Ælfric's Lives of Saints
by Ælfric, translated by Gunning / Wilkinson
Of Abdon and Sennes
1480794Ælfric's Lives of Saints — Of Abdon and SennesGunning / WilkinsonÆlfric


iii. kl̅. a[u]gusti. nat̄l̄ sanctorum abdon. et sennes.

On decies dagvm ðæs deoflican caseres ·001
ƿæron tƿegen kyningas on crist gelyfde ·
Abdon ⁊ Sennes · mid soðum geleafan ·

Ða asprang heora ƿord to ðam ƿælhreoƿan casere ·004
þe ða ana geƿeold ealles middan-eardes ·
⁊ ealle oðre cyningas to him cneoƿodon ·
⁊ heora rice ƿunode sƿa sƿa he ana ƿolde ·

Þa asende decius to þā foresædū cyningū ·008
⁊ het hí gebringan on bendū to him ·
ƿolde hi gebigan fram godes biggencgū ·
to his gedƿyldum · ⁊ to his deofolgildum ·

Hƿæt þa cƿelleras · þa þa cynincgas gebundon ·012
⁊ on isenū racenteagum to ðam arleasan gebrohton
for cristes geleafan · to cƿealm-bærum ƿitum ·

Decius þa het þa halgan cyningas015
his godū geoffrian · ac hi ⁊ƿyrdon þus ·

Ƿe offriað ure lac þam lyfigendan gode ·017
hælendū criste · ⁊ ƿe hopiað to him ·
geoffra ðu sylf þinū sceandlicum godū ·

Þa cƿæð decius se deofles biggenga ·020

Þysum is to gearcigenne þa reþestan ƿita ·021

Abdon ⁊ sennes hī ⁊ƿyrdon ðus ·022

Hƿæs abitst þu casere cyð hƿæt þu ƿylle ·023
 þu ƿite soðlice ·  ƿe orsorge syndon
on urū hælende criste · þe hæfð þa mihte ·
 he ðine geþohtas · ⁊ þe sylfne mæg
mid ealle toƿurpon · ⁊ on ecnysse fordon ·

Þa on þam oðrū dæge · het decius se casere028
lætan leon ⁊ beran to þā geleaffullū cynegum ·
 hi hi abiton · buton hi bugon to his godū ·
⁊ be-tæhte þa ƿican ðam ƿælhreoƿan ualeriane ·

Þa cƿ̅ ualerian᷒ to þam cynegū þus ·032

Beorgað eoƿrum gebyrdū · ⁊ bugað to urū godū ·033
⁊ geoffriað him lac ·  ge lybban magon ·
gif ge | þis ne doð · eoƿ sceolon deor abitan ·

Abdon ⁊ sennes sædon þam arleasan ·036

Ƿe gebiddað us to drihtne gebigdū limum ·037
⁊ ƿe næfre ne onbugað · þam bysmorfullū anlicnyssū ·
manna hand-geƿeorc · þe ge habbað for godas ·

Þa het ualerianus · ða halgan unscrydan ·040
⁊ lædan sƿa nacode (sic) to ðære sunnan anlicnysse ·
forðan ðe hí ƿurþodon ða sunnan for god ·
⁊ bebead his cempū ·  hi ða cristenan cynegas
to þære offrunga geneadodon · mid eges-licum ƿitum ·

Þa cƿædon ða cynegas to þam cƿellere ðus ·045

Do  þu don ƿylt · ⁊ se dema het046
besƿingan þa halgan hetelice sƿyðe ·
mid leadenū sƿipum · ⁊ lædde hi syððan
to ðam ƿæfer-huse · þær ða deor ƿunodon ·
beran · ⁊ leon · þe hi abitan sceoldon ·
⁊ het lætan him to · tƿegen leon ·
⁊ feoƿer beran · binnan þam huse ·
þa urnon þa deor egeslice grymetende ·
to þære halgena fotū · sƿylce hi fryðes bædon ·
⁊ noldon aƿæg gan · ac hi ƿeredon hi sƿyðor ·
sƿa  nan man ne dorste for ðæra deora ƿare
þam halgum genealecan · oððe into ðam huse gan ·
þa cƿ̅ ualerianus to ðam cempum ðus ·

Heora dry-cræft is gesyne sƿutollice on ðysum ·059
⁊ he ƿearð sƿyðe gram for þære deora ƿare ·
⁊ het ða æt nextan þa hæðenan cƿelleras
ingan mid sƿurdū · ⁊ ofslean þa halgan ·

