Page:Gummere (1909) The Oldest English Epic.djvu/75

Rh Hrothgar’s hall; the hardy and wise one had purged it anew. His night-work pleased him, his deed and its honor. To Eastern Danes had the valiant Geat his vaunt made good, all their sorrow and ills assuaged, their bale of battle borne so long, and all the dole they erst endured, pain a-plenty.—’Twas proof of this, when the hardy-in-fight a hand laid down, arm and shoulder,—all, indeed, of Grendel’s gripe, —’neath the gabled roof.

 

Many at morning, as men have told me, warriors gathered the gift-hall round, folk-leaders faring from far and near, o’er wide-stretched ways, the wonder to view, trace of the traitor. Not troublous seemed the enemy’s end to any man who saw by the gait of the graceless foe how the weary-hearted, away from thence, baffled in battle and banned, his steps death-marked dragged to the devils’ mere. 