Ælfric of Eynsham's Natale Sancte Agnetis,
as found in Walter Skeat's edition of Ælfric's Lives of Saints
Ælfric of Eynsham. Natale Sancte Agnetis. Ælfric’s Lives of Saints. Ed. Walter W.
Skeat. Early English Text Society 76. London, 1881-1900. 170-187.
Natale Sancte Agnetis is the primary text for my Master's Thesis, Echoes of Oral Tradition in the Dialogues of Ælfric’s Natale Sancte Agnetis. I first discovered Ælfric in the fall of 2003, and when I read his text on Agnes I found myself captivated by the dialogues between Agnes and the Roman prefect Simpronius, particularly how a twelve-year-old girl could stand her ground so courageously and so eloquently against a man who was second in command only to the Roman Emperor. Ælfric’s source for Natale Sancte Agnetis is a fifth-century Latin text traditionally but erroneously attributed to Saint Ambrose of Milan. That text is collected in Acta Sanctorum, Vol. 2, pages 715-18.
Skeat mentions that he used MS. Julius E. vii. from the Cotton collection at the British Library as his primary source for Ælfric’s Lives of Saints, while consulting also Otho B. x. and Vitellius D. xvii, which had been damaged by fire, “many leaves being lost and destroyed”. The text for Natale Sancte Agnetis begins on Leaf 42 and ends on Leaf 46 of Julius E. vii.
Skeat's edition includes facing-page translations into Modern English of each of the texts in Ælfric’s Lives of Saints. An excellent translation of Natale Sancte Agnetis based on that in Skeat's edition that "has been revised somewhat" can be found online courtesy the English Department at the University of Virginia.
The line numbering here is mine; Skeat numbers approximately every fourth line.
VII.
XII. KALENDAS FEBRUARIAS. NATALE
SANCTE AGNETIS UIRGINIS.
[The copy in MS. O. is much damaged, but little of it being legible; and
that in MS. V. is destroyed.]
1. AMBROSIVS BISCEOP . BINNAN MEDIOLANA
2. afunde on ealdum bocum . be ðære eadigan agne .
3. hú heo on rome byrig reðe ehtnysse acóm .
4. and on mægðhade martyr-dóm ðrowode .
5. Đa awrát ambrosius . be þam mædene ðus .
6. On þære tide wæs sum æðel-boren mæden .
7. agnes gehaten . on ðone hælend gelyfed .
8. binnan rome byrig . bilewit . and snotor .
9. cild-lic on gearum . and eald-lic on mode .
10. Seo wan þurh ge-leafan . wið þa feond-lican ealdras .
11. and on ðam þritteoðan geara þone deað forleas .
12. and þæt ece líf gemette . forðan þe heo lufode crist .
13. Heo wæs wlitig on ansyne . and wlitigre on geleafan .
14. Þa ða heo gewende of scole . ða awogode hi sum cniht
15. simpronies sunu . þe wæs ge-set ofer ða burh .
16. to heah-gerefan . and wæs hæðen-gilda .
17. Þa budon ða magas þam mædene sona
18. deorwurðe gyrlan . and deorwurðran behéton.
19. ác seo eadige agnes . þæt eall forseah .
20. and þæra maðma ne rohte . þe má þe reocendes meoxes .
21. Đa brohte se cniht to ðam clænan mædene .
22. deorwurða gimmas . and woruldlice glencga .
23. and behét hire welan gif heo wolde hine .
24. þa andwyrde agnes . anrædlice þam cnihte .
25. Gewít ðu fram me synne ontendnys
26. leahtras foda . and deaðes bigleafa
27. gewít fram me . Ic hæbbe oðerne lufiend .
28. þinne ungelican . on æðelborennysse
29. seðe me bead bæteran frætegunga .
30. and his geleafan hring me let to wedde .
31. and me gefrætewode . mid ún-asmeagendlicra wurðfulnysse.
32. He befeng minne swiðran . and eac minne swuran .
33. mid deorwurðum stanum . and mid scinendum gimmum .
34. He gesette his tacn . on minum nebbe .
35. þæt ic nænne oðerne ofer hine ne lufige .
36. He geglængde me mid orle . of golde awefen .
37. and mid ormettum mynum me gefretewode .
