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b

pæɲen æghæɲ rpelce.

under sunnan.

Ac hit ir ræmɲe nu. þær þeor zitrunc hapa. zumena zehpelcer.

mod amerred.

þær he maɲan ne pec.

ac hit on pitte. peallende bynnð.

efne sio zitrung.

þe nænne grund hafað.

Then they no bloody steel,
Nor even a wounded man,

70 (The inhabitants of earth)

Beheld under the sun.

No one afterwards would have been
Honoured in the world,
If they had discovered

75 His evil will of old:

[all.

He would have been loathsome to

O that it might be!

Or that God would,

That on earth now,

80 In our times,

Through the wide world,

They were everywhere such,
Under the sun!

But it is worse now,

85 That this covetousness has

Of every man,

The mind corrupted:

That he is reckless of other things: But it in his mind 90 Raging burns,

Even the covetousness

Which has no bottom;

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mod

speaɲte spæƑeð. rumer on lice. erne þam munte,

þe nu monna beann. Etne hatað.

re on iglonde, Sicilia.

rperle bynned.

þær mon helle fyn.
hated pide.

forþæm hit fimle bið.
rin-bynnende.
and ymbutan hit.
oбpa rropa.
blate forbærnð.
biteran leze.

Єala hpæt re foɲma.

feoh-zitrere.

It black lies smouldering,

Somewhat like

95 Even to that mountain,

Which now the children of men

Call Etna;

Which in the island

Of Sicily

100 With sulphur burns,

That men hell fire

Widely call,

Because it ever is,

Perpetually burning;

105 And about it

Other places

Everywhere burns up,

With a bitter flame.

Alas! that the first

110 Miser

pæne on populde.
se þas pong-stedas.
grof æfter golde.
and æften zim-cynnum.
hpæt he fɲecnu zertpeon.115
funde mænezum.
beprizen on peoɲulde.
pætere odde eoɲþan.

Should have been in the world,

Who the fields

Delved after gold,

And after precious stones;
He indeed dangerous wealth
Found for many,
Concealed in the world,

In water or in earth!

METRE IX.

Apæt pe ealle piton. hpelce ærlerte. ze neah ze feoɲ. Nenon ponhte. Rompaɲa cyning. þa his ɲice pæs. hehst under heofonum. to hɲype monegum, Pælhneoper geped. pær ful pide cuð. unpiht-hæmed. aplearta fela. man and mօրbօր. mirdada porn. unrihtpises. inpid-poncar.

De het him to zamene. geana foɲbæɲnan. Romana buɲiz. rio his nicer pæɲ.

c Boet. Lib. ii. Met. vi.

E

We all indeed know

What iniquities,

Both near and far,
Nero wrought,

5-King of the Romans,
When his kingdom was
Highest under heaven,
For ruin to many.

The madness of the tyrant 10 Was full widely known,— Adultery,―

Many impieties,—

Wickedness and murder,A multitude of misdeeds,15 Of an iniquitous man

The machinations!

He ordered for his sport,
Formerly to burn,

The city of the Romans, 20 Which was of his whole empire

Novimus quantas dederit ruinas, &c.

ealler epel-rtol.
De բօր սորոy-cրum.
polde fandian.

gif fýr meahte.

lixan

rpa leohte.

and rpa longe eac.

readra settan.
rpæ he Romane.
reczan zehende.
þær on sume tide.
Troia burg.
ofertogen hæfde.
leza leohtost.
lenzert buɲne.

hama under hefonum.
Nær þær heɲlic dæd.

þær hine rpelcer gamener. zilpan lyrte.

þa he ne eaɲnade. eller puhte.

buton þær he polde.

ofer per-piode.
hir aner hupu.
anpalo cypan.

Eac hit gerælde.
æt sumum cierɲe.
þær re ilca het.
ealle acpellan.
þa picortan.

The metropolis.

He through foolishness,
Would find out,

Whether that fire might

25 Shine as bright,

And as long also,

And redder subside,

Since he the Romans

Heard say,

30 That on a certain time,

The lightest flame,

The longest burning

Of dwellings under heaven,
Had overwhelmed
35 The city of Troy.

That was not a glorious deed,
That he of such like sport
Should wish to boast,

When he earned not
40 Anything else;

Except that he would
Over mankind,

His own power,

Somewhat display. 45 It also happened,

At a certain time,

maining

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Romana pitan. and þa æþelertan. eorl gebyrdum. þe he on þæm folce. gefrigen hæfde.

and on uppan. agene bropoɲ.

and his modoɲ mid.

meca ecgum. billum of-beatan. De his bryde ofslog. relf mid speorde. and he rymle pæs.

micle pe bliðna.

on breost-cofan.

50 Of the Romans,

And the noblest

Earls by birth,

Whom he among that people Had discovered :

55 And upon

His own brother,

And his mother,

With the edges of swords,

With bills to strike.

60 He slew his bride

Himself with a sword;

And he was always

Much the blither

In his breast,

þonne he rpylcer mondɲer. 65 When he of such murder

mært gefremede.

naller forgode.

hpæþen riðþan á.

mihtig Drihten. ametan polde. prece be gepýɲhtum. poh-fremmendum. ac he on feɲde fæzn. Facner and reaɲupa. pælhɲiop punode. Piold emne rpa þeah. ealler þirrer mæɲan. middan-gearder.

Most perpetrated.

He nothing cared,

Whether afterwards, ever,

The mighty Lord

70 Would mete out

Punishment by their deeds,
To the doers of wickedness.
But he in his mind rejoicing
In stratagems and frauds,
75 A tyrant remained.

Yet he even so governed
All this extensive
Middle earth,

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