The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-20


upon him. So I will forego the use of
spear or sword or armor or shield, and
with these hands and arms will l over
come him in fight. Thus will l meet him
and the one of us two whom God APP
pointeth to fall, let grim Death take him.
Should the doom fall upon me, o King.
you will not be put to the trouble of erect
ing a mound over mel for if the tale
/ hear of the monster be true he will
carry away my corpse to feast upon it
in his den across the lonely moor. But
if | fall send to Hygelac the matchless
armor which now protects my breast-it
is the work of Weland, that most skill
full of armorers, and its like is not now
in the whole world. Meet gift will it be
for Hygeac from a departed friend"
Hrothgar in reply made long speech
welcoming Beowulf and accepting his
championship. The old man became quite
garrulous and recounted the great deeds
he himself had done when he was young
er and spoke of the deeds of his COM
panions in arms, the most of whom were
now dead. Then he fell to lamenting the
woes of these latter years-years which
he had expected to pass in such prosper
ity and ease. But he praised Beowulf
and became almost cheerful as he told
what he expected the young champion to
accomplish for him. At last it occurred
to him that perhaps the strangers were
hungry (as, indeed, they were, and thirs-
ty, too) and had been getting impatient
of the kings long speech and eager to
get at the food they saw spread upon the
tables and the fagons well filled they
saw standing there. So the king said
"But you must be famished after your
long march. Sit down and feast with as
good will as you may and as merrily as
you can"
They cleared a special table for the
Danes and they filled 1t till it groaned
with food. A thane waited upon them
and pages of noble blood attended them.
The thane went from one to the other
with great ale cup, huge of dimensions
and curious of Workmanship, and from
it the champions drank copiously. Again
and again did the thane pour out the
golden ale. The feast was more CHEEKY
than any which had been held in Heorot
since the demon Grendel began his war
of merry drinking songs, the minstrels
twanged the harp and the skalds sang
of the mighty deeds of heroes Hrothgar
remarked that it really seemed like old
times and became quite merry himself.
Only one person in the hall was envious
and only one head Matched thoughts Of
Ill toward Beowulf. That envious person
was the Kings own story-teller, Une-
ferth. In the midst of the festivities
he said to Beowulf spitefully: Are you
not the same Beowulf who istrove in a
swimming match in your youth with
Breca-a swimming match in the open
sea in which you wantonly exposed your
life in spite of the remonstrances of
your friends9 And did you not come back
defeated from that match?'
That was an escapade of Beowulfs boy
hood of which he was not fond of speak,
ing. The match had been a foolish one
and the result was something of te
| They had swum in winter, for five days
with drawn swords in their hands. Beo-
wulf had been parted from Breca and had
been hrtwon half dead upon the shore.
| But he had killed water demon in the
course of his swimming and so was ad-
Judged to have accomplished more than
Breca. Beowulf told the story himself to
the assembled thames, and added, turn
| ing to the envious Unferth with flashing
ewes and cloudy brow: Il say to thee,
IJnferth. that never would Grendel have
made such havoc and disgrace in Heorot
n thy spirit was as high as thou claimest
for myself. He found that he had not
much to fear from the mighty Danes. and
SO he takes blackmail and slaughters and
feasts at his ease. But the Gotfs shall
show him another sort of spirit and that
right soon. When the light of another
dav arises then shall he who pleases walk
proudly and with head erect into this
| hall" 3 IS s ~
This high speech was applauded even By
1.-The Danes. Though the sting Of II was BIT