38. He æt-eowde me eac . his ænlican hordas .
39. ða he me gehét . gif ic him gelæste .
40. Ne mæg ic him to teonan oðerne geceosan .
41. and hine forlætan . þe me mid lufe beweddode .
42. His ansyn is wlitigre and his lufu wynsumre .
43. his bryd-bedd me is gearo . nu iú mid dreamum .
44. His mædenu me singað . mid geswegum stemnum .
45. Of his muðe ic under-feng meoluc . and hunig .
46. nú iú ic eom beclypt . mid his clænum earmum .
47. his fægera lichama is minum geferlæht .
48. and his blod ge-glende mine eah-hringas .
49. His modor is mæden . and his mihtiga fæder
50. wifes ne breac . and him á bugað englas .
51. His wlites wuldriað . þa wynsumun (sic) tunglan .
52. sunne . and mona . þe middan-eard onlihtað .
53. Þurh his spæc geedcuciað eac ða deadan.
54. and þurh his hrepunge beoð gestrangode þa unstrangan seocan .
55. His speda ne ateoriað . ne his welan ne waniað .
56. Þam anum ic healed minne truwan æfre .
57. þam ic me befæste mid ealre estfulnysse .
58. Þonne ich hine lufige . ic beo eallunga clæne .
59. þonne Ic hine hreppe . ic beo unwemme .
60. ðonne Ic hine under-fó . ic beo mæden forð .
61. and þær bærn ne ateoriað . on ðam bryd-lace .
62. Þær is eacnung buton sare . and singallic wæstmbærnyss .
63. Se chiht wearð ge-ancsumod . and wið-innan ablend
64. æfter þæs mædenes spræce . þe hine spearn mid wordum .
65. He wearð þa gesicelod . and siccetunga teah .
66. of niwel-liceum breoste . on bedde licgende .
67. Þa cunnodan læcas hwi he licgende wære .
68. and cyddan þam fæder . þæs chihtes mod-leaste .
69. Þa sende se fæder sona to ðam mædene .
70. þæt ylce ærende . þe his sunu ær abead .
71. ac agnes wiðsoc . sæde þæt heo nolde
72. þæs ærran bryd-guman æþelan truwan .
73. æfre gewemman þurh ænig wedd .
74. Þa þuhte ðam heah-gerefan huxlic on mode .
75. þæt heo oþerne tealde to-foran his gebyrdum .
76. befran swa þeah þearle mid mycelre ðrutunge .
77. hwæt se bryd-guma wære . þe agnes onwuldrode .
78. Him wearð þa gesæd . þæt heo fram cild-hade sona
79. cristen wære . and swa mid dry-cræfte afylled .
80. þæt heo crist tealde hire to bryd-guman .
81. Hwæt ða simpronius mid swiðlicum gehlyde .
82. hét hí gefeccan hám to his dóm-setle .
83. and ærest onsundron mid geswæsum wordum .
84. olehte þam mædene . and æfter ðam geegsode .
85. Ac þæt godes mæden ni mihte beon bepæht
86. þurh ænige lyffetunge fram hire leofan drihtne .
87. ne heo næs afyrht . for his þeow-racan .
88. Þa ge-seah sympronius hyre soþan anrædnysse .
89. and cydde hire freondum . þæt heo for-scylgod (sic) wære
90. for hire cristen-dome . þe se casere onscunode
91. Eft þæs on mergen het se manfulla dema
92. þa eadigan agnen him to gefeccan .
93. and sæde hire gelome hu his sunu hí lufode .
94. ac him speow hwonlice . þeah þe hé swiðe spræce .
95. He ge-sæt þa his dom-setl . dreorig on mode .
96. and behét ðam mædene menig-fealde wita
97. buton heo wiðsoce þone soðan hælend .
98. He cwæð æft siððan to ðam snoteran mædene .
99. Hlyst minum ræde . gif ðu lufast megð-had .
100. þæt ðu gebuge mid biggengum . hraðe .
101. to þære gydenan uesta . þe galnysse onscunað .
102. Agnes ða andwyrde . þam arleasan and cwæð .
103. Ic for-seah þinne sunu ðe soþlice is man .
104. and ic nates hwon ne mæg on his neb-wlite beseon
105. for mines cristes lufe hu mæg ic him to teonan .
