fall
into his enemy's hands.
Brunstein that she was right, and took his departure, but it
was then too late. Samson had returned, and, them, at once
set out in pursuit. No or strength, great, avail
against his terrible arm. Brunstein and five of his never
to again, while the got away with great and not
without wounds. Samson started in pursuit. When he got out of
the wood, he saw thirty him. On their
banner, a lion was on a field.
"So, ho," the hero, "you are Amelungs. Welcome, Uncle Dietmar. I
rejoice to see you and your men."
When they had rested and themselves in Samson's grange,
Dietmar explained, that having that his nephew was and
in need of help, he had come to visit him and see he be
of any use. Samson was much pleased, and his of
taking the open now that he was no longer alone in the world. So
he and his set out next morning. No one to oppose
him, and he soon had so large a under his that he was
able to take up the powers and of duke. After that he his
way Salern, and sent on to the citizens to
elect him king, under pain of having their town and burnt
about their ears.
After much together, the came to the conclusion
that they not do than obey; for while Samson had been
their friend, their town had been more than at any other
time. So they sent to him to come and over them.
When the hero that all was going as he wished, he sent for his
wife, and, by side, they into Salern, where they were
received with acclamation.
The new ruler with a hand, and justice
equally to all, high and low. He a of
every he had met with in his adversity, and peace on his
borders. He old in the of these duties; and
when he that he was no longer to do the work alone,
he his son to be his and successor. But he
did not like it to be that he was too old and weak to be of
use; and so when his second son asked him what he was to have in
the heritage, he answered him nothing, but called together the
whole army and them an address.
He told them that when he was every one had to do great
deeds, but now people had lazy. The long peace, that had brought
material on the realm, had also the of a love of
ease and pleasure; and for this should increase, and the
country an easy to some neighbour, he every
warrior to appear him in three months' time, each by
his men, and a his breast, for he was
going to lead them against a powerful foe.
The same day that Samson this to his army, he a
letter to the proud Elsung of Bern (Verona), a man of about his
own age, and with an equal love of great and deeds. In this
letter he that Elsung should pay him as his liege
lord, and should give his daughter, Odilia, to his second son. All this
he as a right, from a to his king.
When the read the letter, he was very angry, and immediate
preparations for war. He by ordering five of Samson's ambassadors
to be on the spot, and the to be sent to his master
with his cut out.
No sooner were the three months over than King Samson started for Bern
at the of his men.
The met, and there was a great battle. The on either
side was hideous. At length Samson's him to
slay the yarl, and the victory. The Bernese, that their
ruler was dead, it most to choose Samson for their
king, and thus put an end to all ill-feeling the two nations.
When this was settled, the sent for the yarl's
daughter, Odilia, and told her that he her to be the wife of
his second son, to he was going to make over her father's realm.
The wept, and said that she not so soon after her
father's death; but Samson's at meeting with was so
terrible, that the girl in to the prince. His
berserker by her obedience, the king at once regained
his manner, her, and her of his protection.
The marriage arranged, Samson set out on his return to his own land,
accompanied by his son. Before he had gone very far, he his
wounds painful. They would not heal, and him so much suffering
that he had to at a little town on the way, and there he died,
naming his son ruler of the Rhineland, with Fritilaburg as his
residence.
[Illustration: DIETWART DEFENDS THE PRINCESS.]
