Misit Herodes et tenuit Iohannem: et reliqua.
Marcus se Godspellere awr['a]t on Cristes b['e]c be dham maeran Fulluhtere
Iohanne, thaet "se waelhreowa cyning Herodes hine gehaefte, and on
cwearterne sette, for his brodhor wife Herodiaden:" et reliqua.
Thes Iohannes waes se maerosta mann, swa swa Crist be him cydhnysse
gecydde. He cwaedh, "Betwux wifa bearnum ne {478} ar['a]s n['a]n maerra man
thonne Iohannes se Fulluhtere." Nu haebbe ge oft gehyred be his maeran
drohtnunge and be his dhenunge, nu wylle we embe dhises godspelles
trahtnunge sume swutelunge eow gereccan.
Thes Herodes, dhe Iohannem beheafdian h['e]t, and on dhaes Haelendes
dhrowunge Pilate dham ealdormenn gedhafode, and hine to his dome betaehte,
waes dhaes odhres Herodes sunu, dhe on dham timan rixode dhe Crist geboren
waes; ac hit waes swa gewunelic on dham timan thaet rice menn sceopon heora
bearnum naman be him sylfum, thaet hit waere gedhuht thaes dhe mare gemynd
thaes faeder, dhadha se sunu, his yrfenuma, waes geciged thaes faeder
naman. Se waelhreowa faeder Herodes laefde fif suna, thry he h['e]t
acwellan on his feorh-adle, aerdhan dhe he gewite. Tha weardh he hreowlice
and hraedlice dead aefter dham dhe he dha cild acwealde for Cristes
acennednysse. Tha feng Archelaus his sunu to rice. Dha embe tyn geara fyrst
weardh h['e] ascofen of his cynesetle, fordhan the thaet Iudeisce folc
wrehton his modignysse to dham casere, and he dha hine on wraecsidh asende.
Tha daelde se casere thaet Iudeisce rice on feower, and sette dhaerto
feower gebrodhra: dha sind gecwedene aefter Greciscum gereorde, tetrarche,
thaet sind, fydherrican. Fydherrica bidh se dhe haefdh feordhan dael rices.
Tha waes ['a]n dhyssera gebrodhra Philippus geh['a]ten, se gewifode on
dhaes cyninges dehter Arethe, Arabiscre dheode, seo hatte Herodias. Tha
aefter sumum fyrste wurdon h['i] ungesome, Philippus and Arethe, and he
genam dha dohtor of his adhumme, and forgeaf h['i] his bredher Herode;
fordhan dhe he waes furdhor on hlisan and on mihte. Herodes dha awearp his
riht aewe, and forligerlice m['a]nfulles sinscipes breac.
Tha on dham timan bodade Iohannes se Fulluhtere Godes rihtwisnysse eallum
Iudeiscum folce, and threade dhone Herodem, for dham fulan sinscipe.
Aecclesiastica historia ita narrat: Tha geseah Herodes thaet eal seo
Iudeisce meniu arn to Iohannes lare, and his mynegungum geornlice {480}
gehyrsumodon, tha weardh h['e] afyrht, and wende thaet h['i] woldon for
Iohannes lare his cynedom forseon, and wolde dha forhradian, and gebrohte
hine on cwearterne on anre byrig the is gecweden Macherunta. Hwaet dha
Iohannes asende of dham cwearterne twegen leorning-cnihtas to Criste, and
hine befr['a]n, thus cwedhende, "Eart dhu se dhe toweard is, oththe we
odhres andbidian sceolon?" Swilce h['e] cwaede, Geswutela me, gyf dhu sylf
wylle nydher-astigan to hellwarum for manna alysednysse, swa swa dhu
woldest acenned beon for manna alysednysse; odhdhe gif ic sceole cydhan
dhinne to-cyme hellwarum, swa swa ic middangearde the toweardne bodade,
geswutela. Hwaet dha se Haelend on dhaere ylcan tide, swa swa Lucas se
godspellere awr['a]t, gehaelde manega untruman fram mislicum codhum, and
wodum mannum gewitt forgeaf, and blindum gesihdhe; and cwaedh sydhdhan to
Iohannes aerendracum, "Faradh nu to Iohanne, and cydhadh him tha dhing the
ge gesawon and gehyrdon. Efne nu blinde geseodh, and dha healtan gadh, and
hreoflige men synd geclaensode, deafe gehyradh, and dha deadan arisadh, and
dhearfan bodiadh godspel; and se bidh eadig the on me ne bidh geaeswicod."
