Accessing the textual apparatus: The line numbers you see act as links to the notes on the numbered line and the following unnumbered lines; that is, the act of clicking on the 1 will bring up the notes on lines one through four. These notes should appear in the window below this text.
1 Sermo Lupi ad Anglos, quando
Dani maxime persecuti sunt eos quod fuit anno millesimo
XIIII ab incarnatione domini nostri Iesu Cristi:~~~
Leofan men gecnawað þæt soð is: ðeos
worolde is on ofste & hit nealæcð þam ende. & þy
hit is on worolde aa swa leng swa wyrse, & swa hit sceal nyde for
folces synnan fram
5 dæge to dæge,
ær antecristes tocyme,
yfelian swyþe. & huru hit wyrð þænne egeslic &
grimlic wide on worolde. Understandað eac georne
þæt deofol þas þeode nu fela geara
dwelode to swyþe, & þæt lytle getreowþa
wæran mid mannum, þeah hy wel spræcan. &
unrihta to fela ricsode on lande, & næs a fela manna
þe smeade ymbe þa bote swa georne
swa man scolde, ac dæghwamlice man ihte yfel æfter
oðrum, & unriht rærde & unlaga
10 manege ealles to wide gynd
ealle þas þeode.
& we eac forþam habbað fela byrsta & bysmara gebiden, &
gif we ænige bote
gebidan scylan þonne mote we þæs to Gode ernian
bet þonne we ær þysan dydan. Forþam
mid miclan earnungan we geearnedan þa yrmða þe us
on sittað & mid swyþe micelan
earnungan we þa bote motan æt Gode geræcan, gif
hit sceal heonanforð godiende
15 weorðan. La
hwæt we witan ful
georne þæt to miclan bryce sceal micel bot nyde, & to
miclan bryne wæter unlytel, gif man þæt fyr
sceal to ahte acwencan. & micel is nydþearf
eac manna gehwilcum þæt he Godes lage gyme
heonanforð georne bet þonne he ær dyde,
& Godes gerihta mid rihte gelæste. On hæþenum
þeodum ne dear man forhealdan lytel, ne
micel, þæs þe gelagod is to gedwolgoda
weorðunge, & we forhealdað æghwær Godes
20 gerihta ealles to gelome.
& ne dear man gewanian on
hæþenum þeodum, inne ne ute, ænig
þæra þinga þe gedwolgodan broht bið &
to lacum betæht bið. & we habbað Godes hus,
inne & ute, clæne berypte ælcra gerisena, & Godes
þeowas syndan mæþe & munde
gewelhwær bedælde. & sume men secgað
þæt gedwolgoda þenan ne dear man misbeodan
on ænige wisan mid hæþenum leodum, swa swa man
Godes þeowum nu deð to wide, þær
25 Cristene scoldan Godes lage
healdan & Godes þeowas griðian.
Ac soð is þæt ic secge: þearf is
þære bote forþam Godes gerihta wanedan to lange
innan þysse þeode on æghwylcan ænde, &
folclaga wyrsedan ealles to swyþe, syððan
Eadgar geendode. & halignessa syndan to griðlease wide & Godes
hus syndan to clæne
berypte ealdra gerihta & innan bestrypte ælcra gerisena. &
wydewan syndan wide
30 fornydde on unriht to ceorle
& to mænege foryrmde & gehynede swyþe, & earme men
syndan sare beswicene & hreowlice besyrwde, & ut of þysan
earde wide gesealde swyþe
unforworhte fremdum to gesealde, & cradolcild geþeowede
þurh wælhreowe unlaga,
forlytelre þyfþe wide gynd þas þeode. &
freoriht fornumene & þrælriht genyrwde &
ælmæsriht gewanode. Frige men ne motan wealdan heora
sylfna ne faran þar hi willað ne
35 ateon heora agen swa swa hi
willað. Ne
þrælas ne moton habban þæt hi agon on agenan
hwilan mid earfeðan gewunnen. Ne þæt
þæt heom on Godes est gode men geuðon. & to
ælmesgife for Godes lufan sealdon. Ac æghwilc
ælmesriht þe man on Godes est scolde
mid rihte georne gelæstan. Alc man gelitlað oððe
forhealdeð, forðam unriht is to wide
mannum gemæne & unlaga leofe. & hrædest is to
cweþenne Godes laga laðe & lara
40 forsawenne, &
þæs we habbað
ealle þurh Godes yrre bysmor gelome, gecnawe se þe
cunne. & se byrst wyrð gemæne þeh man swa ne wene
eallre þysse þeode butan God
beorge.
