Library of the best American literature / Containing the lives of our authors in story form, their portraits, their homes, and their personal traits, how they worked and what they wrote; choice selections from eminent writers, embracing great American poets and novelists, foremost women in American letters, distinguished critics and essayists, our national humorists, noted journalists and magazine contributors, popular writers for young people, great orators and public lecturers

by Unknown

“Bright in her father’s hall

Shields gleam’d upon the wall,

Loud sang the minstrels all,

Chanting his glory;

When of old Hildebrand

I ask’d his daughter’s hand,

Mute did the minstrel stand

To hear my story.

“While the brown ale he quaff’d

Loud then the champion laugh’d,