fī́f þū̀sendo; fḗðan sǣ́ton. An. 589 ff.
This usage, which in Middle English became very popular, is noticeably frequent in the poem of Judith, probably with a view to emphasis. Many examples of such pairs of verses are to be found collected by Dr. A. Brandeis from Ælfric.
The unaccented words may begin with the same letter as the accented words which bear the alliteration proper,[85] as
ne hīe huru héofona hélm hérian ne cū̀ðon. Beow. 182,
or one of the unaccented words may begin with the same letter as an accented word which does not alliterate, as
þæt fram hā́m gefrǣ́gn Hígelāces bégn. Beow. 194;
this of course has nothing to do with alliteration, though in later times it was often mistaken for it.
Verses without any alliteration at all, as
he hélpeð þéarfan swýlce ēac wǣ́dlan.Ps. lxxi. 13,
occur only in late OE. poetry like Ælfric’s Homilies, and when rhyme was beginning to creep in.