Beowulf : a digital edition

Ðā cōm of mōre⁠ under mist-hleoþum Grendel gongan,⁠ Godes yrre bær; mynte se mān-scaða ⁠manna cynnes sumne besyrwan⁠ in sele þām hēan. Wōd under wolcnum,⁠ tō þæs þe hē wīn-reced, gold-sele gumena,⁠ gearwost wisse, fǣttum fāhne;⁠ ne wæs þæt forma sīð, þæt hē Hrōþgāres ⁠hām gesōhte. Nǣfre hē on aldor-dagum⁠ ǣr ne siþðan heardran hæle, ⁠heal-ðegnas fand. Cōm þā tō recede⁠ rinc siðian drēamum bedǣled;⁠ duru sōna onarn, fȳr-bendum fæst,⁠ syþðan hē hire folmum [hr]ān;

722. MS. defective at edge. Zupitza's transliteration of the facsimile of the MS. has '[gehr]an.' There is room for two letters before hrān, but there is no evidence for ge-. On the contrary, whilst hrinān usually governs the dat., gehrinān more commonly takes the accus. (pace Grein).

onbrǣd þā bealo-hȳdig,⁠ ðā [hē ge]bolgen wæs,

723. MS. faded at edge. Kemble, Grein-Wülcker, and Heyne '[hē] ābolgen.' Zupitza says: "Now bolgen is still distinct, and before it I think I see traces of two letters of which the first seems to have been g; but what preceded this is entirely faded."

recedes mūþan.⁠ Raþe æfter þon on fāgne flōr⁠ fēond treddode, ēode yrre-mōd;⁠ him of ēagum stōd ligge gelīcost ⁠lēoht unfæger. Geseah hē in recede ⁠rinca manige, swefan sibbe-gedriht ⁠samod ætgædere, mago-rinca hēap. ⁠Þā his mōd āhlōg; mynte þæt hē gedǣlde, ⁠ ǣr þon dæg cwōme, atol āglǣca,⁠ ānra gehwylces līf wið līce,⁠ þā him ālumpen wæs wist-fylle wēn.⁠ Ne wæs þæt wyrd þā gēn, þæt hē mā mōste ⁠manna cynnes ðicgean ofer þā niht. ⁠Þrȳð-swȳð behēold mǣg Higelāces,⁠ hū se mān-scaða under fǣr-gripum⁠ gefaran wolde. Ne þæt se āglǣca⁠ yldan þōhte, ac hē gefēng hraðe⁠ forman sīðe⁠ slǣpendne rinc,⁠ slāt unwearnum, bāt bān-locan,⁠ blōd ēdrum dranc, syn-snǣdum swealh; ⁠sōna hæfde unlyfigendes ⁠eal gefeormod, fēt ond folma. ⁠Forð nēar ætstōp, nam þā mid handa⁠ hige-þihtigne rinc on ræste;⁠ rǣhte ongēan fēond mid folme;⁠ hē onfēng hraþe inwit-þancum⁠ ond wið earm gesæt. Sōna þæt onfunde ⁠fyrena hyrde, þæt hē ne mētte ⁠middan-geardes, eorþan sceatta

752. Many editors normalise to 'scēata.' See Sievers § 230.

, ⁠on elran men mund-gripe māran; ⁠hē on mōde wearð forht, on ferhðe; ⁠nō þȳ ǣr fram meahte. Hyge wæs him hin-fūs,⁠ wolde on heolster flēon, sēcan dēofla gedræg;⁠ ne wæs his drohtoð þǣr, swylce hē on ealder-dagum ⁠ǣr gemētte. Gemunde þā se gōda ⁠mǣg Higelāces ǣfen-sprǣce,⁠ ūp-lang āstōd ond him fæste wiðfēng; ⁠fingras burston; eoten wæs ūt-weard;⁠ eorl furþur stōp. Mynte se mǣra,⁠

762. MS. defective at corner. Ettmüller, Wülcker, Heyne 'þǣr.' Zupitza's transliteration 'hwǣr,' as if there were no doubt as to the reading, but his foot-note runs: "hwǣr (hw with another ink, and crossed out in pencil) B, ...ǣr A; now only the lower part of r left." Cf. l. 797.

hwǣr hē meahte swā, wīdre gewindan ⁠ond on weg þanon flēon on fen-hopu;⁠ wiste his fingra geweald on grames grāpum. ⁠Þæt (hē