Swylce h['e] cwaede to Iohanne, Thyllice wundra ic wyrce, ac swa-dheah ic
wylle deadhe sweltan for mancynnes alysednysse, and dhe sweltende
aefterfyligan, and se bidh gesaelig the mine wundra nu heradh, gif he minne
deadh ne forsihdh, and for dham deadhe ne geortruwadh thaet ic God eom.
Thus onwreah se Haelend Iohanne thaet he wolde hine sylfne gemedemian to
deadhe, and sydhdhan hellwara geneosian.
Tha betwux dhisum gelamp thaet Herodes, swa we ['ae]r cwaedon, his witan
gefeormode on dham daege the he geboren waes; fordhan dhe hi haefdon on
dham timan micele blisse on heora gebyrd-tidum. Seo dohtor dha, swa swa we
['ae]r saedon, plegode mid hire maedenum on dham gebeorscipe, him eallum to
gecwemednysse, and se faeder dha mid adhe beh['e]t, thaet he wolde hire
forgyfan swa hwaes swa heo gewilnode. Threo arleasa scylda we
gehyrdon,--ungesaelige maersunge his gebyrd-tide, and dha unstaedhdhigan
hleapunge thaes maedenes, and dhaes faeder {482} dyrstigan adhsware. Tham
dhrim dhingum us gedafenadh thaet we widhcwedhon on urum dheawum. We ne
moton ure gebyrd-tide to nanum freols-daege mid idelum maersungum awendan,
ne ure acennednysse on swilcum gemynde habban; ac we sceolon urne
endenextan daeg mid behreowsunge and d['ae]dbote forhradian, swa swa hit
awriten is, "On eallum dhingum beo dhu gemyndig thines endenextan daeges,
and thu ne syngast on ecnysse." Ne ['u]s ne gedafenadh thaet we urne
lichaman, dhe Gode is gehalgod on dham halwendan fulluhte, mid unthaeslicum
plegan and higleaste gescyndan; fordhan dhe ure lichaman sind Godes lima,
swa swa Paulus cwaedh, "And he bebead, thaet we sceolon gearcian ure
lichaman l['i]flice onsaegednysse, and halige, and Gode andfenge." Se
lichama bidh l['i]flic onsaegednys dhe widh heafod-leahtras bidh gescyld,
and dhurh halige maegnu Gode bidh andfenge and halig. God sylf forbyt
aelcne adh cristenum mannum, thus cwedhende, "Ne swera dhu thurh heofenan,
fordhan dhe heo is Godes thrymsetl. Ne swera dhu thurh eordhan, fordhan dhe
heo is Godes fotsceamol. Ne swera thu dhurh dhin agen heafod, fordhan dhe
dhu ne miht wyrcan an h['ae]r thines feaxes hw['i]t odhdhe blacc. Ic secge
eow, Ne swerige ge thurh nan thing, ac beo eower spraec dhus geendod, Hit
is swa ic secge, oththe hit nis swa. Swa hwaet swa dhaer mare bidh thurh
adh, thaet bidh of dham yfelan."
Crist sylf gefaestnode his spraece, thadha h['e] spraec to anum
Samaritaniscan w['i]fe mid dhisum worde, "Crede mihi:" thaet is, "Gelyf
me." Theah-hwaedhere gif we hwaer unwaerlice swerion, and se adh ['u]s
geneadige to wyrsan daede, thonne bidh us r['ae]dlicor thaet we dhone maran
gylt forbugon, and dhone adh widh God geb['e]tan. Witodlice Dauid swor
thurh God thaet he wolde thone stuntan wer Nabal ofslean, and ealle his
dhing adylegian; ac aet dhaere forman thingunge thaes snoteran wifes
Abigail, h['e] awende his sw['u]rd into dhaere sceadhe, and h['e]rode dhaes
wifes snoternysse, dhe him forwyrnde thone pleolican mannsliht. Herodes
sw['o]r thurh stuntnysse thaet he wolde dhaere hleapendan dehter forgyfan
swa hwaet swa heo baede: tha fordham dhe he {484} nolde fram his gebeorum
beon gecweden m['a]nswara, dhone beorscipe mid blode gemencgde, and dhaes
maeran witegan deadh thaere lydhran hoppystran hire gl['i]ges to mede
forgeaf. Micele selre him waere thaet he dhone adh tobraece, thonne he
swylcne witegan acwellan hete.
