Sēo bebyrigednes

Tódæg eode ic tō bebyrigednesse ānes frēondes mīnes hīredes. Hē wæs gīet geong, ānlīce ān and fīftig wintra, and þēah þe hē swīðe wlitigne hīred hæfde hwæðere hæfde hē swīðe sārlíc līf and næfre geearnode þæt hē ācwelan sceolde swā hrædlīce. Hwīlum þence ic mē hū geomor and sceortlicu ūre līf sind and geleorendlicu. And gewisse þyncþ swā manigum mannum, ne ānlīce mē. Ac sōþ is hwæðere þæt ān līf ne scortlic is ne langlic. Nis ne eac great ne lytel. And ne eac hæfþ līf andgiet ne getācnunge. Āne is þæt man brūce and nēote līfes swā betst man mæg þā hwīle þe man līf hæbbe.