_Þus queþ Alured: Ne schal-tu néuere þi =w=íf | by hire =w=lýte chéose,_ 247-8 _for néuer none þínge | þat heo tó þe brýngeþ; ac leorne hire =c=úste, | heo =c=úþeþ hi wel sóne; for móny mon for =á=yhte | =ú=vele i=á=uhteþ, and ófte mon of =f=áyre | =f=rákele ichéoseþ._ 255-6 _Wó is him þat =ú=vel wìf | brýngeþ to his cótlýf; só is him alýve | þat úvele ywýueþ. For hé schal uppen éorþe | dréori i-wúrþe. Mónymon síngeþ | þat wíf hom brýngeþ Wíste he hwat he bróuhte | wépen he mýhte._ 265-6
The metre of Layamon's _Brut_ may be illustrated by the following passage (ll. 13841-13882):
_Þa =á=nswerede þe =ó=ðer | þat was þe =á=ldeste bróðer 'Lust me nú, lauerd =k=íng | and ích þe wullen =c=úðen what =c=níhtes we béoð, | and whanene we i=c=úmen séoð. Ich hátte =H=éngest, | =H=órs is mi bróðer; we beoð of =Á=lemáinne, | =á=ðelest alre lónde;_ 13849-50 _of þat =í=lken =[æ´]=nde | þe =Á=ngles is iháten. Béoð in ure lónde | sélcùðe tíðènde: vmbe =f=íftène [gh]ér | þat =f=ólc is isómned, al ure =l=édene fólc, | and heore =l=óten wérpeð; uppen þán þe hit =f=áleð, | he scal =u=áren of lónde;_ 13859-60 _bil[æ´]uen scullen þa =f=íue, | þa séxte scal =f=órð-lìðe =ú=t of þan =l=éode | to =ú=ncùðe =l=ónde; ne beo he ná swa =l=eof mon | vorð he scal =l=íðen. For þer is fólc swiðe =m=úchel, | =m=[æ´]re þene heo wálden; ba =w=íf fareð mid chílde | swa þe déor =w=ílde;_ 13869-70 _[æ´]ueralche [gh]ére | heo béreð chíld þère. þat beoð an us =f=éole | þat we =f=[æ´]ren scólden; ne míhte we bi=l=[æ´]ue | for =l=íue ne for d[æ´]ðe, ne for náuer nane þínge, | for þan fólc-kìnge. =þ=ús we uerden =þ=ére | and for =þ=í beoð nu hére,_ 13879-80 _to séchen vnder =l=úfte | =l=ónd and godne =l=áuerd._
These extracts illustrate only the general metrical character of the two literary monuments, the versification of which in many passages considerably deviates from the type here exhibited. It frequently shows a still more arbitrary mixture of the different kinds of verse, or a decided preference for some of them over the others. But the examples given will suffice to show that here, as in the two passages from the _Saxon Chronicle_ quoted above, we have four different kinds of verse distinguished by the different use of rhyme and alliteration, viz.: