Page:Gummere (1909) The Oldest English Epic.djvu/151

Rh wealthy seat of the Wægmunding line, and folk-rights that his father owned. Not long he lingered. The linden yellow, his shield, he seized; the old sword he drew:— as heirloom of Eanmund earth-dwellers knew it, who was slain by the sword-edge, son of Ohtere, friendless exile, erst in fray killed by Weohstan, who won for his kin brown-bright helmet, breastplate ringed, old sword of Eotens, Onela’s gift, weeds of war of the warrior-thane, battle-gear brave: though a brother’s child had been felled, the feud was unfelt by Onela. For winters this war-gear Weohstan kept, breastplate and board, till his bairn had grown earlship to earn as the old sire did: then he gave him, mid Geats, the gear of battle, portion huge, when he passed from life, fared agéd forth. For the first time now with his leader-lord the liegeman young was bidden to share the shock of battle. Neither softened his soul, nor the sire’s bequest weakened in war. So the worm found out