Then she leaped and sat upon him, and drew her dagger, broad and brown-edged, to avenge her son, her only offspring. But on his shoulder lay his woven coat of mail; it saved his life, barring the entrance against point and blade. Thus the son of Ecgtheow, the chief of the Geats, would have made the journey of death, had not his battle-byrnie, his hard war-corslet, been of aid to him, and Holy God brought victory to pass; the wise Lord, the King of heaven easily adjudged it aright, after he had got up again.

XXIII

Then he saw among the armor a victorious blade, an old sword of the giant-age, keenedged, the glory of warriors; it was the choicest of weapons save that it was larger than any other man was able to carry into battle good, splendidly wrought, the work of the giants. The warrior of the Scyldings seized the linked hilt; savage and angry, he drew forth the ring-sword, and, hopeless of life, smote fiercely, so that the hard sword caught her by the neck, breaking the bone-rings; the blade drove right through her doomed body; she sank upon the floor. The sword was bloody; the hero exulted in his deed.

The flame burst forth; light filled the place, even as when the candle of heaven is shining brightly from the sky. He gazed about the place and turned him to the wall; the thane of Hygelac, angry and resolute, lifted the great weapon by the hilt. The blade was not worthless to the warrior, for he wished to repay Grendel straightway for the many attacks which he had made upon the West-Danesoftener far than once- what time he slew Hrothgar's hearth-companions in their slumber, devoured sleeping fifteen of the Danes and carried off as many more, a horrid prey. The fierce warrior had given him his reward, insomuch that he now saw Grendel lying lifeless in his resting-place, spent with his fight, so deadly had the combat been for him in Heorot. The body burst wide open when it suffered a blow after death, a mighty swordstroke, and thus he smote off the head.

Soon the prudent men who were watching the mere with Hrothgar saw that the surging waves were all troubled, the water mingled with blood. The old men, white-haired, talked together of the hero, how they did not expect of the prince that he would ever come again to their great lord, exultant in victory; for

many believed that the sea-wolf had rent him in pieces.

Then came the ninth hour of the day. The bold Scyldings left the cliff, the bounteous friend of men departed to his home. But the strangers sat there, sick at heart, and gazed upon the mere; they longed, but did not believe that they should ever see their own dear lord again.

Meanwhile the sword, that war-blade, being drenched with blood, began to waste away in icicles of steel; it melted wondrously away. like ice when the Father looseneth the frost bonds, unwindeth the water-ropes, He who ruleth the times and seasons - He is true God. The lord of the Weder-Geats took no treasure from that hall, although he saw much there, none save the head, and the hilt bright with treasure; the blade had melted, the graven sword had burned away, so hot had been the blood, so venomous the outcast spirit that had perished there.

Soon he was swimming off, he who had survived the onset of his foes; he dived up through the water. The surging waves were cleansed, the wide expanses, when that outcast spirit had given up her life-days and this transitory world.

Then came to land, stoutly swimming, the defence of seamen; he rejoiced in his sea-spoil, the great burden that he bore with him. To meet him went his valiant band of thanes, giving thanks to God; they rejoiced in their chief, that they were permitted to see him safe and sound. Then they quickly loosed helm and byrnie from the valiant man. The mere grew stagnant, the water 'neath the clouds was discolored with the gore of battle.

They fared forth thence along the footpath glad at heart; measured the earth-ways, the well-known roads. The men, kingly bold, bore away the head from the sea-cliff - a hard task for all those men, great-hearted as they were; four of them must needs bear with toil that head of Grendel upon a spear to the goldhall, until at last the fourteen Geats, bold and warlike, came marching to the hall; their brave lord with them in the midst of the troop trod the meadows. Then the chief of the thanes, the valiant man crowned with glory, the warrior brave in battle, went in to greet Hrothgar. And Grendel's head was borne by the hair into the hall where men were drinking- an awful sight for the heroes and the lady too drous spectacle. The people gazed upon it.

a won

755. Here [i.e. in this year] Cynewulf and the Wessex Council took from Sigebryht, for unrighteous deeds, his kingdom except Hampshire; and that he kept until he slew the chief who had dwelled with him longest. And then Cynewulf drove him away to Andred; and he lived there until a country fellow stabbed him at Privet's Flood and avenged the chief, Cumbra.

And this Cynewulf often fought in great fights with the Welsh.

And about thirty years after he got the kingdom, he had it in mind to banish a prince who was called Cyneheard (and this Cyneheard was Sigebryht's brother).

And he [Cyneheard] found out that the King with a little troop was at Merton in the company of a woman, and he overtook him there and surrounded the house before the men who were with the King discovered him.

And then the King heard this, and he went to the door, and defended himself not ignobly until he saw the prince and then rushed out at him and wounded him severely; and they were all fighting with the King until they had slain him.

And then through the woman's cries the King's thanes learned of the disturbance and they ran thither each by himself as soon as he could be ready. And the prince offered each of them money and life, and none of them

THE SWAN

would take it; but they went on fighting until they all lay dead but one British hostage and he was sore wounded.

Then in the morning the King's thanes who had remained behind heard that the King was slain. Then they rode up, his chief Osric and Wiferth his thane, and the men that he had left behind him; and they found the prince in the town where the King lay dead, and the gates were locked upon them, and they went against it.

