. Siegfried, the hero of the North, and Beowulf, the hero of the Anglo-Saxons . only of the evil from whichthey deemed that they were freed for-ever : for who ever hears the fiat of des-tiny as it goes forth ? . . And so theevening came, and Hrothgar betook himto his rest. Silence fell upon Heorot; the festivesounds died out. For the first time inmany years, the hall was not deserted forthe night; the ethelings stayed to guardit as they had often done in earlier benches were cleared away againstthe walls; beds and bolsters were laid inrows upon the floor, and the revellers laidthemse
. Siegfried, the hero of the North, and Beowulf, the hero of the Anglo-Saxons . only of the evil from whichthey deemed that they were freed for-ever : for who ever hears the fiat of des-tiny as it goes forth ? . . And so theevening came, and Hrothgar betook himto his rest. Silence fell upon Heorot; the festivesounds died out. For the first time inmany years, the hall was not deserted forthe night; the ethelings stayed to guardit as they had often done in earlier benches were cleared away againstthe walls; beds and bolsters were laid inrows upon the floor, and the revellers laidthemselves down to rest, happy and atpeace. Yet did one among them lie downthat night a doomed man, and knew it not. 258 Beowulf At their heads they set up their brightbucklers; on the benches, plain in sight,lay each ethelings helmet and mail-shirt,and against them stood the strong-shaftedlances. For such was their custom—tobe at all times ready for war, whether athome or in the field, wherever their liegelord might have need of their a brave and noble people!. LAY II GRENDELS MOTHER I THE AVENGER SO they sank down to sleep. One therewas who sorely paid for that nightsrest. For ere morning it was found thatGrendel had left an avenger—his mother,the Mere-wife, loathsome beldame, a creat-ure that had to dwell in the dreariness ofmarshes and cold streams, like all the restof Cains murderous, outlawed very night the hag, on bloody ven-geance bent, betook herself to Heorot,where the Danes slept careless, all un-conscious. Who shall paint their horrorand dismay when the goblin-wife suddenlyburst into their midst? Swords were 259 260 Beowulf drawn and bucklers raised, but there wasno time to think of helmet or mail-shirt. The hag was in a hurry ; finding herselfdiscovered, all she thought of was toget away with her life. So she quicklysnatched up one of the ethelings at ran-dom, and gripping him tight, made forthe fen. That man was Hrothgars dear-est comrade,
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