Þæt is undyrne, þ̷ is un-dyrne,
dryhten Higelác, dryhten Hige-lác,
(uncer) gemeting ... ge-meting
monegum fyra, monegū fira
hwylce (orleg)-hwíl 5 hwylce ... hwíl
uncer Grendles uncer Grendles
wearð on þám wange, wearð on wange,
þær he worna fela þær he worna fela
Sige-Scyldingum síge-(Scyl)dingum
sorge gefremede, 10 sorge ge-fremede,
yrmðe tó aldre. yrmð(o) tó aldre;
Ic þæt eall gewræc, ic þ̄ eall ge-wræc,
swá ne gylpan þearf swá (ne) gylpan ðearf
Grendles maga Grendeles maga
(ǽnig) ofer eorðan 15 (ǽnig) ofer eorðan
uht-hlem þone, uht-hlem ðone,
se þe lengest leofað (se þe) lengest leofað
láðan cynnes. ládan cynnes,
Fǽr-bifongen, ... (fǽr)-bí-fongen.
These selections give a good basis for judging the merits and defects of
Thorpe’s edition. Thorpe is seen to have the advantage in deciphering
certain parts of the text, see e.g. lines 9, 11, 17. On the other hand,
Kemble is far more conscientious. Thus at line 13 Thorpe reads _ne_ as
if it were found in the MS. It is not there, and Kemble is right in
inclosing the letters in parentheses. The same thing is true of _Fǽr_ in
line 19, and Gren{dl}es in line 14. Thorpe’s emendations in lines 3 and
5 are an advance on Kemble, and are still retained in the text. But
Thorpe might have followed Kemble’s punctuation in 18 and 19 to his
advantage.