<B COAEPREG>
<Q O3 IR PREF PRGEN>
<N PREF GENESIS>
<A AELFRIC>
<C O3>
<O 950-1050>
<M 950-1050>
<K CONTEMP>
<D WS>
<V PROSE>
<T PREFACE/EPIL>
<G X>
<F X>
<W X>
<X X>
<Y X>
<H X>
<U X>
<E X>
<J X>
<I X>
<Z INSTR REL>
<S SAMPLE X>


[^TEXT:  AELFRIC'S PREFACE TO GENESIS.
THE OLD ENGLISH VERSION OF THE HEPTATEUCH.
AELFRIC'S TREATISE ON THE OLD AND NEW
TESTAMENT AND HIS PREFACE TO GENESIS.
EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY, 160.
ED. S. J. CRAWFORD.
LONDON, 1969 (1922).
PP. 78.61 - 80.121^]

[^B8.1.7.1^]
<P 78>
 & syl+d us synna forgyfnysse +arest +durh w+ater
on +dam fulluhte & sy+d+dan +durh d+adbote; & gyf hwa
forsyh+d +da forgyfnysse, +de se Halga gast syl+d,
+donne bi+d his syn +afre unmiltsigendlic on ecnysse.
<R 64>
Eft seo halige +drynnys geswutelode on +disre bec, 
swa swa is on +dam worde, +de God cw+a+d: Uton 
wyrcean mannan to ure anlicnisse.
<R 66>
Mid +dam +de he cw+a+d: Uton wyrcean, is seo +drynnys
gebicnod; mid +dam +de he cw+a+d: to ure anlicnysse,
is seo so+de annys geswutelod.
<R 68>
He ne cw+a+d na menigfealdlice: to urum anlicnyssum, ac
anfealdlice: to ure anlicnysse.
<R 69>
Eft comon +dry englas to Abrahame, & he spr+ac to him eallum
+drym swa swa to anum.
<R 70>
Hu clypode Abeles blod to Gode buton swa swa +alces mannes
misd+ada wrega+d hine to Gode butan wordum?
<R 72>
Be +disum lytlan man m+ag understandan, hu deop seo boc is on
gastlicum andgyte, +deah +de heo mid 
<P 79>
leohtum wordum awriten sy.
<R 74>
Eft Iosep, +de w+as geseald to Egypta lande & he ahredde
+d+at folc wi+d +done miclan hunger, h+afde 
Cristes getacnunge, +de w+as geseald for us to cwale & us
ahredde fram +dam ecan hungre helle susle.
<R 77>
+d+at micele geteld, +de Moyses worhte mid wundorlicum
cr+afte on +dam westene, swa swa him God sylf 
gedihte, h+afde getacnunge Godes gela+dunge, +de he sylf
astealde +durh his apostolas mid menifealdum
fr+atewum & f+agerum +deawum.
<R 80>
To +dam weorce brohte +d+at folc gold & seolfor & deorwur+de
gimstanas & m+anifealde m+ar+da; sume eac 
brohton gateh+ar, swa swa seo +a bebead.
<R 83>
+t+at gold getacnode urne geleafan & ure gode ingehyd, +de we
Gode offrian sceolon; +d+at seolfor 
getacnode Godes spr+aca & +da halgan lare, +de we habban 
sceolon to Godes weorcum; +da gimstanas 
getacnodon mislice f+agernyssa on Godes mannum; +d+at gateh+ar
getacnode +da sti+dan d+adbote +d+ara manna, +de 
heora synna behreowsia+d.
<R 88>
Man offrode eac fela cynna orf Gode to lace binnan +dam
getelde; be +dam is swy+de m+anifeald 
getacnung, & w+as beboden +d+at se t+agl sceolde beon gehal 
+afre on +dam nytene +at +d+are offrungae, for +d+are 
getacnunge +d+at God wile +d+at we symble well don o+d ende
ures lifes; +donne bi+d se t+agl geoffrod on urum weorcum.
<R 93>
Nu is seo fores+ade boc on manegum stowum swy+de nearolice
gesett, & +deah swy+de deoplice on +dam 
gastlican andgyte; & heo is swa geendebyrd, swa swa God sylf hi
gedihte +dam writere Moyse, & we ne 
durron na mare awritan on Englisc +tonne +d+at Leden h+af+d, ne
+da endebyrdnysse awendan, buton +dam 
anum, +d+at +d+at Leden & +d+at Englisc nabba+d na ane wisan on
+d+are spr+ace fandunge: +afre se +de awent o+d+de
se +de t+ac+d of Ledene on Englisc, +afre he sceal gefadian
hit swa +d+at +d+at Englisc h+abbe his agene 
wisan, elles hit bi+d swy+de 
<P 80>
gedwolsum to r+adenne +dam +de +d+as Ledenes wise ne can.
<R 101>
Is eac to witene +d+at sume gedwolmen w+aron +de woldon
awurpan +da ealdan +a, & sume woldon habban +da
ealdan & awurpan +da niwan, swa +da Iudeiscean do+d; ac Crist
sylf & his apostolas us t+ahton +ag+der to
healdenne, +da ealdan gastlice & +da niwan so+dlice mid 
weorcum.
<R 105>
God gesceop us twa eagan & twa earan, twa nos+dyrlu, twegen
weleras, twa handa & twegen fet, & he
wolde eac habban twa gecy+dnyssa on +disre worulde gesett,
+da ealdan & +da niwan; for +dan +de he de+d 
swa swa hine sylfne gewyr+d, & he n+anne r+adboran n+af+d, ne
nan man ne +dearf him cwe+dan to, Hwi dest +du swa?
<R 110>
We sceolon awendan urne willan to his gesetnyssum, & we ne
magon gebigean his gesetnyssa on urum lustum.
<R 113>
   Ic cwe+de nu +d+at ic ne dearr ne ic nelle nane boc +after
+disre of Ledene on Englisc awendan; & ic 
bidde +de, leof ealdormann, +d+at +du me +d+as na leng ne
bidde, +di l+as +de ic beo +de ungehyrsum, o+d+de 
leas gyf ic do.
<R 116>
God +de sy milde a on ecnysse.
<R 117>
   Ic bidde nu on Godes naman, gyf hwa +das boc awritan wille,
+d+at he hi gerihte wel be +d+are bysne, 
for +dan +de ic nah geweald, +deah +de hi hwa [{to{] woge
gebringe +durh lease writeras, & hit bi+d +donne 
his pleoh na min: micel yfel de+d se unwritere, gyf he nele his
gewrit gerihtan.



