Aus Marshall’s Gospels, Dordrecht 1665. (Westsächsisch, reines Angelsächsisch.) Aus dem im Anfang des zehnten Jahrhunderts geschriebenen Durham Book (Cotton. Mss. Nero, D. IV. fol. 100).
3. Gehyrað, Ute eode se sædere hys sæd to sawenne. 4. And þa he sew, sum feoll wið þone weg, and fugelas comon and hyt fræton. 5. Sum feoll ofer stans-cyligean, þar hyt næfde mycel eorðan, and sona up-eode, forþam hyt næfde corðan þiccnesse. 6. Þa hyt up-eode, seo sunne hyt forswælde, and hyt forscranc, forþam hyt wirtruman næfde. 7. And sum feoll on þornas, þa stigon þa þornas and forðrysmodon þæt, and hyt wæstm ne bær. 8. And sum feoll on god land, and hyt sealde, upstigende and wexende, wæstm, and an brohte þrittig-fealdne, sum syxtig-fealdne, sum hund-fealdne. 3. Heono eode ðe sawende (sedere) to sawenne. 4. and miððs geseuw, oðer (sum) feoll ymb ða stret, and cwomon flegendo and fretton (eton) ðæt. 5. sum ec feoll of stæner, ðer ne hæfde eorðu michel (menig); and bræðe upp iornende wæs (arisen wæs) forðon niefde heanisse eorðes: 6. and ða arisen (ða upp eode) wæs sunna, gedrugade (forbernde); forðon niefde wyrt-ruma, gedrugade. 7. and sum feoll in ðornum, and astigon (upp eodun) ðornas, and under-dulfon þæt and wæstm ne salde. 8. and oðer feoll on eorðu grodum, and salde wæstm stigende, and wæxende, and to brohte enne (an) ðrittig and un sexdig, and an hundrað.
Aus der zu Harewood oder Harwood (æt Harawuda) im zehnten Jahrhundert über die lateinischen (St. Hieronymi) Evangelien geschriebenen sogenannten Rushworth Glosse (Ms. Bibl. Bodl. D. 24. Nr. 3946, jetzt D. 2. 19. Auct.) Aus Wicliffe’s um 1380 verfassten Bibelübersetzung.
3. Geherðe; heonu eode ðe sedere (sawend) to sawend. 4. and miððy giseow, oðer (sum) gifeol ymb ða strete, and comun flegende, and fretan (etan) ðæt. 5. oðer (sum) soðlice gifeol ofer stænere, ðer ne hæfde eorðo, and hræðe up iornende wæs, forðon ne hæfde heonisse eorðo. 6. and ða aras (uparnende wæs) sunne, and drygde for bernde; and for þon ne hæfde wyrtruma, adrugade. 7. and oðer gifeol in þornas, and astigun (upeadun) ðornas and underdulfun dæt, and wæstem ne salde. 8. and oðro gifeol on eorðo gode; and salde wæstem stigende, and wexende, and tobrohte an (enne) ðritig, and an sextig and an hundreð. 3. Here ye, lo a man sowinge goith out to sowe, 4. and the while he sowith sum seed fel aboute the weye, and briddis of hevene camen and eeten it, 5. other felde doun on stony places where it hadde not myche erthe, and anoon it sprong up; for it hadde not depnesse of erthe, 6. and whanne the sunne roos up it welewide for hete, and it driede up, for it haade no roote. 7. And other fel doun into thornes, and thornes sprungen up and strangliden it, and it gaf not fruyt. 8. And othere felde doun into good lond, and it gaf fruyt spryngyng up and wexinge, and oon broughte thritty fold, and oon sixty fold, and oon an hundrid fold.

Jetzige englische Bibelübersetzung.

3. Hearken: behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4. and it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth. 6. But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Ethelwold. Dunstan. Alfred. Mönchsregeln wurden ebenfalls aus dem Lateinischen in das Angelsächsische übersetzt, oder glossirt. Solche übersetzungen und glossen sind von Ethelwold, bischof von Winchester, gestorben 984 (Wright’s Biogr. Brit. Liter. A. S. Period. seite 441. 442), und von dem berühmten Dunstan, erzbischof von Canterbury und bischof von London und Rochester, gestorben 988 (am angeführten orte, seite 459. 460), meist nur handschriftlich vorhanden. Diese glossenliteratur macht den natürlichen übergang zu der ausbildung der angelsächsischen prosa.

