The Meters of Boethius: Meter 25

Geher nu an spell be ðæm ofermodum unrihtwisum eorðan cyningum, ða her nu manegum and mislicum wædum wlitebeorhtum wundrum scinað on heahsetlum, hrofe getenge, golde gegerede and gimcynnum, utan ymbestandne mid unrime ðegna and eorla. þa bioð gehyrste mid heregeatwum hildetorhtum, sweordum and fetelum swiðe geglengde, and þegniað ðrymme micle ælc oðrum, and hi ealle him ðonan mid ðy ðrymme þreatiað gehwider ymbsittenda oðra ðeoda;

and se hlaford ne scrifð, ðe ðæm here waldeð, freonde ne feonde, feore ne æhtum, ac he reðigmod ræst on gehwilcne, wedehunde wuhta gelicost; bið to up ahæfen inne on mode for ðæm anwalde þe him anra gehwilc his tirwina to fultemað. Gif mon ðonne wolde him awindan of þæs cynegerelan claða gehwilcne, and him þonne oftion ðara ðegnunga and þæs anwaldes ðe he ær hæfde, ðonne meaht ðu gesion þæt he bið swiðe gelic sumum ðara gumena þe him geornost nu mid ðegnungum ðringað ymbeutan;

gif he wyrsa ne bið, ne wene ic his na beteran. Gif him þonne æfre unmendlinga weas geberede þæt him wurde oftogen þrymmes and wæda and þegnunga and ðæs anwaldes þe we ymbe sprecað, gif him ænig þara ofhende wyrð, ic wat þæt him þynceð þæt he þonne sie becropen on carcern, oððe coðlice racentan geræped. Ic gereccan mæg þæt of ungemete ælces ðinges, wiste and wæda, wingedrinces, and of swetmettum, swiðost weaxað þære wrænnesse wodðrag micel; sio swiðe gedræfð sefan ingehygd

monna gehwelces, þonan mæst cymeð yfla ofermetta, unnetta saca. þonne hi gebolgene weorðað, him wyrð on breostum inne beswungen sefa on hraðre mid ðæm swiðan welme hatheortnesse, and hreðe siððan unrotnesse eac geræped, hearde gehæfted. Him siððan onginð sum tohopa swiðe leogan þæs gewinnes wræce; wilnað þæt irre anes and oðres; him þæt eall gehæt his recelest, rihtes ne scrifeð. Ic ðe sæde ær on ðisse selfan bec þæt sumes goodes sidra gesceafta anlepra ælc a wilnode

for his agenum ealdgecynde. Unrihtwise eorðan cyningas ne magon æfre þurhtion awuht goodes for ðæm yfle þe ic ðe ær sæde. Nis ðæt nan wundor, forðæm hi willað hi þæm unðeawum þe ic ðe ær nemde, anra gehwelcum, a underðeodan. Sceal ðonne nede nearwe gebugan to ðara hlaforda hæftedome, þe he hine eallunga ær underþiodde. ðæt is wyrse get, þæt he winnan nyle wið ðæm anwalde ænige stunde; þær he wolde a winnan onginnan, and þonne on ðæm gewinne þurhwunian forð,

þonne næfde he nane scylde, ðeah he oferwunnen weorðan sceolde.