106. to þam deadum anlicnyssum . me ge-eadmedan .
107. Þa cwæð se heah-gerefa . to ðam halgan mædene .
108. Ic forbær þe oð þis . forðan þe ðu gyt cild eart .
109. Þu tælst ure godas . swa þeah ne græma þu hí .
110. Agnes him andwyrde . Se ælmihtiga herað
111. swiðor manna mód . þonne heora mycclan ylde .
112. and se geleafa ni bið on gearum . ac bið on glæwum andgitum .
113. Læt þine godas geyrsian . gif hi aht magon .
114. Læt hi sylfe beodan þæt we us to him gebiddan .
115. gif þu þis dón ne miht . drece us loca hu þu wille .
116. Þa cwæð simpronius . se sceandlica dema .
117. Geceos þe nú agnes an þæra twegra .
118. oððe þu mid mædenum þæra mæran uestan
119. þinne lac geoffrige . oððe þu laðum myltestrum
120. scealt beon geferlæht . and fullice gebysmrod .
121. and ða cristenan ne magon þe þonne ahreddan .
122. Hwæt þa agnes andwyrde . mid mycelre anrædnysse .
123. gif ðu cuðest minne god . ne cwæde þu ðas word .
124. Orsorhlice ic forseo þine þeow-racan .
125. forþan þe ic geare cann mines drihtnes mihte .
126. Ic truwige on him forþan ðe he
127. Is me trumweall . and unateorigend-lic bewerigend .
128. þæt ic ðinum awyrgedum godum ne ðurfe
129. ge-offrian . ne þurh ælfremede horwan .
130. æfre beon gefyled . mid þam fulum myltestrum .
131. Ic hæbbe godes encgel haligne mid me .
132. Þine godas syndon agotene of áre .
133. of þam ðe man wyrcð wynsume fate .
134. oððe hí synd stænene . mid þam þe man stræta wyrcð .
135. Nis na godes wunung on ðam grægum stanum .
136. ne on ærenum wecgum . ac he wunað on heofonum .
137. Þe soðlice genimð and þine gelican .
138. seo grimlice hell . mid þam grædigum fyre .
139. on þam ge beoð toblawene . and forbyrnan ne magon .
140. ac beoð æfre ge-edniwode . ðære ecan ontendnysse .
141. Þa hét se woda dema hyre wæda of adón .
142. and hí swa nacode gelæan . to þam forligres huse .
143. and hét clypian geond þa stræ[‘]t . and cyðan be þysum .
144. Hwæt ða godes miht mycclum wearð geswutelod .
145. swá þæt þæs mædenes fex . befeng hi eall abutan .
146. sona swa þa cwelleras hire claðas of abrudon .
147. and þæt fex hi behelede on ælce healfe gelice .
148. Hi tugon ða þæt mæden to þæra myltestrena huse .
149. ac heo gemette þær sona scinende godes encgel .
150. swa þæt nan man ne mihte for ðam mycclum leohte
151. hire on beseon . oððe hí hreppan .
152. for þan þe ðet hus eall sceán . swá swá sunne on dæg .
153. and swa hí hí gearnlicor sceawodon . swá scimodon heora eagon swiðor .
154. Agnes hí þa astrehte þone ælmihtigan biddende .
155. and god hyre þa asende scinende tunecan
156. Heo þancode ða criste . and ðone clað hire onadyde .
157. and wæs swiðe gemæte hire micelnysse .
158. beorhte scinende . swa þæt men geseon mihton .
159. þæt god hire sende þone scinende clað .
160. Þa wearð þæra myltestrena hús mannum to gebæd-huse .
161. and ælc seðe Inneode . arwurðode god .
162. for þam heofonlican leohte . þe on ðam huse scean .
163. Þa com þæs gerefan suna (sic) to þære scinendan stowe .
164. mid his sceandlicum gegadum . wolde þa godes þinene ge-bysmrian .
165. and sende him sona æt-foran . sume Into hire .
166. ac hí wundrodon swiðe . þæs wynsuman leohtes .
167. and ablicgede cyrdon . to heora bysmorfullum hlaforde .
168. Þa ðreade he hí þearle . forðan þe hí þæs scinendan leohtes
169. swa swiðe wundrodon . and hí gewemman ne dorston .