765. MS. 'þæt he wæs.' Grein suggested the accepted emendation— the omission of hē.

) wæs gēocor sīð, þæt se hearm-scaþa ⁠tō Heorute ātēah. Dryht-sele dynede;⁠ Denum eallum wearð, ceaster-būendum, ⁠cēnra gehwylcum, eorlum ealu-scerwen.⁠ Yrre wǣron begen rēþe rēn-weardas.⁠ Reced hlynsode; þā wæs wundor micel, ⁠þæt se wīn-sele wiðhæfde heaþo-dēorum, ⁠þæt hē on hrūsan ne fēol, fæger fold-bold;⁠ ac hē þæs fæste wæs innan ond ūtan ⁠īren-bendum searo-þoncum besmiþod. ⁠Þær fram sylle ābēag medu-benc monig,⁠ mīne gefrǣge, golde geregnad,⁠ þǣr þā graman wunnon; þæs ne wēndon ǣr ⁠witan Scyldinga, þæt hit ā mid gemete ⁠manna ǣnig,

780. MS. 'hetlic'; Grundtvig 'betlīc.' Cf. l. 1925.

betlīc ond bān-fāg, ⁠tōbrecan meahte, listum tōlūcan, ⁠nymþe līges fæþm swulge on swaþule.⁠ Swēg ūp āstāg⁠ nīwe geneahhe;⁠ Norð-Denum stōd atelīc egesa,⁠ ānra gehwylcum, þāra þe of wealle ⁠wōp gehȳrdon, gryre-lēoð galan⁠ godes ondsacan, sige-lēasne sang,⁠ sār wānigean helle hæfton

788. Zupitza and others 'helle-hæfton,' but nothing is gained by making them a compound. For -an of the weak declension, -on is not uncommon.

Almost all editors insert 'tō' before 'fæste.'

. ⁠Hēold hine fæste, sē þe manna wæs⁠ mægene strengest on þǣem dæge ⁠þysses līfes. Nolde eorla hlēo⁠ ǣnige þinga þone cwealm-cuman ⁠cwicne forlǣtan, ne his līf-dagas⁠ lēoda ǣnigum nytte tealde.⁠ Þær genehost brægd eorl Bēowulfes ⁠ealde lāfe, wolde frēa-drihtnes⁠ feorh ealgian, mǣres þēodnes, ⁠ðǣr hīe meahton swā. Hīe þæt ne wiston, ⁠þā hīe gewin drugon, heard-hicgende⁠ hilde-mecgas, ond on healfa gehwone ⁠hēawan þōhton, sāwle sēcan: ⁠þone syn-scaðan ǣnig ofer eorþan⁠ īrenna cyst, gūð-billa nān, ⁠grētan nolde; ac hē sige-wǣpnum⁠ forsworen hæfde,⁠ ecga gehwylcre.⁠ Scolde his aldor-gedāl on ðǣm dæge⁠ þysses līfes earmlīc wurðan,⁠ ond se ellor-gāst on fēonda geweald ⁠feor sīðian. Ðā þæt onfunde,⁠ sē þe fela ǣror mōdes myrðe ⁠manna cynne fyrene gefremede,⁠ hē

811. Kemble first inserted 'wæs' after 'hē.' Heyne has: '(he wæs fāg wið god),' which appears to me a distinct enfeeblement of the MS. reading. Fāg comes at the beginning of a line in the MS., and Heyne says it cannot be settled whether of not wæs stood before it. This is very misleading. "There was no room for wæs before fag" (Zupitza), as a glance at the facsimile suffices to show.

fāg wið God, þæt him se līc-homa ⁠lǣstan nolde, ac hine se mōdega ⁠mǣg Hygelāces hæfde be honda; ⁠wæs gehwæþer ōðrum lifigende lāð.⁠ Līc-sār gebād atol ǣglǣca;⁠ him on eaxle wearð syn-dolh sweotol;⁠ seonowe onsprungon, burston bān-locan. ⁠Bēowulfe wearð gūð-hrēð gyfeþe; ⁠scolde Grendel þonan feorh-sēoc flēon ⁠under fen-hleoðu, sēcean wyn-lēas wīc;⁠ wiste þē geornor, þæt his aldres wæs ⁠ende gegongen, dōgera dæg-rīm.⁠ Denum eallum wearð æfter þām wæl-rǣse⁠ willa gelumpen. Hæfde þā gefǣlsod, ⁠sē þe ǣr feorran cōm, snotor ond swȳð-ferhð ⁠sele Hrōðgāres, genered wið nīðe; ⁠niht-weorce gefeh, ellen-mǣrþum.⁠ Hæfde East-Denum Gēat-mecga lēod⁠ gilp gelǣsted, swylce oncȳþðe ⁠ealle gebētte, inwid-sorge,⁠ þe hīe ǣr drugon ond for þrēa-nȳdum ⁠þolian scoldon, torn unlȳtel. ⁠Þæt wæs tācen sweotol, syþðan hilde-dēor⁠ hond ālegde, earm ond eaxle ⁠(þǣr wæs eal geador Grendles grāpe)⁠ under gēapne hr[ōf]

