occurred to me, I trust through the grace of God, to translate this book from the Latin language into the English tongue, not through confidence of great learning, but because I have seen and heard much error in many English books, which, in their innocence, unlearned men have considered great wisdom. And I regretted that they neither knew nor had the evangelical doctrines among their writings always excepting those men who knew Latin, and save for those books which King Alfred wisely translated from Latin into English, and which are to be had. For this reason I ventured, trusting in God, to undertake this work, and also because men have need of good instruction, especially at the present time, which is the end of this world. . . . Our Lord commanded His disciples to instruct all nations1 in the things which He Himself had taught them; but of such men there are now too few who will teach well, and set a good example. . . . Because of such commands, it seems to me that I should not be guiltless in the sight of God if I were unwilling to make known to other men, either by word of mouth or in writing, the evangelical truth which He Himself spake, and afterwards revealed to holy teachers. I know a great many in this country more learned than I, but God declares His wonders through whom He will. As an almighty Ruler, He performs His work through His chosen, not as if He needed our help, but in order that we may attain everlasting life by accomplishing His work. Paul the Apostle said, 'We are laborers together with God,'2 and yet we do nothing for God without the help of God.

Now I beg and beseech, in God's name, if any one desires to copy this book, that he carefully correct it by the original.

4. ENGLISH PREFACE TO HOMILIES II

I, Ælfric, a monk, have translated this book from Latin books into the English tongue, for those men to read who do not know Latin. I have taken it from the holy gospels, and have treated it according to the expositions of the illustrious doctors whose names I wrote in the former book, in the Latin preface.1 I have disposed in two books the narratives which I have translated, thinking it would be less tedious to hear if one book should be read in the course of one year, and the other the year following. In each of these books there are forty discourses, without the preface; but they are not all taken from the gospels, many of them being collected from the lives or the passions of God's saints- but only of those whom the English nation honors with feast-days. Before each discourse I have put the title in Latin, but any one who wishes may change the order of the chapters after the preface.2

5. NEW YEAR'S DAY

Hom. 1. 98-102

We have often heard that men call this day New Year's Day, as if this day were first in the course of the year; but in Christian books we find no explanation of why this day should be considered the beginning of the year. The old Romans, in heathen times, began the course of the year on this day; the Hebrew nations at the vernal equinox; the Greeks at the summer solstice; while the Egyptians

1 Augustine, Jerome, Bede, Gregory the Great, Smaragdus, and occasionally Haymo.

2 The close of the preface to each set of homilies is identical with that of the preface to Genesis, and that of the preface to the Grammar.

began the calculation of their year at harvest. Now our calendar begins, according to Roman ordinance, on this day, for no religious reason, but from old custom. Some of our service-books begin at the Lord's advent, yet not on that account is it the beginning of the year, nor with any reason is the beginning placed on this day, though our calendars repeat it at this place. Most rightly it seems that the beginning of the year should be observed on the day when the Almighty Creator made the sun and the moon and the stars, and the beginning of all the seasons, that is, on the day when the Hebrew people begin the calculation of their year, as Moses the leader wrote in the books of the law. Verily God said unto Moses concerning that month, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.'1 Now the Hebrew people kept the first day of the year at the vernal equinox, because on that day the yearly seasons

were set.

2

The eighteenth day of the month that we call March, which you call Hlyda, was the first day of this world. On that day God made light, and morning, and evening. Then followed three days without measure of time, for the heavenly bodies were not created before the fourth day. On the fourth day the Almighty established all the heavenly bodies, and the yearly seasons, and commanded them to be for a sign for days and years. Now the Hebrews begin their year on the day when all the seasons were appointed, that is, on the fourth day of the creation of the world, and the teacher Bede, with great discrimination, reckons that that day is the twenty-first of March, the day which we celebrate in honor of the holy man Benedict, because of

1 Exod. 12. 2.

2 The loud month (roaring, blustering), from OE. hlūd, 'loud.'

his great distinction. Indeed the earth too makes known by her shoots, which then renew their life, that the time when they were created is the most correct beginning of

the year.

Now with great error, in accordance with heathen custom, and contrary to their Christianity, foolish men practise manifold divinations on this day, as if they could prolong their lives or their prosperity, while they provoke the Almighty Creator. Many are also possessed with such great error that they regulate their journeying by the moon, and their deeds according to days, not being willing to undertake anything on Monday, because of the beginning of the week, although Monday is not the first day in the week, but the second. . . .

Nevertheless, according to nature, every bodily creature in creation which the earth produces is fuller and more vigorous at full moon than in its wane. So also trees, if they are felled at full moon, are harder and more lasting for building, especially if they are rendered sapless. This is no charm, but a natural thing, by reason of their formation. Behold, the sea also accords with the course of the moon; they are always companions in their increase and decrease. And as the moon rises each day four points later, so also does the sea flow four points later.

6. DAILY MIRACLES

Hom. 1. 184-5

God hath wrought many miracles, and He performs them every day, but these miracles have become much less important in the sight of men because they are very common. The fact that each day God Almighty feeds the whole world, and guides the good, is a greater miracle than was

that of filling five thousand men with five loaves; yet men wondered at that, not because it was a greater miracle, but because it was unusual. Who now makes our fields productive, and multiplies the harvest from a few grains, but He who multiplied the five loaves? The power was in Christ's hands, and the five loaves were, so to speak, seednot sown in the ground, but multiplied by Him who created the earth.

This miracle is very great, and deep in significance. Frequently one sees beautiful letters written, and praises the writer and the letters, but does not know what they mean. He who can distinguish between letters praises their beauty, but also reads the letters, and understands what they mean. We look at a painting in one way, and at letters in another. In the case of a painting, nothing more is necessary than for you to see and praise it; it is not sufficient for you to look at letters without also reading them, and understanding their meaning. So likewise is it in regard to that miracle which God wrought with the five loaves; it is not enough for us to wonder at the sign, or to praise God for it, unless we also comprehend its spiritual significance.

7. GOD AND THE HUMAN SOUL

Hom. 1. 284-8

Consider carefully the sun, in which there are, as we said before, heat and light; the heat dries, and the light illumines. The heat does one thing, and the light another, and although they cannot be separated, the heating pertains, nevertheless, to the heat, and the illumination to the light. In like manner, also, Christ alone assumed humanity, and not the Father nor the Holy Ghost; yet they were always with Him in all His works, and in all His course.