Page:Gummere (1909) The Oldest English Epic.djvu/149

heirloom old; and each of the two
2565felt fear of his foe, though fierce their mood.
Stoutly stood with his shield high-raised
the warrior king, as the worm now coiled
together amain: the mailed-one waited.
Now, spire by spire, fast sped and glided
2570that blazing serpent. The shield protected
soul and body a shorter while
for the hero-king than his heart desired,^[1]
could his will have wielded the welcome respite
but once in his life! But Wyrd denied it,
2575and victory’s honors.—His arm he lifted,
lord of the Geats, the grim foe smote
with atheling’s heirloom. Its edge was turned,
brown^[2]-blade, on the bone, and bit more feebly
than its noble master had need of then
2580in his baleful stress.—Then the barrow’s keeper
waxed full wild for that weighty blow,
cast deadly flames; wide drove and far
those vicious fires. No victor’s glory
the Geats’ lord boasted; his brand had failed,
2585naked in battle, as never it should,
excellent iron!—’Twas no easy path
that Ecgtheow’s honored heir must tread
over the plain to the place of the foe;

for against his will he must win a home

1. By another interpretation, the following lines would read—

   what time it was fated first in his life
   that Wyrd would not will him to wield at all
   victory’s honors.

2. See note to v. 1546; and for the “biting,” v. 1455. For the seemingly sarcastic note of “excellent” in v. 2586, see note to v. 644.