CC 20220801
Adso's Letter in Old English\nDe Temporibus Anticristo\nEdited by ArthurNapier, Napier Homily 42\nLeofan men, us is micel þearf, þæt we wære beon þæs egeslican timan, þe nu towærd is. Nu bið swyðe raðe Antecristes tima, þæs ðe we wenan magan and eac georne witan, and þæt bið se egeslicesta, þe æfre gewearð, syððan þeos woruld ærest gesceapen wæs. Be þam egeslican timan Matheus se godspellere soðlice þus cwæð: in diebus illis erit tribulatio talis, qualis non fuit ab initio mundi nec postea erit. Ðæt is on englisc, "þæt swylc yrmð and earfodnesse bið þonne on worulde, swylce næfre ær næs ne eft ne geweorðeð." He bið sylf deofol and þeh mennisc man geboren. Crist is soð god and soð man, and Antecrist bið soðlice deofol and man. Se sylfa deofol, þe on helle is, se wyrð on þam earmsceapenan men Antecriste and bið soðlice ægðer ge deofol ge man.\nNu mage we eow eac secgan be þæs deofles anginne, hu he geboren bið and afedd, swa swa we on halgum bocum funden habbað; and us halige men, þe beforan us wæron, oft rædlice on heora gewritum myngiað and sægað, þæt Antecrist sceal beon acenned of iudeiscum cynne and of Danes mægðe, swa swa seo witegung sægð: fiat Dan coluber in uia, cerastes in semita, þæt is on englisc: "sy Dan snaca on wege and næddre on pæðe." Þæt is þonne swa to understandenne, þæt, swa swa seo atterberende nædre ligeð on ðam wege and wyle þa wegfarendan mid hire ættrigum toðum slitan oððe þeahhwæðere þa ungehyrtan of heora wege aflyman, swa þonne Antecrist, þonne he cymð, he wile ealle ða men, þe to Gode willað, oðer twegra oððe mid lotwrencum fram Gode awendan oððe mid mislicum tintregum hy earmlice acwellan. He bið acenned of fæder and of meder flæsclicum gemanan, swa swa oðre men, and na, swa lease man sæcgað, þæt he beo acenned of mædene anum. Ac he bið mid synnum begyten and mid synnum acenned and eall on synnum afedd. His fæder hine strynð be his agenre freodehter, and he bið his moder twam sibbum getæht, þæt he bið ægðer ge sunu ge broðer. Soðlice, þonne he gestryned bið, þonne færð se deofol forð mid into his moder innoðe, and þær he hine healt and weardað inne. And æfre fram þam timan, þe he gestryned bið, a he bið mid him and hine næfre ne forlæt. And, ealswa se halga gast com to Sancta Marian ures hælendes Cristes moder and hy mid his mihte ofersceadewade and mid godcundnysse gefylde, swa þæt heo sceolde geeacnian of þam halgan gaste and, þæt heo acende, wære godcund and halig, swa se deofol befylð into Antecristes moder innoðe and hy eall ymbutan ymbtrymð mid deoflicre mihte, and swa him sylfum he hi geahnað, þæt deofle samod wyrcendum heo þurh man geeacnoð on innoðe; and þæt, þe bið of hire acenned, eall hit bið unrihtwis and eall yfel and eal forloren. Ðanan is se deofles man gehaten forwyrdes bearn, forðan swa mycel, swa he mæst mæg, he forspilð mancynnes, and he sylf æt endenyhstan mid ealle forwyrð.\nNu ge gehyrdon, hu he bið geboren; hlystað nu, and ic eow secge þære stowe naman, þe he bið on geboren. Swa swa Drihten ure alysend foresceawode him þæt castel þa cynelican Bethleem, to ðan þæt he wolde þær on þære byrig menniscnesse underfon and to ðan hine sylfne gemedemian, þæt he wolde þær beon geboren soð man, se ðe is æfre soð god and æfre bið ungeendod, swa se deofol þam forlorenum men, þe Antecrist is gehaten, foresceawað gelimplice stowe, þe he on sceal beon geboren: þære stowe nama is Babilonia genemned. Þæt is seo burh, þe ælc yfel of cymð, and