CC 20220801
Bede'S Account of the Conversion of King Edwin of Northumbria\nÞa se cyning þa þas word gehyrde, þa andswarode he him and cwæð, þæt he æghwæþer ge wolde ge sceolde þam geleafan onfon þe he lærde. Cwæð hwæþere, þæt he wolde mid his freondum and mid his wytum gesprec and geþeaht habban, þæt gif hi mid hine þæt geþafian woldan, þæt hi ealle ætsomne on lifes willan Criste gehalgade wæran. Þa dyde se cyning swa swa he cwæð, and se bisceop þæt geþafade.\nÞa hæfde he gesprec and geþeaht mid his witum and syndriglice wæs fram him eallum frignende, hwylc him þuhte and gesawen wære þeos niwe lar and þære godcundnesse bigong, þe þær læred wæs. Him þa andswarode his ealdorbisceop, Cefi wæs haten: "Geseoh þu, cyning, hwelc þeos lar sie, þe us nu bodad is. Ic þe soðlice andette þæt ic cuðlice geleornad hæbbe, þæt eallinga nawiht mægenes ne nyttnes hafað sio æfæstnes, þe we oð ðis hæfdon and beeodon. Forðon nænig þinra þegna neodlicor ne gelustfullicor hine sylfne underþeodde to ura goda bigange þonne ic; and noht þon læs monige syndon, þa þe maran gefe and fremsumnesse æt þe onfengon þonne ic, and in eallum þingum maran gesynto hæfdon. Hwæt ic wat, gif ure godo ænige mihte hæfdon, þonne woldan hie me ma fultumian, forþon ic him geornlicor þeodde and hyrde. Forþon me þynceð wislic, gif þu geseo þa þing beteran and strangran þe us niwan bodad syndon, þæt we þam onfon."\nÞæs wordum oþer cyninges wita and ealdormann geþafunge sealde, and to þære spræce feng and þus cwæð: "Þyslic me is gesewen, þu cyning, þis andwearde lif manna on eorðan to wiðmetenesse þære tide, þe us uncuð is, swylc swa þu æt swæsendum sitte mid þinum ealdormannum and þegnum on wintertide, and sie fyr onælæd and þin heall gewyrmed, and hit rine and sniwe and styrme ute; cume an spearwa and hrædlice þæt hus þurhfleo, cume þurh oþre duru in þurh oþre ut gewite. Hwæt, he on þa tid, þe he inne bið, ne bið hrinen mid þy storme þæs wintres; ac þæt bið an eagan bryhtm and þæt læsste fæc, ac he sona of wintra on þone winter eft cymeð. Swa þonne þis monna lif to medmiclum fæce ætyweð; hwæt þær foregange, oððe hwæt þær æfterfylige, we ne cunnun. Forðon gif þeos lar owiht cuðlicre and gerisenlicre brenge, þæs weorþe is þæt we þære fylgen." Þeossum wordum gelicum oðre aldormen and ðæs cyninges geþeahteras spræcan.\nÞa gen toætyhte Cefi and cwæð, þæt he wolde Paulinus þone bisceop geornlicor gehyran be þam Gode sprecende þam þe he bodade. Þa het se cyning swa don. Þa he þa his word gehyrde, þa clypode he and þus cwæð: "Geare ic þæt ongeat, þæt ðæt nowiht wæs, þæt we beeodan. Forþon swa micle swa ic geornlicor on þam bigange þæt sylfe soð sohte, swa ic hit læs mette. Nu þonne ic openlice ondette, þæt on þysse lare þæt sylfe soð scineð, þæt us mæg þa gyfe syllan ecre eadignesse and eces lifes hælo. Forþon ic þonne nu lære, cyning, þæt þæt templ and þa wigbedo, þa ðe we buton wæstmum ænigre nytnisse halgodon, þæt we þa hraþe forleosen and fyre forbærnen." Ono hwæt he þa se cyning openlice ondette þæm biscope ond him eallum, þæt he wolde fæstlice þæm deofolgildum wiðsacan ond Cristes geleafan onfon.\nMid þy þe he þa se cyning from þæm foresprecenan biscope sohte and ahsode heora halignesse, þe heo ær bieodon, hwa ða wigbed and þa hergas þara deofolgilda mid heora hegum, þe heo ymbsette wæron, heo ærest aidligan and toweorpan scolde, þa ondsworede he: "Efne ic. Hwa mæg þa nu, þa þe ic longe mid dysignesse beeode, to bysene oðerra monna gerisenlecor toweorpan, þonne ic seolfa þurh þa snytro þe ic from þæm soðan Gode onfeng?"\nOnd he ða sona from him awearp þa idlan dysignesse þe he ær beeode ond þone cyning bæd þæt he him wæpen sealde and stodhors, þæt he meahte on cuman and deofolgyld toweorpan. Forðon þam biscope heora halignesse ne wæs alyfed, þæt he moste wæpen wegan, ne elcor buton on myran ridan. Þa sealde se cyning him sweord, þæt he hine mid gyrde; and nom his spere on hond and hleop on þæs cyninges stedan and to þæm deofulgeldum ferde. Þa ðæt folc hine þa geseah swa gescyrpedne, þa wendon heo þæt he teola ne wiste, ac þæt he wedde. Sona þæs þe he nealehte to þæm herige, þa sceat he mid þy spere, þæt hit sticode fæste on þæm herige, ond wæs swiðe gefeonde þære ongytenesse þæs soðan Godes bigonges. Ond he ða heht his geferan toweorpan ealne þone herig and þa getimbro and forbærnan.\nIs seo stow gyt æteawed gu þara deofulgilda, noht feor east from Eoforwicceastre begeondan Deorwentan þære ea, ond gen to dæge is nemned Godmundingaham, þær se biscop þurh þæs soðan Godes inbryrdnesse towearp and fordyde þa wigbed, þe he seolfa ær gehalgode.\nÐa onfeng Eadwine cyning mid eallum þæm æðelingum his þeode and mid micle folce Cristes geleafan and fulwihte bæðe þy endlyftan geare his rices.