We're also at the point where the numbering of fitts gets confused. In the manuscript, the numbering seems to indicate fitt 28 - in Roman characters. It looks like it had been 29, but then last I was erased to make it 28, the correct number. There is no number at Oððæt, where we would expect one, so I inserted the number 29 for that fitt. The next fitt, which does not appear below, is 31, so fitt 30 gets skipped entirely.
The two sections below go from about line 1963 (fol. 173r) to line 2143 (fol. 177r).
GEwat him ða se hearda mid his hondscole sylf æfter sande sæwong tredan wide waroðas woruldcandel scân sigel suðan fûs hi sið drugon elne geeodon to ðæs ðe eorla hleo bonan ongenþeoes – burgum in innan – geongne guðcyning godne gefrunon hringas dælan higelace wæs sið beowulfes snude gecyðed þæt ðær on worðig wigendra hleo lindgestealla lifigende cwom heaðolaces – hal to hofe gongan hraðe wæs gerymed swa se rica bebead feðegestum flet innanweard gesæt þa wið sylfne se ða sæcce genæs mæg wið mæge *syððan mandryhten þurh hleoðorcwyde holdne gegrette meaglum wordum meoduscencum hwearf – geond þæt healreced hæreðes dohtor lufode ða leode liðwæge bær hæleðum to handa higelac ongan sinne geseldan in sele þam hean fægre fricgcean hyne fyrwet bræc hwylce sægeata siðas wæron hu lomp eow on lade leofa biowulf þa ðu færinga feorr gehogodest – sæcce secean ofer sealt wæter hilde to hiorote ac ðu hroðgare widcuðne wean wihte gebettest mærum ðeodne ic ðæs modceare sorhwylmum seað siðe ne truwode leofes mannes ic ðe lange bæd þæt ðu þone wælgæst wihte ne grette lete suðdene sylfe geweorðan guðe wið grendel gode ic þanc secge þæs ðe ic ðe gesundne geseon moste.
Biowulf maðelode bearn ecgðioes *þæt is undyrne dryhten higelac [micel] gemeting monegum fira – hwyl[c] [orleg]hwîl uncer grendles wearð on ðam wange þær he worna fela sigescyldingum sorge gefremede yrmðe to aldre ic ðæt eall gewræc swa [be]gylpan ne þearf grendeles maga [ænig] ofer eorðan uhthlem þone – se ðe lengest leofað laðan cynnes f[acne] bifongen ic ðær furðum cwom – to ðam hringsele hroðgar gretan sona me se mæra mago healfdenes syððan he modsefan minne cuðe wið his sylfes sunu setl getæhte – weorod wæs on wynne ne seah ic widan feorh under heofones hwealf healsittendra medudream maran hwilum mæru cwen friðusibb folca flet eall geondhwearf bædde byre geonge oft hio beahwriðan secge *[sealde ]ær hie to setle – geong hwilum for [d]uguðe dohtor hroðgares eorlum on ende ealuwæge bær þa ic freaware fletsittende – nemnan hyrde þær hio [næ]gled sinc hæleðum sealde sio gehaten [is] geong goldhroden gladum suna frodan – [h]afað þæs geworden wine scyldinga rices hyrde ond þæt ræd talað þæt he mid ðy wife wælfæhða dæl sæcca gesette oft seldan hwær – æfter leodhryre lytle hwile bongar bugeð þeah seo bryd duge mæg þæs þonne ofþyncan ðeodne heaðobeardna ond þegna gehwam þara leoda þonne he mid fæmnan on flett gæð – dryhtbearn dena duguða biwenede – on him gladiað gomelra lafe heard ond hringmæl heaðabeardna gestreon þenden hie ðam wæpnum wealdan moston.
[.XXVIIII.]
