Page:Old English Gospel of Nicodemus - Hulme 1904.djvu/25

Rh æigðer gea þe gea me.' Seo helle þa swa swyðe grislice þuss cwæð: 'Wyte þæt þu swa do, þæt he fram me þa deade ne ateo, for-þan-þe here feale synden þe synden geornfulle fram me, þæt heo on me wunigen nelleð. Ac ic wat þæt heo fram me ne gewiteð þurh heora agene mihte, bute heo se ilca God me benyme þe me benam Lazarum, þone-þe heold deadne feower niht fæste gebunden, and ic hine eft cwicne ageaf þurh his beboden.' Þa answerede Sathanas and cwæð: 'Se ilca hit is þe Lazarum of deaðe awehte and of unc bam genam.' Seo helle þa andswerede and cwæð: 'Eala, ic hælsige þe þurh þine mægn and eac þurh minne þæt þu næfre ne geðafie þæt he on inne me becume, for-þan ic geherde [''Fol. 96a''] þa word his bebodes! Ic wæs mid mycelan ege afyrht and ealle mine arlease þeignes wæron mid me gedrehte, swa bæt we ne mihten Lazarum gehealden. Ac he wæs hine scacende swa swa earn, þone he wyle mid reðen flihte forð afleon. And he wæs fram us arisende, and seo eorðe þe Lazarus deaden lichame heold, heo hine cwicne ageaf. And þæt ic wat nu, þæt se mann þe eall þæt dyde, he is on Gode strang and mihtig. And gyf þu hine inn gelædest, ealle þa-þe her synd on þyssen wælreowen cwarterne beclysede and on þyssen bænden mid synne gewriðene, ealle he mid his godcundnysse fram us atihð and to life gelædeð.'"

Eala, mæn þa leofeste, hwu laðlic and hwu grislic wæs þære deoflene gemot, þa seo helle and se deofel heom betweonen cidden!

"Onmang þan þa com þær mycel stefne and gastlic clypigende swylce þunreslege, and þuss cweðende: 'Attollite portas.' Þæt fers segð: 'Ge ealdres, untyneð þa gaten and upahebbeð þa ændelease gaten and læteð inn þone wuldrigende Godes sune.' And [þa] seo helle þæt geherde, þa cwæð heo [Fol. 96b] to þan heafde, Beelzebub: 'Gewit fram me and far of minre wununge; and gyf þu eart swa mihtig swa