836. MS. defective at edge. Cf. l. 926

. Ðā wæs on morgen,⁠ mīne gefrǣge, ymb þā gif-healle⁠ gūð-rinc monig; fērdon folc-togan ⁠feorran ond nēan geond wīd-wegas⁠ wundor scēawian, lāþes lāstas.⁠ Nō his līf-gedāl sārlīc þūhte⁠ secga ǣnegum, þāra þe tīr-lēases ⁠trode scēawode, hū hē wērig-mōd⁠ on weg þanon, nīða ofercumen ⁠on nicera mere, fǣge ond geflȳmed, ⁠feorh-lāstas bær. Ðǣr wæs on blōde ⁠brim weallende, atol ȳða geswing ⁠eal gemenged hāton heolfre,

849. MS. 'hat on heolfre,' and so Wülcker. Grein 'hātan' = hāton in the text. The reading in the text is much easier than that of the MS., and l. 1423 turns the probability in its favour.

⁠heoro-drēore, wēol; dēað-fǣge dēog, ⁠siððan drēama lēas in fen-freoðo ⁠feorh ālegde, hǣþene sāwle;⁠ þǣr him hel onfēng. Þanon eft gewiton⁠ eald-gesīðas, swylce geong manig ⁠of gomen-wāþe, fram mere mōdge⁠ mēarum rīdan, beornas on blancum. ⁠Ðǣr wæs Bēowulfes mǣrðo mǣned;⁠ monig oft gecwæð, þætte sūð ne norð ⁠be sǣm twēonum ofer eormen-grund⁠ ōþer nǣnig under swegles begong⁠ sēlra nǣre rond-hæbbendra,⁠ rīces wyrðra. Ne hīe hūru wine-drihten ⁠wiht ne lōgon, glædne Hrōðgār,⁠ ac þǣt wæs gōd cyning. Hwīlum heaþo-rōfe ⁠hlēapan lēton, on geflit faran,⁠ fealwe mēaras, ðǣr him fold-wegas⁠ fægere þūhton, cystum cūðe.⁠ Hwīlum cyninges þegn, guma gilp-hlæden, ⁠gidda gemyndig, sē ðe eal-fela⁠ eald-gesegena worn gemunde,⁠

870-1. Rieger and Bugge put 'word...gebunden' in a parenthesis

⁠word ōþer fand sōðe gebunden. Secg eft ongan sīð Bēowulfes⁠ snyttrum styrian,⁠ ond on spēd wrecan ⁠spel gerāde, wordum wrixlan;⁠ wel-hwylc gecwæð, þæt hē fram Sigemunde[s]

875. MS. 'Sigemunde.' Grein's emendation 'Sigemundes' is good in itself, and is more probably in that the next word begins with s.

⁠ ⁠secgan hȳrde ellen-dǣdum,⁠ uncūþes fela, Wælsinges gewin, ⁠wīde sīðas, þāra þe gumena bearn ⁠gearwe ne wiston, fǣhðe ond fyrena,⁠ būton Fitela mid hine, þonne hē swulces

880. Heyne normalises to 'swylces.'

hwæt⁠ secgan wolde ēam his nefan,⁠ swā hie ā wǣron æt nīða gehwām⁠ nȳd-gesteallan; hæfdon eal-fela ⁠eotena cynnes sweordum gesǣged. ⁠Sigemunde gesprong æfter dēað-dæge⁠ dōm unlȳtel, syþðan wīges heard⁠ wyrm ācwealde, hordes hyrde;⁠ hē under hārne stān, æþelinges bearn,⁠ āna genēðde frēcne dǣde;⁠ ne wæs him Fitela mid; hwæþre him gesǣlde,⁠ ðæt þæt swurd þurhwōd wrætlīcne wyrm,⁠ þæt hit on wealle ætstōd, dryhtlīc īren;⁠ draca morðre swealt. Hæfde āglǣca⁠ elne gegongen, þæt hē bēah-hordes⁠ brūcan mōste selfes dōme;⁠

895. Many editors normalise to 'gehlōd.' Sievers § 392, N. 3.

sǣ-bāt gehlēod, bær on bearm scipes⁠ beorhte frætwa Wælses eafera;⁠ wyrm hāt

897. Earle adopts Scherer's emendation 'hāt[e],' with heat.

gemealt. Sē wæs wreccena ⁠wīde mǣrost ofer wer-þēode,⁠ wīgendra hlēo, ellen-dǣdum; ⁠hē þæs ǣr onðāh.

