Ælfric's Lives of Saints
by Ælfric, translated by Gunning / Wilkinson
Of Saint George
1312621Ælfric's Lives of Saints — Of Saint GeorgeGunning / WilkinsonÆlfric


uiiii. kl̅ mai. nat̄l̄ sci̅ georgí martyris.

Gedƿol-men aƿriton ge-dƿyld on heora bocvm · 001
be ðā halgan ƿere ðe is gehaten georius ·

Nu ƿille ƿe eoƿ secgan  soð is be ðam · 003
 heora gedƿyld ne derige digellice ænigum ·

Se halga georius ƿæs on hæþenū dagum 005
rice ealdor-man · under ðam reþan casere
þe ƿæs datianus geciged · on ðære scire cappadocia ·

Þa het datianus ða hæðenan ge-gaderian 008
to his deofol-gildum his drihtne on teonan ·
⁊ mid manegum ðeoƿracum  mancynn geegsode ·
 hi heora lac ge-offrodon þam leasum godum mid him ·

Þa geseah se halga ƿer þæra hæðenra gedƿyld 012
hu hi ðā deoflum onsægdon ⁊ heora drihten forsaƿon ·
ða aspende he his feoh unforh (sic) on ælmyssū
hafen-leasum mannum þam hælende to lofe ·
⁊ ƿearð þurh crist gebyld · ⁊ cƿæð to ðam casere ·

Omnes dii gentium demonia · dominus autē caelos fecit · 017

Ealle þæra hæðenra godas synd gramlice deofla · 018
⁊ ure drihten soðlice geƿorhte heofonas ·

Þine godas casere syndon gyldene · ⁊ sylfrene · 020
stænene · ⁊ treoƿene · getreoƿ-leasera manna hand-ge-ƿeorc ·
⁊ gé him ƿeardas settað þe hí beƿaciað ƿið þeofas ·

Hƿæt þa datianus deofollice geyrsode 023
ongean ðone halgan ƿer · ⁊ het hine secgan
of hƿilcere byrig he ƿære · oððe hƿæt his nama ƿære ·

Þa andƿyrde georius ðam arleasan ⁊ cƿæð · 026

Ic eom soðlice cristen ⁊ ic criste þeoƿige · 027

Georius ic eom gehaten · ⁊ ic hæbbe ealdor-dom 028
on minum earde · ðe is gehaten cappadocia ·
⁊ me bet licað to forlætenne nu
þisne hƿilƿendlican ƿurðmynt · ⁊ þæs ƿuldor-fullan godes
cyne-dome gehyrsumian on haligre drohtnunge ·

Þa cƿæð datianus · þu dƿelast geori · 033
genealæc nu ærest ⁊ geoffra þine lac
þā unofer-sƿiðendum (sic) apolline · seðe soþlice mæg
þinre nytennysse gemiltsian · ⁊ to his manrædene gebigan ·

Georius þa befran þone feondlican casere · 037
hƿæðer is to lufigenne · oððe hƿam lac to offrigenne ·
ðam hælende criste ealra ƿoruldra alysend?
oþþe apolline ealra deofla ealdre ·

Hƿæt ða datianus mid deofollicum graman 041
het ðone halgan ƿer on hencgene ahæbban ·
⁊ mid isenū claƿum clifrian his lima ·
⁊ ontendan blysan æt bam his sidum ·
het hine þa siððan of ðære ceastre alædan
⁊ mid sƿinglum þreagen [sic @ Skeat] ⁊ mid sealte gnidan ·
ac se halga ƿer ƿunode unge-derod ·

Þa het se casere hine on cƿearterne don · 048
⁊ het geaxian ofer eall sumne æltæƿne dry ·

Þa ge-axode  athanasius se dry · 050
⁊ com to ðam casere · ⁊ hine caflice befrán ·
hƿi hete ðu me feccan þus færlice to þe?

