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128
BEOWULF.
geald þone gūð-rǣs  Gēata dryhten,

Hrēðles eafora,  þā hē tō hām becōm,
Iofore ond Wulfe  mid ofer-māðmum,
sealde hiora gehwæðrum  hund þūsenda
2995landes ond locenra beaga;  ne ðorfte him ðā lēan oðwītan
mon on middan-gearde,  syðða[n][1] hīe ðā mǣrða geslōgon;
ond ðā Iofore forgeaf  āngan dohtor,
hām-weorðunge,  hyldo tō wedde.
Þæt ys sīo fǣhðo  ond se fēond-scipe,
3000wæl-nīð wera,  ðæs ðe ic [wēn] hafo,[2]
þē ūs sēceað tō  Swēona lēoda,[3]
syððan hīe gefricgeað  frēan ūserne
ealdor-lēasne,  þone ðe ǣr gehēold
wis hettendum  hord ond rīce
3005æfter hæleSa hryre,  hwate Scilfingas,[4]

folc-rēd fremede,  oððe furður gēn
[5][6]
  1. ↑ 2996. MS. ‘syðða.’
  2. ↑ 3000. No gap in MS. Kemble’s emendation. Cf. l. 383.
  3. ↑ 3001. Heyne ‘leode.’ For the pl. lēoda see Wulfstan (ed. Napier) 106. 23, and Ps. 71. 10.
  4. ↑ 3005. MS. ‘Scildingas.’ Müllenhoff considered this line a careless repetition of l. 2052. It is the easiest way out of the difficulty. Thorpe ‘Scyldingas,’ and in a foot-note: "Hence it would appear that Beowulf, in consequence of the fall of Hrothgar’s race, was called to rule also over the Danes (Scyldings).” The punctuation in the text allows Scylfingas to be taken in apposition with hīe in l. 3002, which is intolerably forced, or parallel with hord ond rīce in l. 3004. I favour the latter interpretation, if the line is to be kept, and can only suppose that the term “Scylfingas” could be applied equally, on the ground of common ancestry, to both Swedes and Geats. See l. 2603, where Wiglaf is called “lēod Scylfinga.”
  5. ↑ B has two dots, Zupitza three. Kemble ‘on.’ For for lēodum cf. “Daniel” 720: “hē for lēodum lygeword gecwæð.”
  6. ↑ MS. ‘gelæsta.’
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