Page:King Alfred's Old English Version of Boethius' De Consolatione Philosophiae.djvu/56

8 becom, þa wæs he swa micle swiðor on his mode gedrefed swa his mod ær swiðor to þā woruldsælþū gewunod wæs; ⁊ he þa nanre frofre beinnan þā carcerne ne gemunde; ac he gefeoll niwol ofdune on þa flor, ⁊ hine astrehte swiðe unrot, ⁊ ormod hine selfne ongan wepan ⁊ þus singend cwæð:

ÐA lioð þe ic wrecca geo lustbærlice song ic sceal nu heofiende singan, ⁊ mid swiþe ungeradū wordū gesettan, þeah ic geo hwilū gecoplice funde; ac ic nu wepende ⁊ gisciende ofgeradra worda misfo. Me ablendan þas ungetreowan woruldsælþa, ⁊ me þa forlætan swa blindne on þis dimme hol me þa bereafodon ælcere lustbærnesse ða ða ic hi æfre betst truwode; þa wendon hi me heora bæc to, ⁊ me mid ealle from gewitan. To hwon sceoldan la mine friend seggan ꝥ ic gesælig mon wære? Hu mæg se beon gesælig se þe on þa gesælþū þurhwunian ne mot?

§i. ÞA ic þa þis leoð, cwæð Boetius, geomriende asungen hæfde, þa com þær gan in to me heofencund Wisdom, ⁊ ꝥ min murnende mod mid his wordū gegrette, ⁊ þus cwæð: Hu ne eart ðu se mon þe on minre scole wære afed ⁊ gelæred? Ac hwonon wurde þu mid þissu woruldsorgū þus swiðe geswenced? buton ic wat ꝥ þu hæfst þara wapna to hraðe forgiten þe ic þe ær sealde. Ða clipode se Wisdom ⁊ cwæð: Gewitaþ nu awirgede woruldsorga of mines þegenes mode, forþæm ge sind þa mæstan sceaþan. Lætaþ hine eft hweorfan to minū larū. Ða eode se Wisdō near, cwæð Boetius, minū hreowsiendū geþohte, ⁊ hit swa niowul þa hwæthwega up arærde; adrigde þa mines modes eagan, 7 hit fran bliþū wordū hwæðer hit oncneowe his fostermodor. Mid þā þe ða ꝥ Mod wid his