Datianus ⁊ƿyrde athanasie ðus · 053

Miht þu adƿæscan þæra cristenra drycræft · 054

Þa andƿyrde se dry · datiane ðus · 055

Hat cuman to me þone cristenan mann · 056
⁊ beo ic scyldig gif ic his scyncræft ne mæg
mid ealle adƿæscan mid minum drycræfte ·

Þa fægnode datianus  he funde sƿylcne dry · 059
⁊ het of cƿearterne lædan ðone godes cempan ·
⁊ cƿæð to ðam halgan mid hetelicum mode ·

For ðe geori ic begeat þisne dry · 062
ofersƿyð his drycræft oððe he þe ofersƿyðe ·
oððe he fordó þe oððe þu fordo hine ·

Georius ða beheold þone hæðenan dry · 065
⁊ cƿæð  he ge-saƿe cristes gife on him ·

Athanasius ða ardlice genam 067
ænne mycelne bollan · mid bealuƿe afylled
⁊ deoflum betæhte ðone drenc ealne ·
⁊ sealde him drincan ac hit him ne derode ·

Þa cƿæð eft se dry · Git ic dó an þincg · 071
⁊ gif him  ne derað · Ic buge to criste ·

He genam ða ane cuppan mid cƿealm-berū drence · 073
⁊ clypode sƿyðe to sƿeartum deoflum ·
⁊ to ðam fyrmestū deoflum · ⁊ to ðā ful strangum ·
⁊ on heora naman begol þone gramlican drenc ·
sealde ða drincan þam drihtnes halgan ·
ac him naht ne derode se deofollica ƿæta ·

Ða geseah se dry  he him derian ne mihte · 079
⁊ feol to his fotum fulluhtes biddende ·
⁊ se halga georius hine sona gefullode ·

Hƿæt ða datianus deoflice ƿearð gram · 082
⁊ het geniman þone dry þe þær gelyfde on god ·
⁊ lædan of ðære byrig ⁊ beheafdian sona ·

Eft on þam oþrum dæge het se arleasa casere 085
gebindan georium on anum bradum hƿeoƿle ·
⁊ tƿa scearpe sƿurd settan him to-geanes ·
⁊ sƿa up ateon ⁊ under-bæc sceofan ·

Þa gebæd georius hine bealdlice to gode · 089

Deus in adiutorium meum intende domine ad adiuuandum me festina · 090

God beseoh ðu on minum fultume · drihten efst þu nu me to fultumigenne · 091
⁊ he ƿearð þa gebroht mid þysum gebæde on þam hƿeoƿle ·

Þa tyrndon þa hæðenan hetelice  hƿeoƿl · 093
ac hit sona tobærst ⁊ beah to eorðan ·
⁊ se halga ƿer ƿunode ungederod ·

Datianus þa dreorig ƿearð on mode · 096
⁊ sƿor ðurh ða sunnan · ⁊ ðurh ealle his godas
 he mid mislicum ƿitum hine ƿolde fordón ·

Ða cƿæð se eadiga georius him to · 099

Þine ðeoƿ-racan synd hƿilƿendlice · 100
ac ic ne forhtige for ðinum gebeote ·
þu hæfst minne lichaman on ðinum anƿealde ·
ac ðu næfst sƿa þeah mine saƿle · ac god ·

Þa het se casere his cƿelleras feccan 104
ænne ærene hƿer · ⁊ hine ealne afyllan
mid ƿeallendum leade · ⁊ lecgan georium
innon ðone hƿær · þaða he hattost ƿæs ·

Þa ahof se halga to heofonū his eagan · 108
his drihten biddende ⁊ bealdlice cƿeðende ·

Ic gange into þe on mines drihtnes naman · 110
⁊ ic hopige on drihten  he me ungederodne
of ðisum ƿeallendum hƿere ƿylle nu ahreddan ·
þam is lof · ⁊ ƿuldor · geond ealle ƿoruld ·

And he bletsode  lead ⁊ læg him onuppan · 114
⁊  lead ƿearð acolod þurh godes mihte ·
⁊ georius sæt gesund on ðam hƿere ·

Ða cƿæð se casere to þam cristes þegene · 117

Nast þu la geori  ure godas sƿincað mid þe · 118
⁊ git hi synd geþyldige  hi þe miltsion ·

