They let them not unladen / with gifts from thence depart, So did the men of Etzel / fare on with lighter heart. To Ute and to her household / sent greeting Ruediger, That never margrave any / to them more well disposed were. 1426 Unto Brunhild also / did they themselves commend With willing service offered / and steadfast to the end. Bearing thus fair greeting / the messengers thence did fare, And prayed the noble margravine / that God would have them in his care. 1427 Ere the messengers had fully / passed o'er Bavarian ground, Had the nimble Werbel / the goodly bishop found. What greetings to his kinsmen / unto the Rhine he sent, That I cannot tell you; / the messengers yet from him went 1428 Laden with gold all ruddy, / to keep his memory. Thus spake the Bishop Pilgrim: / "'Twere highest joy to me Might I my sister's children / here see in home of mine, For that I may but seldom / go unto them to the Rhine." 1429 What were the ways they followed / as through the lands they fared, That can I nowise tell you. / Yet never any dared Rob them of wealth or raiment, / for fear of Etzel's hand: A lofty king and noble, / mighty in sooth was his command. 1430 Before twelve days were over / came they unto the Rhine, And rode into Worms city / Werbel and Schwemmelein. Told were soon the tidings / to the kings and their good men, How that were come strange messengers. / Gunther the king did question then. 1431 And spake the monarch further: / "Who here may understand Whence do come these strangers / riding unto our land?" Yet was never any / might answer to him make, Until of Tronje Hagen / thus unto King Gunther spake: 1432 "To us hath come strange tidings / to hand this day, I ween, For Etzel's fiddlers riding / hither have I seen. The same have by thy sister / unto the Rhine been sent: For sake of their high master / now give we them fair compliment." 1433 E'en then did ride the messengers / unto the castle door, And never royal minstrels / more stately went before. By the monarch's servants / well received they were: They gave them fitting lodging / and for their raiment had a care. 1434 Rich and wrought full deftly / was the travelling-dress they wore, Wherein they well with honor / might go the king before; Yet they at court no longer / would the same garments wear. The messengers inquired / if any were might wish them there. 1435 In sooth in such condition / many eke were found, Who would receive them gladly; / to such they dealt around. Then decked themselves the strangers / in garments richer far, Such as royal messengers / beseemeth well at court to wear. 1436 By royal leave came forward / to where the monarch sat The men that came from Etzel, / and joy there was thereat. Hagen then to meet them / in courteous manner went, And heartily did greet them, / whereat they gave fair compliment. 1437