stroy him, when an enchanted sword, a weapon of the ancient giants, and of their fabrication, comes within his reach: he strikes her with it, and she dies under his blow. This success is followed by a victory over Grendel himself, whom he also destroys, and whose head he carries off and presents to Hrothgar.s He tells the king that he could achieve nothing with Hrunting.

"But the ruler of ages granted me, that over the waves I should see an ancient sword hang beautiful.

It was often declared,

by the wine-geleasum,
that I should draw this weapon.h

Hrothgar looks at it, and says it was an ancient relic, on which were written the battles of the ancient times, when after the flood the race of the giants were destroyed. On the polished blade, in pure gold, the runæ-letters were marked.

The poem proceeds to describe Beowulf's return to Higelac. He engages in some further adventures, which are not of equal interest with the former. He succeeds Higelac in his kingdom; builds a city; fights thirty battles; and dies after a reign of fifty years. Such is the substance of this curious poem, which is quite Anglo-Saxon in the manners it describes, and corroborates several of those features, which in the preceding pages have been delineated. It seems to be the oldest poem, in an epic form, that now exists in any of the vernacular languages of modern Europe.

CHAPTER III.

Anglo-Saxon Poems of Judith and Cædmon.-Their other Poetry.

THE fragment which remains of the poem on Judith, may be deemed another Anglo-Saxon poetical romance. The subject of this poem is taken from the Apocrypha, but the Anglo-Saxon poet has borrowed merely the outline of the story. All the circumstances, the descriptions, and the speeches, which he has inserted, are of his own invention. He has, therefore, done what all romancers did. He has applied the manners and characters of his day to the time of Judith, and thus really made it an AngloSaxon romance.

It is curious, from another circumstance. It is a romance written while the old Anglo-Saxon poetry was in fashion, but

f Beowulf, p. 114-119.

i Ibid. p. 127, 128.

Ibid. p. 120-124. i Ibid. p. 137-236.

h Ibid. p. 126.

when it began to improve: for while it displays the continuity of narration and minuteness of description of the more cultivated romance, it retains some metaphors, the periphrasis, and the inversions which our stately ancestors so much favoured. It has only laid aside their abrupt transitions and more violent metaphors. The eight first sections of the poem on Judith, and part of the ninth, are lost. It begins with a part that corresponds with this verse in the Apocrypha :*

"And in the fourth day Holofernes made a feast to his own servants only, and called none of the officers to the banquet." The Saxon poet expresses this passage thus:

Understood I then, Holofernes ordered

wine to be made diligently, and with all wonders

a splendid feast to prepare.

To this commanded

the Baldorb of men,

all the eldest thegns.

They with much haste obeyed:

the shielded warriors came
to the rich king;

the leaders of the people.
This was the fourth day
that Judith,

cunning in thought,

the woman shining like an elf,
first sought him.

The subsequent narration of the Apocrypha is not followed by the poet; but instead of it, from his own invention, he substitutes

these circumstances:

They then to the feast

went to sit,

eager to drink wine;
all his fierce chiefs,
bold, mail-clad warriors!

There were often carried

the deep bowls

behind the benches; so likewise vessels

and orcas full

to those sitting at supper.

He admonished amply

that they should bear it well,
to those sitting on the bench.
So was the wicked one

over all the day,

the lord and his men,
drunk with wine,

the stern dispenser of wealth;
till that they swimming lay
over drunk,

all his nobility

They received him, soon about to die, as they were death-slain;

the illustrious shield-warriors:

though of this the powerful one
thought not; the fearful
lord of earls.

Then was Holofernes exhilarated with wine; in the halls of his guests, he laughed and shouted; he roared and dinned;

then might the children of men

afar off hear

how the stern one

stormed and clamoured,

animated and elated with wine.

a Judith, xii. 10.

their property poured about.

So commanded the Baldor of men
to fill to them sitting at the feast,
till that to the children of men
the dark night approached.
Then commanded he
the man so overpowered,
the blessed virgin

with speed to fetch
to his bed rest,
with bracelets laden,
with rings adorned.
Then quickly hurried
the subjected servants,

b Baldor was one of the sons of Odin.-His name is figuratively used to express a chicf.

The poet continues to describe Judith's escape to the town of her countrymen. Her reception is thus mentioned:

Here repetition of phrase is the substitute for energy of descrip

tion.

The poet then gives her speech to the people:

Then the discreet one ordered,

adorned with gold,

to her maidens,

with thoughtful mind,

that army-leader's

head to uncover,

and it on high,

bloody, to show

to the citizens

Then spake the noble one
to all the people.
"Here may we manifestly
stare on the head

of the man illustrious for victory,
of the leader of his people,

of the odious heathen commander; of the not living Holofernes,

he that of all men to us

most murders has done,

sore sorrows;

and more yet

would have augmented them,

but that to him God grants not

a longer life,

that he with injuries

should afflict us.

I from him life took away,

through God's assistance.

Now I to every man

of these citizens

will pray,

of these shield-warriors,

that ye immediately

haste you to fight.

When God, the source of all,

the honour-fast king,

from the East sends

a ray of light,

bear forth your banners;
with shields for your breasts,
and mail for your hams,
shining helmets,

go among the robbers;
let their leaders fall,
the devoted chiefs,
by the ruddy sword!
they are your enemies,
destined to death,

and ye shall have their doom,
victory from your great leader,
the mighty Lord!

as he hath signified to you
by my hand."

Jud. p. 24.

The sally which immediately took place, and the consequent

battle, is thus described:

Then was the host of the swift quickly gathered together,

the soldiers to the field;
the warriors and the nobles

when the Hebrews,
under the banners,
had sallied
on their camps.

They then speedily
let fly forth

showers of arrows,

the serpents of Hilda,
from their horn bows;
the spears on the ground
hard stormed.
Loud raged

the plunderers of battle;
they sent their darts
into the throng of the chiefs.
The angry land-owners
acted as men

against the odious race.
Stern-minded, they advanced
with fierce spirits:

they pressed on unsoftly,
with ancient hate,

against the mead-weary foe.
With their hands, the chiefs
tore from their sheaths
the sheer, cross sword,
in its edges tried:
they slew earnestly
the Assyrian combatants.
Pursuing with hate,
none they spared
of the army-folk

of the great kingdom
of the living men,

whom they could overcome.

Jud. 24.

As Cadmon's paraphrase is a poetical narration mixed with many topics of invention and fancy, it has also as great a claim to be considered as a narrative poem, as Milton's Paradise Lost has to be deemed an epic poem. It was published by Junius as the work of the ancient Cædmon, who has been already mentioned. It treats on the first part of the subjects which Bede ⚫ mentions to have been the topics of the elder Cadmon; but it is presumed by Hickes not to be so ancient as the poet mentioned by Bede. I confess that I am not satisfied that Hickes is right in referring it to any other author than the person to whom Junius ascribes it.

It begins with the fall of angels, and the creation of the world. It proceeds to the history of Adam and Eve; of Cain, and the deluge; of Abraham and of Moses. The actions of Nabuchodonosor and Daniel are subjoined.

In its first topic, "the fall of the angels," it exhibits much of a Miltonic spirit; and if it were clear that our illustrious bard had been familiar with Saxon, we should be induced to think that he