VI. The Proverbs of Alfred

“Jesus College, Oxford, E 29, formerly Arch. i. 29 (J).... written not long after 1276 (Anglia xxx, 222).... Our piece is written continuously as prose, each stanza forming a paragraph, but iv and v are in one without l. 54, which is here supplied, while l. 43 is written at the end of the preceding paragraph and similarly the lines beginning viii-xvii, xix-xxiii. The scribe was evidently struggling with an original which he could not always read; see footnote to l. 105.

“.... the copy of the Poema Morale in the same MS. has undergone a drastic revision which sets it apart among the versions of that poem, and the version of the Owl and Nightingale has suffered, though not to the same extent. On the other hand MS. T was copied by a man who was incapable of remodelling it; though a ruin, it often preserves in details the original.”

Incipiunt documenta Regis Aluredi.

Þus Queþ Alured

A

T Seuorde séte þeynes monye.

fele Biscopes. and feole. bok iléred.

Eorles prute. knyhtes egleche.

þar wes þe eorl Alurich.

of þare lawe swiþe wis.

And ek Ealured englene hurde.

Englene durlyng;

on englene londe he wes kyng.

Heom he bi gon lére.

so ye mawe i hure.

hw hi. heore lif lede scholden.

Alured. he wes in englene lond.

and king. wel swiþe strong.

He wes king. and he wes clerek.

wel he luuede godes werk.

He wes wis on his word. and war. on his werke.

he wes þe wysuste mon;

þat wes englelonde on.

ii

Þvs queþ Alured englene frouer.

wolde ye mi leode. lusten éure louerde.

he óu wolde wyssye. wisliche þinges.

hw ye myhte worldes. wrþsipes welde.

and ek eure saule. somnen to criste.

wyse were þe wordes. þe seyde þe king Alured. |

Mildeliche ich Munye. myne leoue freond.

poure and riche. leode myne

þat ye alle a drede. vre dryhten crist.

luuyen hine and lykyen. for he is louerd of lyf.

He is one. god; ouer alle godnesse.

He is one gleaw. ouer alle glednesse.

He is one. blisse. ouer alle blissen.

He is one monne. Mildest mayster.

He is one. folkes fader. and frouer.

He is one. rihtwis. and so riche king.

þat him ne schal beo wone. nouht of his wille.

þe hine her on worlde. wrþie þencheþ.

iii

Þvs queþ alured. englene urouer.

Ne may non ryhtwis king. vnder criste seoluen.

Bute if he beo in boke ilered.

And he. his wyttes swiþe wel kunne.

And he cunne lettres. lokie him seolf one.

hw he schule his lond laweliche holde.

iv

Þus queþ Alured.

Þe eorl and þe eþelyng.

ibureþ vnder gódne. king.

þat lond to leden.

myd lawelyche deden.

And þe clerek and þe knyht.

he schulle démen euelyche riht.

þe poure. and þe ryche.

démen ilyche.

Hwych so þe mon soweþ;

al swuch he schal mowe.

And eueruyches monnes dom. to his owere dure churreþ.

v

[Þus queþ Alured.]

þan knyhte bi houeþ. kenliche on to fóne.

for to werie þat lond. wiþ hunger and wiþ herivnge.

þat þe chireche habbe gryþ.

And þe cheorl beo in fryþ.

his sedes to sowen.

his medes to mowen.

And his plouh beo i dryue.

to vre alre bihoue.

þis is þes knyhtes lawe.

loke he þat hit wel fare.

vi

Þvs queþ Alured.

þe mon. þe on his youhþe. yeorne leorneþ.

wit and wisdom. and i writen reden;

he may beon on elde. wenliche lorþeu.

And þe þat nule one youhþe yeorne leorny.

wit and wysdom. and iwriten rede.

þat him schal on elde. sore rewe.

þenne cumeþ elde.

and vnhelþe.

þenne beoþ his wéne

ful wroþe isene.

Boþe heo beoþ bi swike. and eke hi beoþ a swunde.

vii

þus queþ Alured.

Wyþ vte wysdome is weole wel vnwurþ.

for þey o mon ahte. huntseuenti Acres.

and he hi hadde isowen. alle myd reade golde.

And þ̵ | gold greowe. so gres doþ on eorþe.

nere he for his weole. neuer þe furþer.

Bute he him of frumþe. freond iwrche.

for. hwat is gold. bute ston.

bute if hit haueþ wismon.

viii

þus queþ Alured.

Ne scolde neuer yongmon howyen to swiþe.

þeih him his wyse wel ne lykie.

Ne þeih he ne welde. al þat he wolde.

for god may. yeue god after vuele.

weole after wowe. þenne he wule.

wel is him þat hit ischapen is.

ix

þus seyþ Alured.

