x. THE ALFflEDIAN BOETHIUS. . 55
weorðeu wyrsau, gif hī āsterede -• bīoð cud geswęncte.2
Siime men bēoð ǽlces cræftes fullcræftige, çnd fullhālige
weraa ond rihtwīse. ponne þincð þæt Gode unriht þæt
he swylce swęnce; ge furðum þone dēað, þe eallum mçn-
num is gecynde to þolianne, he Mm gedēð sēftran þonne ;
ōðrum mçnnum: swā swā gīo wīsmon cwæð, þæt sē gqd-
cunda anwald gefrioðode his dēorlingas under his8 fiðra4
sceade,6 ond hī scilde swā geornlīce swā man dēð þone
æppel6 on his ēagan. Manige tiliað Gode to cwēmanne
to þon georne, þæt hī wilniað hiora āgnum willum manig- 10
feald earfoðu to ðrōwianne; for ðǽm hī wilniað raāran
are çnd māran hlīsan ond weorðscipe mid Gode to hab-
banne þonne þā habbað þe sōftor *' libbað.

Oft ēac becymð sē anwald þisse" worulde to swīðe
goodum monnum, for ðǽm þæt sē anwald þāra yflena8 15
weorðe tōworpen. Sumum monnum God sęleð9 ǽgðer
ge good ge yfel gemęnged, for ðǽm hī ǽgþres earniað.
Sume he berēafað hiora welaii swīðe hraðe, þæs þe hī
ǽrest gesǽlige weorðað, þŷ lǽs hī for longum gesǽlðum
hī to up āheþben10 ond þonan on ofermēttum weorðen. 20
Sume he11 lǽt þrēagan mid heardum broce, þæt hī leorn-
igen þone cræft geþylde12 on ðǽm. langan geswince.
Sume him ondrǽdað earfoðu swīðor þonne liī þyrfen,
þēah hī hī13 ēaðe ādrēogan mægen. Sume hī gebycgað
weorðlīcne hlīsan þisses andweardan līfes mid hiora 25
āgnum dēaðe; for ðǽm hī wēnað þæt hī næbben14 nan
ōðer fioh15 þæs hlīsan16 wyrðe, būton, hiora āgnum fīore.

1 B, astyred. 2 B, geswenoed. 8 C, wanting.
* B, fl'Sera. . 6 C, soeate. 6 B, ælp; J, æpl.
7 C, habbanne to softer broken off; J cites C, hæfrben.

• C, yfelana. 9 B, Belle's. -» C, ahæbben.
. -i B, hi to he wanting. 12 C, geþyldelioe. 13 B, wanting,
"B, habben. 16B,floS. -«B.hliosan.