Oððæt hie forlæddan to ðam lindplegan swæse gesiðas ond hyra sylfra feorh þonne cwið æt beore se ðe beah *gesyhð eald æscwiga se ðe eall gem[an] gârcwealm gumena him bið grim sefa onginneð geomormod geong[um] cempan þurh hreðra gehygd higes cunnian wigbealu weccean ond þæt word acwyð – meaht ðu min wine mece gecnawan þone þin fæder to gefeohte bær – under heregriman hindeman siðe – dyre iren þær hyne dene slogon weoldon wælstowe syððan wiðergyld læg – æfter hæleþa hryre hwate scyldungas nu her þara banena byre nathwylces – frætwum hremig on flet gæð morðres gylpe[ð] ond þone maðþum byreð þone þe ðu mid rihte rædan sceoldest manað swa ond myndgað mæla gehwylce – sarum wordum oððæt sæl cymeð þæt se fæmnan þegn fore fæder dædum – æfter billes bite blodfag swefeð – ealdres scyldig him se oðer þonan losað *[li]figende con him land geare þonne bioð [a]brocene on ba healfe aðsweord eorla [syð]ðan ingelde weallað wælniðas ond him wiflufan æfter cearwælmum colran weorðað þy ic heaðobeardna hyldo ne telge – dryhtsibbe dæl denum unfæcne freondscipe fæstne ic sceal forð sprecan – gen ymbe grendel þæt ðu geare cunne sinces brytta to hwan syððan wearð – hondræs hæleða syððan heofones gim – glad ofer grundas gæst yrre cwom eatol æfengrom user neosan – ðær we gesunde sæl weardodon þær wæs hondscio hild onsæge feorhbealu fægum he fyrmest læg gyrded cempa him grendel wearð mærum maguþegne to muðbonan – leofes mannes lîc eall forswealg – no ðy ær ut ða gen idelhende – bona blodigtoð bealewa gemyndig of ðam goldsele gongan wolde – ac he mægnes rof min costode *grapode gearofolm glof hangode sîd ond syllic searobendum fæst – sio wæs orðoncum eall gegyrwed deofles cræftum ond dracan fellum he mec þær on innan unsynnigne dior dædfruma gedôn [ ] wolde manigra sumne hyt ne mihte swa syððan ic on yrre uppriht astod.
To lang ys to reccenne hu i[c ð]am leodsceaðan yfla gehwylces ondlean forgeald þær ic þeoden min þine leode weorðode weorcum he on weg losade – lytle hwile lifwynna br[ea]c hwæþre him sio swiðre swaðe weardade – hand on hiorte ond he hean ðonan modes geomor meregrund gefeoll me þone wælræs wine scildunga – fættan golde fela leanode manegum maðmum syððan mergen côm – ond we to symble geseten hæfdon – þær wæs gidd ond gleo gomela *scilding felafricgende feorran rehte hwilum hildedeor hearpan wynne gomenwudu grette hwilum gyd awræc – soð ond sarlîc hwilum syllic spell – rehte æfter rihte rumheort cyning – hwilum eft ongan eldo gebunden gomel guðwiga gioguðe cwiðan hildestrengo hreðer inne weoll – þonne he wintrum frod worn gemunde swa we þær inne ondlangne dæg – niode naman oððæt niht becwom – oðer to yldum þa wæs eft hraðe gearo gyrnwræce – grendeles modor.
Siðode sorhfull sunu deað fornam wighete wedra wif unhyre hyre bearn gewræc beorn acwealde ellenlice þær wæs æschere frodan fyrnwitan feorh uðgenge – noðer hy hine ne moston syððan mergen cwom deaðwerigne denia leode – bronde forbærnan ne on bel hladan – leofne mannan *hio þæt lic ætbær feondes fæðrunga [un]der firgenstream – þæt wæs hroðgare hreowa tornost þara þe leodfruman lange begeate – þa se ðeoden mec ðine life healsode hreohmod þæt ic on holma geþring eorlscipe efnde ealdre geneðde – mærðo fremede he me mede gehet ic ða ðæs wælmes þe is wide cuð grimne gryrelicne grundhyrde fond þær unc hwile wæs hand gemæne – holm heolfre weoll ond ic heafde becearf in ðam guðsele grendeles modor – eacnum ecgum unsofte þonan feorh oðferede – næs ic fæge þa gyt – ac me eorla hleo eft gesealde maðma menigeo maga healfdenes.