170. Arn þa him sylf inn . mid sceand-licum willan .
171. ac he feol astreht ætforan þam mædene adyd .
172. þurh ðone deofol þe hé dwollice gehyrsumede .
173. He læg þær swa dæd lange on þæra flora .
174. ða wendon his gegadan þæt he wære gebysgod
175. embe his fracedan dæda . þa fandode heora án .
176. and ge-mette hine deadne . and dreorig sona clypode .
177. Eala ge romanísce arfæste symle .
178. gehelpað us hraðe . þeos reðe myltestre
179. mid hire drycræfte adydde urne hlaford .
180. Þe arn seo burh-waru . ablycged þider sona .
181. and se fæder eac cóm . clypigende mid gehlyde .
182. Þu wæl-hreowasta wimman .woldest ðu geswutelian
183. þinne feondlican dry-cræft . swa þæt ðu minne sunu adyddest .
184. Agnes him cwæð tó . hwi synd þa oðre cuce .
185. þe hider inn-eodon . buton forðon þe hí arwurðodon
186. þone ælmihtigan god . þe me myld-heort-lice gescrydde .
187. and asende me his encgel . þe minne lichaman geheold .
188. seþe wæs fram cyld-cradole criste gehalgod .
189. Þin sceamleasa sunu . mid sceamleasum anginne .
190. arn into me . ac se encgel hine afylde .
191. and ðam deofle betæhte . þe hine adydde þær-rihte .
192. Þa cwæð se heah-gerefa . to ðam halgan mædene .
193. þin saga bið ge-swutelod . gif þu þone sylfan encgel bitst .
194. þæt hé minne ancennedan sunu . nu ansundne arære .
195. Agnes seo eadige him andwyrde þus .
196. Ne synd gé na wyrðe . þæt wundor to geseonne .
197. ác swa þeah is tima . þæt drihtnes miht beo geswutelod .
198. Gað eow nu þeah ealle út . þæt ic mé ana gebidde .
199. Hi eodon þa ealle ut . and heo hi ana gebæd
200. biddende hire drihten þæt he þone deadan arærde .
201. Þa æteowde þær cristes encgel . and þone chiht arærde .
202. and he arn þær-rihte ut . þa he geedcucod wæs .
203. clypigende over eall . and cwæðende þus .
204. An god is on heofonum . and eac on eorðan .
205. seðe is þæra cristenra god . and eower godas ne synd nahtes .
206. Hi ne magon him sylfum fremian . ne oðrum fultumian .
207. Þa wurdon þa hæðengyldan . hetelice gedrefede .
208. and clypodon mid gehlyde . be ðam geleaffullan mædene .
209. Animað animað hraðe . þa reðan wiccan .
210. seo þe ðus awent þurh wicce-cræft manna mod .
211. Þa ne dorste se heah-gerefa . naht ongean þa hæðen-gyldan .
212. ac for-lét his gingran togeanes þære ceaste .
213. and ferde him-sylf aweg . sorhful on mode .
214. forðan þe hé ne mihte þæt mæden ahreddan .
215. wið þa hæðen-gyldan . æfter his suna æriste .
216. Hwæt þa aspasius se under-gerefa .
217. ne mihte wið-cwæðan þam cwealm-bærum folce .
218. ac hét þa ontendan for þam micclum teonan .
219. swyðe micel fyr . and hí to-middes besceofan .
220. Hit wearð þa swá gedón . swa se wælhreowa hét .
221. ac se lig hine todælde . on twegen dælas sona .
222. and for-swælde þa ðe þa ceaste macedon .
223. and agnes seo eadige . stód on æle middan gesund .
224. astræhtum handum þus hí gebiddende .
225. Eala ðú ælmihtiga god . ana to ge-biddene .
226. ondrædend-lic scyppend . soþlic to wurðigenne .
227. mines drihtnes fæder . ðe ic bletsige .
228. forðan þe Ic æt-wand þurh þinne wynsuman sunu .
229. þæra arleasra þeowracan . and eac þæs deofles fylðe .
230. Efne ic eom begoten mid godcundlicum deawe .
231. þæs lig is to-dæled and þa geleaf-leasan forswælde .