Als eigentlicher schöpfer der angelsächsischen prosa ist Alfred (848-901) anzusehen, welcher nicht bloss gross als könig, sondern noch grösser als lehrer seines volkes ist. Seine wissbegierde machte ihn schon im knabenalter zu einem eifrigen zuhörer bei den gesängen des scop’s (Saxonica poemata diu noctuque solers auditor relatu aliorum sæpissime audiens docibilis memoriter retinebat. Vergl. Asser, vita Aelfr. ed. M. Parker p. 7), und der wunsch, diese gedichte auch selbst lesen zu können, soll der erste anstoss bei Alfred gewesen sein, lesen zu lernen. Die lateinische sprache war zu seiner zeit in England schon so weit in vergessenheit gerathen, dass die priester selbst die messe, welche sie täglich lasen, kaum verstanden. Alfred jammert über diese vernachlässigung der wissenschaften an mehreren stellen seiner werke, so in der vorrede zu Gregor’s liber pastoralis (ed. M. Parker), worinm er auch klagt, dass die kirchen zwar überall mit literarischen schätzen angefüllt seien, dass aber niemand nutzen aus diesen büchern ziehe, weil sie nicht in der angelsächsischen sprache geschrieben wären. Alfred selbst trug sorge, dass diesem übelstande abgeholfen wurde, indem er mehrere bücher in das Angelsächsische übersetzte, so das Pastorale des Gregorius, des Boethius abhandlung de consolatione philosophiæ, die geschichte des Orosius, die englische kirchengeschichte von Beda und wahrscheinlich auch die selbstgespräche des heiligen Augustinus (Wright’s Biogr. Brit. Liter. A. S. Period. seite 394). Ausserdem liess er andere bücher von seinen literarischen freunden übersetzen, mit deren beistande er auch seine eigenen übersetzungen ausarbeitete, indem er sich die originale in leichtere sätze und worte umschreiben liess. Es möge hier beiläufig bemerkt werden, dass die metrische paraphrase des Boethius, welche gewöhnlich Alfred zugeschrieben wird, aus inneren gründen[93] ihm nicht angehörig zu sein scheint. Die unter Alfred’s namen gehenden sprüchwörter[94] sind in der sprache des dreizehnten jahrhunderts und sicher unecht. Alfred’s beispiel musste ein mächtiger antrieb für die gebildeten seines volkes sein, die angelsächsische sprache und literatur zu pflegen, für welche er noch dadurch sorgte, dass in den neuerrichteten schulen neben dem studium der klassischen sprachen der volkssprache gleiche sorgfalt gewidmet wurde.[95]

Die vorrede zu Alfred’s Übersetzung des Boethius lautet:

[96] Alfred kuning wæs wealhstod ðisse bec. And hie of bec Ledene on Englisc wende, swa hio nu is gedon. hwilum he sette word be worde. hwilum andgit of andgite. swa swa he hit þa sweotolost and andgitfullicost gereccan mihte for þæm mistlicum and manigwealdum weoruld bisgum þe hine oft ægþer ge on mode ge on lichoman bisgodan. König Alfred war übersetzer dieses buches und übersetzte es aus bücherlatein in das Englische, wie es nun geschehen ist. Zuweilen setzte er wort für wort, zuweilen sinn für sinn, so wie er es am deutlichsten und verständigsten deuten konnte, wegen der verschiedenen und mannigfaltigen weltlichen geschäfte, welche ihn oft sowohl im gemüthe als mit dem körper beschäftigten.