ordfruma and ende ealles yfeles on hire bið upp asprungon. On þyssere byrig Babilonia, þe hwilon wæs æþelost and wuldorfullost burh ealra burha and Persa rices heafod, bið Antecrist geboren, and on ðam twam burhum Bethsaida and Corozaim, hit sægð, þæt he bið afedd, and þær he wunað ærest. Þa burha ðreade Crist mid his halgan muðe, þa þa he þus cwæð: ue tibi Bethsaida, ue tibi Corozaim. Þæt is on englisc: "wa ðe, la wa, Bethsaida, and wa ðe, Corozaim." Antecrist hæfð mid him drymen and unlybwyrhtan and wigleras and þa, ðe cunnan galder agalan, þa ðe hine mid deofles fultume fedað and lærað on ælcre unrihtwisnesse and facne and manfullum cræfte. And awyrgede gastas beoð his latteowas and his geferan butan ælcere totwæmednesse.\nÐonne færð he to Hierusalem þære burh mid miclum þrymme to ðan, þæt he wile eall cristen folc to him gebigan mid his lotwrencum and fram rihtum geleafan awendan, gif he mæg; and gif he þonne þæt ne mæg, þonne onginð he hy to pinianne on mistlicre wisan and eac fela ofslyhð haligra manna, forðam þe hi nellað gebugan fram þam soðan gode to him. He geedstaðelað niwe tempel, þær þær Salomon se mæra cyng hæfde ær aræred þæt mære tempel þam ælmihtigum Gode to lofe; and þærinne he gesit and hine sylfne swa up ahefð, þæt he cwyð þæt he sy þæs ælmihtigan Godes sunu. And æfter Moyses lage he hine læt ymbsniðan mid scearpum flinte; and forþan he deð þæt, þæt he wile, þæt þa earman iudeiscan men seylan wenan, þæt he sy soð Crist, forðam he swa eadmodlice heora lage gefylð on ða wisan. He awent ærest him to cyningas and heafodmen, and syððan he gebigð þurh heora ege and fultum eall mæst þæt oðer folc to him. Ealle þa stowa, þe se soða Crist lufode and oftost on wunode, þa he towyrpð, and þa him beoð laðoste, forðan þe he wile amyrran mid his gedwylde eall þæt se soða Crist ær bodade and gesette to rihte.\nSyððan he þus up ahafen bið, he sent his bodan geond ealne middaneard, and his hlisa and gryremiht and bodung bið fram sæ to sæ; þæt is, of eastdæle to westdæle and fram suðdæle to norðdæle middaneardes. He wyrcð eac þurh deofol fela tacna and wundorlice wundra and laðlice, swylce swa næfre ær ne gehyrede wurdon ne gesawene. He deð þæt fyr cymð færlice ufan, swylce hit of heofonum cume, and egeslice forswælð fela þinga on eorðan; and treowa he deð færlice blowan and eft raðe asearian; and sæ he deð on lytelre hwile beon ungemetlice and ungecyndelice swyðe astyrode, and þærrihte eft sona smylte; and mistlice gesceafta he awent of heora gecyndum. Wæter he deð þæt yrnð ongean stream; þæs lyfta and windas he astyrað to ðan swiðe, þæt mannum þineð heora deað leofra, þonne ðone egesan to gehyranne. Deade men he arærð on manna gesihðe, to ðan þæt he wyle on dwolan gebringan, gif hit swa beon mihte, þa þe Gode gecorene wæron, sona swa hy geborene wæron.\nÐonne tweonað fela manna, ge furðon ðam Godes gecorenum, for ðam micclum and mænigfealdum gedwyldum, þe hi geseoð and gehyrað, hwæðer he sy se soða Godes sunu oððe na ne sy, se ðe mannum behaten wæs on þyssere worulde ende, þæt he of clænum mædene sceolde beon geboren. Ac men magon oncnawan be his unrihtwisum larum and dædum þæt he ne bið na soð god. He winð ongean Godes gecorenan on þreo wisan: þæt is mid ofermætum ege and mid swæslicum gifum and mid gedwyldlicum scincræftum. He sylð þam þe on hine gelyfað goldes and seolfres genyhða; and þa þe he ne mæg to him gebigean mid golde ne mid seolfre ne mid godwebgyrlum, þa he wyle mid