Chapter 18 Reading Practice
From King Alfred’s prose preface to his translation of Gregory the Great’s Pastoral Care:
Ða gemunde ic hu sio æ wæs ærest on Ebreisc-geðiode funden, ond eft, ða hie Creacas geliornodon, ða wendon hie hie on hiora agen geðiode ealle, ond eac ealle oðre bec. Ond eft Lædenware swæ same, siððan hie hie geliornodon, hie hie wendon ealla ðurh wise wealhstodas on hiora agen geðiode. Ond eac ealla oðra Cristena ðioda sumne dæl hiora on hiora agen geðiode wendon. For ðy me ðyncð betre, gif iow swæ ðyncð, ðæt we eac sume bec, ða ðe niedbeðearfosta sien eallum monnum to wiotonne, ðæt we ða on ðæt geðiode wenden ðe we ealle gecnawan mægen, ond gedon swæ we swiðe eaðe magon mid Godes fultume, gif we ða stilnesse habbað, ðætte eall sio gioguð ðe nu is on Angelcynne friora monna, ðara ðe ða speda hæbben ðæt hie ðæm befeolan mægen, sien to liornunga oðfæste (ða hwile ðe hie to nanre oðerre note ne mægen) oð ðone first ðe hie wel cunnen English gewrite arædan.