(Ða bisgu us sint swiþe earfoþ rime þe on his dagum on þa ricu becomon þe he underfangen hæfde. and þeah þa he þas boc hæfde geleornode and of Lædene to Engliscum spelle gewende. þa geworhte he hi efter to leoþe. swa swa heo nu gedon is.)[97] Die geschäfte sind sehr schwer zu zählen, die in seinen tagen über das reich kamen, die er unterfangen hatte. Und doch, da er dieses buch gelernt und aus dem Latein in die englische sprache übersetzt hatte, da setzte er es später in verse, so wie es nun geschehen ist.
and nu bit and for Godes naman healsaþ ælcne þara ðe þas boc rædan lyste. þas he for hine gebidde. and him ne wite gif he hit rihtlicor ongite þonne he mihte. forþæmðe ælc mon sceal be his andgites mæðe and be his æmettan sprecan ðæt he sprecþ. and don þæs þas he deþ. Und er bittet nun und um Gottes namen beschwört jeden derer, welche dieses buch zu lesen gelüstet, dass er für ihn bete, und ihn nicht tadele, wenn er es richtiger versteht, als er konnte, denn jedermann soll nach seines verstandes maasse und nach seiner musse sprechen, das er spricht, und dasjenige thun, was er thut.

Unzweifelhaft echt ist die vorrede Alfred’s zu seiner übersetzung des Gregor’schen hirtenbuches, von welchem er an jeden seiner bischöfe, deren namen in dem anschreiben (der vorrede) enthalten sind, ein exemplar übersendete. Drei der urschriften sind noch vorhanden, welche an Wulfsige, bischof von Sherborne (in der öffentlichen bibliothek zu Cambridge), an Waerferth, bischof von Worcester (in der Bodleyana zu Oxford Ms. Hatton, 88), und an Plegmund, erzbischof von Canterbury (im brittischen museum Ms. Cotton. Tiberius, B. XI) gerichtet wurden. Da Alfred das reinste Westsächsisch schrieb, möge hier die ganze vorrede und, zur vergleichung mit dem jetzigen Englisch, die von Th. Wright seite 397 ff. seiner Biog. Brit. Liter. A. S. mitgetheilte genaue übersetzung derselben einen platz finden:

Ðis is seo fore-spræc hu S. Gregorius þas boc ge-dihte, þe man Pastoralem nemnað. This is the preface how St. Gregory made the book which people call Pastorale.
Ælfred kyning haleð gretung Wulfsige bisceop his worðum luflice and freondlice, and þe cyðan hate, þæt me com swiðe oft on gemynd, hwylce witan geo wæron geond Angel-cyn, ægðer ge godcundra hada ge woruldcundra, and hu ge-sæliglica tida þa wæron geond Angle-cyn, Alfred the king greets affectionately and friendly bishop Wulfsige his worthy, and I bid thee know, that it occurred to me very often in my mind, what kind of wise men there formerly were throughout the English nation, as well of the spiritual degree as of laymen, and how happy times there were then among the English people,
and hu þa cyningas þe þone anweald hæfdon þæs folces, Gode and his æryndwritum hyrsumodon; and hu hi ægðer ge heora sybbe ge heora sydo, and ge heora anweald innan borde gehealdon and eac ut hira eðel rymdon; and hu him þa speow, ægðer ge mid wige ge mid wisdome; and how the kings who then had the government of the people obeyed God and his Evangelists, and how they both in their peace and in their war, and in their government, held them at home, and also spread their nobleness abroad, and how they then flourished as well in war as in wisdom;
and eac þa godcundan hadas hu georne hi wæron ægðer ge ymbe lara ge ymbe leornunga, and ymbe ealle þa þeow-domas þi hy Gode sceoldon, and hu man ut on borde wisdome and lare hider on land sohte, and hu we hi nu sceoldon ute begitan, gif we hi habban sceoldon. and also the religious orders how earnest they were both about doctrine and about learning, and about all the services that they owed to God; and how people abroad came hither to this land in search of wisdom and teaching, and how we now must obtain them from without if we must have them.