Þa ðe þis gedon ƿæs · þa het se dema teon063
þæra halgena lic to ðam hæþengilde ·
 ða cristenan sceoldon sceaƿian be him ·
⁊ bysne niman · ⁊ bugan to þam godum ·
þe læs þe hi ƿurdon · sƿa ƿælhreoƿlice acƿealde ·

Ða æfter þrym dagum · com sum diacon þær to ·068
quirinus gehaten · ⁊ he ða halgan lic
nihtes gelæhte · ⁊ ledde to his | huse ·
⁊ lede hi digellice on ane lædene ðruh ·
mid mycele a[r]ƿurðnysse · ⁊ hi mannum þær
bediglode lagon · to langum fyrste ·
oð  constantinus · se cristene casere · eft to rice feng ·
⁊ hi ða afundene ƿurdon · þurh cristes onƿrigennysse ·

Ge habbað nu gehyrod hu ða halgan cyningas076
heora cynedom for-saƿon for cristes geleafan ·
⁊ heora agen lif forleton for hine ·

Nimað eoƿ bysne be ðam ·  ge ne bugon frā criste079
for ænigre earfoðnysse ·  ge  ece lif habbon ·

Item Alia. [in translation: The letter of Christ to Abgarus]

Nu ƿe spræcon be cynegum ƿe ƿillað þysne cƿyde gelencgan ·081
⁊ be sumum cynincge eoƿ cyðan git · Abgarus ƿæs geciged ·
sum gesælig cynincg on syrian lande ·
⁊ se læg beddryda on ðam timan
þe se hælend on þysum life ƿæs ·

He hæfde ge-axod be ðæs hælendes ƿundrū ·086
⁊ sende ða ardlice þis ærendgeƿrit him to ·

Abgarus gret eadmodlice þone godan hælend ·088
þe becom to mannum mid iudeiscum folce ·

Ic hæbbe gehyred be ðe · hu ðu gehælst ða untruman ·090
blinde · ⁊ healte · ⁊ bedrydan aræst (sic) ·
hreoflige þu geclænsast · ⁊ þa unclænan gastas afligst ·
of ƿodū mannum · ⁊ aƿrecst ða deadan ·

Nu cƿæð ic on minū mode ·  ðu eart ælmihtig god ·094
oððe godes sunu ðe sylf come to mannū ·
 ðu ðas ƿundra ƿyrce · ⁊ ic ƿolde ðe biddan
 ðu ge-medemige þe sylfne ·  þu siðige to me ·
⁊ mine untrūnysse gehæle · for ðan þe ic eom yfele gehæfd ·

Me is eac gesæd  ða iudeiscan syrƿiað ·099
⁊ runiað hī betƿynan hu hi þe berædan magon ·
⁊ ic hæbbe ane burh þe unc bam genihtsumað ·

Þa aƿrát se hælend him sylf þis geƿrit ·102
⁊ asende ðam | cynincge ðus cƿæðende him to ·

Beatus es qui credidisti in me · cum ipse me non uideris ·104

Scriptum est enim de me · quia hii qui me uident non credent105
In me · et qui non uident me · ipsi credent et uiuent ·

De eo autem quod scripsisti mihi ut ueniam ad te ·107
oportet me omnia propter quæ missus sum hic explere ·

Et postea quam compleuero recipi me ad eum a quo missus sum ·109

Cum ergo fuero assumptus · mittam tibi aliquem110
ex discipulis meis ut curet ægritudinem tuam ·
et uitam tibi atque his qui tecum sunt prestet ·

 is on engliscum gereorde · Eadig eart ðu abgar ·113
þu þe gelyfdest on me · þonne ðu me ne gesaƿe ·

Hit is aƿriten be me on ƿitegung-bocū [←ƿitegu-] ·115
 ða þe me geseoð · hi ne gelyfað on me ·
⁊ þa þe me ne geseoð · hi gelyfað ⁊ libbað ·

Be þam þe ðu aƿrite to me ·  ic come to þe ·118
ic sceal ærest afyllan þa þincg þe ic fore asend eom ·
⁊ ic sceal beon eft genumen to þam ylcan ðe me asende ·

And [sic @ Skeat] ic asende to ðe · syððan ic genumen beo ·121
ænne minra leorning-cnihta · þe gelacniað þine untrūnysse ·
⁊ þe lif ge-gearcað · ⁊ þam þe gelyfað mid ðe ·
þis geƿrit com þa to þam cyninge sona ·
⁊ se hælend fore-sceaƿode syððan he to heofonū astah ·
 he sende þam cyninge sƿa sƿa he ær gecƿ̅ ·
ænne of ðā hund-seofontigū · þe he geceas to bodigenne ·
se ƿæs tatheus gehaten ·  he gehælde ðone cynincg ·

