_and he =[=æ´]=fre his fýrde þam =h[=æ´]=lende bet[=æ´]hte._ Ælfr. Judges[81] 417.
and _h_ before consonants (viz. _r, l, w_) is disregarded as
_and h[=e] hig [=a]hrédde of þ[=a]m =r=[=é]ðan þ[=é]owte._ Ælfr. Judges 16.
_on h=w=ám his stréngð wæs and his =w=úndorl[=ì]ce míht_. ibid. 306.
It is important to observe that the combinations _st_, _sc_, _sp_ are not allowed to alliterate with each other or with words beginning with _s_ not followed by a consonant, but _st_ can alliterate only with _st_, _sc_ only with _sc_, _sp_ only with _sp_; thus _spere_ and _scyld_, _stillan_ and _springan_, _s[=æ]_ and _styrman_ do not count as alliterations. The invariable practice is seen in the following lines:--
_h[=e]t =st=r[=é]amfare =st=íllan, =st=órmas réstan._ An. 1578.
_he =sc=[=é]af þ[=a] mid þam =sc=ýlde, þæt se =sc=éatt t[=o]b[æ´]rst and þæt =sp=ére =sp=réngde, þæt hit =sp=ráng ong[=é]an._ Byrhtnoth 136-7.
In later times this rule was not so strictly observed. The metrical Psalms alliterate _sc_ with _s_ and _sw_ with _s_, as
_hi hine him =s=ámnuncga =sc=éarpum str[=é]lum_. Ps. lxiii. 4.
_on þ[=í]ne þ[=a] =s=w[=í]ðran, ond þe ne =sc=éaðeð [=æ´]nig_. Ps. xc. 7.
but _sp_ and _st_ do not alliterate with each other or with _s_. In Ælfric all these combinations of consonants alliterate indifferently with each other or with _s_ + another consonant or with simple _s_, as in
_wið þ[=á]m þe h[=e]o be=s=w[=í]ce =S=ámson þone =s=trángan_. Ælfr. Judges 308.
Sometimes in Ælfric the alliterating letter does not stand at the beginning of the word,
_and h[=e] hæfde héora ge=w=éald ealles t=w=éntig g[=é]ara_. ibid. 85.
and the alliteration may even fall on an unaccented particle as in
_=f=rám his gel[=e]afan and his [=æ] =f=ors[=a]won._ ibid. 51.
For a full account of Ælfric's alliteration the reader may be referred to an interesting essay by Dr. Arthur Brandeis, _Die Alliteration in Aelfric's metrischen Homilien_, 1897 (Programm der Staatsrealschule im VII. Bezirk in Wien).
§ =34. Position of the alliterative words.= Out of the four accented syllables of the line two at least, and commonly three, must begin with an alliterative sound, and this alliteration still further increases the stress which these syllables have in virtue of their syntactical and rhythmical accent.