Þus becom ure Hælend on Marian innoð on þissum dæge, ðe is gehaten ANNUNTIATIO SANCTAE MARIAE, þæt is, Marian bodung-dæg gecweden; on þam dæge bodode se heah-engel Gabrihel ðam clænum mædene Godes to-cyme to mannum ðurh hí, and heo gelyfde þæs engles bodunge, and swa mid geleafan onfeng God on hyre innoð, and hine bær oð middewintres mæsse-dæg, and hine ða acende mid soðre menniscnysse, seðe æfre wæs wunigende on godcundnysse mid his Fæder, and mid þam Halgan Gaste, hi ðry an God untodæledlic. Nu seigð se godspellere, þæt Maria ferde, æfter þæs engles bodunge, to hire magan Elisabeth, seo wæs Zacharian wif. Hí butu wæron rihtwise, and heoldon Godes beboda untællice. {202} Ða wæron hí butan cilde, oðþæt hí wæron forwerede menn. Ða com se ylca engel Gabrihel to Zacharian syx monðum ærðan ðe hé come to Marian, and cydde þæt he sceolde be his ealdan wife sunu habban, Iohannem ðone Fulluhtere. Þa wearð he ungeleafful þæs engles bodungum. Se engel ða him cwæð to, "Nu ðu nylt gelyfan minum wordum, beo ðu dumb oðþæt þæt cild beo acenned." And he ða adumbode on eallum ðam fyrste, for his ungeleaffulnysse. "Nu com ða seo eadige Maria to his huse, and grette his wíf, hyre magan, Elisabeth. Ða mid þam þe þæt wíf gehyrde þæs mædenes gretinge, ða blissode þæt cild Iohannes on his modor innoðe, and seo moder wearð afylled mid þam Halgan Gaste, and heo clypode to Marian mid micelre stemne, and cwæð, Þu eart gebletsod betwux wifum, and gebletsod is se wæstm þines innoðes. Hu getimode me þæt mines Drihtnes moder wolde cuman to me? Efne mid þam þe seo stefn ðinre gretinge swegde on mínum earum, ða blissode min cild on minum innoðe, and hoppode ongean his Drihten, þe þu berst on ðinum innoðe." Þæt cild ne mihte na ða-gyt mid wordum his Hælend gegretan, ac he gegrette hine mid blissigendum mode. Heo cwæð, "Eadig eart ðu, Maria, forðon ðe þu gelyfdest þam wordum ðe þe fram Gode gebodode wæron, and hit bið gefremmed swa swa hit ðe gecydd wæs." Ða sang Maria þærrihte ðone lofsang þe we singað on Godes cyrcan, æt ælcum æfensange, "Magnificat anima mea Dominum," and forð oð ende. Þæt is, "Min sawul mærsað Drihten:" et reliqua. Langsum hit bið þæt we ealne þisne lofsang ofertrahtnian; ac we wyllað scortlice oferyrnan ða digelystan word. "God awearp ða rican of setle:" þæt sind ða modigan ðe hí onhebbað ofer heora mæðe. "And he ahof ða eadmodan;" swa swa Crist sylf cwæð on his godspelle, "Ælc ðæra þe hine onhefð, he sceal beon geeadmet; and se ðe hine geeadmet, he sceal beon ahafen."