22 KING ALFRED'S
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ade all that he has made, and rightly judges and rules itall, though thou knowest not why he so and so may do. When he had made this speech, then began he to sing,and said: Who of the unlearned wonders not at the courseof the sky, and its swiftness; how it every day revolvesabout all this middle-earth? Or who wonders not that somestars have a shorter circuit than others have, as the starshave which we call the wagon's shafts? They have so shorta circuit, because they are so near the north end of the axis,on which all the sky turns. Or who is not astonished atthis, except those only who know it, that some stars have alonger circuit than others have, and those the longest whichrevolve midward about the axis, as Bootes does? And thatthe star Saturn does not come where it before was till aboutthirty winters? Or who wonders not at this, that some starsdepart under the sea, as some men think the sun does whenshe sets? But she nevertheless is not nearer to the sea thanshe is at mid-day! Who is not astonished when the fullmoon is covered over with darkness? or again, that the starsshine before the moon, and do not shine before the sun? Atthis and many a like thing they wonder, and wonder notthat men and all living creatures have continual and uselessenmity with each other. Or why wonder they not at this,that it sometimes thunders, and sometimes begins not? Or,again, at the strife of sea and winds, and waves and land? orwhy ice is formed, and again by the shining of the sun re-turns to its own nature? But the inconstant people wonderat that which it most seldom sees, though it be less wonder-ful; and thinks that that is not the old creation, but has bychance newly happened. But they who are very inquisitiveand endeavor to learn, if God removes from their mind thefolly with which it was before covered, then will they notwonder at many things which they now wonder at. When Wisdom had sung this lay, then was he silent a lit-tle while. Then said I : So it is as thou sayest. But I amstill desirous that thou wouldest instruct me somewhat moredistinctly concerning the thing which has chiefly troubledmy mind, that is, what I before asked thee. For it wasalways hitherto thy wont that thou wouldest teach everymind abstruse and unknown things. Then began he to
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