Page:King Alfred's Version of the Consolations of Boethius.djvu/254



Even Sicily,    with sulphur burns,

Hell-fire widely    hight by mortals,

For unceasing    it smoulders ever,

And all around it    the rest of the land

It fiercely blasts    with blaze consuming.

Ah! who was the first    that filled with greed

Dwelt in the world,    and dug the ground

In quest of gold    and curious jewels?

Wealth did he find,    fatal to many,

In the world hidden    in water or earth.

IX
We all have heard    what hateful deeds

Far and near    Nero wrought,

King of the Romans,    when that his rule

Was first under heaven,    fatal to many.

The fierce one's madness    men widely knew,

His lawless lust    and laches unnumbered,

His sins and murders,    misdeeds many,

The cursed wiles    of that wicked one.

He bade for his sport    with fire destroy

The city of Rome    that was the seat

Of full dominion,    for in his folly

He fain would try    whether the fire,

Flaming brightly,    would burn as long,

Would rage as red,    as the Romans told

That Troy town    was of old overtaken

By the brightest of flames    that longest burned