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The Tale of Beowulf, Sometime King of the Folk of the Weder Geats
The Tale of Beowulf Sometime King of the Folk of the Weder Geats Author:William Morris Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: VI. BEOWULF AND THE GEATS COME INTO HART. STONE-DIVERSE the street was, straight uplong the path led 820 The warriors together. There shone the war- byr... more »ny The hard and the hand-lock'd ; the ring-iron sheer Sang over their war-gear, when they to the hall first In their gear the all-fearful had gat them to ganging. So then the sea-weary their wide shields set down, Their war-rounds the mighty, against the hall's wall. Then bow'd they to bench, and rang there the byrnies, The war-weed of warriors, and up-stood the spears, The war-gear of the sea-folk all gather'd together, The ash-holt grey-headed; that host of the iron 380 With weapons was worshipful. There then a proud chief Of those lads of the battle speer'd after their line : Whence ferry ye then the shields golden-faced, The grey sarks therewith, and the helms all be- visor'd, And a heap of the war-shafts ? Now am I of Hrothgar The man and the messenger : ne'er saw I of aliens So many of men more might-like of mood. I ween that for pride-sake, no wise for wrack- wending But for high might of mind, ye to Hrothgar have sought. Unto him then the heart-hardy answer'd and spake, 340 The proud earl of the Weders the word gave aback, The hardy neath helm : Now of Hygelac are we The board-fellows ; Beowulf e'en is my name, And word will I say unto Healfdene's son, To the mighty, the folk-lord, what errand is mine, Yea unto thy lord, if to us he will grant it That him, who so good is, anon we may greet. Spake Wulfgar the word, a lord of the Wendels, And the mood of his heart of a many was kenned, His war and his wisdom : I therefore the Danes' friend 350 Will lightly be asking, of the lord of the Scyldings, The dealer of rings, since the boon thou art bid...« less