Bright's Anglo-Saxon Reader/The Harrowing of Hell
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[From the Anglo-Saxon version of the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus. The text follows the Camb. Univ. Lib. MS. Ii. 2. 11 (MS. A of the Gospels); selected variants from MS. Cotton Vitellius A. xv. (C, the Bēowulf MS.) are given.]
Karīnus and Leuticus þus hyt āwryton and þus cwǣdon, 'Efne þā wē wǣron myd eallum ūrum fæderum on þǣre hellīcan dēopnysse, þǣr becōm sēo beorhtnys on þǣre þēostra dymnysse þæt wē ealle geondlȳhte and geblyssigende wǣron. Þǣr wæs fǣringa geworden on ansȳne swylce þǣr gylden sunna onǣled wǣre and ofer ūs ealle geondlȳhte, and Sātanas þā and eall þæt rēðe weod wǣron āfyrhte, and þus cwǣdon, "Hwæt ys þys lēoht þæt hēr ofer ūs swā fǣrlīce scȳneð?" Þā wæs sōna eall þæt mennisce cynn geblyssigende, ūre fæder Ādam myd eallum hēahfæderum and myd eallum wȳtegum for þǣre myclan beorhtnysse, and hig þus cwǣdon, "Þys lēoht ys Ealdor þæs ēcan lēohtes, eall swā ūs Dryhten behēt þæt hē ūs þæt ēce lēoht onsendan wolde." Þā clypode Ȳsaias sē wȳtega and cwæð, "Þys ys þæt fæderlīce lēoht, and hyt ys Godes sunu, eall swā ic foresǣde þā ic on eorðan wæs, þā ic cwæð and forewītegode þæt ðæt land Zabulōn and þæt land Neptalīm wyð þā ēa Iordānen and þæt folc þæt on þām þȳstrum sæt sceoldon mǣre lēoht gesēon; and þā ðe on dymmum rȳce wunedon, ic wītegode þæt hig lēoht sceoldon onfōn. And nū hyt ys tōcumen, and ūs onlȳht þā ðe gedyrn on dēaðes dymnysse sǣton. Ac uton ealle geblyssian þæs lēohtes." Sē wȳtega þā Symeōn, heom eallum geblyssigendum, heom tō cwæð, "Wuldriað þone Dryhten Crȳst, Godes sunu, þone þe ic bær on mȳnum earmum intō þām temple; and ic þā ðus cwæð, 'Þū eart lēoht and frōfer eallum þēodum, and þū eart wuldor and wurþmynt eallum Ysrahēla folce.' " Symeōne þā þus gesprecenum, eall þæt werod þǣra hālgena þā wearð swȳðe geblyssigende. And æfter þām þǣr cōm swylce þunres slege, and ealle þā hālgan ongēan clypodon, and cwǣdon, "Hwæt eart þū?" Sēo stefen heom andswarode and cwæð, "Ic eom Iōhannes þæs hēhstan wītega, and ic eom cumen tōforan hym þæt ic his wegas gegearwian sceal, and geīcan þā hǣle hys folces."
'Ādām wæs þys gehȳrende, and tō his suna cweðende sē wæs genemnend Seth, hē cwædþ, "Gerece þȳnum bearnum and þysum hēahfæderum ealle þā ðing þe ðū fram Mychaele þām hēahengle gehȳrdest, þā ðā ic þē āsende tō neorxnawanges geate, þæt ðū sceoldest Dryhten byddan þæt hē myd þē his engel āsende þæt hē þē ðone ele syllan sceolde of þām trēowe ðǣre myldheortnysse, þæt ðū myhtest mȳnne lȳchaman myd gesmyrian, þā ðā ic myd eallum untrum wæs." Seth, Ādāmes sunu, wæs þā tō genēalǣcende þām hālgum hēahfæderum and þām wȳtegum, and wæs cweðende, "Efne þā ic wæs Dryhten byddende æt neorxnawanges geate, þā ætȳwde mē Michael sē hēahengel and mē tō cwæð, 'Ic eom āsend fram Dryhtne tō ðē, and ic eom gesett ofer ealle mennisce līchaman. Nū sēcge ic þē Seth, ne þearft þū swincan byddende nē þȳne tēaras āgēotende þæt ðū þurfe biddan þone ele of þām trēowe þǣre myldheortnysse þæt þū Ādām þȳnne fæder myd smyrian mōte for his līchaman sāre, for þām ðe gȳt ne syndon gefyllede þā fīf þusend wyntra and þā fīf hund wyntra þe sceolon bēon āgāne ǣr hē gehǣfend wurðe; ac þonne cymð sē myldheortesta Crȳst, Godes sunu, and gelǣt þȳnne fæder Ādām on neorxnawang tō þām trēowe þǣre myldheortnysse.'" Þā ðys wǣron ealle gehȳrende ealle þā hēahfæderas and þā wȳtegan and ealle þā hālgan þē þǣr on þām cwicsūsle wǣron hig wǣron swȳðe gebylssigende and God wuldrigende.