egeslican ogan mid ealle oferswiðan; and þa þe he ne mæg naðer ne mid lufe ne mid ege fram Gode awendan, ætforan þam he wyrcð mænigfealde wundra, þæt he þurh þæt hy to gedwolan awende. Ða þonne þe he ne mæg on nane wisan fram rihtan geleafan to him gebigan, þonne tintregað he þa on mænigfealde wisan, and ælcne geleaffulne man he genyt, þe he geaxian mæg, þæt he sceal him abugan oððe earmlice deað þrowian þurh sweordes slege oððe fyres bryne oððe wyrma slite oððe wildeora bite oððe þurh unasecgendlice yrmða earmlice þrowian. Ðonne bið swylc yrmð and earfoðnes, swylc swa næfre ær næs, syððan men ærost geborene wæron, oð ðone timan. Feorðehealf gear se deofles man rixað on middanearde, and swa lange he winð ongean God and Godes þeowas; and he ahefð hine sylfne ofer ealle, þa ðe hæðene men cwædon, þæt godas beon sceoldan on hæðene wisan, swylce wæs Erculus se ent and Apollinis, þe hi mærne god leton; Þor eac and Owðen, þe hæðene men heriað swiðe. Ofer ealle þas he hine ænne up ahefð, forðan he læt þæt he ana sy strengra þonne hi ealle; and na þæt an, þæt he hine ofer hi ahebbe, ac ofer þa halgan þrynesse, seo ðe is ana to to gebiddanne, to herianne and to weorðianne; þæt is fæder and sunu and halig gast, an ælmihtig ece God, wyrhta and wealdend ealra worulda; swa þæt he sit, swa we ær cwædon, on godes temple æteowiende hine, swylce he god sylf sy, se ðe Iudeum gefyrn wæs behaten.\nÐonne se deofol þus wett, þonne asended God twegen mære witegan to middanearde, þa syndon gehatene Enoch and Elias, ðe God hæfde gehealdan fela hund wintra, to þan þæt hy scylon þonne mid heora lare mancynne gebeorgan, þæt hit eall ne forwurðe endemes togædere. Ðas mæran Godes men Enoh and Elias gestrangiað þa geleaffullan Godes þeowas mid godcundlicum wæpnum togeanes þæs deofles wrencum, and hy hi mynegiað and lærað and mid stiðum mode stranglice wiðstandað þam swican Antecrist, swa þæt hy gehwyrfað þone mæstan dæl Israhela folces to rihtum geleafan, þa þe lange ær ungeleaffulle wunedon, forðan hi oncnawað þonne, þæt hy wæron to sare beswicene þurh ðæs sweartan deofles scincræft. Ðonne bið gefylled þæt þe be heom gefyrn awriten wæs: si fuerit numerus filiorum Israhel, sicut arena maris, reliquie salue fient. Ðæt is, "þeah ðe Israhelitisc folc beo swa mænigfyld swa swa sandcysel þe lið on sæstrande, þæt þe þonne to lafe bið, hit bið gehealden."\nÞonne se feond Antecrist þis gesihð, þæt þæt iudeisce mancyn fram him gebuhð and to ðam soðan Gode gehwyrfð, þe heora yldran ær ahengan be þæs ealdan deofles lare, ðonne gramað him þæt swyðe hearde; and eac he wat þæt fela manna witan full geare þæt he is deofles bearn and na Godes sunu, þeah ðe hi fela ne durran him fram hwyrfan for ðara tintregena mænigfyldnesse, þe hi gescod, hu he ða Godes gecorenan dæghwamlice tintregað. Ðonne onginð he to winnanne togenes þam twam Godes þegnum Enoh and Eliam, and hy æt nyhstan ofslihð, swa swa Godes geþafung bið, and heora lichaman licgað unbebyrgede, and þam þriddan dæge hi arisað of deaðe and to heofonum up astigað eall ansunde. Þonne mæg heora wiðerwinnan sceamian, þonne hi hi geseoð mid sigores wuldre to heofonum astigan. Be þam awrat Iohannes se godspellere on ðære bec, þe man hat Apocalipsin, þus cweðende: locahwonne þara Godes þegna Enoh and Elias tima cumen bið, þæt heora bodung geendod bið, þæt wilde deor, þe of ðære neowelnesse up cymð, feohteð togeanes heom and æt nyhstan oferswyð hy and ofslyhð hy. Þæt wilde deor getacnað þone deofles man Antecrist, and, syððan hi ofslagene beoð, he bið ehtende ealra Godes þeowena, swa þæt hy to him gebugan scylon oððe earmlice deað for Godes naman þrowian.