Forþam hit is on us eallum swutol & gesene þæt
we ær þysan oftor bræcan þonne
we bettan, & þy is þysse þeode fela
onsæge. Ne dohte hit nu lange inne ne ute: ac wæs
45 here & hungor, nu bryne &
blodgyte on gewelhwylcan ende oft & gelome. & us stalu &
cwalu, stric & steorfa, orfcwealm & uncoþu, hol & hete, &
rypera reaflac derede swyþe
þearle. & us ungylda swyðe gedrohtan, & us unwedera
foroft weoldan unwæstma; forþam
on þysan earde wæs, swa hit þincan mæg, nu
fela geara unrihta fela & tealte getrywða
æghwær mid mannum. Ne bearh nu foroft gesib gesibban
þe ma þe fremdan, ne fæder his
50 bearne, ne hwilum bearn his
agenum fæder, ne
broþor oþrum. Ne ure ænig his lif ne
fadode swa swa he scolde, ne gehadode regellice, ne læwede
lahlice. Ac worhtan lust us to
lage ealles to gelome, & naþor ne heoldan ne lare ne lage
Godes ne manna, swa swa we
scoldan. Ne ænig wið oþerne getrywlice þohte
swa rihte swa he scolde, ac mæst ælc
swicode & oþrum derede wordes & dæde, & huru
unrihtlice mæst ælc oþerne æftan
55 heaweþ mid sceandlican
onscytan & mid wrohtlacan -- do mare gif he mæge.
Forþam her syn on lande ungetrywþa micle for Gode &
for worolde, & eac her
syn, on earde, on mistlice wisan hlafordswican manege: & ealra
mæst hlafordswice se bið
on worolde þæt man his hlafordes saule beswice. & ful
micel hlafordswice eac bið on
worolde þæt man his hlafordes saule beswice. & ful
micel hlafordswice eac bið on worolde
60 þæt man his
hlaford of life forræde, oððon
of lande lifiendne drife, & ægþer is geworden
on þysan earde: Eadweard man forrædde, &
syððan acwealde & æfter þam forbærnde;
and Æþelred mon dræfde ut of his earde. &
godsibbas & godbearn to fela man forspilde
wide gynd þas þeode, toeacan oðron ealles to
manegan þe man unscyldige forfor, ealles
to wide. & ealles to mænege haligestowa wide forwurdan
þurh þæt þe man -- sume men
65 ær þam gelogode
swa manna ne
scolde, gif man on Godes griðe mæþe witan wolde.
& cristenes folces to fela man gesealde ut of þysan earde,
nu ealle hwile, & eal þæt
is Gode lað, gelyfe se þe wille. Eac we witan georne
hwær seo yrmð gewearð & scandlic is
to specenne þæt geworden is to wide. & egeslic is to
witanne þæt oft doð to manege, þe
dreogað þa yrmþe hwilum, þæt
sceotað togædere & ane cwenan gemænum ceape bicgað
70 gemæne & wið
þa ane fylþe adreogað, an
æfter anum & ælc æfter aðrum hundum geliccast
þe for fylþe ne scrifað. & syððan wið
weorðe syllað of lande feondum to gewealde Godes
gesceafte -- & his agenne ceap þe He deore gebohte. Eac we
witan georne hwær seo yrmð
gewearð þæt fæder gesealde bearn wið
weorþe, & bearn his modor, & broþor sealde
oþerne fremdum to gewealde, & ut of ðisse þeode.
Eal þæt syndan micle & egeslice dæda,
75 understande se þe
wille. & gyt hit is mare & eac
mænigfealdre þæt dereð þysse þeode:
mænige synd forsworene & swyþe forlogene & wed synd to
brocene oft & gelome, & þæt
is gesyne on þysse þeode þæt us Godes yrre
hetelice on sit, gecnewe se þe cunne.