900. Cosijn's emendation 'āron ðāh,' with honours throve, is adopted by Heyne and by Earle. For āron=ārun cf. scypon l. 1154, and hēafdon l. 1242, and for the phrase cf. weorð-myndum þāh l. 8. Nevertheless I cannot bring myself to abandon the clear reading of the MS., which makes at least as good sense as many another passage.

Siððan Heremōdes⁠ hild sweðrode,

902. MS. 'earfoð,' retained by Wülcker; cf. l. 534. On the other hand, see ll. 602, 2349.

eafoð ond ellen,⁠ hē mid eotenum wearð on fēonda geweald⁠ forð forlācen, snūde forsended.⁠ Hine sorh-wylmas lemede tō lange; ⁠hē his lēodum wearð, eallum æþelingum

906. 'æþellingum.'

, ⁠to aldor-ceare. Swylce oft bemearn ⁠ǣrran mǣlum swið-ferhþes sīð⁠ snotor ceorl monig, sē þe him bealwa ⁠tō bōte gelȳfde, þæt þæt ðēodnes bearn ⁠geþēon scolde, fæder æþelum

911. There appears to be no sufficient reason for making a compound, fæder-æþelum, here, as the editors do. Cf. ll. 21, 1479.

onfōn,⁠ folc gehealdan, hord ond hlēo-burh,⁠ hæleþa rīce, ēðel Scyldinga. ⁠Hē þǣr eallum wearð, mǣg Higelāces ⁠manna cynne, frēondum gefægra; ⁠hine fyren onwōd.

915. Some editors mark the close of this episode by a space between this line and the next. There is nothing more than a dot in the MS., not a fresh line, nor even a capital to hwīlum.

Hwīlum flītende⁠ fealwe strǣte mēarum mǣton. ⁠Ðā wæs morgen-lēoht scofen ond scynded.⁠ Eode scealc monig switð-hicgende ⁠tō sele þām hēan searo-wundor sēon; ⁠swylce self cyning of brȳd-būre,⁠ bēah-horda weard, tryddode tīr-fæst⁠ getrume micle, cystum gecȳþed, ⁠ond his cwēn mid him medo-stīg gemæt⁠ mægþa hōse. Hrōðgār maþelode;⁠ hē tō healle gēong, stōd on stapole,⁠ geseah stēapne hrōf golde fāhne⁠ ond Grendles hond: “Ðisse ansȳne⁠ Al-wealdan þanc lungre gelimpe. ⁠Fela ic lāþes gebād, grynna æt Grendle; ⁠ā mæg God wyrcan wunder æfter wundre, ⁠wuldres Hyrde. Ðæt wæs ungēara,⁠ þæt ic ǣnigra mē wēana ne wēnde ⁠tō wīdan fēore bōte gebīdan,⁠ þonne blōde fāh, hūsa sēlest ⁠heoro-drēorig stōd; wēa wīd-scofen⁠ witena gehwylcne, ðāra þe ne wēndon, ⁠þæt hīe wīde-ferhð lēoda land-geweorc⁠ lāþum beweredon scuccum ond scinnum. ⁠Nū scealc hafað⁠ þurh Drihtnes miht⁠ dǣd gefremede, ðe wē ealle ⁠ǣr ne meahton snyttrum besyrwan. ⁠Hwæt! þæt secgan mæg efne swā hwylc mægþa,⁠ swā ðone magan cende æfter gum-cynnum, ⁠gyf hēo gyt lyfað, þæt hyre eald Metod

945. Heyne 'eald-metod.' See note on l. 1776.

⁠ēste wǣre bearn-gebyrdo.⁠ Nū ic, Bēowulf, þec, secg betsta, ⁠mē for sunu wylle frēogan on ferhþe;⁠ heald forð tela nīwe sibbe.⁠ Ne bið þē [n]ǣnigra

