The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church: Containing the Sermones Catholici, or Homilies of Ælfric, in the Original Anglo-Saxon, with an English Version. Volume I.Aelfric, Abbot of Eynsham
Religion
The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church: Containing the Sermones Catholici, or Homilies of Ælfric, in the Original Anglo-Saxon, with an English Version. Volume I.
Aelfric, Abbot of Eynsham
Sermons, English (Old)
Þurh ða twegen dælas, east-dæl and west-dæl, sind getacnode ða feower
hwemmas ealles middangeardes, of þam beoð gegaderode Godes gecorenan of
ælcere mægðe to þæra heahfædera wununge, and ealra halgena. Þurh east-dæl
magon beon getacnode þa ðe on geogoðe to Gode bugað; forðan ðe on east-dæle
is þæs dæges angin. Þurh west-dæl sind getacnode þa ðe on ylde to Godes
ðeowdome gecyrrað; forðan ðe on west-dæle geendað se dæg.
Ðes æfterfiligenda cwyde is swiðe egefull, "Þa rícan bearn beoð awórpene
into ðam yttrum ðeostrum, þær bið wóp and toða gebitt." Ða rican bearn sind
þa Iudeiscan, on ðam rixode God ðurh ða ealdan ǽ; ac hí awurpon Crist, and
his lare forsawon; and hé awyrpð hí on ða yttran þeostru, ðær bið wóp and
toða gebitt. Fela riccra manna geðeoð Gode, swa-þeah, gif hí rihtwise beoð,
and mildheorte. Rice man wæs se heahfæder Abraham, and Dauid se mæra
cyning, and Zacheus, seðe healfe his æhta þearfum dælde, and mid {132}
healfum dæle forgeald be feowerfealdum swa hwæt swa he ær on unriht be
anfealdum reafode. Þas rican and heora gelican becumað þurh gode
gecyrrednysse to ðam ecan rice, ðe him næfre ne ateorað.
Ða sind Godes bearn gecigede, þe hine lufiað swiðor þonne þisne
middangeard; and ða sind ða rican bearn gecwedene, ðe heora heortan
wyrtruman on ðisum andwerdum life plantiað swiðor þonne on Criste: swylce
beoð on þeostru aworpene. Þæt godspel cwyð, "On þa yttran þeostru." Ða
yttran þeostru sind þæs lichaman blindnyssa wiðutan. Ða inran þeostru sind
þæs modes blindnyssa wiðinnan. Se ðe on ðisum andweardum life is wiðinnan
ablend, swa þæt he næfð nan andgit ne hóga embe Godes beboda, he bið þonne
eft wiðutan ablend, and ælces leohtes bedæled; forðan ðe he ær his lif
aspende butan Godes gemynde. Þa earman forscyldegodan cwylmiað on ecum
fyre, and swa-ðeah þæt swearte fyr him nane lihtinge ne deð. Wurmas
toslitað heora lichaman mid fyrenum toðum, swa swa Crist on his godspelle
cwæð, "Þær næfre heora wyrm ne swylt, ne heora fyr ne bið adwæsced." Þær
beoð þonne geferlæhte on anre susle, þa þe on life on mándædum geðeodde
wæron, swa þæt þa manslagan togædere ecelice on tintregum cwylmiað; and
forlígras mid forligrum, gitseras mid gytserum, sceaðan mid sceaðum, ða
forsworenan mid forsworenum, on ðam bradan fire, butan ælcere geendunge
forwurðað. Þær bið wóp and toða gebitt, forðan ðe ða eagan tyrað on ðam
micclum bryne, and ða teð cwaciað eft on swiðlicum cyle. Gif hwam twynige
be ðam gemænelicum æriste, þonne understande he þisne drihtenlican cwyde,
Þæt þær bið soð ærist, ðær ðær beoð wepende eagan and cearcigende teð.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account