On eallum dhingum we sceolon carfullice h['o]gian, gif we awar, thurh
deofles syrwunge, on twam frecednyssum samod befealladh, thaet we symle
dhone maran gylt forfleon thurh ['u]tfaere thaes laessan, swa swa dedh se
dhe his feondum ofer sumne weall aetfleon wile, dhonne cepdh h['e] hwaer se
weall unhehst sy, and dhaer oferscyt. Witodlice Herodes, dhadhe he nolde,
thurh Iohannes mynegunge, thone unclaenan sinscipe awendan, dha weardh
h['e] to manslihte befeallen; and waes seo laesse synn intinga thaere
maran, thaet he for his fulan forl['i]gre, dhe he georne wiste thaet Gode
andsaete waes, dhaes w['i]tegan blod ageat, the he wiste thaet Gode gecweme
waes. This is se cwyde thaes godcundlican domes, be dham the is gecweden,
"Se dhe deradh, derige he gyt swydhor; and se dhe on fulnyssum wunadh,
befyle hine gyt swydhor." Thes cwyde gelamp tham waelhreowan Herode. Nu is
odher cwyde be g['o]dum mannum sceortlice gecweden, "Se dhe halig is, beo
he gyt swydhor gehalgod." This gelamp tham Fulluhtere Iohanne, se dhe waes
halig thurh menigfealde geearnunga; and he waes gyt swydhor gehalgod,
dhadha he dhurh sodhfaestnysse bodunge becom to sigefaestum martyrdome.
Herodes h['i]wode hine sylfne unr['o]tne, dha seo dohtor hine thaes heafdes
baed; ac h['e] blissode on his digelnyssum, fordhan dhe heo thaes mannes
deadh baed dhe h['e] ['ae]r acwellan wolde, gif h['e] intingan haefde.
Witodlice gif thaet cild b['ae]de thaes w['i]fes heafod, mid micclum graman
h['e] wolde hire widhcwedhan. Naes Iohannes mid ehtnysse geneadod thaet he
Criste widhsoce, ac dheah he sealde his l['i]f for Criste, dhadha he waes
for sodhfaestnysse gemartyrod. Crist sylf cwaedh, "Ic eom sodhfaestnys."
Iohannes waes Cristes forrynel on his acennednysse and on his bodunge, on
fulluhte, on dhrowunge, and hine to hellwarum {486} mid deorwurdhum deadhe
forest['o]p. Thadha he beheafdod waes, dha comon his leorning-cnihtas, and
his halige l['i]c ferodon to anre byrig seo is gecweden Sebaste, and hi
dhaer hine gel['e]don. Thaet h['a]lige heafod weardh on Hierusalem
bebyrged.
Sume gedwolmenn cwaedon thaet thaet heafod sceolde abl['a]wan dhaes
cyninges w['i]f Herodiaden, dhe he fore acweald waes, swa thaet heo ferde
mid windum geond ealle woruld; ac h['i] dwelodon mid thaere segene, fordhan
dhe heo leofode hire l['i]f odh ende aefter Iohannes slege. Sodhlice
Iohannes heafod weardh sydhdhan geswutelod twam easternum munecum, the mid
gebedum dha burh geneosodon, and hi dhanon thone deorwurdhan madhm feredon
to sumere byrig the is Edissa geh['a]ten; and se Aelmihtiga God thurh thaet
heafod ungerime wundra geswutelode. His b['a]n, aefter langum fyrste,
wurdon gebrohte to dhaere maeran byrig Alexandria, and thaer mid micclum
wurdhmynte gelogode.
Nu is to besceawigenne h['u]meta se Aelmihtiga God, be his gecorenan and
dha gelufedan dhenas, tha dhe he to dham ecan life forestihte, gedhafadh
thaet h['i] mid swa micclum witum beon fornumene and tobrytte on dhisum
andweardan l['i]fe. Ac se apostol Paulus andwyrde be dhisum, and cwaedh,
thaet "God threadh and beswingdh aelcne dhe he underfehdh to his rice, and
swa h['e] forsewenlicor bidh gewitnod for Godes naman, swa his wuldor bidh
mare for Gode." Eft cwaedh se ylca apostol on odhre stowe, "Ne sind na to
widhmetenne dha throwunga thyssere tide dham toweardan wuldre the bidh on
['u]s geswutelod."
Nu cwydh se trahtnere, thaet n['a]n wilde deor, ne on fydherfotum ne on
creopendum, nis to widhmetenne yfelum wife. Hwaet is betwux fydherfotum
redhre thonne leo? odhdhe hwaet is waelhreowre betwux naeddercynne dhonne
draca? Ac se wisa Salomon cwaedh, thaet selre waere to wunigenne mid leon
and dracan thonne mid yfelan w['i]fe and oferspraecum. Witodlice Iohannes
on westene wunade betwux eallum deorcynne ungederod, and betwux dracum, and
aspidum, and eallum {488} wyrmcynne, and h['i] hine ondredon. Sodhlice seo
awyrigede Herodias mid beheafdunge hine acwealde, and swa m['ae]res mannes
deadh to gife hire dehter hleapunge underfeng. Danihel se witega laeg
seofan niht betwux seofan leonum on anum seadhe ungewemmed, ac thaet
awyrigede w['i]f Gezabel besw['a]c dhone rihtwisan Nabodh to his feore,
thurh lease gewitnysse. Se witega Ionas waes gehealden unformolten on dhaes
hwaeles innodhe dhreo niht, and seo swicole Dalila thone strangan Samson
mid olaecunge bepaehte, and besceorenum fexe his feondum belaewde.
