And we eac forþam habbæð fela byrsta & byrmre gebiden, & gif we ænig bote gebidan sceolon þonne mote we to Gode þæs geearmian bet þonne we ær þissan dydan. Forþan mid mycle earnungæ we geearnodon þa yrmðe þe us on sittæð, & mid swiðe mycel earnunge we ða ded bote moten æt Gode geræcan, gif hit sceal heononforð godiende wurðan. La hwæt, we witan ful georne þæt to myclan bruce sceal mycel bot nyde, & to myclan brune wæter unlytel, gif mon þæt fyr sceal & eahte acwæncen. And mycel is nydþearfa monna gehwylcum þæt he Godes lage gyme heononforð georne, & Godes rihte mid rihte gelæste. On hæðenum ðeodum ne der mon forhealden lytel ne mycel þæs ðe gelagod is to gedwolgodæ weorðungæ; & forhealdað Godes rihte æghwær alles to lome. & ne dear mon wonian on hæðenum ðeodum, inne ne ute, ænig þare þinga þe gedwolgodan gebroht bið & to lace betæht bið. & we habbæð Godes hus, inne & ute, clæne besypte ælcra gerysna, & Godes ðeowas beoð mæþe & mynde gehwær bedæled. & gedwolgadæ þenan ne dear mon misbeodon on ænige wisan mid hæðenum leodum, swa swa mon Godes þeowan nu deþ to wide, þer Cristene sceoldon Godes lage healdon.
Ac soð is þæt ic secge: Godes gerihta wonedon nu lange, & folces lage wursedon alles to swiðe. & halignessæ beoð to griðlease wide, & Godes [by bode] beoð to clene be- /144r/ -rypt ealdra gerihta & innan bestrupte ælcra gerisnæ. & godcunde hadas weron nu lange swiðe forlægene. & widewan fornydde on unriht to ceorle & to monige foryrmðe; & earme men beswicene & reowlice besyrwde, ge æt freme, ge æt fostre, ge æt feo, ge æt fore, alles to ilome, & ut of þissan earde wide ge isealde swiðe onforwirhte fremdon to gesealde; & cradolchild geþeawode þurh welhreowe unlage, forlytlere þeofðe. & freoriht fornumene & þrelriht genyrwde & almesriht iwonede. & radest is to cwæðene, Godes lage laþe & lare forsegene; & þes we habbað alle þurh Godes yrre bysmor gelome, icnawa ðe þe cunne. And þe burst wurð gemæne, ðeah mon swa ne wene, alre þissere þeode, buton God burge.
Forþam hit is on us alle swytol & isene þæt we ær þissan ofter brecan þenne we bettan, & þy is þisse þeode fela unsæge. Ne dohte hit nu lange inne ne ute, ac wæs here & hungor, bryne & blodgyte on gewelwyrcan ende oft & ilome. and ut stalu & cwalæ, stric & steorfæ, orfcwealm & uncoþu, hol & hæte, & ruperæ reaflac derede swiðe ðearle. & us ungyldæ swiðe dræhton, & us :: wedæræ foroft weoldan unwæstmæ; forþam on þissen earde þæs, swa hit þincan mæg, nu fela gearæ unrihtæ fela & tealte getreowþe æghwær mid monnum. Ne bearh nu foroft gesib gesibban þe ma ðe fremdon, ne fæder his sune, ne hwilum bearn his agene fæder, ne broðer oðrum. Ne ure ænig his lif ne fadode swa swa he sceolde, ne gehadode regollice ne læwede lahlice. Ne ænig wið oðerne treowlice ne þohte swa rihte swa he sceolde, ac mæst ælc swicode & dærede oðrum wordes & dæde; & huru unrihtlice mæst ælc oðerne æftan heaweþ mid scendlican onscytan -- do mare gif he mage.
Forþan beoð on londe ungetreowþa micle for Gode & for weorlde, & eac her beoð on earde on minice wisan lafordswican monige. And alre mæst lafordswice þe bið on weorlde þæt mon his lafordes sawle beswice. And ful mycel lafordswica þe bið on weorlde, þæt mon his laford on life beswice, oððe on londe lifigende drife, & ægþær is iwæden on þissere earde: Eadweard mon forrædde, & syððan acwealde, & æfter þam forbernde, and Æþelred mon dræfde ut of his earde. & godsibbas & godbearn to fela mon forswilde wide geond þæs ðeode. And alle to monige haligstowa wide forwurdan þurh þæt ðe mon sume men ær þam gelogode swa monna ne sceolde, gif mon on Godes griþe mæþe witan wolde.