He com ða þurh godes sande · to þære fore-sædan byrig ·129
⁊ ge-healde þone untrumne on þæs hælendes mihte ·
sƿa  ða ceaster-geƿaran sƿyðe þæs ƿundrodon ·
þa gemunde se cyning · hƿæt crist him ær behét ·
⁊ het him to gefeccan þone | foresædan tatheum ·
se ƿæs eac gehaten oþrum naman iudas ·
⁊ mid ðam he ineode · þa aras se cyning ·
⁊ feoll to his fotum ætforan his ðegnū ·
forðan þe he geseah sume scinende beorhtnysse ·
on þæs iudan andƿlite þurh godes onƿrigennysse ·
⁊ cƿ̅  he ƿære soðlice cristes discipulus
him to hæle asend · sƿa sƿa he sylf behét ·

Þa ⁊ƿyrde se tatheus ðam arƿurðan cyninge þus ·141

For-ðan ðe þu rihtlice gelyfdest on þone ðe me asende ·142
forðam ic eom asend to þe ·  ðu gesund beo ·
⁊ gif ðu on his geleafan þurhƿunast · he ƿile ðe getiðian
þinre heortan geƿilnunga to-eacan þinre hæle ·

Abgarus him ⁊ƿyrde anrædlice ⁊ cƿæð ·146

To þam sƿyðe ic gelyfe on þone lyfigendan hælend ·147
 ic ƿolde ofslean gif hit sƿa mihte beon
þa ðe hine gefæstnodon on rode-hencgene ·

Þa cƿ̅ tatheus him to ·150

Crist ure hælend ƿolde150
his fæder ƿillan gefyllan · ⁊ eft faran to him ·

Abgarus cƿæð him eft to ·152

Ic ƿat eall be þam ·152
⁊ ic on hine gelyfe · ⁊ on his halgan fæder ·

Tatheus cƿ̅ þa gyt to ðam ƿanhalan cyninge ·154
forþi ic sette mine hand on ðæs hælendes naman
ofer ðe untrūne · ⁊ he [eac] sƿa dyde ·
⁊ se cyning ƿearð gehæled sona sƿa he hine hrepode ·
frā eallum his untrūnyssū · þe he ær on þroƿode ·

Abgarus þa ƿundrode ·  he ƿearð gehæled ·159
butan læce-ƿyrtum · þurh ðæs hælendes ƿord ·
sƿa sƿa he him ær behet þurh his ærend-geƿrit ·

Tatheus eac siððan sumne mann gehælde162
frā þam micclan fot-adle · ⁊ fela oðre menn
on þære byrig gehælde · ⁊ bodode him geleafan ·

Ða cƿ̅ abgarus him to ·165

On cristes mihte165
þu ƿyrcst þas micclan ƿundra · ⁊ ƿe ealle ðæs ƿundriað ·
sege | me ic þe bidde soð be ðam hælende ·
hu he to mannū come · ⁊ of middan-earde ferde ·

Tatheus andƿyrde abgare · ⁊ cƿæð ·169

Ic eom asend to bodigenne hat þine burh-ƿare cuman170
ealle to-somne · on ærne mergen ·
 ic him eallū cyðe cristes tocyme ·
⁊ be his ƿundrū þe he ƿorhte on life ·
þa het se cynincg cuman his ceaster-geƿaran ·
⁊ tatheus him bodade bealdlice be criste ·
⁊ him eallum sæde þone soðan geleafan ·
⁊ mancynnes alysednysse þurh ðone mildan hælend ·
 he ƿolde hine sylfne syllan to deaðe ·
⁊ to helle gecuman to gehelpene adames ·
⁊ eac his gecorenra of adames cynne ·
⁊ hu he syþþan astah to his soðfæstan fæder ·
⁊ cymð eft to demenne ælcum be his dædum ·

Æfter ðyssere bodunge · bead se cyning þam bydele ·183
goldes · ⁊ seolfres gódne dæl to lace ·
ac he nolde niman nan ðingc to medes
his ƿunderlicre mihte · oððe his mærlican bodunge ·
⁊ sæde ðam cyninge ·

Ƿe forsaƿon ure æhta ·187
⁊ forleton ure agen · hƿi sceole ƿe oþres mannes niman ·

Þis ƿæs þus geƿorden · ⁊ þær ƿunode á syððan189
se soða geleafa · on þære landleode ·
þam hælende to lofe · þe leofað á on ecnysse. AMEN.