Se swicola Herodes cwæð to ðam tungel-witegum, "Farað, and geornlice befrinað be ðam cilde, and cyðað me, þæt ic eac mage me to him gebiddan." Ac he cydde syððan his facenfullan syrewunge, hu he ymbe wolde, gif he hine gemette, ðaða he ealle his efenealdan adylegode for his anes ehtnysse. Þearflæs he syrwde ymbe Crist: ne com he forðy þæt he wolde his eorðlice rice, oþþe æniges oðres cyninges mid riccetere him to geteon; ac to ði hé com þæt he wolde his heofenlice rice geleaffullum mannum forgyfan. Ne com he to ðy þæt he wære on mærlicum cynesetle ahafen, ac þæt he wære mid hospe on rode hengene genæglod. He wolde ðeah þæs wælhreowan syrewunge mid fleame forbugan, na forði þæt he deað forfluge, seðe sylfwilles to ðrowienne middangearde genealæhte; ac hit wære to hrædlic, gif he ða on cild-cradole acweald wurde, swilce ðonne his to-cyme mancynne bedíglod wære; þi forhradode Godes engel þæs arleasan geþeaht, and bebead þæt se foster-fæder þone heofenlican æþeling of ðam earde ardlice ferede. Ne forseah Crist his geongan cempan, ðeah ðe he lichamlice on heora slege andwerd nære; ac hé asende hí fram þisum {84} wræcfullum life to his ecan rice. Gesælige hí wurdon geborene þæt hi moston for his intingan deað þrowian. Eadig is heora yld, seoðe þa gyt ne mihte Crist andettan, and moste for Criste þrowian. Hí wæron þæs Hælendes gewitan, ðeah ðe hí hine ða gyt ne cuðon. Næron hí gerípode to slege, ac hi gesæliglice þeah swulton to life. Gesælig wæs heora acennednys, forðan ðe hí gemetton þæt ece lif on instæpe þæs andweardan lifes. Hí wurdon gegripene fram moderlicum breostum, ac hi wurdon betæhte þærrihte engellicum bosmum. Ne mihte se mánfulla ehtere mid nanre ðenunge þam lytlingum swa micclum fremian, swa micclum swa hé him fremode mid ðære reðan ehtnysse hatunge. Hí sind gehátene martyra blostman, forðan ðe hí wæron swá swá up-aspringende blostman on middeweardan cyle ungeleaffulnysse, swilce mid sumere ehtnysse forste forsodene. Eadige sind þa innoðas þe hí gebæron, and ða breost þe swylce gesihton. Witodlice ða moddru on heora cildra martyrdome þrowodon; þæt swurd ðe þæra cildra lima þurh-árn becóm to ðæra moddra heortan; and neod is þæt hí beon efenhlyttan þæs ecan edleanes, þonne hí wæron geferan ðære ðrowunge. Hí wæron gehwæde and ungewittige acwealde, ac hí arisað on þam gemænelicum dome mid fullum wæstme, and heofenlicere snoternysse. Ealle we cumað to anre ylde on þam gemænelicum æriste, þeah ðe we nu on myslicere ylde of þyssere worulde gewiton. Þæt godspel cweð þæt Rachel beweóp hire cildra, and nolde beon gefrefrod, forðan þe hí ne sind. Rachel hatte Iacobes wif, ðæs heahfæderes, and heo getacnode Godes gelaðunge, þe bewypð hire gastlican cild; ac heo nele swa beon gefrefrod, þæt hí eft to woruldlicum gecampe gehwyrfon, þa þe æne mid sygefæstum deaðe middangeard oferswiðdon, and his yrmða ætwundon to wuldorbeagienne mid Criste.