VI.

KING EDMUND.

Sum swīþe ġe·lǣred munuc cōm sūþan ofer sǣ fram sancte

Benedictes stōwe, on Æþelredes cyninges dæġe, to Dūnstāne

ærċe-biscope, þrim ġēarum ǣr þǣm þe hē forþ·fērde,

and se munuc hātte Abbo. Þā wurdon hīe æt sprǣċe, oþ

þæt Dūnstān reahte be sancte Ēadmunde, swā swā Ēadmundes

sweord-bora hit reahte Æþelstāne cyninge, þā þā

Dūnstān ġēong mann wæs, and se sweord-bora wæs for·ealdod

mann. Þā ġe·sętte se munuc ealle þā, ġe·ręċednesse on

ānre bēc, and eft, þā þā sēo bōc cōm tō ūs, binnan fēam

ġēarum, þā ā·węndon wē hit on Ęnġlisc, swā swā hit hēr·æfter

stęnt. Se munuc þā Abbo binnan twǣm ġēarum ġe·węnde

hām tō his mynstre, and wearþ sōna tō abbode

ġe·sętt on þǣm ilcan mynstre.

Ēadmund se ēadiga, Ēast-ęnġla cyning, wæs snotor and

weorþfull, and weorþode simle mid æþelum þēawum þone

ælmihtigan God. Hē wæs ēaþ-mōd and ġe·þungen, and

swā ān-rǣd þurh·wunode þæt hē nolde ā·būgan tō bismerfullum

leahtrum, ne on nāwþre healfe hē ne ā·hielde his

þēawas, ac wæs simle ġe·myndiġ þǣre sōþan lāre: 'Ġif þū

eart tō hēafod-męnn ġe·sętt, ne ā·hęfe þū þē, ac bēo be·twix

mannum swā swā ān mann of him.' Hē wæs

cystiġ wǣdlum and widewum swā swā fæder, and mid

wel-willendnesse ġe·wissode his folc simle tō riht-wīsnesse,

and þǣm rēþum stīerde, and ġe·sǣliġlīce leofode on sōþum

ġe·lēafan.

Hit ġe·lamp þā æt nīehstan þæt þā Dęniscan lēode fērdon

mid sċip-hęre, hęrgiende and slēande wīde ġeond land, swā

swā hiera ġe·wuna is. On þǣm flotan wǣron þā fyrmestan

hēafod-męnn, Hinguar and Hubba, ġe·ānlǣhte þurh dēofol,

and hīe on Norþhymbra-lande ġe·lęndon mid æscum, and

ā·wēston þæt land, and þā lēode of·slōgon. Þā ġe·węnde

Hinguar ēast mid his sċipum, and Hubba be·lāf on Norþhymbra-lande,

ġe·wunnenum siġe mid wæl-hrēownesse.

Hinguar þā be·cōm tō Ēast-ęnġlum rōwende on þǣm ġēare

þe Ælfred æþeling ān and twęntiġ ġēara wæs, sē þe West-seaxna

cyning siþþan wearþ mǣre. And se fore-sæġda

Hinguar fǣrlīce, swā swā wulf, on lande be·stealcode, and

þā lēode slōg, weras and wīf, and þā unġewittigan ċīld,

and to bismere tūcode þā bilewītan Crīstenan. Hē sęnde

þā siþþan sōna tō þǣm cyninge bēotlic ǣrende, þæt hē

ā·būgan scolde tō his mann-rǣdenne, ġif hē his fēores rōhte.

Se ǣrend-raca cōm þā tō Ēadmunde cyninge, and Hinguares

ǣrende him arodlīce ā·bēad: 'Hinguar ūre cyning, cēne

and siġefæst on sǣ and on lande, hæfþ fela þēoda ġe·weald,

and cōm nū mid fierde fǣrlīce hēr tō lande, þæt

hē hēr winter-setl mid his werode hæbbe. Nū hǣtt hē þē

dǣlan þīne dīeglan gold-hordas and þīnra ieldrena ġe·strēon

arodlīce wiþ hine, and þū bēo his under-cyning, ġif þū

cwic bēon wilt, for þǣm þe þū næfst þā miht þæt þū mæġe

him wiþ·standan.'

