he suffered no shame in that soldier throng.[1]
For I heard of few heroes, in heartier mood,
with four such gifts, so fashioned with gold,
on the ale-bench honoring others thus!
1030O’er the roof of the helmet high, a ridge,
wound with wires, kept ward o’er the head,
lest the relict-of-files[2] should fierce invade,
sharp in the strife, when that shielded hero
should go to grapple against his foes.
1035Then the earls’-defence[3] on the floor[4] bade lead
coursers eight, with carven head-gear,
adown the hall: one horse was decked
with a saddle all shining and set in jewels;
’twas the battle-seat of the best of kings,
1040when to play of swords the son of Healfdene
was fain to fare. Ne’er failed his valor
in the crush of combat when corpses fell.
To Beowulf over them both then gave
the refuge-of-Ingwines right and power,
1045o’er war-steeds and weapons: wished him joy of them.
Manfully thus the mighty prince,
hoard-guard for heroes, that hard fight repaid
with steeds and treasures contemned by none
who is willing to say the sooth aright.
- ↑ The comitatus; the soldurii.
- ↑ Kenning for sword. Charles Lamb (“On the Inconvenience Resulting from being Hanged”) calls a resuscitated man “the leavings of the rope.”
- ↑ Hrothgar. He is also the “refuge of the friends of Ing,” of v. 1044. Ing belongs to myth.
- ↑ Horses are frequently led or ridden into the hall where folk sit at banquet: so in Chaucer’s Squire’s Tale, in the ballad of King Estmere, and in the romances.
