Page:Bright's Anglo-Saxon Reader.djvu/246



Oft him ānhagaāre gebīdeð, Metudes miltse,þēah þe he mōdcearig geond lagulādelonge sceolde hrēran mid hǫndumhrīmcealde sǣ, wadan wræclāstas:wyrd bið ful ārǣd! Swā cwæð eardstapa,earfeþa gemyndig, wrāþra wælsleahta,winemǣga hryre: ‘Oft ic sceolde ānaūhtna gehwylce mīne ceare cwīþan;nis nū cwicra nān, þe ic him mōdsefanmīnne durre sweotule āsęcgan.Ic tō sōþe wāt þæt biþ in eorleindryhten þēaw, þæt hē his ferðlocanfæste binde, healde his hordcofan,hycge swā hē wille; ne mæg wērig mōdwyrde wiðstǫndan nē sē hrēo hygehelpe gefręmman: for ðon dōmgeornedrēorigne oft in hyra brēostcofanbindað fæste. Swā ic mōdsefanmīnne sceolde, oft earmcearig,ēðle bidǣled, frēomǣgum feorfeterum sǣlan, siþþan gēara iūgoldwine mīnne hrūsan heolster biwrāh,and ic hēan þǫnan