15 When lo! in my ancestral seat there came a change over all that; distress where mirth was before, as soon as Grendel, the old adversary, became an 5 inmate of mine; because of that visitation I continually carried great anxiety at heart. Thanks therefore be to the Governor, the Eternal Captain, for that which I have lived to see, that I, the old tribulation past, upon that severed, that bloody headpiece, with mine eyes do gaze! 'Go now to settle, share the festive joy, crowned with honors of war! Thou and I must have dealings together in many many treasures, when to-morrow comes.' The Goth was glad of mood; he moved promptly off, drawing to settle, as the sapient king ordained him. Then was to the company in hall, fair banquet served afresh. 'Until at length within the man himself something of arrogancy grows and develops; then sleepeth the guardian, the the guardian, the soul's keeper; it is too fast that sleep, awfully profound, the assassin is very nigh, he who from his arrow-bow malignantly shooteth. Then is he, helmeted man, smitten in the breast with a bitter shaft: he cannot defend himself from the crooked exorbitant counsels of the 20 again as before, to the gallant warriors, damned sprite; he fancies that it is too little, all that he has so long enjoyed; he is covetous, and malignant; glorieth not in the pomp of bestowing gilded decorations; and he forgetteth the ulterior consequences; he too lightly considers how that God the Dispenser of glory had erewhile given him the post of dignity. Then at the end of the chapter it returns to this, that the body 30 shrunken falls away, the outgoing life drops; - another fills his room, one who ungrudgingly distributes. treasure, the eorl's old accumulations; - timid prudence he despises. Night's covering grew dim, dark over the banded men. Uprose all the seniors: 25-it was that the gray-haired king, the venerable Scylding, was minded to draw to his bed. Vastly well did the Goth, the illustrious warrior, like the thought of repose; promptly was he, now weary of adventure, the man of far country, marshaled forth by the chamberlain, one who with meet ceremony supplied all the wants of a gentleman, such things as in that day the lords of the main required 35 to have. 'Guard thee against the fatal grudge, beloved Beowulf, youth most excellent, and choose for thee the better course, enduring counsels! incline not to arrogancy, thou mighty champion! Now is 40 thy strength in full bloom for one while; eftsoons it will happen that sickness or sword wil bereave thee of puissance; either clutch of fire or whelm of flood, either assault of knife or flight of jave- 45 lin, either wretched eld or glance of eyes, will mar and darken all; without more ado it will come to pass that death will subdue thee, thou captain of men! For example, I myself during fifty 50 years ruled beneath the welkin over the jeweled Danes, and I by valor made them secure against many a nation throughout this world with spears and swords, insomuch that I had no apprehension of 55 any rival under the circuit of the sky. So the great-hearted hero rested him; — high in air loomed the edifice, widespanning and gold-gleaming:- the stranger slept within, until the black raven announced heaven's glory with a blithe heart. Then came bright light striding over shadow; fiends scampered off. The ethelings were ready dight to fare back to their leeds; - the magnanimous visitor was minded to take ship, for a voyage far away. Then did the hero bid the son of Ecglaf bear away Hrunting, bade him take his sword, beloved weapon; said his thanks for the loan; quoth that he counted that war-mate a good one, warserviceable; with his words did not blame the faulchion's edge; that was a highsouled lad! And when the departing warriors were equipped in harness, the etheling honored by the Danes went up to the dais, where the other warlike hero was; - he greeted Hrothgar. XXVI BEOWULF'S PARTING INTERVIEW WITH shall cease, the hostile surprises whence they suffered erewhile; - they shall be, while I rule the wide realm, a community of treasure: many friends shall greet one 5 another with gifts across the bath of the gannet; the ringed ship shall bring over ocean presents and tokens of love. I know the people to be equally as towards foe so towards friend constant in mind, either way irreproachable, in olden wise.' Then did the shelter of warriors, the son of Healfdene, further give into his possession twelve hoarded jewels; he bade him go with the presents, visit his own people in comfort, and soon come back again. Then did the king of noble ancestry, the chief of the Scyldings, kiss the incomparable thane and clasp him by 20 the neck; tears from him fell, the grayhaired man; forecast was both ways to the man of old experience, but one way stronger than the other, namely, that they might never meet again, proud men in the assembly. To him the man was so dear, that he could not restrain the passion of his breast, but deep in the affections of his soul a secret longing after the beloved man stemmed the current of his blood. Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, uttered to speech: Now we sea-voyagers wish to say, we who have come from far, that we are purposing to go to Hygelac. Here we have been well entertained to our satisfaction; thou hast been to us 15 very generous. If I therefore may by any means upon earth undertake for thy further gratification, O captain of men, labors of war beyond what I have yet done, I shall be ready promptly. If they bring me word over the circuit of the floods that neighbors press thee with alarm as whilom thy haters did, I will bring thee a thousand thanes, warriors to help thee. I can undertake for Hyge- 25 lac, captain of the Goths, young though he be, shepherd of people, that he will forward me by words and by works, so that I may do high service to thee, and for thy support bring a forest of spears, a mighty subsidy, when thou shalt have need of men: if moreover Hrethric, princely child, is in treaty for admission at the courts of the Goths, he may there find many friends; foreign 35 countries are best visited by him who is of high worth in himself.' answer: 30 Beowulf, departing thence, a warrior gold-bedight, trod the grassy earth conscious of wealth: the seagoer, which was riding at anchor, awaited his owner and lord. Then upon the march was the liberality of Hrothgar often praised; that was a king, every way without reproach; until old age had bereft him of the vantage of his prowess,-him who had often been a terror to many. XXVII Hrothgar bespake him in 'These considerate words hath the Allwise Lord put into thy mind; never 40 heard I a man so young in life speak more to purpose; thou art strong in might and ripe in understanding; wise in discourse of speech. I count it likely, if it cometh to pass that the spear, the grim 45 despatch of battle, taketh away Hrethel's offspring, if ailing or iron taketh thy chieftain, the shepherd of the people, and thou hast thy life, that the sea-faring Goths have not any thy better to choose 50 to the water; they wore ring-armor, net THE WARDEN OF THE PORT, HIS RESPECT- So the troop of gallant bachelors came ted limb-sarks. The land warden observed the return-march of the eorls, just as he had done before; - not with suspicion from the peak of the cliff did 55 he greet the visitors, but he rode towards them; he said to the leeds of the Wederas that the bright-mailed explorers came welcome to their ships. Then was on the beach the roomy sea-boat laden with war-harness, the ring-prowed ship with horses and treasures; the mast rose high over wealth from Hrothgar's hoard. 5 He to the boat-warden presented a gold-bound sword insomuch that ever after he was on the mead-bench the more worshipful by reason of that decoration, that sword of pedigree. ΙΟ THE THIRD PART XXXII HOW IT HAPPENED THAT THE MAN ROBBED Not of set purpose nor by his own free choice had he visited the dragon's hoard, he who brought sore trouble on himself; but for dire necessity had he, [The Gothic captain with his band of warriors] betook him to ship, ploughing deep water; the Danes' land he quitted. Then was by the mast a manner of seagarment, a sail with sheet made fast; the 15 the slave of some one or other of the sea-timber hummed. There did the wind over the billows not baffle the wavefloater of her course; the sea-goer marched, scudded with foamy throat forward over the swell, with gorgeous prow 20 over the briny currents, till they were able to espy the Gothic cliffs, familiar headlands. The keel grated up ashore, with way on her from the wind; she stood on land. Quickly was the hithe- 25 warden ready at the strand, he who already for a long time expectant at the water's edge had eyed the craft of the beloved men; he bound to the shore the wide-bosomed ship with anchor-cables 30 fast, lest the violence of the waves might snatch the winsome craft away from them. XXXI BEOWULF COMES TO THE THRONE. * sons of men, fled from outrageous stripes a houseless wretch, and into that place had blundered like a man in guilty terror. [Here four (or five) mutilated lines seem to say that the fugitive, though quickly horror-struck at his new danger, still by the impetus of despair borne forward had espied a cup of precious metal.] There was a quantity of such things in that earth-cavern, ancient acquisitions; just as some unknown man in days of yore had in pensive thought hidden them there, the prodigious legacy of a noble race, treasures of worth. Death had carried them all off previously, and that solitary one then of the proud company who had there longest kept afoot, a possessor mourning lost friends, would fain survive, if only that he might for a 35 