Book excerpt: The tenth century abbot Aelfric of Eynsham is considered the greatest Anglo-Saxon author of his time. He wrote both to instruct the monks and to spread the learning of the monastic revival. His ‘Homilies’ provided orthodox sermons, based on the Church Fathers. He also composed a celebrated ‘Lives of the Saints’, the ‘Hexateuch’ (a vernacular language version of the first seven books of the Bible), as well as important treatises on religious theory. Delphi’s Medieval Library provides eReaders with rare and precious works of the Middle Ages, with noted English translations and the original texts. This eBook presents Ælfric’s collected works, with illustrations, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Ælfric's life and works * Features the collected works of Ælfric, in both English translation and the original Old English * Concise introductions to the major works * Excellent formatting of the texts * Easily locate the sections you want to read with individual contents tables * Includes Ælfric’s rare treatises, recently translated by Brandon W. Hawk * Provides a special dual English and Old English text of ‘Homilies’, allowing readers to compare the sections paragraph by paragraph — ideal for students * Features a bonus biography — discover Ælfric’s medieval world CONTENTS: The Translations The Homilies (tr. Benjamin Thorpe) Lives of Saints (tr. Walter W. Skeat) On False Gods (Anonymous tr.) Life of Saint Edmund, King and Martyr (Anonymous tr.) Sermon on Judith (tr. Brandon W. Hawk) Preface to the ‘Hexateuch’ (tr. Brandon W. Hawk) The Hexateuch (tr. Richard Challoner,) A Treatise on the Old and New Testaments (tr. Brandon W. Hawk) The Original Text The Homilies (Old English Text) The Dual Text The Homilies (Old English and Modern English Text) The Biography Ælfric (1900) by William Hunt