The Meters of Boethius: Meter 22

Se þe æfter rihte mid gerece wille inweardlice æfter spyrian swa deoplice, þæt hit todrifan ne mæg monna ænig, ne amerran huru ænig eorðlic ðincg, he ærest sceal secan on him selfum þæt he sume hwile ymbutan hine æror sohte. Sece þæt siððan on his sefan innan, and forlæte an, swa he oftost mæge, ælcne ymbhogan ðy him unnet sie, and gesamnige, swa he swiðost mæge, ealle to þæm anum his ingeðonc, gesecge his mode þæt hit mæg findan eall on him innan þæt hit oftost nu

ymbutan hit ealneg seceð, gooda æghwylc. He ongit siððan yfel and unnet eal þæt he hæfde on his incofan æror lange efne swa sweotole swa he on þa sunnan mæg eagum andweardum on locian, and he eac ongit his ingeþonc leohtre and berhtre þonne se leoma sie sunnan on sumera, þonne swegles gim, hador heofontungol, hlutrost scineð. Forðæm þæs lichoman leahtras and hefignes and þa unþeawas eallunga ne magon of mode ation monna ænegum rihtwisnesse, ðeah nu rinca hwæm

þæs lichoman leahtras and hefignes and unþeawas oft bysigen monna modsefan, mæst and swiðost mid þære yflan oforgiotolnesse; mid gedwolmiste dreorigne sefan fortihð mod foran monna gehwelces, þæt hit swa beorhte ne mot blican and scinan swa hit wolde, gif hit geweald ahte; þeah bið sum corn sædes gehealden symle on ðære saule soðfæstnesse, þenden gadertang wunað gast on lice. ðæs sædes corn bið symle aweaht mid ascunga, eac siððan mid goodre lare, gif hit growan sceal.

Hu mæg ænig man andsware findan ðinga æniges, þegen mid gesceade, þeah hine rinca hwilc rihtwislice æfter frigne gif he awuht nafað on his modsefan mycles ne lytles rihtwisnesse ne geradscipes? Nis þeah ænig man þætte ealles swa þæs geradscipes swa bereafod sie þæt he andsware ænige ne cunne findan on ferhðe, gif he frugnen bið. Forðæm hit is riht spell þæt us reahte gio ald uðwita, ure Platon; he cwæð þætte æghwilc ungemyndig rihtwisnesse hine hræðe sceolde

eft gewendan into sinum modes gemynde; he mæg siððan on his runcofan rihtwisnesse findan on ferhte fæste gehydde mid gedræfnesse dogora gehwilce modes sines mæst and swiðost, and mid hefinesse his lichoman, and mid þæm bisgum þe on breostum styreð mon on mode mæla gehwylce.