Hwæt þā Ēadmund cyning clipode ānne biscop þe him

þā ġe·hęndost wæs, and wiþ hine smēade hū hē þǣm

rēþan Hinguare andwyrdan scolde. Þā forhtode se biscop

for þǣm fǣrlican ġe·limpe, and for þæs cyninges līfe,

and cwæþ þæt him rǣd þūhte þæt hē tō þǣm ġe·buge þe

him bēad Hinguar. Þā swīgode se cyning, and be·seah

tō þǣre eorþan, and cwæþ þā æt nīehstan cynelīce him

tō: 'Ēalā þū biscop, tō bismere sind ġe·tāwode þās earman

land-lēode, and mē nū lēofre wǣre þæt ic on ġe·feohte

fēolle wiþ þǣm þe mīn folc mōste hiera eardes brūcan.'

And se biscop cwæþ: 'Ēalā þū lēofa cyning, þīn folc

līþ of·slæġen, and þū næfst þone fultum þæt þū feohtan

mæġe, and þās flot-męnn cumaþ, and þē cwicne ġe·bindaþ,

būtan þū mid flēame þīnum fēore ġe·beorge, oþþe þū þē swā

ġe·beorge þæt þū būge tō him.' Þā cwæþ Ēadmund cyning,

swā swā hē full·cēne wæs: 'þæs ic ġe·wilniġe and ġe·wȳsċe

mid mōde þæt ic āna ne be·līfe æfter mīnum lēofum þeġnum,

þe on hiera będdum wurdon mid bearnum and wīfum fǣrlīce

of·slæġene fram þissum flot-mannum. Næs mē nǣfre ġe·wunelic

þæt ic worhte flēames, ac ic wolde swīþor sweltan,

ġif ic þorfte, for mīnum āgnum earde, and se ælmihtiga God

wāt þæt ic nyle ā·būgan fram his bī-gęnġum ǣfre, ne fram

his sōþre lufe, swelte ic, libbe ic.'

Æfter þissum wordum hē ġe·węnde tō þǣm ǣrend-racan þe

Hinguar him tō sęnde, and sæġde him un·forht: 'Witodlīce

þū wǣre nū wierþe slęġes, ac ic nyle ā·fȳlan on þīnum fūlum

blōde mīne clǣnan handa, for þǣm þe ic Crīste folgiġe, þe

ūs swā ġe·bȳsnode; ac ic blīþelīce wile bēon of·slæġen

þurh ēow, ġif hit swā God fore-sċēawaþ. Far nū swīþe hraþe,

and sęġe þīnum rēþan hlāforde, "ne ā·bȳhþ nǣfre Ēadmund

Hinguare on līfe, hǣþnum hęre-togan, būtan hē to Hǣlende

Crīste ǣrest mid ġe·lēafan on þissum lande ġe·būge."'

Þā ġe·węnde se ǣrend-raca arodlīce on·weġ, and ġe·mētte

be weġe þone wæl-hrēowan Hinguar mid ealre his fierde

fūse to Ēadmunde, and sæġde þǣm ārleasan hū him ġe·andwyrd

wæs. Hinguar bebēad þā mid bieldo þǣm sċip-hęre

þæt hīe þæs cyninges ānes ealle cēpan scolden, þe his hǣse

for·seah, and hine sōna bindan.

