Esyllt and Sabrina part 2

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Then Hymyr might have got on board his ships and sailed away as he had been wont to do, but the gods had maddened him with long good fortune, and nothing seemed good to him but to go and meet the brothers; for he thought in his heart that he would slay them both, and possess their lands; but the gods had willed it otherwise. The armies met at a great river, half way down the island, and, because, the brothers were afraid to cross in the face of the enemy, they remained in their camp on the right bank of the river till they could construct rafts to cross in safety; but Hymyr had brought his ships round the coast, and impatient of delay, he went on board of them, and crossed the arm of the sea at the river `s mouth, and his men came down on the compact lines of the brothers with shouting and boasting more like a rabble of revelers than tried soldiers going into battle.

Manliness of the Britons

Then there was fierce fighting on both sides, and the Hun `s knew at last what was the manliness of the Britons, and repented them in blood and agony of their rash boasting; and Hymyr, their chief, flying to his ships, was carried away by the current of the river, and drowned; and the river perpetuates the memory of his defeat and death, even to this day; for the men of the country call it the Humber, as it was called at that time from Hymyr, the Hun. When Hymyr was dead, his men, such, at least, as remained of them, laid down their arms, and gave themselves up to the Kings Locrinus and Albanactus, who received them kindly, and gave them waste lands to till, and ordered that they should be supplied with corn till their own crops were grown. Then all the treasure stored up in the ships was brought to the kings, and they were amazed at the costly garments, at the precious vessels plundered from the glowing west, at the armor, and at the rich furniture, spoil of palaces; and while they were admiring these things, lo! there came to them from the ships the fair princess Esyllt, led in triumph by the soldiers who had found her cowering among the sails, for she knew not whether the defeat of Hymyr were a cause of sorrow or rejoicing to her.

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