And la! Hu mæg mare scamu þurh Godes yrre mannum
gelimpan þonne us deð
gelome for agenum gewyrhtum? Ðeh þræla wylc
hlaforde æthleape & of Cristendom to
80 wicinge weorþe, & hit
æfter þam eft geweorþe
þæt wæpngewrixl weorðe gemæne þegene
& þræle: gif þræl þæne
þegen fullice afyllen licge ægylde ealre his mægðe,
&, gif se þegen
þæne þræl þe he ær ahte
fullice afylle, gylde þegengylde. Ful earhlice laga & scandlice,
nydgyld þurh Godes yrre us syn gemæne; understande se
þe cunne. & fela ungelimpa
gelimpð þysse þeode oft & gelome: ne dohte hit nu
lange inne ne ute. Ac wæs here & hete
85 on gewelhwilcan ende, oft &
gelome, & Engle nu lange eal sigelease & to swyþe
geyrigde þurh Godes yrre. & flotmen swa strange þurh
Godes þafunge, þæt oft
ongefeohte anfeseð tyne, & twegen oft twentig, & hwilum
læs hwilum ma, eal for urum
synnum. & oft tyne oððe twelfe, ælc æfter
oþrum, scendað to bysmore þæs þegenes
cwenan & hwilum his dohtor oððe nydmagan, þær
he on locað, þe læt hine sylfene rancne
90 & ricne & genoh godne
ær þæt gewurde. & oft
þræl þæne þegen þe ær wæs
his hlaford
cnyt swyþe fæste & wyrcð him to þræle
þurh Godes yrre. Wala þære yrmðe & wala
þære
woroldscame þe nu habbað Engle eal þurh Godes
yrre. Oft twegen sæmæn, oððe þry
hwilum, driwað þa drafe cristentra manna fram sæ
to sæ -- ut þurh þas þeode, gewelede
togædere, us eallum to woruldscame, gif we on eornost
ænige cuþon ariht understandan.
95 Ac eal ne þæne
bysmor þe we oft þoliað,
we gyldað mid weorðscype þam þe us scendað.
We him gyldað singallice & hy us hynað dæghwamlice;
hy hergað & hy bærnað, rypaþ &
reafiað, & to scipe lædað. & la hwæt! Is
ænig oðer on eallum þam gelimpum butan Godes
yrre ofer þas þeode swutol & gesæne?
Nis eac nan wundor þeah us mislimpe: forþam we witan
ful georne þæt nu fela
100 geara mænn na ne
rohtan, foroft, hwæt hy
worhtan wordes oððe dæde. Ac wearð þes
þeodscipe, swa hit þincan mæg, swyþe
forsyngod þurh mænigfealde synna & þurh fela
misdæda: þurh morðdæda & þurh
mandæda, þurh gitsunga & þurh gifernessa, þurh
stala
& þurh strudunga, þurh mannsylena & þurh
hæþene unsida, þurh swicdomas &
þurh searacræftas, þurh lahbrycas & þurh
æswicas, þurh mægræsas & þurh manslyhtas,
105 þurh hadbrycas &
þurh æwbrycas,
þurh siblegeru & þurh mistlice forligru & eac syndan
wide, swa we ær cwædan, þur aðbricas &
þurh wedbrycas, & þurh mistlice leasunga
forloren, & forlogen ma þonne scolde, & freolsbricas &
fæstenbrycas wide geworhte oft &
gelome. & eac her syn on earde Godes wiðersacan, apostatan
abroþene & cyrichatan
hetole, & leodhatan grimme ealles to manege, & oferhogan wide
godcundra rihtlaga &
110 cristenra þeawa, &
hocorwyrde dysige æghwær on
þeode oftost of þa þing þe Godes
bodan beodaþ & swyþost on þa þing þe
æfre to Godes lage gebyriað mid rihte. & þy is nu
geworden wide & side to ful yfelan gewunan þæt menn
swyþor scamað nu for goddædan
þonne for misdædan; forþam to oft man mid hocere
god dæda hyrweð & Godfyhte lehtreð
ealles to swyþe & swyþost man tæleð & mid
olle gegreteð ealles to gelome þa þe riht
115 lufiað. & Godes ege
habbað be ænigum dæle. &
þurh þæt þe man swa deð þæt
man eal hyrweð þæt man scolde heregian & to
forð laðet þæt man scolde lufian. Þurh
þæt
man gebringeð ealles to manege on yfelan geþance & on
undaede, swa þæt hy ne scamað
na þeh hy syngian swyðe & wid God sylfne forwyrcan hy
mid ealle ac for idelan onscytan.
