{Heardred’s lack of capacity to rule.}

          Rings and dominion:  her son she not trusted,
          To be able to keep the kingdom devised him
       60 ’Gainst alien races, on the death of King Higelac.

{Beowulf’s tact and delicacy recalled.}

          Yet the sad ones succeeded not in persuading the atheling
          In any way ever, to act as a suzerain
          To Heardred, or promise to govern the kingdom;
          Yet with friendly counsel in the folk he sustained him,
       65 Gracious, with honor, till he grew to be older,

{Reference is here made to a visit which Beowulf receives from Eanmund and Eadgils, why they come is not known.}

          Wielded the Weders.  Wide-fleeing outlaws,
          Ohthere’s sons, sought him o’er the waters: 
          They had stirred a revolt ’gainst the helm of the Scylfings,
          The best of the sea-kings, who in Swedish dominions
       70 Distributed treasure, distinguished folk-leader.
[81] ’Twas the end of his earth-days; injury fatal[3]
          By swing of the sword he received as a greeting,
          Offspring of Higelac; Ongentheow’s bairn
          Later departed to visit his homestead,
       75 When Heardred was dead; let Beowulf rule them,
          Govern the Geatmen:  good was that folk-king.

    [1] ‘Ham’ (2326), the suggestion of B. is accepted by t.B. and other
    scholars.

    [2] For ‘laethan cynnes’ (2355), t.B. suggests ‘laethan cynne,’ apposition
    to ‘maegum.’  From syntactical and other considerations, this is a most
    excellent emendation.

    [3] Gr. read ‘on feorme’ (2386), rendering:  He there at the banquet a
    fatal wound received by blows of the sword.

XXXIV.

BEOWULF SEEKS THE DRAGON.—­BEOWULF’S REMINISCENCES.

          He planned requital for the folk-leader’s ruin
          In days thereafter, to Eadgils the wretched
          Becoming an enemy.  Ohthere’s son then
          Went with a war-troop o’er the wide-stretching currents
        5 With warriors and weapons:  with woe-journeys cold he
          After avenged him, the king’s life he took.

{Beowulf has been preserved through many perils.}

          So he came off uninjured from all of his battles,
          Perilous fights, offspring of Ecgtheow,
          From his deeds of daring, till that day most momentous
       10 When he fate-driven fared to fight with the dragon.

{With eleven comrades, he seeks the dragon.}

          With eleven companions the prince of the Geatmen
          Went lowering with fury to look at the fire-drake: 
          Inquiring he’d found how the feud had arisen,
          Hate to his heroes; the highly-famed gem-vessel
       15 Was brought to his keeping through the hand of th’ informer.