Actually a similar phrase shows up much less romantically earlier in the same text, when evil king Antiochus is thinking evil thoughts about his beautiful daughter (“þa gefeol his agen mod on hyre lufe mid unrihtre gewilnunge”). But, understandably, when my professors waxed poetic about the first instance of an English speaker falling in love, they mentioned Arcestrates’ daughter rather than dirty old Antiochus.

I know it’s only a translation of the ancient Latin (and before that Greek) story anyway, which maybe only serves to prove your point (and, as I recall, there is some dusty criticism to point out that the translator seems to have excised most of the juicier romance out of it to suit ascetic Anglo-Saxon Christian tastes; my recollection of all this is sketchy), but still: I like the reminder that as much as the culture seems to have been saturated with cold stone, warring armies, and monsters, there were still teenage girls sitting around, staring into the fireplace, listening to the latest songs, with their minds falling to love.

But then, it’s no surprise to anyone that I would prefer the chick flick to a Schwartznegger Beowulf anyway. :)