Fife lagon

On tham campstede,
Cyningas uinga

*Swordum aswefede, 25

Swylce seofene eac

Eorlas Anlafes.

Unrim 26 herges, "7

Flotan and Scotta,

Thær geflymed wearth.

Northmanna bregu 28

Nyde, gebæded

To lides 29 stefne, 30

Litle werede 31

Cread 32 cnear on
Flot cyning,

25 Swebban, Cadmon; b, f, and p, are letters of the same organ, and asurpan, swept away, Lye. The Greek, E Q. 26 Unrim, unnumbered, from innumerus ; n, r, m, the commanding consonants, the same as rim is numerus, the termination us dropped.

27 This word implies Harrassers, according to Lye, from hergian, to harrow. The Gothic hargis, a legion.

28 This word proves beyond the possibility of doubt, that band f are used indiscriminately by Saxon writers; for bregyd is frequently used for fregyth, frighted, here literally the frighter, as in the Gothic, Mar. v. 42, faurhtei.

Five lay

On the camp-stead,

Of kings the young

By swords swept away.

So seven eke

The earls of Anlafe.
Unnumbered harrassers,
Of the fleet and Scotch,
There to flee made were.

Of North-men the terror

By need forced, bidded
With a loud stefen, (voice)
His remaining warriors,
For to crowd near on,

The fleet of the king,

9 Luddor is louder, Chr. Sax. An. 654, though lud is more generally transmitted with the aspirate h, hlud.

3o Steven is a common term for voice, even in Chaucer.

31 The modern warred, engaged in waging war. Vide weored, Lye's Dictionary.

3 Cread, a crowd, Lye; here used as a verb.

Utgewat on feolene 33 flod, 34

Feorh generede. 35

Swilce thær eac se froda 36
Mid fleame com on his cyththe
Nordh Constantinus.

Har Hylderinc,

Hryman ne thorfte.

Mecga gemanana,

He was his mæga.

Sceard freonda

* Gefylled on folc-stede,
Forebeslagen æt secge,

And his sunu forlet

On wæl stowe,

Wundum forgrunden.

Geongne Ætguthe,

Gylpan ne thorfte,
Beorn bland en-feax,

Bill geslihtes,

Eald in wuda,

33 Feoll, fell. Deut. ix. 18.

34 Luc. vi. 49. flod. Sax.-Goth. aqua flodar.

35 Gener is the general term for a place of refuge.

Out-going on falling flood,

Far escaped.

So there eke the prudent

With flight came to his country,
The northern Constantine.

The hoary Hilderic,

To scream not throve it, (availed not)

Much bemoan,

He did his mates.

Short (few) friends
Filled his folk-stead,

Fore-slain they were at the shock.

And his son was left,

On the wailfull stow, (field)

With wounds weltering on the ground.

The young Ætguth

To bewail availed not,
His barons bold in fight,
Slaughtered by the bill,
Old in wisdom.

36 Froda is the Gothic frods, Mat. vii. 24, the Latin prudens, p changed into f-f, r, d, s, commanding consonants.

Ne Anlaf the ma,

Mid hyra here leafum,
Hlihhan ne thorftan,

That hi beado 37 weorca

Beteran wurdon

On camp-stede.

Cumbol 38 gehnastes,
Gar 39 mittunge 4o

Gumena gemotes,

Wapen ge wrixles 41

Thas the hi on wæl felda

With ead 42 weardes,

Afaran plegodan.

Gewiton 43 him tha Northmen,

Dæggled on garum,

Dreorig dare tha laf.

On duniges mere,

Ofer deopne wæter,

Dyflen secan,

37 Bate is the term for contention; and beat, to beat.

38 Cumbol sounds as symbel, assembly.

39 Gar is great, as gar, segg, Oros. I. 1. the Ocean, great sea. 40 Mittunge and gemotis are from the same source, the Gothic motastada, Luc. v. 27, the Moot-stadt, place of meeting.

41 This is generally used for exchange, and is the word in