Strong hit is to reowe.

a yeyn þe séé þat floweþ.

so it is to swynke.

a yeyn vnylimpe.

þe mon. þe on his youhþe.

swo swinkeþ.

and worldes weole her iwinþ.

þat he may on elde.

idelnesse holde.

And ek myd his worldes weole.

god iqueme er he quele.

youþe and al þat he haueþ i drowe.

is þenne wel bi towe.

x

þus queþ Alured.

Monymon weneþ þat he wene ne þarf.

longes lyues. ac him lyeþ þe wrench.

for þanne his lyues alre best luuede.

þenne he schal léten; lyf his owe.

for nys no wrt uexynde a wude. ne a velde.

þat euer mvwe þas feye furþ vp holde.

Not no mon þene tyme.

hwanne he schal. heonne turne.

Ne nomon þene ende.

hwenne he schal heonne wende.

Dryhten hit one wot. doweþes louerd.

hwanne [we] vre lif leten schule.

xi

þus queþ Alured.

Yf þu seoluer and gold.

yetst and weldest in þis world.

Neuer vpen eorþe.

to wlonk. þu ny wrþe.

Ayhte nys non ildre istreon;

ac hit is godes lone.

hwanne hit is his wille. þar of we schulle wende.

And vre owe lyf. myd alle for leten.

þanne schulle vre ifon. to vre vouh. gripen.

welden vre Mayþenes. and leten vs by hinde.

xii

þus queþ Alured.

Ne ilef þu nouht to fele. uppe þe séé þat floweþ.

If þu hafst madmes monye and inowe.

gold and seoluer. hit schal gnyde to nouht.

to duste hit schal dryuen. Dryhten schal | libben euere.

Monymon for his gold. haueþ godes vrre.

And for his seoluer. hym seolue for yemeþ. for yeteþ and for leseþ.

Betere him by come iboren þat he nére.

xiii

þus queþ Alured.

Lvsteþ ye me leode.

ower is þe neode.

And ich eu wille lére. wit and wisdom.

þat alle þing ouer goþ.

syker he may sitte. þe hyne haueþ to i vere.

For þeyh his eyhte him a go.

his wit ne a goþ hym neuer mo.

for ne may he for vare.

þe hyne haueþ to vere.

þe wile his owe lyf. ileste mote.

xiv

þus queþ Alured.

If þu hauest seorewe.

ne seye þu hit nouht þan arewe.

seye hit þine sadelbowe. and ryd þe singinde forþ.

þenne wile wene. þet þine wise ne con;

þat þe þine wise wel lyke.

serewe if þu hauest. and þe erewe hit wot;

by fore. he þe meneþ;

by hynde he þe teleþ.

þu hit myht segge swyhc mon.

þat þe ful wel on.

wyþ vte echere ore.

he on þe Muchele more.

By hud hit on þire heorte;

þat þe eft ne smeorte.

Ne let þu hyne wite.

al þat þin heorte by wite.

xv

þus queþ Alured.

Ne schal tu neuere þi wif. by hire wlyte cheose.

for neuer nóne þinge. þat heo to þe bryngeþ.

Ac leorne hire custe. heo cuþeþ hi wel sone.

For mony mon for ayhte. vuele iauhteþ.

And ofte mon of fayre. frakele icheoseþ.

wo is him þat vuel wif.

bryngeþ to his cotlyf.

So him is alyue;

þat vuele ywyueþ.

For he schal vppen eorþe.

dreori i wurþe.

Monymon singeþ.

þat wif hom bryngeþ.

wiste he hwat he brouhte.

wepen he myhte.

xvi

þus queþ Alured.

Ne wurþ þu neuer so wod. ne so wyn drunke.

þat éuere segge þine wife. alle þine wille.

For if þu iseye þe bi vore. þine ivo alle.

And þu hi myd worde iwreþþed heuedest.

Ne scholde heo hit lete. for þing lyuyinde.

þat heo ne scholde þe forþ vp breyde. of þine baleu syþes.

wymmon is word. woþ. ⁊ haueþ tunge to swift.

þeyh heo wel wolde.

ne may heo. hi no wiht welde.

xvii

þus queþ Alfred. |

Idelschipe and ouer prute.

þat lereþ yong wif vuele þewes.

And ofte þat wolde.

do. þat heo ne scholde.

þene vnþev lihte.

leten heo myhte.

If heo ofte a swóte for swunke were.

þeyh hit is vuel to buwe.

þat beo nule treowe.

For ofte Museþ þe kat. after hire moder.

þe mon þat let wymmon his mayster iwurþe.

Ne schal he neuer beon ihurd.

his wordes louerd.

Ac heo hine schal steorne

to trayen. and to teóne.

And selde wurþ he blyþe and gled.

þe mon þat is his wiues qued.

