IX. HUNFERTH OBJECTS TO BĒOWULF. Unferð maðelode, Ecglāfes bearn, 500 þē æt fōtum sæt frēan Scyldinga; onband beadu-rūne (wæs him Bēowulfes sīð, mōdges mere-faran, micel æf-þunca, forþon þe hē ne ūðe, þæt ǣnig ōðer man ǣfre mǣrða þon mā middan-geardes 505 gehēdde under heofenum þonne hē sylfa): "Eart þū sē Bēowulf, sē þe wið Brecan wunne, "on sīdne sǣ ymb sund flite, "þǣr git for wlence wada cunnedon "and for dol-gilpe on dēop wæter 510 "aldrum nēðdon? Nē inc ǣnig mon, "nē lēof nē lāð, belēan mihte "sorh-fullne sīð; þā git on sund rēon, "þǣr git ēagor-strēam earmum þehton, "mǣton mere-strǣta, mundum brugdon, 515 "glidon ofer gār-secg; geofon ȳðum wēol, "wintres wylme. Git on wæteres ǣht "seofon niht swuncon; hē þē æt sunde oferflāt, "hæfde māre mægen. Þā hine on morgen-tīd "on Heaðo-rǣmas holm up ætbær, 520 "þonon hē gesōhte swǣsne ēðel "lēof his lēodum lond Brondinga, "freoðo-burh fægere, þǣr hē folc āhte, "burg and bēagas. Bēot eal wið þē "sunu Bēanstānes sōðe gelǣste. 525 "Þonne wēne ic tō þē wyrsan geþinges, "þēah þū heaðo-rǣsa gehwǣr dohte, "grimre gūðe, gif þū Grendles dearst "niht-longne fyrst nēan bīdan!" Bēowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþēowes: 530 "Hwæt! þū worn fela, wine mīn Unferð, "bēore druncen ymb Brecan sprǣce, "sægdest from his sīðe! Sōð ic talige, "þæt ic mere-strengo māran āhte, "earfeðo on ȳðum, þonne ǣnig ōðer man. 535 "Wit þæt gecwǣdon cniht-wesende "and gebēotedon (wǣron bēgen þā gīt "on geogoð-feore) þæt wit on gār-secg ūt "aldrum nēðdon; and þæt geæfndon swā. "Hæfdon swurd nacod, þā wit on sund rēon, 540 "heard on handa, wit unc wið hron-fixas "werian þōhton. Nō hē wiht fram mē "flōd-ȳðum feor flēotan meahte, "hraðor on holme, nō ic fram him wolde. "Þā wit ætsomne on sǣ wǣron 545 "fīf nihta fyrst, oð þæt unc flōd tōdrāf, "wado weallende, wedera cealdost, "nīpende niht and norðan wind "heaðo-grim andhwearf; hrēo wǣron ȳða, "Wæs mere-fixa mōd onhrēred: 550 "þǣr mē wið lāðum līc-syrce mīn, "heard hond-locen, helpe gefremede; "beado-hrægl brōden on brēostum læg, "golde gegyrwed. Mē tō grunde tēah "fāh fēond-scaða, fæste hæfde 555 "grim on grāpe: hwæðre mē gyfeðe wearð, "þæt ic āglǣcan orde gerǣhte, "hilde-bille; heaðo-rǣs fornam "mihtig mere-dēor þurh mīne hand. X. BĒOWULF'S CONTEST WITH BRECA.-THE FEAST.