232. Ic bletsige ðe fæder bodigendlic god .
233. þæt ic þurh fyr unforht to ðe faran mót .
234. þæt þæt ic gelyfde þæt ic geseo .
235. ðæt þæt ich gehihte . þæt ic hæbbe nú .
236. Þe Ic andette mid muðe . and mid minre heortan .
237. and mid eallum innoðe . ic þe gewilnige .
238. ænne soðne god . þe mid þinum suna rixast .
239. and mid þam halgan gaste . an ælmihtig god æfre .
240. Þæt fyr wearð þa acwenced . þæt þær an col ne gleow .
241. and þæt folc tealde þæt to dry-cræfte
242. grymetende mid gehlyde . grame to feore .
243. Đa ne mihte Aspasius þa micclan ceaste acuman .
244. ac hét hí acwellan . mid cwealm-bærum swurde .
245. and crist hí ða underfeng . for his naman gemartyrode .
246. Se fæder . and seo modor . mid mycelre blysse .
247. gelæhton hyre líc . and gelæddon to heora agenum .
248. and hi ðær bebyrigdon . buton sarnysse .
249. and þær gelome wacodon . wurðigende þa stowe .
250. Þa on sumere nihte gesawon hí cuman
251. mycel mædenlic werod . and agnes tomiddes .
252. Hi wæron ealle ge-glengede mid gyldenum gyrlum .
253. and mid ormætum leohte arwurðlice ferdon .
254. Þa cwæð seo halige agnes to hire magum ðus .
255. Warniað þæt ge ne wepon me swa swa deade .
256. ác blyssiað mid me . Ic eom þysum mædenum geferlæht .
257. and ic mid him under-feng . swiðe fægere wununga .
258. and ðam ic eom on heofonum geþeodd . þe ic her on eorðan lufode .
259. Æfter þysum wordum heo gewende forð mid þam mædenum .
260. Þa wearð þeos gesihþ . swiðe gewidmærsod .
261. Hit gelamp ða siððan æfter lytlum fyrste .
262. on þæs caseres dagum . þe constantinus hatte .
263. þæt sume menn sædon þa gesihþe his dehter
264. constantia gehaten . seo wæs hæðen þagit .
265. heo wæs swa þeah snotor . and swyðe unhál .
266. and on eallum limum egeslice wunda hæfde .
267. Þa ðohte heo . þæt heo wolde wacian ane niht
268. æt agnes byrgene . biddan hire hæle .
269. Heo com þa þider þeah þe heo hæðen wære .
270. and mid geleaf-fullum mode . to ðam mædene clypode .
271. þe ða byrgene ahte . þæt heo hyre hæle forgeafe .
272. Heo wearð þa on slæpe . and on swefne geseah
273. þa eadigan agnen . þas word hire secgende .
274. Ongin anrædlice ðu æðele constantia .
275. and gelyf ðæt se hælend þe ge-hælen mæge .
276. ðurh þone þu scealt underfón . ðinra wunda hæle .
277. Þa swóc constantia . and wæs swá ge-hæled .
278. þæt on hire lice næs gesyne . aht þæra sarra wunda .
279. Heo ferde ða hál hám to hire fæder .
280. and hine geblyssode . and hire gebroðra .
281. and ealle ða hired-menn . for hire hæle blyssodon .
282. and se hæðen-scipe wanode . and godes geleafa weox .
283. Heo wearð þa gefullod . swá swá hire fæder wæs .
284. and hadunga under-feng . mid fægere drohtnunga .
285. and manega oðre mædenu . þurh hire mærlican ge-bysnunga .
286. forsawon woruld-lustas . and wurdon criste gehalgode .
287. Đa bæd constantia . contantinum hire fæder .
288. þæt he þære eadigan agne . ane cyrcan arærde .
289. and hire sylfre ane ðrúh . þær hét gesettan .
290. Þes hlisa asprang þa on eallum ðam leod-scipe .
291. and coman fela untrume to þære halgan byrigene .
292. and wurdon gehælede . þurh ða halgan agnen .
293. Þa romaniscan mædenu manega eac ðurh-wunodon
294. on clænum mægðhade . for cristes lufe .
295. æfter agnes gebysnunga þe þær bebyrged ís .
