"All men, as the Prophet saith, are conceived with unrighteousness, and born with sins: but our Saviour alone was conceived without unrighteousness, and without sins born." Wheloc. in Bed. 448.

14" What shall we say concerning the natal time of Maria, but that she was procreated through a father and a mother, even as other men, and was born on the day which we call the sixth of the ides of September? Her father (was) called Joachim, and her mother, Anna; religious persons under the old law. But we will not write any farther concerning them, lest we fall into errors." Wheloc. in Bed. 448.

15 Nir zeɲæd on nanɲe bec nanɲe гputelɲe zepirrunze be hype zeendunze buton þæt heo nu to daz puldorfullice of pam lichaman gepat. Dyne bynzen is sputol eallum onlociendum of dirne anSpeaɲdan dæg on middan dene 10raphat reo dene is betpux þære dune rion 7 þam munte oliveti seo býrzen is aæteoped open 7 æmtiz. & þær on uppan on hyɲe purðmýnte is aræɲed mære cýnce mid punderlican stan zepoɲhte. Nir nanum deadlicum men cuð hu ode on hpilcere tide hype halza lichama panon zebroden pære. odde hpider he ahafen ry odde hpæden heo of deade arise. Lpædon þeah zehpýlce laɲeopar þæt hype runu ɲe Se on pam þriddan deze mihtlice of deade apar. þæt he eac hir modoɲ lichaman of deade arærde ·

mid undeadlicum pulone on heofonan ɲice gelozobe. (Bibl. Bodl. MSS. Junii 22. Ex Hom. in Assumpt. S. Mariæ, f. 183.) There is not read in any books any more certain information concerning her end, but that she, now, to-day, gloriously from the body passed. Her tomb is manifest to all be

holders, to this present day, in the middle of the valley of Iosaphat: the valley is betwixt the mount Sion and the mount Oliveti, and the tomb is shewn open and empty, and thereupon, in her honour, is reared a great church, wrought with wondrous stones. It is not known to any mortal men, how, or at what time, her holy body was withdrawn thence, or whither it is raised, or whether she rose from the dead. Some learned men, however, have said, that her Son, who, on the third day, mightily from death arose; that he also reared his mother's body from the dead, and lodged it with immortal glory in the heavenly kingdom.

Dpæet pylle pe eop spydor reczan be þirrum rýmbel-dæze buton maria cristes modor peard on Sirrum dæze of Sirrum zerpincfullum life genumen upp to heofonan nice to hiɲe leouan runu þe heo on liue abear mid þam heo blirrað on ecere mynde á to poɲulde. Lip pe mare reczað be pirrum rýmbel-deze ponne pe on þam halzum bocum ɲædað þe puɲh zodes dihte zerette papon donne beo pe pam zedpolmannum gelice pe be heopa azenum dihte ode be rpernum feola leara zesetnýssa apriton. Ac da zeleaffullan laɲeopar augustinus· hieronimus· zrezorius zehpýlce odré punh heoɲa pirdom hi topunpon. Sýnd гða Yeah zyt pa dpollican bec ærden ze on leden ze on englischi ræðað ungerade menn. Lenoh ir geleaffullum mannum to rædenne to seczenne prodir reapa ir þæɲa manna þe maze ealle pa bec pe þurh zodes muð oðde þurh zoder zart zedihte pæɲon fulfɲemedlice duph-rmeazan. Læte zehpa apez pa dpollican learunze pe þa unpaɲan to forpyrde lædað. I ræde zehpa odde lyste

þære halzan laɲe pe ur to heoponan nice gepirrað. ZIF hi zehýnan pillað. (Bibl. Bodl. MSS. Junii 121. ex Hom. in Assumpt. S. Mariæ Virg. f. 159.) What shall we better say to you, on this festal day, than that Maria, Crist's mother, was taken, on this day, from this painful life up to the kingdom of heaven to her beloved Son, whom she bare, in life; with whom she rejoiceth in everlasting mirth, world without end. If we say more of this festal day than we read in the holy books, which were composed through God's inditement, then be we like the heretics, who have written, from their own inditement, or from dreams, many lying compositions. But the orthodox doctors, Augustinus, Hieronimus, Gregorius, and such others, through their wisdom, overthrew them. There are, though, yet heretical books, both in Latin and in English, and foolish men read them. Enough (it) is to orthodox men to read and say that which is truth: and few there are of those men who can perfectly consider through all the books which were indited through God's mouth, or through God's Spirit. Let every one throw away the heretical falsehoods which lead the unwary to destruction; and let every one read or hear the holy lore which directs us to the kingdom of heaven, if we will hear it.