\nHe onginð deoflice to wedanne dæges and nihtes, swa swa se deð, þe wat þæt he mot lytle hwile rixian. He forbyt ælcum men aðor to bycganne oððe to syllanne, butan he on his foranheafde habbe his mearce. Ðonne his lease witegan, þa beoð mid deofles gaste afylde, arærað him anlicnesse, and þærto hi genydað men to gebiddanne, forðan se deofol sylf sprecð þurh ða deadan anlicnesse, and, þonne he þus wett, þonne cumað up of helle egeslice myccle deor, swylce swa næfre ær gesawene næron oð ðone timan. Hi beoð gewæpnode on ða wisan, þe man hors gewæpnað, þonne man to wige þeneð: hi habbað on heafde helmas steape, and heora breosta beoð mid byrnum befangene. Heora heafda beoð mannes heafdum gelice, and hi habbað tæglas þam wyrmum gelice, þe men hatað þrowend. Heora fyðera swegað swa swa wæteres dyne, and hy habbað teð leonum gelice; he fleoð swiftlice, and heora grymetung bið gelic crætena cearcetunge, and hy feriað þone awyrgedan engel on hrycge, þone men awestend hatað; hi farað ofer ealne middaneard fif monðas fulle. And he gesent georn middaneard ridendne here, to ðan þæt hy scylon þryddan dæl mancynnes ofslean; þæt syndon þonne twentig þusend siðan tyn þusenda. Heora horsa heafda beoð leona heafdum gelice, and heora tæglas beoð nædrena heafdum gelice, and fyr and swefl and deaðberende smic gæð of heora muðe.\nÐonne æfter þan gegaderað se Godes wiðersaca ealle þeoda to gefeohte ongean þone heafonlican cyning on ðære stowe, þe man hat Ermagedon, ac hy weorðað ealle mid uplicum fyre forbærnde, and Godes ælmihtiges grama becymð ofer þæs deofles bearn Antecrist æt nyhstan, swa swa se apostol Paulus awrat be him þus cweðende: quem dominus Iesus interficiet spiritu oris sui. Þæt is on englisc, þæt Drihten hælend ofsliht hine mid his word, swa hweðer swa he bið ofslagen þurh miht ures Drihtnes agenes bebodes oððe Michael Godes heahengel hine ofslea, þurh ðæs lifigendan Godes miht he bið ofslagen and na þurh nanes engles mihte. Bec sæcgað, þæt se Godes wiðersaca Antecrist bið ofslagen on Oliuetes dune innan his getelde upon his heahsetle wið þa ylcan stowe þe ure Drihten hæend Crist astah up to heofonum to his halgan fæder eallum þam geleaffullum mannum, þe ðær neah wæron, on lociendum. And rihtlic bið þæt se Godes wiðersaca Antecrist fealle niðer into helle to ðam ealdan deofle his fæder fram þære stowe, þe he swa modiglice mid woge him geahnode, forðan Crist Godes sunu astah ær þanon up to heofonum to his halgan fæder. Eow is eac to witanne, þæt domes dæg ne bið na sona æfter Antecristes forwyrde, ne eac Drihten ne cymð þonne gyt eallum mancynne to demanne, ac æfter Danieles witegunge he sylð mannum fyrst to gebetanne and heora synna to behreowsianne, þe ær þurh þæs deofles lare bepæhte wæron, þæt hi God forsawon and þam wiðersacan olehtan; þæt secgað bec, þæt sy .xl. daga fyrst. And raðe æfter þam, þæs ðe bec sæcgað, geweorð se micla dom, and þeos woruld geendað.