Sigurd spake now, "Sure no wiser woman than thou art one may be found in the wide world; yea, yea, teach me more yet of thy wisdom!"

She answers, "Seemly is it that I do according to thy will, and show thee forth more redes of great avail, for thy prayer's sake and thy wisdom ;" and she spake withal--

"Be kindly to friend and kin, and reward not their trespasses against thee; bear and forbear, and win for thee thereby long enduring praise of men.

"Take good heed of evil things: a may's love, and a man's wife; full oft thereof doth ill befall!

"Let not thy mind be overmuch crossed by unwise men at thronged meetings of folk; for oft these speak worse than they wot of; lest thou be called a dastard, and art minded to think that thou art even as is said; slay such an one on another day, and so reward his ugly talk.

"If thou farest by the way whereas bide evil things, be well ware of thyself; take not harbour near the highway, though thou be benighted, for oft abide there ill wights for men's bewilderment.

"Let not fair women beguile thee, such as thou mayst meet at the feast, so that the thought thereof stand thee in stead of sleep, and a quiet mind; yea, draw them not to thee with kisses or other sweet things of love.

"If thou hearest the fool's word of a drunken man, strive not with him being drunk with drink and witless; many a grief, yea, and the very death, groweth from out such things.

"Fight thy foes in the field, nor be burnt in thine house.

'Never swear thou wrongsome oath; great and grim is the reward for the breaking of plighted troth.

"Give kind heed to dead men,--sick-dead, Sea-dead, or ~word-dead; deal heedfully with their dead corpses.

"Trow never in him for whom thou hast slain father, brother, or whatso near kin, yea, though young he be; 'for oft waxes wolf in youngling'.

"Look thou with good heed to the wiles of thy friends; but little skill is given to me, that I should foresee the ways of thy life; yet good it were that hate fell not on thee from those of thy wife's house."

Sigurd spake, "None among the sons of men can be found wiser than thou; and thereby swear I, that thee will I have as my own, for near to my heart thou liest."

She answers, "Thee would I fainest choose, though I had all men's sons to choose from."

And thereto they plighted troth both of them.

Sigurðr mælti: "Aldri finnst þér vitrari kona í veröldu, ok kenn ek fleiri spekiráð."

Hún svarar: "Heimilt er þat at gera at yðrum vilja ok gefa heilræði fyrir yðra eptirleitan ok vitrleik."

Þá mælti hún: "Ver vel við frændr þína ok hefn lítt mótgerða við þá ok ber við þol, ok tekr þú þar við langæligt lof. Sé við illum hlutum, bæði við meyjar ást ok manns konu.

Þar stendr opt illt af. Verð lítt mishugi við óvitra menn á fjölmennum mótum. Þeir mæla opt verra en þeir viti, ok ertu þegar bleyðimaðr kallaðr, ok ætlar, at þú sér sönnu sagðr.

Drep hann annars dags ok gjalt honum svá heiptyrði. Ef þú ferr þann veg, er vándar vættir byggja, ver varr um þik.

Tak þér ekki herbergi nær götu, þótt þik nátti, því at opt búa þar illar vættir, þær menn villa. Lát eigi tæla þik fagrar konur, þótt þú sjáir at veizlum, svá at þat standi þér fyrir svefni eða þú fáir af því hugarekka.

Teyg þær ekki at þér með kossum eða annarri blíðu.

Ok ef þú heyrir heimslig orð drukkinna manna, deil eigi við þá, er víndrukknir eru ok tapa viti sínu.

Slíkir hlutir verða mörgum at miklum móðtrega eða bana.

Berst heldr við óvini þína en þú sér brenndr. Ok sver eigi rangan eið, því at grimm hefnd fylgir griðrofi.

Ger rækiliga við dauða menn, sóttdauða eða sædauða eða vápndauða.

Búðu vandliga um lík þeira. Ok trú ekki þeim, er þú hefir felldan fyrir föður eða bróður eða annan náfrænda, þótt ungr sé.

Opt er úlfr í ungum syni. Sé vandliga við vélráðum vina þinna. En lítt megu vér sjá fyrir um yðart líf, en eigi skyldi mága hatr á þik koma."

Sigurðr mælti: "Engi finnst þér vitrari maðr, ok þess sver ek, at þik skal ek eiga, ok þu ert við mitt æði."

Hún svarar: "Þik vil ek helzt eiga, þótt ek kjósa um alla menn." Ok þetta bundu þau eiðum með sér.