future prowess.  For he chanced to obtain leave from his guardians, who were rearing him very carefully, to go and see the hunting.  A bear of extraordinary size met him; he had no spear, but with the girdle that he commonly wore he contrived to bind it, and gave it to his escort to kill.  More than this, many champions of tried prowess were at the same time of his life vanquished by him singly; of these Attal and Skat were renowned and famous.  While but fifteen years of age he was of unusual bodily size and displayed mortal strength in its perfection, and so mighty were the proofs of his powers that the rest of the kings of the Danes were called after him by a common title, the SKIOLDUNG’S.  Those who were wont to live an abandoned and flaccid life, and to sap their self-control by wantonness, this man vigilantly spurred to the practice of virtue in an active career.  Thus the ripeness of Skiold’s spirit outstripped the fulness of his strength, and he fought battles at which one of his tender years could scarce look on.  And as he thus waxed in years and valour he beheld the perfect beauty of Alfhild, daughter of the King of the Saxons, sued for her hand, and, for her sake, in the sight of the armies of the Teutons and the Danes, challenged and fought with Skat, governor of Allemannia, and a suitor for the same maiden; whom he slew, afterwards crushing the whole nation of the Allemannians, and forcing them to pay tribute, they being subjugated by the death of their captain.  Skiold was eminent for patriotism as well as arms.  For he annulled unrighteous laws, and most heedfully executed whatsoever made for the amendment of his country’s condition.  Further, he regained by his virtue the realm that his father’s wickedness had lost.  He was the first to proclaim the law abolishing manumissions.  A slave, to whom he had chanced to grant his freedom, had attempted his life by stealthy treachery, and he exacted a bitter penalty; as though it were just that the guilt of one freedman should be visited upon all.  He paid off all men’s debts from his own treasury, and contended, so to say, with all other monarchs in courage, bounty, and generous dealing.  The sick he used to foster, and charitably gave medicines to those sore stricken; bearing witness that he had taken on him the care of his country and not of himself.  He used to enrich his nobles not only with home taxes, but also with plunder taken in war; being wont to aver that the prize-money should flow to the soldiers, and the glory to the general.

Thus delivered of his bitterest rival in wooing, he took as the prize of combat the maiden, for the love of whom he had fought, and wedded her in marriage.  Soon after, he had by her a son, gram, whose wondrous parts savoured so strongly of his father’s virtues that he was deemed to tread in their very footsteps.  The days of Gram’s youth were enriched with surpassing gifts of mind and body, and he raised them to the crest of renown.  Posterity did such homage