Page:King Alfred's Version of the Consolations of Boethius.djvu/305



. Raedgod and Alaric. Raedgod, generally known in history as Raedagaisus, has in the Anglo-Saxon the forms Rædgota. Rædgod, and Rædgot. Alaric has the forms Aleric and Eallerica.

The mountains. The Alps, called Muntgiop in Metrum i.

Amuling, that is, one of the royal line of Amul or Amal, a legendary Gothic king. Charles Kingsley uses the word in his Hypatia.

Consul. The A.S. word is heretoga, i.e. 'army leader,' or 'chief'; and this is the word used throughout the book for 'consul.'

Alfred follows the Orthodox Church legend about Boethius and his intrigues, and also about the character of Theodoric.

 In chap. iii Alfred transposes the order of his original. He omits the description of Philosophy as a majestic woman, and the passage where Boethius describes his accusers and their plots against him; also Bk. i. metra 3 and 4.

Her disciples, i.e. the various philosophical sects.

 Philosophy, the spirit of Wisdom. The A.S. words are se wisdom and seo gesceadwisnes i.e. Wisdom and Reason. As the book is so famous under the title of The Consolation of Philosophy, this rendering of Wisdom has been