May teach to Hrothgar, wise and good, to win the victory;
That so from him this baleful grief for ever may be rolled,

And happiness come back when these heart-burning waves are cold.
Else must he thole sore straits for aye, and trouble when on high
He sits in stately hall!"

Then did the fearless thane reply,
The warder as on steed he sat: "He who can rightly rede,
The wise shield-warrior, must judge of every word and deed.
Doubtless ye come, a friendly band, to see the Scyldings' lord-
Pass on, with me your guide, and bear the battle-weed and sword!
And I will bid my kinsmen thanes to guard from every foe
Your new-tarred ship here on the sand, till she again shall go
With wreathed neck o'er seas and bear your chief to Wederland.
Safe he be in battle stress who manfully shall stand!"

may
The ship, wide-bosomed, there remained fast anchored in the bay,
And they went on. Upon their brows boar-crested helmets lay
To guard their lives, bedecked with gold, fire-hardened, many-hued.
Together moving on they strode, right fierce their warlike mood,
Until the hall, all glorious wrought with gold, they could espy
Where Hrothgar dwelt. The goodliest hall it was beneath the sky
'Mong dwellers on the earth; and light o'er all the land it gave.
And then the warrior showed them clear that stronghold of the brave
That thither they might take their way; then turned his horse and

spake :

"Tis time for me to leave you here. In all ye undertake

The Almighty Father keep you safe and give you honour due!

Down to the shore must I, to guard 'gainst any foeman's crew."

The stone-paved street, of many hues, together led them on;
Clashed bright steel rings in shirt of mail, and handlocked corslet shone,

As in their dread array they went right onward to the hall;

Broad shield and buckler hard they laid, sea-weary, 'gainst the wall;
Their spears, the seamen's arms, stood piled, with ashen shafts all grey;

And mail and corslet rang when on the benches down they lay.
Well weaponed were these ironsides.*

Hard by a knight did stand

And haughtily these warriors asked their kinship and their land:

"Whence come ye with these plated shields, grey war-shirts, helmets

high,

And sheaf of battle-spears? Herald, and Hrothgar's thane am I.

A prouder band of outland men I never yet have seen;

No outcasts hither do ye come; but all for pride I ween

And in the glory of your hearts have ye sought Hrothgar now!"
Then answered high the Gothic chief and stern his helmèd brow:
"Board-mates of Higelac are we.
Beowulf is my name.

To Healfdene's mighty son, thy lord, will I my errand frame
If he will grant us leave to bring before him greeting good."

Wulfgar, (the Wendels' chief was he, well known to all his mood,
His wisdom and his worth), replied: "According to thy prayer
Before the Scyldings' lord, the Danes' ring-giver, will I bear
The tidings of thy coming here, and quickly answer bring
As that good lord thinks meet to give."

* 'Ironsides.' I borrow this happy rendering of iren preát from Mr. Arnold.

Then went he where the king

Was sitting, old and hoary haired, amid his troop of thanes.

Stately he moved until he stood beside the lord of Danes, (Knowing the seemly ways of courts), and to his chief thus spoke : "From far across the watery ways have come some Gothic folk; Their chief these warriors call by name Beowulf; and they pray That they may speak with thee my lord! Do not thou say them nay, Kind Hrothgar! They may vie with earls in comely battle-weed, And he who leads these warriors here right worthy is indeed."

Then Hrothgar spoke, the Scyldings' helm: "I knew him as a boy,
Ecgtheow was his old father's name; Hrethel the Goth with joy
His daughter gave to him to wife; now hither comes his heir
To seek a kindly friend! 'Twas said by seamen who did bear
Thank-offerings yonder to the Goths, that in his hand-grip lay
The strength of thirty men. And well I ween for help and stay
'Gainst Grendel's wrath has holy God to us Danes sent him now!
And for the greatness of his heart rich gifts will I allow.

Haste! Bid them in and see us here together kindred thanes—
And say moreover that they come right welcome to the Danes."

Forth from the hall then Wulfgar went. "My glorious lord,"

said he,

"The East Danes' ruler, bids me say he knows thy ancestry;

And welcome hither do ye come, ye warriors o'er the wave!
Now go ye in and Hrothgar see, all in your war-gear brave
And helmets high, but here let shields and deadly shafts abide."

Up rose the chief amid his knights, a band of warriors tried;

To guard the weapons some remained, obedient to their head,
The rest together hastened on, by Wulfgar's guidance led
Below the roof of Heorot's hall; nor paused the hero good

Till stern beneath his helmèd brow he on the dais stood.*

Then while his mail by smith-craft wrought, and hauberk glittered bright Beowulf spoke: "To Hrothgar hail! The kinsman and the knight

Of Higelac am I; and many a feat I've done in youth.

Now in my native land to me the tidings came for sooth

Of Grendel's work. Seafaring men have said that this fair hall,
This best of dwellings, idle stands, and to your warriors all
Useless when 'neath the vault of heaven the evening light is hid.
And me my folk, the best of them, wise churls, have earnest bid

To seek thee now, O Hrothgar, lord! they know my strength and

might;

And they have seen when stained with foeman's blood I came from fight,
The monsters bound, the Eoten race crushed, and within the wave
Slew Nicors of the night; ground down the foe; dreed pain; but gave
Requital for the wrongs and woes that Weder folk had tholed.

And now 'gainst Grendel, 'gainst that giant monster will I hold
The combat all alone. O Scyldings' lord! High prince of Danes!
I ask of thee this only boon--that thou, O shield of thanes !
Kind lord of men! wilt not forbid, now I have come thus far,
That with my band of earls alone-these valiant men of war-
may make Heorot clean.

I

Yet more! I've heard, so bold is he,

*See Note C.

Weapons the monster heedeth not, and therefore (so on me
May Higelac my lord look blithe!) in fight I scorn to bear
Broad shield or yellow targe or sword; but with my handgripe fair
I'll clutch the fiend and seek his life-foeman alone 'gainst foe—
And he whom death shall take away the doom of God shall know!

I ween that if he overcomes he wills in this war-hall

Unfeared to eat the Goths, as oft on Hrethmen he did fall.
Then if death taketh me thou wilt not need to hide my head :-
Grendel will have me, drenched in gore; my bleeding body, dead,
He'll bear away in hope to taste; the fiend who walks alone
Will ruthless eat, and on the moor will mark my burial stone!
My body thou wilt have no need to burn! But if I fail

Send Higelac my battle-weed and this good shirt of mail

That guards my breast. 'Tis Hrethel's heir-loom and by Wayland made. Weird ever goeth as she must!"

Then spoke the Scyldings' aid: "Thou com'st to us, Beowulf friend! for honour 'gainst the foe; Great was the fight thy father fought, who Heatholaf laid low With Wylfings, when the Wara's kin refused him for their head; Thence to the Danes, the Scylding folk, o'er heaving seas he sped, When first in youth I ruled the Danes and swayed the country wide And treasure-hold of men. Ere then my Heregar had died, My elder brother, Healfdene's son-a better man than me! But then with gifts I healed the feud, and o'er the broad-backed sea Sent to the Wylfing treasures good and bound him fast by oaths. To tell the tale to any man is grief my spirit loathes,