949. MS. 'ǣnigre.'

gād worolde wilna, ⁠þe ic geweald hæbbe. Ful oft ic for lǣssan⁠ lēan teohhode, hord-weorþunge, ⁠hnāhran rince, sǣmran æt sæcce.⁠ Þū þē self hafast dǣdum gefremed, þæt þīn [dōm]

954. Kemble's emendation. No gap in MS.

lyfað āwa tō aldre. ⁠Al-walda þec gōde forgylde,⁠ swā hē nū gyt dyde!” Bēowulf maþelode,⁠ bearn Ec[g]þēowes: “Wē þæt ellen-weorc⁠ ēstum miclum, feohtan fremedon,⁠ frēcne genēðdon eafoð uncūþes;⁠ ūþe ic swīþor, þæt ðū hine selfne ⁠gesēon mōste, fēond on frætewum⁠ fyl-wērigne. Ic hine

963. MS. 'him.'

hrædlīce⁠ heardan clammum on wæl-bedde⁠ wrīþan þōhte, þæt hē for mund-gripe

965. MS. 'hand gripe.' Kemble's emendation is required for the sake of the alliteration.

⁠mīnum scolde licgean līf-bysig, ⁠būtan his līc swice; ic hine ne mihte, ⁠þā Metod nolde, ganges getwǣman; ⁠nō ic him þæs georne ætfealh, feorh-geniðlan; ⁠wæs tō fore-mihtig fēond on fēþe. ⁠Hwæþere hē his folme forlēt tō līf-wraþe ⁠lāst weardian, earm ond eaxle;⁠ nō þǣr ǣnige swā þēah fēa-sceaft guma⁠ frōfre gebohte; nō þȳ leng leofað⁠ lāð-getēona synnum geswenced; ac hyne sār hafað in nȳd-gripe

976. MS. 'mid gripe'; Thorpe 'nið-gripe'; Bugge 'nȳd-gripe.'

nearwe befongen, balwon bendum;⁠ ðǣr ābīdan sceal maga māne fāh ⁠miclan dōmes, hū him scīr Metod ⁠scrīfan wille.” Ðā wæs swīgra secg⁠ sunu Ec[g]lāfes on gylp-sprǣce ⁠gūð-geweorca, siþðan æþelingas⁠ eorles cræfte ofer hēanne hrōf⁠ hand scēawedon, fēondes fingras, ⁠foran ǣghwylc; wæs steda nægla gehwylc ⁠stȳle gelīcost,

984-5. Suggestions too numerous to mention have been made for the emendation of these lines. Heyne adopts a fresh one with each new edition. Sievers considers the second half of l. 984 metrically deficient, and proposes:

fēondes fingras, ⁠foran ǣghwylc wæs

stiðra nægla stȳle gelīcost.

hǣþenes hand-sporu,⁠

986. MS. 'hilde hilde rinces,' the first hilde being the last word on the page, the second the first word overleaf. In such cases italics in the text seem needless. For hand-sporu see Sievers § 279.

hilde-rinces egl unhēoru; ⁠ǣghwylc gecwæð, þæt him heardra nān⁠ hrīnan wolde īren ǣr-gōd, þæt ðæs āhlǣcan blōdge beadu-folme ⁠onberan wolde. Ðā wæs hāten hreþe⁠ Heort innan-weard folmum gefrætwod;⁠ fela þǣra wæs wera ond wīfa,⁠ þe þæt wīn-reced, gest-sele, gyredon. ⁠Gold-fāg scinon web æfter wāgum, ⁠wundor-sīona fela secga gehwylcum,⁠ þāra þe on swylc starað. Wæs þæt beorhte bold⁠ tōbrocen swīðe, eal inne-weard ⁠īren-bendum fæst, heorras tōhlidene;⁠ hrōf āna genæs ealles ansund,⁠ þā

1000. MS. 'þe.'

se āglǣca fyren-dǣdum fāg ⁠on flēam gewand, aldres orwēna.⁠

1002-5. These lines, as given in Holder's edition, show the principal emendations that have been suggested:

Nō þæt ȳðe byð

tō beflēonne (fremme sē þe wille!),

ac gesēcan sceal⁠ sāwl-berendra [gehwā],

nȳde genȳded ⁠niþða bearna.

