Homo quidam erat diues: et reliqua.
Se Wealdenda Drihten saede dhis b['i]gspell his gingrum, thus cwedhende,
"Sum welig man waes mid purpuran and godewebbe geglenged, and daeghwamlice
maerlice leofode. Tha laeg sum waedla at his geate, and his nama waes
Lazarus, se waes lic-dhrowere:" et reliqua.
This godspel is nu anfealdlice ges['ae]d. Se halga papa Gregorius us
onwreah dha digelnysse dhisre raedinge. He cwaedh, "Ne saede thaet halige
godspel thaet se r['i]ca reafere waere, ac waes uncystig and modegode on
his welum." Be dhisum is to smeagenne, hu se beo gewitnod the odherne
berypdh, thonne se bidh to helle fordemed se his agen nolde for Godes lufon
syllan. Dhises mannes uncyst and up-ahefednys hine besencte on cwycsusle,
fordhan dhe he naefde nane mildheortnysse, thaet he mid his gestreone his
agene sawle alysde. Nu wenadh sume menn thaet nan pleoh ne sy on
deorwurdhum gyrlum; ac gif hit gylt naere, thonne ne geswutulode thaet
halige godspel swa gewislice be dham rican, thaet he waere mid purpuran and
mid godewebbe geglencged. Ne cepdh nan man deorwyrdhra reafa buton for
ydelum gylpe, sodhlice thaet he sy toforan odhrum mannum thurh his glencge
geteald. Drihten on odhre stowe herede {330} Iohannem dhone Fulluhtere for
dhaere teartnysse his reafes, fordhan dhe h['e] waes mid olfendes haerum
gescryd, w['a]clice and stidhlice.
Thadha se Haelend spraec be dham rican, tha cwaedh he, "Sum rice man waes."
Eft be dham waedlan, "Sum dhearfa waes geh['a]ten Lazarus." Cudh is eow
thaet se rica bidh namcudhre on his leode thonne se thearfa;
theah-hwaedhere ne nemde se Haelend thone welegan, ac dhone waedlan;
fordhan dhe him is cudh thaera eadmodra manna naman dhurh gecorennysse, ac
he ne cann dha modigan dhurh heora aworpennysse. Sume beladunge mihte se
rica habban his uncyste, gif se reoflia waedla ne laege aetforan his
gesihdhe: eac waere dham earman leohtre on mode, gif he dhaes rican mannes
welan ne gesawe. Mislice angsumnyssa he forbaer, dhadha he naefde ne
bigleofan, ne haeldhe, ne haetera, and geseah dhone rican halne and
deorweordhlice geglencgedne brucan his estmettas. Genoh waere tham waedlan
his untrumnys, theah dhe he wiste haefde; and eft him waere genoh his
hafenleast, dheah dhe he gesundful waere. Ac seo menigfealde earfodhnys
waes his sawle claensung, and dhaes rican uncyst and up-ahefednys waes his
genidherung; fordhon dhe he geseah dhaes odhres yrmdhe, and hine mid
todhundenum mode forseah. Ac dhadha he waes fram mannum forsewen, dha
genealaehton dha hundas, and his wunda geliccedon. Hundes liccung gehaeldh
wunda.
Tha gelamp hit thaet se waedla gew['a]t, and englas ferodon his sawle to
dhaes heahfaederes wununge Abrah['a]mes; and dhaes rican gast aefter
fordhsidhe weardh on helle besenct; and he dha dhone wolde habban him to
mundboran, tham dhe he nolde ['ae]r his cruman syllan. He baed tha Abraham
mid earmlicre stemne thaet Lazarus moste his tungan drypan; ac him naes
getidhod dhaere lytlan lisse, fordhan dhe Lazarus ne moste ['ae]r on life
hedan dhaera crumena his mysan. His tungan he maende swidhost, fordhan dhe
hit is gewunelic thaet dha welegan on heora gebeorscipe begadh derigendlice
gafetunge; tha waes seo tunge, dhurh rihtwisnysse edlean, teartlicor
gew['i]tnod for his {332} gegafspraece. Se heahfaeder Abraham him cwaedh
to, "Dhu, m['i]n bearn, beo dhe gemyndig thaet dhu underfenge welan on
dhinum life, and Lazarus yrmdhe." Thes cwyde is swidhor to ondraedenne
thonne to trahtnigenne. Dham rican waes forgolden mid dham hwilwendlicum
spedum, gif he hwaet to gode gefremode; and dham dhearfan waes forgolden
mid dhaere yrmdhe, gif he hwaet to yfle gefremode. Tha underfeng se welega
his gesaeldhe to edleane to sceortum brice, and thaes dhearfan hafenleast
aclaensode his lytlan gyltas. Hine geswencte seo waedlung, and afeormode;
thone odherne gewelgode his genihtsumnys, and bepaehte.