Swa clæne heo wæs oðfeallen on Angel-cynne þæt swiðe feawa wæron be-heonan Humbre þe hira þenunge cuðon understandan on Englisc, oððe furðon an ærend-gewrit of Ledene on Englisc areccan: and ic wene þæt naht monige begeondan Humbre næron. Swa feawa heora wæron, þæt ic furþon anne ænlepne ne mæg ge-þencan be-suðan Thamise þa þa ic to rice feng. So clean it was ruined amongst the English people, that there were very few on this side the Humber who could understand their service in English, or declare forth an epistle out of Latin into English; and I think that there were not many beyond the Humber. So few such there were, that I cannot think of a single one to the south of the Thames when I began to reign.
Gode ælmightigum sy þanc, þæt we nu ænigne an steal habbað lareowa. For þam ic þe beode, þæt þu do swa ic ge-lyfe þæt þu wille, þæt þu þe þissa woruld þinga to þam ge-æmtige, swa þu oftost mæge, þæt þu þone wisdome þe þe God sealde þær þær þu hine befæstan mæge befæst. Ge-þenc hwilce witu us þa becomon for þisse woruld, þa þa we hit na hwæðer ne selfe ne lufedon, ne eac oþrum mannum ne lyfdon. To God Almighty be thanks, that we now have any teacher in stall. Therefore I bid thee that thou do as I believe thou wilt, that thou, who pourest out to them these worldly things as often as thou mayest, that thou bestow the wisdom which God gave thee wherever thou mayest bestow it. Think what kind of punishments shall come to us for this world, if we neither loved it ourselves nor left it to other men.
Þone naman anne we lufdon þæt we Cristene wæron, and swiðe feawe þa þeawas. Þa ic þis eal ge-munde, þa ge-mund ic eac hu ic ge-seah ær þam þe hit eal for-heregod wære and for-bærned, hu þa circan geond eal Angel-cyn stodon maðma and boca ge-fylled, and eac micel mæniu Godes þeawa, and þa swiðe lytle feorme þara boca wiston, for þam þe hi hira nan þing ongitan ne mihton, for þam þe hi næron on hira agenge þeode awritene. We have loved only the name of being Christians, and very few the duties. When I thought of all this, then I thought also how I saw, before it was all spoiled and burnt, how the churches throughout all the English nation were filled with treasures and books, and also with a great multitude of God’s servants, and yet they knew very little fruit of the books, because they could understand nothing of them, because they were not written in their own language;
Swilce hi cwædon ure yldran þa þe þas stowa ær heoldon, hi lufedon wisdome, and þurh þone hi begeton welan and us læfdon. Hær mon mæg gyt ge-seon hira swæð; ac we him ne cunnon æfter spyrgean, for þam we habhað ægðer for-læton ge þone wela ge þone wisdom, for þam þe we noldon to þam spore mid ure mode on lutan. as they say our elders, who held these places before them, loved wisdom, and through it obtained weal and left it to us. Here people may yet see their path, but we cannot follow after them, because we have lost both weal and wisdom by reason of our unwillingness to stoop to their track.
Þa ic þa þis eall ge-munde, þa wundrode ic swiðe þæra godera witena þe geo wæron geond Angel-cyn, and þa bec befullan ealle ge-leornod hæfdon þæt hira þa nanne dæl noldon on hira agen ge-þeode wendan, ac ic þa sona eft me sylfum andwyrde and cwæð, hi ne wendon pæt æfre men sceoldon swa recelease wurðan, and seo lar swa ðofeallan. When I thought of all this, then I wondered greatly that none of the excellent wise men who were formerly in the English nation and had fully learned all the books, would translale any part of them into their own native language; but I then soon again answered myself and said, they did not think that ever men would become so careless and learning so decay.
For þære wilnunge hi hit for-leton, and woldon þæt her þe mara wisdome on lande wære, þi we ma ge-þeode cuðon. Þa ge-munde ic hu seo æ wæs æryst on Ebreisc ge-þeode fundon, and eft þa Crecas ge-leornodon, þa wendon hi hit on hira agen ge-þeode ealle, and eac ealle oðra bec, They therefore willingly let it alone, and would that more wisdom were in this land, the more languages we knew. Then I considered how the law was first found in the Hebrew tongue; and again the Greeks learnt it, then they translated it all into their own speech, and also all other books;
and eft Leden-ware swa sone siððan hi hit ge-leornodon, hi wendon ealle þurh wise wealhstodas on heora agen ge-þeode, and eac alle oðra Cristene þeoda sumne dæl hira on hira agen ge-þeode wendon. and also the Latin people afterwards, as soon as they had learnt it they translated it all through wise interpreters into their own tongue; and also all other Christian people translated some part of them into their own tongue.