Hwæt þā Ēadmund cyning, mid þǣm þe Hinguar cōm,

stōd innan his healle, þæs Hǣlendes ġe·myndiġ, and ā·wearp

his wǣpnu: wolde ġe·efenlǣċan Crīstes ġe·bȳsnungum, þe

for·bēad Petre mid wǣpnum tō winnenne wiþ þā wælhrēowan

Iūdēiscan. Hwæt þā ārlēasan þā Ēadmund ġe·bundon, and

ġe·bismrodon huxlīce, and bēoton mid sāglum, and swā

siþþan lǣddon þone ġe·lēaffullan cyning tō ānum eorþ-faestan

trēowe, and tīeġdon hine þǣr-tō mid heardum bęndum,

and hine eft swungon langlīce mid swipum; and hē

simle clipode be·twix þǣm swinglum mid sōþum ġe·lēafan tō

Hǣlende Crīste; and þā hǣþnan þā for his ġe·lēafan wurdon

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wōdlīce ierre, for þǣm þe hē clipode Crīst him tō fultume:

hīe scuton þā mid gafelocum him tō, swelce him to gamene,

oþ þæt hē eall wæs be·sętt mid hiera scotungum, swelce īles

byrsta, swā swā Sebastiānus wæs. Þā ġe·seah Hinguar, se

ārlēasa flotmann, þæt se æþela cyning nolde Crīste wiþ·sacan,

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ac mid ānrǣdum ġe·lēafan hine ǣfre clipode: hēt hine þā

be·hēafdian, and þā hǣþnan swā dydon. Be·twix þǣm þe hē

clipode tō Crīste þā·ġiet, þā tugon þā hǣþnan þone hālgan

tō slęġe, and mid ānum swęnġe slōgon him of þæt hēafod,

and his sāwol sīþode ġe·sǣliġ tō Crīste. Þǣr wæs sum

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mann ġe·hęnde ġe·healden, þurh God be·hȳdd þǣm hǣþnum,

þe þis ġe·hīerde eall, and hit eft sæġde, swā swā wē hit

sęċġaþ hēr.

Hwæt þā se flot-hęre fērde eft tō sċipe, and be·hȳddon þæt

hēafod þæs hālgan Ēadmundes on þǣm þiċċum brēmlum,

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þæt hit be·byrġed ne wurde. Þā æfter fierste siþþan hīe

ā·farene wǣron, cōm þæt land-folc tō, þe þǣr tō lāfe wæs,

þǣr hiera hlāfordes līc læġ būtan hēafde, and wurdon swiþe

sāriġe for his slęġe on mōde, and hūru þæt hīe næfden þæt

hēafod tō þǣm bodiġe. Þā sæġde se sċēawere þe hit ǣr

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ġe·seah, þæt þā flotmęnn hæfden þæt hēafod mid him; and

wæs him ġe·þūht, swā swā hit wæs full·sōþ, þæt hīe behȳdden

þæt hēafod on þǣm holte for·hwega.

Hīe ēodon þā ęndemes ealle tō þǣm wuda, sēċende ġe·hwǣr,

ġeond þȳflas and brēmlas, ġif hīe ā-hwǣr mihten

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ġe·mētan þæt hēafod. Wæs ēac miċel wundor þæt ān wulf

wearþ ā·sęnd, þurh Godes wissunge, tō be·węrienne þæt

hēafod wiþ þā ōþru dēor ofer dæġ and niht. Hīe ēodon þā

sēċende and simle clipiende, swā swā hit ġe·wunelic is þǣm

þe on wuda gāþ oft, 'hwǣr eart þū nū, ġe·fēra?' And him

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andwyrde þæt hēafod, 'hēr, hēr, hēr;' and swā ġe·lōme

clipode andswariende him eallum, swā oft swā hiera ǣniġ

clipode, oþ þæt hīe ealle be·cōmon þurh þā clipunge him tō.

Þā læġ se grǣga wulf þe be·wiste þæt hēafod, and mid his

twǣm fōtum hæfde þæt hēafod be·clypped, grǣdiġ and hungriġ,

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and for Gode ne dorste þæs hēafdes on·byrġan, ac

hēold hit wiþ dēor. Þā wurdon hīe of·wundrode þæs

wulfes hierd-rǣdenne, and þæt hāliġe hēafod hām fęredon

mid him, þanciende þǣm Ælmihtigan ealra his wundra.

Ac se wulf folgode forþ mid þǣm hēafde, oþ þæt hīe tō

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tūne cōmon, swelce hē tam wære, and ġe·węnde eft siþþan

tō wuda on·ġēan.

