I.[1]
ON ðære tide ðe Gotan of Sciððiu mægðe wið Romana rice gewin up ahofon, ⁊ mid[2] heora cyningū, Rædgota ⁊ Eallerica wæron hatne, Romane burig abræcon, ⁊ eall Italia rice ꝥ is betwux þam muntū ⁊ Sicilia þam ealonde in anwald[3] gerehton, ⁊ þa æfter þa foresprecenan cyningū Þeodric feng to þam ilcan rice. Se Ðeodric was Amulinga; he was cristen, þeah he on þā arrianiscan gedwolan þurhwunode. He gehet Romanū his freondscipe, swa ꝥ hi mostan heora ealdrihta wyrðe beon. Ac he þa gehat swiðe yfele gelæste,[4] 7 swiðe wraðe geendode mid manegū mane. Ꝥ wæs to eacan oðrū unarimedū yflū ꝥ he Iohannes þone papan het ofslean. Þa was sum consul, we heretoha hatad, Boetius was gehaten;[5] se was in boccræftu ⁊ on woruldþeawum se rihtwisesta. Se þa ongeat þa manigfealdan yfel þe se cyning Ðeodric wið þa cristenandome ⁊ wið þa romaniscū witum dyde. He þa gemunde þara eðnessa ⁊ þara ealdrihta þe hi under þa caseru hæfdon heora ealdhlafordū. Þa ongan he smeagan ⁊ leornigan on him selfū hu he ꝥ rice þa unrihtwisan cyninge aferran mihte, ⁊ on ryhtgeleaffulra ⁊ on rihtwisra anwealde gebringan. Sende þa digellice[6] ærendgewritu to þa kasere to Constentinopolim, þær is Creca heahburg ⁊ heora cynestol, forþā se kasere wæs heora ealdhlafordcynnes; bædon hine þæt he him to heora cristendome ⁊ to heora ealdrihtu gefultumede. Þa ꝥ ongeat se wælhreowa cyning Ðeodric, þa het he hine gebringan[7] on carcerne ⁊ þærinne belucan. Þa hit ða gelomp ꝥ se arwyrða wæs on swa micelre nearanesse 8 Cott. Metr. i. anwal B. 3 em. gelast B. 4 he above line B. • anweald B. 7 digelice B. 8 gebingan B. 3 em. mið B. shaten B.
