Anonymous: Vision of Leofric (1 019 words)

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1B4.2

page 182

    
2Her gesutelað ða gesihðe ðe leofric eorl gesæh.
3Him þuhte to soðan on healfslapendon lichaman, na eallinga
4swylce on swefne, ac gyt gewisslicor,
5þæt he sceolde nede ofer ane swiðe smale bricge, & seo
6wæs swiþe lang, & þær arn swiðe feorr beneoðan
7egeslic wæter, swylce hit ea wære.
8ða þa he mid þam gedræht wæs, þa cwæð him stefn to,
9Ne forhta þu.
10Eaðe þu þa bricge oferferest.
11Mid þam þa wearð he sona ofere, nyste he hu.
12ða þa he ofere wæs, þa com him lateow ongean & hyne
13lædde to anum swyðe wlitigan felde & swyþe fægeran,
14mid swetan stence afylled.
15þa geseah he swyþe mycele weorud swylce on gangdagan, & þa
16wæron ealle mid snawhwitum reafe gescrydde,
17& þæt on þa wisan þe se diacon bið þonne he
18godspell ret.
19& wæs an þæra on middan standende on mæssepreostes reafe,
20swyþe heah & swyðe mycel ofer eal þæt oþer folc.
21ða cwæð se latteow, Wast þu hwæt þis seo?
22Nese, cwæð he.
23Hit is Sanctus Paulus, hæfeð nu gemæssod, & bletsað nu
24þis folc.
25ða lædde he hine furðor þæt hi coman þær þær sæton
26six arwurðlice menn, swiðe wurðlice gefrætewod.
27ða cwæð heora an, Hwæt sceall þæs fula mann on ure
28færræddene?
29þa andswarode him oþer & cwæð, He mot beon mid us, he is
30niwan gefullod þurh dædbote, & he cymð to
31us on þære þriddan gebyrtide.     
32ða wæs eac his gewuna þæt he wolde swyþe lytel drincan,
33þeah he mid gebeorum bliðe wære; & þænne he
34wiste þæt menn fæste slæpen, he wolde on dihlum stowum
35hine georne gebiddan.
36ða wæs he æt Cristes cyrican mid þam cyninge; þa spræc
37he on æfen wið þone cyrcward & hine georne
38bæd þæt he hine inn lete þænne he þa dura cnylde; ac
39he þæt forgymde for his druncennysse .
40ða þa he to þære dura com & þær langsumlice swyðe
41cnucede & georne cunnode, hwæðer he hi on ænige
42wisan undon mihte, ne mihte na.
43ða he þæne cyrcward gehyrde ofer eall hrutan, þa ne
44wænde he him nanes incymes, ac feng þa on his
45gebedo, swa his gewuna wæs, for þær wæs an forehus æt
46þære cyrcan duru.
47ða on þam gebede wearð seo duru færincga geopenad, & he
48þa sona in eode, & hine to his Drihtene gebæd
49up ahafenum earmum.
50ða warð his leohtbora afyrht swyðe, & gefeall him in anan

page 184


51heale &, mid þære forhtnæsse þæt hine ofereode, slæp.
52ða geseah he full gewisslice þæt he stod on middan þære
53flore aþenedum earmum mid mæssereafe gescrydd,
54& hæfde grene mæssehacelan on him beorhte scinende,
55& he þæs swyðe wundrode.     
56Eft hit getimode æt oðrum sæle þæt he wæs mid þam
57kynge æt þære ylcan stowe.
58ða dyde he swa his gewuna wæs, eode to cyrcean mid his
59þreom cnapan, þa þa oðrę men slepon; & he hine
60þa gebæd, ealswa his gewuna wæs.
61þæt wæs swa neh Sancte Dunstanes byrgennę swa he nest
62mihte.
63ða wurðen þa twegen cnapan sona on slæpe, & se þridda
64wacode swiðor for ege þonne for his gebedum.
65ða gehyrde he færinga swyðe ungerydelic gelyd þam
66gelicost swylce þæra muneca setl færlice feollon
67ealle togedere, & wæs æfre swa leng swa hluddre &
68menigfealdre & ungeryddre.
69ða æfter langum fyrste geswac þæt gehlyd.
70þær wæs innan þære cyrcean byrnende blacern.
71þa scean þær færinga leoht inn æt þam eastende, swylce
72niwe mona arise, swa þæt hit lihte under þære
73rode swyðran earmę, þe stod ofer þæt weofed.
74þa wæs hit swa leng swa leohtre, swa lange hit leohtode,
75þæt þæs blacernes leoht næs nan þing gesyne,
76& þæt swa þæt hit lihte geond ealle þa widgyllan
77cyrcan.
78Swa lange hit wæs þa on ðam, þæt he hit ne dorste na
79lengc behaldan, & hit asanode þa on þa ylcan
80wysan þe hit ær wæxende wæs, swa ðæt he geseh eft þæt
81blacern leoht, & þæt oðer geswac.
82& se ofdrædda cnapa þæt eal mid him geseah & hyrde,
83swylce hit to gewitnessę wære; & þa oðre slepon
84& þæs nan þing nyston.     
85Neh þon ylcan sæle se cing leg æt Sandwic mid scipum.
86ða wæs his gewuna þæt he wolde ælce dæge habban twa
87mæssan, butan hit ma wære, & ealle his tida togædere,
88ær he ut eode.
89þa eode he ymbe sume neode, þa mæssede man þam cynge æt
90Sancte Clementes cyrcean.
91ða cwæð he to his geferan þæt hit betere wære þæt hig
92þa mæssan hæfdon.
93& he þa inn eode, & him man sona hrymde; & he þa sona eode
94binnan þone weohstal on norðhealfe, &
95se cyng stod on suðhealfe.
96ða wæs þær an þrilig wahrægl & swyðe þicce gewefen
97þæt hangode bæftan þam weofode.
98& stod þær an medmycel rod on ðære eorðan on ðam
99norðeasthyrnan; & wæs swa mycel þæs treowes gesyne
100swa wolde beon god

page 186


101hande brad beneoþan þam wahrifte; & se
102oðer dæl wæs betwyx þam wahrifte & þam wahe.
103& se preost mæssode be cruce.
104ða geseah he ofer þa rode ane hand swylce heo bletsode;
105þa wende he ærost þæt sum man hine bletsode,
106for þam seo cyrce wæs eall folces afylled; þa næs
107þæt na swa.
108ða beheold he hit þa gyt geornor, þa geseah he ealle þa
109rode swa swutole, swylce þær nan þing beforan
110nære, & wæs seo bletsiende hand styriende & wendende
111upward.
112þa forhtode he & tweonode him hweðer hit swa wære, swa him
113þuhte.
114ða mid þæs modes tweonunge þa æteowde heo him swa
115swutole swa he his agene geseon mihte; & wæron
116fægere fingras smale & lange, & þæra nægla toscead & se
117greata lira beneoðan þam þuman eall wæs gesyne
118& fram þam littlan fingre toweard þæs earmes, &
119sumne dæl of þære slyfe.
120ða ne dorste he hit na leng behealdan, ac heng þæt heafod
121adun, & hit þa geswac þæra bletsunga.
122þæt wæs neh þam þe þæt godspel wæs gerædd.     
123Feowertyne nihton ær his forðsiðe he foresæde þone
124dæg þe he sceolde cuman to Cofantreo to his langan
125hame, þær he on restet; & hit aeode eall swa he
126sæde.
127Requiescat in pace .