little space enjoy the long-accumulated wealth. Consequently the broad realm came to the hand of Beowulf; he governed well fifty-winters that was a venerable king, 45 an A barrow already existed on the down, nigh by the waves, sheer over the cliff, cunningly secured; therein did the owner 40 of rings carry a ponderous quantity of beaten gold: a few words he spake: 'Hold thou now, O earth, now that the heroes could not, the possessions of mighty men. Lo! in thee at first the brave men found it; a violent death carried them away, a fearful slaughter carried off every one of the men, my peers, who surrendered this life; they attained the joy of the (supernal) hall. Not one have I to wear a sword, or furbish the bossy tankard, the precious drink-stoup; the valiant are departed otherwhere. Now must the hard helmet, damascened with gold, shed its intayled foliations; the ethel-warden - until one began in dark nights, even a dragon, to have mastery; one that on a high heath kept a hoard, a steep stone-castle; a path lay beneath, unfrequented by people. There- 50 within had gone some man or other, [deftly] he took of the heathen hoard, [took a thing] glistening with precious metal; that he afterwards [rued], that he had tricked the horrid keeper while 55 furbishers sleep, they whose task it was to sleeping, with thievish dexterity that he was infuriate. keep the masks of war; likewise the war-coat which in battle and through the crash of shields was proof against the bite of swords, shall molder like the warrior. No longer can the ringed mail along with the war-chief widely travel by the hero's side; - no delight of harp, no joy of gleewood, no good hawk swinging through the hall, no swift horse tramping in the castle-court. Destructive death hath sent many generations far evening came; so enraged was the master of the barrow, the malignant one designed with fire to revenge the loss of the precious tankard. Presently the day was 5 gone, the worm had his will; no longer would he bide in fenced wall, but he issued forth with burning, equipped with fire. The commencement of it was frightful to the people in the country; likewise it away.' Thus did he with sorrowful heart 10 speedily had a sore ending upon their lament his unhappiness, sole survivor of all he sadly wept, by day and by night, until that death's ripple touched at his heart. benefactor. XXXIII THE DRAGON'S DEVASTATION. THE KING'S The dazzling hoard was found open 15 standing by the old pest of twilight, the flaming one that haunteth barrows, the scaly spiteful dragon, that flieth by night, surrounded with fire, whom country-folk hold in awful dread. His portion is to 20 resort to the hoard under ground, where he with winters aged shall guard heathen gold; he will be no whit the better for it. So had that wide-ravager for three hundred winters held in the earth an 25 of the deadly foe was seen far and near; enormous treasure-house, until that one angered him, a man angered his mood; - to his chieftain the man bore a tankard bossed with gold, and prayed his lord for a covenant of peace. Then was the hoard rifled, quantity of jewels carried off; the friendless man had his petition granted. The lord contemplated men's ancient work for the first time. 30 Then the monster began to spirt firegleeds, to burn the cheerful farmsteads; the flame-light glared aloft, in defiance of man; the hostile air-flyer would leave nothing there alive. The war-craft of the worm was manifest in all parts; the rage how the ravaging invader hated and ruined the Gothic people; to his hoard he shot back again, to his dark mansion, before the hour of day. He had encompassed the land folk with flame, with fire and conflagration; he trusted in his mountain, his war-craft and his rampart; that confidence deceived him. Then was the crushing news reported When the worm woke, the quarrel was 35 to Beowulf with swiftness and certainty, begun; forthwith he sniffed the scent along the rock; the marble-hearted one found the enemy's track; he had stepped forth abroad with undetected craft, hard by the dragon's head. So may 40 that man who retains the fealty of the Supreme, elude death and freely escape both harm and pursuit. The hoard-keeper sought diligently over the ground, he wanted to find the man, the man who had 45 wrought him mischief in his sleep; fiery and in raging mood he often swung around the mound, all out round about; there was not any man there in that desert waste. Nevertheless he exulted in 50 purpose of battle, of bloody work; at intervals he would dash back into the barrow, would seek the costly vessel; presently he had satisfied himself of that, that some one of manfolk had invaded 55 the gold, the mighty treasures. The hoard-keeper waited with difficulty until that his own mansion, best of buildings, was melting away in fiery eddies, even the gift-seat of the