Nu lære ic ðe sƿa sƿa leofne sunu · 120
 ðu þæra cristenra lare forlæte mid ealle ·
⁊ to minū ræde hraðe gebuge ·
sƿa  ðu offrige þam arƿurðan appolline ·
⁊ þu mycelne ƿurðmynt miht sƿa begitan ·

Þa se halga martyr mid ðam halgan gaste afylled · 125
smearcode mid muðe ⁊ to ðam manfullan cƿæð ·

Us gedafenað to offrigenne þam undeadlicum gode · 127

Æfter ðisum bebead se ablenda datianus · 128
 mann his deadan godas deorƿurðlice fræteƿode ·
⁊  deofles templ mid deorƿurðan seolfre ·
⁊ het þider lædan þone geleaffullan martyr ·
ƿende  he ƿolde ƿurðian his godas ·
⁊ his lac geoffrian ðam lif-leasum godum ·

Hƿæt ða georius to eorðan abeah 134
þus biddende his drihten gebigendum cneoƿum ·

Gehyr nu god ælmihtig þines ðeoƿan bene · 136
⁊ þas earman anlicnyssa mid ealle fordo ·
sƿa sƿa ƿex formylt for hatan fyre ·
 menn ðe oncnaƿan ⁊ on ðe gelyfan ·
 þu eart ana god ælmihtig scyppend ·

Æfter ðisum gebede bærst ut of heofonum 141
sƿyðe færlic fyr · ⁊ forbernde  templ ·
⁊ ealle ða godas grundlunga suncon
into þære eorðan · ⁊ ne æteoƿdon siððan ·

Eac sƿylce þa sacerdas suncon forð mid · 145
⁊ sume ða hæðenan þe þær gehende [geheude @ Skeat] stodon ·
⁊ georius axode þone arleasan casere ·

On hƿilcum godum tihst þu us to gelyfenne? 148

Hu magon hi ahreddan ðe fram frecednyssum · 149
þonne hi ne mihton hi sylfe ahreddan ·

Hƿæt ða datianus gedihte þisne cƿyde · 151
⁊ het ðus acƿellan þone godes cempan ·

Nimað þisne scyldigan þe mid scincræfte 153
toƿende ure arƿurðan godas mid ealle to duste ·
⁊ dragað hine niƿelne his neb to eorðan
geond ealle ðas stræt ⁊ stænene ƿegas ·
⁊ ofsleað hine syþþan mid sƿurdes ecge ·

Þa tugon þa hæðenan þone halgan ƿer 158
sƿa datianus him gediht hæfde ·
oð hi comon to ðære cƿealm-stoƿe ·
⁊ se martyr bæd  he hine gebiddan moste ·
to ðam ælmihtigan gode ⁊ his gast betæcan ·

He þancode ða gode eallra his godnyssa · 163
 he hine gescylde ƿið þone sƿicolan deofol ·
⁊ him sige forgeaf þurh soðne geleafan ·

He gebæd eac sƿylce for eall cristen folc · 166
⁊  god forgeafe þære eorðan renas ·
for þan ðe se hæða þa hynde ða eorðan ·

Æfter ðisum gebæde he bletsode hine sylfne · 169
⁊ bæd his slagan  he hine sloge ·

Mid þam ðe he acƿeald ƿæs · ða comon þyder sona 171
his agene land-leode geleofede on god ·
⁊ gelæhton his lic ⁊ læddan to þære byrig
þe he on ðroƿode · ⁊ hine ðær bebyrigdon
mid mycelre arƿurðnysse · þam ælmihtigan to lofe ·

Þa asende [sona] drihten ren-scuras · 176
⁊ þa eorðan geƿæterode þe ær ƿæs for-burnen ·
sƿa sƿa georius bæd ærðan þe he abuge to slege ·

Hƿæt ða datianus ƿearð færlice ofslagen 179
mid heofonlicum fyre · ⁊ his geferan samod
þa ða he hamƿerd ƿæs mid his heah þegenum ·
⁊ he becom to helle ærðan þe to his huse ·
⁊ se halga georius siðode to criste ·
mid ðam he á ƿunað on ƿuldre · Amen.