Hy scamað þæt hy betan heora misdæda, swa
swa bec tæcan, gelice þam dwæsan þe for
120 heora wrytan lewe nellað
beorgan: ær hy na ne magan, þeh hy eal willan.
Her syndan þurh synleawa, swa hit þincan mæg,
sare gelewede to manege on
earde. Her syndan, swa we ær sædon, mannslagan &
mægslagan & mæsserbanan &
mynster hatan & hlafordswican & æbere apostatan, & her
syndan mansworan &
morþorwyrhtan, & her syndan hadbrecan & aewbrecan, &
ðurh siblegeru & ðurh mistlice
125 forligeru forsyngode
swyðe, &
her syndan myltestran & bearn myrðrah & fule forlegene
horingas manege, & her syndan wiccan & wælcyrian, & her
syndan ryperas & reaferas &
woruldstruderas & ðeofas & þeodscaðan, & wedlogan &
wærlogan. & hrædest is to
cweþenne mana & misdæda ungerim ealra: &
þæs us ne scamað na, ac þæs us scamað
swyþe þæt we bote agennan, swa swa bec
tæcan, & þæt is gesyne on þysse earman
130 forsyngodan þeode. Ea
la! Micel magan manege
git hertoeacan eaþe beþencan þæs þe
anman ne mehte on hrædinge asmeagan, hu earmlice hit gefaren
is nu ealle hwile wide
gynd þas þeode. & smeage huru georne gehwa hine
sylfne, & þæs na ne latige ealles to
lange. Ac la, on Godes naman, utan don swa us neod is, beorgan us
sylfum swa we
geornost magan, þe læs we ætgædere ealle
forweorðan.
135 An þeodwita
wæs on
Brytta tidum, Gildas hatte. Se awrat be heora misdædum, hu
hy mid heora synnum swa oferlice swyþe God gegræmedan,
þæt He let æt nyhstan Engla
here heora eard gewinnan, & Brytta dugeþe forðon mid
ealle. & þæt wæs geworden þæs
þe he sæde, þurh gelæredra regolbryce &
ðurh læwedra lahbryce, þurh ricra reaflac & þurh
gitsunge wohgestreona; ðurh leode unlaga & þurh
wohdomas, ðurh biscopas asolcennesse
140 & unsnotornesse, &
þurh lyðre
yrhðe Godes bydela, þe soþes geswugedan ealles to
gelome & clumedan mid ceaflum þær hy scoldan clypian.
Þurh fulne eac folces gælsan &
þurh oferfylla & mænigfealde synna heora eard hy
forworhtan & selfe hy forwurdan. Ac
wutan don swa us þearf is warnian us be swilcan, & soþ
is þæt ic secge, wyrsan dæda we
witan mid Englum, sume gewordene þonne we mid Bryttan
æhwar gehyrdan. & þy us is
145 þearf micel
þæt we us beþencan &
wið God sylfne þingian georne. & utan don swa us
þearf is gebugan to rihte & be suman dæle unriht
forlætan, & betan swyþe georne þæt we
ær bræcan. & utan God lufian & Godes lagum fylgean, &
gelæstan swyþe georne þæt þæt
we behetan þa þe fulluht underfengan, oððon
þa þe æt fulluhte ure forespecan wæran, &
utan word & weorc rihtlice fadian, & ure in geþanc
clænsian georne, & að & wed wærlice
150 healdan, & sume getrywða
habban us betweonan butan uncræftan. & utan gelome
understandan þone miclam Dom þe we ealle to sculon &
beorgan us georne wið þone
weallendan bryne helle wites, & geearnian us þa
mærþa & þa myrhða þe God hæfð
gegearwod þam þe his willan on worolde gewyrcað.
God ure helpe, Amen.