Ic bidde eow, men dha leofostan, ne forseo ge Godes dhearfan, dheah dhe hi
tallice hwaet gefremman; fordhan dhe heora yrmdh afeormadh thaet thaet seo
gehwaede oferflowendnys gewemdh. H['a]wiadh be gehwilcum, fordhan dhe oft
getimadh yfelum teala for life. Se heahfaeder cwaedh to dham welegan,
"Betwux us and eow is gefaestnod micel dhrosm; theah hwa wille fram ['u]s
to eow, he ne maeg; ne eac fram eow to ['u]s." Mid micelre geornfulnysse
gewilniadh tha widhercoran thaet hi moton of dhaere susle dhe hi on
cwylmiadh, ac seo faestnung dhaere hellican clysinge ne gedhafadh thaet hi
aefre ut-abrecon. Eac dha halgan beodh mid heora Scyppendes rihtwisnysse
swa afyllede, thaet hi nateshwon ne besargiadh dhaera widhercorenra yrmdhe;
fordhan dhe hi geseodh tha ford['o]nan swa micclum fram him geaelfremode,
swa micclum swa hi beodh fram heora leofan Drihtne ascofene.
Sidhdhan se rica weardh orwene his agenre alysednysse, dha be['a]rn him on
mod his gebrodhra gemynd; fordhan dhe dhaera widhercorenra wite tiht for
wel oft heora mod unnytwurdhlice to lufe, swilce hi thonne lufian heora
siblingas, dhe ['ae]r on life ne hi sylfe ne heora magas ne lufedon. Ne
lufadh se hine sylfne sedhe hine mid synnum bebint. He oncneow Lazarum,
dhone dhe he ['ae]r forseah, and he gemunde his gebrodhra, dha dhe he
baeftan forlet; fordhan dhe se dhearfa naere fullice gewrecen on dham
rican, gif he on his wite hine ne oncneowe; and eft {334} naere his wite
fulfremed on dham fyre, buton he dha ylcan pinunga his siblingum gewende.
Tha synfullan geseodh nu hwiltidum dha gecorenan on wuldre, dhe hi forsawon
on worulde, thaet seo angsumnys heora modes dhe mare sy: and dha rihtwisan
symle geseodh dha unrihtwisan on heora tintregum cwylmigende, thaet heora
bliss dhe mare sy, and lufu to heora Drihtne, the hi ahredde fram deofles
anwealde, and fram dham m['a]nfullum heape. Ne astyradh thaera rihtwisra
gesihdh him naenne ['o]gan, ne heora wuldor ne wanadh; fordhan dhe dhaer ne
bidh n['a]n besargung dhaera m['a]nfulra yrmdhe, ac heora tintrega becymdh
tham gecorenum to maran blisse, swa swa on metinge bidh forsewen seo blace
anlicnys, thaet seo hwite sy beorhtre gesewen. Tha gecorenan geseodh symle
heora Scyppendes beorhtnysse, and fordhi nis nan dhing on gesceaftum him
bediglod.
Se welega nolde on life gehyran dhone lareow Moysen, ne Godes witegan: dha
wende he eac thaet his gebrodhra h['i] woldon forseon, swa swa he dyde, and
gyrnde fordhi thaet Lazarus h['i] moste warnigan, thaet h['i] ne becomon to
his susle. Se heahfaeder him andwyrde, "Gif hi forseodh Moyses ['ae] and
dhaera witegena bodunga, nelladh h['i] gelyfan, theah hw['a] of deadhe
arise." Tha dhe forgimeleasiadh tha eadhelican beboda thaere ealdan ['ae],
hu willadh h['i] dhonne gehyrsumian tham healicum bebodum Cristes lare, dhe
of deadhe ar['a]s?
