The Life of St. Guthlac, Hermit of Crowland

Felix of Crowland

Translated by Charles Wycliffe Goodwin

23 chapters · about 48 min

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The opening

I.

J^TN the days of ^Ethelred, the famous king of the Mercians, there was a noble man of the province of Mercia, who was called Penwald. He was of the oldest and noblest family, ayIio were named Iclings. He was in worldly things wealthy and had great riches, and when he was wealthiest and had the most riches, he desired to take to himself a wife. He chose from the multitude of maidens the one who was fairest, and of the noblest kin; she was called Tette. And they were together until the time that God ordained that the Avoman became with child. When the time came that she should give birth to the child, suddenly there came a sign from heaven, and clearly as with a seal marked out the child. Lo! men saw a hand of the fairest red hue coming from heaven; and it held a golden rood, and was manifested to many men, and it leaned forward before the door of the house wherein the child was born. Thereupon all the men who saw it hastened thitherward, that they might more clearly see and understand the sign. The hand then returned with. the rood up to heaven. Then all the men who saw the sign, stretched themselves on the earth, and prayed God that he would show them what that sign and portent should be, which was there so unexpectedly displayed to tliem. When they had ended this prayer, a woman came in great haste running out of the house wherein the child was born, and said thus to the men: Be firm and of good heart, for a man of future glory is born here on this earth. When the men heard this word, they said among themselves, that it was a divine sign that was there showed to them, inasmuch as the child was born there. Some of them then said, that by divine providence the gift of eternal bliss was fore-ordained to him, in virtue of the holy sign that was shown to them at his birth. Men were much amazed at the matter and at the sign which was there displayed; and behold, ere the sun set it was known and famous over all the middle of England.

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About this edition

The words
Charles Wycliffe Goodwin's English translation, copied word for word.
Left out
  • Notes and pages added by translators, editors or publishers, in 3 places
  • The library's bookplate and stamps (University of California) and specks read as characters by the OCR (44 blocks)
  • The title page and opening pages before chapter 1
  • The printer's imprint (“C. AND J. ADLARD, PRINTERS”) and a library mark (2 blocks)
  • A preface, foreword or afterword
  • Pictures and their captions
  • Other material that isn't the author's, in 48 places
  • Page numbers and running heads from the printed pages, in 54 places
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 11)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 13)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 15)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 17) (2 blocks)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 19)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 21)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 23)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 25)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 27) (2 blocks)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 31) (2 blocks)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 33)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 35)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 37)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 39)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 41) (2 blocks)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 43) (2 blocks)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 45) (2 blocks)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 47)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 49)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 51)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 55)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 57)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 59)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 61) (2 blocks)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 63)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 65)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 67)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 69)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 71)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 73)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 75)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 77)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 79)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 81)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 83)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 85) (3 blocks)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 87)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 91) (2 blocks)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 93)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 95) (2 blocks)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 97)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 101)
  • Goodwin's textual footnotes to the Old English text (manuscript readings, OCR page 103)