CC 20220801
Go to edited text, translation; manuscript transcriptions: CCCC 201, Hatton 113, Bodleian 343\nEala, eala, ac þa wæs mycel blis 7 bot seo betste mannum towerd þa crist com on ðas woruld þurh mennisce gebyrde, 7 þæt com us eallan to helpe þam mæstan 7 to frofre þam betstan. 7 mycel is seo þwyrnes þe nu is towerd, gebide ðære yrmðe se þe hit gebide, þæt Antecrist geboren beo. Crist wæs ealra bearna betst geboren þe æfre geboren wurde, 7 antecrist bið ealra þæra bearna wyrst on þas woruld geboren þe ær oððe æfter æfre gewurde oððe geweorðe. Nu sceal hit nyde yfelian swyðe, forðam þe hit nealæcð georne his timan, ealswa hit awriten is 7 gefyrn wæs gewitegod: Post mille Annos soluetur satanas; þæt is on englisc, Æfter þusend gearum bið satanas unbunden. Þusend geara 7 eac ma is nu agan syððan crist wæs mid mannum on menniscan hiwe, 7 nu syndon satanases bendas swyðe toslopene, 7 antecristes tima is wel gehende. 7 ðy hit is on worulde a swa leng swa wacre. Men syndon swicole, 7 woruld is þe wyrse, 7 þæt us dereð eallum. 7 huru hit sceal hefegian heonanforð þearle rihtwisan þearfan 7 ðam unbealafullum; nu ða yfelan 7 ða swicelan swa oferlice swyðe brædað on worulde ongean þæt mæste yfel þe mannum is towerd. Ðæt is se þeodfeond antecrist sylfa.\nEala, mycel wæs seo ehtnes þe cristene þoledon iu ær on worlde oft 7 gelome þurh wælhreowe manswican wide 7 side, 7 huru hit sceal heonanforð mænigfealdre weorðan, nu deofol sylf his mægnes mot wealdan, 7 deofles bearn swa swiðlice motan cristene bregean. 7 oft ær wæs mænigfeald ehtnes, næfre þeah þam gelic þe æfter ðysan gyt bið. Forðam hit wæs oft ær þæt godes halgan fela wundra þurh godes mihta openlice worhtan on gemang þam þe hy ehtnesse þoledon, 7 ðurh þæt mænigne man gebettan, ac hit ne bið na swa on antecristes timan. Ne magan þonne halige men on þam timan ænige tacna openlice wyrcan, ac sculan þolian eal þæt heom man to deð. Ne god þonne ane hwile his mihta ne his wundra sylf nele cyðan, swa he oft ær dyde, ac læt þone deofol antecrist rabbian 7 wedan sume hwile 7 þa ðe him fylstað. He bið mennisc man geboren, ac he bið þeah mid deofles gaste eal afylled. 7 se gesewenlica feond wyrcð þurh deofles cræft fela wunderlicra tacna 7 þurh drycræft mænigfealde gedwimera. 7 feorðehealf gear he ricsað ofer mancynn 7 mid his scincræftum mæst manna beswicð þe æfre ær ðurh ænig ðing beswicen wurde. 7 þa ðe he elles mid his lotwrencum bepæcan ne mæg, þa he wile þreatian 7 ægeslice wyldan 7 earmlice pinian on mænigfealde wisan 7 neadunga nydan þæt hy gebugan to his unlaran. He aginð leogan deoflice swyðe 7 ætsæcð cristes 7 cweð þæt he sylf sy godes agen bearn, 7 gebringð on gedwylde ealles to manege. 7 god him geðafað þæt for manna gewyrhtum þæt he sume hwile mot swa wodlice derian, forðam þe men beoð þurh synna swa swyðe forwyrhte þæt deofol mot openlice þonne heora fandian hu fela he forspanan mæge to ecan forwyrde. 7 þa ðe swa gesælige þonne weorþað þæt hi godes lage healdað on an swyðe georne 7 on rihtan geleafan anrædlice þurhwunian willað, þa sculon þolian ehtnesse þa mæstan þe æfre ær on worulde ænige men þoledon, 7 eac mycle maran þonne æfre ær ahwar gewurdan oððon æfter þam æfre eft weorðan. Ac se bið gesælig þe þonne ne awacað, forðam raðe æfter þam witod him bið towerd þurh godes mihte ece frofer. La, hwylc wunder bið þeah se mennisca deofol synfullum mote heardlice derian, þonne god geþafað þæt he mot on his agenum halgum swylc wundor gewyrcan þæt enoh 7 elias þurh þone þeodfeond gemartrode weorðaþ, þe god sylfa fela hund wintra mid saule 7 lichaman geheold ær to þam anan, þæt hi þonne scoldan mid heora lare folce gebeorgan, þæt hit eal ne forwurde endemes ætgædere þurh þone deofol þe ealle men bregeð 7 ealle woruld drefeð? Nis se man on life þe mæge oððe cunne swa yfel hit asecgan swa hit sceal geweorðan on þam deoflican timan. Ne byrhð þonne broðor oðrum hwilan, ne fæder his bearne, ne bearn his agenum fæder, ne gesibb gesibban þe ma þe fremdan. And þeodscypas winnað 7 sacað heom betweonan foran to þam timan þe þis sceal geweorþan. Eac sceal aspringan wide 7 side sacu 7 clacu, hol 7 hete 7 rypera reaflac, here 7 hunger, bryne 7 blodgyte 7 styrnlice styrunga, stric 7 steorfa 7 fela unglimpa. 7 mænigfealde tacna beoð wide gesawene on sunnan 7 on monan 7 on mistlican tunglan, 7 fela cynna egesan geweorþað on eorðan folce to heortgryre 7 to egeslican fære on mænigfealde wisan. 7 eal hit forwurde gyf god ne gescyrte þæs þeodscaðan lifdagas þe raþor ðurh his mihta. Ac for þæra gebeorge þe him syn gecorene 7 ðe he habban wyle gehealdan 7 geholpen, he fordeð þæne þeodfeond 7 on helle grund þananforð besenceð mid eallum þam gegenge þe him ær fyligde 7 his unlarum to swyðe gelyfde. Ðonne wurð godes dom rihtlice toscaden, 7 ða þonne witodlice þe nu god lufiað 7 godes lagum fylgeað 7 godes lare geornlice hlystað 7 hy wel healdað 7 anrædlice þurhwuniað on rihtan geleafan forð oð heora ende, þa scylan habban ece edlean on heofonlicre myrhðe mid gode sylfum æfter þam dome 7 mid his halgum þananforð æfre. Ðær is ece blis 7 æfre bið in ealra worulda woruld a butan ende, Amen.