# The Metres of Boethius: Metre 9

hwæt we ealle witon || hwelce ærleste
ge neah ge feor || neron worhte
romwara cyning || þa his rice wæs
hehst under heofonum || to hryre monegum
wælhreowes gewed || wæs ful wide cuþ
unrihthæmed || arleasta fela
man and morþor || misdæda worn
unrihtwises || inwidþoncas
he het him to gamene || geara forbærnan
romana burig || sio his rices wæs
ealles eþelstol || he for unsnyttrum
wolde fandian || gif þæt fyr meahte
lixan swa leohte || and swa longe eac
read rasettan || swa he romane
secgan geherde || þæt on sume tide
troia burg || ofertogen hæfde
lega leohtost || lengest burne
hama under hefonum || næs þæt herlic dæd
þæt hine swelces gamenes || gilpan lyste
þa he ne earnade || elles wuhte
buton þæt he wolde || ofer werþiode
his anes huru || anwald cyþan
eac hit gesælde || æt sumum cierre
þæt se ilca het || ealle acwellan
þa ricostan || romana witan
and þa æþelestan || eorlgebyrdum
þe he on þæm folce || gefrigen hæfde
and on uppan || agene broþor
and his modor mid || meca ecgum
billum ofbeatan || he his bryde ofslog
self mid sweorde || and he symle wæs
micle þe bliþra || on breostcofan
þonne he swylces morþres || mæst gefremede
nalles sorgode || hwæþer siþþan a
mihtig drihten || ametan wolde
wrece be gewyrhtum || wohfremmendum
ac he on ferþe fægn || facnes and searuwa
wælriow wunode || wiold emne swa þeah
ealles þisses mæran || middangeardes
swa swa lyft and lagu || land ymbclyppaþ
garsecg embegyrt || gumena rice
secgea sitlu || suþ east and west
oþ þa norþmestan || næssan on eorþan
eall þæt nerone || nede oþþe lustum
heaþorinca gehwilc || heran sceolde
he hæfde him to gamene || þonne he on gylp astag
hu he eorþcyningas || yrmde and cwelmde
wenst þu þæt se anwald || eaþe ne meahte
godes ælmihtiges || þone gelpscaþan
rice berædan || and bereafian
his anwaldes || þurh þa ecan meaht
oþþe him his yfeles || elles gestioran
eala gif he wolde || þæt he wel meahte
þæt unriht him || eaþe forbiodan
eawla þæt se hlaford || hefig gioc slepte
sware on þa swyran || sinra þegena
ealra þara hæleþa || þe on his tidum
geond þas lænan worold || liban sceoldon
he on unscyldgum || eorla blode
his sweord selede || swiþe gelome
þær wæs swiþe sweotol || þæt we sædon oft
þæt se anwald ne deþ || awiht godes
gif se wel nele || þe his geweald hafaþ