1A3.13

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2

MAXIMS I

3

I

    
4Frige mec frodum wordum.
5Ne læt þinne ferð onhælne, degol þæt þu deopost cunne.
6Nelle ic þe min dyrne gesecgan,

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7gif þu me þinne hygecræft
8hylest ond þine heortan geþohtas.
9Gleawe men sceolon gieddum wrixlan.
10God sceal mon ærest hergan fægre, fæder userne, forþon þe
11he us æt frymþe geteode lif ond lænne willan:
12he usic wile þara leana gemonian.
13Meotud sceal in wuldre, mon sceal on eorþan geong ealdian.
14God us ece biþ, ne wendað hine wyrda ne hine wiht dreceþ,
15adl ne yldo ælmihtigne; ne gomelað he in
16gæste, ac he is gen swa he wæs, þeoden geþyldig.
17He us geþonc syleð, missenlicu mod, monge reorde.
18Feorhcynna fela fæþmeþ wide eglond monig.
19Eardas rume meotud arærde for moncynne, ælmihtig god,
20efenfela bega þeoda ond þeawa.
21þing sceal gehegan frod wiþ frodne; biþ hyra ferð gelic,
22hi a sace semaþ, sibbe gelærað, þa ær wonsælge awegen
23habbað.
24Ræd sceal mid snyttro, ryht mid wisum, til sceal mid tilum.
25Tu beoð gemæccan; sceal wif ond wer in woruld cennan bearn
26mid gebyrdum.
27Beam sceal on eorðan leafum liþan, leomu gnornian.
28Fus sceal feran, fæge sweltan ond dogra gehwam ymb gedal
29sacan middangeardes.
30Meotud ana wat hwær se cwealm cymeþ, þe heonan of cyþþe
31gewiteþ.
32Umbor yceð, þa æradl nimeð; þy weorþeð on foldan swa
33fela fira cynnes, ne sy þæs magutimbres gemet
34ofer eorþan, gif hi ne wanige se þas woruld teode.
35Dol biþ se þe his dryhten nat, to þæs oft cymeð deað
36unþinged.
37Snotre men sawlum beorgað, healdað hyra soð mid ryhte.

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38Eadig bið se þe in his eþle geþihð, earm se him his frynd
39geswicað.
40Nefre sceal se him his nest aspringeð, nyde sceal þrage
41gebunden.
42Bliþe sceal bealoleas heorte.
43Blind sceal his eagna þolian, oftigen biþ him torhtre
44gesihþe.
45Ne magon hi tunglu bewitian, swegltorht sunnan ne monan;
46þæt him biþ sar in his mode, onge þonne he hit ana wat,
47ne weneð þæt him þæs edhwyrft cyme.
48Waldend him þæt wite teode, se him mæg wyrpe syllan, hælo
49of heofodgimme, gif he wat heortan clæne.
50Lef mon læces behofað.
51Læran sceal mon geongne monnan, trymman ond tyhtan þæt he
52teala cunne, oþþæt hine mon atemedne hæbbe,
53sylle him wist ond wædo, oþþæt hine mon on gewitte alæde.
54Ne sceal hine mon cildgeongne forcweþan, ær he hine acyþan
55mote; þy sceal on þeode geþeon, þæt he wese
56þristhycgende.
57Styran sceal mon strongum mode.
58Storm oft holm gebringeþ, geofen in grimmum sælum; onginnað
59grome fundian fealwe on feorran to londe, hwæþer he fæste
60stonde.
61Weallas him wiþre healdað, him biþ wind gemæne.
62Swa biþ sæ smilte, þonne hy wind ne weceð; swa beoþ
63þeoda geþwære, þonne hy geþingad habbað,
64gesittað him on gesundum þingum, ond þonne mid gesiþum
65healdaþ cene men gecynde rice.
66Cyning biþ anwealdes georn; lað se þe londes monað, leof
67se þe mare beodeð.
68þrym sceal mid wlenco, þriste mid cenum, sceolun bu recene
69beadwe fremman.