Þā land-lēode þā siþþan lęġdon þæt hēafod tō þǣm hālgan

bodiġe, and be·byriġdon swā hīe sēlest mihton on swelcre

hrædunge, and ċiriċan ā·rǣrdon sōna him on·uppan. Eft

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þā on fierste, æfter fela ġēarum, þā sēo hęrgung ġe·swāc,

and sibb wearþ for·ġiefen þǣm ġe·swęnċtan folce, þā fēngon

hīe tō·gædre, and worhton āne ċiriċan weorþlīce þǣm hālgan,

for þǣm þe ge·lōme wundru wurdon æt his byrġenne, æt

þǣm ġe·bed-hūse þǣr hē be·byrġed wæs. Hīe woldon þā

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fęrian mid folclicre weorþmynde þone hālgan līchaman, and

lęċġan innan þǣre ċiriċan. Þā wæs miċel wundor þæt hē

wæs eall swā ġe·hāl swelce hē cwic wǣre, mid clǣnum līchaman,

and his swēora wæs ġe·hǣled, þe ǣr wæs for·slæġen, and

wæs swelce ān seolcen þrǣd ymbe his swēoran, mannum tō

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sweotolunge hū hē ofs·læġen wæs. Ēac swelce þā wunda,

þe þā wælhrēowan hǣþnan mid ġe·lōmum scotungum on his

līce macodon, wǣron ġe·hǣlde þurh þone heofonlican God;

and hē; līþ swā onsund oþ þisne and-weardan dæġ, and-bīdiende

ǣristes and þæs ēċan wuldres. His līchama ūs

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cȳþþ, þe līþ un-formolsnod, þæt hē būtan for·liġre hēr on

worulde leofode, and mid clǣnum līfe tō; Crīste sīþode.

Sum widewe wunode, Ōswyn ġe·hāten, æt þæs hālgan

byrġenne, on ġe·bedum and fæstennum manigu ġēar siþþan.

Sēo wolde ęfsian ǣlce ġēare þone sanct, and his næġlas

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ċeorfan sīeferlīce mid lufe, and on scrīne healdan tō hāliġ-dōme

on weofode. Þa weorþode þæt land-folc mid ġe·lēafan þone

sanct, and Þēodred biscop þearle mid ġiefum on golde and

on seolfre, þǣm sancte tō weorþmynde.

Þā cōmon on sumne sǣl un-ġesǣlige þēofas eahta on

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ānre nihte tō þǣm ār-weorþan hālgan: woldon stelan þā

māþmas þe męnn þider brōhton, and cunnodon mid cræfte

hū hīe inn cuman mihten. Sum slōg mid slęċġe swīþe þā

hæspan, sum hiera mid fēolan fēolode ymb·ūtan, sum ēac

under·dealf þā duru mid spadan, sum hiera mid hlǣddre wolde

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on·lūcan þǣt ēag-þȳrel; ac hīe swuncon on īdel, and earmlīce

fērdon, swā þæt se hālga wer hīe wundorlīce ġe·band,

ǣlcne swā hē stōd strūtiendne mid tōle, þæt hiera nān ne

mihte þæt morþ ġe·fręmman ne hīe þanon ā·styrian; ac

stōdon swā oþ merġen. Męnn þā þæs wundrodon, hū þā

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weargas hangodon, sum on hlǣddre, sum lēat tō ġe·delfe,

and ǣlc on his weorce wæs fæste ġe·bunden. Hīe wurdon

þā ġe·brōhte tō þǣm biscope ealle, and hē hēt hīe ā·hōn on

hēam ġealgum ealle; ac hē næs nā ġe·myndiġ hū se mildheorta

God clipode þurh his wītegan þās word þe hēr standaþ:

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Eos qui ducuntur ad mortem eruere ne cesses, 'þā þe man lǣtt

tō dēaþe ā·līes hīe ūt simle.' And ēac þā hālgan canōnes

bēc ġe·hādodum for·bēodaþ ġe biscopum ġe prēostum tō

bēonne ymbe þēofas, for þǣm þe hit ne ġe·byreþ þǣm þe

bēop ġe·corene Gode to þeġnienne þæt hīe ġe·þwǣrlǣċan

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scylen on ǣniġes mannes dēaþe, ġif hīe bēoþ Dryhtnes

