Page:Old English Gospel of Nicodemus - Hulme 1904.djvu/32

32 sealden, and hwu heo hine anhengen and on byrigele alegden, and hwu he of deaðe aras, and hwu heo þone medsceatt þan weardmænn sealden, and swa þeh [heo] hit forhelen ne mihten. "Nu, leofe Casere, ne gelef þu na þære Iudea leasunge, for-þan þiss is eall soð þæt hit swa is geworden. Seo Drihtene lof and deofle sarege. Amen."

IV. A HOMILY ON THE HARROWING OF HELL.

(From MS C.C.C.C. 41, pp. 295 ff.; margin.)

Men þa leofestan, her sagað an þissum bocum ym[be] ða miclan gewird þe to ðisse nihte wearð: þæt ure Drihten, Hælend Crist, on ðas niht gewearð, þe nu to niht wæs, þæt he of deaðe âras to midre nihte, and he astahg niðer to helwarum to þan, þæt he wolde þa helle bereafian, and swa gedyde, and þæt ealdor deoful oferswiðan. And hit wearð him cuðlice ætiwed [P. 296] þæt he swa wolde gedon. Þæt dioful is geciged and nemned Satanas, þæt is, ealdor deoful inwite; and he rixað and wunað in helle nyþeweardre. Vrê Drihten astahg in ða helle to ðan, þæt he wolde þa halga saula þanon generian. Hit sagað þæt þa comon manige men to hellegatum, and þa men wæron atelice? and swiðe laðlice gewordene. And hit sagað þæt ða men wæron þære helle and ðara deofla geatweardas, þæt hi woldon þa helle belucan wið uris Drihtenes fore and wið his þydercyme. Her sægeð þæt hi wurdun hrædlice âfyrhtede, þa ure Drihten com an þas niht to ðære hellegatum, þæt ða loco burstun and niðer feollon ongean hine. And he eode þa ing, ure Drihten, and bræc þa helle and nerede ða halgan sawla ðe an ðan wite âr lange sæton. And hi wæron þa sprecende, þa helware, him betwunum, and hi cwædon: "Hwæt taliað we hwæt ðes cempa sie ðe into us gæð? Taligað we hwæðere uss[e] geatweardas slapen, þa ðes fyhtling in to us eode? Oððe taligað we hwæðer he hæbbe his ware gesette wið usne ordfruma? Oððe he hine ofslegene, and þurh þæt he into us eode?"

Þæet dioful gewat of þisse helle feran to ðan, þæt he Iudas gelærde Þæt hi Crist on rode-gealgan âhengon; and he git ne com, eala, þæt he ne wat hwilc wæl him is gerenod in ðisse helle. And he ða, ure