Whelock has printed, and translated into Latin, the greatest part of this last extract, (p. 172.) among his proofs of Anglo-Saxon care to encourage the reading of Scripture. It is also no dubious authority for believing that our ancient Church admitted Holy Writ alone as the source of religious knowledge.

16 Nu ir hype nama zereht hlærdize ode cpen

odde sæ-steorra. Deo ir hlærdige zecpæden fordan þe heo cende þone hlaford heofonar eorðan. And heo is cpen zecpeden· forðan þe heo com of þam æðelan cynne J of þam cynelican ræde dauider cynner. Sæ-steorra heo is zecpeden fordan þe ræ-rteonɲa on niht zecÿded rcyp-liðendum mannum hpyder býð east. I pert· hpýder suð j nord. Spa ponne peaɲð þuɲh da halzan fæmnan sancta marian zecyded re rihte ridræt to pam ecan life pam pe lange ær sætton on þeostrum· J on deader scuan· 7 on þam unstillum ÿðum þires middan earder. á þýððan pýrton ealle halize þone Fruman middan earder 7 ende 7 heorona nicer puldor helle pite. (Bibl. Bodl. MSS. Junii 22. Ex Hom. de Nativ. S. Mariæ, f. 201.) Now is her name rightly, Lady, or Queen, or Sea-star. She is called Lady, because she bare the Lord of heaven and earth. And she is called Queen, because she came of a noble family, and of the kingly seed of David's family. Sea-star she is called, because the sea-star, at night, pointeth out to seafaring men whither is east and west, whither south and north. So then was pointed out, through the holy Virgin, St. Maria, the right path to eternal life to them who long before sat in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and on the unquiet waves of this world: and ever since all holy (men) have known the beginning of the world, and the end, and the glory of the kingdom of heaven, and the punishment of hell.

17 Odre martirar on heopa lichaman þropodon martirdom for cnister geleafan ac reo eadize maɲia nær na lichamlice zemaɲtirod· ac hýre sapul pær spiðe zeancsumod mid mycelne propunze

þa þa heo stod dreoriz foran onzean cristes rode·

hype leora cild zereah mid renum næzlum on heardum treope gefæstnod. Nu ir heo maɲe þonne martir foɲðan þe heo pɲopode pone maɲtisdom on hyre raple pe odne mantiɲar þropodon on heopa lichaman. (Bibl. Bodl. MSS. Junii 22. f. 185.) Other martyrs in their bodies suffered martyrdom for Crist's faith; but the blessed Maria was not bodily martyred: but her soul was very distressed with great suffering, when she stood mournful over against Crist's cross, and saw her beloved child fastened with iron nails upon the hard tree. Now is she more than martyr, because she suffered martyrdom in her soul: the other martyrs suffered in their bodies.

spa

18 Ɖer rýmbel-dæz ofer-stihð unprðmetenlice ealɲa oðɲa halzena mæsse-dazar· гpa micclum rpa ðir halize mæden zoder modor is unpiðmetenlic eallum oðnum mædenum. Der Freolr-dæz is us zeaɲlic ac he is heofon-paɲum singallic. Be þýrrene heofonlican cpene uprtize puldrade se halza zart on lofranzum þur befɲinende. pæt ir þeor be her astihð spýlce arisende dæz-rima· spa plitiz spa mona гpa zecoɲen гpa runne⚫ ezeslic spa fýrd-truma. Se halza zart pundrode · forðan þe he dÿde þæt eall heofon-paru pundrode þýrrene fæmnan upræpelder. Maria ir plitigre þonne mona foɲðan þe heo rcind buton ateorunze hype beorhtnesse. Deo is gecoren ƒða sða sunne mid leoman healicna mihta fondan þe drihten re þe is rihtpisnýs se sunne hi zeceas to cennestɲan. Þyre fær is piðmeten fýrdlicum truman forðan þe heo pær mid halzum mæznum ýmbtnýmed. J mid engla þreatum. (Bibl. Bodl. MSS. Junii 22.