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70Eorl sceal on eos boge, eorod sceal getrume ridan, fæste
71feþa stondan.
72Fæmne æt hyre bordan geriseð; widgongel wif word
73gespringeð, oft hy mon wommum bilihð, hæleð hy
74hospe mænað, oft hyre hleor abreoþeð.
75Sceomiande man sceal in sceade hweorfan, scir in leohte
76geriseð.
77Hond sceal heofod inwyrcan, hord in streonum bidan, gifstol
78gegierwed stondan, hwonne hine guman gedælen.
79Gifre biþ se þam golde onfehð, guma þæs on heahsetle
80geneah; lean sceal, gif we leogan nellað, þam
81þe us þas lisse geteode.
82

II

    
83Forst sceal freosan, fyr wudu meltan, eorþe growan, is
84brycgian, wæter helm wegan, wundrum lucan eorþan ciþas.
85An sceal inbindan forstes fetre felameahtig god; winter sceal
86geweorpan, weder eft cuman, sumor swegle hat, sund unstille.
87Deop deada wæg dyrne bið lengest; holen sceal inæled, yrfe
88gedæled deades monnes.
89Dom biþ selast.
90Cyning sceal mid ceape cwene gebicgan, bunum ond beagum; bu
91sceolon ærest geofum god wesan.
92Guð sceal in eorle, wig geweaxan, ond wif geþeon leof
93mid hyre leodum, leohtmod wesan, rune healdan,
94rumheort beon mearum ond maþmum, meodorædenne for
95gesiðmægen symle æghwær eodor æþelinga ærest
96gegretan, forman fulle to frean hond ricene geræcan, ond him
97ræd witan

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98boldagendum bæm ætsomne.
99Scip sceal genægled, scyld gebunden, leoht linden bord, leof
100wilcuma Frysan wife, þonne flota stondeð;
101biþ his ceol cumen ond hyre ceorl to ham, agen ætgeofa,
102ond heo hine in laðaþ, wæsceð his warig hrægl ond
103him syleþ wæde niwe, liþ him on londe þæs his
104lufu bædeð.
105Wif sceal wiþ wer wære gehealdan, oft hi mon wommum
106belihð fela bið fæsthydigra, fela bið
107fyrwetgeorna , freoð hy fremde monnan, þonne se
108oþer feor gewiteþ.
109Lida biþ longe on siþe; a mon sceal seþeah leofes wenan,
110gebidan þæs he gebædan ne mæg.
111Hwonne him eft gebyre weorðe, ham cymeð, gif he hal leofað,
112nefne him holm gestyreð, mere hafað mundum mægðegsan wyn.
113Ceapeadig mon cyningwic þonne leodon cypeþ, þonne liþan
114cymeð; wuda ond wætres nyttað, þonne him biþ wic
115alyfed , mete bygeþ, gif he maran þearf, ærþon
116he to meþe weorþe.
117Seoc se biþ þe to seldan ieteð; þeah hine mon on sunnan
118læde, ne mæg he be þy wedre wesan, þeah hit
119sy wearm on sumera, ofercumen biþ he, ær he acwele, gif he
120nat hwa hine cwicne fede.
121Mægen mon sceal mid mete fedan, morþor under eorþan
122befeolan, hinder under hrusan, þe hit forhelan
123þenceð; ne biþ þæt gedefe deaþ, þonne hit gedyrned
124weorþeð.
125Hean sceal gehnigan, hadl gesigan, ryht rogian.
126Ræd biþ nyttost, yfel unnyttost, þæt unlæd nimeð.

