Page:Leechdoms wortcunning and starcraft of early England volume 3.djvu/77

(v.) Flee now, attorlothe,
The less from the greater,^[1]
The greater the less,
Till boot from them both be.
(vi.) Have in mind, thou maythen,
What thou mentionedst,
What thou accomplishedst
At Alderford.^[2]
That never for flying ill
Fatally fell man,
Since we to him maythen
For medicine mixed up.
(vii.) This is the wort which
Wergule ^[3] hight;
This sent the seal
Over seas ridge
Of other mischief
The malice to mend.
These nine can march on
Gainst nine ugly poisons.
A worm sneaking came
To slay and to slaughter;
Then took up Woden
Nine wondrous twigs,
He smote then the nadder
Till it flew in nine bits.
There ended it the crab apple
And its venom, that never it
Should more in house come,
(viii., ix.) Chervil and fennel
Two fair and mighty ones,
These worts the Lord formed,

Wise he and witty is,

1. The blind nettle.
2. This allusion is dark. There is a place of the name in Norfolk.
3. The crab apple.