Great wonder 'tis to tell how God Almighty giveth

free,

With boundless love, earldoms and land and wisdom to mankind.

He ruleth all! The high-born man He letteth sometimes find

His heart's desire in large domains, and in the father

land

The soil beloved and stronghold bright He giveth to his hand;

And so on earth with kingdom wide and power doth him endow,

That, in the folly of his heart, no end he cares to

know.

Happy he lives; disease and eld to him come never

near;

No bitter grief may vex his mind, nor foe e'er cause

him fear,

But all the world is at his will; he nothing knows of

wrong,

Till overweening pride within him grows and waxes

strong,

When sleeps the watchman of the soul—a sleep beset with woe!

Close is the slayer dread whose bolt flies deadly from

the bow;

The shaft through all his armour shot, stands grievous in his breast.

At that strange summons of the fiend still finds his

sin no rest;

G

All kept so long still seems too small; his heart is

full of greed;

For valour's prize he deals no ring; forgets or will not

heed

The coming fate, for glory's Lord hath ever round him cast

Full measure of all earthly bliss. And so it haps at

last

Death-doomed the shattered body lies; the realm another takes

Who freely deals the gifts of earls, and whom no terrors shakes.

O dear Beowulf, best of men! of that fell crime

beware!

Choose the eternal, better rede; for pride take thou

no care,

Great warrior! Now a little while thy fortune shineth

bright

Eftsoons shall sickness or the sword asunder part thy

might,

Or licking fire, or whelming flood, mace-blow, or arrow's flight,

Or dire old age, or flash of eye, stop thee and hide

the light;

And soon shalt thou, O lord of men! in death o'erwhelmed lie!

Thus o'er the Ring-Danes fifty years I ruled beneath the sky,

And guarded them from many a tribe all o'er this middle-earth

With spear and sword, until no foe had I round heaven's girth.

Lo! then on me and on my land came change,-joy turned to woe,

When Grendel, man's old enemy, became my deadly

foe;

And for that bane sore grief of heart I've borne

continually.

Yet thanks be to eternal God that still the light I see, And fix my eyes-old troubles past-on yonder gory

head!

Now sit thee down, thou famed in war! Let

banquet joys be spread,

And wealth of gifts when morning dawns shall pass between us two!

Glad was the Goth at heart, and soon he to his

seat withdrew

As Hrothgar bade. Then as before fair was the banquet dight

For valiant men who sat in hall. Dark lowered the

helm of night

Upon the band. The nobles rose; the grey-haired Scylding old

Would seek his bed; sore longed for rest the Gothic warrior bold.

To him-toil-weary, travelled far-the hall-thane showed the way,

Who to the sailors of the sea his service day by day, In every want that they could have, with seemly

rev'rence gave.

High rose the house, all golden wrought, where laid

him down the brave:

There slept the guest until the swarthy raven, blithe of heart,

Foretold the coming light, heav'n's joy, when shadows all depart.

III.

THE PARTING OF BEOWULF AND
HROTHGAR.

The knights made haste, for journey boune, to see

their folk once more;

The valiant guest would seek again his keel far at the

shore.

He bade them Hrunting bring, and bade the son of Ecglaf take

His sword, the goodly steel; and thanked him for the loan; and spake

No word of blame of that edged blade, but said that good in fight

And trusty friend he counted it; for he was courteous knight.

Now when on journey boune to go were warriors

armed complete,

Then went the chief beloved of Danes where on the

lofty seat

Sat Hrothgar, hero old in war, and greeting thus spake

he

Beowulf, Ecgtheow's son:-"We now, the rovers of

the sea

Come from afar, to Higelac again desire to go.

Here nobly didst thou welcome us, and mickle kindness show.

If, for thy greater love, I can on earth in any way
Do war-deeds more than I have done, here am I ready

aye!

If tidings come beyond the sea that neighbours make

thee fear,

As those who hate thee somewhile did, then for thy help and cheer

A thousand fighting men I'll bring! For Higelac I

know,

The lord of Goths, (though young he be, the people's

ruler) so

With word and deed will urge me on right well to honour thee,

And bear the spear-shaft to thine aid, if thou in need shouldst be

Of men to help thy strength. And if the king's son Hrethic e'er

In the Goth's halls shall plead to him, friends many he'll find there;

Far countries best are sought by him who is himself the best!"

"The Lord All-knowing," Hrothgar said, "has put within thy breast