þeġnas. Eft þā Þēodred biscop sċēawode his bēc, hē siþþan

be·hrēowsode mid ġēomrunge þæt hē swā rēþne dōm sętte

þǣm unġesǣligum þēofum, and hit be·sārgode ǣfre oþ his

līfes ęnde, and þā lēode bæd ġeorne þæt hīe him mid fæsten

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fullīce þrīe dagas, biddende þone Ælmihtigan þæt hē him

ārian scolde.

On þǣm lande wæs sum mann, Lēofstān ġe·hāten, rīċe

for worulde, un-ġewittiġ for Gode; sē rād tō þǣm hālgan

mid rīċetere swīþe, and hēt him æt·īewan orgellīce swīþe

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þone hālgan sanct, hwæþer hē ġe·sund wǣre; ac swā hraþe

swā hē ġe·seah þæs sanctes līchaman, þā ā·wēdde hē sōna,

and wæl-hrēowlīce grymetode, and earmlīce ġe·ęndode yflum

dēaþe. Þis is þǣm ġe·līc þe se ġe·lēaffulla pāpa Gregōrius

sæġde on his ġesętnesse be þǣm hālgan Laurentie, þe līþ on

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Rōme-byriġ, þæt męnn wolden sċēawian hū hē lǣġe ġe

gōde ġe yfle; ac God hīe ġe·stilde swā þæt þǣr swulton

on þǣre sċēawunge seofon męnn æt·gædre; þā ġeswicon

þā ōþre tō sċēawienne þone martyr mid męnniscum ġe·dwylde.

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Fela wundra wē ġe·hīerdon on folclicre sprǣċe be þǣm

hālgan Ēadmunde, þe wē hēr nyllaþ on ġe·write sęttan, ac hīe

wāt ġe·hwā. On þissum hālgan is sweotol, and on swelcum

ōþrum, þæt God ælmihtiġ mæġ þone mann ā·rǣran eft on

dōmes dæġe onsundne of eorþan, sē þe hielt Ēadmund hālne

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his līchaman oþ þone mīċlan dæġ, þēah þe hē on moldan cōme.

Wierþe wǣre sēo stōw for þǣm weorþfullan hālgan þæt hīe

man weorþode and wel ġe·lōgode mid clǣnum Godes þēowum

tō Crīstes þēowdōme; for þǣm þe se hālga is mǣrra þonne

męnn mæġen ā·smēan. Nis Angel-cynn be·dǣled Dryhtnes

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hālgena, þonne on Ęnġla-lande liċġaþ swelce hālgan swelce

þes hālga cyning, and Cūþberht se ēadiga and sancte

Æþelþrȳþ on Ēliġ, and ēac hiere sweostor, onsund on līchaman,

ġe·lēafan tō trymmunge. Sind ēac fela ōþre on

Angel-cynne hālgan, þe fela wundra wyrċaþ, swā swā hit

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wīde is cūþ, þǣm Ælmihtigan tō lofe, þe hīe on ġe·līefdon.

Crīst ġe·sweotolaþ mannum þurh his mǣre hālgan þæt hē is

ælmihtiġ God þe wyrċþ swelc wundru, þēah þe þā earman

Iūdēiscan hine eallunga wiþ·sōcen, for þǣm þe hīe sind

ā·wierġde, swā swā hīe wȳsċton him selfum. Ne bēoþ nān

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wundru ġe·worht æt hiera byrġennum, for þǣm þe hīe ne

ġe·līefaþ on þone lifiendan Crīst; ac Crīst ġe·sweotolaþ

mannum hwǣr se gōda ġe·lēafa is, þonne hē swelc wundru

wyrċþ þurh his hālgan wīde ġeond þās eorþan, þæs him sīe

wuldor and lof ā mid his heofonlicum Fæder and þǣm Hālgan

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Gāste, ā būtan ęnde.