g
Hrothgar's orator and speech-maker, from his official post at
Hrothgar's feet watched Beowulf with scornful and jealous eyes. He
waited until a pause came in the clamour of the feast, and suddenly
spoke, coldly and contemptuously: "Art thou that Beowulf who strove
against Breca, the son of Beanstan, when ye two held a swimming
contest in the ocean and risked your lives in the deep waters? In vain
all your friends urged you to forbear--ye would go on the hazardous
journey; ye plunged in, buffeting the wintry waves through the
rising storm. Seven days and nights ye toiled, but Breca overcame
thee: he had greater strength and courage. Him the ocean bore to
shore, and thence he sought his native land, and the fair city where
he ruled as lord and chieftain. Fully he performed his boast against
thee. So I now look for a worse issue for thee, for thou wilt find
Grendel fiercer in battle than was Breca, if thou darest await him
this night."

Beowulf's brow flushed with anger as he replied haughtily: "Much hast
thou spoken, friend Hunferth, concerning Breca and our swimming
contest; but belike thou art drunken, for wrongly hast thou told the
tale. A youthful folly of ours it was, when we two boasted and
challenged each other to risk our lives in the ocean; that indeed we
did. Naked swords we bore in our hands as we swam, to defend ourselves
against the sea-monsters, and we floated together, neither
outdistancing the other, for five days, when a storm drove us apart.
Cold were the surging waves, bitter the north wind, rough was the
swelling flood, under the darkening shades of night. Yet this was not
the worst: the sea-monsters, excited by the raging tempest, rushed at
me with their deadly tusks and bore me to the abyss. Well was it then
for me that I wore my well-woven ring-mail, and had my keen sword in
hand; with point and edge I fought the deadly beasts, and killed them.
Many a time the hosts of monsters bore me to the ocean-bottom, but I
slew numbers among them, and thus we battled all the night, until in
the morning came light from the east, and I could see the windy cliffs
along the shore, and the bodies of the slain sea-beasts floating on
the surge. Nine there were of them, for Wyrd is gracious to the man
who is valiant and unafraid. Never have I heard of a sterner
conflict, nor a more unhappy warrior lost in the waters; yet I saved
my life, and landed on the shores of Finland. Breca wrought not so
mightily as I, nor