For þi me þingð betere gif geow swa þincð, þæt we eac sume bec þa þemed beþyrfysta syn eallum mannum to witanne, þæt we þa on þæt ge-þeode wendon þe we ealle ge-cnawan mægen, and ge-don swa we swiðe eaðe magon mid Godes fultume, gif we þa stylnesse habbað, þæt eall seo geoguð þe nu is on Angel-cynne freora manna, þara þe þa speda hæbben, þæt hi þam befeolan mægen syn to leornunga oðfæste, þa hwile þe hi nanre oðerre note ne mægen, oð fyrst þe hi wel cunnen Englisc ge-writ arædan. Therefore it appears to me better, if you think so, that we also some books which seem most needful for all men to understand, that we translate them into that language that we can all understand, and cause, as we very easily may with God’s help, if we have the leisure, that all the youth that is now in the English nation of free men, such as have wealth to maintain themselves, may be put to learning, while they can employ themselves on nothing else, till at first they can read well English writing.
Lære mon siððan furðor on Leden geþeode, þa þe man furðor læran wille, and to herran hade don wille. Þa ic ge-munde hu seo lar Leden ge-þeodes ær þysum afeallen wæs geond Angel-cyn, and þeah manega cuðon Englisc gewrit arædan, Afterwards let people teach further in the Latin tongue those whom they will teach further and ordain to higher degree. When I thought how the learning of the Latin language before this was decayed through the English people, though many could read English writing,
þa ongan ic ge-mong oðrum mislicum and monigfealdum bisgum þisses kynerices þa boc wendan on Englisc þe is genemned on Leden Pastoralis, and on Englisc Hirde-boc, hwilum word be worde, hwilum andgit of andgite, swa swa ic hi ge-leornode æt Plegmunde minum ærce-biscope, and æt Assere minum biscope, and æt Grimbolde minum mæsse-preoste, and æt Johanne minum mæsse-preost. then I began among other divers and manifold affairs of this kingdom to translate into English the book which is named in Latin Pastoralis, and in English Herdsman’s book, sometimes word for word, sometimes meaning for meaning, as I learnt it of Plegmund my archbishop, and of Asser my bishop, and of Grimbold my presbyter, and of John my presbyter.
Siððan ic hi þa ge-leornod hæfde, swa swa ic hi for-stod swa hic hi andgitlicost arrecan meahte, ic hi on Englisc awende; and to ælcan biscop-stole on minum rice wylle ane on-sendan, and on ælere bið an æstel se bið on fiftigum mancessa. After I had then learnt it so that I understood it as well as my understanding could allow me, I translated it into English; and I will send one copy to each bishop’s see in my kingdom, and on each one there is a stile of the value of fifty mancuses;
And ic bebeode on Godes naman, þæt man þone æstel fram þare bec ne do, ne þa boc fram þam mynstre, uncuð, hu lange þær swa ge-lærede biscopas syn, swa swa nu Gode þanc wel hwar sindon. For ði ic wolde ðæt hi ealne weg æt þære stowe wæron, buton se biscop hi mid him habban wylle, oððe heo hwær to læne sy oððe hwa oðre bi-write. and I bid in God’s name that no one take the handle from these books, nor the books from the mynster, unknown, as long as there are any learned bishops, as (thanks to God) there are now everywhere. Therefore I would that they remain always in their places, unless the bishop will have them with him, or it be lent somewhere until somebody write another copy.

In die übersetzung des Orosius fügte Alfred den bericht eines normanns über die umsegelung Skandinavien’s ein, dessen anfang hier als eine andere probe der Alfred’schen schreibart mitgetheilt wird.