Page:King Alfred's Version of the Consolations of Boethius.djvu/250

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The wind beneath heaven, then soon wax

The flowers of the field, fain to be able.

But the stiff storm-wind, when it strongly blows

From out of the north-east, how soon it nips

The rose's beauty! By the northern blast

The spacious ocean is helpless spurned

Till strongly heaving it strikes the beach.

Alas, that in the world nothing wears

Firm and lasting long on this earth.

VII

Then did Wisdom follow her wont,

Glee-words chanted, changed song for speech,

Of tales of sooth sang yet another:

'Never on high hill had she ever heard

That any of men might make to stand

A roof-fast hall; nor need any hope

To have the wit to mingle wisdom,

To put it together with pride overweening.

Heard you ever that any of mortals

On hills of sand his house could establish

Firm to last him? Nor can any mortal

Build up wisdom, where the hill-side

Is spread with covetise. Quickly the rain

Is sucked by the sand; so do the great ones,

With their bottomless greed of goods and glory.

They drink to the dregs this dross so fleeting,

Yet the thirst of their craving is never cooled.