Eornostlice nis nan wyrmcynn ne wilddeora cynn on yfelnysse gel['i]c yfelum
w['i]fe.
Se wyrdwritere Iosephus awr['a]t, on dhaere cyrclican gereccednysse, thaet
se waelhreowa Herodes lytle hwile aefter Iohannes deadhe rices weolde, ac
weardh for his m['a]ndaedum aerest his here on gefeohte ofslegen, and he
sylf sidhdhan of his cynerice ascofen, and on wraecsidh asend, swidhe
rihtwisum dome, dhadha he nolde hlystan Iohannes l['a]re to dham ecan life,
thaet h['e] eac hraedlice his hwilwendan cynedom mid hospe forlure.
Augustinus se wisa ['u]s manadh mid thisum wordum, and cwydh, "Besceawiadh,
ic bidde eow, mine gebrodhra, mid gleawnysse h['u] wraecfull dhis andwyrde
l['i]f is; and dheah ge ondraedadh eow thaet ge hit to hraedlice forlaeton.
Ge lufiadh this l['i]f, on dham the ge mid geswince wuniadh; dhu h['o]gast
embe dhine neode; dhu yrnst, and byst geancsumod; thu erast, and saewst,
and eft gegaderast; thu grinst, and baecst; thu wyfst, and waeda tylast,
and earfodhlice wast ealra dhinra neoda getel, aegdher ge on s['ae] ge on
lande, and scealt ealle thas foresaedan dhing, and eac dhin agen l['i]f mid
earfodhnysse geendian. Leorniadh nu fordhi, thaet ge cunnon thaet ece
l['i]f geearnian, on dham dhe ge n['a]n dhyssera geswinca ne dhrowiadh, ac
on ecnysse mid Gode rixiadh."
On dhisum l['i]fe we ateoriadh, gif we ['u]s mid b['i]gleofan ne ferciadh;
gif we ne drincadh, we beodh mid thurste fornumene; gif we to lange
waciadh, we ateoriadh; gif we lange standadh, we beodh gewaehte, and thonne
sittadh; eft, gif we to lange {490} sittadh, ['u]s slapadh dha lima.
Sceawiadh eac aefter dhisum, thaet n['a]n stede nis ures lichaman:
cildh['a]d gewit to cnihth['a]de, and cnihth['a]d to gedhungenum waestme;
se fulfremeda waestm gebyhdh to ylde, and seo yld bidh mid deadhe geendod.
Witodlice ne stent ure yld on nanre statholfaestnysse, ac swa micclum swa
se lichama wext swa micclum beodh his dagas gewanode. Gehwaer is on urum
l['i]fe ateorung, and werignys, and brosnung dhaes lichaman, and
dheah-hwaedhere wilnadh gehw['a] thaet he lange lybbe. Hwaet is lange
lybban buton lange swincan? Feawum mannum gelimpdh on dhisum dagum, thaet
he gesundfull lybbe hund-eahtatig geara, and swa hwaet swa he ofer dham
leofadh, hit bidh him geswinc and s['a]rnyss, swa swa se w['i]tega cwaedh,
"Yfele sind ure dagas," and dhaes the wyrsan the we h['i] lufiadh. Swa
olaecdh thes middangeard forwel menige, thaet h['i] nelladh heora
wraecfulle l['i]f geendian. Sodh l['i]f and gesaelig thaet is, thonne we
arisadh of deadhe, and mid Criste rixiadh. On dham life beodh gode dagas,
na swa-dheah manega dagas, ac ['a]n, se n['a]t naenne upspring ne nane
geendunge, dham ne fyligdh merigenlic daeg, fordhan dhe him ne forest['o]p
se gysternlica; ac se ['a]n daeg bidh ece aefre ungeendod butan aelcere
nihte, butan gedreccednyssum, butan eallum geswincum, the we hwene ['ae]r
on dhyssere raedinge tealdon. Thes daeg and this l['i]f is beh['a]ten
rihtwisum cristenum, to dham us gelaede se mildheorta Drihten, sedhe
leofadh and rixadh mid Faeder and mid Halgum Gaste ['a] butan ende. Amen.