Mony appel is bryht wiþ vte. and Bitter wiþ inne.

So is mony wymmon. on hyre fader bure.

Schene vnder schete. and þeyh heo is schendful.

So is mony gedelyng. godlyche on horse.

and is þeyh lutel wurþ.

wlonk bi þe glede.

and v́uel at þare neode.

xviii

þus queþ. Alured.

[N]eure þu bi þine lyue.

þe word of þine wyue.

to swiþe þu. ne aréde.

If heo beo i wreþþed

myd worde. oþer myd dede.

wymmon wepeþ for mod.

oftere þan for eny god.

And ofte lude ⁊ stille.

for to vor drye hire wille.

Heo wepeþ oþer hwile.

for to do þe gyle.

Salomon hit haueþ i sed.

þat wymmon can wel vuelne red.

þe hire red foleweþ.

heo bryngeþ hine to seorewe.

for hit seyþ in þe loþ.

as scumes for teoþ.

hit is i furn i seyd.

þ̵ cold red is quene red.

hu he is vnlede.

þat foleweþ hire rede.

Ich hit ne segge nouht for þan.

þat god þing. ys god wymmon.

þe mon þe hi may i cheose. and i couere over oþre.

xix

þus queþ Alured.

Monymon weneþ þat he weny ne þarf.

Freond þat he habbe. þar me him vayre bi hat.

Seyþ him vayre bi vore. and frakele bi hynde.

so me may þane loþe lengust lede.

Ne ilef þu neuer þane mon.

þat is of feole spechen.

Ne alle þe þinge.

þat þu i herest singen.

Mony mon haueþ swikelne muþ.

milde and monne for cuþ.

Nele he þe cuþe. hwenne he þe wule bi kache.

xx

þus queþ Alured.

Þvrh sawe mon is wis. And þurh hiselþe. glev.

þurh lesinge mon is loþ. and þurh luþre wrenches.

And | vnwurþ.

And þurh hokede honde. þat he bereþ.

him seolue he for vareþ.

From lesynge þu þe wune.

And alle vnþewes þu þe bi schune.

so myht þu on þeode.

leof beon in alle leode.

And luue þyne nexte. he is at þe neode gód.

At chepynge. and at chyreche.

freond þu þe iwurche.

wyþ pouere and wiþ riche.

wiþ alle monne ilyche.

þanne myht þu sikerliche. sely sytte.

And ek faren ouer lond le

hwider so beoþ þi wille.

xxi

þus queþ Alured.

Alle world ayhte

schulle bi cumen to nouhte.

And vyches cunnes madmes. to mixe schulen i Multen.

And vre owe lif. lutel hwile ileste.

for þeyh o mon. wolde al þe worlde.

And al þe wunne. þe þar inne wunyeþ.

Ne myhte he þar myde his lif. none hwile holde.

Ac al he schal for leten. on a litel stunde.

And schal vre blisse; to balewe us iwurþe.

Bute if we wurcheþ. wyllen cristes.

Nu biþenche we þanne vs sulue.

vre lif to leden. so crist vs gynneþ lere.

þanne mawe we wenen. þat he wule vs wrþie.

for so seyde salomon. þe wise.

þe mon þat her wel deþ.

he cumeþ þar he lyen foþ.

on his lyues ende.

he hit schal a vynde.

xxii

þus queþ Alured.

Ne gabbe þu ne schotte.

ne chid þu wyþ none sotte.

ne myd manyes cunnes tales.

ne chid þu wiþ nenne dwales.

Ne neuer þu ne bigynne.

to telle þine tyþinges.

At nones fremannes borde.

ne haue þu to vale worde.

Mid fewe worde. wismon

fele bi luken wel con.

And sottes bolt is sone iscohte.

for þi ich holde hine for dote.

þat sayþ al his wille.

þanne he scholde beon stille.

For ofte tunge brekeþ bon;

þeyh heo seolf nabbe non.

xxiii

þus queþ Alured.

Wis child is fader blisse.

Jf hit so bi tydeþ þat þu bern ibidest.

þe hwile hit is lutel. ler him mon þewes.

þanne hit is | wexynde; hit schal wende þar to.

þe betere hit schal iwurþe

euer buuen eorþe.

Ac if þu him lest welde. werende on worlde.

lude and stille.

his owene wille.

hwanne cumeþ ealde.

ne myht þu hyne awelde.

þanne deþ hit sone.

þat þe biþ vnyqueme.

Ofer howeþ þin ibod.

and makeþ þe ofte sory mod.

Betere þe were.

iboren þat he nere.

for betere is child vnbore. þane vnbuhsum.

þe mon þe spareþ yeorde. and yonge childe.

and let hit arixlye. þat he hit areche ne may.

þat him schal on ealde; sore reowe. Amen.

Expliciunt dicta Regis Aluredi.