'Hyt wæs swȳðe angrīslīc þā ðā Sātanas, þǣre helle ealdor and þæs dēaðes heretofa, cwæð tō þǣre helle, "Gegearwa þē wylde þæt ðū mæge Crȳst onfōn, sē hyne sylne gewuldrod hæfð, and ys Godes sunu and ēac man, and ēac se dēað ys hyne ondrǣdende — 'and mȳn sāwl ys swā unrōt þæt mē þinð þæt ic ālybban ne mæg' — For þig hē ys mycel wyðerwynna, and yfel wyrcende ongēan mē and ēac ongēan þē; and fæla þē ic hæfde tō mē gewyld and tō ātogen, blynde and healte, gebȳdede and hrēoflan, ealle hē fram þē ātȳhð." Sēo hell þā swīðe grymme and swȳðe egeslīce andswarode þā Sātanase, þām ealdan dēofle, and cwæð, "Hwæt ys sē ðe ys swā strang and swā myhtig, gif hē man ys, þæt hē ne sig þone dēað ondrǣdende þē wyt gefryn beclȳsed hæfdon? For þām ealle þā ðē on eorðan anweald hæfdon, þū hig myd þȳnre myhte tō mē getuge, and ic hig fæste gehēold; and gif þū swā myhtig eart swā þū ǣr wǣre, hwæt ys sē man and sē Hǣlend þe ne sig þone dēað and þȳne myhte ondrǣdende? Ac tō sōðon ic wāt, gif hē on menniscnysse swā myhtig ys þæt hē nāþer nē unc nē ðone dēað ne ondrǣt, þæt ic wāt þæt swā myhtig hē ys on godcundnysse þæt hym ne mæg nān þyng wyðstandan. And ic wāt gif sē dēað hyne ondrǣt, þoone gefēhð hē þē, and þē byþ ǣfre wā tō ēcere worulde." Sātanas þā, þæs cwycsūsles ealdor, þǣre helle andswarode and þus cwæð, "Hwæt twȳnað þē, oððe hwæt ondrǣtst þū ðē þone Hǣlend tō onfōnne, mȳnne wyðerwynnan and ēac þȳnne? For þon ic hys costnode, and ic gedyde hym þæt eal þæt Iūdēisce folc þæt hig wǣron ongēan hyne myd yrre and myd andan āwehte; and ic gedyde þæt hē wæs myd spere gesticod; and ic gedyde þæt hym man drican mengde myd geallan and myd ecede; and ic gedyde þæt man hym trēowene rōde gegearwode and hyne þǣr on āhend and hyne myd næglum gefæstnode; and nū æt nēxtan ic wylle hys dēað tō ðē gelǣdan, and hē sceal bēon underþēod ǣgðer ge mē ge þē." Sēo hell þā swȳðe angrȳsenlīce þus cwæð. "Wyhte þæt ðū swā dō þæt hē ðā dēadan fram mē ne ātēo; for þām þē hēr fæla syndon geornfulle fram mē, þæt hig on mē wunian noldon. Ac ic wāt þæt hig fram mē ne gewȳtað þurh heora āgene myhte, būton hig sē ælmyhtyga God fram mē ātēo, sē ðe Lazarum of mē genam, þone þe ic hēold dēadne fēower nyht fæste gebunden, and ic hyne eft cwycne āgead þurh hys bebodu." Þā andswarode Sātanas and cwæð, "Sē ylca hyt ys sē ðe Lazarum of unc bām genam." Sēo hell hym þā þā ðus tō cwæð, "Ēalā ic hālsige þē þurh þȳne mægenu and ēac þurh mȳne þæt ðū nǣfe ne geþafige þæt hē in on mē cume, for þām þā ic gehȳrde þæt word hys bebodes, ic wæs myd myclum ege āfyrht, and ealle mȳne ārlēasan þēnas wǣron samod myd mē gedrehte and gedrēfede, swā þæt wē ne myhton Lazarum gehealdan; ac hē wæs hyne āsceacende eal swā earn þonne hē myd hrædum flyhte wyle forð āflēon, and hē swā wæs fram ūs rǣsende, and sēo eorðe þe Lazarus dēadan līchaman hēold, hēo hyne cwycne āgeaf. And þæt ic nū wāt þæt sē man þe eall þæt gedyde þæt hē ys on Gode strang and myhtig, and gif þū hyne tō mē lǣdest, ealle þā þe hēr syndon on þysum wælhrēowan cwearterne beclȳsode and on þysum bendum myd synnum gewyrðene, ealle hē myd his godcundnysse fram mē ātȳhð, and tō lȳfe gelǣt."