And Cristes folces to fela man gesealde ut of þissum earde, nu alle hwile, & al þæt is Gode lað, ilyfe þe ðe wylle. Eac we witan georne hwær ðeo yrmð gewearð þæt fæder gesealde bearn wið wurðe, & bearn his moder, & broðor oðerne fremdum to gewealde. & all þæt beoð mycele & ægeslice dæde, understande ðe ðe wylle. And gyt hit is mare & eac monigfealdre þæt dæreð þissere ðeode: monige beoð forsworene & swiðe forlogone & wæd beoð to brocene oft & ilome, & ðet is isæne on þissere ðeode þæt us Godes yrre hætelice on side, icnawæ þe ðe cunne.
Nis eac nan wundor hu ðeah us mislimpe: forþan we witan ful georne ðet nu fela gearæ men na ne rohtan foroft hwæt heo wrohton wordes oððe dæde; eac wearð þeos þeodscipe, swa hit þincan mæg, swiþe forsyngod þurh monigfealde synne & þurh fela wundræ misdæde: þurh mæðdæde & þurh mondæde, & ðurh gitsungæ & ðureh /144v/ gifernessæ, þurh stale & þurh strudungæ, þurh monsylene & þurh hæþene unsidæ, þurh swicedomes & þurh searecræftæs, þurh lahbricas & ðurh æswicæs, þurh mægræsas & þurh manslihtæs, þurh hadbrucas & þurh eawbrucæs, ðurh sibligeru & þurh mislice forligru. & eac syndon wide, swa we ær cwædon, þurh aðbrycæs & þurh wedbrucæs, & þurh mislice leasungæ forloren, & forlogen ma þenne sceolde; & freolsbrucæs & fæstenbrucæs wide gewrohte oft & ilome. And eac her beoð on earde Godes wiðersacan, & cirichatan hetole & leodhatan grimme alles to monige, & oferhogan wide godcundræ rihtlaga & cristene men þeawa, & hocorwurðe dysige æghwær on þeode, oftost on ðam þing ðe swiðost to Godes lage geburgæð mid rihte. And þi is nu iworden wide & side to ful yfelan gewunan þæt men scamæð for gode dædan swiðor þonne for yfele dædan; forþan to oft mon mid hocere gode dæde hyrwæþ & Godfyrhte leahtreð alles to swiðe, & swiðost mon tæleþ & mid olle gegræteð alles to gelome þa ðe riht lufiæð & Godes ege habbæð be ænige dæle. And þurh þæt ðe mon swa deþ þæt mon, hyrwæð þæt mon sceolde herian & for læþeð þæt mon sceolde lufian, þurh þæt mon bringæð alles to monige on yfele þance & on undæde, swa þæt heom ne scamæð na þeah heo singian swiðe & wið God sylfne forwurcan beorn mid alle. Ac for idela onscytte. Heom scameð þæt heo betan heoræ synnen, swa swa bec tæcen, gelice ðam dwæsan ðe for heoræ wrutan nellæð beorgan ær heo na ne magon, ðeah heo al willan.
Ac, on Godes nome, uton don swa us neod is, beorgan us sylfum swa we geornost magan, þy læs we ætgædere alle forwurðan.
And uton don swa us neod is, bugan to rihte & be sume dæle unriht forlæten, & betan swiðe georne þæt we ær brecan; and uton God lufian & Godes lage fuligæn, & læstan swiðe georne þæt þæt we behæten ða we fulluht underfengon, oððe þa ðe æt fulluhte ure forespæcan weron; and uton word & weorc rihtlice fadian, & ure in geþanc clænsian georne, & að & wædd wearlice healdan, & summe getreowþæ habban us betweonan buton uncræftum. And utan gelome understanden ðomce mycle Dom þe we alle to sceolon, & beorgan us georne wið þone wallendæ brune hælle wites, & earnigan us þa mærþa & þa murhðe þe God hæfð igearowæd ðan ðe his willan on weorolde wurcæð. God ure hælpe, Amen.