Goths. That was to the goodman a rude experience in his breast, hugest of heart-griefs; the wise man felt as if he should, in despite of venerable law, break out against Providence, against the Eternal Lord, with bitter outrage; his breast within him surged with murky thoughts, in a manner unwonted with him. The fire-drake had desolated the stronghold of the nobles, the sea-board front, that enclosed pale, with fiery missiles. For him therefore the war-king, the lord of the Storm-folk, studied revenge. He gave orders, that they should make for him, the shelter of warriors, the captain of knights, wholly of iron, a war-shield, a master-piece; he knew assuredly, that forest-timber would not serve him, lindenwood against flame! Destined he was, the prince of proved valor, to meet the end of his allotted days, of his worldly life; and the worm (was to die) at the same time, long though he had held the hoarded wealth. Then did he, of rings the patron, think it scorn that he should go seek the wideflyer with a band, with a large host; he had no fear of the encounter for himself, nor did the worm's war-craft at all subdue his puissance and enterprise; for- 10 asmuch as he whilere, in shrewd jeopardy, had carried him safe through many a contest, many a battle-clash, since the time that he, a victorious boy, had purged Hrothgar's hall, and with battle-grip had 15 done for Grendel's kinsfolk, a loathsome brood. gold, or else war carrieth, pitiless life-bale carrieth away your lord!' Up rose then by the brink the resolute warrior, stern under his helmet, he wore 5 battle-sark among rugged cliffs, he trusted the strength of his single manhood; such is not the way of a craven. Then he beheld near the rampart - he who, excellent in accomplishments, had survived a great number of wars, of battle-clashes, when armed men close- - beheld where stood a rocky arch, and out of it a stream breaking from the barrow, the surface of that burn was steaming hot with cruel fire; nigh to the hoard could not the hero unscorched any while survive for the flame of the dragon. Then did the prince of the StormGoths, being elate with rage, let forth 20 word out of his breast, the strong-hearted stormed; the shout penetrated within (the cavern), vibrating clear as a battle-cry, under the hoary rock. Fury was stirred; the hoard-warder recognized speech of 25 man; opportunity was there no more, to stickle for terms of peace. In advance first of all there came the reeking breath of the monster, out from the rock, a hot jet of defiance; the ground trembled. The warrior under the barrow side, the Gothic captain, swung his mighty shield against the hideous customer; therewithal was the heart of the ringy worm incited to seek battle. Already the brave warking had drawn sword, ancient heirloom of speedy edge; each of the belligerents had a dread of the other. Resolute in mind the prince of friends took stand well up to his hoised shield, while the worm buckled suddenly in a bow; - he stood to his weapons. Beowulf uttered speech, with boastful words he spake, for the last time: 'I hazarded many wars in youth; yet again will I, the aged keeper of the folk, seek 30 strife, and do famously; if the fell ravager out of his earthen dome will come forth to meet me.' Then did he address a word of greeting to each of his men, the keen helm-wearers, for the last time, 35 his own familiar comrades. 'I would not bear sword or weapon to meet the worm, if I knew how I might otherwise maintain my vaunt against the monster, as I formerly did against Grendel. But there 40 I expect fire, deadly scorching, blast and venom; for that reason I have upon me shield and byrnie. I will not flee away from the keeper of the mountain, no, not a foot space; but it shall be decided be- 45 tween us two on this rampart, as Wyrd allots us, (and) the Governor of every man. I am in spirit so eager for action, that I cut short bragging against the wingy warrior. Await ye on the moun- 50 tain, with your byrnies about you, menat-arms, to see which of us twain may after deadly tussle best be able to survive his hurt. That is not your mission, nor any man's task save mine alone, that he 55 try strength against the monster, achieve heroism. I must with daring conquer Then did the flaming foe, curved like an arch, advance upon him with headlong shuffle. The shield effectually protected life and limb a less while for the glorious chieftain than his sanguine hope expected, supposing he, that time, early in the morning, was to achieve glory in the strife; so had Wyrd not ordained it. Up swung he his hand, the Gothic captain, he smote the spotted horror with the mighty heirloom, that its brown edge turned upon the bony crust; less effectually bit than was required by the king's need, who was sorely pressed. Then was the keeper of the barrow after that shrewd assault furious with rage, cast |