'Ac amang þām þe hig þus sprǣcon, þǣr wæs stefen and gāstlīc hrēam swā hlūd swā þunres slege, and wæs þus cweðende, "Tollite portas principes uestras & eleuamini porte eternales & introibit rex glorie"; þæt byð on Englisc, "Gē ealdras tōnymað þā gatu, and ūp āhebbað þā ēcan gatu þæt mæge in gān sē Cyng þæs ēcan wuldres." Ac þā sēo hell þæt gehȳrde, þā cwæð hēo tō þām ealdre Sātane, "Gewȳt raðe fram mē and far ūt of mȳnre onwununge, and gif þū swā myhtig eart swā þū ǣr ymbe sprǣce, þonne wyn þū nū ongēan þone wuldres Cyning; and gewurðe þē and hym." And sēo hell þā Sātan of hys setlum ūt ādrāf, and cwæð tō þām ārlēasum þēnum, "Belūcað þā wǣlhrēowan and þā ǣrenan gatu, and tō foran on scēotað þā ȳsenan scyttelsas, and heom stranglīce wiþstandað, and þā hæftinga gehealdað þæt wē ne bēon gehæfte." Þā þæt gehȳrde sēo mænigeo þǣra hālgena þe dǣr ynne wǣron, hig clypedon ealle ānre stefne and cwǣdon tō þǣre helle, "Geopena þȳne gatu þæt mæge in gām sē Cyning þæs ēcan wuldres." Þā cwæð Dāuid þā gȳt, "Ne forewītegode ic ēow, þā ðā ic on eorþan lyfigende wæs 'Andettað Dryhtne hys myldheortnysse, for þām ðe hē hys wundra wyle manna bearnum gecȳþan, and þā ǣrenan gatu and þā ȳsenan scyttelas tōbrecan, and hē wyle genyman hig of þām wege heora unryhtwȳsnysse?'" Æfter þām þā cwæð sē wȳtega Īsaias tō eallum þām hālgum þe ðǣr wǣron, "And ne foresǣde ic ēow, þā ðā ic on eorðan lyfigende wæs, þæt dēade men ārȳsan sceoldon, and mænige byrgena geopenod weorðan, and ðā sceoldon geblyssian þe on eorðan wǣron, for ðām þe hym fram Dryhtne hǣl sceolde guman?" Þā ealle þā hālgan þys wǣron gehȳrende fram þām wītegan Īsaiam, hig wǣron cweðende tō þǣre helle, "Geopena þȳne gatu; nū þū scealt bēon untrum and unmyhtig, and myd eallum oferswȳþed." Heom þā ðus gesprecenum, þǣr wæs geworden sēo mycele stefen swylce þunres slege, and þus cwæð, "Gē ealdras tōnimað ēowre gatu and ūp āhebbað þā ēcan gatu þæt mæge in gān sē Cyning þæs ēcan wuldres." Ac sēo hell þā þæt gehȳrde þæt hyt wæs tūwa swā geclipod, þā clypode hēo ongēan and þus cwæð, "Hwæt ys sē Cyning þe sig wuldres Cyning?" Dāuid hyre andswarode þā and cwæð, "Þās word ic oncnāwe, and ēac ic þās word gegyddode, þā ðā ic on eorðan wæs, and ic hyte gecwæð þæt sē sylfa Drihten wolde of heofenum on eorðan besēon, and þǣr gehȳran þā gēomrunge his gebundenra þēowa. Ac nū þū fūluste and þū fūl stincendiste hell, geopena þȳne gatu þæt mæge in gān þæs ēcan wuldres Cyninge."
'Dāuide þā þus gesprecenum, þǣr tō becōm sē wuldorfulla Cyning on mannes gelȳcnysse, þæt wæs ūre heofenlīca Dryhten, and þār þā ēcan þȳstro ealle geondlȳhte, and þār þā synbendas hē ealle tōbræc, and hē ūre ealdfæderas ealle genēosode þǣr þǣr hig on þām þȳstrum ǣr lange wunigende wǣron Ac sēo hell and sē deāð and heora ārlēasan þēnunga, þā ðā hig þæt gesāwon and gehȳrdon, wǣron āforhtode myd heora wælhrēowum þēnum, for þām ðe hig on heora āgenum rīce swā mycele beorhtnysse þæs lēohtes gesāwon, and hig fǣringa Crȳst gesāwon on þām setle syttan þe hē him sylfum gēahnod hæfde; and hig wǣron clypigende and þus cweðende, "Wē syndon fram þē oferswȳðde, ac wē ācsiað þē, hwæt eart þū, þū ðe būtan ǣlcon geflȳte and būtan ǣlcere gewemminge myd þȳnum mægenþrymme hæfst ūre myhte genyðerod? Oððe hwæt eart þū swā mycel and ēac swā lȳtel, and swā nyðerlīc and eft ūp swā hēah, and swā wunderlīc on ānes mannes hȳwe ūs tō oferdrȳfenne? Hwæt! ne eart þū sē ðē lāge dēad on byrgene, and eart lyfigende hyder tō ūs cumen, and on þȳnum dēaðe ealle eorðan gesceafta and ealle tungla syndon āstyrode, and þū eart frēoh geworden betwȳnan ellum ōðrum dēadum and ealle ūre ēoredu þū hæfst swīðe gedrēfed? And hwæt eart þū þe hæfst þæt lēoht hyder geondsend, and myd þȳnre godcundan myhte and beorhtnysse hæfst āblend þā synfullan þȳstro, and ēac gelȳce ealles þās ēoredu þyssa dēofla syndon swȳðe āfyrhte?" And hig wǣron
