1B2.2.10
2

DE FALSIS DIES

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3Eala, gefyrn is þæt ðurh deofol fela þinga misfor, & þæt
4mancynn to swyðe Gode mishyrde, & þæt hæðenscype ealles
5to wide swyðe gederede & gyt dereð wide.
6Ne ræde we þeah ahwar on bocum þæt man arærde ænig
7hæðengyld ahwar on worulde on eallum þam fyrste
8þe wæs ær Noes flode.
9Ac syððan þæt gewearð þæt Nembroð & ða entas worhton
10þone wundorlican stypel æfter Noes flode, & him
11ða swa fela gereorda gelamp, þæt þe bec secgað, swa
12ðæra wyrhtena wæs.
13Þa syððan toferdon hy wide landes, & mancyn þa sona swyðe
14weox.
15& ða æt nyhstan wurdon hi bepæhte þurh ðone ealdan deofol
16þe Adam iu ær beswac swa þæt hi worhton wolice
17& gedwollice him hæþene godas, & ðone soðan God &
18heora agenne scyppend forsawon, þe hy to mannum
19gescop & geworhte.
20Hi namon eac him ða þæt to wisdome þurh deofles lare þæt
21hy wurðedon him for godas þa sunnan & ðone
22monan for heora scinendan beorhtnesse & him lac þa æt
23nyhstan þurh deofles lare offrodon & forleton
24heora Drihten þe hy gescop & geworhte.
25Sume men eac sædan be ðam scinendum steorrum þæt hi godas
26wæron, & agunnan hy weorðian georne, & sume
27hy gelyfdon eac on fyr for his færlicum bryne, sume eac on
28wæter, & sume hy gelyfdon on ða eorðan
29forðan þe heo ealle þing fedeð.

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30Ac hy mihton georne tocnawan, gif hi cuðon þæt gescead,
31þæt se is soð God þe ealle þas ðing gescop
32us mannum to brice & to note for his miclan godnesse þe he
33mancynne geuðe.
34Ðas gesceafta eac ealle doð swa swa him gedihte heora agen
35scyppend & ne magon nan þing don butan ures
36Drihtnes þafunge, forðam þe nan oðer scyppend nis
37buton se ana soða God þe we on gelyfað, & we
38hine ænne ofer ealle oðre þing lufiad & wurðiaþ mid
39gewissum geleafan, cweþende mid muðe & mid modes
40incundnesse þæt se an is soð God þe ealle ðing gescop &
41geworhte.
42Gyt ða hæþenan noldon beon gehealdene on swa feawum godum
43swa hy ær hæfdan, ac fengon to wurðienne
44æt nyhstan mistlice entas & strece woruldmen þe mihtige
45wurdan on woruldafelum & egesfulle wæran þa
46hwyle þe hy leofedon, & heora agenum lustum fullice
47fulleodan.
48An man wæs on geardagum eardiende on þam iglande þe Creta
49hatte se wæs Saturnus gehaten, & se wæs swa
50wælhreow þæt he fordyde his agene bearn ealle butan anum
51& unfæderlice macode heora lif to lyre
52sona on geogoðe.
53He læfde swaþeah uneaðe ænne to life, þeah ðe he fordyde
54þa broðra elles; & se wæs Iouis gehaten, &
55se wearð hetol feond.
56He aflymde his agene fæder eft of ðam ylcan foresædan
57iglande þe Creta hatte & wolde hine forfaran
58georne gif he mihte.
59& se Iouis wearð swa swyðe gal þæt he on his agenre
60swyster gewifode, seo wæs genamod Iuno, & heo wearð
61swyðe healic gyden æfter hæðenscype geteald.
62Heora twa dohtra wæron Minerua & Uenus.
63Þas manfullan men þe we ymbe specað wæron getealde for ða
64mærostan godas

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65þa on ðam dagum, & þa hæðenan
66wurðodon hy swyðe þurh deofles lare.
67ac se sunu wæs swaþeah swyðor on hæðenscype gewurðod
68þonne se fæder wære, & he is geteald eac arwurðost
69ealra þæra goda þe þa hæðenan on ðam dagum for
70godas hæfdon on heora gedwylde.
71And he hatte þor oðrum naman betwux sumum þeodum; ðone
72Denisca leoda lufiað swyðost & on heora gedwylde
73weorðiaþ geornost.
74His sunu hatte Mars, se macode æfre gewinn & wrohte, & saca &
75wraca he styrede gelome.
76Ðysne yrming æfter his forðsiðe wurðodon þa hæðenan
77eac for healicne god, & swa oft swa hy fyrdedon
78oððe to gefeohte woldon, þonne offrodon hy heora lac on
79ær to weorðunge þissum gedwolgode.
80& hy gelyfdon þæt he miclum mihte heom fultumian on
81gefeohte forðan þe he gefeoht & gewinn lufude
82on life.
83Sum man eac wæs gehaten Mercurius on life, se wæs swyðe
84facenfull & ðeah full snotorwyrde swicol on
85dædum & on leasbregdum.
86Ðone macedon þa hæðenan be heora getæle eac heom to
87mæran gode, & æt wega gelætum him lac offrodon
88oft & gelome þurh deofles lare, & to heagum beorgum him
89brohton oft mistlice loflac.
90Ðes gedwolgod wæs arwurðe eac betwux eallum hæðenum on
91þam dagum, & he is Oðon gehaten oðrum naman
92on Denisce wisan.
93Nu secgað sume þa Denisce men on heora gedwylde þæt se
94Iouis wære þe hy þor hatað, Mercuries sunu,
95þe hi Oðon namiað, ac hi nabbað na riht, forðan þe we
96rædað on bocum, ge on hæþenum ge on Cristenum,
97þæt se hetula Iouis to soðan is Saturnes sunu.
98And sum wif hatte Uenus seo wæs Ioues dohtor, & seo

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99wæs swa
100ful & swa fracod on galnysse þæt hyre agen
101broðor wið hy gehæmde, þæs þe man sæde, þurh
102deofles lare, & ða yfelan wurðiað þa hæðenan eac for
103healice fæmnan.
104Manege eac oðre hæþene godas wæron mistlice fundene & eac
105swylce hæþene gydena on swyðlicum wyrðmente
106geond middaneard mancynne to forwyrde, ac þas synd þa
107fyrmestan ðeh þurh hæðenscipe getealde, þeah
108ðe hy fulice leofodon on worulde.
109And se syrwienda deofol þe a swicað embe mancyn gebrohte þa
110hæðenan men on þam healicon gedwylde þæt
111hi swa fule him to godum gecuran þe heora fulan lust heom
112to lage sylfum gesettan & on unclænnesse
113heora lif eal lyfedan þa hwile ðe hi wæran.
114Ac se bið gesælig þe eal swylc oferhogað & ðone soðan
115Godd lufað & weorðað þe ealle þing gescop & geworhte.
116An is ælmihtig God on þrym hadum, þæt is fæder & suna &
117halig gast.
118Ealle þa ðry naman befehð an godcund miht & is an ece God,
119waldend & wyrhta ealra gesceafta.
120Him symle sy lof & weorðmynt in ealra worulda woruld a butan
121ende, amen.