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The battle-famed king, bulwark of his earls,
Ordered a gold-chased heirloom of Hrethel’s
To be brought in; it was the best example
Of a gem-studded sword in the Geat treasury.
This he laid on Beowulf’s lap
And then rewarded him with land as well,
Seven thousand hides, and a hall and a throne.
Both owned land by birth in that country,
Ancestral ground; but the greater right
And sway were inherited by the higher born.
A lot was to happen in later days
In the fury of battle. Hygelac fell
And the shelter of Heardred’s shield proved useless
Against the fierce aggression of the Shylfings:
Ruthless swordsmen, seasoned campaigners,
They came against him and his conquering nation,
And with cruel force cut him down
So that afterwards
The wide kingdom
Reverted to Beowulf.