And Cyneheard offered them money and land at their own will if they would grant him the kingdom, and told them that their own kinsmen were with him who would not leave him.

And they said that no kinsman was dearer to them than their lord and that they never would follow his slayer. And they told their kinsmen that they might go away unharmed; and they said that the same offer had been made to their fellows who had been with the King.

And they replied that they did not care for this "more than your fellows who were slain with the King."

And they went on fighting about the gates until they got in and slew the prince and the men who were with him, all but one who was the chief's godson; and he saved his life, although he was many times wounded.

With twisted filigree of gold and silver.
Sometimes I'm kissed by heroes, and again
I woo to battle with my melody
Comrades in full accord. At times the courser
Bears me across the border, and again
Over the floods the stallion of the sea
Conveys me radiant with ornaments.
Sometimes a maiden, garlanded with jewels, 10
Brims full my winding bosom, and again
Perforce I lie hard, headless, solitary
Upon the board. Sometimes, set off with
trappings,

1 Translated by Herbert B. Brougham. Reprinted from Cook and Tinker, Translations from Old English Poetry, Ginn and Company, publishers

cause of their presumptuous hearts and boundless insolence, they had won a measureless woe.

Then spake their haughty king, who formerly was fairest of the angels, most radiant in heaven, beloved of his Leader and dear unto his Lord, until they turned to folly, and Almighty God was moved to anger at their wantonness, and hurled him down to depths of torment on that bed of death. He named him with a name, and said their leader should be called from thenceforth Satan. He bade him rule the black abyss of hell in place of striving against God. Satan spake who now must needs have charge of hell and dwell in the abyssin bitterness he spake who once had been God's angel, radiant-hued in heaven, until his pride and boundless arrogance betrayed him, so that he would not do the bidding of the Lord of hosts. Bitterness was welling in his heart; and round him blazed his cruel torment. These words he spake:

"This narrow place is little like those other realms we knew, on high in heaven, allotted by my Lord, though the Almighty hath not granted us to hold our state, or rule our kingdom. He hath done us wrong to hurl us to the fiery depths of hell, and strip us of our heavenly realm. He hath ordained that human kind shall settle there. That is my greatest grief that Adam-wrought of earth

should hold my firm-set throne and live in joy, while we endure this bitter woe in hell.

"Alas! could I but use my hands and have my freedom for an hour, one winter hour, then with this host I would But bands of iron crush me down, the bondage of my chains is heavy. I am stripped of my dominion. Firmly are hell's fetters forged upon me. Above me and below a blaze of fire! Never have I seen a realm more fatal - flame unassuaged that surges over hell. Ensnaring links and heavy shackles hold me. My ways are trammelled up; my feet are bound; my hands are fastened. Closed are the doors of hell, the way cut off. I may not escape out of my bonds, but mighty gyves of tempered iron, hammered hot, press hard upon me. God hath set His foot upon my neck. So I know the Lord of hosts hath read the purpose of my heart, and knew full well that strife would grow between our host and Adam over the heavenly realm, had I the freedom of my hands.

"But now we suffer throes of hell, fire and darkness, bottomless and grim. God hath thrust us out into the black mists. He cannot

charge upon us any sin or evil wrought against Him in His realm! Yet hath He robbed us of the light and cast us into utter woe. Nor may we take revenge, nor do Him any evil because He stripped us of the light. He hath marked out the borders of the world, and there created man in His own image, with whom He hopes again to people heaven, with pure souls. We needs must ponder earnestly to wreak this grudge on Adam, if we may, and on his children, and thwart His will if so we may devise.

"No longer have I any hope of light wherein He thinketh long to joy, in bliss among His angel hosts; nor may we ever bring this thing to pass, that we should change the purpose of Almighty God. Let us therefore turn the heavenly kingdom from the sons of men, since we may not possess it, cause them to lose His favour and turn aside from the command He laid upon them. Then shall His wrath be kindled, and He shall cast them out from grace. They shall seek out hell and its grim gulf, and in this heavy bondage we may have the sons of men to serve us.

"Begin now and plan this enterprise. If ever in olden days, when happily we dwelt in that good kingdom, and held possession of our thrones, I dealt out princely treasure to any thane, he could not make requital for my gifts at any better time than now, if some one of my thanes would be my helper, escaping outward through these bolted gates, with strength to wing his way on high where, new-created, Adam and Eve, surrounded with abundance, dwell on earth- and we are cast out hither in this deep abyss. They are now much dearer unto God, and own the high estate and rightful realm which we should have in heaven! Good fortune is allotted to mankind!

"My soul is sorrowful within me, my heart is sore, that they should hold the heavenly realm for ever. But if in any wise some one of you could bring them to forsake God's word and teaching, soon would they be less pleasing unto Him! If they break His commandment, then will His wrath be kindled. Their high estate shall vanish; their sin shall have requital, and some grim penalty. Take thought now how ye may ensnare them. I shall rest softly in these chains if they lose heaven. Whoso shall bring this thing to pass shall have reward for ever, of all that we may win to our advantage, amid these flames. I will let him sit next me, whoever shall return to hell proclaiming that they have set at naught, by