The Meters of Boethius: Meter 26

Ic þe mæg eaðe ealdum and leasum spellum andreccan spræce gelice efne ðisse ilcan þe wit ymb sprecað. Hit gesælde gio on sume tide ðæt Aulixes under hæfde ðæm casere cynericu twa. He wæs þracia ðioda aldor and Retie rices hirde. Wæs his freadrihtnes folccuð nama, Agamemnon, se ealles weold Creca rices. Cuð wæs wide þæt on þa tide Troia gewin wearð under wolcnum. For wiges heard Creca drihten campsted secan,

Aulixes mid, an hund scipa lædde ofer lagustream, sæt longe ðær tyn winter full. þa sio tid gelomp þæt hi ðæt rice geræht hæfdon, diore gecepte drihten Creca Troia burg tilum gesiðum. ða ða Aulixes leafe hæfde, ðracia cining, þæt he þonan moste, he let him behindan hyrnde ciolas nigon and hundnigontig, nænigne þonan merehengesta ma þonne ænne ferede on fifelstream, famigbordon, ðriereðre ceol; þæt bið ðæt mæste Creciscra scipa. þa wearð ceald weder,

stearc storma gelac; stunede sio brune yð wið oðre, ut feor adraf on Wendelsæ wigendra scola up on þæt igland þær Apolines dohtor wunode dægrimes worn. Wæs se Apollinus æðeles cynnes, Iobes eafora, se wæs gio cyning. Se licette litlum and miclum gumena gehwylcum þæt he good wære, hehst and halgost; swa se hlaford þa þæt dysige folc on gedwolan lædde, oððæt him gelyfde leoda unrim, forðæm he wæs mid rihte rices hirde, hiora cynecynnes. Cuð is wide

þæt on ða tide þeoda æghwilc hæfdon heora hlaford for ðone hehstan god, and weorðodon swa swa wuldres cining, gif he to ðæm rice wæs on rihte boren. Wæs þæs Iobes fæder god eac swa he; Saturnus ðone sundbuende heton, hæleða bearn. Hæfdon ða mægða ælcne æfter oðrum for ecne god. Sceolde eac wesan Apollines dohtor diorboren, dysiges folces, gumrinca gyden; cuðe galdra fela, drifan drycræftas. Hio gedwolan fylgde manna swiðost manegra þioda, cyninges dohtor; sio Circe wæs

haten for herigum. Hio ricsode on ðæm iglonde þe Aulixes, cining þracia, com ane to ceole liðan. Cuð wæs sona eallre þære mænige þe hire mid wunode æþelinges sið. Hio mid ungemete lissum lufode liðmonna frean, and he eac swa same ealle mægne efne swa swiðe hi on sefan lufode, þæt he to his earde ænige nyste modes mynlan ofer mægð giunge; ac he mid þæm wife wunode siððan, oððæt him ne meahte monna ænig ðegna sinra þær mid wesan,

ac hi for ðæm yrmðum eardes lyste; mynton forlætan leofne hlaford. ða ongunnon wercan werðeoda spell, sædon þæt hio sceolde mid hire scinlace beornas forbredan, and mid balocræftum wraðum weorpan on wildra lic cyninges þegnas, cyspan siððan and mid racentan eac ræpan mænigne. Sume hi to wulfum wurdon, ne meahton þonne word forðbringan, ac hio þragmælum ðioton ongunnon. Sume wæron eaforas, a grymetedon ðonne hi sares hwæt siofian scioldon. þa ðe leon wæron ongunnon laðlice yrrenga ryn a ðonne hi sceoldon

clipian for corðre. Cnihtas wurdon, ealde ge giunge, ealle forhwerfde to sumum diore, swelcum he æror on his lifdagum gelicost wæs, butan þam cyninge, þe sio cwen lufode. Nolde þara oþra ænig onbitan mennisces metes, ac hi ma lufedon diora drohtað, swa hit gedefe ne wæs. Næfdon hi mare monnum gelices eorðbuendum ðonne ingeþonc; hæfde anra gehwylc his agen mod, þæt wæs þeah swiðe sorgum gebunden for ðæm earfoðum þe him on sæton. Hwæt, ða dysegan men þe ðysum drycræftum

longe gelyfdon, leasum spellum, 100 wisson hwæðre þæt þæt gewit ne mæg mod onwendan monna ænig mid drycræftum, þeah hio gedon meahte þæt ða lichoman lange þrage onwend wurdon. Is þæt wundorlic 105 mægencræft micel moda gehwilces ofer lichoman lænne and sænne. Swylcum and swylcum þu meaht sweotole ongitan þæt ðæs lichoman listas and cræftas of ðæm mode cumað monna gehwylcum, 110

anlepra ælc. þu meaht eaðe ongitan þætte ma dereð monna gehwelcum modes unðeaw þonne mettrymnes lænes lichoman. Ne þearf leoda nan wenan þære wyrde þæt þæt werige flæsc 115 þæt mod mæge monna æniges eallunga to him æfre onwendan, ac þa unðeawas ælces modes and þæt ingeþonc ælces monnes þone lichoman lit þider hit wile.