Ic bidde eow, mine gebrodhra, thaet ge beon gemyndige dhaes Lazares reste
and dhaes rican wite, and dodh swa swa Crist sylf taehte, "Tiliadh eow
freonda on Godes dhearfum, thaet h['i] on eowrum geendungum onfon eow into
ecum eardung-stowum." Manega Lazaras ge habbadh nu licgende aet eowrum
gatum, biddende eowre oferflowendnysse. Dheah dhe h['i] syn w['a]clice
gedhuhte, theah-hwaedhere h['i] beodh eft eowre dhingeras widh dhone
Aelmihtigan. Sodhlice we sceoldon beodan tham dhearfum thaet h['i] us
biddadh, fordhan dhe h['i] beodh ure mundboran, tha dhe nu waedligende aet
us bigleofan wilniadh. Ne sceole we forseon {336} heora w['a]cnysse,
fordhan dhe Criste bidh gedhenod thurh dhearfena anfenge, swa swa he sylf
cwaedh, "Me hingrode, and ge me gereordodon; me dhyrste, and ge me
scencton; ic waes nacod, and ge me scryddon."
Nu cwedh se halga Gregorius, thaet sum arwurdhe munuc waes on dham earde
Licaonia, swidhe eawfaest, his nama waes Martirius. Se ferde, be his
abbudes haese, to sumum odhrum mynstre, on his aerende: dha gemette he be
wege sumne lic-dhrowere licgende eal toc['i]nen, and nahte his fedhes
geweald: cwaedh thaet he wolde genealaecan his hulce, gif he mihte. Tha
ofhreow dham munece thaes hreoflian maegenleast, and bewand hine mid his
caeppan and baer to mynstreweard. Tha weardh his abbude geswutelod hwaene
he baer, and hrymde mid micelre stemne, and cwaedh, "Yrnadh, yrnadh, and
undodh thaes mynstres geat ardlice, fordhan dhe ure brodhor Martyrius berdh
thone Haelend on his baece." Thadha se munuc genealaehte dhaes mynstres
geate, tha w['a]nd se of his swuran the waes hreoflig gedhuht, and weardh
gesewen on Cristes gelicnysse. Dha beseah se munuc up, and beheold hu he to
heofonum astah. Tha cwaedh se Haelend mid dham upstige, "Mart['i]ri, ne
sceamode dhe m['i]n ofer eordhan, ne me ne sceamadh thin on heofonum." Tha
efste se abbud widh thaes muneces, and neodlice cwaedh, "Brodhor min, hwaer
is se dhe dhu feredest?" He cwaedh, "Gif ic wiste hwaet he waere, ic wolde
licgan aet his fotum. Thadha ic hine baer ne gefredde ic nanre byrdhene
swaernysse." Hu mihte h['e] gefredan aeniges hefes swaernysse, dhadha he
dhone ferode dhe hine baer? Nu cwedh se halga Gregorius, thaet se Haelend
dha gesedhde dhone cwyde the he sylf cwaedh, "Thaet thaet ge dodh thearfum
on minum naman, thaet ge dodh me sylfum."
Hwaet is on menniscum gecynde swa maerlic swa Cristes menniscnys? and hwaet
is atelicor gedhuht on menniscum gecynde thonne is dhaes hreoflian l['i]c,
mid todhundennesse, and springum, and reocendum stence? Ac se dhe is
arwurdhful ofer ealle gesceafta, he gemedemode hine sylfne thaet he waere
gesewen on dham atelican h['i]we, to dhi thaet we sceolon besargian {338}
menniscra manna yrmdhe, and be ure mihte gefrefrian, for lufe dhaes
mildheortan and dhaes eadmodan Haelendes; thaet he us getidhige wununge on
his rice to ecum life, sedhe us ahredde fram deofles haeftnydum; sedhe
rixadh on ecnysse mid tham Aelmihtigan Faeder and tham Halgan Gaste, hi
dhry on anre Godcundnysse wunigende, butan anginne and ende, ['a] on
worulde. Amen.