BEOWULF.
115
elne geēode, þā his āgen w[æs]
glēdum forgrunden. Þā gēn gūð-cyning
m[ǣrða][1] gemunde, mægen-strengo slōh
hilde-bille, þæt hyt on heafolan stōd
2680nīþe genȳded; Nægling forbærst,
geswāc æt sæcce sweord Bīowulfes,
*gomol ond grǣg-mǣl. Him þæt gifeðe ne wæs,Fol. 197.b
þæt him īrenna ecge mihton
helpan æt hilde; wæs sīo hond tō strong,
2685sē ðe mēca gehwane, mīne gefrǣge,
swenge ofersōhte, þonne hē tō sæcce bær
wǣpen wund[r]um[2] heard; næs him wihte ðē sēl.
Þā wæs þēod-sceaða þriddan sīðe,
frēcne fȳr-draca, fǣhða gemymdig,
2690rǣsde on ðone rōfan, þā him rūm āgeald,
hāt ond heaðo-grim, heals ealne ymbefēng
biteran bānum; hē geblōdegod wearð
sāwul-drīore; swāt ȳðum wēoll.
XXXVII.
- ↑ 2678. Kemble’s emendation.
- ↑ 2687. MS. ‘wundū’; Wülcker ‘wundum.’ Thorpe ‘wundrum’—a convincing emendation; cf. wundrum wrætlīce “Phoenix” 63, wundrum hēah “Wanderer” 98.
- ↑ 2694. No gap in MS. Kemble’s emendation. See ll. 2484, 2752, etc.
- ↑ 2698. MS. ‘mægenes’ (so Wülcker); cf. l. 2628 and foot-note. See also l. 2879.
8—2