\nWe agan þy swyðe micle þearf, þæt we wið swylcne ege wære beon and eac ða warnian, þe swylc nyton, swylc toward is, forðam þe hit is nyr þam timan, þonne ungelærede men gelyfan wyllað. Eac ic sæcge to soðe, þæt deofol wile ælces mannes geþanc, gif he mæg, swyðe gelettan, þæt he hit na ne understande, þeh hit him man secge, ne hine wið þæt ne warnige, and þurh þæt wirð mæst manna beswicen, þe hi ne beoð swa wære ne swa wel gewarnode ær, swa swa hi beþorfton. La, hwæt, we nu ungesælige syn, þæt we us bet ne warniað wið þone egsan, þe toweard is, and þæt we us ne ondrædað þone toweardan dæg þæs miclan domes. Se is yrmða dæg and ealra earfoða dæg. And we geseoð and gelomlice gecnawað be ðam tacnum, þe Crist sylf foresæde, þæt hit georne nealæcð to ðam dome, þe he sylf to cymð, and we witan þæt þærto gesamnod wyrð eall heofenwaru and eall eorðwaru and eall hellwaru, and sceal þonne manna gehwylc gescead agyldan ealra þara dæda, þe he her adreh ær on life. Ne bið þær bedigled þæt digleste geþanc, þe ænig man æfre geþohte, butan hit ær geandet and gebet wære. Eall middaneard bi&th; þonne on dæg byrnende, and ælc man sceal þonne on dæg of deaðe arisan, þe æfre on life wæs, and þurh þæt fyr to ðam dome faran. Ðær bið þonne on dæg gryre se mæsta, forðam þurh Godes mihte bið eall astyred ge heofenwered ge eorðwered ge hellwered, and eall hit bið bifiende and cwaciende. Ac ðær gewyrð þurh Godes mihte raðe tosceaden þæt wered on twa, and scylon þa forwyrhtan, þe her on life noldan Gode gehyrwan ne Godes lage healdan, ac deofle fyligdon, ðonne eac habban þæt þæt hi ær gecuran: þæt is, þæt hy þonne seylon to helle faran mid sawle and mid lichaman and mid deofle wunian on helle witum. Þær is ece bryne grimme gemeneged, and þær is ece gryre; þær is wanung and granung and a singal sorh. Wa ðam, þe þær sceal wunian on wite; him wære betere þæt he æfre on worulde man ne gewurde, þonne he gewurde. Nis se man on life þe areccan mæe ealle þa yrmða þe se gebidan sceal, se ðe on ða witu ealles behreoseð, and hit is ealles þe wyrse þe his ænig ende ne cymð æfre to worulde. Ðider scylan manslagan and þider scylan manswican; þider scylan æwbrecan and þa fulan forligeras; þider scylan mansworan and morþwyrhtan; ðider scylan gitseras, ryperas and reaferas and þas woruldstruderas; þider scylan hlafordswican and þa unrihtdeman, þe demað æfre be ðam sceattum and swa wendað wrang to rihte and rihte to wrange; ðider scylan þeofas and þeodsceaðan; þider scylan wiccan and wigleras, and raðest is to secgenne, ealle þa manfullan þe ær yfel worhton and noldon geswican ne wið God þingian. Wa heom þæs siðes, þe hy men wordon. Ac do nu manna gehwylc, swa hit micel þearf is, geswice yfeles and bete his misdæda þa hwile þe he mæg and mote; God is swyðe mildheort and wyle swyðe gemildsian and mycel forgifan þam þe mid inweardre heortan yfeles geswicað and geornlice betað. Ac wa þam þe on yfel þurhwuniað and nan þing ne betað, æt heora ende hy scylon witodlice mid ealle forwurðan.\nEala, eala, gesælig bið þæt wered þe þonne on domdæge asyndred wyrð fram deofles gemanan, þæt syn ða gesæligan, þe God lufiað and his bebodu healdað; hi scylon þonne þæs ece lean habban, and he heom þonne on dæg luflice geþancað, þæs ðe hy on life him rihte gehyrdon. And he raðe æfter cwyð oðrum worde to þam, ðe his willan ær gefremedan: "farað nu," he cwyð, "mid me into heofona rice, þæt eow is gegearcod to ecan edleane eowres geswinces, þe ge for minum lufan ær on worulde adrugon." And hy þonne farað mid Gode sylfum and mid his englum and mid eallum halgum on ecne gefean heofona rices. Ðær næfre leofe ne gedælað, ne laðe ne gemetað, ne næfre dæg æfter dæg, ne niht æfter nihte, ac þær bið ece bliss and ece wuldor and ece gefea mid urum Drihtne and mid his þam halgum heapum a on worulda woruld a butan ende. Amen.