Nō þæt ȳðe byð tō beflēonne,⁠ fremme sē þe wille; ac gesacan sceal⁠ sāwl-berendra, nȳde genȳdde, ⁠niþða bearna, grund-būendra, ⁠gearwe stōwe, þǣr his līc-homa⁠ leger-bedde fæst swefeþ æfter symle. ⁠Þā wæs sǣl ond mǣl, þæt tō healle gang ⁠Healfdenes sunu;⁠ wolde self cyning ⁠symbel þicgan. Ne gefrægen ic þā mǣgþe ⁠māran weorode ymb hyra sinc-gyfan ⁠sēl gebǣran. Bugon þā tō bence ⁠blǣd-āgende,

1013. Thorkelin A 'blæd agande,' B 'blædagande.' The MS. now has only blæd left, and de on the next line.

fylle gefǣgon;⁠ fægere geþǣgon medo-ful manig⁠ māgas þāra,

1014-5. Bugge proposed to put these two lines in parentheses, because of "the difficulty of finding an antecedent for þāra." Heyne (5th edition) and Earle adopt the suggestion. This can only be on the principle—of two difficulties choose the greater. What a master of parenthesis-style the "scop" must have been, to keep his hearers waiting for the subject of bugon, past two other finite verbs with a different subject, until four lines lower down! And what is to hinder the antecedent of þāra being implied in ⁠blǣd-āgende, in speaking of a court where everyone was doubtless related to everyone else, as in a Scotch clan?

swīð-hicgende,⁠ on sele þām hēan, Hrōðgār ond Hrōþulf. ⁠Heorot innan wæs frēondum āfylled;⁠ nalles fācen-stafas Þēod-Scyldingas⁠ þenden fremedon. Forgeaf þā Bēowulfe ⁠bearn

1020. MS. 'brand.'

Healfdenes segen gyldenne ⁠sigores tō lēane, hroden hilte-cumbor,⁠ helm ond byrnan; mǣre māðþum-sweord⁠ manige gesāwon beforan beorn beran.⁠ Bēowulf geþah ful on flette.⁠ Nō hē þǣre feoh-gyfte for scotenum

1026. MS. 'scotenum'; Grein 2 'scoterum'; Wülcker 'scēotendum,' for which cf. ll. 703, 1154. Heyne quotes oxenum, nefenum, as examples of weak dat. pls.

scamigan ðorfte; ne gefrægn ic frēondlīcor ⁠fēower mādmas golde gegyrede ⁠gum-manna fela in ealo-bence ⁠ōðrum gesellan. Ymb þæs helmes hrōf⁠ hēafod-beorge wīrum bewunden ⁠wala ūtan hēold,

1030-1. The MS. has 'heafod beorge wirum be wunden walan utan heold.' Ettmüller 'wala,' adopted by Grein. If we leave the MS. reading unaltered, there is a choice of difficulties. Either we must take walan as subject and hēafod-beorge as object, with a striking violation of grammatical concorn in the verb hēold; or we must (with Heyne and Socin) take hēafod-beorge as a weak fem. noun in the nom. and walan as object, with considerable loss to the sense. The nom. pl. scūr-beorge ("Ruin" 5) also tells against the latter view, which has no support from analogy.

þæt him fēla

1032. Thorkelin 'laf' (now gone in the MS.). On account of this reading, Bugge ("Beiträge" xii. 92) supports Thorpe's emendation meahte, confirming it by the form scūr-heard in the next line, and by a reference to Sievers: "der erste halbvers ist nach den untersuchungen Sievers' ("Beiträge" x. 455) metrisch unrichtig." It is a curious commentary on this last reason, that Sievers himself quotes the line, with the form lāfe, among the examples of his type A ("Beit." x. 273).

⁠lāfe ⁠frēcne ne meahton scūr-heard sceþðan, ⁠þonne scyld-freca ongēan gramum⁠ gangan scolde. Heht ðā eorla hlēo⁠ eahta mēaras fǣted-hlēore ⁠on flet tēon, in under eoderas;⁠ þāra ānum stōd sadol searwum fāh,⁠ since gewurþad; þæt wæs hilde-setl⁠ hēah-cyninges, ðonne sweorda gelāc⁠ sunu Healfdenes efnan wolde; ⁠nǣfre on ōre læg wīd-cūþes wīg,⁠ ðonne walu fēollon. Ond ðā Bēowulfe ⁠bēga gehwæþres eodor Ingwina⁠ onweald getēah, wicga ond wǣpna; ⁠hēt hine wel brūcan. Swā manlīce⁠ mǣre þēoden, hord-weard hæleþa, ⁠heaþo-rǣsas geald mēarum ond mādmum,⁠ swā hȳ nǣfre man lyhð, sē þe secgan wile⁠ sōð æfter rihte.