# The Metres of Boethius: Metre 26

ic þe mæg eaþe || ealdum and leasum
spellum andreccan || spræce gelice
efne þisse ilcan || þe wit ymb sprecaþ
hit gesælde gio || on sume tide
þæt aulixes || under hæfde
þæm casere || cynericu twa
he wæs þracia || þioda aldor
and retie || rices hirde
wæs his freadrihtnes || folccuþ nama
agamemnon || se ealles weold
creca rices || cuþ wæs wide
þæt on þa tide || troia gewin
wearþ under wolcnum || for wiges heard
creca drihten || campsted secan
aulixes mid || an hund scipa
lædde ofer lagustream || sæt longe þær
tyn winter full || þa sio tid gelomp
þæt hi þæt rice || geræht hæfdon
diore gecepte || drihten creca
troia burg || tilum gesiþum
þa þa aulixes || leafe hæfde
þracia cining || þæt he þonan moste
he let him behindan || hyrnde ciolas
nigon and hundnigontig || nænigne þonan
merehengesta || ma þonne ænne
ferede on fifelstream || famigbordon
þriereþre ceol || þæt biþ þæt mæste
creciscra scipa || þa wearþ ceald weder
stearc storma gelac || stunede sio brune
yþ wiþ oþre || ut feor adraf
on wendelsæ || wigendra scola
up on þæt igland || þær apolines
dohtor wunode || dægrimes worn
wæs se apollinus || æþeles 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
oþþæt him gelyfde || leoda unrim
forþæm he wæs mid rihte || rices hirde
hiora cynecynnes || cuþ is wide
þæt on þa tide || þeoda æghwilc
hæfdon heora hlaford || for þone hehstan god
and weorþodon || swa swa wuldres cining
gif he to þæm rice wæs || on rihte boren
wæs þæs iobes fæder || god eac swa he
saturnus þone || sundbuende
heton hæleþa bearn || hæfdon þa mægþa
ælcne æfter oþrum || for ecne god
sceolde eac wesan || apollines
dohtor diorboren || dysiges folces
gumrinca gyden || cuþe galdra fela
drifan drycræftas || hio gedwolan fylgde
manna swiþost || manegra þioda
cyninges dohtor || sio circe wæs
haten for herigum || hio ricsode
on þæm iglonde || þe aulixes
cining þracia || com ane to
ceole liþan || cuþ wæs sona
eallre þære mænige || þe hire mid wunode
æþelinges siþ || hio mid ungemete
lissum lufode || liþmonna frean
and he eac swa same || ealle mægne
efne swa swiþe || hi on sefan lufode
þæt he to his earde || ænige nyste
modes mynlan || ofer mægþ giunge
ac he mid þæm wife || wunode siþþan
oþþæt him ne meahte || monna ænig
þegna sinra || þær mid wesan
ac hi for þæm yrmþum || eardes lyste
mynton forlætan || leofne hlaford
þa ongunnon wercan || werþeoda spell
sædon þæt hio sceolde || mid hire scinlace
beornas forbredan || and mid balocræftum
wraþum weorpan || on wildra lic
cyninges þegnas || cyspan siþþan
and mid racentan eac || ræpan mænigne
sume hi to wulfum wurdon || ne meahton þonne word forþbringan
ac hio þragmælum || þioton ongunnon
sume wæron eaforas || a grymetedon
þonne hi sares hwæt || siofian scioldon
þa þe leon wæron || ongunnon laþlice
yrrenga ryn || a þonne hi sceoldon
clipian for corþre || 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 drohtaþ || swa hit gedefe ne wæs
næfdon hi mare || monnum gelices
eorþbuendum || þonne ingeþonc
hæfde anra gehwylc || his agen mod
þæt wæs þeah swiþe || sorgum gebunden
for þæm earfoþum || þe him on sæton
hwæt þa dysegan men || þe þysum drycræftum
longe gelyfdon || leasum spellum
wisson hwæþre || þæt þæt gewit ne mæg
mod onwendan || monna ænig
mid drycræftum || þeah hio gedon meahte
þæt þa lichoman || lange þrage
onwend wurdon || is þæt wundorlic
mægencræft micel || moda gehwilces
ofer lichoman || lænne and sænne
swylcum and swylcum || þu meaht sweotole ongitan
þæt þæs lichoman || listas and cræftas
of þæm mode cumaþ || monna gehwylcum
anlepra ælc || þu meaht eaþe ongitan
þætte ma dereþ || monna gehwelcum
modes unþeaw || þonne mettrymnes
lænes lichoman || ne þearf leoda nan
wenan þære wyrde || þæt þæt werige flæsc
þæt mod mæge || monna æniges
eallunga to him || æfre onwendan
ac þa unþeawas || ælces modes
and þæt ingeþonc || ælces monnes
þone lichoman || lit þider hit wile