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127God bið genge, ond wiþ god lenge.
128Hyge sceal gehealden, hond gewealden, seo sceal in eagan,
129snyttro in breostum, þær bið þæs monnes modgeþoncas.
130muþa gehwylc mete þearf, mæl sceolon tidum gongan.
131Gold geriseþ on guman sweorde, sellic sigesceorp, sinc on
132cwene, god scop gumum, garniþ werum, wig
133towiþre wicfreoþa healdan.
134Scyld sceal cempan, sceaft reafere, sceal bryde beag, bec
135leornere, husl halgum men, hæþnum synne.
136Woden worhte weos, wuldor alwalda, rume roderas; þæt is rice
137god, sylf soðcyning, sawla nergend, se
138us eal forgeaf þæt we on lifgaþ, ond eft æt þam ende
139eallum wealdeð monna cynne.
140þæt is meotud sylfa.
141

III

    
142Ræd sceal mon secgan, rune writan, leoþ gesingan, lofes
143gearnian, dom areccan, dæges onettan.
144Til mon tiles ond tomes meares, cuþes ond gecostes ond
145calcrondes; nænig fira to fela gestryneð.
146Wel mon sceal wine healdan on wega gehwylcum; oft mon fereð
147feor bi tune, þær him wat freond unwiotodne.
148Wineleas, wonsælig mon genimeð him wulfas to geferan,
149felafæcne deor.
150Ful oft hine se gefera sliteð; gryre sceal for greggum, græf
151deadum men; hungre heofeð, nales þæt heafe bewindeð,
152ne huru wæl wepeð wulf se græga,
153morþorcwealm mæcga, ac hit a mare wille.
154Wræd sceal wunden, wracu heardum men.

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155Boga sceal stræle, sceal bam gelic mon to gemæccan.
156Maþþum oþres weorð, gold mon sceal gifan.
157mæg god syllan eadgum æhte ond eft niman.
158Sele sceal stondan, sylf ealdian.
159Licgende beam læsest groweð.
160Treo sceolon brædan ond treow weaxan, sio geond bilwitra
161breost ariseð.
162Wærleas mon ond wonhydig, ætrenmod ond ungetreow, þæs ne
163gymeð god.
164Fela sceop meotud þæs þe fyrn gewearð, het siþþan swa
165forð wesan.
166Wæra gehwylcum wislicu word gerisað, gleomen gied ond guman
167snyttro.
168Swa monige beoþ men ofer eorþan, swa beoþ modgeþoncas;
169ælc him hafað sundorsefan.
170Longað þonne þy læs þe him con leoþa worn, oþþe mid
171hondum con hearpan gretan; hafaþ him his gliwes
172giefe, þe him god sealde.
173Earm biþ se þe sceal ana lifgan, wineleas wunian hafaþ him
174wyrd geteod; betre him wære þæt he broþor ahte,
175begen hi anes monnes, eorles eaforan wæran, gif
176hi sceoldan eofor onginnan oþþe begen beran;
177biþ þæt sliþhende deor.
178A scyle þa rincas gerædan lædan ond him ætsomne swefan;
179næfre hy mon tomlde , ær hy deað todæle.
180Hy twegen sceolon tæfle ymbsittan, þenden him hyra torn
181toglide, forgietan þara geocran gesceafta ,
182habban him gomen on borde;

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183idle hond æmetlan geneah tæfles
184monnes, þonne teoselum weorpeð.
185Seldan in sidum ceole, nefne he under segle yrne, werig
186scealc wiþ winde roweþ; ful oft mon wearnum tihð
187eargne, þæt he elne forleose, drugað his ar on borde.
188Lot sceal mid lyswe, list mid gedefum; þy weorþeð se stan
189forstolen.
190Oft hy wordum toweorpað, ær hy bacum tobreden; geara is
191hwær aræd.
192Wearð fæhþo fyra cynne, siþþan furþum swealg eorðe
193Abeles blode.
194Næs þæt andæge nið, of þam wrohtdropan wide gesprungon,
195micel mon ældum, monegum þeodum bealoblonden niþ.
196Slog his broðor swæsne Cain, þone cwealm nerede; cuþ
197wæs wide siþþan, þæt ece nið ældum scod, swa
198aþolwarum.
199Drugon wæpna gewin wide geond eorþan, ahogodan ond ahyrdon
200heoro sliþendne.
201Gearo sceal guðbord, gar on sceafte, ecg on sweorde ond ord
202spere, hyge heardum men.
203Helm sceal cenum, ond a þæs heanan hyge hord unginnost.